Hello and welcome to Healthcare Magic. Thanks for your query.

I will certain you advise you about this. Can you please provide your current weight and height?

Regards,
Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar

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Hello and welcome to Healthcare Magic. Thanks for your query.

Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is 18.72 which is definitely on the lower side of the normal range. So, do you need to put on some more weight. But remember, putting on weight doesnt mean simply "overeating" - because that can be unhealthy and increase your cholesterol levels.

So, the first step in a weight gain program is planning. Often, people make overenthusiasic efforts initially and then lose interest later on. Or some people simply overeat and then later on feel uncomfortable and quit. Also, sudden increase in weight is also not good for health. Therefore, first make a reasonable plan as to how much weight you want to gain every month. I would recommend that gaining 2-3 kilos every month is a healthy and practical option.

The main goal is to increase your calorie intake, but in a healthy way. For this you need to make a list of foods which high in calorie content but are also healthy, and then plan your diet accordingly. For example:

Drinks — Try more of soya milk, fruit juices or whole milk.

Vegetables — Include more of high carbohydrate vegetables (potatoes, peas, corns, carrots, beetroot, etc). Avoid vegetables that are mostly water or fibre (cauliflower, cabbage, beans, greens, pumpkin, cucumber).

Fruit — Choose dense fruit (bananas, pears, apples, pineapple, dried fruit) over watery fruit (oranges, sweetlime, watermelon).

Protein - If you are a non-vegetarian, take two boiled eggs everyday and eat more of liver, thick chicken or mutton soup, and take meat frequently.
- If you are a vegetarian, eat a cup of boiled, mashed dal mixed with ghee everyday, eat lots of corn and pulses like XXXXXXX gram, moong dal, etc.

Dried fruits and nuts - Raisins, dates, groundnuts, almonds, pista nuts, etc are all very XXXXXXX in calories. You can have one cup of nuts as a snack everyday.

Breads — Hearty and dense breads, such as multigrain / whole wheat are more nutritious than regular white bread. Cut thick slices and spread generously with peanut butter, jam, honey or cheese spread and take it as snacks inbetween.

Added oils — When cooking, you add a generous amount of oil to your food. You can also substitute oil with butter whenever possible.


If you are not able to eat more at a time, then split you meals - you can follow:3 meals and 3 snack pattern, spread out at even intervals.

You can try protein supplements like protein powders, protein shakes or nutritional supplements like Spirulina capsules.

You can also take a few spoons of honey in the morning and night - honey is a good source of carbohydrate and can strengthen your digestive system also.

Now, as you increase your calories, it is also important to build your muscle mass. Otherwise, you will just put on fat and become flabby. There are two kinds of exercises - aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic exercises like walking, running, cycling, swimming, etc. are all to lose weight. So avoid aerobic exercises. Anaerobic exercises are weight training exercises and will build up muscle mass. So, I would advise you to join a gym and do weight training.

Keep monitoring your weight every week. This way you will know how much weight you are gaining and this will give you motivation to continue your efforts.

Wish you all the best.

- Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar

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