New Member

Hi everyone. New guy on the block. looking for any help I can get in my weight gaining quest. i have always bee on the skinny side and would like to add some poundage as i am getting older and prob need the extra padding. Thought this would be a good place to look for help and maybe get some support and insight.

Have a great day all

Hello lostinthawt...   welcome.   There's an excellent thread at the top of the board on the best types of foods to choose for weight-gain.  Combine those in sufficient quantities with some muscle-building exercises and you should put your skinny days behind you.

Use the CC tools to work out how much you should be eating based on your height/weight/activity level .... then use the CC food log to see where the gaps are.  Best of luck

Welcome!!! I don't have any advice for you but I just wanted to welcome you to the group! I've always found CC a very supportive and encouraging place!

Welcome and I wish you luck!!!

Hi!

Gaining weight can be tricky for people who generally struggle with it or with fast metabolisms, but it can be done! As a general target for gaining, get your calories up to 3000 - as you are male - and then go up from there. It looks like a lot but this IS a doable number - I have had to eat 3000 to 4000 calories regularly in weight gain and haven't done it with gainer suppliments or anything like that.

For some general advice:

1. High calorie, low density foods. These are foods that are as the name says - high in calories but low in bulk. These are not only vital in the sense that they can still easily be broken down by a stomach trying to mend itself but also because they add calories without adding bulk. Examples of these would be whole fat dairy, nuts and nut butters, avocado, oils like olive oil and canola (rapeseed) oil as two examples, oily fish, dried fruit and dense fruit like bananas as just a handful of examples. There are two threads stickied at the top of this forum: Support Recipes - while aimed more at recovering disordered eaters these may still help you - and The Official High-Cal Food List.
   
2. Eat your meals spaced out over the day - aim for about five to six total. Breakfast, a mid-morning snack, lunch, an afternoon snack, and dinner, or switching one of those snacks for an evening snack would be an example. This may make it easier on your stomach and mean you're not cramming calories in at three meals. If it is easier for you, devise a meal plan routine by yourself or with a nutritionist and stick with it.
   
3. This is an important one: do not weigh or measure yourself for two weeks when upping your calories. Why? Because our body will hold to a large amount of water initially. This water shows up on the scale, but is not a true indication of weight gain and will flush out after two weeks.
   
4. If you eat a steady 3000, and then find you are maintaining or even losing weight, you will need to increase. Do not think about this just yet - just get to 3000 first.

Do not worry about nutrition at this point. You will probably have a higher intake of everything compared to others - and really, comparing yourself to anyone else at all isn't the way to go. The only thing I personally think is worth watching when upping calories is salt and trans fat, but as for numbers of other nutrients and food groups? Don't worry about it. Aim for carbs, proteins, fruit or veg, healthy fats and dairy in all your meals over the day, get enough fibre, and take a full multivitamin as a buffer, and you'll be fine.

You may want to weight lift and do resistance exercise during your gaining, as it helps build healthy muscle in a surplus, but be aware: cardiovascular exercising is completely counter-productive during gaining unless you are willing to eat back everything you burn. And as with any exercise, if your doctor, nutritionist or another professional tells you not to exercise at all, not even weights or yoga/pilates, then listen to them.

If you have any further questions please ask! Good luck!

 - Ellie.