Thursday, May 1, 2008

How to Gain Weight

Although many people are now into the idea of losing weight, there are still those who focus on how to gain weight. The reasons behind the want to gain weight usually vary form one person to another but the fact remains that there are still those who would want to increase their body volume while the majority of the people in the society are dying to lose some.

Today, with all the shifts in the modern society, it is really hard to tell how long frenzy will take. If you are one of those people who are confused which fitness trend to follow, read on so you can have a grasp of which is really best for you.

Why gain weight?

Gaining weight has never been a trend until now.

Why? Since the commercialization of slim figures and thin frames by magazines and the by the fashion industry, the society has always considered being thin as sexy and more acceptable.

But now, more and more people are getting into weight gain for various reasons. One of the reasons why some people would like to gain weight is for their health. It has always been a fact that proper food intake is one of the key reasons to maintaining good health.

This is because the nutrients from the foods people eat give them the energy needed to sustain a healthy body. Studies show that many people would like to gain weight because they believe that having higher body mass is a good indicator of good health.

Another reason why some people would like gain weight is they would like to top avoid or recover from various eating-related disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. People—especially girls—would now like to gain weight so they won’t be mistaken to suffer from an eating or emotional disorder.

Bodybuilding is also another major reason why people—regardless of gender, race, or status—gain weight. These people are those who believe that having muscular frame is sexy and the best thing for them. Experts say that people who are into bodybuilding should really gain weight so their bodies will have so much to burn while they are doing rigorous workouts and training required in body building.

Pregnancy among women is also another major reason why they need to gain weight. Weight gain is very important to women who are conceiving because this ensures healthy and successful pregnancy. Experts say that weight gain is inevitable for pregnant women because this where she and the fetus inside rely for sufficient nutrients. Pregnant women should never hesitate to gain weight during this event in their lives because proper food intake and ideal body mass will determine the outcome of the pregnancy.

(TIP: For women who are so afraid of gaining weight due to pregnancy, they should focus their mind on the condition of the fetus inside their bellies and not of their own. If they do this, they will have more motivation to eat healthy and achieve the ideal weight for their individual needs.)

People are also looking forward to gain weight because it is a requirement for a certain job. Although this reason are confined to those who need jobs such as freelance bouncers in a private bar or concert, in house fitness guru, body building trainer and the like, more and more people are gaining weight so they can get a job where they can earn money as well as achieve satisfaction and fulfillment.

Reduce Menopausal Weight Gain

Women between the ages of 35 and 55 will soon experience menopause. It is not a disease but rather a phase in life where the female will no longer be able to conceive a child. One of the symptoms associated with this phase is weight gain. In fact, 90% of women will gain a few extra pounds which are not a direct result of overeating but rather a shift in your hormones.

Those who are already going through with menopause will probably notice a change in their physical body shape. Majority will gain between 10 to 15 pounds but this will not happen overnight. It will happen gradually like one or two pounds per year during premenopause and a little faster for those who are in early and surgical menopause.

The areas where you will see a physical change will be in the abdomen thus making you look fat when you look at yourself in the mirror. Again, this is not your fault but a fact of life because there are also already fluctuations in your hormones.

To explain this further, you have to understand that hormones do not only affect our behavior but also have a direct impact on our appetite, fat storage and metabolism.

Females have four hormones namely androgen, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. The first one namely androgen is the one that puts that excess weight around your abdomen. This happens because when you reach androgen, your body produces more of this hormone causing you to gain weight here rather than your hips, thigh or rear.

Estrogen is the hormone responsible for your monthly ovulation. When you reach menopausal age, the level of estrogen that is produced by the body decreases. Because of this, your ovaries need a source of estrogen so it taps your fat cells that have the ability to make this happen. This forces the body to convert calories into fat but since your fat cells are unable to burn calories like your muscles do when you work out, this also causes you pack a few extra pounds.

Another hormone that will also decrease during menopause is your progesterone levels. This causes water retention and bloating. The only good news is that this usually disappears after a few months.

Testosterone is the one that converts lean muscle mass out of the calories you take in from eating. During menopause, this level also drops thus resulting in the loss of this muscle. This will slow down your metabolism thus making it difficult to burn the food you ingested and it too causes weight gain.

Other factors that may cause weight gain during menopause could be attributed to insulin resistance and stress. Insulin resistance occurs when the body converts every calorie into fat. Stress can also make this happen as the body stores calories instead of burning as its way of saving on energy.

So how will you be able to reduce menopausal weight gain? A lot of experts believe that this will be difficult but not impossible. The most obvious is eating a balanced diet. You will have to give up food products that contain refined sugars and switch it to fruits and vegetables. You should also cut back on alcohol, caffeine and nicotine.

As much as possible try to stay active by exercising regularly. Examples of these could be aerobics, cycling, jogging, running and walking that will increase muscle mass and prevent osteoporosis.

The Best Supplements to Gain Weight

In the world of gaining weight, people are always in debates what are the best supplements to gain weight fast, easy, and healthy. There are those who stick to the traditional routines such as workouts and proper diet while there are also those that rely on more conventional ways such as the use of weight gain supplements to ensure that they are getting what they need to gain some more weight.

Experts say that both ways —the traditional and the conventional ways—could work if a person really wants for gain weight. However, certain guidelines must be followed religiously to ensure that there will be no complications in the future.

Why use weight gain supplements?

Before, the only people that are into weight gain supplements are those who are so much into body building. In fact, majority of the best supplements to gain available in the market were made especially for those that make bodybuilding as a life and as a career. These supplements are being used by the bodybuilders especially if they have upcoming competitions.

But, as time went by, people—even those who are not into body building—have been trying various gain weight supplements because they believe that gaining weight is one of the easiest way to achieve a firm and sexy body. So, what they do is take up some of the best supplements for weight gain and enroll to a gym or fitness center that offer rigorous workouts.

Through regular workout and physical activities, people who have gained weight can lose some the way they want it to be.

If you are one of those who are looking forward to gaining weight to achieve the society’s ideal physique, then you should try using weight gain supplements. Weight gain supplements are those that being use by people to complement or boost their weight gain. These may come in forms of beverages, tablets, and the like.

In the market today, some of the best supplements to gain weight include weight gainers which are usually protein shakes that provide sufficient supply of calories in the body, spectrum flaxseed oil which is high in Omega 3 good for having enough supply of essential fatty acids (EFAs) in the body, multi-vitamin and mineral packs that helps converts the food to vitamins and minerals readily absorbed by the body’s tissues and hormones, creatine which enables the reuse of the body’s stored energy and shows results as soon as possible.

Glutamine that helps increase a person’s muscular volume by enhancing the immune system, liver tablets came from high grade beef liver which is an excellent source of protein and healthy fats, and testosterone boosting supplements that works well for people who are way beyond hormonal production.

Before buying

Experts say that that best supplements to gain weight are those types that can help a person reach the target calorie intake everyday. To avoid using products that can cause you side effects in the future, make sure that you:

- Read the label of the supplement thoroughly to ensure that you know that ingredients from what you are about to take.

- Consult your physician about it before you finally buy and use it to make sure that you know how much of these supplements should you take.

- Conduct a research what to look for in a weight gain supplement and where to find the best supplements to gain weight on the market today.