Gaining weight isn't as easy as you think.

Not good weight anyways. I've always struggled to gain, have a hyper metabolism and have worked out most of my life. At one point I weighed 202 which is the most i've been then I hurt my shoulder and have hovered around 180 the last 18 months. So, i'm 44 and gonna give it one more college try but man, you have to eat a lot and i'm not one who eats just because normally. Taken me a month to gain 10lbs and it's almost a chore. Good thing is, my lifts have gone up.

Don't know why you need to know this but I was in a sharing mood.

Lucky bastard! I have the opposite problem. My metabolism was great in my late teens, but my early 20s I started really packing on the pounds. In High School I was 145-150 lbs with working out-not much more before either. After HS I stopped working out and became real lazy but still only got to 175. In my early days of the Navy I stayed between 150 and 175. In my last year, I stopped working out on a regular basis and went up to 195 (from 175 in less than 3 months). My heaviest I was at 211 and have fluctuated between that and 200 since then. I need to work out every day just to get back to 175 and that's with intense work outs. My main problem is that I like food too much. Even if I stuff myself full, I get hungry less than 3 hours later.

I have recently given up sugared drinks (water and diet drinks only) so maybe that will help me to loose some decent weight (at the rate I drank sugared drinks that is bound to work for me). If I can start to get myself working out again, that will help too. However, my love affair with food prevents me from loosing weight otherwise. If I try to cut down on my food, I get hunger pangs (I start feeling queasy).

The only reason I believe I'm not fatter is because I stand and walk around a lot and when I have a job I spend all my time on my feet. If I had gone through with my college and got a bachelor's degree in business I would probably have gotten an office job and really let myself go. So I might be poor but at least I don't waddle when I walk .

As someone who also battles to gain weight, something that bugs me is that there are thousands of programmes out there for people wanting to lose weight, but precious few for those wanting to gain it. While there are greater health risks associated being overweight, being underweight can also lead to problems.

What I did that helped me put on weight was to start eating more during the day. While eating five meals a day instead of three sounds like it might be impractical, they don't necessarily have to be big meals.

So I have a normal breakfast, lunch and supper but I also have mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks. Nothing fancy, most of the time it's either yoghurt or nuts.

I obviously can't say for certain whether it's this or other factors that had an effect, but I have managed to put on about 5-6 kilograms, which has taken me out of the BMI underweight category. I did it in a fairly short space of time, and given that my weight had remained fairly constant for years, I can't think of anything other than the change in diet which could have done it.

Well, I've always had a hard time keeping my weight down. At my heaviest I was about 250 lbs. I'm 6'2 but that's too heavy. Like Dallas I gave up the sugary drinks (I probably drank at least 4 Mountain Dews a day-my weakness) and was able to drop 20lbs. That was still too high for my BMI so I decided to diet and exercise more.


Over the course of a few months I was able to drop 45lbs and with the help of an elliptical (30 minutes every day)and I've been able to keep it off for about a year now. I still watch what I eat but I do indulge on beer (lite mostly-there are a lot of calories in regular beer).

I've got an extra 20 or 30 pounds hanging around me you can gladly have.

I expect it overnight UPS, MG.

DB, are your diet drinks with fake sugar? If so you'll get the same glycemic response as regular sugar and it's about as bad.

Dark Horseman wrote:

DB, are your diet drinks with fake sugar? If so you'll get the same glycemic response as regular sugar and it's about as bad.

yeppers

I have absolutely no sympathy for you

The only diet drinks I consume are those that contain Splenda.

And that's part of the problem. The body responds as if it's getting sugar and there may be other problems with splenda.

Just friendly advice, not trying to run your life man.

Dark Horseman wrote:

And that's part of the problem. The body responds as if it's getting sugar and there may be other problems with splenda.

Just friendly advice, not trying to run your life man.

Everything is bad for you these days. Besides, the main reason I switched to diet was my dental work I'm having to get done. Fake sugar doesn't breed bacteria like sugar does so it's safer on your teeth (at least studies have showed that to be). Also, members of my family have suggested to switch to diet drinks because they were worried about the amount of soda and sweet tea I consume. It may have other problems, but it will help me loose some weight. Since I don't exersize that much and eat quite a bit, it will help some.

I don't tend to be worried about this food or that food. My belief is: everything in moderation (anything is bad for you if you have too much of it). With many of these diet studies in the past few decades showing to be wrong and in some cases, the information has been faked, I try very rarely take these so called 'specialists' at their word. I do need to eat better and drink more water, but right now I don't loose sleep over it. When I decide to eat better, It will be all about moderation.

I do appreciate the advice though.

Yeah, I seem to gain weight just fine! If I start getting active(biking, jogging, etc), I'll more than likely start losing the pounds. I have to start first

chewie wrote:

Yeah, I seem to gain weight just fine! If I start getting active(biking, jogging, etc), I'll more than likely start losing the pounds. I have to start first

That's my problem. Unless I'm employed and working daily, I just can't bring myself to get active. My only incentive to get into shape is for a future relationship. However, without the money and confidence (due to no career, living at my dad's house, etc.) to start dating, I have no drive to do anything about my girth. I should start now, but until things turn around for me I just can't seem to make myself do so.

DallasBlack wrote:

chewie wrote:

Yeah, I seem to gain weight just fine! If I start getting active(biking, jogging, etc), I'll more than likely start losing the pounds. I have to start first

That's my problem. Unless I'm employed and working daily, I just can't bring myself to get active. My only incentive to get into shape is for a future relationship. However, without the money and confidence (due to no career, living at my dad's house, etc.) to start dating, I have no drive to do anything about my girth. I should start now, but until things turn around for me I just can't seem to make myself do so.

get yourself a bicycle and ride to job interviews. A few miles may seem like a long ways, but after a while....20 will be nothing

James B. wrote:

DallasBlack wrote:

chewie wrote:

Yeah, I seem to gain weight just fine! If I start getting active(biking, jogging, etc), I'll more than likely start losing the pounds. I have to start first

That's my problem. Unless I'm employed and working daily, I just can't bring myself to get active. My only incentive to get into shape is for a future relationship. However, without the money and confidence (due to no career, living at my dad's house, etc.) to start dating, I have no drive to do anything about my girth. I should start now, but until things turn around for me I just can't seem to make myself do so.

get yourself a bicycle and ride to job interviews. A few miles may seem like a long ways, but after a while....20 will be nothing

Not a bad idea. I have a bike, I just need to inflate the tires (though I think the front one has a leak in it). However, right now during the renovations on my dad's house, I'll just hang around here until it's time for him to come home (luckily, it looks like I'll be getting unemployment during this jobless cycle). The warehouse I'm likely to get a job with should be ready by then.

I hear you on moderation and I don't listen too much to the experts. Guys like Dr. Oz are always scaring you then selling you a book.

Portions and exercise go hand in hand with either gaining or losing weight in my experience. There are ways to gain if ya wanna build alot of bulk. Which includes weight training. I don't recommend using those products unless you plan to lift. Alot of things need to burn off for it to be beneficial as well as healthy. There does come a time when metabolism shifts, this is what I am experiencing now.

James B. wrote:

There does come a time when metabolism shifts,

For some it takes longer for that to happen than others. My metabolism shifted in my early 20s.

Eating a lot doesn't make you gain weight. Sitting around and not doing anything makes you gain weight. I sit around and do nothing but study now days, and I'm hovering around 205, but I'm like 5' 9".

The_Jayroh wrote:

Eating a lot doesn't make you gain weight. Sitting around and not doing anything makes you gain weight. I sit around and do nothing but study now days, and I'm hovering around 205, but I'm like 5' 9".

We're about the same height and weight.

I'm having the same 'problem'.. I'm a lanky 130-pound 5'-8" , way too low for my height

I could barely put Up 1 pound over the course of a month of binge eating + Beers + Protein Shakes, but when I get sick I would stand to lose 3 pounds or so in a mere couple of days, how shitty is that

Somehow I gave up, Unless a smart doctor can cure my metabolism I'd be more than willing to pay him serious money

I feel like this is a curse and I want to at least experience being obese

Gaining weight is easy for most people... Losing weight is a bitch.

Wow Emo, that almost sounds like a thyroid issue.

5'9 and go about 140 myself. Ideally I'd like ten more pounds but since I started marathon training awhile back it really leaned me out. At first I was kind of upset to lose mass (I love to lift) but it did get me a nice cut going.

I'm fortunate since I love to train and am very picky about what I'll eat. I've also developed quite a vain streak the older I've gotten.

One trick I've heard for gaining weight is the old sumo trick. Eat lots of carbs and proteins right before going to sleep. Supposedly that way the body will store it up rather than burning it off.

It is for me. I can walk by a Twinkie and gain 5lbs.