Got tips?

MushroomMuncherr

Hi there. Any one got any advice and/or tips for making a eating schedule for a really skinny guy trying to gain weight? I'm an engineer student so i don't have a lot of time on my hands so i stopped working out and started missing meals too. So now i'm trying to get in shape again and gain some weight. I don't really have any idea about counting calories or trying to keep a diet, i basically eat whatever i feel like and it doesn't work out pretty well obviously.
I'm 42 kilograms(92 pounds, ~6 stones) and my goal is around 55-60 kilograms(121 pounds, ~8 stones). Everyone's opinion is very much appreciated.

xcalygrl

For starters, you can go here (http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/#projectedweightloss) to figure out a rough estimate of your TDEE. You'll want to put in your goal as "gain" so that it knows you want to eat above your TDEE and gain weight.

Once you get that, you'll need to measure and log items so you can see if you're hitting the number it gives you. If you aren't you'll need to add more food. If you are, good. If you are hitting that number and not gaining, you'll need to add more calories since the calculations are just "best guesses" based off of an equation.

MushroomMuncherr

Thank you!

xmichaelyx

Drink more calories. Milk, weight gainer, protein shakes, even soda IIFYM.

You can also stick to an eating routine more easily if you cook in bulk, and heat up your pre-made food as needed. My first successful gain (from around 130 to about 160) was helped tremendously by making huge amounts of pasta every week, bagging it into individual baggies, and then putting it back into boiling water for 30-seconds or so as needed (I learned this from working in a restaurant).

Now I just make a vat of chili every 2 weeks, freeze it in individual containers, and microwave as needed.

AliceDark

You're an 18 year old male at 92 pounds? First off, you should see a doctor to make sure you don't have any underlying health issues that are causing you to be so severely underweight.

If you need them, here are some good ED resources: http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1575987-eating-disorder-resources

Once you've been cleared by your doctor...as you've found out, just "eating whatever you feel like" doesn't work for a lot of people. Actually eating in a surplus to gain weight is as difficult for some people as eating at a deficit to lose weight is for others. Go to the site that xcalygirl provided and find your target, then come up with a plan that allows you to eat that amount every day. Liquid calories are good, as are calorie-dense foods, like peanut butter, cheese, ice cream, fatty meat, etc., that give you a lot of calories for not a lot of volume (so you can eat more without feeling full).

MushroomMuncherr

AliceDark wrote: »

You're an 18 year old male at 92 pounds? First off, you should see a doctor to make sure you don't have any underlying health issues that are causing you to be so severely underweight.

If you need them, here are some good ED resources: http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1575987-eating-disorder-resources

Once you've been cleared by your doctor...as you've found out, just "eating whatever you feel like" doesn't work for a lot of people. Actually eating in a surplus to gain weight is as difficult for some people as eating at a deficit to lose weight is for others. Go to the site that xcalygirl provided and find your target, then come up with a plan that allows you to eat that amount every day. Liquid calories are good, as are calorie-dense foods, like peanut butter, cheese, ice cream, fatty meat, etc., that give you a lot of calories for not a lot of volume (so you can eat more without feeling full).

I go to the doctor for full check-ups and tests at least twice a year and they say i'm fine. So it should't be a health issue i think.

AliceDark

Okay, good. Thanks for not getting offended. There are some nasty diseases that could cause you to lose weight suddenly (cancer and diabetes come to mind), so my comments were from a "better safe than sorry" place. If there are any extenuating circumstances that are causing your weight to be that low, they'll change the advice that is appropriate for you and could cause people to give you suggestions that could be dangerous for you.

Assuming there aren't, the advice above still stands. Don't rely on hunger cues to tell you when and how much to eat. Just like some people naturally eat more and have to really try to eat less, you may just naturally feel satiated with less food and will need to track to make sure you're taking in enough calories to gain.