How to gain weight successfully?

[Hisa]

Yes I already read this topic here but it mostly seem to have people tryings to lose weight and for gaining is only given a google link and few posts and is ment for support mostly ^^ hence this topic focusing more on the underweight.

(tho if mod believes it's easier sticking the underweight with overweight support board is fine solution enough then feel free to close)

 

I'd like to ask if there's any suggestions of you people on how to gain weight well

 

I eat normally in my own opinion and I like pizza, kebabs and such unhealthy stuff as if anyone else would and I love sugarish things. I also eat normal food (example just finished a plate full meat& mushroom sauce and mashed potatoes)

I don't do exercise * and most my hobbies are just playing PC games or drawing (on paper and pc) I just don't know how gain weight and it makes me sad since I'd rather want to be normal weight and look healthy than underweight and be afraid of looking like skeleton.

 

Any advice there?

Also I'm fairly short person 159cm (5.2feet)and I believe last time I checked I weighted 45 or 49kg (108lbs) am at the age of 19 and female

 

As a finn I usually eat 5 times a day (breakfast-supper-middle snack-dinner-something before bed)

 

*At school I have to lift heavy stuff and etc so I do believe that would be somewhat of exercise you could count to build muscle

(20kg weighting lights and speakers, audiovisual studies duh) and vitamis come from fruit since in Finland it's already dark at 4PM when I get out school as when I go there (8am)

 

any advice?

Edited January 18, 2014 by Hisa

[Syaoransbear]

Your weight is perfectly average . Personally I think it's better to stay on the leaner side so you don't run into as many joint issues.

[whitebaron]

If you feel well, healthy, then dont bother.

My wife is at 162/45 and does not look that skinny - so unless you feel ill, it is best to just forget winning weight.

[Hisa]

I doub it's average, even my 14 year old little sister weights 10kg more than I do and she's skinnyish also, my boyfriend has told me multiple times I should eat more so I could have more normal weight and also my mother constantly asks when seeing me do I eat at all

 

edit: Well, I do look skinny hence it bothers me, I'm worried of looking more of a skeleton than normal healthy person

Edited January 18, 2014 by Hisa

[tenyasyugan]

If anything, working out more is what gives you mass! :> Which is a good thing. It sounds like you feel like you're too lean, and your weight does show that you're actually borderline for "underweight". Perhaps upping your carb intake could help but I think it's best to just increase your exercise habits and change your eating to make sure you're getting enough energy to support those habits.

 

I don't see much wrong with your weight tho and don't think you should worry too much unless a doctor states that your health is being effected by it. :> I myself have been borderline underweight for years thanks to my high metabolism and running around [anxiety also keeps weight down for many people but that wasn't until recently]. I'm hearing and seeing that gaining a more active lifestyle actually helps get heavier muscle tissues into your body which can help you achieve a comfier weight.

[whitebaron]

My grandpa always told my grandma that she should eat more. When she was at 150kg, he would still tell her to eat a little extra...

[Shienvien]

1.59 and 49? That is perfectly normal weight, especially for a person who doesn't exercise much (muscle adds some with the same body volume). You don't have to gain weight. Believe me, it would come by itself when you are older and metabolism slows down (I know many people who were borderline underweight when young and gradually ended up a dozen kg over the "perfect" weight later on).

 

For the record, I am 177 (practically an entire head taller than you!) and used to weigh about 52 kg when I was 15-20, and I still fit within the OK weight according to most tables I have seen (lower end of OK, but still). Doctors never pointed anything out about my weight, either. Now I should be 58-60ish kg (mostly from more muscle, I figure - the woman in the mirror looks pretty much the same shape), but I haven't checked recently.

Edited January 18, 2014 by Shienvien

[brairtrainer]

I was in a similar boat as you are (didn't need to gain weight but was concerned about looking like a skeleton, couldn't help that I could count my ribs).

 

Some advice I'd pass on are:

 

1. Walk, it stregthens your legs and will give you more of an appitite

2. Don't stuff yourself. Really instead of focussing on eating more you should focus more on what you eat. You should still eat healthy even if at this moment it is different for you than what other people deem healthy.

3. Whole milk (if you drink dairy). Not only does it taste better but apperently its easier to get calcium from milk if it still with the original fat molicules.

4. Try eating stuff that is higher in fat in moderation-- no need to make yourself sick, but eat that pasta with a heavy cream sauce if you like, just try to stick to wholesome ingredients and add veggies so you keep your body balanced.

[Sarah864]

Everyone here is using the metric system o-o Well, I'm in the same boat as you being 5ft 4in and weighing 98-100lbs (last I checked) Muscle mass definitely helps so exercise, exercise, exercise! But before that watch what you eat. I believe grain and dairy helps with weight wheras junkfood and meat really doesn't unless you eat large amounts of it. Though depending on your age it's possible that you're just going to gain a lot of weight later on. *shrugs*

 

Edit: @Momo Yeah, I know I just find these little signs of America's stupidity/stubborness amusing.

Edited January 19, 2014 by Sarah864

[Momo]

As some people have said, exercising is really a lot better at gaining some mass than you'd imagine. It primarily tones muscles, which then grow in size. Keep an eye on certain foods, also - some are very lean foods or the type which burn quickly and so forth - if you're trying to gain weight, those kinds of foods won't help.

 

Personally, I'm 5'7" and weigh around 100/103lbs ( it bounces back and forth ) when the common weight is around 120lbs. But I feel great! I walk across campus every day ( a few good miles every two days put together ) without a strain or shortage of breath. My legs are in excellent shape and I don't feel like I'm underweight at all.

But if you really want to gain weight, go ahead! Good luck, Hisa. :3

 

EDIT: Sarah, the metric system is very popular pretty much everywhere except America. x3 So maybe that's why. :3

Edited January 19, 2014 by Momo

[Obscure_Trash]

I doub it's average, even my 14 year old little sister weights 10kg more than I do and she's skinnyish also, my boyfriend has told me multiple times I should eat more so I could have more normal weight and also my mother constantly asks when seeing me do I eat at all

 

edit: Well, I do look skinny hence it bothers me, I'm worried of looking more of a skeleton than normal healthy person

Tbh, your bf and mom are being jerks to you. There's such a societal emphasis on a very specific normal and it's pretty bull. Some people are naturally skinny. Others naturally fat. Others naturally between. Some people naturally have a more athletic build or are taller or shorter or pear shaped or rectangle shaped. Your exercise regime and diet can control some of this to some degree, but not completely. There are extremely unhealthy people in the skinny - average range and extremely healthy people in the fat range, yet if you listened to commercials and media only, you'd never know this. You and you only should be happy with your looks.

 

If you're more naturally lean, it might take a very strict regime of exercise with a specific carb-heavy diet to make you fill out more. Perhaps time will make you fill out more. Perhaps if others stop making you so stressed over your weight, it might help you fill out more.

 

I was in the 110 lbs range (and am 5'2") in early high school. It wasn't until late HS and college I went up to 120/125 lbs. I was in competitive gymnastics practicing 1/5 - 2 hours a day for 3 - 4 days a week up until early HS. In college I switched to strength training.

 

Even if you do manage to gain some weight, gaining and losing weight can be a slow process, as can toning your body. And on the muscle side (as someone who's done a fair bit of research in strength training, weight lifting, and building muscle), once you hit a certain point, you pretty much have to always be eating to continue to gain weight by building muscle. So even if you go through and start changing some habits to gain weight or tone your body, you may not get the exact results you want. Just be aware.

 

You may not be able to stop your mom's comments, but I do think you should have a talk with your boyfriend. Sounds like he's picked up on something you're not too confident about and is possibly making it worse. Tell him you appreciate that he cares, but being skinny doesn't mean you aren't normal or healthy and that his comments are beginning to weight negatively on your mental health. Perhaps talk about other ways in which he can be supportive towards you.

 

Good luck.

[violetblue123]

Excersize builds muscle weight if you just have a high metabolism and it's not a health issue that's causing it. I've been doing like squats and such (to try and build muscle in the places I'm most lacking) and it does show. I noticed results in like a week. Btw I'm 15, 5 foot, and am 80-ish pounds so I'd say you're pretty average weight for your height.

 

Your friends and family might be joking too cause the same people who are jelly of my skinnyness are the same ones who say those same comments like "girl you need a sandwich"

Edited January 19, 2014 by violetblue123

[Vhale]

This is a "diet" site, but it focuses not just on losing weight but getting muscular and eatting proper nutrition. It's got a pretty good library of training videos etc. It does try to sell special food, but you can pretty much ignore all that.

 

http://bodyforlife.com/library/exercise/weight-training

 

That's a work out plan above, and below is a little tool that lets you look at form for various workouts.

http://bodyforlife.com/library/tools

 

It's based around a 3 month regimen to get in shape. So, if it's something you thought you could stick to it might work for you.

[georgexu94]

Well, finally a thread about gaining weight. It seems I am not the only one.

[Kestra15]

Eat more. Exercise less.

[Hisa]

Eat more. Exercise less.

You can't exercise much more less than I already do. Eating more so far hasn't been of help,

 

But yah I guess I'll try the more exercising way

[KrazyKarp]

Eat more. Exercise less.

That would depend on what you do for exercising.

 

Lifting weights adds the kind of weight you want. Eating adds weight that makes you... well... fat.

Of course I'm not telling you to stop eating. I think you need to keep the weight you get from food and the weight you get from exercising well balanced.

 

I could be wrong here, since this is only what I think and what I've observed since I started exercising regularly.

Edited January 19, 2014 by Ultra

[brairtrainer]

Just remembered something else I did when I was trying to gain weight; be prepared to make your own definition of healthy, and read health food articles.

 

Even though I'm not trying to gain weight what is healthy for me now isn't healthy for most people. Talk to your doctor about your goals and ask how to go about them and what is a realistic time frame for gaining the weight. Your definition should be tailored to your needs.

[Xylene]

I wouldn't worry about weight so much as diet. Weight vs height is only the surface - some people have denser bones, more muscle, etc. Personally, I'm at 113-115 lbs (51-52kg) and I'm 5'4" (162.5cm); it's not too far off from you, right? I've been around this weight/height for the better part of 4 years. I like running when I have the time, which is every walk between classes, and whenever I drop by my grandma's house, because she has a treadmill. Healthy enough, except for low blood iron.

 

My family's a bunch of stick insects, so my siblings are 5'0" + 90lbs, 5'3" + 95lbs, 5'8" + 108lbs. |D The little sister looks like a dainty little fairy, and everyone teases me about being 'fat'! The little brother was told he needed to gain weight so his body could use that to grow (he's at the age that he should be shooting up like a weed!) so our doctor has him drinking meal supplements and is keeping an eye on his diet, rather than getting him to eat all the junk. (But junk tastes great. ;A; )

 

So yeah... as Socky and everyone else says, focus on what you eat, and eat mostly-healthy (Come on, who are we kidding? People like junk food. Saying to cut it out completely is hard!). Some people have a certain height/weight/build and that's genetics. o: It might make you feel better to do lots of research; you learn stuff and it makes you feel better, win/win.

[popcorncat11]

I'm 102 lb with my height being 5'2", so reading these answers will really help me. I am actually really underweight to the point of being unhealthy. I am a pesketarian aand I eat a normal diet (consisting of mostly fish, soy, and tofu as my protein--although I don't always get enough of it) I have no idea whether I should gain weight, or if I'm fine where I am.

 

And I also run daily.

 

SO this will be good for me to read! Thanks for making the topic.

Edited January 19, 2014 by popcorncat11

[7Deadly$ins]

That doesn't sound underweight at all, let alone to the point of being unhealthy. What do you think is normal?

[Snickie]

I'm 5'8" and fluctuate anywhere between 111 and 119lb, and my BMI is 17.83 (18.5 is the low end of normal), and I'm 18. If anyone here is underweight, it's me. And Momo too. The rest of you are probably fine where you are.

 

If you want to gain weight the healthy (read: paleo and holistic) way, then eat more protein (protein = meat and fish and poultry, NOT soy/tofu or beans) and starchy vegetables (namely sweet potatoes) and fatty fruits (avocado, coconut, etc) and nuts and seeds (NOT peanuts). If your food is nutrient-dense, you'll be able to use more of what's in it and that gives your body more resources to grow.

Edited January 19, 2014 by Snickie

[Obscure_Trash]

my BMI is 17.83 (18.5 is the low end of normal),

BMI is an incredibly flawed system, though, and it really needs to die a fiery death. We shouldn't be using it at all to judge "normal" (since there is no one normal - people naturally range from stick figure to fat).

[Snickie]

I know it is, and I meant to mention that in my last post but I forgot. Oh well. I have a thin build. Other people my height have bigger bones and would look like a skeleton if they weighed as little as I do.

 

I think "normal" is supposed to mean "average" anyway. I have a below average weight for my height but that doesn't mean I'm too skinny to be healthy.

[Fayne]

The body is a weird system sometimes. I'm 1.58m/5'2" and weigh in at around 58kg, after working hard to lose weight because I think I'm the result of a genetic perfect storm when it comes to weight gain (woohoo, not). At my lightest I was 56kg and I looked like a stick, but my exercise regime has slacked off a bit lately so back up a couple of kgs.

 

On the other hand, my rock climbing partner is a bit taller than me (perhaps 1.65m?) and weighs about 48kg. She is vegetarian, but apart from that doesn't really stint herself on food at all. Eats what she wants, rock climbs once or twice a week, swims generally once or twice a week, that's about it. She looks and feels healthy so that's fine.

 

I'd say if you're healthy, don't worry about it, as others have said. The only time when I was concerned about my climbing partner's weight was when she got sick, lost her appetite and started to lose weight. There's something to be said to having a little bit of buffering - or so I tell myself! Just make sure you're having a healthy, varied diet, getting all the vitamins etc you need, then if your metabolism is working really well and you aren't sick then hooray!

 

I agree that BMI should die a fiery death - having a GP go on about your BMI is a bit soul destroying (well, my GP anyway) and disguises problems like weighing your 'perfect' weight but it all being fat, not muscle, for instance, which isn't healthy either. Body fat percentage is a lot more accurate... Increasing muscle mass/toning and reducing body fat percentage to healthy levels is healthier anyway...