gain weight but exercise addict!

eyeprincess

Hey everyone.
I'm new to this forum. I have been reading some posts and find it great when I can relate to some of the posts here.

I'm 19, female
Height 163 cm
Weight 41kg

Goal: gain weight!!!

I have health issues due to my being underweight. I feel like my knees and hips are always weak, amenorrhea and I think I just look generally tired and blergh.

The problem is that I am addicted to running and exercise in general. Doesn't help that it's mostly cardio. I would love to gain weight (I need fat as well, not only muscle) but tbqh I'm scared of being obsessed with calories etc again. I think I had a bit of disordered eating that led to my dramatic loss of weight s few years ago. I used to weigh 55kg once upon a time (at age 15?). I was never fat but I do admit I was pretty unfit. If I had taken things slowly and focussed on being fit rather than thin, things may have been different.

Anyway. Any ideas on how to gain weight healthily without feeling like I'm being lazy and eating crap? I know I need to gain but at the same time I'm scared of my weight increasing. I know muscle weighs more than fat etc but if you look at me you can see I'm not made of muscle and I feel like I'm just wasting away. I used to look fit at one point. Now just over training I believe.

Thanks for reading all that.

Any similar stories?

Ryapm

cardio such as running etc can be quite wearing in the body especially if you're underweight, not eating enough and doing too much. I'd suggest finding a form of exercise that you can also experience that endorphin high you're addicted to such as weight lifting. Weight lifting in the form of moderate weight and high repetitions will allow you as a female to use it as a form of cardio as well as begin to form a structure to your body through muscle gain.

I'd suggest speaking to your gym about organising a program for you. But a suggestion would be a 3 day weight lifting split. With cardio to warm up (10 minutes) and stretching and foam rolling to cool down and enhance muscle development and recovery.

Monday: Chest triceps and shoulders
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: Back and biceps
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Legs

Your weight lifting should be on the major functional compound exercises such as squats (not in the smith machine), lunges, deadlifts and bench presses (ask someone in your gym to spot you as you build your confidence).

You could also see if your gym has classes available that incorporate weights. These classes will not make you super muscly, it is almost impossible for a girl to get super muscley due to the low levels of testosterone. However these classes are great for burning fat, toning, and building an overall nice physique. HIIT classes or 10 minutes or sprinting (30 second at peak, 30 second walk) is an awesome way to do cardio as not only are you getting your HR up in the gym but you're also placing a stress on your body for a period of time after you leave the gym which is going to get all these hormones going after you leave the gym to start making changes to your body.

In terms of nutrition, nourish your body. You're underweight i believe so you should be eating in a surplus. The only way to gain weight (and muscle) is to be eating in a surplus. If you do not want to track maybe kind of eyeball it and make sure you're eating 3 solid meals a day that are high in protein. But don't forget fats and carbs! Your body needs carbs to survive and power you through your work outs.

Don't worry about eating "clean", "meal times" or any other crap people try and tell you. The majority are not scientifically sound and serve no purpose but to hinder people from achieving their best physique.

Just lift, eat and sleep and you will see results

Good luck!

eyeprincess

Thanks for your reply, Ryanmcdonald.

I can't go to a gym as a)I'm a poor student and b) I travel a lot between uni and my parents' home. That's why running is so easy, I can do it anywhere.

I do lift but rarely. Maybe once a week or fortnight. I do barbell exercises which end up taking up to an hour. How long should I be lifting for? I only do 9kg as the only way I can add weight is to 18kg... also, I basically do all arms, back, chest and sometimes legs in one session... is that wrong?

I wish I could just pick up food and eat it but I really have wayyyyyy too many stupid food rules which arose from my ED

This is hard. Sometimes I eat a lot and then the next day I feel chdhjjydxdfhk-blaaaaaaah-tyjkybcv so I eat less.

Chrisparadise579

Hey eyeprincess! I too am 19 and a college student. AND im trying to gain weight right now so I would love to help and I can relate. The only way to gain weight is to eat more. if you'd like send me a buddy request and we can chat more about how to help.

Loralrose

You have to eat more than you burn to gain weight. Running increases how many calories you need - you don't have to stop running as long as you can eat enough to make up the deficit. Could you add in more healthy, calorie-dense foods like nuts and cheese? Dairy will be really good too because as young women we need LOTS of calcium!