Gaining how slow do i go and how much?

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MissKittyNinja
MissKittyNinja Posts: 5 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Hi, I Katrina =)

I was here many years ago to lose weight but i kept losing. I stopped using the site but now my doctors tell me to try to gain 5-10kg over the next 6 months.

I am 180cm tall. Female and I weight between 55-57kg

How much should I be eating? I work out 3-5 days a week but i will eat back my calories.

Replies

  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
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    You maintenance (not including exercise) seems to be about 1660 cals. So, if you're targeting 1lb per week gain (although you could attempt to be more aggressive with this and aim for 2lb per week) you'd be aiming for 2160 per week plus any exercise cals.

    I've not included exercise cals in the above because they are very difficult to calculate and can very considerably on the type of exercise someone does.

    Generally I'd recommend that your exercise is not long steady state cardio but strength based. Although cardio health is important, with your goal to gain weight it will mean you eating more and more. Instead look to doing strength training which will help you to gain lean body mass (along with some fat) as that weight gain.

    Food wise: Get sufficient protein and fat, a good variety of vegetables and then fill up on whatever the hell you enjoy the most to hit that calorie target.

    Best wishes.
  • HamsterManV2
    HamsterManV2 Posts: 449 Member
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    Calculate TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) on google. This is how much you need to eat to MAINTAIN weight. Eat 250 calories more than your TDEE to gain 0.5lbs per week (or 1lb per 2weeks or 2lbs per month). Track all your intake religiously, especially for the first month to build the habit and patterns.

    Weight yourself at the same time of the day (i.e. once a week, every Thursday morning after using washroom). There will be some fluctuation week to week but the general trend should be upwards. If it is not, eat +100 calories more per week and reassess.

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