Weight Gain Directory

How Many Calories Do You Really Need?

How many calories do you need each day to maintain a healthy weight? WebMD provides a chart that shows how many calories you need each day to maintain weight, lose weight or gain weight.

Yo-Yo Dieting and Weight Cycling

Yo-yo dieting and weight cycling is the repeated loss and regain of body weight. Find out if weight cycling and yo-yo dieting are harmful.

Physical Activity for Weight Loss-Topic Overview

Physical activity increases the amount of energy (calories) you burn. Although most weight-loss programs incorporate an exercise program—such as jogging or biking. And you can also use more energy by changing some of your routine activities, such as washing your car yourself instead of going to a car wash. Choosing social activities that increase activity, such as joining a gardening club or dancing, also increases the calories you burn. Strength training, which builds muscle, is also an important part of weight-loss programs. Having more muscle will help you burn more calories throughout the day. Lifting weights in a supervised program is one way to do this. Other ways to improve your strength may involve slight changes to some daily activities. Check with your doctor about strength training that is right for you.Always have a medical evaluation before starting any new physical activity. If you have chest pain or dizziness during any physical activity, stop and call your doctor. If

Quick Tips: Avoiding Empty Calories-Get started

Dieting is hard. But avoiding empty calories helps you reach a healthy weight without feeling like you're dieting.Your body needs a certain amount of energy each day. Energy comes from food in the form of calories. Calories let you function and keep doing your daily activities. But after your body meets its needs, it stores extra calories as fat. Most of us get plenty of calories in our diet—often too many.Foods with empty calories have lots of calories but very few nutrients like vitamins and minerals. Convenience foods, like packaged snacks, chips, and sodas, are common sources of empty calories. Nutrient-rich foods, on the other hand, have a lot more nutrients in relation to their calories. A few examples are vegetables, peanut butter, bran cereal with fruit, and fish.Tips for avoiding empty caloriesInstead of this:Choose this:Sugar-sweetened drinks like soda, energy drinks, and sweetened coffee drinksWater, no-sugar-added fruit juices, tea or coffee, tomato juice, and other

10 Questions With Laura Prepon

Actor to author: The Orange Is the New Black star shares how she stays healthy, fit, and balanced.

Healthy Ways to Gain Weight

Get tips on adding pounds without loading up on junk food. Learn how to pick high-calorie foods that have plenty of nutrients, too.

After You Overeat: What to Do to Get Back on Track

You may feel discouraged after you realize you’ve eaten more than you planned, but don’t despair! Read these tips for getting back on track.

Expert Q&A: Avoiding the Freshman 15

WebMD talks to nutrition expert Connie Diekman who explains the 'Freshman 15' phenomenon: Why college freshmen gain weight, and how to avoid it. These eating tips can help college students maintain a healthy weight.

Change How Your Body Gains Weight

Can we change the way our body gains or loses weight?

TV and Your Child's Weight

How does watching TV affect your child's weight? Ask childhood obesity expert Dr. David Ludwig.

Birth Control Types, Pros and Cons, Myths, and More

Get the answers to women's top questions about birth control.

Slideshow: Busted: Popular Diet Myths

Not sure what’s fact or fiction regarding weight loss and healthy eating? Find out the truth behind some of the most common dieting and weight loss myths.

Slideshow: Safe Ways to Gain Weight

If you’re trying to gain weight, there are a few easy ways to add healthy calories to your diet.

Slideshow: 15 Reasons Your Weight Changes Throughout the Day

Your weight is in a state of constant change. Learn some of the many reasons this is true.

Slideshow: Surprising Reasons You're Gaining Weight

What are some possible causes of sudden weight gain, when there are no changes in diet or exercise? Learn about the effects of certain medications, some medical conditions, sleep issues, and more.

4 Habits of Weight Loss Winners

Fat Facts Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

Test your diet IQ with this quiz about different types of fat and fats.

Quiz: Best & Worst Foods for Belly Fat

Do you know which foods are best and worst for belly fat? Test your knowledge with this quiz, and learn how to eat for a slimmer waistline.

Pregnancy Weight Gain Guidelines Explained

A nutrition expert explains what you need to know about the latest guidelines on pregnancy weight gain.

Diet Truth or Myth: Eating at Night Causes Weight Gain

Is there something especially fattening about eating before bed, or is this a diet myth?

Diet Myth or Truth: The Freshman 15

For years, college students have been warned about the dreaded "Freshman 15" – the extra 15 pounds that come with the first year at college. But is this a diet myth?

The Truth About Beer and Your Belly

It seems beer drinkers have a tendency to grow bellies, especially as they get older. But is it really beer that causes a "beer belly"?