Looking to gain weight

[Huntardicus]

Hi everyone, just looking for some helpful advice.

Currently at 19 years old and 6 foot 5 (195cm), I weight 11 stone (154 pounds/~70kg), which works out to be a BMI of around 18.27 and therefore underweight for my height. Ideally I'd like to reach 13 stone so that I sit comfortably at a healthy weight, so I am looking for some suggestions as to how I can do this.

I eat a normal breakfast, a normal (perhaps larger than normal) lunch, and large dinners. I also eat a lot of chocolate throughout the day for snacks and drink plenty as well. I don't consider myself unhealthy (in fact I am quite healthy), but I would prefer a bit more meat on my bones, so to speak.

As for exercise, I don't do a lot besides walking perhaps a total of a mile per weekday (only an estimate) getting to and from university.

Is there anything I can try food-wise that isn't incredibly expensive (such as eating a lot more food than usual - I already eat a lot), or perhaps I just need to wait a while for my metabolism to calm down? Any suggestions for a large weight gain would be greatly appreciated, and any personal experience also.

Thanks in advance.

[Phrumtastic]

if you're looking to gain weight, I hear muscle weighs more than fat; but that means if you gain muscle you'll have to eat because muscle burns lots of calories and nutrients. Couple of food that can help are peanuts, big bag o' peanuts, peanut butter, oatmeal with whole milk or 2% whichever you prefer. If you drink milk also implement soy milk so its more calories and more protein. Eat fruits and vegetables everyday, 3 different kinds of fruits and vegetables. Brown rice is also good. Sweet Potato, Broccoli, Apples, Bananas, Ground beef is also good. I mean thats what I eat and my grocery bill is like 150 every 1.5-2 weeks

I was 5'8 100 lbs, now im 5'8 130 with chiseled muscle and my metabolism is slowing down. Im also 19, just keep eating and exercise, not much cardio though that burns your calories. Do more weights or even calistenichs (sp). Just do it everyday and you'll be surpised where you go.

[Osmeric]

Do weight training and eat more protein. Whey powder is what bodybuilders use.

[Harzaka]

if you're looking to gain weight, I hear muscle weighs more than fat; but that means if you gain muscle you'll have to eat because muscle burns lots of calories and nutrients. Couple of food that can help are peanuts, big bag o' peanuts, peanut butter, oatmeal with whole milk or 2% whichever you prefer. If you drink milk also implement soy milk so its more calories and more protein. Eat fruits and vegetables everyday, 3 different kinds of fruits and vegetables. Brown rice is also good. Sweet Potato, Broccoli, Apples, Bananas, Ground beef is also good. I mean thats what I eat and my grocery bill is like 150 every 1.5-2 weeks

I was 5'8 100 lbs, now im 5'8 130 with chiseled muscle and my metabolism is slowing down. Im also 19, just keep eating and exercise, not much cardio though that burns your calories. Do more weights or even calistenichs (sp). Just do it everyday and you'll be surpised where you go.

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[Orlong]

Eat at Mcdonalds for breakfast lunch and dinner every day

[Arcrin]

Eat at Mcdonalds for breakfast lunch and dinner every day

doesnt make you fat when you have high metabolism like this guy has. then mc donalds just destroys your organs.

[Huntardicus]

if you're looking to gain weight, I hear muscle weighs more than fat; but that means if you gain muscle you'll have to eat because muscle burns lots of calories and nutrients. Couple of food that can help are peanuts, big bag o' peanuts, peanut butter, oatmeal with whole milk or 2% whichever you prefer. If you drink milk also implement soy milk so its more calories and more protein. Eat fruits and vegetables everyday, 3 different kinds of fruits and vegetables. Brown rice is also good. Sweet Potato, Broccoli, Apples, Bananas, Ground beef is also good. I mean thats what I eat and my grocery bill is like 150 every 1.5-2 weeks

I was 5'8 100 lbs, now im 5'8 130 with chiseled muscle and my metabolism is slowing down. Im also 19, just keep eating and exercise, not much cardio though that burns your calories. Do more weights or even calistenichs (sp). Just do it everyday and you'll be surpised where you go.

Sounds like something I could get on board with, especially the food ideas!

[Phrumtastic]

ya his height is 6'5 150, that food is only going to affect his hormones and throw it off. Gaining EFFECTIVE weight takes commitment and patience and good exercising and good nutrition.

[Orlong]

You should count your blessings instead of complaining about being skinny. Hundreds of millions of people spend billions of dollars to try and lose weight and here you are whining because you are a weight millions would kill to be and you want to ruin it?

[Huntardicus]

You should count your blessings instead of complaining about being skinny. Hundreds of millions of people spend billions of dollars to try and lose weight and here you are whining because you are a weight millions would kill to be and you want to ruin it?

Being underweight can cause just as many health problems as being overweight. It is something to be just as concerned with.

[Phrumtastic]

Also a box of whole grain pasta is cheap, I buy like 10 for 9.50$ in the US. Also to Orlong, people spend hundrends and billions of dollars because they are ignorant and stubbon and don't understand the right nutrition, so they listen to the TV or ads to buy pills or surgery. Those people really need to help THEMSELVES first, rather than to ask for help. And Huntardicus is right, being underweight is just and dangerous as being overweight.

[Harzaka]

doesnt make you fat when you have high metabolism like this guy has. then mc donalds just destroys your organs.

Even if he has a high metabolism he can still get fat.
There is ALWAYS a calorie limit.

[Projali]

I guarantee if you did a food log of what you eat on a daily basis, you wouldn't think that you "already eat a lot."

Calculate your basal metabolic rate with your activity level in mind (google it), plan out your meals and get a strength (Starting Strength, Stronglifts.com) or calisthenics routine going.

[Osmeric]

Eat at Mcdonalds for breakfast lunch and dinner every day

Don't do this. It's unhealthy food. If you want to increase your calorie intake, eat stuff that's good for you.

[jbhasban]

Don't do this. It's unhealthy food. If you want to increase your calorie intake, eat stuff that's good for you.

You can make some killer peanut butter cups with super dark chocolate. Healthy and tonnnns of calories.

[Evil Inside]

Even if he has a high metabolism he can still get fat.
There is ALWAYS a calorie limit.

No matter how much/what I eat I stay at a constant 78-79kg, seriously, I eat alot of fast food and food that is generally not "healthy" and I'm always the same weight, even without exercise, I guess it's a blessing though since I'm at about the right weight.

[Gainer]

I'm 6 foot 4 and also 19 years old except I'm 83kg which puts me in the same body type as you, an ectomorph. It's been my goal since roughly August now to get some heavy gains done since I too have been a pretty thin guy up till now. If you're really wanting to gain weight try going to the gym on a regular basis and eating a high protein diet. A product I use to gain weight called 'Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass' worked well for me when combined with a bi-daily workout although it is pretty expensive I do think it's worth it if nothing else is working for you. I also use protein shakes from a company called myprotein which seem to help with weight gain as well. Usually a gym membership + protein is pretty expensive but check your uni's gym prices because they're usually pretty cheap. I guess it goes without saying that you've gotta really pack way more into your meals but make sure it's good, healthy stuff or else you'll just pack on fat which doesn't look good on anyone. I use a diet of Loyd Grossman's Chicken Tikka Masala sauce with chicken and a massive portion of rice every single day to help promote weight gain. I've put on several kilograms in weight since August which is a fairly substantial gain for someone with our sort of body type. You really do need a lot of willpower to get this done though and gains really aren't gonna come quickly.

Also, if you think you're eating enough, today I consumed over 4000 calories worth of food

[Harzaka]

No matter how much/what I eat I stay at a constant 78-79kg, seriously, I eat alot of fast food and food that is generally not "healthy" and I'm always the same weight, even without exercise, I guess it's a blessing though since I'm at about the right weight.

Some people can eat a whole lot of food, but you cannot eat unlimited and not get fat, thats not possible for anyone.
Myself i do have a rather fast metabolism, im currently trying to gain weight myself and im eating 3800 calories and im barelly gaining weight

[Yilar]

Snack on almonds throughout the day.

[Daffkeine]

Work out, HEAVY lifting, check fitness forums and find beginners program and work your self up to heavy weights. If you want to gain weight, you want muscles, not fat, and for that, you must work out. Dont even need a gym to start with, push ups and squats with two bags filled with waterbottles will do fine.
Eat healthy! No junk or trash. Just plain healthy food, but lots of it.
Calculate how many calories you need to eat to gain a healthy amount each week (dont have time to google them, but there are lots of sites that can provide you with that information)

And again, and above all, Work out! Heavy weights with few reps, no jogging/cardio, and healthy food.
If you can, make most of your food from the scratch, no half-pre-made junk that is full of fat and salt.