If the question may seem incongruous, it nevertheless concerns nearly 600,000 French naturally lean. But gaining weight when you are skinny is often more complicated than losing it when you are overweight … food, sport … walking to follow.
While the quest for thinness makes the one of the newspapers every spring, a small part of the population seeks to gain weight. It is estimated that 1% of French people are naturally skinny. These people with high metabolism do not suffer from any pathology and normally eat, but their BMI (body mass index) is lower than health standards (less than 18.5): they are considered to be constitutional lean.
Weight gain is the result of an excess caloric contribution compared to the calorie expenses of our organism (basic metabolism, physical exercise, digestion, etc.), if we absorb more calories than burnt, the body stores the calories provided in excess in the form of adipose tissues (fat).
The BMI is an index, validated by the WHO, which makes it possible to quickly assess the corpulence of an individual.
It is calculated by dividing the weight into kilograms by the square of the size in meters: BMI = weight (kg)/size (m) 2
A person is considered to be skinny if their body mass index is less than 18.5.
“To gain weight without having the impression of engaging, you have to increase the calorie density of your dishes.” (Lise Lafaurie, nutritionist)
To gain weight without having the impression of “engaging”, you have to increase the caloric density of your dishes. In practice, your meal should be rich in calories under a small volume. To do this, we must favor “rich” foods and in particular fat. Be careful, however, to favor good fats such as vegetable oils (olives, nuts, rapeseed, etc.), oilseeds (nuts, hazelnuts, etc.), avocados, fatty fish etc.).
Resistance and bodybuilding exercises are to be favored to grow.
It varies depending on each (age, size, sex, physical expenditure). A large and sporty young man will not have the same needs as a woman, fifty and sedentary. To assess your needs, it is desirable to make an appointment with a dietitian or a nutritionist, who will make a food assessment and analyze the patient’s current calorie intake. It will calculate these contributions and will offer a suitable and personalized food program to increase these intakes and cause weight gain.
The snack is justified in people who are very quickly satisfied. Multiplying food intakes is then a good solution to increase calorie intake. You can go up to 3 main meals and 3 snacks (morning, afternoon and evening).
Contrary to what one might think, physical activity is especially not to be overlooked! On the one hand, it is essential for health, on the other hand, it allows an essential muscle mass gain to “fill” a silhouette and add a few kilos on the scale, since the muscle is much heavier than fat. Resistance and bodybuilding exercises are to be favored at the expense of endurance exercises that tend to melt the fatty fabric.
Gluer can be constitutional, but it can also be pathological (due to a disease). To confirm this diagnosis, it is important to consult a doctor, who will rule out health problems, and carry out some exams to assess the caloric expenditure at rest. In naturally skinny people, this caloric expenditure at rest is higher than normal, which partly explains the difficulty in gaining weight.
Having healthy weight is not easy. It is not a question of favoring junk food, fatty and sweet snacks and sodas, at the risk of promoting the risks of cardiovascular disease! To eat caloric but healthy, it is desirable to be accompanied by a doctor, a dietitian or a nutritionist.
