Goal: gain muscle mass and weight

TrofeoLover

Hi. I'm Steve. I'm 38 years old, 5'11", and weight about 118. I've been using this app for about 6 months or so, on and off. My depression and other problems prevent me from sticking with things. I've had trouble eating enough all my life (and exercising, too, as my muscles are just about gone and need immediate attention) and as times goes on I find myself getting older, thinner, and weaker. (Although on the bright side, with the few entries I have made in this app, it's reporting to me a current weight of 118, with a starting weight in November of 2014, to be 108.) One of my ultimate goals in life is to be a healthy, optimum weight. I want to feel good again; I used to feel so great when I was younger. Now, every day that goes by, combined with self-neglect, constant coffee-drinking, I am taking less and less care of myself and my weight and health are really starting to suffer and cause me regular pain and discomfort. I know I can do it, as I feel you can do anything you set your mind to, and sometimes it's not the starting something that's so hard, it's sticking with it. My very life may depend on whether I can get on this train to weight gain and healthy living or not. I must do it. I have no choice. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to achieve this goal. I would be thrilled to find other passengers for this train to weight gain and healthy living. I will try as best I can to stay as up-to-date as possible. Feel free to join me, and thank you so much for reading!

terizius

Steve, I understand the difficulty in sticking with a program. That is my challenge as well. Yesterday, going to the gym was one of the last things I wanted to do - which is precisely the reason why I dragged my butt out of the house and went. I hope that if you haven't already made a plan for yourself (nutrition and workout regimen), that you are in the process of doing so now. Its easy to talk (write) about what you want and plan to do, but much more difficult to actually do it.

There are a number of people trying to gain more strength/weight, and a few are tracking and sharing their progress regularly. I am one and Frans is another that I know about now. I started my program about 2 1/2 weeks ago, Frans is about half way through his. Feel free to read along with our progress for insights or inspiration, if they are to be found. Good luck.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10113196/terrys-12-week-bulk#latest

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10113521/franss-first-bulking-attempt-in-12-weeks#latest

TrofeoLover

Hi Terizius and thank you for your reply. It's amazing the motivational power this app can have. Between being able to log and see your food in a simple to understand manner, along with being able to view the food and exercises of others, is just amazing. In the last 2 days I have already felt amazingly better. I've been eating, up moving around, and I'm feeling great. I thought this was going to be hard, but I am actually having fun with this and enjoying it. It's so satisfying to look at my screen and see that I've consumed 1900 calories in a day and how I got them. The most important part, is people like you. People who share their lives with us and allow us to see what you're eating and exercising methods are. I've got a long road I want to travel; I'm glad to have met you. I will follow you and wish you the best of luck.

terizius

Keep your chin up and keep us posted. Whenever I don't want to do something, that's usually a clue that I need to do it. Keep that in mind when things get difficult.

nerdygymrat9

Thank you for your request Steve and it is great to see that you feel that way and you are already feeling better. The important thing is that you keep that motivation up, work hard, and continue to eat a good amount of food. And we will definitely help you along the way

Lisabobisa13

A registered dietitian would be your best bet on gaining weight. They helped me when I lost too much weight during radiation treatments for a tumor. The dietitians made a plan based on the foods I liked and added extras to what I liked that added calories. The dietitian can also help you plan for the right amount of protein you will need to add muscle. Muscle can be attained by just doing 3 sets of 15 reps of 8 different dumbbell routines 3 times a week. Many guys think they need to go for 60 lbs dumbbells or higher to bulk up. Not true. Men do have more muscles in most of their body than women, but they don't need to lift huge weights to gain muscle mass. I believe the number of sets/reps do more bulking than heavier weights. Start at a comfortable dumbbell weight for you, stay there for 2-4 weeks with a plan to add 2.5-5 lbs every 4 weeks till you reach the maximum weight YOU feel comfortable doing. And finally, exercise has helped me overcome depression better than anything else. I have not had a serious depressive episode for over 4 years and I've be exercising 3-5 times a week for almost 8 years now. Best wishes for you and your future!!! (Here is a really simple and informative weight training site: http://barbell-exercises.com/)

TrofeoLover

Thank you all for your responses and your kind, awesome words. I am actually excited and inspired about my journey by this app and the people on it. I will try my best to stay on track and update!

Springfield1970

Lisabobisa13 wrote: »

A registered dietitian would be your best bet on gaining weight. They helped me when I lost too much weight during radiation treatments for a tumor. The dietitians made a plan based on the foods I liked and added extras to what I liked that added calories. The dietitian can also help you plan for the right amount of protein you will need to add muscle. Muscle can be attained by just doing 3 sets of 15 reps of 8 different dumbbell routines 3 times a week. Many guys think they need to go for 60 lbs dumbbells or higher to bulk up. Not true. Men do have more muscles in most of their body than women, but they don't need to lift huge weights to gain muscle mass. I believe the number of sets/reps do more bulking than heavier weights. Start at a comfortable dumbbell weight for you, stay there for 2-4 weeks with a plan to add 2.5-5 lbs every 4 weeks till you reach the maximum weight YOU feel comfortable doing. And finally, exercise has helped me overcome depression better than anything else. I have not had a serious depressive episode for over 4 years and I've be exercising 3-5 times a week for almost 8 years now. Best wishes for you and your future!!! (Here is a really simple and informative weight training site: http://barbell-exercises.com/)

I'm glad you had a good recovery after your illness, and it's important to eat food you like.

Having said that, you really don't know what youre talking about regarding weight training, so just stick around and read.

OP I'm very very excited for you. This is going to be a great journey. With friends around like the posters above you won't need a dietitian.

TrofeoLover

Thank you, Springfield1970.