How can I gain weight?

I'm a 19-year-old guy, standing about 5'10" and weighing roughly 132 lbs. It’s definitely too low; my BMI is well below the healthy range. The weird part is that I eat four times a day, and I don't even try to diet—I eat everything from regular meals to chocolate. I don't hold back at all. I usually eat right before bed, sometimes heavy stuff too, but it just doesn't stick. When I talk to people, they're always shocked by how much I eat versus how thin I stay. I've been hitting the gym for about three months now and managed to gain maybe 4 or 5 pounds, which means I was even thinner before that. Now, I'm looking into getting some supplements to help build mass. I need to pack on some weight because I have my annual physical for the Army, and last time, they barely cleared me. Does anyone have advice or a reliable site where I can research this?
Thanks a lot!!!!

Must be nice, because that's just not fair at all!!!!!!!!!😠

If you can't even put on weight from eating, then I guess there's really nothing anyone can do for you.

If you ask me, you should probably try taking some B vitamins not an ad or anything it'll definitely kickstart your appetite and I bet you'll pack on the weight in no time.

Look, you’ve got those protein powders and all that other supplement nonsense bodybuilders swear by. If you’re hitting the gym too, combining the two should definitely kick things into gear. Only problem is, it’s pretty damn expensive...

It really just comes down to eating plenty of food—though you have to make sure it's actually nutritious. If you're just living on junk food, you aren't just going to pack on the pounds; you'll end up inviting a whole host of health issues along for the ride.

Gary Kern73 said:Look, I'm a 19-year-old guy, standing about 5'10" and weighing roughly 132 lbs. Obviously, that's way too low—my BMI is over a full point below where it should be. The real kicker? I eat four times a day, and I’m not even talking about "dieting"—I eat everything in sight, from regular meals to massive amounts of chocolate... I seriously don't hold back on anything. I usually end up eating right before bed, sometimes even really heavy stuff, but it just doesn't stick to my ribs. When I talk to people, they're always shocked by how much I consume versus how skinny I stay. I've been hitting the gym for about three months now and managed to put on maybe 4 or 5 lbs—which basically means I was even scrawnier before this. Now, I'm actually looking into buying some supplements to help pack on mass. I absolutely have to gain weight because I go for my annual physical for the U.S. Army every year, and last time, they barely let me pass. Does anyone have advice or maybe a website where I can look into this kind of thing?
Thanks so much!!!!

Maybe the issue is that you have a slow metabolism since food just isn't sticking to you; you really ought to go get your thyroid levels checked first so you actually know what's going on. It's pointless to start pumping yourself full of supplements just to look bloated—before you even think about steroids or any of that nonsense, go see a doctor. That's my honest advice.

Lisa Kim10 said:it is entirely possible that your metabolic rate has slowed down to the point where your body isn't processing nutrients effectively, so you really ought to get your thyroid levels checked out just to be certain because there is absolutely no point in cycling through various supplements just to look bloated, and before you even consider touching steroids or any other nonsense, go see a doctor, if I may offer some advice.

or perhaps even sooner—consult a nutritionist! 😉

Where can I find a good nutritionist around here?

...so yeah, I’ve also been trying to pack on some weight because, honestly, at 5'9", 121 pounds is just way too little... A few weeks back, I started taking Vitamin B—like, two pills in the morning and two at night with food—and I guess my appetite has definitely kicked in more, but I haven't actually stepped on the scale yet, so I have no clue if I've actually put on any weight...

Bradley Nelson2 said:Is it possible to see a nutritionist here?

In Washington, D.C.
.
We don't allow advertising on this forum 🙂
but you are more than welcome to reach out to our marketing department to rent a banner space.😁

I shared some guidance on where to find a qualified nutritionist because, in New York City, only a handful of practitioners actually possess the necessary credentials. It is quite unfortunate that there are unqualified individuals out there, though I won't be naming names right now since we all know why certain things have to remain unsaid...
In San Francisco, there is one person who considers themselves a nutritionist through sheer self-proclamation, yet one must be careful about making such definitive statements on this forum due to the principles of free speech. 🤷
Over in Orlando, however, there is a legitimate doctor of nutrition.

Regardless, I was simply attempting to help someone by providing information on where they might locate a professional nutritionist within the USA, as that was their specific request. Moving forward, I will stick to private messages, as it seems we are reaching a point where even discussion threads are becoming scarce.

It is worth noting that I didn't provide any specific addresses or drop any hints regarding particular individuals; I merely specified the city.

Kudos to the administrators.🙏

And of course, please accept my apologies...🙏 ☕

You should probably get your thyroid checked out. With certain types of dysfunction, sudden weight loss can be a major red flag.

Gary Kern73 said:Look, I'm a 19-year-old guy, about 5'10" and weighing roughly 132 lbs. Obviously, that's way too low since my BMI is over a full point below the ideal range. The thing is, I eat four times a day. And I'm not talking about "healthy eating"—I just eat everything. Pizza, chocolate... you name it. I don't hold back at all. I usually eat right before bed too, sometimes really heavy stuff, but it just doesn't stick. When I talk to people, they're always shocked by how much I eat and how skinny I still am. I've been hitting the gym for about three months now and only gained maybe 4 or 5 pounds, which means I was even scrawnier before. Now I'm practically bleeding money at the gym trying to buy mass gainers and supplements. I need to bulk up because I have my annual physical for the Army, and last time, they barely let me pass...
Thanks so much!!!!

I'm not exactly preaching health here, but I actually put on weight when I was hitting McDonald's constantly, like several times a week. Just saying. But then again, food is basically poison—you know that too. And if you're super active and working out a lot, you'll just burn it all off no matter how much you eat. You won't gain anything that way.

Alex Mendoza2 said:Look, I’m not exactly out here preaching wellness, but I definitely packed on the pounds when I was hitting up McDonald's several times a week. Just a heads-up. Then again, most food nowadays is basically poison—not that you don't already know that. If you're staying active and moving around enough, though, you'll probably just burn it all off regardless of how much you eat, so you won't necessarily gain weight that way.

It's the truth. That McDonald's is pure poison; I put on a few pounds there myself. This is a proven fact. It is strange how those places are always packed, too. I mean, sure, you can go grab something once a month 😁, but if you're going every single day 😲 😲

wiredcyclist said:It’s the truth. That McDonald's is pure poison... I definitely put on a few pounds after eating there. Look, this is a proven fact. It's funny how that place is always packed, too. Honestly, maybe you can grab something there once a month if you really have to... 😁But it happens every single day... 😲 😲

Look, once a month isn't going to kill you, but honestly? If you can, just try to forget it exists. You're basically just pouring poison into your system at that point. It’s all chemicals... it isn't actual food. Everything is rubbery, artificial—it feels like they're just squeezing stuff out of a test tube and shoving it into a sandwich. My stomach actually starts turning just thinking about that smell. But hey, maybe it's all in my head. Once you start seeing things that way, your whole perspective changes...

..mmmmmmmmmmm.....McDonald's.🙂🙂

I feel like I’m dealing with the exact same struggle... honestly, the actual amount of food I eat isn't even the issue. My girlfriends are always constantly surprised by how much I can actually put away, yet nothing seems to stick. It’s like it just disappears. I eat pretty much everything, too, at all hours of the day or night. I’ve thought about trying to hit the gym or start exercising, but I have this nagging feeling it might actually make things look worse? Like, maybe I'd just end up with muscle on these super thin arms, sort of like how Madonna looks lately... just, you know, not a great look.

feralmason81 said:I'm struggling with the exact same thing... food intake isn't the issue at all. Honestly, my girlfriends always look at me in shock because of how much I can eat without gaining an ounce. I eat pretty much anything, any time of day or night. I've thought about hitting the gym, but I worry it might actually make things look worse—like having muscle on a totally skinny arm, kind of like how Madonna looks lately... it's just not a great look.

We're in the same boat here. I feel like a bottomless pit too; nothing ever seems to stick. I've also been considering getting into fitness... I think it could actually be a really good move. Think about it: Madonna lost weight and then toned up, but if we were to gain some muscle while toning, it would look completely different.
..you go to the gym... you work out, build up some muscle mass, and then grab a slice of pizza afterward to help fill out that new shape... right?😁

haha

this is honestly what keeps me up at night:

...though, I guess you might actually be onto something... maybe the winning formula is just hitting the gym and then crushing some junk food... let me know if it actually works for you

Good grief, she’s an old woman now, so of course she looks that way. Honestly, I’m convinced it’s all down to genetics—you can't escape it. You really are just a product of your parents, aren't you?