Gain weight AND lose gut! Is it possible?

Hey everyone,

I am a 5'5 male with a small frame, but not small enough to justify weighing in at 105 lbs.

Until recently, I've always had a bit of a gut, but I started to go to the gym, which dropped me from 110 lbs to 105 lbs. I can now see my abs, they are only 4 pack abs, unless I tighten my tummy.

My goal is to gain 10 lbs of muscle mass (I know it's going to take a long time, and I'm prepared to do it!). But I want to know, is it possible to gain muscle mass and cut more tummy fat for more defined abs, AT THE SAME TIME?

Or is it true that when you gain weight you put on fat AND muscle at the same time and it goes everywhere (including over the four pack I worked so hard for :(... ?)

Put on some fat then burn it then the fat becomes muscle and that equals more weight gain because muscle weighs more than fat.

I have no idea other then for me when I gain I have a tummy regardless and know many others do as well. I am hoping it will balance out which I read can take about a year. I am not thrilled with my pooch but try to focus on health. Everyone carries weight in different areas.

To be perfectly honest, you probably don't need to lose any fat from your stomach if you're going to be working on your abs. As your muscles increase it will give you an overall more toned look.

If you are trying to gain weight make sure you eat a healthy diet. If you are going to be doing extra exercises you should look into increasing your calorie intake to compensate for this.

Fat does not become muscle and muscle does not become fat. They have different cell structures, so can not be one and the same. If you're doing exercise, your muscle mass will increase and fat will decrease, i think thats probably why people believe they turn into eachother.

In your case, i think you will put on fat and muscle, as you are exercising as well as following a healthy diet. But the fat you put on will be healthy fat. So, don't worry :)

Good luck!

Is that you in your profile pic? Because I see no gut. I see skin on a frightenly thin person.

How old are you? As a male (and I assume you are an adult?) you need to gain weight ASAP - you are significantly underweight and it will continue to damage your body - but you can make changes now if you commit to do so.

If you are concerned about the weight you gain preferentially going to your gut (unlikely), I suggest you start with a significant calorie surplus (eating 3000+ calories a day) while doing strength training and abdominal work. But you must maintain the surplus or you will continue to get emaciated and you will lose muscle and your health.

If you are going to the gym and doing exercises that make you lose weight YOU NEED TO INCREASE YOUR CALORIES. I suggest you do not do cardio until you get your weight up.

I also suggest you see a doctor. Since the weight you are at happened via weight loss, and you are significantly underweight, I think you need to see a doctor to make sure you are healthy otherwise.

But you know this, as we told you before ...

Original Post by nycgirl:

Is that you in your profile pic? Because I see no gut. I see skin on a frightenly thin person.

How old are you? As a male (and I assume you are an adult?) you need to gain weight ASAP - you are significantly underweight and it will continue to damage your body - but you can make changes now if you commit to do so.

If you are concerned about the weight you gain preferentially going to your gut (unlikely), I suggest you start with a significant calorie surplus (eating 3000+ calories a day) while doing strength training and abdominal work. But you must maintain the surplus or you will continue to get emaciated and you will lose muscle and your health.

If you are going to the gym and doing exercises that make you lose weight YOU NEED TO INCREASE YOUR CALORIES. I suggest you do not do cardio until you get your weight up.

I also suggest you see a doctor. Since the weight you are at happened via weight loss, and you are significantly underweight, I think you need to see a doctor to make sure you are healthy otherwise.

But you know this, as we told you before ...

It may be true that the 'gut' I have might be loose skin, and I'd suspect it to be very loose skin because it really does hang and it stretches quite a bit... and is probably the result of me losing my previous gut. This loose skin *does* tighten back up after a while right?

I really do plan on getting close to 3000/day while I do strength training... hopefully pack on some major muscle mass! The only thing making me squeamish is the thought that my tummy would come back with a vengeance. I didn't like the criticism I received while I was an overweight child and those scars still haunt me today. I really just need to be mentally prepared to know that I will be fine, and that it is the healthier thing to do.

Truth is, I've been recieving so much different information (too much different information), from forums, online sources, and dieticians -- so much that I'm quite confused about what to do. One dietician had told me that I would require 3000 calories to maintain my weight, CC tells me 2500, some websites say 2000. Sometimes I question why I even post anymore if I already have so many different answers. I guess I just wanted to know for sure what my appropriate path is. While the appropriate concensus is in: I need to gain weight, I also need to discover what ways are the best to achieve this.

It saddens me a bit to hear that I shouldn't do much cardio ... I really like cardio, it makes me feel kind of euphoric each time I run. I really hope there is a way around that...

Original Post by nycgirl:

Is that you in your profile pic? Because I see no gut. I see skin on a frightenly thin person.

YES, that is me in my profile photo. I actually think it is quite a flattering photo of myself actually, and when I look at it, I see an underweight person, but nothing that is so thin that it is "frightenly."

According to BMI chart, I'm at 17.5, which CC classifies as mildly underweight... not "significantly underweight," and I need only gain 6 lbs to reach the normal zone.

I am quite flabbergasted to hear myself described as frightenly thin. If my thinness is something that frightens you, it may as well have a lot more to say about you than it says about me.

Hmmm, you are the weight of a child. Along with the ribs and shoulder bones protruding, and the fact that we are the same weight and I am a very petite female who many people tell me I am too thin as a 5'1" female ... that is what alarms me. I don't mean to be insulting, it's just I seriously do not think you have a gut.

If you feel like you do, some toning can work, as we discussed - but since you are in recovery for anorexia you need to gain to a BMI of 20 (probably more because you are a fairly muscular young man) before you incorporate exercise.

I am happy you are serious about gaining as then this is the forum for you ... and we welcome you, sincerely!But you must be serious about your recovery. Working out as hard as you do and eating only 2200-2500 cals isn't "recovery" ...

Since you are wanting to gain I suggest you stop asking questions in Maintaining and Weight Loss forum as the people there will give you answers assuming you are trying to maintain or lose.

Have you read this guide? Hopefully it has all the answers you need, but trust me 3000+ (and maybe significantly plus) will be the magic number for you to start your weight gain story at ...

THE AIM IS TO GAIN: A Guide to Weight Gain, Whatever Your Reason - UPDATED

Hey!


People like us tend to view ourselves differently to other people

People who have body image or food issues DEFINITLY view themselves much more critically then other people!

Seriously -  you would view yourself as bigger and flabbier than you really are.

Even if you think you don’t - it IS likely that you are a little harsh on yourself.

Original Post by nycgirl:

If you feel like you do, some toning can work, as we discussed - but since you are in recovery for anorexia you need to gain to a BMI of 20 (probably more because you are a fairly muscular young man) before you incorporate exercise.

Is he in recovery from anorexia? I didn't see him mention that...

Just make sure you eat back the calories you burn. If you do any strength training check how many calories it uses [if any] and eat them back. Don't worry about your calorie intake as long as it is 3000 if you continue going to the gym !!!

Original Post by adelephant:

Original Post by nycgirl:

If you feel like you do, some toning can work, as we discussed - but since you are in recovery for anorexia you need to gain to a BMI of 20 (probably more because you are a fairly muscular young man) before you incorporate exercise.

Is he in recovery from anorexia? I didn't see him mention that...

It's been mentioned in many other threads.

Sleepbum, you are a handsome young man and you've been told many times in the other threads to forget the fear of a gut and just gain. I also was a chubby child and I know that feeling of being afraid to be that chubby child agian. But put your health first. You know what, on days I accidently undereat (due to studying, working, etc) I get all bloated and I look like I have a gut. You see pictures of the children in Africa? They are so skinny but have bloated tummies becuase they are starving... Starving.... and you are starving, whether you know it or not.

Trust me, you are a handsome young man. Don't hurt yourself any more, don't let this get to the point where you are at the point of no return. Give weight gain a chance and remember no matter what you are awesome.

Original Post by dekkos:

Just make sure you eat back the calories you burn. If you do any strength training check how many calories it uses [if any] and eat them back. Don't worry about your calorie intake as long as it is 3000 if you continue going to the gym !!!

Dekkos, as we have told you several times, a male needs to be at 3000 BEFORE exercise so the OP would needs more than 3000 if he is going to the gym as much as he currently is. You also should be following this advice.