Gaining weight...

[Shik Valentine]

Not sure if you are being serious but you should be trying to eat around 4-5 smaller meals throughout the day.

There is no benefit to eating that many meals a day. He could have 1 meal or 20, the outcome would be the same.....

[Deleted]

There is no benefit to eating that many meals a day. He could have 1 meal or 20, the outcome would be the same.....

This is very true.

I think the 5-6 meals a day myth is one of the hardest to kill.
People swear by it.

[Sleepysnik]

First of all don't work out every day. 1 hour 3 times a week is better. You need at least 1 day to rest when you do weight training to get more muscle.
And do a 10 minute warmup and 10 minutes cooling down with some cardio and not a lot more.

There are also weight gaining shakes out there I think. Maybe that helps? Also use protein shakes twice a day or maybe even more in your case. The best time to drink them is after you work out or before you go to bed.
Besides that you just have to eat a lot and build up muscle if you want to gain weight. Just don't work out everyday it will just burn all the protein and your muscles don't have a chance to rest.

Not to be a dick, but you can workout every day as long as you don't do the same muscles each day. You just need a good program. Also, drinking 2 protein shakes a day while working out 3 hours a week? That wont do you any good, it will be extra load on your kidneys as you piss most of it all, and a little will turn to fat. Unless you do proper building, you don't need protein shakes. Carbo shakes could help him tho. Weightgain shakes are basically just combined carbo and protein, would be an alternative straight after workout.

---------- Post added 2011-06-18 at 08:32 PM ----------

This is very true.

I think the 5-6 meals a day myth is one of the hardest to kill.
People swear by it.

Having more and smaller meals keeps your blood sugar up, which will reduce the chance of getting a sugar rush. Also I think it is better for your metabolism. EDIT: Oh, and less chance of overeating because of hunger when you actually have your meal of the day.

[Deleted]

Also I think it is better for your metabolism.

Meal frequency does not increase or decrease the speed of your metabolism.
3 meals a day or 6 won't change your metabolism.

I promise.

[Deleted]

If you're still a teenager, then don't worry about gaining weight. It'll come naturally once you're in your twenties.

[Hunbunn]

Get your thyroid checked.

edit: 140 lbs seems dangerously thin.

[Comby]

eating right + excersising, both needs to be right
If one is incorrect, good bye any gains what so ever

Eat low hi carbs like pasta, n rice, combined with lean protein like chicken filets.
Pile on the calories but dont chose sugar, fat and crap food like pizza, burgers, n such.

Most people get the excersising wrong tho, working out the same muscle group each day etc, without giving them time to grow
Its when you sleep and rest your muscles grow, not when working out.

Get a proper workout program, and eat more calories than your body needs in a day. About 500 calories plus will lead to a gain of weight, 500 in deficit will lead to a loss of weight.
Try getting atleast 3000 calories in a day.

[Radux]

Eat low hi carbs like pasta, n rice, combined with lean protein like chicken filets.
Pile on the calories but dont chose sugar, fat and crap food like pizza, burgers, n such.

Just pointing out -- you know that Carbs = Sugar, right?

[pionock]

To gain weight you need eat more calories than you are burning during your work out.

Wow, what an extremely helpful comment, NOBODY'S ever heard of that.

OP, there are supplements out there that are designed specifically for weight gain. They have like 1300 calories in a serving, and they come in a shake like form. You can find these at a GNC or something similar.

[Shik Valentine]

Wow, what an extremely helpful comment, NOBODY'S ever heard of that.

OP, there are supplements out there that are designed specifically for weight gain. They have like 1300 calories in a serving, and they come in a shake like form. You can find these at a GNC or something similar.

He's better off making his own. GNC supps are overpriced & profile of some of these shakes are terrible.

Here's the same post a couple pages back

Yep. Only thing I would change is number 3, he's better off making his own. Whey, peanut butter, oats, fruit, etc. He'll be able to manipulate it more to his macro/calorie needs, be cheaper, & bet it'll taste better .

[Shockington]

Pizza Hut lunch buffet

nuff said.

[KCguy]

Get your thyroid checked.

edit: 140 lbs seems dangerously thin.

Nah it is underweight, but some people like me were even less than that. I was 130 pounds at 6 feet. I've been going to the gym for years though and have put on some weight. Up to around 150. lol.

[Melodi]

i eat 1-1 1/2 meals a day and cant lose any weight, im 5'8 and around 230lbs.........wtf is this!!!!

You are actually making it harder to lose weight because you are slowing your metabolism down to a halt. That's why you aren't losing any weight. It's actually better if you eat 5 small meals a day, because it jump starts your metabolism. Of course, you need to add exercise into the mix as well. I'm assuming you might only eat 1-1.5 meals a day, but you're probably still eating a giant meal which is loaded in calories, sugar, and fat and probably hardly anything that's actually good for you.

As for OP, talk to your doctor or if you go to the gym, ask a trainer there to help you with your workout program which will help target a bunch of muscle groups and optimize gaining muscle.

[Shik Valentine]

You are actually making it harder to lose weight because you are slowing your metabolism down to a halt. That's why you aren't losing any weight. It's actually better if you eat 5 small meals a day, because it jump starts your metabolism. Of course, you need to add exercise into the mix as well. I'm assuming you might only eat 1-1.5 meals a day, but you're probably still eating a giant meal which is loaded in calories, sugar, and fat and probably hardly anything that's actually good for you.

As for OP, talk to your doctor or if you go to the gym, ask a trainer there to help you with your workout program which will help target a bunch of muscle groups and optimize gaining muscle.

Please refer to the quote below. I posted this on page 4

No it doesn't.

http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top...-debunked.html #4

There's a couple of links in there to studies to back up the myth..

[Volgarenthor]

protein, protein, protein i was a heavy weight wrestler in HS and took 2 state championships, my coach would always drill me hardcore on what to eat, if your trying to gain weight, but not all fat. Then you want to eat alot of starchy foods, and protein heavy foods, you want to stay away from sugar as it just turns straight to fat. Workout 1-4 times a week depending on your body telling you whats ok. I found 3 times a week at 2 1/2 hours, 1 hour spent on either treadmill or bicycle to "Loosen" your body for the more singular workouts was a good thing to do.

After about 2-3 months i put on 40 more pounds than what i had, putting me up to 295ish pounds, 6ft 2 inchs, and around 14% body-fat index. Stay away from quick food, like pre-packaged meals, candy's, snack crackers, and FAST FOOD. All of those evil things have additives to increase flavor, and more often then not, the introduction of those additives into your body while you are Bulking, will stunt your Bulking process. Protein shakes are a good way to add the much needed protein into your body if you aren't getting enough from the food you eat daily. BOILED CHICKEN WAS A STAPLE FOR ME! as well as Tuna Fish, because they are both tasty and delicious, and have a TON of protein.

P.S Protein bars between meals was also a good way to keep eating and add in the much needed protein.

[Deleted]

Slightly off-topic, but is anyone else appalled at the state of education and knowledge regarding fitness, exercise and physical well-being?
I don't think there's any other subject or topic that has the same amount of mis-information, myths and hear-say.
It's hard to discern fact from fiction because just when you find a study or article backing something up, you later find one opposing it.
Is it any wonder that so many people are over-weight and out of shape?

In my opinion it seems the hardest part for a beginner or newbie to start packing on muscle isn't exercise programmes, gym memberships or actually lifting the weights and performing the exercises, it's wading through the sea of bullshit and bro-science that is the fitness world.

/rant

[Shik Valentine]

Slightly off-topic, but is anyone else appalled at the state of education and knowledge regarding fitness, exercise and physical well-being?
I don't think there's any other subject or topic that has the same amount of mis-information, myths and hear-say.
It's hard to discern fact from fiction because just when you find a study or article backing something up, you later find one opposing it.
Is it any wonder that so many people are over-weight and out of shape?

In my opinion it seems the hardest part for a beginner or newbie to start packing on muscle isn't exercise programmes, gym memberships or actually lifting the weights and performing the exercises, it's wading through the sea of bullshit and bro-science that is the fitness world.

/rant

People are lazy & prefer to stick to go with old material that's easily available on TV & these so called "fitness" & "health" magazines. Yeah, I agree with your 2nd part of the post. What bugs me the most is that supplement companies are pushing the 5-6 meals a day fad. I really don't know many people who can eat that often or make the time, that's why they resort to meal replacement shakes/bars.

Also, this may seem odd for most people. But fast food, diet soda, junk food[pizza, ice cream, chips, chocolate](I am in no way suggesting this be all that you eat) wont kill you or make you fat, it's eating at a calorie surplus that does that. You can eat nothing but "healthy" foods & gain weight. Calories in vs. Calories out. If you're counting your calories/macros, you can enjoy these things & STILL LOSE WEIGHT. Hell, I'm going to go have 2 double downs(~1000 calories) & still have room for food later on

Edit: Dietary fat is not the same as the fat that you're carrying lol. You actually need it to survive & function properly. So don't worry about foods that have fat in them.

[Argroth]

i eat 1-1 1/2 meals a day and cant lose any weight, im 5'8 and around 230lbs.........wtf is this!!!!

lol I'm not really in the same situation but it is ridiculous to see people whining about NOT gaining weight. What's wrong with them, they basically have a blessing but whine about it?

I understand they don't want to become fatasses but whats wrong with being slim now? Apparently this person works out so it's not like they are weak and want people to mistake fat for muscle (which is often the case for so many "tough" guys).

Just shows the absurdity of what people can complain about

[Radux]

Also, this may seem odd for most people. But fast food, diet soda, junk food[pizza, ice cream, chips, chocolate](I am in no way suggesting this be all that you eat) wont kill you or make you fat, it's eating at a calorie surplus that does that. You can eat nothing but "healthy" foods & gain weight. Calories in vs. Calories out. If you're counting your calories/macros, you can enjoy these things & STILL LOSE WEIGHT. Hell, I'm going to go have 2 double downs(~1000 calories) & still have room for food later on

Yeah there was another thread (I might have to dig up the link) where I posted an article about a Nutrition Professor in Kentucky went on a 'Twinkie Diet' and lost like 20 pounds. So in that respect, yeah you can lose weight with a pure caloric deficit. But that doesn't mean it's actually a good thing for you to do to your body.

Going on this, though, I actually feel that having a shit mean now and again is actually good for you. I could probably find some scientific article to back it if I had to, and they'd probably use some sort of 'metabolism confusion' type ordeal -- but basically I just feel like my body works that much harder once I go back to eating clean to get some of that crap out of me. Meh. I guess my body just isn't used to eating a ton of grease.

[xile]

Please refer to the quote below. I posted this on page 4

Just for the record, most of his articles are substantiated by mere definitions from either wikipedia or dictionaries or links to his direct site. There are some viable studies but that doesn't change the fact that even though he links SOME specific studies stating one way or the other, there are studies that state the direct opposite. If you have two studies that say the complete opposite thing, one doesn't necessarily trump the other just because you choose to.

The main points he does however make that are correct is that these diet corrections whether it be time of meal, how much protein you eat, are very mild changes to a diet and will very rarely make drastic changes.