An odd question, but i thought I'd give it a shot

To gain weight you need to consume more calories than you burn. Presumably, you want to gain muscle and not fat; in this case you must also do strength and toning exercises to convert the extra calories to muscle. You should see results after 4 weeks. To maintain the weight you stabilize the calories you are consuming and continue with your exercise routine to maintain your strength. It helps to use a calorie counter app, which will automatically calculate how many calories you should be consuming a day as well as breaking them down between carbs, protein and fat.

If you have a fast metabolism, itll come right back off and will need to be maintained. Weight training and protein shakes are a good place to start. Also make sure youre eating three meals a day

I’ve always been on the other side of things but many body building friends have told me it’s shockingly difficult to maintain weight gains compared to losing weight. I guess because the body naturally atrophies muscles that aren’t in use, especially when your protein intake drops?
I’d consult a trainer/nutritionist but the best advice I’ve read when it comes to bodies/weight: do it gradually and do it sustainably if you have any hope of making the changes last.

I suggest getting an app like My Plate! You can enter your height, current weight, goal weight, and activity level, and the app will tell you how many calories you need to consume each day to gain weight. Once you have reached your ideal weight, you simply switch your preference on the app from “gaining weight” to “maintaining weight”, and it will tell you exactly how many calories you need to consume each day to maintain.

If you are naturally slim, it will not just stay off - you will have to work for it.

First thing is first: you should find out your active metabolic rate (AMR). Easiest way to do this is to Google "AMR calculator." AMR is how many calories your body uses for its basic functions (BMR) and for your activity level. Once you have this number, you should start by adding 200 calories to it and give it a few weeks to see how your body responds. If you aren't gaining, add another 100. If you are gaining too fast for your comfort, cut 100. If you're happy with how you're gaining, stay where you're at.

Calories are your friend! But not empty calories (sodas, fast food). The easiest, nutritious foods to bump up caloric consumption are healthy fats. Fat has 9 calories per gram, versus the 4 calories per gram of both protein and carbs. Good sources of healthy fats are whole eggs, cheese, yogurt, fatty fish (like salmon), nuts and nut butters, olives, avocados, and dark chocolate (yep! Go for 60-72%) You also can do things like adding olive oil to salads, though be aware that oils aren't nutrient-dense - they will just up the calories for you.

Whole food are ideal, but if eating whole foods at the calorie range you need is a struggle, you can look into nutrition shakes that are high-calorie (400+ calories a serving). Familiar grocery store brands would be BOOST (they even have a shake that says right on the box VERY HIGH CALORIE) and Ensure PLUS.

Finally, you want to make sure that you are exercising. Strength training is best for this - if you don't already go to a gym or work out, you can find at-home workouts that need minimal equipment. Calories plus a healthy physical regimen will make sure you gain in a healthy way. (Just keep in mind if you drastically up your physical demands, you might need to revisit your AMR.)

Good luck!

Amp up your complex carb intake! And feel free to eat that bagel with your breakfast every morning as well! Do you by any chance take any sort of ADHD medication? You obviously don’t have to answer that publicly if you do I’d suggest eating before you take it that way it doesn’t curb your appetite as much. Pilates will help tone! Reduce your cardio and stick to more weight lifting and stretching!


Good luck!

Try protein shakes! i was very underweight years ago and had incorporated protein shakes in my nutrition