If you are one of those people who find that no matter how much they eat they still can’t gain weight, it can start to become frustrating – especially if it is one of your goals to put on a few extra pounds. There could be various reasons why you aren’t gaining weight and meeting your health and fitness goals. In this article, we will go into more detail on a few possible reasons why you aren’t gaining weight:
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1) YOU ARE NOT CONSUMING / MAINTAINING A CALORIE SURPLUS
One of the possible reasons why you aren’t gaining weight is because you aren’t consuming or maintaining a consistent calorie surplus in your diet. What is a calorie surplus? A calorie / caloric surplus is when you consume and retain more calories than you burn off. A calorie surplus is needed in your diet in order to gain weight. In contrast, a calorie deficit is what encourages weight loss. To help you reach and maintain a caloric surplus in your diet, consider downloading a meal planner app so that you can keep track of your calorie intake. In addition, you should consider consulting with a health professional such as a nutritionist or dietitian to help you develop an appropriate meal plan and calorie intake to promote healthy weight gain.
Furthermore, the type of foods that you choose to source your calories from plays an important part as well. In the effort to gain weight, you may be tempted to go for high-calorie junk foods such as fast foods, in order to gain weight. While this may cause weight gain, your aim should be to gain weight the healthy way through exercise and carefully picked, nutrient-dense foods. Gaining weight with the help of high-calorie junk foods may lead to certain health complications down the line. There are plenty of healthy, yet high-calorie foods you can have as or add to a meal to encourage weight gain. Some of those healthier food options include lean cut meats, nuts, potatoes, and more. These healthy, high-calorie foods can help you reach and maintain a calorie surplus in your diet that is needed to gain weight.
2) YOU DO NOT BUILD MUSCLE MASS THROUGH EXERCISE
Aside from your diet, your exercise habits can also be a contributing factor as to why you aren’t gaining weight. There are cardio exercises which help to burn calories and promote weight loss as some cardio exercises can be quite intense. On the other hand, there are strength-based exercises which can help you gain weight in the form of muscle mass. Once you ensure that you are eating enough calories to be at a consistent caloric surplus, you can then take your results a couple of steps further and increase your body mass through exercise. To add, exercise will give you the chance to tone and shape up different areas of muscle and help you attain your desired figure.
A few strength-based exercises that can help to encourage weight gain include squats, dumbbell curls, lunges, and more. When working out, make sure you are maintaining a healthy, balanced diet with an adequate amount of protein. Again, if you are wondering why you aren’t gaining weight, take a look at your exercise habits. You may need to incorporate some more strength exercises into your workout routine to promote muscle growth and thus increase your overall body mass.
3) YOU ARE NOT CONSISTENT
One of the most important parts to attaining any goal is staying consistent. If you want to gain weight, you are going to have to remain consistent in your effort. Otherwise, you can revert your progress, especially if you already have a fast metabolism. To do so, you can try downloading a health and fitness app or try out a fitness watch to help record and track your calorie intake and level of physical activity.
Furthermore, it helps to take pictures of your progress to help you stay motivated. Also, come up with a routine – one for working out and one for your diet. Make sure you have a breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with a couple of snacks in between. Following a routine will help you stay consistent in your effort to gain weight.
4) POSSIBLE UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITION
Another potential cause for unexplained weight loss and why you aren’t gaining weight could be due to an underlying health condition. The best way to determine the status of your health is by speaking with your doctor. Speaking with a health professional can help you assess your current state of health and determine if you have any underlying medical conditions that could be contributing to why you aren’t gaining weight. Once you get a good check-up from the doctor, with their aid, you can then make the necessary changes to your diet and / or other lifestyle habits to encourage healthy weight gain.
5) YOU HAVE NOT TRIED WEIGHT GAIN SUPPLEMENTS
Just like there are products that can aid in weight loss, there are also weight gain supplements that provide a generous number of calories that can promote weight gain. In addition, many of these weight gain supplements come with a variety of other key nutrients like protein, which can encourage muscle growth, along with other vitamins and minerals. If you are wondering why you aren’t gaining weight and haven’t yet tried or considered weight gain supplements, they are most definitely worth a go. Many of these supplements come in the form of shakes or powders that can be blended in your liquid of choice and served alongside a healthy meal. You can add an extra hundred or even a thousand calories with the addition of weight gain supplements and quicken the weight gain process.
References:
1“Underweight Health Risks: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321612.