Help with diet and weight gain

[Clutch]

Somehow I have lost about 20 some odd pounds in the past I say year or so. I used to weigh up to like 140 pounds, but I weighed myself last night and the scale read 122. This could be the reason that I have been feeling like crap a lot lately, and getting sick on a regular basis. I eat all the time, so I don't understand why I can't gain any weight. So I started to google some stuff and I guess I am not taking in enough calories as I should? So I wanted to get a list of things I could start eating on a regular basis to try to get my weight back. So what do you guys think? Any improvements or suggestions?

Breakfast:
Scrambled eggs, toast, maybe some fruit?

Lunch:
Salad, yogurt, sandwich with lettuce, etc

Dinner:
Some kind of meat usually, baked potato, beans?

I have looked on google for high calorie foods but always get some stupid sites that don't really have what I'm looking for.

So if anyone can throw in something it would be great.

[RWB]

You could buy those weight gaining drinks, they taste great and have lots of nutrients. Mostly for body builders and people needing to gain weight like yourself.

Wish I had your problem though :P

[profdlp]

Drinking copious quantities of beer has always worked well for me when it comes to weight gain. :cheers:

First, see a doctor and make sure you don't have Mono or are anemic, etc.

If you're all clear with that stuff and the doctor doesn't give you more specific advice on the subject, go to a health food store and look for a weight-gain shake mix. Taken with whole milk, it will increase your caloric intake without forcing you to eat all of the time and spend tons of money on groceries.

Add in a good weight training program and you should add worthwhile lean muscle - not blubbery rolls of fat around your midsection.

If all of that fails, get into a serious romantic relationship with me. Every person who does that seems to pack on the pounds in no time. :o

EDIT: Typed too slowly. :respect: RWB

[MrBill]

If all of that fails, get into a serious romantic relationship with me. Every person who does that seems to pack on the pounds in no time. :oOMG, that's funny!

Probably not much help to Clutch, but still......;D

Gaining weight doesn't seem to be a problem for me. All I did was change jobs and I've gained about 30 pounds in the last year. Dang desk must be loaded with calories! ;)

[Clutch]

Yeah I sit at a desk all day at work and then at the computer desk again at home. And prof, I'm gonna have to pass on the relationship ;) but thanks for the offer, hehe.

[jradmin]

Tapeworm?

[Gargoyle]

I would definitely see a doctor. Nothing serious, just see a general practicioner and tell 'em would you told us. Do you work out?

I hear Slim Fast is good for adding weight if you don't replace a meal with them.

Also, I'm willing to give you 10-20 of my pounds if you like. Totally free. That's a deal, man. Quality made from beer & nachos. ;D

[profdlp]

...I hear Slim Fast is good for adding weight if you don't replace a meal with them...
When I wrestled in High School there was a guy on the team who was desperately trying to lose weight so he could wrestle in a lower weight class. The coach recommended he try Metrecal (http://www.metrecal.com/) (a 1970's precursor to Slim-Fast). After a week or two he had gained five pounds and was more miserable than ever.

When the coach asked him how he was doing with the Metrecal he answered "Great - I drink a can of it after every meal". :-/


...prof, I'm gonna have to pass on the relationship...
I've been turned down by prettier guys than you. :ninja:

[Thrax]

Find a calculator for your BMR (Basal metabolic rate). That will tell you how many calories your body burns sitting there doing nothing 24/7, try to make sure you're atleast eating that amount.

Then find a calculator to see how many calories you burn a day above and beyond that. Try to find a calculator that permits you to specify the average amount of hours, per day, that you spend doing any number of activities: Reading, playing online, walking around at work, sleeping, watching TV, whatever exercising you may do, etc. Try to eat this many calories a day (It's probably around 2200 calories for you) to maintain your weight, and then if you want to gain weight, deliberately eat (that number + 500) calories a day to gain a pound a week (3500 calories = 1 pound, 500 extra calories * 7 days a week = 3500 calories).

Good luck.

I keep an excel spreadsheet to track how many calories I eat each week for purposes of weight loss, for example, and it has really helped me lose the 38 pounds I have lost since December '04. You can do the same thing for weight gain. The key to success is accurate tracking, not guessing.

[Clutch]

I went to a doctor yesterday about this cold. And she said to basically try to eat more calories. And then she said something about as I get older I will gain weight more easier or some bull**** like that. This is why I wanted to get some advice from some people I really trusted.

So any suggestions on like high calorie food? Google has came up with nothing for me.

[primesuspect]

fast food :-/

[primesuspect]

Here's how sumo wrestlers get fat (http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2005/03/21/sumo_wrestlers_this_is_how_you_get_fat.php) :D

[Clutch]

I've been turned down by prettier guys than you. :ninja:

Mans best friend doesn't count ;)

[Gargoyle]

Here's how sumo wrestlers get fat (http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2005/03/21/sumo_wrestlers_this_is_how_you_get_fat.php) :D
One of the comments on that article cracked me up:

hi
i'm fat as well but want to be fatter then any sumo wrestler:)
want to be almost completely immoble.

[jradmin]

Dude...you live in NC! EAT BISCUITS AND GRAVY!!!! LOTS OF IT!!!

I mean hay...it worked for me!

[TheSmJ]

When you get here for the LAN we could arrange a fat transplant surgery. I have a good 30 pounds that has your name all over it.

[Mt_Goat]

Just give me your address and I will send you all you want. Chnces are that I will still have too much left over. :/

[Missileman]

Just give me your address and I will send you all you want. Chnces are that I will still have too much left over. :/

I'll be glad to pitch in a large quantity too !!

Thanks to several million units of steroids when I was sick I now have plenty of weight to spare for a fellow in need. ;)

[Mt_Goat]

I'll be glad to pitch in a large quantity too !!

Thanks to several million units of steroids when I was sick I now have plenty of weight to spare for a fellow in need. ;)
Hey, that's how I got mine too! I literally broke my back and they kept pumping me full of the stuff. :werr:

[Missileman]

Hey, that's how I got mine too! I literally broke my back and they kept pumping me full of the stuff. :werr:

Yep - great stuff for gaining weight. I had a tumor grow inside my spine which crushed my spinal cord paralyzing me from the chest down. Also plugged the fluid drain and caused the pressure inside my skull to go up. When they took it out everything started to swell so I got the steroids by the IV bottle every hour for weeks. I always wished they'd of used the type the athletes use instead. Then we could be BUFF :wink:

[jradmin]

But you'd have a small Wii!

[Clutch]

lawl small wii, classic.

[citrixmeta]

seems to me like your an ectomorph,

on a diet that you listed, you will never gain weight, no matter how many calories you bring in.

simple rules for gaining/losing weight.

- eat 6-7 times a day
- lots of red meat and full eggs
- have your meals/snacks 3 hours apart.
- your main course should be protein based, suround them with carbs (potatoes,rice, pasta, oatmeal etc..)
- you will need alot of sleep time to grow, 6 to 8 hours.

from what you have described, im estimating you should go up to as high as 4000cals day. increase your daily calorie intake about 100cals /day.

if you signed up at a gym, pm me , i can build a plan for you.

transforming your body requires hard work/planning and dedication, either its for losing body fat or building mass, no such thing as a magic pill, even if we pumped you with 2000$ worth of steroids, you will not benifit nothing from it if your lifting/diet plan is not dialed in.

[RWB]

You know by eating more you increase your metabolism... though you can still gain weight. For example for my diet on loosing weight I eat 6 to 7 small meals a day, my metabolism increases and the amount I eat is small and equals the amount of 3 semi large meals a day.

I learned the slim fast thing as well, I was having a drink with each meal and wondered why I gained 5 lbs in a week... but I felt great btw ;)

Now I try slim fast for a day, meals for a day, and trade off, just a test I am doing to see what happens, but I just started it so I have no results yet... I might go slim fast all the way, and mix in creatine as well for my work outs.

But damn my piss stinks now, like nasty cappicino's.

BTW I am doing myown little variant of the BODY for LIFE program... I eat only what is healthy, but I tend to eat too much of it still. Better than chips and cookies for snacks though, I eat chicken and fruits :)

[Nomad]

Go to your doctors, don't just pig out on food. You want to gain healthy weight, not crap that hurts you.

[Clutch]

So drinking slim fast with each meal actually makes you gain weight instead of loosing it? wtf is up with that?

[Mt_Goat]

So drinking slim fast with each meal actually makes you gain weight instead of loosing it? wtf is up with that?
Because it is supposed to be a suplement to have instead of a meal. So if you slimfast and eat you are getting double. ;)

[citrixmeta]

just to go back to what i had recommended,

i challenge anyone to take what i have to written and present it to a doctor or health expert and see what they say.

i have been doing this for the past 3 years and had fantastic results.

i have lost approx 160lbs during my transformation.

dropped from 325lbs to 179lbs during cutting phase.
then increased calories for a 12 week bulk phase, went up to 225lbs.

then cut down to 208lbs, and now im maintnance mode, eating 3500calories/day.

[Nomad]

just to go back to what i had recommended,

i challenge anyone to take what i have to written and present it to a doctor or health expert and see what they say.

i have been doing this for the past 3 years and had fantastic results.

i have lost approx 160lbs during my transformation.

dropped from 325lbs to 179lbs during cutting phase.
then increased calories for a 12 week bulk phase, went up to 225lbs.

then cut down to 208lbs, and now im maintnance mode, eating 3500calories/day.

That's quite amazing.

During an eight month period, I cut 35 pounds (Going from 175 to 140), and then started lifting weights and doing cardio in early February, since then my BMI went from a 25% to 19%. I've been looking towards more lean muscle rather than bulk muscle.

[csimon]

I say get a good workout plan going ...that's how I did it. In fact I started it with creatine and purple grape juice and gained 10lbs within a week.
I remember waking up in the middle of the night feeling starved and fixing peanutbutter n syrup sandwiches ...sometimes on pita (sp?).
At any rate muscle mass is the best way to gain weight IMO.

[pseudonym]

I broke up with my GF and lost about 15 pounds.... Wait, that wasn't good ;D

[Esso]

The GF puts the hooks into you when you're looking good.
Then after you gained some weight its all over, until next run.

If you don't eat the food, you make her feel miserable.
And if you eat too much .....
There is no way you are going to win this, many have tried ... :D

[Clutch]

Ok so here it is Sunday May 21st. I weigh 121 lbs. I"m gonna try to see if I can gather a list of stuff to eat to increase my calories and all and see where it takes me. Wish me luck guys.


edit: citrix, those results are amazing, damn good job bro.

[citrixmeta]

thanks man, i used www.fitday.com to log all my food.
they have alot of predefined foods and you can add your own if you need to.

[jradmin]

You really need to put Biscuits and Gravy at the top of that list heh. Trust me...my great aunt (God rest her soul) made me that stuff every morning for 12 years when I was in grade/high school. It managed to put about 75lbs on me that I really didn't need =D

[GHoosdum]

My wife calculated the caloric content of the pizza that we make from scratch. 440 calories per slice for plain cheese. Now that's a high-calorie food.

[Clutch]

I got up this morning and ate two waffles and a glass of milk. About 2 1/2 hours later I ate a banana. And at 1:00 I ate a sandwich, little debbie snack cake, and yogurt and a gatorade. Half an hour later I had a ham and cheese hot pocket and I just drank a yoo-hoo like 2 minutes ago. I am so stuffed right now I could take such a long nap, lol. I got a notepad file at home that I'm gonna keep track of my dates and weight to see how I do.

[primesuspect]

Use www.fitday.com. It's free and it really helps.

[Black Hawk]

Mini-hijack alert!

I'm kind of a binge eater. I could pretty much go the whole day without eating (I know it's unhealthy). No hunger or anything but there are a few days where the anxiety kicks in and I could eat a truck load. I'm probably a double fatty cause I don't do anything during the day. I don't normally eat a lot (that could be cause my mom doesn't cook a lot and I don't know how to cook either). I don't have any problems loosing the weight but usually when I start a diet, money issues start popping up or I get all depressive. I'd have no problem going to a gym or something but my apathy level is pretty high these days and I'm self-conscious. Depression FTW! At least I don't gain weight that much. Been the same for around 5yrs or so.

We'll now return you to your normal programming.

"Previously on prison break..." ;D

I suggest going to a dietitian.

[Clutch]

Wow the FitDay website is pretty sweet. You can track everything. I have been keeping a log of everything I eat since Monday. Thanks for the suggestion guys.

[citrixmeta]

werd to big bird

[Clutch]

Ok so here are my calorie intakes since Monday. Does this seem normal to you guys?


Monday - 2298
Tuesday - 2264
Wednesday - 2568
Thursday - 2843
And so far today at 4:00 I'm at 1547

[profdlp]

The upward trend looks promising. What type of exercise are you getting to ensure that you'll be adding muscle and not fat?

[GHoosdum]

Ok so here are my calorie intakes since Monday. Does this seem normal to you guys?


Monday - 2298
Tuesday - 2264
Wednesday - 2568
Thursday - 2843
And so far today at 4:00 I'm at 1547

2843 is good. With the other numbers, though, I can see why you were losing weight. Active younger adult males need about 2600 just to maintain healthy weight. Less than that and you'll lose it.

[Clutch]

The upward trend looks promising. What type of exercise are you getting to ensure that you'll be adding muscle and not fat?


hmmm Clutch..exercise..lol

no, but I don't do any exercise at all. That is why I don't know why I can't keep weight, I mean every other American is fat as hell and they don't exercise but I do the same thing and can't get my weight back..wtf?

I guess I'm gonna have to start eating more and more. I will weigh myself and see where Im at.


I'm also drinking Slim Fast every day. I eat around 8:00 breakfast..then at 10:00 I drink a slim fast and a banana. And then around 12-1 I eat lunch. Around 3 I eat some yogurt and then eat when I get home around 6. So that is my new eating routine.

[mmonnin]

simple rules for gaining/losing weight.

- eat 6-7 times a day

Eating a lot of times per day keeps the metabolism up. Eating big meals 3 times a day is better to gain weight.

[citrixmeta]

yes thats right, but in his case (since he is an ecto) , he is gonna need to bring in some serious calories, im talking in the 4000 range, if not more.

eating that much in 3 meals is not only hard to do but isnt healthy either.

he really needs to eat 5-6 times a day.

ur doing good clutch, how are you deviding everything? fats/proteins/carbs

keep increasing your calories.

[Clutch]

Ok so one week later and I have put on 2 lbs in one week. I think that is pretty good since I have been loosing weight it seems. I will try to keep the calories increasing. citrix, do you mean like what I'm eating and all?

[citrixmeta]

yes, in fitday, u can see a graph of %'s of ur calories.
how many % are fats/prot/carbs.


and in the preferences, u can even publish your profile for everyone to see.

[jradmin]

Have you not yet tried the gravy? :)

[Clutch]

fat around 25%
Carbs 64%
Protein 13%

[citrixmeta]

looks good man, keep going and keep it in that area.

the thing is, since your bringing in all this food, i would really encourage you to weight lift, if you wanna stay at your target weight. If you decided to, let me know i can help you with that.

but so far so good, lets give it a few more weeks.

[Clutch]

I put in my goal of July 4th to be at 140. It says I have to gain 3.5lbs each week to meet that. I don't see that happening because I'm eating like all the time during the day and I can't see how I can put in any more calories but I'm gonna try.

[Trumandrummer]

i am hyperglycemic and i get pretty bad when i dont eat, or eat the right stuff.
if youve been getting skinnier and getting sick, it could be something like hyperglycemia or whatever (low blood sugar). i dont know what you should eat to make you gain weight, but i have a sugesstion that helps nutrition wise, and helps manage blood sugar, and in a way can help can weight (but muscle wise)

100% GNC whey protein

i work out a lot and i take whey protein, its helps you get bigger fater while working out because it feeds your muscles the protein it needs. also the protein helps your muscles heal faster.

anyways, its not just for working out, its proven to manage blood sugar and keep it stable

it is also very nutritional FOR PEOPLE WHO DONT EAT ENOUGH OR THE RIGHT STUFF. if you dont get enough protein you can get sick and skinnier

i recomend 100% whey protein by GNC

it comes in a powder mix to mix with water or milk

[LawnMM]

Take it with skim milk, tastes better and adds 8g of protein per cup, not to mention it adds carbohydrates which a lot of whey protein powders skimp on.

[oCoMiK]

Hey clutch... Sorry to hear you're not making the LAN this year. I'll miss catching up....

As for advice on your weighty dilemma... I offer this... Continue keeping track of your caloric intake and breakdowns . If increasing your calories doesn't result in an eventual, sustained weight gain than it would probably be a good idea to visit your physician. They can at least start working with you to determine if you weight loss is just normal for you or if it is something more serious. They'd also appreciate seeing your calorie log as it more than likely would be helpful.

Also they probably would want to perform some bloodwork and may have you work with a nutritionist.

Although I'm not an expert or a nutritionist, unexpected weight loss can be triggered by a multitude of different things like stress, depression, disease, etc...

Good luck and hopefully my post doesn't sound too doom & gloom!!!

[citrixmeta]

Hey clutch... Sorry to hear you're not making the LAN this year. I'll miss catching up....

As for advice on your weighty dilemma... I offer this... Continue keeping track of your caloric intake and breakdowns . If increasing your calories doesn't result in an eventual, sustained weight gain than it would probably be a good idea to visit your physician. They can at least start working with you to determine if you weight loss is just normal for you or if it is something more serious. They'd also appreciate seeing your calorie log as it more than likely would be helpful.

Also they probably would want to perform some bloodwork and may have you work with a nutritionist.

Although I'm not an expert or a nutritionist, unexpected weight loss can be triggered by a multitude of different things like stress, depression, disease, etc...

Good luck and hopefully my post doesn't sound too doom & gloom!!!

:rockon: :rockon: :rockon:

[Clutch]

I have been keeping up my eating habits and calorie intakes this week. Seems like this week my calories have jumped up since last week, must be all that pizza I have been eating the past two days, lol. I'm gonna weigh in again at the end of the week on Sunday to see where I'm at. I'm hoping to see another 2 or so pounds on the scale.

So far everything seems to be going good :)

[TheSmJ]

Aww man. I can tell gaining weight is a lot more fun than loosing it already. ;)

[Clutch]

You know what Smj, you are correct. I couldnt imagine going through all this to loose weight. But putting weight on seems like nothing. I guess it is all mental in the end though.

[citrixmeta]

its alot of work man, either trying to lose weight or if your trying to gain weight, if your unhappy with your body type, with work and dedication you can change all that.

[Clutch]

Update:

As of last week I gained 2 more lbs. So I'm up to 125lbs right now. So this does seem to be working for me. I'm eating like all the time during the day and I just don't know how I'm gonna fit anymore calories and all in me during the day.

[citrixmeta]

if you see an increase in weight, just keep doing what your doing.
your doing good man :)

[Clutch]

It has been a little harder than what I thought it would be, but the scale doesn't lie, lol. I can't wait to see 140 or close to it again though.

[GnomeWizardd]

holy crap man! I drank Carnation Instant Breakfast 2 to 3 times a day and i put 6 pds on in 2 weeks, got me from 166 to 172 in no time which is where i wanted to bne since my 34 pants were starting to become hugely baggy. ( remember I am 6 ft 5 in so I am by no means Fat! )

[citrixmeta]

gnome, ur a fatass and u know it. :)

[WuGgaRoO]

i would say that you need to stay away from fast food due to the enormous amount of cholesterol involved. I would suggest that you start pumping iron at the gym to get the weight back. You should look into something called glutamine...that is an animo acid which is utilized in the body for energy for the immune system as well as muscle repair. You should only take like a scoop or two a day. If you were getting sick that often, it is quite possible that you have loss some muscle, so you should try to gain it back, and not just put on some healthy weight. And it is quite true that you will gain weight when you get older...cuz your metabolism slows down. Also, if you work out you have the ability to eat stuff that is higher in cholesterol because while working out, your body converts the cholesterol to testostrone. But in order to gain the weight back, i would not suggest eating burger king on a daily basis, it'll eventually ruin your system. Also, stay away from that nonesense fake sugar stuff. And take a multivitamin in the morning. Also, Flax seed oil usually packs a lot of fat that your body needs. It'll also make your poop shot out faster than a cannon.

[Clutch]

I really don't eat that much fast food anymore. Maybe Burger King once a week at most. So far my new food intake has been working for me. I'm sure I can tweak it out to put on maybe another pound a week, I will just have to play around with different foods and all.

[Clutch]

Just a little update. Ever since I started my new eating habits and all I have been feeling GREAT. It is amazing how me just putting on a little bit of weight and eating more has improved me feeling better all around.

[GHoosdum]

I always feel a lot happier when I eat more too. Unfortunately, that also generates the unhappy side effect of preventing me from fitting into my pants.

Congrats on your progress, Jeremy! Keep up the fitness!

[Enverex]

Heh, I hate you, I can't stop putting weight on, it's reaching the dangerous levels now...