Stuck in a Rut: My Weight Has Barely Changed. What Can I Do?

Ans: Start doing strength training and add 1st class protein sources to your diet.

Ans: Weight gain is a slow process. Due to less muscle in your body, you need to increase protein in your diet from low fat dairy products, lean meat, eggs, soya, nuts, beans, lentils etc. leading to increase in lean mass and thereby weight gain. Include complex carbohydrate intake majorly from high fiber fruits and vegetables along with whole grains and pulses. Eat small frequent calorie and nutrient dense meals. Exercise to strengthen your muscle group but do not burn too many calories with cardio or over exercising.

Ans: Maintain the BMI around 24.

Ans: Using the BMI is considered a good measure of a person’s weight because it compares their weight to their height. If you are underweight, it will depend on whether you may have a genetic background or a medical illness that prevents you from putting on weight. You may have an ectomorph body type. There are interventions doctors can recommend to help a person gain weight. Dietary guidelines for weight gain include increasing the quantities of the food gradually , to eat more frequently, having more nutrient dense foods like inclusion of nuts, dry fruits, starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, etc. Add healthy unsaturated fats: olive/ coconut oil. Include protein sources in every meal like chicken/fish/egg whites or veg sources like low fat milk and its products, soya and pulses. Consult a registered dietician or nutrition consultant for dietary advise.