Secrets to Healthy Weight Gain
Beverley Brooke

There is so much emphasis on weight loss in todays culture that it is easy for people to forget that many out there are actually people out there trying to gain weight, not lose it.

There are many different reasons why someone might be trying to gain weight. Many people for example may become underweight due to medical problems, such as hormonal problems or digestive diseases.

Still others have a very fast metabolism, and are naturally thin, to the point where they may feel uncomfortable about their weight.

You may be one of the few athletes out there that is looking to pack on more pounds to appear muscular. Regardless of your reasons, gaining weight requires that you pay careful attention to your diet to gain weight in a healthy manner.

The key to gaining weight healthily is taking in more Calories per day than you expend. The number of calories you burn during a day will depend on a number of factors.

If you are an athlete, you likely burn more calories than someone who leads a relatively sedentary existence. A physically demanding job might also result in greater caloric expenditure every day.

Once you take into consideration your activity level, adopt the following tips, which will guide you through the weight gain challenge in a healthy way:

1) Eat foods that are high in good fats including those that come from fish, avocados and nuts. Avoid high calorie sweets that will only add fat not muscle to your frame. You should also ensure that you are consuming adequate amounts of whole grains and proteins.

2) Take a multi vitamin and mineral supplement every day.

3) Exercise, particularly strength train. Strength training will help you build muscle mass, which in turn will help fill out your figure.

4) Try eating five to six smaller meals per day. Keep your body Full of high density and high energy foods that will keep you energized throughout the day.

The most important thing to remember is that it is possible to gain weight in a manner that is healthy. Remember above all else to stay away from foods that are highly processed, contain too much sugar or are full of saturated fats.

About the Author

Beverley Brooke, Editor of Health & Finesse – Free health, diet and fitness articles and weekly newsletters http://www.healthandfinesse.com

Tags: Adequate Amounts, athlete, Author, Avocados, Beverley Brooke, Caloric Expenditure, Calories Per Day, Careful Attention, Diet To Gain Weight, Digestive Diseases, editor, Energy Foods, Gaining Weight, Good Fats, Healthy Weight Gain, High Density, high energy foods, Hormonal Problems, Many Different Reasons, Multi Vitamin, Strength Train, Trying To Gain Weight, Vitamin And Mineral, Vitamin And Mineral Supplement, Whole Grains —

Living a Healthy Life!
Nettie Mae

People are obsessed with dieting and weight loss! Don’t believe me? Just tune-in to any source of advertising…you’re instantly bombarded with the latest diet schemes and “Hollywood” food fads.

Here in America, we have built a thriving industry trying to control our weight and treat the consequences of over-indulgence. The cost of weight loss and obesity related health care treatments is staggering…Americans alone spend around $114 billion every year! And even with all this interest in losing weight, we continue to pack on the pounds like never before…

– A whopping 64 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese…up about eight percent from earlier estimates.

– Among children and teens ages 6-19, 15 percent or almost nine million are overweight…triple the rate in 1980!

– Nearly one-third of all adults are now classified as obese.

For Americans, modern life may be getting TOO easy. Our cushy lifestyle means we expend less energy and consequently need fewer calories to sustain our normal body weight.

Think about it for a moment…

Entertainment no longer requires energy expenditure. In fact, it’s usually quite the opposite. We now entertain ourselves in the comfort of our own home while watching TV and munching on our favorite snack. Whether it’s television, computers, remote controls, or automobiles, we are moving less and burning fewer calories. Common activities that were once a part of our normal routine have disappeared…activities like climbing stairs, pushing a lawn mower or walking to get somewhere.

And please do not misunderstand me…I appreciate comfortable living just as much as the next person. But, here is the problem…

With all of our modern day conveniences and “cushy” style of living we have not adjusted our caloric intake to compensate for our decreased caloric expenditure. We consume more calorie rich and nutrient deficient foods than ever before. Consider a few of the following examples comparing what we eat “today” vs the 1970’s (U.S. Department of Agriculture survey):

– We are currently eating more grain products, but almost all of them are refined grains (white bread, etc.). Grain consumption has jumped 45 percent since the 1970’s, from 138 pounds of grains per person per year to 200 pounds! Only 2 percent of the wheat flour is consumed as whole wheat.

– Our consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased, but only because French fries and potato chips are included as vegetables. Potato products account for almost a third of our “produce” choices.

– We’re drinking less milk, but we’ve more than doubled our cheese intake. Cheese now outranks meat as the number one source of saturated fat in our diets.

– We’ve cut back on red meat, but have more than made up for the loss by increasing our intake of chicken (battered and fried), so that overall, we’re eating 13 pounds more meat today than we did back in the 1970’s.

– We’re drinking three times more carbonated soft drinks than milk, compared to the 1970’s, when milk consumption was twice that of pop.

– We use 25 percent less butter, but pour twice as much vegetable oil on our food and salads, so our total added fat intake has increased 32 percent.

– Sugar consumption has been another cause of our expanding waistlines. Sugar intake is simply off the charts. People are consuming roughly twice the amount of sugar they need each day, about 20 teaspoons on a 2000 calorie/day diet. The added sugar is found mostly in junk foods, such as pop, cake, and cookies. In 1978, the government found that sugars constituted only 11 percent of the average person’s calories. Now, this number has ballooned to 16 percent for the average American adult and as much as 20 percent for American teenagers!

Unfortunately, it would seem that the days of wholesome and nutritious family dinners are being replaced by fast food and eating on-the-run. We have gradually come to accept that it’s “OK” to sacrifice healthy foods for the sake of convenience and that larger serving portions equate to better value.

It’s time recognize that we are consuming too many calories and time to start doing something about it! Each of us can decide TODAY that healthy eating and exercise habits WILL become a normal part of our life!

We can begin by exploring our values, thoughts and habits… slowly and deliberately weed-out the unhealthy habits and activities and start living a more productive and rewarding life. And remember, it has taken a long time to develop bad habits, so be patient as you work toward your goal!
About the Author

Sick and tired of being Sick and Tired, Nettie Mae quit her 3rd shift factory job. To see what keeps her going, visit http://www.frutavida4u.com/nettiemae/.

Tags: America, Author, Automobiles, Caloric Expenditure, Caloric Intake, Consequences, Conveniences, Energy Expenditure, energy;, Fewer Calories, Food Fads, food;, foods, grain products;, Health Care Treatments, Indulgence, Lawn Mower, less energy, Losing Weight, Mae, Nettie Mae, Normal Body Weight, obesity;, Potato Chips, Potato products, Related Health, Remote Controls, Snack, Stairs, U.S. Department of Agriculture, United States;, USD;, vegetable oil, Watching Tv —

DIET FOR LIVING A HEALTHY LIFE
Jerry Lee

DIET FOR LIVING A HEALTHY LIFE

Entertainment no longer requires energy expenditure. In fact, it’s usually quite the opposite. We now entertain ourselves in the comfort of our own home while watching TV and munching on our favorite snack. Whether it’s television, computers, remote controls, or automobiles, we are moving less and burning fewer calories. Common activities that were once a part of our normal routine have disappeared…activities like climbing stairs, pushing a lawn mower or walking to get somewhere.

And please do not misunderstand me…I appreciate comfortable living just as much as the next person. But, here is the problem…

With all of our modern day conveniences and “cushy” style of living we have not adjusted our caloric intake to compensate for our decreased caloric expenditure. We consume more calorie rich and nutrient deficient foods than ever before. Consider a few of the following examples comparing what we eat “today” vs the 1970’s (U.S. Department of Agriculture survey):

Unfortunately, it would seem that the days of wholesome and nutritious family dinners are being replaced by fast food and eating on-the-run. We have gradually come to accept that it’s “OK” to sacrifice healthy foods for the sake of convenience and that larger serving portions equate to better value.

It’s time recognize that we are consuming too many calories and time to start doing something about it! Each of us can decide TODAY that healthy eating and exercise habits WILL become a normal part of our life!

We can begin by exploring our values, thoughts and habits… slowly and deliberately weed-out the unhealthy habits and activities and start living a more productive and rewarding life. And remember, it has taken a long time to develop bad habits, so be patient as you work toward your goal!

http://healthebooks.net

About the Author

Editor of http://healthebooks.net

Tags: Author, Bad Habits, Caloric Expenditure, Caloric Intake, Conveniences, Department Of Agriculture, Energy Expenditure, energy;, Exercise Habits, Family Dinners, Fewer Calories, food;, foods, Healthy Eating, Healthy Foods, Lawn Mower, Life Diet, Life Entertainment, Remote Controls, Rewarding Life, Serving Portions, U S Department, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Unhealthy Habits, Watching Tv —