weight gain

[milkandcookies]

hi I was just wondering if anybody knows how I can put on a stone, I am 25 and just nearly 8 stone, I would like to get to 9 but whatever I eat just gets burned off, thyroids all ok.

one of my mindees was seriously underweight we added things like cream to mash as opposed to milk and we used more cheese in cooking

I have the same problem. I now weigh 7 stone 2 but have problems gaining weight. My job means I burn lots of calories.

Will watch with interest.

You have to be a lot more accurate about your calorie intake if you genuinely want to gain weight. If your natural tendency is to undereat and you approach weight-gain too randomly you'll always end uo failing. Overweight people who's natural tendency is to overeat have to count calories to keep their intake in check.... same thing.

You need to start with 2500 calories a day, every day and take it from there. You'll need energy-dense, nutrition-dense foods such as oils, fats, nuts, dried fruit etc., so that you get to your target. Eat 'little and often' starting early in the day so that you can get it all in. And be well-organised.... you absolutely can't afford to miss a snack or a meal. Has to take priority.

If you don't gain weight on 2500 then increase by another 500 and keep going. If you're young and energetic you might need to get up as high as 4000 cals a day in order to see sustained gains.

But don't guess.... measure calories, measure portions. Gainers have to take the job just as seriously as people needing to lose weight.

thanks for your replies, I will most definately need to have 4000 calories because I am always on the move. How long will it take to actually gain, even if its just a bit?

What are your respective heights? Are your recommended BMI'S far off

A typical gain rate would be 1lb a week. And that assumes that you consistently get 500 cals more than you use up every day. As you gain weight your energy needs will naturally increase. Larger people use up more energy than smaller ones... So to keep the gains going you either need to do less exercise or you need to increase your intake.

When you get to a healthy weight (and you should aim for a BMI of 20+, no lower) you can't afford to relax either. To prevent slipping back you'll need to keep a careful track of your intake for some considerable time until you're confident that your regular eating habits are adequate to your needs.

If you struggle with gaining and if being underweight is causing you health problems e.g. your periods stop, then see your doctor and ask if you can be referred to a nutritionist. Being chronically underweight can have quite serious long-term health consequences.

I have heard that bananas are helpful in gaining weight.

That's true, I used to be quite skinny back in the day and used to eat bananas to bump up my weight. Otherway around now, but getting to my target slowly