Gaining weight

[terina715]

My son is 16 5ft 7 and 100 pounds.  The dr's want him to gain weight.  What is a healthy way to do this.  He just started drinking protein drinks.  Any other suggestions?

[adhyaru]

Along with each meal he must eat carbohydrates - best natural carbs are bananas, whole-grains, pineapples, dates & figs etc. It is not only important to increase his food intake but to divide meals in about 5-6 a day; practically he should be eating every 3 to 4 hours to decrease tissue-breakdown process of the body. Increasing good carbs with each meal can increase his weight along with good protein stuff. Outdoor activities will increase his digestion power and thus foods that he eat will be assimilated and utilized in an optimum manner by the 'system'

All the best,
Parth Adhyaru

[brice1967]

Protein shakes are a great way to start.  Bolster his diet with a bunch of clean proteins, like fish, poultry, and even red meat.  Watch his fat intake.  Perhaps start a weight lifting routine with a trained physical trainer.  While taking in boosted levels of protein, it'd be productive to build muscle as well.  Keep in mind that muscle is smaller than fat.  I pound of muscle takes up almost half as much room as fat.  You dont want your child to be packing on unhealthy weight.  Is your child diabetic by chance, and have your health care professionals looked into that?

[gymdandee]

your son needs to increase his calorie consumption to gain weight, those calories should come from foods that are good for you.
Healthy fats include omega-3 essential fatty acids sources like tuna, salmon, flax, and walnuts. Good sources of protein include lean meats, fish, poultry, nuts, seeds and legumes. Healthy carbohydrate sources include fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
It may be easier to eat five or six smaller balanced meals per day rather than eating three large meals, especially if he's not used to eating much at one sitting.

Protein powders and nutritional supplement drinks can be added as in-between meal snacks if he still needs more calories. Some protein powders are flavored and only need added water and some others can be blended with your choice of juice or milk to improve the taste.

It would also be a healthy idea to add a small amount of flax seed oil and some psyllium powder to add some omega-3 essential fatty acids and extra fiber.
Dietary Supplements and Gaining Weight
A high-quality multivitamin and mineral supplement is a good idea to make sure he is getting all of the vitamins and minerals he needs. Some people find that their muscle mass increases with protein supplements that contain certain blends of amino acids such as creatine  and glutamine .
Resistive Exercise To Gain Weight
Exercise is also important for healthy weight gain. Resistance training exercises such as lifting weights will help to increase his muscle size. Aerobic exercises such as running and stationary bicycling are better for fat loss and excessive aerobic training may cause him to lose more weight. Resistance training can be done at a health club, gym or at home with the proper equipment.

Remember that it can take a while to gain the weight he needs, but be patient and continue to choose healthy foods until he reaches his goal weight.
to Help him Gain Weight

Start with this Calorie and Nutrition Guide to find out how many calories he will need to reach the weight he desires.
    Use a food diary to track his calorie intake to be sure he is getting all of the calories and foods that he needs.
He can also use an online program such as Calorie Count to track his calorie intake, his exercise and his changes in weight. Calorie Count Plus has a large data base of nutrition information for almost any food you like to eat.
Add healthy calories to breakfast with an extra slice of whole-grain toast and peanut butter. Mid-morning and afternoon snacks should be nutritious, not junk. Trail mixes contain healthy nuts, dried fruits and can add healthy calories to his diet.
Don't add calories to his meals by choosing unhealthy fried foods such as french fries, chicken nuggets and fish sticks. Choose healthy foods such as baked potatoes, baked chicken and fish, just make his portions a bit bigger.
Keep his meals balanced. One meal should have a healthy protein source such as fish, low fat meat, chicken or legumes plus two or three servings of vegetables. Green vegetables add lots of vitamins and phytonutrients while starchy potatoes and corn add extra calories.
Drink healthy beverages such as milk and fruit juices to add calories. Don't choose sugary sodas, which only add calories and no nutrition.
Design a weight training program with help from About.com's exercise site and weight training site.

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