Help! I need to gain some weight!
 

Yep, you heard me... I need to GAIN some weight - about 15 pounds. I constantly see commercials, infomercials, new trends and programs on how to lose weight, but I never see anything about how to gain it. I've always had trouble keeping on weight, and recently I've had some stomach problems that caused me to lose about 20 pounds (that I couldn't really afford to lose). It's taken me literally months to gain back 6-7 pounds, and I can't for the life of me figure out how to get above that point, no matter how much I eat.

Does anybody have a good recipe for a high-calorie protein shake full of complex carbs that will help me pack on a few pounds? I need something like that in addition to my regular food intake; something that will give me enough calories and protein to be able to exercise without fear of losing more weight. Suggestions?

What does your current diet consist of?

Whatever is in my fridge or cupboards at the time. I don't eat out, very rarely eat fast food. I eat foods that are both healthy and unhealthy, but I do try to eat pastas, rice, potatoes, and chicken as much as possible... not for any diet reasons but because I like them so much. I don't really stick to any sort of diet per se. I have a healthy appetite and I like many different kinds of food.

I also have tried some of that Weight Gainer 1850 powder mix, but it doesn't sit well in my stomach and I notice that I 'crash' pretty hard a couple of hours after drinking one of those shakes. I've been told that it's because it's mostly just for the calories but doesn't contain the right balance of protein or complex carbs. I don't really know much about that stuff, so that's why I need some advice.

Do you go to the gym.

Protein and a weight regimen would certainly help you gain.

Start smoking pot and keep more of your Favorite foods in the house. It's BS when people say they can't gain weight bottom line you don't eat enough. :2 cents:

I could knock you up.

google muscle milk (500+ calories per serving) or SAN MyoDrive

No... maybe my logic is screwed up, but I quit exercising when I started losing weight because I was afraid of burning more calories and losing more weight... haha. But on the other hand, I don't want to pack on 15 pounds of pure fat either, so I need a good balance.

When you're trying to put on the weight, make sure it's healthy weight and keep the eating under control. You can try a whey protein shake that has weight gainer in it, that usually helps. I usually get one that isn't flavored and i blend in fresh strawberries and bananas. However, now I just take 100% whey without the weight gainer because I was eating like crazy.

Oh eat a lot of Vietnamese food, tons of carbs!

You mentioned your stomach doesn't dig some things -- why is that? Just asking, since that's where anything you're eating is going to go.

Silly boy... You've seen me eat! I eat plenty. The problem isn't how much I eat; it's that I'm not eating the right stuff. Plus in the past year I've developed some sort of off-and-on stomach thing where sometimes I just can't keep food in my system.

And strangely enough, when/if I ever do smoke pot, I don't get the munchies. I'm odd that way.

its all about calories in vs calories expended. unless you are climbing mountains in your spare time in the evenings, you should be able to modify your diet.... hence the question "what do you eat" - the intent of which was for you to lay out your typical diet and give enough information for someone to actually help you. "whatever is in my fridge" is hardly helpful.

Funny funny! No kids for me!!!

peanut butter and bacon sandwich, twice a day

we can sell it. I have great genes and produce great looking kids. We could get a mint for it.

I'll have to check that out... thanks!

I don't really know why. It comes and goes. I haven't figured out what triggers it (possibly stress?), but sometimes it lasts for a few days and sometimes a few weeks. It's during those times that I lose weight quickly, but it takes me SO long to put it back on. I'm sure it partly has to do with my metabolism... I've always had trouble putting weight on, as did my entire family before they had kids.

Are you trying to get every chick on this board to hate you?

Sorry, I was not trying to be a smartass. I just don't have a regular diet. I eat anything and everything. I don't count calories so I couldn't tell you how much I take in during a typical day. Some days I might eat cereal and yogurt for breakfast, meat, cheese and crackers with some carrots for lunch, chicken fettuccini (sp?) for dinner and some ice cream later. Some days I might eat frozen waffles for breakfast, pizza for lunch, and greasy mexican for dinner, then snack on cucumbers and cherry tomatoes at night. Like I said, I don't have any consistency to my diet; I only know that I eat a wide variety of foods, and plenty of them for the average person, but obviously not enough for me. But I also don't want to pack on a bunch of fat... which is why I need a good balance.

I'm getting fatter by the minute ........ and it pisses me off coz I'm so good looking .... getting into serious gymming though!

I have same issues though I need even more weight.
I also eat very few bad calories as to not over gain fat, though hell some things are just to good to pass up.

Lately I been doing high protein nightly milkshakes or hot chocolate. They contain everything from a high fat content premium ice cream, high coco content chocolate, two cans of ensure plus instead of milk, some unflavored protein powder. Sometimes I may toss in some raspberries, banana, or orange zest to alter it up some. To make hot chocolate just let the ice cream melt and use that as a base. I drink these nightly as a bedtime snack.

Mornings for me is all about eggs lately. Visually it may be hard to put back 4 eggs but when in omelet form it does not look as daunting plus you can hide cheese and meats inside of it. Then I always add a bowl of quality hot oatmeal, its a fiber thing and a reason to use some more butter and maple syrup. I may add other items as the whim suggests and I am very fond of cottage cheese myself but not in the omelette.

Lunch again is very protein packed. I have several cold bean side dishes that are almost always on hand. Throwing down two tuna sandwiches help plus prevents leftover tuna. Though occasionally I will fast food my lunch.

Dinner is where I really try to push both carbs and protein. Dinner always includes bread of some type and butter as margarine is forbidden in this house yet you are permitted to use oil as an alternative. I also find it much better to buy good bread daily, screw anything that comes in plastic and that is not warm when you pick it up. If you have leftovers make french toast the next day and then toast the rest and make bread crumbs and freeze them. I also always have either a salad or a soup. I am sort of addicted to vegetables so its hard to pass them up. I do however make up for it with either homemade ranch or blue cheese dressings though again sometimes its just a vinaigrette.
Add in another starch like rice, potato, or noodles. Then pick a nice chunk of protein. Some of my favorites are mussels, pork, and dungeoness crab if I had to pick a top three.

Snack wise is where I try to sneak it peanut butter, cheeses, dried or cured meats, fruits, breads or toasts actually, and some veggies. I have a perpetual antipasto selection in the fridge at all times.

I keep plenty of gatorade, ensure plus, whole milk, some sodas (mostly for guests), some beers and wines (again guests), carbonated waters, teas (they stimulate my appetite), oh and actual cream in my fridge as liquids. Yes I will use cream over fruit or in my oatmeal instead of milk, hell I have used it in my cereal.

I do feel for you though. I understand your frustration and for those who do not have this issue really just do not understand how bad it can be and how what they may perceive as simple fixes rarely if ever work. I am coming up on my 24th anniversary with deal this type of issue and I finally feel I am onto something that is working.

Oh yeah a couple post scripts.

Desserts, get them, eat them.
Buy larger bowls and plates. You would be amazed how much more you will eat off a larger plate or bowl.

lotsa beer and don't leave your desk too often.
it worked for me :)

THANK YOU! Finally somebody who gets it! You gave me some really good suggestions on foods to make sure I keep around the house and consume regurlarly. It sounds like you've really devoted a lot of attention to figuring out a good diet for you, and I'm glad it's working. I'll definitely try most of the suggestions you gave me.

I know exactly what you mean about others who don't understand the problem. This is an issue I've been dealing with most of my life, but not to the extreme that I have been in the past year. People think I am kidding or mocking them, but it is as big of a problem for me to gain weight as it is for many to lose weight. I've dealt with rude comments most of my life, been called names, been accused of eating disorders, mostly just not taken seriously. I find that most of the people who hate on me though are people who are themselves fat, which I totally do not understand... Hey, I don't hate you because you're too fat, so why hate me because I'm too skinny? Anyway, most people just don't understand the issue so they don't believe it really exists.

Body Builders morning protein shake:

1 cup whole oats.
~30-50 grams of Vanilla Protein Powder (Isolate or or a Weight Gainer formula maybe in your case)
1 cup milk
Cinnamon
Lots of pure, raw honey.
1 Banana
1 Apple pealed

Blent the hell out of all that together with some ice and water. You'll pack in more than 1000 calories at breakfast in a single shake.

muscle milk is good right after you wake up and right before you go to sleep. thats 2 additional 300 calorie meals with water, around 500 if mixed with milk. otherwise eat all day long. aim for 6 moderate sized meals a day

i dont think powdered milk would suffice

start smoking weed..you will gain 15 pounds in no time

Thank you... exactly what I was looking for!

I can eat pretty much whatever I want and not gain weight. The only thing that adds weight to me is when my addiction to ice cream starts up. Eat 1/3 pint of Ben and Jerrys 1-2 times a day, in addition to your regular meals. That should get you 10 pounds in 4-6 months.

4-6 months??? I was hoping for something more along the lines of 4-6 WEEKS :1orglaugh

I'm not a huge fan of sweets and desserts (maybe that's part of my problem?); ice cream is really the only dessert-food I eat on a semi-regular basis, so I'll have to try to eat more of it. When I snack, I usually go for salty or crunchy.

Lots of Beer :thumbsup

Then have a big greasy hangover breakfast. I'm talking Bacon cheese burgers with poutine for breakfast.

Get pregnant ;)

very true :thumbsup

just like people trying to lose weight... there is nothing to "get". you consume calories... you burn calories. you might have a fast metabolism, you might be a bit more active than most people, you might think you are eating much more and much worse than you are.

either way, you can't escape the laws of physics. fat is energy. calories are a unit of measurement of this energy. fat storage is your body's way of storing surplus energy.


you started out by saying you eat pretty healthy. then you said you don;t know what you eat... then you outlined stuff you eat which isn't very healthy at all. its not about someone "getting it" its about YOU "getting it"

its just a simple issue of playing with your total caloric intake, adjusting fat intake and taking a methodical approach to solving what is basically a second grade math problem that 99% of people in life can't be bothered to solve.

write down what you eat, keep a log, count calories, grams of fat, carbs, protein, take all your measurements, detail any and all daily physical activity and then you will have a starting point for someone to help you.

there is no mystery.... and nothing to "get" other than the facts of the situation.

Hit Slezydream to borrow you some of his fat :1orglaugh

do you mix the weight gainer with milk or juice, or use any predigestive enzymes?

I gained 60lbs one year using ultimate weight gainer (2200 calories) mixed with juice 3 times a day, and eating chicken breasts or steak with 2 cups of rice for each meal, plus veggies and fruit as snacks, oatmeal for breakfast as well. I took the predigestive enzymes because all the veggies and the weight gainer gave me gas and indigestion, and they do help (if you buy a decent quality one)

yea, but gaining muscle would increase your weight.. plus it make you really hungry

You need to figure out hwat you burn to what you eat.. if you have a high muscle ratio, you'll burn calories quicker

by the way..look into insulin, and how it controls weight gain and loss. It's a great hint on using sugars to help trigger your body into storing, or burning fat. ;)

you want to gain some weight? That's odd since a lot of people nowadays are more eager to lose weight. I suggest loads lots of carbohydrates and veggies.

Park yourself at a McDonalds and eat every meal there

Actually I never started out by saying that I eat pretty healthy. I said I have a pretty healthy appetite, but that I both foods that are both healthy and unhealthy. I enjoy snacking on fruits and veggies just as much as I enjoy snacking on chips. But I do try to stay away from fast food.

And when I say people don't get it, I was referring to people not understanding that some people actually DO have a problem putting on weight... and the fact that people don't get that it can be a problem just as much as people who have a hard time losing weight. And that it is just as rude to walk up to a complete stranger and tell them they are too skinny or need to gain weight as it is to tell a fat person they need to lose weight. ASM knows what I am talking about. Some people just really don't get it.

And as far as my food intake and proper balance, you're right... I don't get it. That's why I was asking for suggestions. Whenever I do research online for a properly balanced diet, it's usually for helping people to manage their weight... as in keeping it off and consuming things that will help them to burn more calories.

ASM gave me some good ideas for everyday foods, but that recipe for the protein shake is exactly what I was looking for: something to use in addition to my normal food intake and something I can drink after I exercise to replenish what I have expended and then some.

thats actually great advice.

i was a solid 10 pounds underweight 2 yrs ago. im NOW a healthy 105 and it shows.

i eat whatever i want but try to eat healthy harty food when i can. also stay active like dancing, hiking, good sex stuff like that ;)

Hey Missy, I also need to gain some weight!! I suffered problems and they finally took out my gallbladder (maybe check with your doctor on testing you for gallstones or other digestive problems). However I still CAN'T eat many foods, i.e. deep fried food, high fat stuff like breakfast sausages & bacon, etc.
I eat fairly healthy, but try to eat lots all day, i.e. snack snack snack on stuff like fruit, NUTS, granola, oats, and of course lots of pasta etc.

Good luck!!

Thanks for the input. I have wondered if it could be medical, although I was thinking more along the lines of thyroid issues. My best friend's mom had problems with her weight for years until she was finally diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Once they got that stabilized, she reached a healthy weight and was feeling much better within just a couple of months.

I did ask my doc a few years ago to test my thyroid and she just told me "As long as you are healthy and feel good, you shouldn't worry about it. You should just be glad you don't have to worry about your weight like so many women do!" What she didn't seem to understand was that I DO worry about my weight, just in the opposite direction of most other women. Gotta love doctors :1orglaugh

generally thyroid issues are also reflected in your body temperature. you can check your temperature each morning to see if its consistently above where it should be (indicates faster metabolism), consistently below (indicates slower metabolism) or where it should be.

if you had an overactive thyroid which was making it difficult to gain weight (fat/muscle), typically your body temperature would be a degree or so above normal when you get up in the morning.

Go to a dietician (not a nutritionist, they aren't necessarily qualified).

Hmmm... interesting. I had not heard that before. So if it were possibly a thyroid issue, my body temperature may be a bit higher in the morning than it would be in the evening? Or just higher in general?

Chocolate and burgers works fine for me,,,

I am jealous that you have difficulty gaining weight as I just watch a commercial that has a big mac on it and I gain 5 pounds. LOL
I have to ask though, how old are you as I have known many young females struggle to keep weight on but once they hit a certain age there body changes and they discover they have a hard time keeping weight off.