It's not always as easy as it sounds. Some people try to gain weight for sporting or personal reasons and have little success.
A change in diet usually helps. If you want to gain weight in the long term, you should follow these rules of thumb.


Most people try unsuccessfully to lose weight, but there are also many who want to do the opposite. When gaining weight, it is important to do so in a healthy way, i.e. not to stuff yourself senselessly with fatty foods.

The diet should include nutritious and calorie-rich foods such as wholemeal bread, avocado, potatoes, kidney beans, lean beef, poultry and fish. Starchy vegetables (potatoes, peas, sweetcorn, carrots) contain more calories than watery vegetables (broccoli, courgettes, cucumber, green beans).

Increase the calorie content of your meals. Add cream to sauces or stews, avocado or olives to sandwiches, wheat germ to breakfast muesli, chunks of meat to sauces and pasta, etc.

Gaining weight means eating continuously, i.e. three meals a day and at least two snacks in between. Never skip a meal.

Increase your normal portion. Have a spoonful more pasta or cut two bananas into your muesli.

Always go for the higher calorie option if you can. Corn, for example, has more calories than green beans.

Drink milkshakes, juices or cocoa instead of water.

Eat enough protein-rich foods.

Relax. Nervousness and restlessness burn a lot of calories.

Weightlifting helps to build muscle, muscles define the body shape and accumulate a lot of mass in the body. Weightlifting also increases your appetite.

You need to take in significantly more calories than you burn, so hold back a little on sporting activities. Calculate how many calories your body needs to maintain your current weight and increase the number of calories accordingly. The following formula can help you do this:

RMR = 9.99 w + 6.25 s - 4.92 a + 1gg g -161

RMR = basal metabolic rate
w = body weight in kilograms
s = size in centimetres
a = age in years
g = gender = 1 for men, 0 for women

For example, if your basal metabolic rate is 2000 calories, you need to consume significantly more than 2000 calories a day to gain weight, at least 500 calories more.