Hello and a quick question

Firstly I would like to start by saying hello. I am "hardgainer" as some have catalogued us. This means that I am thin and have quite a hard time gaining weight as we ectomorphs do). Now to describe my plight and the freakishly skinny I am, it would do just by saying that im 6'3" with a current weight of 140lbs. The minimum weight for someone my height should be around 170lbs.

Now of course this probably has to do with an incredibly unhealthy lifestile I have been leading till this point. This included (if not still includes), bad sleeping habbits, alcohol abuse, ciggarettes, marijuana (which I quit after a succesion of panic attacks), stress, and all of this of course has lead to an inmense loss of appetite which in escence leaves me to the point I am at now.

But alas I have said enough is enough. I have decided to quit drinking in excess, quit smoking completely, organized my schedual in order to sleep properly, and well... the stress is still there but hoping that by solving a few other problems, it will eventually decline to the point of being nonexistant.

So here I am... I have been reading quite a few guides online on weight gaining up to the point where I am starting to think that I myself could start being a nutritionist from all the information I aquired. All in all, I am starting a new diet of about 3500-4000 calories daily. I am spreading this out into 6 small meals throughout the day (aproximetely every 3 hours). Next week I will begin lifting weighs (3 times a week) every other day.

So well. that was a bit about myself. (By the way, im 23 an live in Viña del Mar, Chile), so at times, when recomending products and the such, I may not have the facilities to aquire them as hte majority here.

Oh, and to start of with my first question.

Would 2% low fat milk be an okay substitute for a small meal? Considering a carton contains 430 calories (50%carbs, 32% protein, 14%fat), or is there a difference in the consumption of solid calories versus liquid ones?

Thank you all ahed of time. I will be spending quite some time here it seems ;)

Hi and welcome. It sounds like you have been through a lot. I know you are not in the US but do they have groups like AA or NA that you can join? My friend who deals with those addictions has really found it helpful for support. Can you see someone to help you like a therapist? Anyhow onto the weight gain. It sounds like you do have a plan and now it is just about doing it. Like you I have the knowledge to be a nutritionist almost but have to apply it to myself always and being consistent is key. As for the liquid calories vs food it is all the same in terms of weight gain. Just make sure you are eating adequate nutrients and other food choices and I think that amount of milk is fine as for most 3-4 servings of dairy would be around that.

Thank you for your swift responce abbi.

:) Im not really an alcoholic. All what I described is pretty much the common for youth here in Chile. I only mentioned all of that in order to demonstrate the additional setbacks I have had (or still have) in gaining weight. I will just have to settle for a glass of wine at lunch/dinner and to be more moderate when drinking socially. As for the ciggaretes... uff... I have already quit about 5 times, yet something or another gets me back into it. Now I am trying for my sixth time (smoked my last cigarrette last monday) and hopefully with this healthier new lifestyle as well as having a set goal, it will be definite. As for therapy.. im not a firm believer in its usefullnes (at least not for me). But all in all im doing quite well.

Thank you for clarifying the liquid vs solids question which has been roaming around my head for some time now.

Another question arose from what you mentioned. You said that the quantity should be around that for the daily dairy serving.

I only know of the divisions in nutritional facts as being something like (50% carbs - 30% protein - 20% fats). But is there a recomended dosage of foods to consume depending on their context (sugars, dairy, grains, meats, fruits, vegetables, oils, etc)? I ask this because otherwise I could go the entire day drinking nothing but milk and reach the required calorie and at the same time fulfill the carbohidrate, protein, and fat equilibrium.

Hey!

Check out this website and have a look at the 3200 cal menu here. I know you said you were aiming for 3500-4000 but if you eat full fat dairy and meat as opposed to the low fat and lean recommendations, you should be able to reach that amount easily.

I have found these resources to be very helpful in balancing my daily menus, and also great if you are at a loss of what to make yourself for dinner - you can simply check what you`re running low on and go from there (for instance, say I`m missing a serving of grains, one of veggies and one of meat - spaghetti bolognese it is then!).

The reason for the low fat dairy and meat recommendations on that website is to limit saturated fat intake as much as possible, for the sake of heart health. But while you are gaining you are safe to temporarily ignore them, especially since you are young and have a strong organism. However, when you get to the point where you start to maintain, it would be best to get most of your fat in the form of unsaturated acids. But that`s another story for another time. :) Good luck with your gaining, for now!

wow, thank you very much ily. The MyPyramid site which you linked me seems to be just what I needed. It gives me a diet based on 2800 calories (for a slow but healthy build up), yet its so detailed that I can easily just add more to each potion in order to fit my needs. After analyzing the fact that I have been running low on carbohydrates and grains in general, it seems that I will have to begin preparing a variety of pastas for both lunch and dinner... good thing its something easy to prepare :)

As you mention, im not going to worry to much about the saturated fat intake. The thing is just to have it proportional to my protein and carb intake. So if lets say I consume 800 calories based on fats, I should have at least double that from carbs and the same goes for protein. (or at least I think thats how it should be).

Again, cheers for the websites. Have them bookmarked and now constantly open on a separate window for quick acess while planning for my next meal.