I am 17 yrs and I am eating too much still I am not gaining weight even I m doing excercise

Aditya Shaw

1 year ago

I am 17 yrs and I am eating too much still I am not gaining weight even I m doing excercise

Food Lifestyle Physical activity

Happy Tummy Expert

1 year ago

Dear Aditya Shaw,

Thank you for your question.

Adolescence or teen age is a critical period of our lives in which our body undergoes rapid changes, growth and development. It is very essential to consume a healthy balanced diet with adequate amount of protein and other nutrients such as calcium, iron, vitamin D etc., which will help support growth, development, pubertal changes and strong bones.

The causes of underweight or unintended weight loss can be due to genetics, inadequate food intake, stress, hormonal imbalance, malabsorption or other underlying health condition.

In any weight management programme, it is very essential to consume a healthy diversified balanced diet with few dietary modifications and regular physical activity. For weight gain it is essential to focus on your daily balanced diet with high calorie, high protein and regular meals. With any weight gain diet, changes take time to reflect as your body requires sufficient time to adapt to the changes in order to show results.

Reference ideal body weight for 17-year-old male can be considered as 56.5 kg with 170 cm height.

A high calorie and high protein diet is recommended for weight gain. Daily protein requirement should ideally be followed as 55.4g per day. Some of the sources of high protein include pulses, lentils, milk, paneer, soybean, eggs, lean meat, nuts & seeds etc.

Here are few guidelines that can be considered:

Maintain a positive energy balance where the calorie intake should be more than the energy expenditure.
Include energy dense foods, keeping in mind the daily needs. Some of the energy dense foods include Whole wheat, Multigrain, millets, dairy products, nuts, Colocasia leaves, banana, raisins, pulses/lentils etc.
Do not skip meals. Eat small frequent meals.
Three major meals a day with healthy nutritious snacks in between is preferred.
Try to increase the serving size and portion size gradually and systematically.
Include healthy fats from nuts and seeds.
Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day to maintain hydration.
Indulging in physical activity can help in increasing the appetite and give a feeling of hunger.
Try to follow a good sleep regimen in terms of both quantity and quality.

For a customised and personalised meal plan for specific conditions, please contact your Health care professional.

Hope we have answered your query.

Wishing you a great day ahead!