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| Weight Gain | when you gain.. | Dec 10 2008 22:51 (UTC) |
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The fat isn't just going to "move" if that's what you're hoping for. When you gain weight quickly, most of it is in the form of fat especially if you aren't doing any type of exercise. Where fat goes on our bodies is genetically predetermined. Think apple, pear, hourglass body types. If you're recovering from being underweight, then you probably had very little muscle mass to begin with. If you gain weight quickly without exercise, you won't gain much muscle. If you reach a "normal" weight but haven't gained much muscle, then you are going to feel a little "flabby". Once you reach a healthy, solid, weight, you can begin exercise that involves weight training. This will help you rebuild the muscle you lost. Weight bearing exercise is also a good idea to help strengthen your bones. Building muscle requires an ample supply of protein and calories. With enough weigh training and enough protein, you should start to burn fat and build muscle. You may lose fat in your belly and gain muscle in your thighs, arms and chest but the fat won't magically move from your belly to those other parts. |
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| Weight Gain | Is what my Mom says about Ensure true? | Dec 10 2008 22:38 (UTC) |
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As someone who has worked at gaining weight and has tried almost everything, I will give my honest opinion about Ensure and similar drinks and supplements.
I could never get one down without feeling sick to my stomach. They just didn't set well with me. I guess this issue is a personal issue. Some people can digest them just fine, but because of the nutrient density, they may be difficult for some people to stomach. It is true that they have a lot of sugar. And if you look at the ingredients, it's processed sugar. If you're into natural foods, nutritional supplements are far from the definition of natural. Now, whether or not the sugar actually has that much of a bad effect on you, well, it's also a matter of personal opinion. You can find studies that support both sides of the sugar argument. I would say, however, that a long term diet of processed nutritional supplements isn't the best idea. With that said, I should also note that these drinks can be very helpful for those with illnesses that make it difficult for them to get all of the nutrients they need, especially if they have difficulty preparing their own food. For someone with an eating disorder, they can provide temporary assistance in teaching the body to handle calories again. But I think once you get back on track, you can switch to more natural alternatives. If you mother simply won't let you buy them, then you have other options. You can find recipes for high calorie shakes you can make at home that have more calories and are healthier than the supplements. Another thing to keep in mind is that you will only have to rely on these calorie dense/high sugar foods until you have gained the weight you need to gain. Once you're done gaining, you can phase out the weight gain foods.
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| Weight Gain | what happens if i gain 20 pounds in 2 months? | Dec 05 2008 21:45 (UTC) |
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2 lbs a week seems to be the agreed upon maximum amount of weight you should gain. That means, to gain 20 lbs, it would take 10 weeks or 2 and a half months. The reason this is the case is that the body can only put on so much muscle at once. For someone doing a lot of weight training, it is difficult to gain more than 1 lb of solid muscle in a week. If you go at it too fast, you're more likely to put on a disproportionate amount of fat. If you go slowly, then you're giving your body the chance to build the muscle it needs. |
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| Weight Gain | high body fat percent | Dec 05 2008 21:41 (UTC) |
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It's very difficult to get an accurate body fat reading from most of the devices that claim to measure it. You probably used a device that sends bioelectrical waves through your body to measure its density. The problem with those things is if you are underweight, you can get a wacky result. The online calculators are based on averages, so if you are underweight or just have a small frame, then you will get a weird result. The best way to get an accurate body fat measurement is to find someone who is certified in the use of body fat calipers.
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| Foods | Favorite Lara Bar? | Dec 05 2008 20:11 (UTC) |
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They sound good, I've never had one nor do I know where to get them.
Another thing to put things in perspective is that a 6 oz. ribeye steak contains about 19 grams of saturated fat. So, in reality, eating a coconut bar would not be anywhere near eating even a small steak. |
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| Weight Gain | !OMFG there hope! | Dec 05 2008 17:35 (UTC) |
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It's good to see you're motivated. If this is something you haven't been having (the discharge) until recently, you should be sure it is normal and not a sign of infection. If it's normal, then it could indicate that your estrogen levels are starting to get back to a healthy range. |
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| Weight Gain | How do you guys manage your time while gaining? | Dec 03 2008 15:13 (UTC) |
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Another thing that may help you is that you don't need to eat "cooked" things all the time, meaning, you don't need to drag out the pots and pans every time you want something to eat. I only have about one cooked meal a day and that's normally dinner. Things like yogurt, fruit, nuts, drinks, shakes, cereals don't require cooking, only quick "preparation". Maybe start adding in some natural "ready to eat" foods and you won't have to do as much cooking. Pouring cereal in a bowl, putting milk on top of it and grabbing a banana can't take more than 3 minutes. |
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| Weight Gain | Still not gaining! >x( | Dec 02 2008 14:51 (UTC) |
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It has something to do with the "thermic effect" of different foods. I'm not an expert, but I think the basic idea is that calories from different types of foods act differently on the body and take different amounts of energy to digest. For example, refined carbohydrates digest more easily and with less energy than unrefined ones. Proteins and complex carbohydrates have more of a "thermic affect" which means they create more of a burn. I've also read that high fiber or high calcium diets can decrease the amount of fiat you digest. The fiber can pull fat through without giving your body the chance to digest it fully. So you could actually be absorbing less fat than you think. If your stool floats or appears oily, then this may be happening. |
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| Weight Gain | 17 Years old, Male, 5 foot 9, 119 Pounds! Help me gain weight please! | Nov 29 2008 14:01 (UTC) |
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You daily diet doesn't looks like it could possibly contain much more than 1000-1200 calories. A single hot pocket (200-300 calories) is not enough for lunch, especially if you haven't eaten breakfast. You will need to increase your daily caloric intake to at least 3000. That means you need to eat breakfast whether you are hungry or not. You are also at high risk for malnutrition if these are the only types of foods you are eating. I see no fruits, vegetables or unrefined carbs in sight. The only thing in your current diet you should keep is the milk. Switch to whole milk for the added fat. Cut out the hot pockets, cheetos, taco bell and other highly processed foods. These foods could be affecting your appetite and making it even more difficult for you to eat in the mornings. You should also be eating about 5 or 6 times a day. Here's a good schedule to follow. Breakfast Snack Lunch Snack Dinner Snack You should definitely start eating something later than 5:00. You are essentially fasting from 5:00 in the afternoon until 11:00 the next morning. That's 18 hours without a meal. A snack or small meal around 8:00 pm would be a good idea.
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| Weight Gain | Doubtful (and scared) about gaining weight-how much is enough..? | Nov 29 2008 12:54 (UTC) |
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The best advice that I can give you is that it's most likely "all in your head". This is actually a good thing because it means you have control over how you see your body. You are making choices ,conscious or not, that lead you to believe that you would somehow look bad or be less healthy if you were to gain weight. These thoughts are wrong and irrational. You are underweight, and you are suffering from amenorrhea. These are not characteristics of someone in peak health. The best thing you can do for your health is to gain weight. You should probably shoot for a BMI of about 20, (19 at the absolute lowest). I would recommend 20, just to give yourself a buffer against any illness that results in unexpected weight loss. A BMI of 20, for you, is equal to 120 lbs.
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| Weight Gain | TO GAIN or NOT to GAIN? | Nov 28 2008 07:21 (UTC) |
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Well, after reading your last post, you appear to be fine and happy with the way you eat. Why gain weight then? Why worry about it? Think about it... |
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| Weight Gain | Eating when your not hungry...? | Nov 28 2008 07:14 (UTC) |
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It's just something you have to get over. Gaining weight will be physically uncomfortable. It's a fact. Most of us, who are gaining weight without an eating disorder got to be underweight by only eating within our comfort zones. You need to push out of it to make any progress. It sounds like your comfort zone is around 1100 calories (which is less than half what you need).
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| Weight Gain | TO GAIN or NOT to GAIN? | Nov 27 2008 20:01 (UTC) |
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My advice to you is to avoid over analyzing as much as possible. Different BMIs work for different people. If you aren't missing your periods or lacking energy, you feel you look okay, and your doctor says you're fine, then why gain weight? I can understand wanting to gain a little for backup if you get a bad case of the flu and can't eat (that's one of the reasons I'm gaining). But if you want to gain and create a huge complicated program just for the heck of it, then you should probably think a bit deeper as to why you are choosing to do this.
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| Weight Gain | weight gain weight lifting | Nov 26 2008 02:04 (UTC) |
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It is still possible to build muscle with a low bmi, and you don't need fat to build muscle. The idea that fat turns into muscle is wrong. Think about those body builders with 3-5 % body fat, they build a lot of muscle. The mechanisms that promote muscle growth and fat storage are completely different. Fat storage happens when there is a calorie surplus and the muscles don't need to be repaired. For example, if you are eating a lot of extra calories (even if they're from protein sources) and you aren't exerting your muscles then the extra calories will be stored as fat. If you do exert your muscles, then some of the protein you eat will go to repairing the muscles. There is an upper limit, however, you can't gain only muscle. Some of those extra protein calories (that aren't used) could go into fat storage if you have a calorie surplus or they will get burned off if you don't.
As for your hair loss, there are many factors. Malnutrition (not just a lack of fat) could lead to it. Remember, hair is composed of protein, you you need protein to keep making it. On the other hand, you also need fat and cholesterol to build your steroid hormones. Estrogen is one of these. Hormone imbalance is known to cause hair loss. Another thing to remember is that it is normal for us to shed some hair. We are constantly re-growing our hair and shedding it. You will know if it is a problem when you are shedding it and it is not growing back as thick as it used to be. If you notice bald or balding spots, then it is a problem. |
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| Weight Gain | muscle has memory? | Nov 26 2008 01:51 (UTC) |
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Your body will only build as much muscle as it needs. If you are completely sedentary (meaning you don't walk or move your limbs) then you won't develop much muscle at all. In fact, muscles will atrophy if you are sedentary too long.
I should also say that muscles will atrophy when you are lacking in nutrients as well. You need enough protein just to maintain muscles. So even if you lead an active life, if you aren't eating enough, your muscles will be broken down to feed you. |
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| Weight Gain | weight gain weight lifting | Nov 25 2008 23:26 (UTC) |
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There's a great book out that you both could benefit from. It's called "The New Rules of Lifting for Women". They have a regular New Rules of Lifting for men too (I've read both). The one for women has several workouts that focus on building muscle and strength. It does explain, though, that you won't end up like a bulky bodybuilder since it's pretty much impossible for the normal women to do. It also explains diet and the importance of a high protein diet for muscle growth. The diet info is biased towards weight loss/maintenance, but you could just increase the calories to continue your weight gain plan. |
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| Health & Support | Selfish irrational rantings from Mashed.. | Nov 22 2008 17:16 (UTC) |
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I have found, no matter what the subject is, that comparing yourself to other people doesn't work. It never works, it never will work, and it will always make you feel inadequate. Your job will be to forget about your friend and focus on yourself and only yourself. This actually is the right time to be selfish. It doesn't matter what anybody else thinks it's about what you want for yourself. Everybody is fighting their own battles in life. Nobody is better off than anyone else. Your friend may have gained more weight, but how does that affect you? It doesn't. It doesn't make her better, happier or stronger than you. You can still gain all of the weight you want to gain, you're just going to do it at your own pace. |
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| Weight Gain | Gaining weigh-ins!! | Nov 20 2008 22:38 (UTC) |
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Time for an update- Starting weight- 115lbs Current weight- 121.8lbs Goal weight- 125-127lbs
This last week has been really slow. Painfully slow in fact. I think it's because I shot up 6 lbs in just a few weeks, and it's taking a while for my body to adjust to the new weight. Already, I feel so much better. I'm still getting used to my changing body. I still, at times feel like I'm 113-115 lbs and then I look down and see all of the nice substance that has been added to me. It almost feels like a second puberty or something. I'm really going to try to kick it up a notch and just finish this thing off. I want to be finished my the end of the year. I also have a nice reward for myself. Once I reach my goal weight I get to go shopping for new clothes. I haven't bought anything since I started, and I've gotten rid of a few tops that don't fit anymore. It will be nice to refill the closet with things that fit. |
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| Weight Gain | do you WANT to recover? | Nov 20 2008 22:09 (UTC) |
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ieevee... I'm sure we all wish our periods would go away just because they're a pain, but the fact that you are currently suffering from amenorrhea is a sign that you DO need to gain weight. Those voices in your head telling you that you don't need to gain weight are part of your eating/body image disorder. It's not just about fixing your attitude about food, it's about how you view yourself and your body. You have to do both to get better. |
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| Weight Gain | funny thing about apples | Nov 20 2008 22:04 (UTC) |
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I would say that it's a common social tradition to consider the apple a "healthy" food. That's probably why people consider them to be safe. "An apple a day keeps the doctor away". Well, the reality is, it takes more than just one apple a day to stay healthy. There are many other healthy and nutritious foods. |
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| Weight Gain | nauseous, afraid to eat | Nov 17 2008 00:02 (UTC) |
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You don't sound anorexic to me, but it is possible to have disordered eating without anorexia. The term anorexia by itself is just a medical term for loss of appetite. People with cancer or a slough of other chronic diseases and disorders could be afflicted by anorexia. It's simply a term used in place of "loss of appetite". I am hoping the doctor who said you had anorexia is using the term in this way. It wouldn't be that quick or easy to diagnose you with anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is a psychological disorder characterized by the fear of weight gain and the compulsion to control the intake of food. If you're not trying to lose weight or limiting your intake out of fear of gaining, then you don't have it. Loss of appetite can be triggered by many things. Stress and depression are two big things. If you're stressed or depressed, then you don't feel like cooking/eating. If you don't eat, your body gets more stressed/depressed. There is only one thing that will get you out of an "eating depression" and that is to eat. Sometimes, we can't depend on an appetite to tell us when to eat. Those appetite pills may not be of any help to you if you do not first have a solid eating plan to go by. Whether you're hungry or not, stay with a schedule. Eat as much as you can. If you get nauseous (probably a stress reaction) do some relaxation exercises until you get better. Eating should be a peaceful, relaxing break, not another stressful task. If it is something you dread doing, then of course you're going to feel crummy when you do it. |
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| Weight Gain | 65 lbs. and gaining? | Nov 14 2008 23:32 (UTC) |
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Your first step should be to visit a doctor if you haven't already. You haven't stated your age or height, but 65lbs is very underweight even for someone who is short. You should not start a weight gain program if you have not first consulted with a doctor. |
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| Weight Gain | Weight Gainers: What did YOU eat today? | Nov 12 2008 16:13 (UTC) |
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okgo- It used to be hard for me to eat in the mornings. What I try to do is space out everything. This may mean you have to wake up earlier. It's always more difficult to eat a big breakfast if you have to cram it down in a hurry. I try to aim for at least 1000 calories before I leave for school in the mornings. It makes it easier to reach the caloric goal by the end o the day. Maybe start by trying to get up to 500, and then slowly inch it up. Your body should get used to eating more in the mornings. |
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| Weight Gain | knowledge is power? | Nov 12 2008 06:43 (UTC) |
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Well, it's hard to unlearn how many calories are in a food. It's all about whether or not you let the caloric value of a food get to you. If you can eat something, knowing how many calories are in it, and feel okay with it (no guilt, no regret, no analyzing) then that's pretty good. Ignorance isn't freeing. Acceptance is. |
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| Weight Gain | Gaining weigh-ins!! | Nov 11 2008 22:50 (UTC) |
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I weighed myself yesterday morning and I was at 121, lbs. That was my minimum goal weight for this week, so that means I'm keeping up with the set plan. It also looks like the 6 lbs I've gained so far has gone to all the right places, so I might shoot for about 6 more. 125 to 127 is what I'm shooting for. 127 would be best. |
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| Health & Support | Problems with milk in the afternoon?! | Nov 10 2008 16:12 (UTC) |
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It could just be that your stomach is so full in the afternoon that the milk is just too much for it to handle all at once. If it doesn't bother you on an empty stomach, then I doubt you're lactose intolerant. Milk contains complex sugars that are difficult to digest. If it's bugging you in the afternoon, then don't drink it in the afternoon. |
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| Weight Gain | Gaining weigh-ins!! | Nov 09 2008 00:26 (UTC) |
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okgo-
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| Weight Gain | Sugar question. | Nov 09 2008 00:20 (UTC) |
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Sugar itself is not very "high calorie". Most "high calorie" foods are calorie dense because of their fat content. One gram of fat has 9 calories, and one gram of sugar or protein has 4 calories. There are many high sugar foods that aren't very calorie dense. Fruit is an example. It's low calorie, but almost all of the calories come from sugar/starch. |
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| Weight Gain | healthy bmi 18.5 or 20? overweight always 25 | Nov 09 2008 00:17 (UTC) |
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Original Post by personaltrainer87: Well, a lot of people that have binge eating disorder DO get "enough" calories. Many people who are obese suffer from binge eating disorder. It's not true that the desire to binge goes away if you are eating an adequate number of calories. If this were true, we wouldn't have the obesity problem we do. Binge eating disorder is a psychological disorder and it doesn't just go away with a change in diet. For some, it takes therapy and treatment. They must re-learn how to deal with negative emotions without overeating. |
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| Weight Gain | New and in need of some advice/support... | Nov 07 2008 23:21 (UTC) |
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I've definitely hit somewhat of a plateau. I think I need to start eating more because I haven't gained in a couple of weeks. It's very difficult though. Most of the problems I'm having are logistical. Sometimes, I just don't have the food in the kitchen. Sometimes I just don't have time to eat. Sometimes, I'm just to picky to eat the boring food that we do have. I swear, if I had an all you can eat buffet full of Indian, Thai and Chinese food that replenished itself constantly, I would have no problem gaining the weight. I hate cooking. I hate preparing food. I just wish it could be presented to me, and then I could eat it. I know I need to get over this because I can't afford a personal chef at the moment. I have to be my own personal chef.
I'm going to get over it and realize that I have to cook for myself. If I don't take the time to cook something tasty, then I'm stuck with the bland and boring basics. |
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makphl added mrscorbett7 as a friend |
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sukilove added jobunni as a friend |
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New forum message 'Tis a CHAT to Be Simple, 'Tis a CHAT to Be Free... by dnrothx 12:39 |
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New journal post Wednesday by clairelaine 12:34 |