Today I’m excited to write about 3 amazing dips to help with your healthy weight gain.

I have a savoury tooth and like to use snacking in-between meals to help with weight gain as well as with maintaining the weight gain. And I have to say this has worked really well for me.

Having dips with bread, raw vegetables, tortilla chips, crispbread and crackers tastes so good and you’re loading up on nutrients and good calories at the same.

Additionally, these 3 dips also come from around the world (Ay , ay, ay) which means different ingredients and flavours. So buckle up because today we’ll be armchair travelling to Mexico, Greece and Italy.

Importantly guys, making these dips is so simple and you’ll know exactly what’s in them. They are also vegetarian friendly.  So forget about getting this stuff from the supermarket.

1. Holy Guacamole

Guacamole has been around since the 16^th century, from the time of the Aztecs. (true story!) How cool, right?

So traditional recipes for guacamole can include some or all of the following; avocado, garlic, salt, lime or lemon juice and jalapenos.  

But nowadays for texture and added flavour, people add stuff like tomatoes, onions and cilantro.

Avocados are high in good fats, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Together with the other ingredients mentioned above, you have a nutrient powerhouse that is rich in calories.

In general, just 1 avocado contains upwards of 300 calories.

What to eat with guacamole? I thought you’d never ask!

Honestly I eat this on its own and even as a side to a meal. As a dip, slather it on your bread, tortilla chips, pita bread, rice cakes, breadsticks and with other veggies like celery, carrot, capsicum etc.

However one thing to remember about your guacamole dip is that avocado oxidises in air and will turn brown.

So if you’re making a batch of the stuff to use for later as well, take what you need and store the rest in a (very) airtight container in the fridge.

Your guacamole dip will depend on what you have at home. I suggest as the bare minimum to use avocado, garlic, cilantro, salt and lime/ lemon juice.

2. Tzatziki

After that we’re heading over to Greece.

While tzatziki is most often associated with Greece, similar yogurt based dips have been common in the Middle East, some parts of Eastern Europe and India (hello cucumber raita).

This is another easy-to-make dip I am crazy about.

So exactly what are you getting in this dip?

Yogurt provides protein, calcium, vitamins and other minerals. Garlic offers anti-cancer properties, dill contains antioxidants, and olive oil supports heart health and is a source of good fats.

Well covered, this will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Finally, enjoy with cut up veggies, on bread or pita bread, on crackers among other snack options. Tzatziki also goes well on souvlaki or gyros, grilled meat dishes, as a salad dressing, on baked potatoes etc.

*Please note with all recipes, I’m referring to cooking measuring cup sizes, not just any ol’ kitchen cup.

3. Pesto

Last but not least, we are finishing off our armchair travel with a trip to Italy for their famous pesto.

Pesto is a green paste bursting with flavour and originally came from Genoa, Italy.

It’s been around for at least 150 years but possibly longer. In fact, the Romans ate a similar paste way back during the days of the Roman Empire.

Generally the customary ingredients for pesto are basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, salt and olive oil all blended together.

In terms of nutrients basil is high in vitamin K and is said to have antioxidants, garlic promotes heart health and has antibacterial properties, cheese is a good source of calcium and protein, and pine nuts are a great source of minerals, vitamins and good fats.

Realistically, this dip is a calorie bomb and honestly you don’t want to be having it very often. Also remember, an important part of healthy weight gain is exercising so don’t omit this from your journey.

And while it’s true you probably won’t get through all this in one sitting, remember pesto keeps very well in the fridge for 2-3 days. Or you can freeze it.

In Italy pesto was traditionally used for pasta but really you can do so much more with it. Use your pesto dip with flat breads, raw veggies or dollop onto roasted veggies, grilled meats or on eggs.

And those are 3 amazing dips to help with your weight gain. Easy, breezy, lemon squeezy!

Do please try them all and let me know which your favourite is. Writing about this has made me hungry. I’m off to make myself a batch now.

Hi all, today let’s talk about how to use yogurt for healthy weight gain.

Creamy yogurt!! I always have this at home because it is tasty, has health benefits and importantly it’s a great food for gaining weight.

Perhaps you’re confused to hear that you can use yogurt for weight gain because there is information out there that says it is a good food for weight loss.

So generally speaking, yogurt that is suggested for weight loss is low fat yogurt not full fat, and then there is also the condition to eat small portions of it. 

Why? Well, that’s because it helps with weight gain!

As hard gainers and those looking to add weight and muscle, we’re after that full fat but healthy yogurt, and we’ll not be limiting ourselves to small portions.

I’ve found yogurt has been really helpful in my healthy weight gain journey and I continue to have it, not least because of the health benefits.

No matter if you like your yogurt pretty plain, salty or sweet, there are options for everyone! I kid you not. 

In fact you can be having yogurt for breakfast, marinating your chicken in it, as salad dressing, as dessert, in soups, as a snack, in your drinks etc.

It goes with so many things and it will help you gain healthy weight.

So want to know what this low-cost item can do for your weight gain goals and health? Let’s find out.

Yogurt-What is it?

Yogurt is a fermented food made by adding specific bacteria (yogurt cultures) to milk.

It has been around for thousands of years in different parts of the world including the Middle East and Asia?

Also yogurt can be made from different types of milk though most of it is made from cow’s milk.

Even people who are lactose intolerant may be able to eat yogurt without having side effects, as a lot of the lactose is used up in the fermentation process.

On the other hand for those who can’t have dairy at all, there are now many different dairy free yogurt options made from soy, coconut and even nuts like cashews.

But be warned, they don’t come cheap! In which case you may want to try and make your own.

 What Type of Yogurt?

Does the type of yogurt you eat matter? Isn’t it all more or less the same thing?

Well actually it does matter. Hugely!

Because natural or plain yogurt is naturally sour, a lot of the options at the supermarket or wherever you get your yogurt from are full of processed sugar to make it taste sweeter.

Another thing is the kind of yogurt cultures used in making it.

Importantly, to receive the benefits of yogurt, always look for one that hasn’t been heat treated and has these live active cultures:  L bulgaricusandS thermophilus.

Yes I know it’s a mouthful but these cultures contain bacteria also known as probiotics. These can assist with boosting immunity and improving digestion.

Check to make sure the yogurt you’re buying has a pretty short list of ingredients that doesn’t include sugars, food colouring and preservatives.

You’ll find a few different types of healthy yogurts out there including natural, kefir (a liquid kind of yogurt), and Greek yogurt.

You’ve probably seen frozen yogurt out there as well. Frozen yogurt is a bit dicey because really sometimes from the way it is made, it’s not actually even yogurt!

Greek yogurt is thicker and heavier because it is strained to remove excess whey. This makes it thicker and heavier.

Greek yogurt therefore has more calories and protein than plain yogurt.

In fact, according to USDA, a cup of plain whole milk yogurt has 149 calories while a cup of Greek yogurt has 220 calories.

Some Benefits of Yogurt

• Yogurt is packed with nutrients that we need including B vitamins, calcium and magnesium among others.
• Yogurt is rich in protein which is needed for energy and to build muscle, skin and bone tissue.
• It contains probiotics which can help to improve the body’s immunity and fight infection

How To Easily Add Yogurt To Your Daily Diet

So, how do we use yogurt for healthy weight gain?

You can enjoy yogurt in lots of ways. It is so adaptable that you can eat it at any time of the day.

Here are some suggestions to include this incredible food.

• Make a breakfast parfait by adding granola and fruit to your yogurt.
• Use yogurt to make delicious chicken marinades like tandoori chicken.
• Whisk together yogurt, olive oil, minced garlic and lemon juice to make a tasty salad dressing.
• You can top plain or Greek yogurt with fruit, honey/ maple syrup and nuts for a healthy snack.
• Make a yogurt sauce by mixing yogurt with chilli sauce to go together with vegetarian, meat, fish or rice dishes, including grilled meals.
• Use yogurt in smoothies, or to make delicious lassis for healthy weight gain.
• Make a dip for a snack using yogurt. It’s perfect with bread, wholegrain chips and cut up raw vegetables .
• Substitute cream, mayonnaise or sour cream with yogurt instead in salads and even pastas.
• Add a dollop of yogurt to soups.
• Make yogurt based popsicles by blending with fruit and maple syrup/ honey.
• Slice up bananas into pieces, dab on yogurt and freeze.
• Cut up fruit into pieces and dip into yogurt mixed with honey/maple syrup.

These are just a few of the super easy, super tasty ways to introduce and enjoy yogurt as part of your regular diet. What are your favourite ways?

Yogurt is such a great budget staple food item for healthy weight that it deserves a place in your kitchen.

If you haven’t previously been eating yogurt, I hope you’re now inspired to use yogurt for healthy weight gain.

Do you want to know how to save time in the kitchen and still eat well? Gaining healthy weight doesn’t have to mean spending huge amounts of time cooking.

It’s not hard and there are a number of hacks you can use to help save you time (and money).

While we generally love to eat, for many time-poor folks there isn’t a whole lot of love for the cooking process.

And so there are lots of people who want to be able to eat healthily but don’t want to be chained to the kitchen on top of all the other responsibilities they have.

While meal preparation is very much a part of life, there are definitely ways on how to save time in the kitchen so let’s go over them.                               

Kitchen Time Saving Hacks

1. Organise Your Kitchen

Keeping your kitchen organised will help you spend less time in it.

Kitchen organisation includes things like:

• Knowing what food you have at home and where it’s kept.
• Keeping appliances you use regularly within easy reach and ready to go.
• Storing your pots, pans, knives etc. in the same place where you can easily access them at any time.

I mean who hasn’t experienced wanting to howl with frustration because you can’t find the chopping board when you need it? Or the blender lid has gone AWOL?

To sum up, staying organised in the kitchen helps you complete tasks faster.

2. Plan

Making a meal plan and shopping list for your grocery shop will save you time and money.

A grocery list will help keep your kitchen stocked. Try to get ingredients you can use in different ways e.g. rice, milk or eggs.

And having a meal plan means you don’t have to waste time thinking about what to cook up that day, then the next, and the day after that etc.

Also remember the detail of the plan is up to you. You can just put down “Pasta night” or write down a specific pasta dish that you had in mind for that day.

3. Batch cook your favourite foods

Cooking larger serves of your favourite foods is a great time saving hack that ensures you’ll have portions of food for later in the week, which you actually love to eat.

For example roast some juicy chicken thighs then have them different ways over several meals. For instance with potatoes, then in a wrap or sandwich, or added to a salad etc.

4. Be flexible.

To clarify, if you’re cooking and find you’re missing one or more ingredients, just work with what you have instead. 

No need to run out and get saffron threads, I promise you. It’s a nice-to-have but not essential.

This is easy to do with most food ingredients, spices and herbs. You can find an alternative. 

No minced meat for your bolognaise? Use tinned fish or even legumes.

Not enough rice for a stir fry? Make a noodle stir fry instead.  And use whatever vegetables you have in the fridge and freezer.

You’ve run out of tomato paste? Use ketchup, pasta sauce or fresh tomatoes.

And by being flexible, you’ll discover new dish varieties and save yourself time and money as well.

5. Sort out your ingredients after you shop

Taking the time to do some food prep after you come back from shopping can also be a huge time saver.  Here are some ideas for you to try:

• Make ahead smoothie packs. Place ingredients in zip lock bags in the freezer for smoothies e.g. berries, bananas, spinach leaves etc.
• Pound soft animal protein like chicken breasts, thighs and steaks before you cook them. They will cook much faster and more evenly if they are pounded to about the same width.
• Chop up vegetables to save yourself time later. You can even blanch and then freeze these afterwards, then just pull out and use when needed.
• Place items in their designated kitchen spot to save you time trying to find them later on.

6. Make one dish meals

Maintain a balanced diet by getting your carbs, protein and veggies all together in one dish. You can use a number of cooking methods including stewing, roasting, slow cooking etc.

For example, you could use one pan, one pot or one sheet meals for the stovetop or oven.

And, remember to cut everything small and to about the same size so they can cook faster and evenly.

Some examples of one dish meals that include all these essential nutrients include casseroles, roasts, stir fries, pasta meals, shepherd’s pie etc.

The added bonus here is a quick prep and clean up time.

7. Use your kitchen tools to save time

Here’s where you let the machines do the work. Use whatever kitchen gadgets you have to make shortcuts.

Certainly, if they are gathering dust in some cupboard, it’s time to pull out your food choppers, slow cookers, hand blenders etc. to save you time.

If you never use the oven and/or grill, it’s time to start.

I love batch cooking and will often have something going in the slow cooker, on the stove top and in the oven, all at the same time.

To sum up, these tools are there to help cut down on time spent in the kitchen. So use them!

8. Use up leftovers

Leftovers have a kind of second class status when it comes to food. It’s time to change that.

Think of leftovers as a challenge to be creative and make up a tasty meal with whatever you’ve got.

You can use leftovers to make pasta meals or bakes, fritters, fried rice, curries, tacos, stir fries, salads, omelettes, soups, wraps, frittatas, sandwiches….The list goes on.

Finally, there is a triple bonus with this. Leftovers stop food waste and save time and money.

9. Keep kitchen staple foods.

Importantly, it is always helpful to have some staple foods in the kitchen.

Having these basic supplies mean you’ll be able to cook a meal without having to get take away food, doing an unplanned shop, or spending time trying to figure out what to make.

Some examples of staples to keep at home for healthy weight gain include whole grain pasta, eggs, honey, legumes, milk, onions, rice, canned fish and yogurt.

10. Clean and clear as you cook.

It’s done!  You’ve planned, and batch cooked the food you had at home using your trusty kitchen tools to save you time.

On the whole you’ve finished! Except you haven’t.

Because when you look over at the sink and see those dirty dishes lying there, it’s enough to make a grown anyone cry.

Cleaning up as you go along will save you heaps of time at the end.

As I place food to cook on the stove/ in the grill/ oven etc, I start to put the vegetable peels into the compost, throw out rubbish, and start washing up.

While the food is cooking, I clean up whatever’s left in the kitchen so that after eating the meal, there isn’t something resembling a landfill site waiting.

Trust me, this is one tip you’ll want to try to save you time (and your sanity).

And that’s it. Those are some great ways to save time in the kitchen folks.

Finally, there are other benefits to these tips including gaining weight in a healthy way, saving money, avoiding food waste and living more sustainably.

Here are some of the basic but important kitchen tools to boost your healthy weight gain.

They are great because you’ll use these items over and over again and they will save you time and money. And who doesn’t want that?

But if you’re thinking “Oh Oh”, just relax.

I’m not suggesting something like a vitamix is a crucial item, although if you have or can afford one, good for you!

Also, if you have a small kitchen, don’t worry because I’m no fan of clutter or things you’ll use once and then it’s stashed away on a high shelf somewhere to gather dust for years.

These items are fairly affordable and some are pretty small.

Some you can tuck away in a cupboard or even drawer. But the main thing is that you’ll get lots of use from these important kitchen tools to boost your healthy weight gain.

So first off, I’m just going to mention having a decent fridge. It’s so essential; I’ve sort of taken it for granted that most people reading this blog will already have one.

Ok that’s that and now let’s begin.

The Important Kitchen Tool List

1. Countertop Blenders To Boost Healthy Weight Gain                                            

Countertop blenders are wonderful kitchen tools that can be used every few days, if not every day.

You can use this type of blender to make smoothies, juices, some puddings, salsas, cauliflower rice, home-made mayonnaise and sauces. Those are just some blender ideas.

Ice Ice Baby

If you are on the lookout for a countertop blender, try and find one that is high powered and can crush ice.

The reason I mention ice crushing is because firstly, there are people who like their smoothies, juices, lassis etc. cold and will include ice when making them.

Second, ice crushing blenders are needed if you’re using frozen fruit or produce for either drinking your calories or making easy, tasty, healthy weight gain desserts like home-made frozen yogurt, ice- creams, and sorbets.

(Post on simple healthy weight gain frozen desserts to come).

In general, benefits of countertop blenders include:

• It’s quick and easy to make a healthy weight drink/food.
• They have different speed settings and generally a pulsing option as well.
• They process a large variety of whole foods and this means less waste as well as keeping the nutritional value.
• On the whole they provide an easy way to include more fruits and vegetables in your diet.
• Quite easy to clean up and you don’t have to remove parts.

Our previous blender was from the Russell Hobbs brand. It finally gave up the ghost after about 12 years and cost about $50 (Australian) at the time. The current blender is an ice crusher from Sunbeam and I’m pretty happy with it and have had it for a few years now.

But be warned. If you put ice or frozen produce in a countertop blender that isn’t ice crushing, it will dull the blades. It can even burn out the motor or crack the glass/plastic of the jug or container.

*Please don’t place boiling hot liquids in them. This exercise may scald you, destroy your blender and re-decorate your kitchen with blotches on the walls and ceiling.

So to make a long story short, do get a high powered ice crushing blender which you can use for way more than just smoothies.

2. Stick/Immersion Blenders

These types of blenders have a slim, compact design. Immersion blenders aren’t as powerful as countertop blenders so use on soft or softened foods only (no nuts please).

But they can do some things the countertop ones can’t.

For instance, they are great for blending hot liquids like soups, soft desserts including those prepared on the stovetop (remember to switch burner off first), home-made tomato sauce, baby food, soft dips, batters and mixing powder with liquid to a smooth paste.

I like stick blenders for the following reasons:

• They are so convenient. For example, if you’re making soup, you’d need to let it cool down some, pour it into your countertop blender without burning yourself and blend, holding on to the lid so it doesn’t spray your kitchen. Then try not to burn yourself again as you pour it back into the pot. No such drama with this little guy. Plunge into your cooking pot and puree away.
• Importantly, they are easy to wash.  Lather up and rinse in less than 20 seconds. Seriously!
• They are small- a slice of the size of a countertop blender and light to carry. Finding room in your kitchen isn’t going to be hard.
• They work really well for little portions/small jobs. Realistically, not everyone is your family is going to want to gain weight so you may not need huge amounts of what you’re blending.

Like anything there are pricey ones but you can also get a range for under (Australian) $50.

*Just remember:

Be careful when blending hot liquids.

And avoid using them in shallow containers. They work best when the head of the blender is completely immersed in what you’re blending.

Finally dudes, please always, ALWAYS unplug it before washing. You don’t want to lose a piece of finger!

3. Slow cookers

Ok, so these aren’t the smallest of kitchen equipment but they are very useful time savers for making healthy weight gain meals.

Slow cookers are electrical appliances that cook on low temperatures over long periods of times e.g. 4-10 hours.

They are great for stews, casseroles, soups, roasts and other meat and poultry dishes, beans and bone broth just to name a few.

Of course, while blenders are great because they work fast, these babies take hours to cook.

Now hear me out because you literally just set and forget slow cookers. And then hours later, it’s all done and ready for you to gobble up.

How it works is you place your raw peeled, cut up ingredients (meat and vegetables), liquid and seasoning inside and turn it on.

 It then cooks on slow heat for several hours and voila you have a delicious meal to sink your chops into.

There are several benefits to slow cooking including:

• Food becomes very soft and flavourful. (Fall-off-the-bone soft).It also maintains more nutrients than cooking on higher heat.
• This is the ultimate one-pot cooking. It means very little food prep and washing up.
• You can use cheaper and tougher cuts of meat in a slow cooker to get tender, tasty meals.
• You are less likely to burn food using a slow cooker. People can set it before leaving in the morning to go to work, and come back at the end of the day to delicious smells wafting from your home. Or you can even leave it on overnight while you sleep.
• They are cheaper to run than an oven.
• Naturally, slow cookers are great for bulk cooking which can then be frozen for future meals. This saves you time and money.

*I must admit there was a disadvantage of working from home during covid while using the slow cooker. Because this meant inhaling mouth- watering smells while knowing there is still 4 hours to go before it’s completely done.

So obviously, follow the instructions on your slow cooker for the best results. And then just set and forget, till its dinner time.

4. Food and Drink Containers

Overall, these aren’t big ticket items but they are super useful for healthy weight gain.

Storage containers and jars can be used for raw produce, cooked produce, snacks and drinks.

I use mostly glass containers for several reasons. They are:

• Clear and see-through so it’s easy to identify what food is in there.
• Long-lasting and recyclable.
• Safe to use- no worrying about BPA chemicals leaching into food. See here and this as well for information on plastic storage.
• Easy to clean and they don’t absorb the smell of foods stored in them.
• Easy to collect when buying honey, coffee, jam in jars etc. and simply re-using them. These are great for storing dried grains, cereal, spices, nuts etc.
• Versatile and can go from freezers and fridges to higher temperatures such as ovens or dishwashers.

So, I use a few different types of storage. I have glass bottles for storing my healthy weight gain drinks. (You can get some cheap ones from Kmart or IKEA.)

*Tip: Think about the shape of the bottles before buying for washing out well with a bottle brush.

I also have different sized “lunchbox” type glass containers which I use to store mostly cooked food in the fridge or freezer.

Finally, I keep different sized glass jars which were originally from jam, honey and other condiments.

I re-use them as mentioned above for storing dry food, snacks and spices. You’ll find this useful for figuring out what weight gain foods to keep at home.

In conclusion, I’m guessing some of these items you already have in your kitchen.

If you’re not using them, it’s a good idea to pull them out, dust them off and see them for the great aids that they are.

 I’ve personally found these important kitchen tools to boost healthy weight gain of real benefit for my weight journey.

So, here is to your good health!

Happy New Year dear readers! While the first article of the year (Staying Motivated on your weight gain journey) is written in line with weight goals, it also applies to life in general.

I truly hope you are all well and keeping safe during these difficult times.

And we all know that it’s a pretty challenging start to the year (after a less than stellar 2020).

I mean, with health worries for yourself, family and friends, stay-at-home restrictions, financial challenges etc. all because of covid, it can be so hard to motivate yourself towards anything now.

But we’ve got to!! There really isn’t any (good) alternative.

We just can’t let this thing beat us down. And now is as good a time as any to get motivated. So we start by taking a simple step forward.

Now if you’ve found this blog, it’s probably because you were doing a search for how to gain weight. You’ve possibly also set an intention to work towards healthy weight gain. Not to be a spoilsport, but folks that was the easy part!

Following through on this is where it can be tricky to stay on track, because honestly, this is a long term goal.

I’m not a fan of clichés so I apologise in advance, BUT it is a marathon not a sprint.

Because don’t forget, gaining weight is only one part of the equation; keeping it on takes some doing too. Wait, this isn’t news to you, is it?

From personal experience I know there are going to be “I don’t have time” days, and “I just don’t wanna days” as well as “There’s all sorts of stuff happening’ days.

These strategies are to help keep you focused and consistent, but have fun too on the journey. So enjoy these tips to staying motivated on your weight gain journey.

Staying Motivated While Gaining Healthy Weight

1.What’s your reason for doing this?

Knowing why you’re choosing to do this will be a big driver for how you progress. See this for some reasons (including my own), on why gain weight.

For instance, a major reason for me was that I got sick of being sick all the time and really wanted better immunity and health.

That was a huge motivator for me. Have a read of this post for more on being underweight and health.

You need to know your why and then write it down. Research shows writing goals down does affect how we act.

2.Plan and prep ahead.

This is good general daily advice in life, but more so for those days when you’re feeling time-poor/ overwhelmed and more likely to let things slide.

Get into the habit of organising your upcoming week by planning ahead.

Think weekly meal plans and shopping lists to save time, money, and avoid running out of nutritious weight gain food.

After that, do some simple prep to make things easy during the week.

For example if you’ll be using the strategy of drinking your calories, prep ahead after shopping.

Cut up and sort the food you’re going to use in your smoothies (bananas, mangos, nuts, berries, baby spinach etc.).

Mix them up and place into zip lock bags. Prepare 5-8 or more bags depending on how many drinks you’re planning to have over a week and stick them in the freezer.

During the week, pull out and empty zip lock bag contents into a blender and add your choice of milk/liquid.

(Other additions could include yogurt, nut butter, maple syrup etc.). Blend for a couple of minutes and enjoy your healthy liquid calories.

Such simple steps will cut down the barriers to staying motivated on your weight gain journey.

Seriously here, all you have to do is put the zip lock items into a blender and press a button.

3.Break it down

Breaking down large goals into chunks makes them less daunting and easier to achieve.

By all means, set a large goal like Gain 12 kgs in 12-18 months.

But just looking at it can leave you feeling overwhelmed, not sure where to begin and what to prioritise.

To start gaining traction on the big goal, break it down into chunks. Mini-goals or milestones are the best way to get to your end goal.

For instance, think about what you hope to achieve in 3 months. Then break it down further to monthly, then weekly, and finally daily goals.

Small regular actions become habits which lead to getting to the larger goals more easily.

For example, having a high calorie nutrient dense smoothie every afternoon and maintaining this.

Or 30 minutes of resistance exercises or lifting weights three-four times a week.

With both these goals, you’re staying fit and gaining muscle not just fat, nourishing your body, while increasing healthy calories in your diet.

In fact, this is a great sedge way into the next tip.

4.Do something towards your goal everyday

We know goals require work and consistency. Yes, especially when we don’t feel like it!

Set an achievable goal every day and think about the benefits it gives you and how closer you are getting to your big picture goal.

At first you may not be getting it done every day but keep at it as it becomes a habit.

Then it may become just another part of your daily routine, like brushing your teeth.

So set a daily minimum.

(And let’s raise the bar some folks.) We’re not talking about something so minimal that you could do it in your sleep. That don’t count!

Rinse and repeat.

When it starts getting boring or too routine, aim higher and mix it up.

For example, use heavier weights, change what you’re doing, expand your list of healthy weight gain recipes, learn to cook some things if you don’t know how to etc.

5.Set realistic expectations while staying motivated

Yes, we have a plan and expectations, but you’ve heard about the best laid plans….

Understand that for various reasons such as genetics, your natural body frame, low appetite, high satiety cues, a fast metabolism, etc. etc, looking like Dwayne Johnson or Kim Kardashian isn’t going to be possible for everyone.

(If that’s what you’re aspiring towards.)

It’s great to dream big but also realise that becoming attached to certain expectations can end in disappointment if they aren’t met.

I remember after I’d put on 5-6 kgs, I was so excited at first, then became frustrated because it just wasn’t showing on my frame.

Sure, the scales said I’d put the weight on, but nothing else did.

I still looked THE SAME. I couldn’t see the extra weight, and everyone said I looked exactly the same. Grrrr!

Granted, what had changed for me was that I wasn’t catching colds or flus anymore. And for me was big, I was grateful for that.

But I was still disappointed.

Even later, when I had gained more weight and it was very obvious, it didn’t magically go where I had hoped it would.

My childlike wrists remain but you know what? Thank God. It’s all good. Delicately boned, I say.

So be kind to yourself and avoiding the self-criticism if you’re not getting exactly to where you had imagined you’d be.

Because for some, if you’re working with weights or resistance training frequently, you’ll be putting on muscle and may remain looking lean.

The scales may show an increase in weight but you may not end up looking as “buff” as you like.

Similarly setting a goal of X kgs increase within say, 3-4 weeks may not be achievable as you may hit a plateau though you’re maintaining your increased calorie intake.

So also remember to give yourself time.

6. Recognise your progress and reward yourself during your weight gain journey.

No longer need a belt to hold up your jeans?

No, they didn’t shrink in the wash (well it’s not the only reason anyway).

That’s the weight you’ve put on recently. Congratulations!

However you choose to monitor your weight gain – on the scales, or by less scientific means (like your undies starting to cutting off your circulation, or your face looking more rounded), celebrate.

Recognise the gain from your efforts and do something nice for yourself.

During these covid times, it could be ordering your favourite Thai take away, pampering yourself with a nice bath, buying some new workout gear, getting some pretty flowers, or something nice for the house.

Rewards help keep you motivated to carry on with your goals. It also gives you a chance to see what’s working for you and what’s not.

And that’s it. Hope you’ve enjoyed these few tips to staying motivated on your weight gain journey.

Now go get to it!