TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

There's A Healthy Way To Put On The Pounds

Tribune photo by VICTOR JUNCO

Those looking to put on weight should be sure to look for healthy alternatives.

ADVERTISEMENT

By IRENE MAHER

News Channel 8 Medical Editor

Published: July 18, 2008

A Tampa man wrote to me recently with an unusual problem. He's concerned about his weight.

That's not unusual, you might say. Lots of men are overweight and could stand to drop those extra pounds. But this guy, who didn't give his age, is different. His letter explained that, since his wife died six years ago, he has lost 30 pounds. "Today I weigh 140 pounds. What can I do to gain weight?"

Fortunately, he asked the right person. I'm something of an expert on the subject, since I've spent most of my life gaining weight and only recently managed to drop 15 pounds by eating a little less and riding my exercise bike almost every day.

To gain weight, simply eat until you're stuffed at every meal, be as inactive as possible and then eat some more. It's a formula that I can assure you works. But it's not a healthy way to put on pounds. Do it that way and you're likely to gain fat, particularly around the middle, which can increase your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Definitely not recommended.

Instead, your goal should be to increase calories by about 300 to 500 a day and to build muscle mass. To do that, Nadine Pazder, a registered dietitian at Morton Plant Hospital, says choose the healthiest calories possible and add resistance exercise. "Unless you're exercising, the weight will come back as fat," she says.

Pazder recommends starting out with a couple of small hand weights and gradually increasing the weight as you gain strength. Exercise bands are another inexpensive tool for resistance exercise. They are essentially oversized rubber bands that wrap around a door knob or loop under your feet. Pull on them with your hands, add some squats and your muscles will soon let you know they're working. Health clubs and gyms are also bursting with complicated, high-tech machines specifically designed for resistance training and muscle building. If you want to go really low-tech, just lift gallon jugs of water or laundry detergent, and add or subtract liquid according to your ability.

As for a healthy way to up your calories, Pazder has some suggestions that are easy to adapt to your everyday diet, such as always eating crackers and bread with a spread such as jelly or soft tub margarine. Add cheese to scrambled eggs, add sour cream to mashed potatoes, add gravy to meals. And don't forget olive oil. It's a heart-healthy fat, naturally high in calories and can be used on salads and in cooking and is great on pasta or as a dip for bread. Beverages such as Boost and Ensure, when taken in addition to regular meals, also will help you gain weight, as will less-expensive instant breakfast powders that are mixed with milk and meant to be a meal substitute.

Pazder sent along a recipe for a homemade shake that contains more than 600 calories per serving. It starts with making fortified milk. Mix together 1 quart of whole milk and 1 cup of instant nonfat milk powder. Using this milk will add 50 calories per cup and 11 grams of protein to your daily intake.

For the milkshake, mix together in a blender 4 ounces of fortified milk, 1 cup of ice cream, 1/4 cup of a pasteurized liquid egg product, 1 envelope of instant breakfast powder, and 4 tablespoons of dry milk powder. For extra flavor and calories, add one of the following: 1 small ripe banana, 2 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter and 1 tablespoon of honey, 2 tablespoons of any flavored syrup or 2 tablespoons of frozen orange juice concentrate.

Another recipe for fruit nog will give you an extra 219 calories and 8 grams of protein per serving. Mix in a blender: 2/3 cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon sugar (optional), 1/4 cup pasteurized liquid egg product and a 1/2 cup orange sherbet.

Before embarking on a diet to gain weight, it's best to check with your doctor to be sure the weight loss isn't caused by a serious underlying medical condition. Pazder was concerned when I told her about the man who wrote to me. She says grief and stress can certainly cause a 10- to 15-pound weight loss, but an unexplained 30-pound drop in anyone's weight should raise a red flag. "That's significant and should be evaluated by a physician," she says.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT