The Aim is to Gain: Advice on Weight Gain, Whatever Your Reason

The Aim is to Gain: Advice on Weight Gain, Whatever Your Reason

I felt that CC could do with a sticky providing general advice to anyone wishing to gain weight, whatever your reason for it. I do realise the first few posts are tailored more towards the most common audience seen in the Weight Gain forum - undereaters and anorexia recoverers - but please note that I address this to everyone and the advice with in does apply on a general basis. So please, read up, I hope this helps, and if you feel anything should be added let me know!

BEFORE WE BEGIN - Doctor, Doctor!
PART 1 - How Many Calories?...
PART 2 - Food, Glorious Food
PART 3 - Fear Factor
PART 4 - Gaining Weight, Losing Money
PART 5 - But... I'm Not Anorexic?
IN CLOSING - It's All About You

A SAMPLE MEAL PLAN OF 3000 CALORIES - with ideas to take it up to 3500!

Other Gaining Stickies:

A note on topics for the Weight Gain Forum: READ ME before posting!  
Weight Gainers: What did YOU eat today?
Gaining weigh-ins!!
Official High-Cal Foods List
Support Recipes
Healthy Weight Gain ... ideas and resources!

Thanks, great advice. I'M SO SICK OF BEING SKINNY!

Thank you. Your post was very inspiring and full of information. Thank you so much for the wonderful advice, I have certaintly taken it to heart.

For those with eating disorders and why you need more to gain:

ASK MARY: Is it normal to lose weight when recovering from an eating disorder?

STUDIES:

Caloric requirements for weight gain in anorexia nervosa - Jolene Walker, R. D., M. S., Susan L. Roberts, R. D., M. S., Katherine A. Halmi, M.D., and Solomon C. Goldberg, Ph.D. PDF file.

Abnormal caloric requirements for weight maintenance in patients with anorexia and bulimia nervosa. - Weltzin TE, Fernstrom MH, Hansen D, McConaha C, Kaye WH.

Oh my word finally someone who understands my world. Im 41 and trust me I hate that fact that i cant gain any weight. 115 and Id like to be 125 or 130. My doctor told me about ensure drinks so im started drinking that  i gained only 1 1/2 pds. Yeah that made me think again I need more calories per day. My eating habits are terrible yet, I feed so depressed at times about it my husband says im ok the way  i am. But i want to gain weight for me and make myself feel better. Thanks for the info trust me i will take notes....

Wow, I didn't know there was a website out there for people like me who can't gain weight! I was feeling all alone. I am 5'7" and 100 lbs. I'm slipping and mad at myself that I didn't research soy before drinking 45 g. of soy protein shakes for the last 4 years. Any ideas how much you need to eat if you have to cut out gluten, dairy, soy and cut down on sugar? I would love to eat more, but I am sick of rice and chicken and vegies. Anyone who is skinny AND on a restricted diet. I can't imagine how long it will take me to affordably make enough food for a 3000+ diet. HELP!

Here are my weight gain tips:

-add nuts and dried fruit to EVERYTHING.  They're very high-calorie, dense, and they taste pretty good with most things (yogurts, as a side dish, in cereal--hot or cold--etc)

-use ground nut flour (like almond flour, found at whole foods or trader joes) to add fat and more calories to baked goods, etc

-increase portion sizes!  sounds simple, but adds bunches of calories

-never eat anything 'dry' or 'plain.'  Pile on the cream and butter sauces or spreads!  Nut butters are ideal, as they provide protein, fat and 2x the calories as buter

-Make foods as dense as possible.  Make mashed potatoes with cream, not skim milk, and olive oil and butter and cheese.  crust chicken in ground nuts and the like.  

-Make a 'super milk.'  1 cup whole milk, 2 TB chocolate drink mix, and heavy whipping cream or half and half, to taste

-Don't drink calorie free beverages!  1 cup of juice has over 100 calories, 1 cup of whole milk has 150 calories.  It really adds up over the day.

-Have dessert every day!  Think of it as added nutrition.  Ice cream = protein, calcium, etc.  *note* different brands of ice cream have a huge range of calories.  Haagen-dazs, ben & jerry's and godiva typically have over 500 calories per 1 cup serving

-dark meat is generally higher calorie than white meat, and supplies much-needed iron.  Beef is great, especially if you are anemic.

-tired?  go to a buffet, restaurant or get take-out.  Load of calories, right there

-limit excessive movement.  Light strength training and yoga is generally okay, but cardio is greatly discouraged.

IS THERE A SHUCH THING AS WORKING OUT TO HARD?

oh  yes deffinetely.  Working out can stress out your body and it can cause serious medical problems and it can actually make your body more fragile.  Excercise is important for your healthy but you must know how much is the right amount.  some people find they have a problem with overexcercising...where they become addicted to working out and they have to cope with that and overcome that.  Your heart can be put in extreme danger if you excercise too much....is there a reason you are asking.  because if you are afraid you are working out too much then i suggest consulting a doctor.