How to gain weight?

Michael Cox40 said:I can't drink that protein shake, so you're talking for nothing. I won't explain why right now, just take it as a fact (or don't 😁) (plus, I can't have anything containing soy)

I feel for you, but the question is whether you can't handle soy protein specifically, or if there's something else about the soy plant itself that's the issue.. 😕
(Shoot me a DM, I'm genuinely curious) .. 😉

Michael Cox40 said:Anyway, my health is actually great; my blood work was almost perfect even when I was at my thinnest, with all values within the healthy range. And yeah, I've spent quite a few years on the ice, so the experience is massive. Losing weight due to stress never caused me any issues before, and once the stress subsided and I recovered, my weight would normalize. As for energy, I always have plenty, regardless of how much I burn.

You say you've been around a while? ... Not trying to scare you, but maybe it's still too early for certain problems to crop up; nothing happens overnight, and taking supplements as prevention is probably something everyone should consider eventually.. 🙂

Michael Cox40 said:Oh, one interesting thing is that during those periods, I crave more milk—especially chocolate milk, cocoa, and chocolate. I can drink or eat those without feeling sick. But things like yogurt, cream, and similar stuff (mostly yogurt) are out of the question, even when I'm feeling fine. If I even touch a bit of sour cream, I'll end up throwing up automatically.

Same here; usually, I can't even look at plain milk, cheese, cream, or yogurt, but as soon as it's in another form—like chocolate milk, coffee, or cocoa—it's totally fine.. 👍

Michael Cox40 said:But all in all, I have nothing to complain about and I'm happy with where I am; I just wanted to expand the discussion because the original post was only partially accurate. It really only covered one specific group of people.

I agree, all experiences and perspectives are welcome; Maria shared her view on the situation, but obviously, we aren't all built the same way.. 🙂

mistybear4 said:I feel for you, truly. But the real question is, is it specifically soy protein you have to dodge, or is there something else about the soy plant itself that’s the issue? 😕
(Shoot me a PM, I’m genuinely curious here.) 😉

It’s a long story, too long to unpack properly on a Forum. Basically, anything involving soy or its derivatives is off-limits for me, along with a few other things. (The list is pretty extensive.)

mistybear4 said:So, are you saying you're young?

Noooo 😁. I'm saying I've lived quite a few years—far too many, if you ask me. 😁

Michael Cox40 said:No way 😁 , I’ll happily admit I’m getting up there in age, maybe even too much. 😁

Oops... I completely missed the nuance of that "quite" part... 😁
But honestly, it’s never really too much when you're still feeling healthy. 😉

mistybear4 said:Man, I feel you, but the real question is whether you're actually allergic to soy protein specifically, or if there's something else about the soy plant itself that's messing with you... 😕
(Hit me up in a DM, I’m genuinely curious) .. 😉

Look, some people are just hypersensitive (allergic) to soy protein.☕
My aunt is one of them. It’s a proven thing.🙂

Luckily, I'm not. Soy actually packs a high-quality protein punch—around 40% for dry isolates and 60% for others. Compare that to meat, which sits around 20% (plus all that extra fat). Its biological value is decent too—maybe around 65, which isn't far off from meat. Most importantly, it isn't lacking in lysine, tryptophan, or methionine, which are those amino acids usually missing in grain proteins. Plus, zero cholesterol, no saturated fats, and it has stuff that's been shown to lower cancer risks.
It's missing Vit. B-12 (cyanocobalamin), though, so you definitely need to supplement with a B-complex or take some spirulina.
As for getting enough Calcium and Phosphorus? I'm a bit skeptical since there are so many different types of algae out there.

I'm not a vegetarian, but using soy is definitely a smart move if you aren't allergic.👍

Thanks, Maria Kelly6! 🙂 👋

It doesn't even matter... honestly, when I'm under this much stress, I can barely keep my head straight, let alone find the energy to gain weight. 🙂

Whenever I’m feeling stressed—which, let’s be honest, is about 70% of the time since I started university—I just start eating everything in sight and packing on the pounds like crazy. 😁
It is honestly so hard for me to stay disciplined. Even when I actually manage to pull myself together, it lasts maybe a week tops before every single one of my diet attempts just goes up in smoke. So, I’ve finally decided on a strategy that actually works for me: I stick to healthy eating during the week, but then I give myself a little "cheat day" on the weekends. That’s really the only way I can stay sane without constantly gaining weight. 🙄

We’re all different; we don't all react the same way. I read the article and decided to give it a shot—personal experience is what actually counts, after all. It works for me, but it might not work for everyone; this isn't some universal truth, just my take. I’m posting this because I think it might help someone dealing with the same kind of stress I do. For me, it's that restless feeling and an upset stomach, sometimes followed by hunger pangs so intense I feel like I'll pass out if I don't raid every box of cookies and chocolate in the house, regardless of how much I know better...😢
I'm learning to handle my problems at work and home a bit smarter, and honestly, it's working. I don't get those crazy hunger spikes or those desperate carb cravings anymore. After a workout, I feel great and generally full of energy. As far as I'm concerned—it's all in the head. Once you fix things up there, the body follows suit, right? 😉

Rachel Walker56 said:We’re all different, and we don't all react the same way. I read the article and just decided to give it a shot—at the end of the day, personal experience is what really counts. It worked for me, but it might not work for everyone; this isn't some universal truth, just my take on things. I wanted to post this because I think it might help someone else dealing with stress the same way I do. For me, it's that restless feeling and an upset stomach, and sometimes the hunger pangs hit so hard I feel like I'm actually going to pass out. Once that hits, there's nothing stopping me from absolutely demolishing boxes of cookies and chocolate, even when I know better...😢
I'm learning how to handle things at work and home a bit smarter, and honestly, it's helping. I don't feel ravenous anymore, I'm not constantly craving carbs, and I feel awesome after a workout—just full of energy. As far as I'm concerned, it's all in the head. If I can get my mindset right, my body will follow, right? 😉

It is definitely all in your head! 👍
Personally, I don't eat because I'm actually hungry (my body doesn't ask for food like that), it's more like I do it out of pure boredom. I don't even know how to describe it. But man, I feel incredible when I manage to eat normally for three days straight instead of just stuffing my face with cookies and Coca-Cola.
That said, you really need some backbone to stay on the right track.

I’ve come across plenty of stories about people managing to kick all sorts of different allergies, though I haven't run into anyone who actually struggles with a soy protein allergy yet..😢

Soy is pretty much the only plant-based protein that packs a full set of essential amino acids, meaning you get the whole spectrum in one go, which is a huge deal. Plus, you're getting your B-complex and everything else your body craves all wrapped up in that "Formula 1" setup, and most importantly, the ratios are just spot on.🙂



http://www.herbalife.com/files/HL//M...42US-45-06.pdf

Rachel Walker56 said:Checking out this forum and all the diet threads, plus those various women's magazines, I've noticed that 99.9% of people try to fix the consequences rather than the actual causes of weight gain. Everyone’s just running in circles—the yo-yo dieting proves it, and most of us have been there if we aren't happy with our weight.
So, here’s a bit of skin-in-the-game experience mixed with some theory, and at the end, I want your take. I'm really curious what you guys think about this.
Basically, I’ve spent my whole life working hard to maintain a steady weight—around 135-137 lbs at 5'7", maybe hitting 145 during my heavier phases. Then I switch jobs, working 12-14 hour days, often on weekends too. It’s a high-responsibility, heavy-duty job that I actually love, regardless of the grind. But after a few months of that intense rhythm—boom, I’m 22 pounds heavier! It was awful. Of course, I tried to stop it, but I couldn't make it to the gym, and my Zone diet would last maybe two or three days before I went back to my old ways—eating whenever I could get to it, skipping breakfast, and then slamming carbs in the evening. And the worst part? Constant hunger!
Then comes the turning point—about two months ago, I decided I had to end this! I hit the gym again three times a week, cut my meals down to the bare Zone minimum, started eating breakfast in the morning, blah blah blah... fast forward two months—I lost exactly two pounds. 😂 🙂—I honestly don't know whether to laugh or cry!
And then I stumble upon an article about stress and weight gain, and boom—it was like seeing the light. Everything clicked, and I realized where I was going wrong, so I wanted to share it with you all.
See, whenever a person is stressed, hormones leak out of the adrenal glands, and the worst one for this topic is cortisol. It works in several ways that all mess with your weight—it stimulates insulin release, which causes blood glucose to drop, resulting in an uncontrollable appetite. It travels to your fat cells and, along with insulin, tells them to store fat while preventing those cells from converting fat into energy (which is glucagon's job, the opposite of insulin). Also, dieting itself is a stressor on the body; cortisol levels rise, making losing weight feel like a suicide mission because of that delicate hormonal dance. Even super intense workouts count as stress...
Once I figured that out, I knew what to do—reduce stress by any means that brings pleasure and triggers endorphins, which are basically cortisol's only natural enemy. Since then, I’ve been training at a moderate pace and trying to enjoy every second. When I start feeling crazy, I just go out into the sun and soak up some light, or blast some good music at home, or spend more time with people I actually like... Honestly, I think I'm starting to actually like myself and my life...😉
After just one week of thinking this way and changing my lifestyle, the weight is just dropping off—I swear! Now I eat breakfast (all Zone compliant), pack something for work, eat when I get home, and have a little something in the evening. I’m not even hungry, and I’m losing weight!
Anyway, that’s what I wanted to tell you. If it's too long—sorry, I just wanted to share my experience; maybe it helps someone else the way it helped me!
Cheers
👋

You finally figured it out 👏 👋👍

Rachel Walker56 said:We’re all different—we don't all react the same way. I read the article and decided to give it a shot... personal experience is really the only thing that matters here. It worked for me, though it might not work for everyone—this isn't some absolute truth, just my take. I'm posting this because I think it might help someone dealing with the same kind of stress I am—that restless, unsettled feeling in my stomach, and sometimes the hunger pangs hit so hard I feel like I'll pass out if I don't devour every box of cookies and chocolate in sight, regardless of what I know about nutrition...😢
I'm learning how to handle things at work and home a bit more intelligently, and honestly, it’s helping. I don't get those crazy hunger spikes anymore, I'm not obsessing over carbs, and I feel great after a workout—just full of energy. As far as I'm concerned, it's all in the head... so once I fix the mental side, the physical side follows, right? 😉

Even when you get that hungry feeling, there are other ways to fill the void—maybe a good workout session, a massage, or just thirty minutes of quiet time and a nice glass of wine. I hope you get what I mean.

Megan Morales5 said:Even if you get that gladiator high, a solid portion of sports, a deep tissue massage, or just thirty minutes in a hot tub with a glass of decent wine would satisfy you just as much right now. Hope you get what I'm saying.

Yeah, finally! And it didn't take me long at all—only about 20 years! 🙂 😬

You're still quite young, dear child; you'll have plenty of time left to actually put everything you've learned into practice.

So, about six months ago I started hitting the gym at home—got my own equipment and everything—and began training for MMA. Before that, I was seriously out of shape, just sitting on the couch for maybe two years straight. Once I actually got moving, I managed to pack on 5 pounds of muscle in just two months... Huge mistake on my part, though, because I took a two-month break from training. I just got back into the swing of things 10 days ago, and luckily, I haven't lost any of that mass. I should mention I was using protein supplements to bulk up before the break. What I really want to know is: what’s the easiest way to put on another 12-15 pounds in the next three months?

Really appreciate all the advice... 🙂

First off, you really need to figure out what your actual goal is here—are we talking about putting on 15 pounds of just mass, or 15 pounds of pure muscle? 😕

A huge mistake I see people making all the time is just bulking up indiscriminately, gaining a bunch of fat along with the weight, and then thinking they can somehow "turn" that extra mass into muscle later. It’s honestly double the work and doesn't make any sense if you think about it. I've got plenty of buddies who didn't realize that until way too late. 😉 😁

If you’re looking to pack on 15 pounds of lean muscle, you're going to need to bump up your protein intake. Plus, since you're doing something as intense as MMA, you definitely need a decent amount of... well, smart carbs, just so you actually have the energy and stamina to keep going.

As someone who lives this stuff, I’d honestly suggest looking into Herbalife's "cellular nutrition." I've met tons of athletes who tried everything under the sun, but in the end, they all admitted they felt the biggest difference once they switched to Herbalife's approach. Even Natasha Vezmar, who does taekwondo, started using it recently.

Since you're into combat sports, here’s an actual testimonial for you to look over:

"My name is Senad Osterman, I'm 35, and I work as a kinesiology specialist. My whole life has been active sports and professional coaching. I coach the American National Muay Thai Team and serve as an external consultant for the kinesiology department at the University of Los Angeles. I've been in sports since I was seven. I've never had issues managing my weight or any health problems. To be honest, I first looked into Herbalife for financial reasons. But since I've used supplements alongside a regular diet my entire life, I know how important they are. At first, I was skeptical about the ingredients and quality offered by Herbalife. On the surface, it didn't look like anything new or revolutionary. The only way to truly know was to try it myself. And pretty quickly, I noticed some real results:
- better sleep quality
- faster recovery after training
- steady energy levels throughout the day
- better endurance during workouts
- perfect digestion
- a general sense of well-being

Herbalife kind of changes your lifestyle. You end up feeling happier, and that trickles down to how you interact with everyone else. It feels like a 'full circle' experience, something similar to what I've read about in old Eastern philosophy books. Nowadays, my whole family uses Herbalife.
My athletic achievements:
- Junior Champion Los Angeles - Track and Field, 100m
- Junior National Team Member for Karate - 80kg
- Vice Champion in Kickboxing - 81kg
- American Champion in Muay Thai - 81kg
- Netherlands Champion in Muay Thai - 81kg
- 3rd place at the Judo International Tournament in Italy - 86kg
- November 6, 2004 - Professional European Champion in Muay Thai at WAKO Pro 78.2 kg
In 2005, I'm starting a new challenge: triathlon. The circle is complete."

That's just one athlete out of many who felt the difference, and there are plenty of other testimonials out there if you want to read them:

http://www.nrg-fit.com/sportski_rezultati.asp

The nutritionist for the USA Olympic Team and a consultant for the National Basketball Association and other pro leagues, Heather Livingston, was actually in Los Angeles recently and gave this incredibly interesting lecture on sports nutrition (including Herbalife's "cellular nutrition"). If you want to dig deeper into that, just shoot me a private message. Here's a bit more info about her:

http://www.nrg-fit.com/heather_livingston.asp

Hey, seriously, thanks so much... you have no idea how much I appreciate this! Thanks🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏

🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 😕 😕 😕

What is all this even about?
I mean, I'm kind of getting the vibe that you think everything I just said is some kind of joke?

Look, you asked for advice, so I gave you my take on things, and if you don't like what I have to say, you don't have to sit there making fun of me, okay?

What the hell? Look, I said thanks. I already ordered my Herbalife, I wasn't making fun of anyone... I honestly expected everyone here to just post nonsense, but you actually gave me some solid advice that really helped... Now I'm diving into everything on nrg-fit.com

Seriously, thanks. And thanks again, a hundred times over🙏

Alright, my bad, those emojis that look like they're bowing too much kind of threw me off for a second .. 😉 🙂

ps: so where did you end up ordering your Herbalife from?