Gaining weight without belly fat

ecl265

I am 5'5" and weigh 113 lbs. My family and friends think I look too thin and want me to gain some weight. The bones around my sternum/clavicle/shoulder area are very visible because I have more muscle than body fat at this point. My legs and abs are toned and look healthy (not underweight) though. I used to exercise on an elliptical for 60 minutes every day and wasn't taking in nearly enough calories (probably around 1,700 or 1,800 a day). This lead to problems. I stopped getting my period, was tired all the time, etc. I've been working with my doctor to get back on a healthy track. I recently increased my calorie intake to a little over 2,000 calories/day and only exercise on the elliptical for 30 minutes now. I have no problem with the idea of gaining weight. I don't want to lose all the progress that I worked so hard to make though. So my question is this: how can I gain weight in my upper body so I look less bony and underweight but maintain my toned abs and legs? Like I said, I don't mind gaining weight, but also I don't want a flabby gut. I recognize that I probably need more body fat in order for my period to resume, and I've been taking a lot more fat in through my diet. I just feel like I'm going to end up with a flabby gut and my upper body is still going to be bony and thin. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

JennaHW

I wish I had your problem for a day. I would love to be able to eat donuts and ice cream. I think if you are very athletic so you probably won't lose your stomach if you gain a little weight. I think with you being tired, you are probably not getting enough of some vitamins and minerals. I would have your thyroid checked out as well. It sounds like you need to increase your dietary intake. Some people have high metabolism.

Michael Phlips, the swimmer once said that when he works out in the gym and practice swims, he has to eat 10,000 calories in order to maintain his weight. He might get away with 7500 when he doesn't work out. He has a flat board stomach. So I think you might need to increase your calories. Anything less than 7500 calories and he ends up feeling sluggish and tired.

I would also talk to a nutritionist. they can probably tell you what to do.

Good luck

acogg

Most of body composition is genetic. Look at your family, how do they look? You can start lifting weights to define yourself and to magnify certain areas. Plus, at a 2000 calorie diet and your youth, you should be in optimum range to build sexy muscle. Strength training will optimize those extra calories in a good way.

DopeItUp

You can't spot add fat. Your best bet is to increase calories and take up a good strength training program. Some of the mass you put on will be muscular that way at least.

larababyx

Hi ecl265 ! I am 5FT 4 and weigh about 108 lb. I have the same issues as you, the bones on my shoulders stick out and its the same on my knees and elbows. Just thought id comment to see if i could add you as a friend on mfp ? I don't do any exercise though as i am quite active at work . I am trying to put on some lb first before i start weight training! x

jeffpettis

Starting a good weight training program is going to be the only way to add some muscle while keeping body fat in check. If you are eating a surplus of calories, which you should be, you will gain some fat while gaining muscle, but the only way to add muscle is to give the muscles a reason to grow which would mean a weight training program focusing on progression.

Good luck! :drinker:

fificrazy

First, considering you lost your period, you need to halt all exercise for awhile and get as much rest as you can... Second, you should be eating at least 2,500 to help repair the damage you've made undereating and overexercising that much. Eating lots of dietary fats is definitely the best you can do for yourself right now and when you get 3 consecutive periods in a row, THEN you can start exercising again. This is actually serious stuff, and I would definitely advise you to put your health first before your abs!

Snow3y

You could always take the approach most people use called 'reverse dieting' .. They do this usually when coming out of a longer period of cutting/losing weight, so that they get their metabolism slowly used to the amount of food you're going to be consuming in future..

It will take a lot of time, but in the end it's worth it.. Patience is always the key

jcakey

Hello,
I recommend visiting builtlean.com, where they discuss building muscle. My recommendation, based on what they and others talk about regarding adding weight:
1) cardio is great for your health, but don't exceed 30 minutes on the elliptical machine; you may end up burning lean muscle tissue (think of the body type that distance runners have versus sprinters)
2) 30 minutes prior to working out, consume protein + simple carb, like fruit, so that you fuel your muscles. 30 g. of each is recommended (about 240 cals)
3) 30 minutes after working out, consume protein + simple carbs. 30 g. of each is recommended (about 240 cals)
4) emphasize weight lifting/strength training, and ensure that a) you are actually consuming more calories than you need in order to build muscle, and b) that these calories come from protein, not empty calories like alcohol or ice cream. Weight loss is catabolic; muscle-building is anabolic. The snacks before and after your workouts may be all you need, assuming they are supplements to what you normally eat.
5) ensure you have a healthy balance of fat in your diet, too: at least 30%. If your emphasis is on health, ensure that it comes from healthy fats like olive oil, avocado, nuts, coconut oil and milk; cheese and cream, if you aren't lactose-intolerant, are great, too, but limit these in favor of the aforementioned.
6) make sure your protein intake is at least .5 g per 1#; so, if you want to be 120#, consume 90 g. of protein per day. Try to eat it from whole foods, like eggs, beans, quinoa, chicken, beef, fish, pork, duck...consider supplemental protein powder if you're vegetarian.
7) don't worry if you get a slightly softer belly - it's beautiful on a woman! Try this regime for two weeks, and tweak it ever so slightly and carefully if you aren't getting the results you're looking for.

GamerLady

Follow your Dr. orders imo.

Fithealthyforlife

Wow, the replies above are all over the place!

Honestly, I was in a pretty similar boat to you 6 months ago. (I'm a guy and am 5 years older than you, but the same ideas hold.)

If you think about it, you've been in a caloric deficit for quite a while. Your body has been consuming your fat and muscle tissue for energy because you haven't been getting enough from food.

Weight is weight. The only way to gain is eating more than we burn every day. MFP makes it easy to calculate and track optimal intake. I definitely recommend using it. We also do weight training when we're in this situation, even if we're not trying to end up muscular (I am, but not everyone wants that). The reason for this is training creates a "calorie partitioning" effect. It allows you to gain weight without becoming "skinny fat" or chubby. You keep or improve the physical proportions you already have, rather than allowing them to get worse.

You could put on 10 lbs (both muscle and fat combined) and still be thin and still look thin. But you would look/feel healthier.

One of the best things you can do is to keep reading, keep asking questions, use MFP, ask to add other MFP friends who are in a similar boat and/or already made it through, etc.

This is *just* like losing weight. The only difference is we do the opposite: eat more instead of less.

It's called "bulking" and it's a combination of lifting weights and eating more than you burn. There is also a group for women with that goal here. it's a slow process; you only shoot for about a half pound a week. Or maybe a bit faster in your case. But it still won't be overnight. Changes take a few weeks to start seeing.

If you have any more specific questions I can help you with, let me know. Anything...nutrition, workouts, whatever...I'd be happy to help!

125KC

First, considering you lost your period, you need to halt all exercise for awhile and get as much rest as you can... Second, you should be eating at least 2,500 to help repair the damage you've made undereating and overexercising that much. Eating lots of dietary fats is definitely the best you can do for yourself right now and when you get 3 consecutive periods in a row, THEN you can start exercising again. This is actually serious stuff, and I would definitely advise you to put your health first before your abs!

^^This!! Changes in normal body function are a HUGE red flag!!! You are currently doing damage to your body and this may become irreparable with increased time.