Weight Gain While Working Out

cgameos117

Background:
I am a 20 y/o male, about 5'10" sitting at 120lbs. I estimate that my average daily caloric intake was around 1,800-2,000 before I started using MFP. I am now ranging from 2,700-3,000 everyday.

I know that I am extremely skinny for my weight, it is an issue I have dealt with for years. I want to ensure that I can still gain weight once I start working out. Do you think it would be better for me if I were to pack on some more pounds and get used to a 3,000 calorie intake before I start working out? Furthermore, would 3,000 calories be enough to gain weight while working out? I assume I would get hungry more often when working out, so it wouldn't be as hard for me to eat more (it is often uncomfortable for me to eat 3,000 calories). Please let me know what you all think!

DancingMoosie

Lifting weights can help increase your appetite. Try to get in some calorie dense foods so you don't feel so full. Full fat dairy, dark and marbled meats, nuts and seeds, dried fruit, etc...

cwolfman13

What do you mean by "working out?" If you want to put mass on, you should eat and you should lift with a solid program...if you're just eating, you're just going to get fat.

I was once upon a time pretty much in your same boat. I started lifting and eating...if I wasn't progressing in my weight gain, I ate more. I was in the military at the time so I also had to run and whatnot to keep up with my physical fitness requirements, but I kept it to the minimum necessary to do that to avoid having to eat even more.

I was also fortunate to be in the military at the time and to be able to go through the chow hall line and pile on the food. I was also put on double rations in boot camp because I was too skinny.

edickson76

Definitely start lifting now. You have to signal to your body to increase muscle mass. Otherwise, as wolfman said, your gains are just going to be energy stores, aka fat. Solid lifting programs are contained in the lifting program thread, which is in the sticky at the top of the forum. Don't make up your own. Use a designed beginner program.

Also in that sticky is a thread on bulking. Read that for advice on setting calories and macro breakdowns. As dancingmoosie said, calorie dense foods are very helpful in hitting calorie targets. That reminds me, there should be another thread in the sticky on being a hardgainer. That thread contains a long list of foods to eat while bulking.

RoxieDawn

Take advantage of these calories and increase muscle mass along side fat/water weight you plan to gain. Depending on what the 'working out' actually means, 'working out' will allow you work on the muscles that are required to do that specific set of exercise you plan to do. I think lifting weights would be ideal for you.

Lifting will increase hunger and hopefully your ability to consume those calories. Calorie dense foods, lower volume foods will help you get all the cals you need.

This link has many ideas on various calorie dense foods.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10326769/are-you-a-hard-gainer-please-read/p1

LiftHeavyThings27105

Hey, man! I will chime in....

So, for a 20yo 5'10" 120lb. male here are some TDEE values for you to review:

Basal Metabolic Rate 1,561 calories per day
Sedentary 1,873 calories per day
Light Exercise 2,146 calories per day
Moderate Exercise 2,419 calories per day
Heavy Exercise 2,692 calories per day
Athlete 2,965 calories per day

These numbers (caloric intake - at maintenance) are just a starting point. Some place for you to start. Your actual numbers may vary greatly, but this is a start.

Now, definitely start lifting weights. You did not really specify what working out means (it can mean 1,001 things) but I hope that it means (A) following a program and (B) following a program that includes progressive overload and lifting heavy.

The others have provided you some pretty good information.....good question. And good answers.

And to provide you with some guidance, the numbers provided above are "roughly" maintenance. To gain one would add between 200 and 500 calories a day. To loose weight, one would reduce 200 - 500 calories a day. Additionally, the "Light Exercise" and the "Moderate Exercise" and the others are Physical Activity Levels. So, you would find the PAL that best matches what you are doing and use that number as the starting point.

Does this help?

cgameos117

Hi all, thank you for the insightful answers and links to other articles/forums. I apologize for not being clear with my definition of "working out," I did indeed mean lifting (my apologies for being vague). I am definitely going to start lifting ASAP, but it is a lot of information to take in!