Why Gaining Weight in India Was Harder Than I Thought

For most of my life, I was told I was "lucky" to be naturally thin. What people didn’t see was the constant fatigue, the struggle to build muscle, or the quiet insecurity I felt seeing my ribs stick out no matter how much I ate. In a culture that often celebrates slimness, being underweight just didn’t seem like something that needed fixing—until I realized my energy and health were paying the price.

I started looking for solutions the way most of us do: YouTube, blogs, and health forums. But it was overwhelming. Most of the advice felt imported—protein powders I’d never heard of, diets I couldn’t sustain, and tips that ignored how we actually eat in India.

That’s when I found a complete, locally-focused guide that finally made things click. There’s a super useful breakdown on AskDocDoc’s site that helped me understand how to gain weight in a healthy and sustainable way in an Indian context. You can find it here: https://askdocdoc.com/articles/698-how-to-gain-weight-fast-a-complete-guide-for-indians

The first real change came from shifting my mindset. Instead of stuffing myself with junk just to gain calories, I started incorporating calorie-dense but nutritious foods: paneer bhurji with paratha, banana peanut butter shakes, rice with ghee and dal. I saw a great meal prep idea on Pinterest that inspired me: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/928445279435786875

Protein became a daily focus. A fitness coach on Instagram posted a reel that changed how I saw Indian vegetarian meals—like pairing rajma with curd or adding boiled eggs to poha. That reel is here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DL5GMBJqy5L/

At the same time, I stopped thinking I had to do intense gym workouts. A simple home routine with bodyweight exercises helped me convert some of the weight I gained into actual strength. That shift in perspective was reinforced when I read this thoughtful thread from a health account on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AskDoctors24/status/1942969671210152211

Another game-changer? Community support. There was this Facebook post from someone documenting their weight gain progress, and it reminded me that this journey is mine—and it doesn't have to look like anyone else's: https://www.facebook.com/122099392514743210/posts/122132270348743210

Even on LinkedIn, of all places, I came across a post that hit hard. It talked about how we treat underweight concerns in India—like they’re not real. That post made me realize it’s okay to take this seriously and prioritize my health: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/askdocdoc_in-india-weight-gain-is-often-approached-activity-7348735449600811010-8REC?