Starting off

sapalee

Great idea for a group Sevinmaya, thanks.

I guess I'll just start us off with a random topic.

Why is gaining weight your goal?

For me, I'm working really hard on gaining muscle mass (which matters to me) and I need to make a weight cut off in a few months (which I don't care about the scale but I need to meet an arbitrary number regardless)

sevenminaya

In my case I want to gain muscle, to look sexier and better. Also for health reasons.

RaeLB

I've always been slim but healthy and healthy-looking. However, I lost 10lbs due to a medication and it put me underweight.

Since then I have been trying to gain it back by diet alone. I have not been exercising for 2 reasons: 1. fear of losing any more weight, 2. my appetite is suppressed so I barely eat my calories and wouldn't be able to eat exercise calories on top of that.

I am going off my medication in a couple weeks and I want to start exercising this summer.

LovesGG

I've always been skinny. I started weight training and lost even more weight (didn't realize I was barely eating). I started to get carded everywhere especially since I have no boobs. Random guy stopped me because he thought I was a 14 year old skipping middle school. Every time something horrible happens to me I get even skinnier. After I got my heart broken in January this year, I lost so much weight and got so sick. I had no energy and under my eyes were dark. Everyone was getting worried about me. So for my sake, I decided I need to turn things around and put some meat on. MFP people convinced me to go for muscle building as well So now I LOOK more like a credible trainer

Meg_78

For me have just always been skinny. At 5'4" and 97lbs as an adult woman (with between 14-17% BF) I am way below the healthy ranges,

I would like to gain weight to have a healthier appearance. I am mostly focusing on muscle gain (though I understand I also need a little fat too), I like being small and petite, I just don't want to be so skinny anymore. I'm 6 weeks in and lifting 3x a week and doing strength training/circuit training x1. I'm up 3 almost 4 lbs in about 5 weeks, and I'm deff seeing more muscle definition coming through. I just want to like the way I look rater than hid it all the time.

ericgAU

I got sick of being told that I looked gaunt particularly from my mother in law (damn that women - no seriously I love her like my own mum But yea, main reason for gaining is to build lean muscle mass. Initially I felt `guilty' about wanting to look a certain way but then I thought stuff it! I want that ripped look more than anything. I owe it myself for all the hard work I've put in to lose the weight I have.

bluetzu

I just want to get back to my normal size 150 lbs...
after fighting an illness I was left at 129 lbs....
sounds not too bad right? except I am 6'1"

pre illness 150 lbs max bench 290 3 times
post illness 129 lbs max bench 140 2 times

surgeries to go: 2
patients: fading fast
eating 3,000 calories a day: atm a pipe dream

LikaMonster

I wouldn't say I'm skinny, but i was border line skinny. i was about 158+ pounds before working out. Since than I've gained just under 10 pounds. my goal is to be around 180. Im glad we have this group discussion because its better to get help from people going thur the same thing. Good luck guys summers coming and shirts are coming off lol.

springermad

I need to gain a little weight as I have lost to much recently and now I dont like the way I look. I have suffered from Anorexia now for many months if not a year now and now I have realised that I need help and I want to recover. I weighed 45kgs thats when I realised that I am to skinny, my bones stick out, I cant sit on my bottom now as it hurts to much. I want to get my curves back. I am currently a size 2
I need all the help I can get, I know longer want to look and be like this.
I want to be healthier as I have a dodgy heart I suffer from POTS, Cluster headaches and I have a Pheochromocytoma this is why I want to have ahealthier diet.

joshalapp

I've been skinny my whole life and quite frankly I'm sick of it!!! Lol. I'm 6'1 and 173lbs now. I was 159lbs 60days ago. I'm looking to put on another 15lbs of muscle and lean up a little more, then take it from there. Currently eating about 4500 calories/day...crazy metabolism!
Good luck everyone with their goals!!! Some inspiring stories here!

JonesJennings

If I'm truly honest, I'm motivated quite a lot by appearance. There's copies of Men's Health on my coffee table. It would be hard not to be. Also, I'm a bit worried that I'm a shade under weight for optimum health. I occasionally get tired earlier in the evening than I would like to, and I don't really have the energy to take part in random, ad hoc sporting stuff, like if a friend says, "we've got a kite, a board and a free afternoon" (weirdly, that has happened).

ShadowCutter

I'm naturally skinny and don't mind that (it's not like I want to be fat or anything), but I'm 5'5" and only 104 ish pounds, size 0-1 jeans (I'm female btw). My elbows and wrists and fingers are super-thin and bony and I hate that, I wear bracelets and handflowers which sort of hide my skinny wrists (not exactly the reason I wear them but it's a bonus) but I've lost a couple rings because my fingers are too thin. I don't think I actually look anorexic but people (total strangers) have told me I "should eat more cheeseburgers" etc and I'm a little concerned that someone who doesn't know better might think I'm anorexic. I want to tone my arms and legs but recently had to stop my exercises for a couple weeks when I got eye muscle surgery. Should be able to get back to that now. Probably shouldn't have become a pescetarian in high school but I still don't eat beef or pork, started eating chicken and turkey again when I found out I was 102 and should be around 120. my goal weight is 115 because after 112 I won't be officially underweight but it's so hard to gain and not lose it again that I shouldn't stop at 112 but don't think I'll ever get 120.

JonesJennings

My elbows and wrists and fingers are super-thin and bony and I hate that

I know where you're at with the wrists and elbows. I'd love to have stronger looking forearms. At the minute, I feel they let me down a bit when I wear short sleeved shirts and stuff. Being a chap, and also not into the punk rock/goth style, big bracelets and stuff probably wouldn't suit me so well.

I wonder if anyone reading this can suggest some wrist excercises that don't require gym equipment?

Edit: Re-reading the above request. Suggestions to be safe to read at work, please.

sevenminaya

My elbows and wrists and fingers are super-thin and bony and I hate that

I know where you're at with the wrists and elbows. I'd love to have stronger looking forearms. At the minute, I feel they let me down a bit when I wear short sleeved shirts and stuff. Being a chap, and also not into the punk rock/goth style, big bracelets and stuff probably wouldn't suit me so well.

I wonder if anyone reading this can suggest some wrist excercises that don't require gym equipment?

Edit: Re-reading the above request. Suggestions to be safe to read at work, please.

Hold yourself up in a pull up bar (or something like it) for as long as you can hold yourself there. Probably (1min try to do more). Repeat 3 times a day. Your forearms will be huge in no time!

MarjorieValmonte

New to the site/group & am glad I found that there are people like me trying to gain weight/mass. I'm a 33 yr old female & my twin sister & I have always been underweight. I'm a week short of finishing the P90X building mass routine (not the doubles routine) & have gained mass, but not much weight. I am taking a weight gainer from GNC, but I am NOT the healthiest of eaters. I started gaining weight, but then lost 5 lbs & have plateaued since then. I actually have gotten bigger in the shoulder/arm areas as I now have to wear size medium women's t-shirts, but my overall weight gain is not where I want it to be. I hope this site helps me gain the 10 lbs I need to gain. Also, is anyone else here doing a Beachbody program?

boocah

Naturally skinny and weak here! I'm not really concerned about what the scale says but I need to put on muscle mass and I need to gain weight to do so. If I don't explicitly focus on gaining weight I'll lose some because I don't eat enough, especially when I'm not in a good mood. If I start gaining too many inches around the waist I might end up being more concerned about that, but for the time being I've decided to focus on getting strong and healthy.

bciochetti

The biggest reason I started hitting the gym was my GF had been going to the gym and started to lift weight heavier than I could. I used to be almost underweight according to BMI (135 at 5'11' in high school) but I'm now at 162. Unfortunately I've plateaued since the start of the year and haven't gained a solid pound in 5 months. I'm not that concerned about it because I'm getting stronger, but I still think there is room for 10-15 more pound on my frame.

sevenminaya

The biggest reason I started hitting the gym was my GF had been going to the gym and started to lift weight heavier than I could. I used to be almost underweight according to BMI (135 at 5'11' in high school) but I'm now at 162. Unfortunately I've plateaued since the start of the year and haven't gained a solid pound in 5 months. I'm not that concerned about it because I'm getting stronger, but I still think there is room for 10-15 more pound on my frame.

What's your routine? Maybe we can help you out of that plateau.

BigL0s

I've been a healthy skinny type of dude doing sports often when I was younger. Surgery and pneumonia not too long after made me lose bout 20 lbs. I got back to 140 then I had a shoulder injury and got a bit off it, but now I'm up to 150(5'7 tall). I feel I could still gain another 10 lbs or so, but I ain't too worried about the scale, just continuing to get stronger.

DGarnier

I have always been "thin". I got up to my target weight and then had some person issues and lost 20 pounds quickly. I just want to look healthy and toned... be able to wear a bikini without looking like a scarecrow!

k8basinger

It's very comforting to get on here and see that I am not the only one struggling with these issues. I am also underweight for my height and have a very difficult time putting and keeping weight on. My response to stress has always been to lose my appetite. I would love to be able to put on 20-25 pounds and keep it on. I am 5'7 and I weigh 110. In high school I got up to 118 but that's as much as I have ever weighed. Any tips that anyone can share with me would be much appreciated.

Blaqheart

I'm here to gain weight and muscle. I have always had trouble gaining no matter what I done.
I don't even hit the bmi chart and that is scary! I'm 5'7" and today for some reason weight 107.4lbs. I have even begun to eat 5 -6 times a day. I have been here for 3 weeks now and just recently got a few friends so now I have some support and cheerleaders. I my cheerleaders!

I don't have a pic in my avatar because well honestly I am super skinny and I don't want to freak anyone out.
If this weightloss keeps up i will gain my coveted super power - Invisible! yeah I can laugh about it been teased all my life bout being a stringbean I'm used to it. besides if you can't laugh at yourself once in awhile who can you?

I might get brave and take a pic today for my avatar. It may be the first step to bravedom. I dunno should I?? :glasses:

I seem to have what my Mum calls "nervous stomach" and extremely high metabolism. I respond to stress and bad news by shaking and lose the ability to eat anything. After than I lose lose lose :sad:

The only time I have actually gained weight was when pregnant with my dd. She's 5 now.

The most I've ever weighed before being pregnant was 110lbs.

I am accepting friends, tips, and advice. I am also a great cheerleader. :drinker:
Take care namaste,
~Blaq

MamaAubry

First of all, Hi!

I've always been thin. I wasn't overly thin as a child, but when I hit puberty my metabolism skyrocketted and I was skinny to the point of being teased. I tried everything to gain weight including drinking ensure with every meal, eating my weight in pasta, potatoes, and peanut butter... nothing worked. Then around age 23 my metabolism calmed down a bit. I settled around 125 pounds (I'm 5'7) fluctuating about 10 pounds in either direction. I was still thin but not overly so, and I was comfortable with myself.

Then at the end of 2010 I got pregnant. My starting weight at my first pre-natal check-up was 118.5. I ended up around 150 pounds, which was where the doc wanted me. Then post baby, the weight melted off due to the fact that I'm exclussively breastfeeding. At first I was happy about it, when I was back to 125# at my 6 week check-up... but then the weight loss never stopped. A couple weeks ago one of my coworkers commented on the fact that I looked like I'd lost a significant amount of weight, and I thought... well that's not good! So I weighed myself, and was disturbed to find I was down to 112 lbs, which puts my BMI at 17.5, and as someone who works in healthcare, I know that that's REALLY not good. So I downloaded the MFP app, and have been calorie counting ever since. I gained two pounds the first week, but this morning I was back down to 112.6. I was too disappointed to even log it.

I was so relieved to find that I'm not the only one using MFP to try to gain weight! usually when you tell people you want to GAIN weight they roll their eyes or say something like, "WHY?!" or "Wish I had that problem!" or even better, the classic, "Want some of mine?" To which my response is generally. "YES!"

Anyway... Recommended net caloric intake for a breastfeeding mom is about 2400, which I'm finding it REALLY hard to meet. Especially since my husband is currently unemployed and sometimes that makes it difficult to eat AT ALL (what with the foods costing the moneys - psssh!)

Looking forward to sharing triumphs and tribulations or whatever.

AgentWalker008

I'm looking to gain weight because until I was 20 I weighed in at 42kg (7 stone 2). I finally met someone who I'm happy to say I'm marrying next year, and I felt that I needed to gain weight so I look healthy for my wedding! So far I've gone up to 8 stone 1 (51.3kg) and even though my ticker won't show the changes, I'm pleased to be gaining!