Give it to me straight...

*I'm glad I found this forum for gaining weight. Here's the deal with me...

 

  - I'm 5'11, 130lbs... On a good week, it fluxuates to 134. Never above.

 

  - My genetic history is 'toothpick thin'. Like most of us here, I've been super thin my entire life - and I've always noticed things about me that differ from OTHER people that are thin. What do I mean? The best way I can descrive my body is to say that I have zero meat. No neck muscles, ribs sticking out - my breast muscles are hardly there, (depth-wise,) - and it stretches over my entire frame! My feet are thin in the arches, my heels are thin to the tendon - my elbows are thin to the bone... and this is exactly what I mean. My build is deficient. I've met OTHER PEOPLE that are my same height, nearly my same weight, (give or take 5 pounds,) - and the best word I can descibe my problem here - is that EVEN those people are FILLED OUT, and I'm not. I can meet another person who's 5'11, 130 pounds - and eventhough our height and weight are identical... their body is just magically filled out in all of the areas I mentioned above. They'll still be THIN - but they'll also have neck muscles to an extent, they'll have a round elbow as opposed to pure bone... And the biggest thing I've noticed my entire life are my wrists. My wrists are litterally like a kids, and the bone near my hand is sticking out like crazy.

 

  - Now, in saying all of this: I'm not insane lol. I'm not somebody who stares in a mirror and cries... and I'm not somebody that lets my life revolve around it. However - I WOULD LIKE to do something about this, and I'm posting this because I think it's going to be impossible. My brother is the same height and weight, and so is my father. It's genetic. If I had the 'filled out' form of a 130 pound guy, I would weightlift and easily make something of the meat I had to work with - but this isn't the case with me. I already DO weightlift, (curl each day, etc...) - and I gain pathetic mass. Want to know what I gain? I gain veins bulging - and nothing else. I know that this will probably ring a bell to some of you on this board - so I'm looking for two things:

 

  1. Success stories. Has anybody else on here been my same weight/height, (or close enough,) - and put on a good chunk of weight? I'm 130lbs, and I don't care what anybody tells me - I'm a guy, and I want to be a guys weight. I want to be around 170 - chubby or stocky. I don't want to hear, "no! That's putting on the wrong weight!" - because I already eat healthy. I want real wieght. I don't want to gain 15 lbs because "145-150lbs is healthy for a guy who's 5'11." No. I've been skinny forever, and I want to be solid. Man weight lol.

 

  2. I called this topic "give it to me straight," - because I honest to god eat good goods.. (take vitamins, etc...) - and I don't want to follow a diet like so many people suggest. Following a ROUTINE is one thing, (like eating certain times a day and sticking to it,) - but telling me that I need "x" amount of calories a day,and to keep track is for those who want to pay attention. What I want to do is get a LIST OF THE BEST FOODS... and just start glombing.

 

I see people say, "eat lean meats," - and things that are broad statements... but I want specifics here based on YOUR experiences gaining weight. WHAT meats should I eat... what BRANDS should I buy... etc. Skip the calorie talk, and just tell me what seriously packs the pounds on... I lift - I'll still eat healthy - so I just want to start incorperating what GENUINELY gains weight fast.

 

Thanks - hopefully I get some good replies. I'll definently follow up with my results...

"Skip the calorie talk"

LOL!  Sorry, but it does ultimately come down to calories because body mass is essentially about energy storage.   Talk to any stockman and they'll tell you that it's important not only to get the type of feed right when fattening up cattle but also the quantity of food right.  Muscle tissue is created by converting spare energy through exercise..... fat is another way we store spare energy.  To be so thin it is very likely that you undereat (even if you're not conscious of that)... and it's clearly a family trait. 

So you need to generate 'spare energy'... surplus calories.  Which means consciously taking in more calories than you use up.  People who are very fat have to do the opposite... they don't like it much either but there's not really an alternative!  You don't have to count calories for ever... that's not a realistic or desirable way to live.  But you do need to start with an idea of a) how many calories you need and b) how many you eat.  Without that information you'll get nowhere, even if you get great advice on types of food.  With that information you can devise an eating plan that will be effective.  Once you know how much you need to eat on a regular basis, you can drop the calorie-counting.... simple.

A reasonably active young man your size could expect to maintain his weight on 2500-3000 cals and therefore start gaining weight on 3500-4000 cals a day.  The best foods are you are the ones that are energy-dense, protein-rich and nutrition-dense...... Meat, whole eggs, full-fat dairy products, nuts, oily fish, dried fruit.  You also need complex carbohydrates for stamina..... wholegrain bread, oatmeal, grains in general, pulses (legumes), starchy vegetables.   Fats are vital.... olive oils, avocados, nut butters, good quality butter.  Fill up the gaps with leafy vegetables and fresh fruit.  Enjoy other foods moderately.  Combine the above to the right calorie level with some weights work and it should 'seriously pack the pounds on' no problem.

 

In the weight gain forum there's already a stickied list of high-cal foods you might like to try.

If you really want to gain weight, what's the harm in trying calorie-counting, at least until you get a good idea of exactly how much you need to eat to gain weight. People put a lot of effort into losing weight, and you'll probably have to put a lot of effort into gaining it. If thousands of people on this site can calorie-count, then so can you. Just giving it to you straight ;)

Ever tried GOMAD - gallon of (whole) milk a day?  You couldn't do it indefinitely but I've heard that GOMAD for a month + a full body lifting routine will put some meat on ya.

I have a friend who has the same situation. He is 48 now and has learned to accept his thinner frame. He has managed to get to and maintain around 147lbs (he's 5'10") through healthy eating and weight training.

He went through a lot of years of frustration trying to gain and even resorted to eating gobs of ice cream, milk, peanut butter, meats, etc. The result was his cholesterol went through the roof and he was having 3-4 bowel movements a day and gained zilch.

I would still try the weight gain programs if I were you though - just eat healthy and weight train. Count your calories too as Merylwhite1 recommended. His gains were very slow and partly do to getting older. He is very lean now - but fit and muscular.

We actually found that there are genetic conditions and some health disorders that can prevent the depositing and storing of fat on the body. Although you really don't want to gain just fat - if you have very little of it you will look much thinner.

In addition to body building and eating a sufficient number of calories (because even if you can't put on much fat, you can slowly build muscle) I would visit my doctor to rule out any underlying conditions as well.

Original Post by anonymousdude:

I already DO weightlift, (curl each day, etc...) - and I gain pathetic mass.

 

You seem to have two problems:

1) You don't eat enough

2) You don't "TRAIN".  I don' t know what your routine looks like, but the fact that you have listed curls instead of dead lifts indicates there's a problem.

You need full body compound exercises.  Dead lifts, Squats, overhead presses, pull-ups, rows and bench press.  Don't worry about curling right now.

Read this on getting big without getting fat 

Then learn how to squatand dead lift (part i, part ii)

If you're really new to these exercises, I understand Starting Strength does a good job explaining them. 

Read other articles on t-nation.com, get yourself into the mindset of training hard and eating properly. 

*Thanks for the replies everyone - seriously. I'm extremely greatful for the quick responses...

 

 - If calories are a neccessity in filling out my frame, I'll aim for what was mentioned. (3500-4000 cals a day.) I'll start paying attention to how many calories are in the stuff I eat -

 

  - "I don't eat enough" is probably an accurate statement, but I've been doing a better job as of lately. Even if it's just FINISHING my full meals in resteraunts/at home... The training comment sucks though - because you're most likely right, and curling is the one consistent I do everyday like clockwork. All of that for practically nothing lol...

 

  - Anybody else MY WEIGHT actually manage to gain a lot of mass? In my opinion, gaining 10lbs is tough - but I want to hear from somebody who's actually put on a SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT. Like 30-40lbs... That's impressive, and I want to hear from that person for sure.

Well, I put on nearly 90lbs during my recovery from anorexia (I'm female, 5'8", went from a low of 62lbs to 150lbs now trying to get back to 140lbs). I'm not sure that's what you're looking for though - after all, I wasn't specifically trying to bulk up/gain lean muscle mass. The only secret I can give you is to eat, eat, eat - high calorie, as large a quantity as you can stomach, and often. Unfortunately, out-running your fast metabolism isn't rocket science, and there aren't many neat tricks.

Also remember to re-eat any calories you burn through exercise, and eat well - eating a lot of chocolate, icecream, and doughnuts might help you put on fat but it won't do anything for your health, arteries, skin, energy levels etc. There are plenty of healthy high cal foods out there. I tend to stick with very minimally processed, natural foods but there are a lot of weight-gain shakes you could try - Ensure and Complan are usually between 250-500 cal each but I have seen shakes of up to 1000cal (and if you added some peanut butter and banana to them before whizzing in a blender, you could go even higher).

Check out:

http://www.alwyncosgrove.com/non-sexy-trainin g-and-nutrition.html and also his other articles here. Also the nutrition articles at T-Nation to get you started... I don't read Muscle and Fitness magazine but that might also have some nutrition tips for you.

 

Original Post by turnthequietup:

Ever tried GOMAD - gallon of (whole) milk a day?  

Do this. 

Original Post by ds1973:

If you're really new to these exercises, I understand Starting Strength does a good job explaining them. 

Mark Riptoe (one of the authors of starting strength) is a big proponent of the GOMAD plan, he regularly sees kids who GOMAD and follow a program based on big, heavy, compound movements (like the plan in starting strength) put on 40 or so pounds in a summer.

Starting Strength would be my first recommendation, after that Scrawny to Brawny and Massive Eating (part 2) by Dr. John Berardi

When I was younger, I was a stick.  Right until my 30's.  Hard, hard gainer.  Worked out, ate like a pig.  No meat, as you say.  Now Age/Metabolism caught up to me (bad lifestyle, my wife's cooking...blah, blah, blah).

Skinny period?  6'4" 160lbs, soaking wet.

Fat period?  215lbs.

Over the last year I've dropped to 190, and built muscle (burned fat, and put back on muscle is more accurate after just 'losing weight').

My BF is now in the 12% range and I am going to go on a muscle building program.  It will require eating more, and continuing to eat 'clean', as I've been doing.  I believe I can gain now because I am going to eat and work out haaard.

Maybe I could have done that when I was a stick?

Give it a try.

And if you hear from a stick that he gained 40lbs of muscle, I think he's going to tell you the same thing.  He ate at least 500 cals over, clean, and lifted everyother day, and reduced cardio....

Tell me if this sounds like a good routine for me guys:

 

  - Read up on how to lift properly, (and what lifts will help more than others,) - and start doing these reps every other day. LEAVE OUT THE CARDIO, (jogging, etc,) - as those excercises will most likely burn fat off for me.

 

  - Somebody mentioned that at my weight, I should consume "3500-4000 cals a day." I'll trust this suggestion and aim for exactly that! I can already tell it's a lot of eating lol, because I have a weight-gain powder, and 1 serving is litterally only 150 cals altogether. Even THREE CUPS of this a day puts me no-where near 4000 calories... (but I'll assume that tuna, meats, etc will help me add some numbers and get up there.) Any suggestions about this target?

 

  - I'm thinking about Ensures/Cliff Bars, because I remember being on chemotherapy once, and this was recommended to help me gain. I would eat a Cliff Bar with a cup of hot chocolate about two times a day, and I remember packing about 10lbs on. Good idea? Or does this fall in to the 'unhealthy' catagory? (Bad gaining...)

 

  - Here's a good question for a rookie. If YOU had to consume 4000 cals a day, what would YOU eat? Can somebody give me a list of what they personally would consume, (breakfeast, lunch, dinner,) - to base my meals around? It doesn't have to be 100% accurate, but it would help me establish which foods will help me climb to 4000 calories.

 

  - This is a question. How much weight could I expect to gain from consuming 4000 calories a day? (Again, I'm 5'11, 135lbs...) - I'm honestly trying to pack on about 40lbs.

 

*Thanks again everyone, you have no idea how much it means to me to get these responses our of pure kindness. (Sounds corny,) - but it's what makes the internet so valuable. I know that if I succeed, I'll also go out of my way like you guys to help people with the same problems. Hope to get more great responses because I'm almost ready to start!

Original Post by anonymousdude:

If YOU had to consume 4000 cals a day, what would YOU eat? Can somebody give me a list of what they personally would consume, p>

You'd need to start early and eat frequently.... And you'd need a high contribution to your diet from fats and carbohydrates, since they are the most energy-dense groups Breakfast.... several whole eggs, oatmeal (porridge oats) with nuts and raisins made with whole milk. Orange juice to top up (600 -700 cals) Lunch.... Oily fish/red meats with plenty of potatoes/pasta/rice, lots of olive oil, avocados on the side. Some vegetables (not too many because they're too low-cal and bulky) Full-fat yoghurts, bananas, (1000 cals) Supper.... Similar to lunch.... add desserts... (1000+ cals) Snacks.... Nuts and raisins, wholemilk/milkshakes/protein shakes, cheeses.... (1000 cals over the course of the day) Something like that.

I am about 5'11 to 6'0, weighed apx. 150lbs 2 years ago, now I'm about 171.  got as high as 175-178 about a year ago.  I was always a "stick" in high school and even through most of college.  I played sports but also a ton of cardio which was probably most of my issue, anyway, you need to eat eat eat.  I can not stress that enough from personal experience.  Figure out how much you ACTUALLY consume each day and be completely honest.  You add 500 cal/day to that total and you should gain some weight.  if you're working out, add about 1K per day.  I know it sounds like a lot but it gets much, much easier as you progress.  As far as workouts, you need to focus on doing compound movements for example: bench press, overhead press, deadlifts, SQUATS, pull ups, dips, and rows.  Go go a site like bodybuilding.com or something to check out exercises and proper form as this is important.  Give yourself a couple of weeks dedicating yourself to the diet and the lifting and I know you will see results. 

Here's a sample diet (what I eat that pretty much maintains/increases my weight to 175, lifting 3 times per week, cardio once per week about 1-1.5 hours) and a pretty fast metabolism.  Yours is probably faster than mine though.

Meal 1: 1 cup Oatmeal with 1 cup 0%fat milk, glass of OJ, cytogainer shake (4 scoops) total apx. 800-1000 cal

Meal 2: 1 cup yogurt with 1/2 cup granola apx. 450 cal

Meal 3: 1 can tuna w/ 2 tbsp of light mayo on wheat/other bread, coke or water/juice 400-500 cal

Meal 4: apple with 2 tblspoons peanut butter, banana, whatever 130-200 cal

Meal 5: 1/2 cup of cashews 380 cal

Weightlift-apx. 45min pretty high intensity

Meal 6: Whey Protein Shake 2 scoops muscle milk apx. 350 cal

Meal 7: Dinner usually lean chicken, meat, etc. or whatever 500 cal

Meal 8: "Dessert", another protein shake, maybe weightgainer, milk, granola, nuts, whatever to make up for any deficiencies in daily calories gets done here

total runs about 3200-3500 per day

If you split it up, it's not as bad as it looks, but you can eat some serious food.  You'll be huge in no time give it a shot!

       &nb sp;