How to gain weight?

northernridge97 NewcomerOP

5 messages
joined Dec 2003

#1 · Dec 18, 2003

I feel like a total wilted plant reading through these posts, but here we are. I guess there’s nothing I can do about it myself.😁
I am honestly trying my best to gain some weight, though I’m not looking to become a massive bodybuilder or anything extreme😁—just, you know, normal. Right now, I'm only at 130 pounds, which feels incredibly light for my age, and I really don't love looking this skinny. Could the issue be my diet? How much food should I actually be eating, and how many meals a day would be ideal for someone in my position?🙂 😲 😁 😉

Bradley Bailey8 Newcomer

9 messages
joined Sep 2003

#2 · Dec 18, 2003

northernridge97 said:I look like a total wilted plant in these posts—but hey, what can you do? There's no helping me.😁
I'm seriously trying to gain some weight—but not enough to end up looking like a total wreck. 😁 Look, let's be real—60 kilos is pretty light depending on how tall you are, and if you're feeling scrawny, that’s usually a sign you aren't hitting the numbers. It's almost always a diet issue. You can hit the gym as hard as you want, but if you aren't fueling the engine, you're just spinning your wheels. To actually gain weight, you need to be in a caloric surplus—basically eating more than your body burns just staying alive and moving around. Don't just eat "more" random junk, though; you'll just feel sluggish. Think about it like adding fuel to a car—you need high-quality stuff to actually move. As for how much? There isn't a magic number because everyone's metabolism is different, but the strategy is simple: eat more frequently. Instead of three massive meals that leave you feeling like you're going to pop, try hitting five or six smaller, calorie-dense meals throughout the day. Incorporate things like nuts, avocados, or even a good scoop of Whey Protein in a shake between meals. It's easier to sneak in extra calories that way without feeling stuffed. Bottom line: track what you're doing for a few days. If the scale isn't moving, you aren't eating enough. Simple as that.🙂 😲 😁 😉

There’s probably a few different things going on here. Diet is definitely one of them—you might be missing some key nutrients. It could also be that your digestion is just totally out of whack. Honestly, if you're living a high-stress life or pushing yourself way too hard physically, that’s likely part of the problem too.

I don't have much left in the tank—I was sitting at around 62, but a buddy just tipped me off about some Chinese supplements that actually helped me pack on a few pounds.

Jeffrey Roberts Newcomer

8 messages
joined Feb 2004

#3 · Dec 19, 2003

Start swapping out those junk foods for decent options—think of it like this: every week, ditch two bad choices and swap them for two good ones.
You really ought to be hitting five or six meals a day, mostly focusing on stuff like bread, grains, rice, and pasta. Throw in tons of fruits and veggies—seriously, the more colors on your plate, the better—along with meat, fish, eggs, nuts, plus dairy like milk, cheese, and yogurt.
Look, a meal doesn't even have to be solid food; you can just drink it. I’d definitely suggest supplementing your diet with a high-quality protein shake mixed with milk or juice to act as a quick meal replacement.
On top of all that, you should be taking a multi-vitamin and multi-mineral supplement—make sure it’s all-natural, stay far away from the synthetic crap—and definitely toss some extra B-complex in there too.
If you need me to dive deeper into the details, just let me know, I'm here.
Good luck..! 🙂

Bradley Bailey8 Newcomer

9 messages
joined Sep 2003

#4 · Dec 19, 2003

Jeffrey Roberts said:Start building better eating habits and ditch the junk—try swapping out two bad choices for two good ones every week.
You really ought to be hitting 5 or 6 meals a day, mostly focusing on bread, grains, rice, and pasta. Load up on fruits and veggies (the more colors, the better), plus meat, fish, eggs, nuts, milk, cheese, and yogurt.

Eating 5 or 6 times a day is overkill—two solid meals is plenty, if you ask me. And honestly, leaning too hard on meat and eggs isn't exactly the gold standard.

Your advice is pretty spot on... if you're looking to fail.

northernheron9 Newcomer

7 messages
joined Feb 2004

#5 · Dec 19, 2003

Bradley Bailey8 said:Eating five or six meals a day is overkill; honestly, two meals is plenty and ideal, plus you really shouldn't be leaning on meat and eggs all that time.

You’re giving out some pretty lousy advice there.

Bradley Bailey8, you seriously ought to go see a doctor. 😁 Maybe try engaging your brain just a little bit before you start spouting such nonsense... 👋

restlessmarlin6 Active Member

219 messages
joined Oct 2003

#6 · Dec 20, 2003

Just eat more than you burn, and that’s really it. 😁

If you’re that skinny, you probably find it a real struggle to actually build any muscle mass, but you've got to give it a shot... Maybe try talking to a professional who can actually map out a nutrition plan for you to follow while you're training.

People who are thin generally don't eat nearly as much as those of us who are a bit more filled out (😁) think they do. I mean, I honestly used to believe they just had these insane metabolisms where they could eat whatever they wanted without gaining an ounce, but that's really not how it works... It's quite simple: just try eating more. Good luck!

Anonymous Veteran

3.6K messages
joined May 2005

#7 · Dec 20, 2003

northernridge97 said:I feel like such a total drag in these posts, but hey, what can you do? There's just no helping me.😁
I'm seriously trying to put on a little weight, but nothing so extreme that I end up looking like a heavyweight linebacker. 😁 So, let's get real for a second... I’m sitting at about 130 pounds right now, which feels way too light for my age. Honestly, looking in the mirror and seeing how skinny I am is getting frustrating. Is my diet the main culprit here? How much food should I actually be eating, and how many meals a day do I need to hit to finally put on some decent mass?🙂 😲 😁 😉

I try to hold off on giving advice until I have the full picture. It’s all about getting more information—more info, more context, and just more data... 😁

How old are you, and how tall are you? Is that just how you're built?
What’s on your plate lately? How much are you actually eating, and what’s your routine like? Also, how much energy are you burning through? Any other health details or stats you want to share?

Some people are just naturally thin; they can eat whatever they want and never seem to gain any weight.

Have you ever thought about trying some physical activity to build up your muscle mass?

dustycanyon6 Active Member

82 messages
joined Dec 2005

#8 · Dec 20, 2003

Jeffrey Roberts says:
Introduce good eating habits and ditch the bad ones (every week, swap out two bad choices for two good ones).
You should be eating 5 to 6 meals a day, mostly consisting of bread, grains, rice, and pasta.

You’re actually saying the exact opposite of what’s considered good versus bad here. We've learned so much about healthy eating lately... Atkinson's diet really paved the way, and other diets have just tweaked it to make it even better and healthier. What you listed there? That’s a recipe for gaining weight—and by weight, I mean fat, not muscle. Plus, eating all that is just a bad habit because those things aren't great for your health... they act pretty similar to sugar. So, if you absolutely can't live without bread, at least go for whole grain.

Lots of fruits and veggies (the more colors, the better), meat, fish, eggs, nuts, plus milk, cheese, and yogurt.

What you just listed should be your main focus—bread, grains, rice, or pasta should just be side dishes or an occasional thing.

northernridge97 NewcomerOP

5 messages
joined Dec 2003

#9 · Dec 20, 2003

I'm 17 years old, weighing about 143 pounds, and standing maybe 6 feet tall—honestly, I haven't stood against a measuring tape in quite a while... I stay pretty active, though. I’ve got decent stamina and my leg muscles are actually pretty well-developed from just messing around... you know how it is... but my upper body? Well... aaaa... anyway, my question wasn't really about how to become a pro bodybuilder or anything like that. I just wanted to see what your typical daily nutrition looks like so I can compare it to mine. I'm trying to figure out if I'm actually undereating, which might be why I'm dealing with this specific issue... I just want to look "normal," neither too skinny nor overweight.👍

Anonymous Veteran

3.6K messages
joined May 2005

#10 · Dec 20, 2003

So come on, tell me how much you eat and what’s actually on your plate

northernridge97 NewcomerOP

5 messages
joined Dec 2003

#11 · Dec 20, 2003

So, let me lay it out for you... here’s what a typical day looks like on my end...
I’ll knock back a couple of yogurt drinks, whip up some liver with cheese.... then I settle in at the computer...... about two hours later, I'll have maybe two or three eggs... and I wash all of that down with some Vitamin C. Honestly, when I'm glued to the screen, I completely lose track of eating and just grab something whenever hunger finally hits me. Then, by evening, I’ll eventually just have a sandwich, some lettuce, chard, or whatever else is lying around.. and then off to bed. And then the whole cycle starts all over again.🙂 🙂

restlessmarlin6 Active Member

219 messages
joined Oct 2003

#12 · Dec 21, 2003

northernridge97 said:So, here's how I see things... I've got this one standard that I live by...
So, I just finished off two containers of yogurt, then whipped up some cheesy pancakes... now I’m just sitting here at the computer. Later on, maybe I'll grab two or three eggs... and I usually wash all that down with some Vitamin C. Honestly, once I get settled in front of the screen, I totally lose track of what I'm eating. I don't really plan anything; I just eat whenever hunger finally hits me out of nowhere. Then by the evening, I'll probably just end up grabbing a sandwich, some lettuce, chard, or whatever else happens to be lying around... and then I head to bed. And yeah, I guess I just repeat the whole cycle all over again.🙂 🙂

Geez, man, you really need someone to come over and just knock some sense into you. 😁

Just try adding some refined sugar to that and you'll see what I mean!

That still isn't what anyone would call "healthy weight gain." Seriously, you should try loading up on bananas, seeds, full-fat yogurt, and maybe some whole grain bread with cream cheese. Eat way more greasy burek or pizza instead... Geez, if only I had your problem! 😁

Anonymous Veteran

3.6K messages
joined May 2005

#13 · Dec 21, 2003

Jedi whenever you're hungry and stick to what actually works for you. Honestly, I don't see the point in forcing yourself to eat stuff that doesn't sit right with your body in the first place...
You know, people who eat less generally live longer and stay healthier. 😉

P.S. Your diet looks fine to me, assuming your lifestyle is basically just "chair-to-computer."

It’s probably just how you're built.

Joseph Jones85 Member

31 messages
joined Dec 2003

#14 · Dec 21, 2003

Bradley Bailey8 said:Eating five or six meals a day is way too much. Honestly, two meals a day is plenty—it’s actually ideal. And honestly, leaning too hard on meat and eggs isn't even the best move.

My doctor always cracks these sarcastic jokes about how only dogs eat once a day. He insists humans really ought to be sticking to lots of small meals instead...

Anyway, if you actually want to eat right, you should probably just follow the food pyramid. It’s the gold standard for a reason. You gotta balance it out with plenty of exercise too, otherwise you're just turning all that fuel into fat instead of building actual muscle...

dustycanyon6 Active Member

82 messages
joined Dec 2005

#15 · Dec 21, 2003

Joseph Jones85 said:Look, if you want to eat right, you really ought to follow that food pyramid thing... it’s honestly the best way to go about it. You've gotta balance it all out with plenty of exercise too, otherwise you're just building up fat instead of actually developing muscle...

Food hits the gym because of all that bread, potatoes, sugar, and those other heavy carbs...

Jeffrey Roberts Newcomer

8 messages
joined Feb 2004

#16 · Dec 22, 2003

dustycanyon6 said:Food turns into fat because of bread, potatoes, sugar, and all those other carbs.

Look, the human body builds up fat reserves as a survival tactic. It stores away anything we aren't getting enough of—basically whatever we eat sporadically or inconsistally. The body is just being proactive, trying to protect itself from potential food shortages, so cutting out specific food groups entirely is actually totally counterproductive. (And yeah, I'm talking about a healthy body here, not forced dieting during an illness.)
The human body was literally built to move, plain and simple. You gotta stay active. Movement requires energy, and since our bodies have these built-in mechanisms designed to ensure we have enough fuel to function, if you're just sitting on your couch all day, your body realizes it doesn't need all that extra energy. So, what happens? All those high-calorie foods just start piling up as fat.

I'm with Joseph Jones85 on this one; when you're picking a diet, you really ought to stick to the food pyramid guidelines.
Honestly, if there’s one rule to live by, it’s this: MODERATION.
Being moderate in everything is the absolute key to a healthy mind and body. Any kind of excess demands a payoff somewhere else. Like, if you go overboard on the eating, you better be prepared to move even more to compensate... and so on.
🙂

Frank Lee6 Member

42 messages
joined Oct 2005

#17 · Dec 22, 2003

Jeffrey Roberts,

Aren't you being a bit misguided? Or perhaps you just aren't expressing yourself clearly.

How can you claim that the body stores things it only receives in minimal amounts?!

One can only store an excess; a deficiency is already spent! 😉

The body uses that method as a preventative measure against food shortages, so avoiding certain foods is actually counterproductive.

Are you trying to suggest that the human body stores specific types of food?! 😁

Only fat can be stored, and fat is derived from excess blood carbohydrates (via insulin action).

If we aren't moving enough, the body has no need for that much energy, so the most calorie-dense foods steadily accumulate as fat.

Believe me, actual food cannot be stored as fat, and whoever told you otherwise is lying to you. As I mentioned, only carbohydrates (from food) are stored as fat, not the food itself—since during digestion, everything breaks down into carbs, fats, proteins, minerals, and vitamins.

northernridge97,

Generally speaking, you should be happy because most people struggle with being overweight. You're still young and developing; in 5 to 10 years, your metabolism will likely shift (unless there's a hormonal imbalance, which I highly doubt), so if you adopt heavy eating habits geared toward gaining weight now, you'll end up facing the opposite problem later.

You're thin because you lack body fat; quite simply, that's just your metabolism. You can only increase your body weight by building muscle mass (which also takes time) or by adding body fat, which can only be achieved through overeating.

dustycanyon6 Active Member

82 messages
joined Dec 2005

#18 · Dec 22, 2003

Jeffrey Roberts said:I'm with Joseph Jones8 on this one. When you're picking a way to eat, you really ought to stick to the food pyramid guidelines... 🙂

Three things:

1) Everyone is different. We all need a unique balance of fats, carbs, and protein. What works for one person might be a disaster for someone else... so everyone basically needs their own personal pyramid. 😉

2) Most people just aren't "carb types." The few who actually are tend to struggle big time with gaining weight... which means that traditional pyramid only really fits a tiny slice of the population.

3) That classic food pyramid is just fundamentally flawed. You can see it with Atkinson's diet and other plans that focus on avoiding those cheap, low-quality carbs. The problem is they put all those junk-heavy carbs right at the base—the stuff that causes weight gain and wreaks havoc on our health. It spikes your insulin, which leads to everything from diabetes and high blood pressure to obesity and heart disease... White bread and potatoes are basically sugar because they spike insulin so fast. Honestly, shouldn't we just put actual sugar at the bottom instead?

restlessmarlin6 Active Member

219 messages
joined Oct 2003

#19 · Dec 22, 2003

dustycanyon6 - You hit the nail on the head! Exactly!

I mean, if you’re gaining weight because you're constantly snacking on bread and sweets—well, there's your answer right there!

But honestly, I have no clue how much bread and sugar a guy can actually pack away before things go south... I guess it might be better if he just stuck to complex carbs plus some protein and put in some actual work at the gym to build muscle.

northernridge97 - It’s like someone told you once—it’s definitely better to be thin than to carry around extra weight. At least it's healthier... or that's what my doctors always used to tell me, anyway. For a young guy, being a bit underweight is probably safer than being overweight. Everything usually balances out as you get older..

northernridge97 NewcomerOP

5 messages
joined Dec 2003

#20 · Dec 22, 2003

Well, I’m sure I'll find some way to deal with the weight eventually. Honestly, though, I don't think the actual number on the scale is the biggest issue here—it's more about my diet, which, if I'm being totally honest with myself, is pretty far from healthy right now.

How to gain weight?

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