As a female, you have probably been ambushed one too many times with unwarranted comments about your weight. It may be more prevalent with thicker females who probably had to bear the brunt of tactless bullying whilst growing up. Thankfully though, the world is now learning to become more sensitive as the body empowering movement is slowly but surely bearing fruit.
What the majority doesn’t realise is that body shaming applies to the other end of the spectrum too for the skinny ones. We’re not talking about skinny-but-hot-like-Kendall Jenner, but more of those who have been underweight all their lives. It’s easy to blurt out, “You’re so skinny! You should eat more” to a skinny girl, but you won’t find people offering the same sentiment so impulsively to a bigger girl, will you?
We only have one message to those body shamers out there – you do you, as long as you’re healthy and eating right. It’s also completely up to you should you wish to adjust your weight. If you’re one of those naturally skinny females with a crazy high metabolism which makes gaining weight an arduous feat like yours truly, here are several tips that may help you put on those extra pounds the healthy way.
1) Build those muscles
I’ve had my fair share of, “Are you eating too little?” all my life, but there is a reason why my weight has always been the way it is, even if I devour a horse for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s because skinny girls have a much higher metabolism rate and thus, burn food much faster than the average person.
Instead of piling on the fats, you can try building muscles to gain weight. Avoid cardio exercises that promote calorie-burning and lift weights instead. Other than boosting strength, you will also have a toned, sculpted body to go with your newfound power.
2) Eat the correct type of food
To combat your fast metabolism, consume more calories than your body can burn. This doesn’t give you the green light to shove a bucket of KFC down your throat, though. The best way to achieve your ideal body weight is to conjure a diet plan by consulting a dietitian or nutritionist to figure out the technicalities of what you should be eating. Every individual is different, so what works for the other may not necessarily produce the same result for you.
3) Snack more often
Again, we’re not talking about indulgent sweet treats like cake. Some health sites recommend slowly adding on to your portions but should you find it difficult to consume too much in one sitting, breaking those meals down to multiple snack times could work as well. I’ve personally tried consistently snacking in between meals on a daily basis and found that it helps in the weight gain process.
4) Take weight gain supplements
If all else fails or even if they don’t fail, you can always add supplements to aid in gaining weight. Supplements tend to be discouraged due to some accompanying side effects, but when taken properly and moderately, they actually provide lots of health benefits! Not only are they packed with various vitamins and minerals, several also help you meet your calorie requirements. Perhaps you shouldn’t be too quick to cast them aside and give them a shot.