need to gain weight

[bumere90]

This has been a major problem for me. No matter what I do, I can't seem to gain any significant weight. Currently I weigh 145, and I really want to be somewhere around 160
Any suggestions besides ?

[upstatedoc]

Check your thyroid?

[bumere90]

my thyroid gland is ok

[qba335i]

do you work out? what/how much do you eat?

[kevinbahnz]

BOOO... I'm trying to lose weight. from 160 to 145...

[EyeGuy]

Eat!! Maybe a weight gainer supplement

[TrevorM3]

when taking on a serious intake of cals, what should one avoid in order for it not to add up in the stomach area.. ?

[richardbb85]

eat like a beast, whole pizza whole milk whole everything

[turbolag]

Originally Posted by richardbb85

eat like a beast, whole pizza whole milk whole everything

I wouldn't recommend too much pizza...

[TrevorM3]

Originally Posted by richardbb85

eat like a beast, whole pizza whole milk whole everything

i actually started drinking milk after every meal. has helped keep me fuller, longer. i have issues with getting cals in during the day.

[Arben72]

Live off of Mountain Dew, Cheetos, Cinnabon, and Dunkin donuts. Double all your usual portions too.

[upstatedoc]

Originally Posted by bumere90

my thyroid gland is ok

alright then lock yourself in a BurgerKing for a month.

[BayMoWe335]

Originally Posted by e90inAZ

How many calories per day are you eating?

I hear a lot of people say they cant gain weight no matter how much they eat, but when they actually count their calories for the week they realize they're daily average is around 2000 - 2500.

I had this problem...I weighed 135-140 and it wasn't until I started eating 4500-5000 calories a day when I began to gain weight. I started lifting weights at the same time so that definitely helps too.

If you want to just put on weight but don't particularly care about gaining a little extra around your midsection, eat anything and everything you are able to eat (except sugary desserts) and don't be afraid of a little fast food, but don't over do it.

Here is a sample diet that worked for me:

Breakfast:

6 scrambled eggs
1 serving low sugar oatmeal
1 cup fruit

Snack:

1 cup low fat yogurt
1 banana

Lunch:

2 chicken breast
1 cup brown rice
1 cup mixed veggies

Lunch 2:

2 cheese burgers

Snack:

1 apple
1/4 cup peanut butter

Dinner:

2 salmon filets
1 cup mashed potatoes
1 cup salad

....You get the idea. Once you get to the weight you want, cut back on fatty foods (like cheeseburgers) and trim down your caloric intake until you start to dip in your weight. That way you know how many calories to eat to maintain your desired weight.

Disclaimer: Talk to your doctor before you take on a diet like this.

That's just listing a bunch of food. Practically, few could eat that consistently enough to gain the weight. I'd get sick if. I had to eat all that crap.

[Templar]

Originally Posted by BayMoWe335

That's just listing a bunch of food. Practically, few could eat that consistently enough to gain the weight. I'd get sick if. I had to eat all that crap.

It is a sample, he didn't say eat that every day...

Bottom line is that in order to gain weight you need to eat more calories than you burn each day.

Do the math. Find your BMR, add in exercise, find out how many calories you burn each day doing what you do, then eat more than that. You'll never gain unless you're in a surplus.

[ddk632]

Calories in / Calories Out -- simple fomula. Take in more than you burn and you gain weight, as already posted above, and it's worth another mention.

Of course, there are many ways to go about it so here's the one that worked for me. I went through this what seems like a long time ago, as these days I need to lose weight, BUT ...

I was around 135 and went to 165 by following a simple formula I read in an EAS Nutrition (makers of Myoplex protein shakes) workout / supplement book.

This applies if you're working out and the weight you want to gain is muscle/body mass vs. pure fat. For pure fat, yeah, just double up on the twinkies or whatever.

For increasing weight so you are stronger, more built, etc., this is what worked for me at the time:

1. Eat 5-6 meals a day. They can be a protein bar or whatever in between main meals (at work, for example) but you should be eating 5-6 meals a day consistently. It's crucial that each meal contains protein. A croissant, donut, etc., don't count as meals.

2. Take your DESIRED (goal) weight, and use a formula from anywhere to 1.5 - 2x grams of protein per desired pound of body weight per day to get there.

For example, you want to weigh 160 (let's say). 1.5x desired weight is 240 -- 2x would be 320. So, you should have between 240-320 grams of protein per day. The rest of the food, salad, veggies, fruits, etc., doesn't matter. Eat it but the protein is where it's at for adding good weight. Protein is also worth a lot of calories, naturally helping you to increase your intake.

3. Divide the grams of protein per day (let's take a round number of 300 from the range of 240-320 from #2 above) into your 5-6 meals. If you have 5 meals, then each meal should contain around 60 grams of protein. For 6 meals, each meal should contain around 50 grams of protein. You can deviate and it's a rule of thumb, but on a minimum of 1.5x desired weight, you should be eating 240g protein/day. At 5 meals that's 48g/meal.

4. Find the foods that will give you the protein you need. Combining 4 eggs with some smoked salmon or some sausages might get you to 40g protein. A plate of chicken wings, or 2 chicken breasts, will do the same. Do some research and put stuff together to get the protein numbers you need.

5. Work out. Don't do much cardio while you're trying to gain weight, as it will set you back. This is obviously personal but you should be exercising various muscle groups every week, doing lots of reps. This will help build muscle which weighs more than fat (it's more dense) and therefore you'll gain weight without looking or becoming fat.

6. Be patient and be consistent. You may have a really high metabolism and it may take a while to see results. Keep at it and you'll gain the weight.

This worked for me and got me from 135 lbs in high school to 165 lbs by age 20/21. I had good strength (still have some of it, lol) but my cardio sucked.

Once you hit your desired weight, increase cardio type stuff like martial arts, running, cycling, etc., to build up your endurance.

[Give_Em_The_DD]

Had same problem as you, graduated high school @ 132, now 8 years later 243lbs

I was reading some of the prior posts, and assuming you are in sound health, I'd never recommend eating slop (pizza, mcdonalds etc).

I've heard many people complain they aren't gaining weight, 9/10 times they are under eating clean calories. I imagine you don't want to put on "slop" weight, just to hit a # on the scale, only to look in the mirror and not like what you see.

If you don't mind me asking, why are you trying to gain? Do you workout?

[Billup]

Take my route and drink full beer all day. Should see a few pounds after a couple days.

[PSUSMU]

240-320g of protein is a ridiculous amount...

[KingOfJericho]

The only way to target where you gain weight is by working out and gaining muscle mass. If you're just gaining fat, it's going to end up in places that make you look fat. You're not going to gain fat deposits in your biceps or calfs - it'll end up in your gut unless you're working out.

Just had a physical two weeks ago. Doc says I need to lose about 13lbs (to 190).

[solefald]

Step 1: Turn 30
Step 2: Drink Beer.

[Whostheboss]

Originally Posted by solefald

Step 1: Turn 30
Step 2: Drink Beer.

[Whostheboss]

Originally Posted by bumere90

This has been a major problem for me. No matter what I do, I can't seem to gain any significant weight. Currently I weigh 145, and I really want to be somewhere around 160
Any suggestions besides ?

How often do you shit? If you shit less than 7 times a week, you will not gain weight no matter how much you eat.

The best way to gain weight is to make sure your digestion is constantly moving?

I had the same problem, no matter what i did, i never gained weight. Back then, i only shitted once or maybe twice a week.

Now, i shit almost everyday and my digestive system is absorbing the food much better now. i went from 170lb to 194 in less than 9 months.