How to gain weight?

That's completely misguided... if you eat fish, chard, and other vegetables sourced from the Mediterranean coast just two or three times a week... do you honestly think people there are overweight just by breathing the air? It is a total misconception that these foods won't cause weight gain; try it yourself and you'll see... on the other days, just eat normally and include anything caloric... but don't eat trash from a fast food joint like McDonald's because you'll ruin your stomach... don't drink while you eat, wait until you're finished... stick to three meals a day, starting with a hearty breakfast, maybe some eggs with ham, butter, juices, and so on... as for that Mediterranean diet I mentioned, save it for the evening... I realize everything I've listed is outrageously expensive and we're all being forced to lose weight because of how much the cost of living is rising here in America, but what can you do...

Like the person above mentioned, you really need to bring fish into your diet and make sure you're getting those healthy fats. If you're eating white bread, try swapping it out for whole grain or something more substantial. On top of all that, get yourself down to the gym—especially if you're dealing with high stress levels or if you happen to be a smoker. Focus on hitting your protein goals with things like eggs, cottage cheese, or lean meats, and just make sure you balance everything out with plenty of veggies. Oh, and don't skip breakfast! Go for some muscle-building fuel, or better yet, a nice bowl of oatmeal. Grab some bananas and nuts too. Just don't go overboard right at the start and end up gaining weight unintentionally; if you stick to this, the results are guaranteed! 🙂

I am totally on board with these posts above, especially what copperdrifter26 said! 👍 🙂
Man, I was in the exact same boat as you, and honestly, we’re the same height too. I was hovering around maybe 110 pounds, which is just way too light. Seriously, I was borderline anorexic. Man.
So, I just told myself "enough is enough" and started making changes. I was reading some threads on the fitness boards, and a few people there really encouraged me—both in their posts and when they replied to my PMs. Plus, I found this one article online. Basically:

For some people, putting on weight is just as much of a struggle as losing it is for others, you know?

And hey, don't listen to those guys telling you to just eat whatever junk you find, like fast food or stuff from McDonald's. Don't even think about it. 🙄
Gain weight, BUT do it the HEALTHY way.
When you want to bulk up properly, you simply have to get more calories into your system. That doesn't mean you should turn into a trash can and just shovel anything you find into your mouth.
To put on quality weight, you need to eat more, sure, but you have to eat *well*. Just follow what copperdrifter26 suggested—stuff like whole grains, fruits, veggies, dairy, and good proteins like chicken or fish...

So, make sure you eat three big, important meals EVERY single day, plus snacks! 🙂

All you really have to do is START EATING! Eat a ton, and get a massive amount of calories inside you! But keep it healthy. 😉
Breakfast is a must! Then a snack, then your second big meal, and just keep it going, roughly every two hours.

The other huge part of gaining weight is working out. If you want those extra pounds to actually become muscle instead of just fat, you gotta train. At least three times a week.

Don't lose hope. 🙂

And remember, you need to consume an extra 3,500 calories to gain at least a pound or so. Aiming for half a pound to a pound a week is a solid, healthy goal. Anything faster than that usually just turns into fat, and that's probably not what you're looking for.

There you go, that's basically the whole philosophy.

I actually retyped a bit of what I wrote above from one great website, so I'd highly recommend you go read the full text from that source!
I mostly just pulled out the most important bits and tailored it to you.

When I first read it, back at the start of this year, it just clicked and forced me to finally take action.
So that's how I started—slowly, steady, and I definitely didn't give up.
I literally started eating something almost every hour.
Within just one month, I had gained 4 pounds. I was happy as a kid! That little win really gave me the push to keep going.

My appetite grew so much that if I missed a meal, I’d feel starving later because I had gotten used to eating all day long.

The end result? I gained 20 pounds in 7 months. So, I went from a measly 110 pounds at 5'9", up to 130. Of course, that's still on the lighter side, but I'm still eating clean and slowly bulking up. And honestly, I don't look skinny anymore because the workouts and the healthy diet helped me shape my body and turn it muscular. 😛
My chest filled out, I got abs, biceps... things I had absolutely nothing of when I was 110 lbs.

In your case, you're at 130 lbs (where I was) but you still look thin. Anyway, you know exactly what I'm talking about! 🙂

Look, just do exactly what I told you, and you'll see the results! Don't lose hope!

Of course, all of this hit my wallet pretty hard. I used to buy specific foods just for myself, and let me tell you, that stuff isn't exactly cheap.
I’d easily drop more than $833 every single month just on my own groceries...

EDIT!:

Oh, I totally forgot to mention—you have to drink tons of WATER!!! Seriously. I was hitting up to 3 liters a day myself. And honestly? I still drink just as much today. 🙂
And forget about soda! Stay away from those sugary drinks, Red Bull, alcohol, and all that junk (if you even touch that stuff).
If you smoke, just quit! It makes a huge difference.

If you can swing it financially, honestly, just focus on gaining weight through healthy food.

Hope this post and these little tips helped someone out! 😉

Thanks everyone for all the replies! 😁.. Aaron, I’m definitely going to take your advice and give your method a shot.. thanks! 😁😁

I'm not sure if this topic has been covered here yet, so apologies if it has. 😎
Here’s the situation: I'm 16 years old. According to my latest measurements (taken 5 days ago 😁), I am 167cm tall and weigh 48kg 🙂. I've been at this weight for two years now. I manage to gain maybe 2kg, but it drops off almost immediately.
I am looking for advice, specifically from anyone who has dealt with something similar.
Don't just tell me to "eat more." I have no intention of eating mindlessly only to end up looking like a cow later on 😳. I need help with meal timing, portion sizes, and exercise. There is a gym near my house, but I'm not sure if starting there is a smart move. I am in no rush; anything done too quickly won't last. I know the weight will come eventually, but it won't happen by itself. Besides, I want to build muscle mass.
My goal is to gain about 10kg (maybe even 15kg 😁).
What are your suggestions? 🙂

Angela Reyes79 said:I'm not sure if this topic has been covered here yet, so apologies if it has. 😎
Here’s the situation: I'm 16 years old. According to my latest measurements (taken 5 days ago 😁), I am 167cm tall and weigh 48kg 🙂. I've been at this weight for two years now. I manage to gain maybe 2kg, but it drops off almost immediately.
I am looking for advice, specifically from anyone who has dealt with something similar.
Don't just tell me to "eat more." I have no intention of eating mindlessly only to end up looking like a cow later on 😳. I need help with meal timing, portion sizes, and exercise. There is a gym near my house, but I'm not sure if starting there is a smart move. I am in no rush; anything done too quickly won't last. I know the weight will come eventually, but it won't happen by itself. Besides, I want to build muscle mass.
My goal is to gain about 10kg (maybe even 15kg 😁).
What are your suggestions? 🙂

What does your typical diet look like (give us a quick breakdown)? Do you deal with any digestive issues or sensitivities?

vividsailor7 said:What does your typical diet look like (give us a quick breakdown)? Do you deal with any digestive issues or sensitivities?

My meal times are pretty irregular. No issues.

Angela Reyes79 said:My meal times are pretty irregular. No issues.

Look, let me lay this out for you clearly: you need three main meals and two snacks. Period. And for heaven's sake, eat more home-cooked food! Stick to stews, hearty soups, or pasta dishes with plenty of sauce. Load up on fruits and vegetables. Please, stay away from burgers, kebabs, or pizza... just don't. You can find endless recipes online if you actually bother to look.

Angela Reyes79 said:I'm not sure if this topic has been covered here yet, so apologies if it has. 😎
Here’s the situation: I'm 16 years old. According to my latest measurements (taken 5 days ago 😁), I am 167cm tall and weigh 48kg 🙂. I've been at this weight for two years now. I manage to gain maybe 2kg, but it drops off almost immediately.
I am looking for advice, specifically from anyone who has dealt with something similar.
Don't just tell me to "eat more." I have no intention of eating mindlessly only to end up looking like a cow later on 😳. I need help with meal timing, portion sizes, and exercise. There is a gym near my house, but I'm not sure if starting there is a smart move. I am in no rush; anything done too quickly won't last. I know the weight will come eventually, but it won't happen by itself. Besides, I want to build muscle mass.
My goal is to gain about 10kg (maybe even 15kg 😁).
What are your suggestions? 🙂

You actually received some great advice there, and if I may jump in—you don't need ten extra pounds, let alone fifteen.
At 5'6", depending on your body type, you could look fantastic anywhere between 117 and 125 pounds. You really don't need much more than that, unless you happen to have a very large frame, in which case an extra 5 pounds wouldn't be a problem at all.

I have an average build—not big, not tiny—and standing at 5'6", my weight has fluctuated between 115 and 140 pounds since I hit my full height around age 14 or 15.
Personally, I feel my best at around 120 pounds; up to 125 is fine too, but anything beyond that starts adding unnecessary softness in certain areas (like the stomach or thighs) that just isn't needed.

Focus on eating healthy. For breakfast, try cereals but load them up with almonds, hazelnuts, or raisins. Make sure you're getting meat, fish, pasta, veggies, stews, whole grain bread, eggs, and dairy. Avoid fast food because those are just empty calories. Also, try squeezing your own fruit juices instead of buying processed ones.

One more thing—you're only 16. Be happy that you are naturally slender, and please don't fall into the trap of overeating junk food just to gain weight. I know so many friends who were very thin back then, but once they grew up and started working office jobs, living off bakery snacks, pizza delivery, and burgers... they ended up gaining quite a bit of weight after marriage and having kids, and now they spend all their time complaining about it.

So, I’m 14 and a half years old—standing at a whopping 6'3" but weighing in at only 154 lbs. Health-wise, I’m perfectly fine, truly, but my main issue is this massive growth spurt I just went through; I shot up from about 6'0" to 6'3" in a single year, and my weight barely budged. My body looks okay, I guess, but seeing that number on the scale is honestly pretty frustrating. My doctor actually used the term "asthenic"—which is basically medical speak for having a thin, weak build—to describe me. Will the weight eventually catch up? My dad was also incredibly lanky and tall during his teenage years and stayed that way well into adulthood, so I’m starting to suspect this might just be baked into my genetics. To be completely honest, I’m really hoping I’ve finished growing taller, because now I just want to pack on some muscle and weight!

I went through the exact same thing—I used to be around 415 lbs, maybe 130-150 kg, then I packed on 45 lbs during high school and another 20 lbs right after. Don't sweat it, you'll get there.😁

Hey everyone. 🙂 I’ve got a bit of an issue. I'm 6'3" and only about 132 lbs. 🙄 Honestly, I eat a ton. Constant snacking, always hovering by the fridge, but nothing seems to stick. 😢 If anyone has tips on how to gain weight, thanks in advance.

Edit: Sorry if this is the wrong sub-forum; wasn't sure where to put this. Mods, feel free to move the thread if it's out of place. 🙂 Thanks.

Hey man, maybe those years just haven't caught up to you yet, or honestly, you’re probably just eating so clean that it’s actually impressive!! When you've got the right genetics on your side and you're fueling your body properly... just don't sweat the small stuff too much, man. At the end of the day, the only thing that truly matters is how you feel inside... everything else is just people talking nonsense...

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I'm 19 and my diet isn't exactly healthy.

Dana Clark64 said:I'm 19 and my diet isn't exactly healthy.

But honestly, who actually eats healthy at that age? 😁

Dana Clark64 said:Hey everyone. 🙂 I’ve got a bit of an issue. I'm 6'3" and only about 132 lbs. 🙄 Honestly, I eat a ton. Constant snacking, always hovering by the fridge, but nothing seems to stick. 😢 If anyone has tips on how to gain weight, thanks in advance.

Edit: Sorry if this is the wrong sub-forum; wasn't sure where to put this. Mods, feel free to move the thread if it's out of place. 🙂 Thanks.

It sounds like you just have a crazy fast metabolism... but then again, everyone is different, so you really need a tailored plan.
Personally, I tried this one program—it was actually designed for losing weight, but I think this guy might be able to help you out regardless. You can find more details on his website here:
Even though he focuses on weight loss here, he does create programs for gaining weight too, depending on what your specific goals are. You could even shoot him an email to ask for some advice...
Good luck. 🙂

Hey there—so, I was wondering if it’s actually okay to take protein supplements, like a Mega Mass type of thing, to help me put on some weight. I just turned 15 a couple of weeks ago—I'm 174cm and only about 110lbs right now. It feels like I eat everything in sight, but I just can't seem to gain any weight... honestly, I'm at a loss for what else I can do to bulk up. Also, I have this other issue—I deal with hyperactivity and my palms get really sweaty... could that maybe be part of why I'm struggling to gain weight too? 😢

Have you actually seen a doctor yet? Honestly, it might not be a bad idea to get a referral to an endocrinologist if you're eating normally and still can't gain weight.

melloworca6 said:Have you actually seen a doctor yet? Honestly, it might not be a bad idea to get a referral to an endocrinologist if you're eating normally and still can't gain weight.

What exactly is an endocrinologist? 😁 I mean, I eat—it’s just... one night I'm 112 lbs, then I get home from school the next day and I'm down to 110, and it just goes like that...? Also, is it actually worth drinking those proteins? Or could someone tell me what foods are best for gaining weight? My biggest issue is that I constantly have to go to the bathroom, haha. 🙂 Usually twice a day?

Look, proteins aren't for gaining fat, they're for building muscle.
The only way you're gonna pack on fat from them is if you're just chugging shakes all day without hitting the gym, but honestly, that's just flushing money down the toilet since you can get those same calories from carbs.
Bottom line is, if you're actually working out, then yeah, they're useful.
I used to struggle with putting on weight myself—actually, I still deal with it—but I finally figured out how to beat the system.
And don't sweat that sweating thing either; it happens to me all the time too.

My advice? You gotta eat big, like 4-5 times a day.
Even if you can't stomach a huge meal, just force it. You'll get used to it eventually.
Load up on rice, potatoes, bread, and all those other carbs.
There’s no magic trick here, you just need to eat a ton.
You probably think you're eating like a maniac, but clearly, you're not.
Since you're sitting at 110 lbs, you don't even need an insane amount of food to start seeing the scale move.