How to gain weight?

Milivoj said:Milivoj wouldn't be looking for a stomach ache—he’d be looking to get properly filled out (in all the right places), so I’m assuming proteins and hitting the gym are the move. I've heard people talking about some crazy banana shake hacks lately... what's the deal with that now? Cheers!

Honestly, I’ve just been thinking—you’re probably going to try and make it work with just bananas, but let's be real: there's basically zero protein in them. It’s an uphill battle. That’s just how it is. 😉 The formula is simple—muscle strain triggers biochemical processes within the muscle cells, and those processes allow the tissue to strengthen, provided you're hitting your protein targets.

northernheron9 said:I have a question... if I hit the gym three times a week, should I be increasing my sets and/or weight every single week?

First off—keep your reps lower per set (around 8-10, some even drop down to 4)—because you're training for raw strength, not endurance like some marathon runner. Within that hour, aim for 2-3 sets per muscle group. Also—and this is key—stop staring around the room and yawning like half the people at the gym; get in there, work hard, and actually break a sweat—otherwise, you’ll be stuck there for way longer than an hour😉. As for the weight—crank it up as much as you can. Try bumping it by 5-10% each week if possible. It’ll be easy at first, but don't expect that once you start approaching your max. The number of sets really just comes down to how much time you're willing to grind. You could even jump straight to more than three sessions a week for an hour each. Serious lifters spend hours in the gym every day. And don't forget to eat right—if you don't, you're basically just wasting your time. Anyway, that's just my amateur take on it.

Hey there, linen lover! (And sorry, Milivoj, if I’m barging into your business regarding weight gain!) I’ve realized you actually know quite a bit about working out. Basically, I want to tone up my midsection—specifically the lower abs—but I’ve heard that women can’t truly have a completely flat stomach unless they’re anorexic. Is there anything else besides just doing crunches to achieve that look? Also, I’d love to have a firmer backside; I’ve been doing some muscle-toning exercises, but the real struggle is that I just cannot give up sweets! I’m aiming to drop about 9 pounds as fast as possible. I currently weigh 119 pounds, and my arms and shoulders are pretty slim, but my thighs are a bit of an issue—not that they're fat, just a little too soft for my liking. I’ve been doing tons of crunches, taking dance classes, lifting weights, and I used to go for a run along the riverbank 5.0 miles a day, though I can't right now because of the winter weather. Still, I haven't seen any real improvement in my thighs. Please don't try to push me into a gym because I simply don't have the cash, so if you know any other ways to help, let me know!

Can I be the solution instead of medicine?
Look, if you want to fix your midsection, the absolute best thing you can do is run. Just remember, you could crank out a thousand crunches every single day, but it won't matter one bit if there's still a layer of fat covering your abs. You have to burn off that fat, and aerobic training is the easiest way to get it done. Crunches should really just be a secondary tool in your kit. As for those other "soft" or weaker areas of your body, nothing beats hitting the gym and working with a trainer who can actually build you a real program. Exercise is vital, sure, but without a proper diet, all that work with the weights is essentially useless.

Maria Kelly6 said:I really wish I could just get my glutes to look even and toned.

Honestly, there’s just nothing worse than a woman with a completely flat backside. It’s one of those things that really gets to me.

What on earth would I even want with a flat ass? Seriously, what's the point? 😁

I guess I’d say mine is a bit more on the messy side, though honestly, it’s not exactly a disaster as it is.

Maria Kelly6, forget about finding the fastest way if you're actually looking to build some serious muscle in your glutes.
And honestly, where are you getting this idea that girls can't have flat stomachs? That’s just not true—seriously, what are we even talking about here?
It’s got absolutely nothing to do with anorexia—that’s a huge leap—it’s strictly about body fat percentage. Plus, biologically speaking, guys tend to pack on the weight right around the midsection way more than women do.

Maria Kelly6 said:...and I thought women couldn't have a completely flat stomach unless they were anorexic...

That is absolutely incorrect.🙂

I've had a flat, toned stomach my entire life, and lately, I haven't even been in a calorie deficit.

Aside from all the helpful advice others have given you, I want to point out the biggest enemy of a flat female stomach: POOR POSTURE.

Try it yourself in front of a mirror—straighten your back, pull your stomach in, roll your shoulders back, stick your glutes out, and flex your muscles. Your body will look completely different.

So many women look like they have a belly simply because of how they carry themselves.

P.S. You mentioned you weigh 119 pounds, but you forgot to mention your height.

Kenneth Hernandez67 said:p.s. You mentioned you're weighing in at 54 kilos, but you totally forgot to mention how tall you are.

Hmm, I probably shouldn't butt in here—not that I want to be *that* guy—but she already mentioned earlier that she's 5'5". 🙂

Thanks, Brian Hayes26! I see you've been following along since the very beginning. Honestly, whenever I tell anyone that I'm 5'5" and just want to drop those last nine pounds to hit 110, they look at me like I’ve completely lost my mind! It's true, though—I haven't been strictly disciplined, and I definitely need to work on that. Thank you all so much for the advice. Please, tell me more: how on earth do you kick a sugar addiction? Because, let's be real, I am absolutely hooked on sweets. And now, here comes Christmas, and I know I'll fall right back into the old habit of skipping dinner. Last year, I tried telling myself I'd only have fruit yogurt after 7:00 PM, but it was a total wash because I ended up overeating everything in sight during the day. Not exactly a winning strategy, right?

Hmm, George Bailey2, it’s me again! Now, how on earth can running actually be good for your midsection? I definitely put on a few extra pounds this summer... and honestly, it wasn't even that much! Well, okay, I was doing about 500 crunches a day—once you get hooked on crunches, you just can't stop, right? But unfortunately, it hasn't done a thing for my lower abs. My upper abs look absolutely perfect, seriously better than most of my friends! However, I've noticed that whenever I try those leg raises to target the lower stomach, I get this intense cramp around my right hip. It's so sharp that I can't even finish ten reps before the pain becomes unbearable. Someone mentioned that I might not be stretching enough. Could that actually be the issue?

So, restlessmarlin6, how much do you weigh and how tall are you? Because honestly, your curves are absolutely incredible! How on earth did you manage that? I bet "Milka" isn't just a nickname for you, right?

Running is great for your core because it’s the fastest way to strip away fat. Once those fat layers are gone, you get a six-pack. You can have incredibly strong abdominal muscles, but if there's a layer of fat covering them, nobody is going to see a thing.
Besides, you mentioned wanting to lose weight—running is the perfect way to do it without having to starve yourself, and it's extremely healthy while you're at it.
You also said you don't eat dinner during your diet. That's a huge mistake. You need to eat in the evening; just make sure to avoid fatty, high-calorie foods. And fruit yogurt? That's a mistake too. You can read all about that on another thread in this Forum.

Maria Kelly6:
Thanks, Brian Hayes26—I see you’ve been following this thread since the very beginning. Honestly, whenever I tell anyone that I'm 5'5" and just want to drop those last ten pounds to hit the 110 mark, they look at me like I've lost my mind! It’s frustrating. The truth is, I haven't been strictly sticking to any plan, but I'm definitely going to work on that. Anyway, thanks to everyone for the advice. If you have more, please—hit me with it. Specifically, how do you deal with sugar cravings? Because, let's be real, I am a total addict when it comes to sweets. And here comes the worst part—the hunger pangs are hitting again, which means I'll probably end up skipping dinner. Last year, I tried this thing where I'd only have fruit yogurt after 7:00 PM, but it was a total wash because I’d just overcompensate by eating everything in sight during the day—which, obviously, isn't exactly a winning strategy.

Honestly, you really ought to cut out sweets entirely—and trust me, once you get past that initial withdrawal phase, the craving just fades away. Don't go skipping dinner or anything like that; if anything, you should be eating more frequently. But, man, one of the absolute biggest hurdles is ditching sugar. It’s actually pretty brutal because it’s hidden in almost everything you wouldn't expect—stuff like mustard, ketchup, and don't even get me started on drinks like Coca-Cola... it's everywhere.

My apologies for not reading closely enough and missing your height.

I know everyone is going to tell you that you're crazy for wanting to lose weight. But let's be real: you don't actually want to "lose weight," you want to reshape your physique. You can't achieve that if you're still dealing with poorly distributed body fat.

Brian Hayes26 and the rest of those lovely people have already shared their thoughts, and I’m enjoying reading through their posts.👍

Let me redirect your attention back to body composition and give you a little advice regarding dinner and breaking that sugar addiction—focus on vegetables. And I mean vegetables, not fruit, since fruit is essentially just carbohydrates.

Make some time to grab some fresh veggies, chop them up into bite-sized, snackable pieces, and keep them in the fridge. That way, when that nasty hunger pang hits, they're ready to go.

You can season them a bit, but keep it light. No heavy, drowning dressings.

Kenneth Hernandez67 said:I’m gonna steer you back toward body composition here—plus a little tip for dinner and how to deal with that sugar addiction—VEGETABLES. Seriously, skip the fruit because that's just carbs; go for veggies instead.

Yeah, for dinner, mixing green veggies with a solid protein source is a great move—though, if I can add one thing—green veggies do technically contain carbs, specifically cellulose, but since your body doesn't actually digest it, there's basically zero caloric impact.
Fruit mostly just gives you fructose, which has a pretty low glycemic index anyway, so it's not a massive deal breaker, and it's decent for vitamins.

Maria Kelly6 said:So how much do you weigh and how tall are you if your butt is that flat? And seriously, how on earth did you pull that off? I bet "Chocolate Bar" isn't your middle name!

Look, I make a distinction between being "flat" versus having "shape"—or basically, "big" versus "small."

You can actually influence size, but you can't change shape; that’s just pure genetics at work.

Having a big backside doesn't necessarily mean it's shaped a certain way, and vice versa.

Personally, I’m all about that shape, whether it’s big or small. What about you?😉

This young man started at 66kg while standing 182cm tall, but after just one year, he reached 74kg.
He ate extensively—truly, quite a lot. His breakfast was essentially a full lunch, consisting of home-cooked meals, meats, fish, and pasta; he would eat roughly four to five times a day.

Yet, rather than focusing solely on meat, his main priority was grains. He would prepare massive bowls of oatmeal—along with buckwheat and similar varieties—mixing them with milk, raisins, prunes, and dried apricots, consuming the entire portion.
Additionally, he consumed plenty of fruit, peanuts, and pistachios. Oh, and he discovered traditional cornmeal mush as well.

He strictly avoided fats, as well as chocolate.

His training regimen was rigorous: push-ups, sit-ups, squats, swimming, and running.

As a result, his arms, shoulders, and chest became significantly more muscular. His legs, however, remained thin.

Ultimately, he gained 8 kilos over the course of a year without adding any unnecessary body fat.

To Valentine - you’re complaining about having small breasts? Well, if you drop another 10 pounds, you’ll have even less to show for it.

Back when I was 115 pounds at 5'6", they were practically invisible. Now that I've reached about 125 pounds, they finally look somewhat normal. Even though I’d love to get back down to, say, 117 pounds, I’d just have to accept being completely flat.

Norris said:Back when I was 115 lbs at 5'6", they were practically invisible. Now that I've hit about 123-125 lbs, they finally look normal.

The truth. 👍

Chuck's performance won't have any impact on this appearance.

Listen, Ms. Norris, I honestly suspect that trying to lose even more weight is practically impossible at this point. I’ve already hit the 50 kg mark, and my mom actually told me that the only difference is that my face looks a bit slimmer now. Besides, my face shape is naturally more rounded than chiseled anyway, so I'm really not losing any sleep over it!