Building Muscle

MissBelle777
MissBelle777 Posts: 24
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello,
I'm 5'0, 95 pounds, and 21 years old.
I'm a recovering bulimic, but I'm headset on overcoming this awful disease and having the body I have always wanted (and deserved!) :)
Since age 11 I have restricted my calories to the extremes (anywhere from 0-500 calories a day) Because of this, I lost ALL muscle mass and I am now blessed with this amazing thing called "skinnyfat". Lol.
My doctor has informed me that I must gain weight, and I want to gain it in muscle. :-) However, I'm absolutely *clueless* :blushing:
I have a hugee jar of zero carb isopure, I mix this with milk and a tablespoon of peanutbutter once a day. Two scoops. :)
My question is.. How do I gain muscle when I am so weak I have to have someone else pour my milk for me? *sigh* I'll definitely be investing in some weights in the very near future.. But what can I do for now (without weights/gym access)?
Thank you so much! :flowerforyou: :smile:

Replies

  • Arne_becomesxXx
    Arne_becomesxXx Posts: 504 Member
    Hey Belle,

    you can do many nice bodyweight things at home. Starting at zero and working step by step.

    Push Ups against a wall, maybe. Sit Ups, Planks, Lunges. It´s very nice to start with some Yoga asanas also to build muscles and become flexi. So your whole body gets into the new mode of movement :)

    If you have any question, just ask. And welcome to mfp. :flowerforyou:
  • abadvat
    abadvat Posts: 1,241 Member
    First of all - why 0 carb iso pure? You need carbs before and after.
    Build muscle. - no gym - no weights? Use your body - best workout ever and the best tool to build strength and eventually get some muscles up.
    Push ups, pull ups, dips! Search for body weight workouts or calistenics - read / download method lafay as an example!
  • thom2369
    thom2369 Posts: 271 Member
    You could start with just walking and stretching I think. These exercises will help strengthen your whole body, bones and muscles!

    If you can do more than that you can do modified push ups against the wall and modified squats or lunges. Once you get your weights there are so many light routines on the internet to get you started.

    Protein shakes sound like a good idea. Eggs for breakfast and snacks and lean meat at your meals should help! Make sure you continue to healthy carbs in fruits and vegetables.

    Start slow! You can do this!
  • MissBelle777
    MissBelle777 Posts: 24
    Thank you so much. :) I've never thought about doing push-ups against a wall. :embarassed: I'll definitely start with that. :)
    I've also been going on walks, but I've had people tell me to stop because it would only add onto the skinny-fatness, lol.. So I suppose I'm confused about that. It's a bit strange going from 0 calories and running 3-4 hours a day, to 1300-1400 calories a day and being told no cardio. :huh: But I'm ready to get out of this vicious fasting/bingeing cycle. I'm excited to be able to pour my own milk. :laugh: :blushing: Thank you for being kind. :) Some people on this site, aren't.. Well.. Gentle. Lol. It can be discouraging to come to someone for life-changing advice and them come back with,"You did this to yourself. Your problem, not mine." :ohwell:
  • MisterDerpington
    MisterDerpington Posts: 604 Member
    I wouldn't worry about low carb or low fat anything. Those are some of the easier ways to pack in calories. Some sort of linear progression weight lifting program could do you wonders.

    Starting Strength and Stronglifts 5x5 are the typical recommendations. Though all that it takes to have a good linear progression program is to design it around the compound lifts (Squats, Bench Press, Overhead Press, and Deadlifts), and to be increasing the weight over time.

    In the meantime though, a bodyweight workout following the same principles would be great. Start at wall-pushups and bodyweight squats (or squatting down to a chair if your lower body is weak as well). Sit-Ups, Planks, and Lunges like a previous poster said. Also, go find a tree or post or some vertical object in your house and use the muscles in your mid back and arms to pull yourself to it. These will eventually become Inverted Rows once you gain strength and muscle mass.

    Pushup Progression: Wall --> Incline --> Kneeling --> Standard ---> Decline and varying hand placements
    Squat Progression: to chair --> bodyweight squat --> one-legged squat --> pistol squat --> add a friggin barbell lol
  • Arne_becomesxXx
    Arne_becomesxXx Posts: 504 Member
    Hehehe.....don´t waste your time with that lesser gentle folks :)

    It´s your way and you will do the best you can. That´s what I can read!
  • MissBelle777
    MissBelle777 Posts: 24
    I typically eat a two egg omelet with veggies cooked in them for breakfast, as well as some oatmeal. And I eat a peanutbutter and banana sandwich after a workout. I catch myself craving tuna when I workout hard.. :laugh:
  • MisterDerpington
    MisterDerpington Posts: 604 Member
    So do you currently count calories or are you just trying to eat "more?" What's your TDEE?
  • MissBelle777
    MissBelle777 Posts: 24
    The way I look at it, someday I'm going to be fit and cute and they'll still be sitting behind their computer being bitter & stuffing their face with cheetos. :laugh: :blushing:
  • MissBelle777
    MissBelle777 Posts: 24
    I've been to several sites, but the average I get from them is 1600. I feel very ignorant replying. I feel like I'm going to say something stupid. :embarassed: My metabolism is awful, though. From all of the years of eating practically nothing on a daily basis.
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
    People always mention the importance of protein when trying to build muscle but never mention how important carbs are. Do not neglect carbs when trying to build muscle, it is next to impossible to build muscle without carbs.
  • helpfit101
    helpfit101 Posts: 347 Member
    Lift heavy three times per week. That's not absolute. Lift heavy what feels heavy. It could be can of soda if that feels heavy for you.

    If you don't have a gym buy dumbbells and look for a full body dumbbell workout you can do at home.

    And eat at a surplus.

    That's the easiest way to build muscle and gain weight. But I take it your doctor said gain weight not gain muscle. The easiest way to gain weight is eat more than you use.

    Eat at 1600 to start with and add 200 calories every three weeks until the scale goes up.
  • V0lver
    V0lver Posts: 915 Member
    Lift heavy three times per week. That's not absolute. Lift heavy what feels heavy. It could be can of soda if that feels heavy for you.

    If you don't have a gym buy dumbbells and look for a full body dumbbell workout you can do at home.

    And eat at a surplus.

    That's the easiest way to build muscle and gain weight. But I take it your doctor said gain weight not gain muscle. The easiest way to gain weight is eat more than you use.

    Eat at 1600 to start with and add 200 calories every three weeks until the scale goes up.
    This^. Also make sure you get in minimum 100 g of Protein and 35 g of Fats daily. Start doing push ups, squats and planks untill you can get to a gym. I can see you have a positive mindset and i am sure you would achieve all your fitness goals in the near future. Good luck:flowerforyou:

    and read this to get more info about TDEE -
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
  • MisterDerpington
    MisterDerpington Posts: 604 Member
    Lift heavy three times per week. That's not absolute. Lift heavy what feels heavy. It could be can of soda if that feels heavy for you.

    If you don't have a gym buy dumbbells and look for a full body dumbbell workout you can do at home.

    And eat at a surplus.

    That's the easiest way to build muscle and gain weight. But I take it your doctor said gain weight not gain muscle. The easiest way to gain weight is eat more than you use.

    Eat at 1600 to start with and add 200 calories every three weeks until the scale goes up.

    I get why people take such a cautious approach to adding calories for the average person looking to gain muscle (well that's not true, I think the muscle gains are understated), but for someone with an eating disorder, I'd think she could go over a bit more without any real problem. She's going to be adding muscle and fat because she'll need both.
  • MisterDerpington
    MisterDerpington Posts: 604 Member
    I've been to several sites, but the average I get from them is 1600. I feel very ignorant replying. I feel like I'm going to say something stupid. :embarassed: My metabolism is awful, though. From all of the years of eating practically nothing on a daily basis.

    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

    TDEE is how much you have to eat to maintain your weight. It may be off a bit due to your personal metabolism, but it's a good estimate.
  • littleknownblogger
    littleknownblogger Posts: 67 Member
    This book provides an excellent blueprint for bodyweight exercises, starting with the "push-ups against a wall" stage, and leading all the way up to exercises that most people will never be able to perform. I highly recommend it:

    http://www.dragondoor.com/b41/

    Easy meal planning: Eat one palm-sized serving of protein, preferably 100% grass-fed meat. Fill the rest of your plate with vegetables (raw or cooked), plus a thumb-sized serving of healthy fat (coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil, ghee, avacado). Repeat three times per day, plus a bit of protein and fat (such as a boiled egg or Greek yogurt) after your workout.
  • tattygun
    tattygun Posts: 447 Member
    Just eat right, walk, live life. Save the weights, exercises for later down the road. You'll gain muscle just eating properly for now. Very best of luck, let us know how you get on!
  • kitticus15
    kitticus15 Posts: 152 Member
    Thank you so much. :) I've never thought about doing push-ups against a wall. :embarassed: I'll definitely start with that. :)
    I've also been going on walks, but I've had people tell me to stop because it would only add onto the skinny-fatness, lol.. So I suppose I'm confused about that. It's a bit strange going from 0 calories and running 3-4 hours a day, to 1300-1400 calories a day and being told no cardio. :huh: But I'm ready to get out of this vicious fasting/bingeing cycle. I'm excited to be able to pour my own milk. :laugh: :blushing: Thank you for being kind. :) Some people on this site, aren't.. Well.. Gentle. Lol. It can be discouraging to come to someone for life-changing advice and them come back with,"You did this to yourself. Your problem, not mine." :ohwell:


    Never be embarrassed by anything you have done, treat it as something to learn from... to build your muscle you need to change you mindset, easier said than done... instead of beating yourself up for eating, eat good healthy food and praise yourself for enjoying what nature offers... start from the inside, build the muscle slowly, you don't see the changes immediately, but your bosy notices, a few push ups and calf raises against the wall, bicep curls with closed fists, latera raises and walking, all builds muscle, muscle helps strengthen bones, soon enough you will have more energy and then you will be poring your own milk and feeling great... remember take it slowly and at your own pace :)
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
    I'm quite sure you can go for walks and I'd be really surprised if you were told not to. They are a very grounding activity that many eating disorder counselors recommend (I know from experience). You just need to make sure that you are eating enough that they are not making you lose extra weight.

    What does your nutritionist say to eat?

    In your situation, you may need to gain body fat, too. What is your body fat percentage? I can't really say what you need to gain without knowing that.

    I'm concerned that you are still fixated on looking thin because you have a photo of your abs up and are making comments about people stuffing their faces with Cheetos.

    You can't just be told you must gain weight. You have to decide you want to.

    Time to get off this board and get back with your real support system of professionals to get the answers you need and real feedback about your expectations.

    You probably have a lot of people replying who have not been through eating disorder recovery programs.

    I am proud of you and wish you the best in your journey. I do think gaining muscle is a noble goal.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
    Just eat right, walk, live life. Save the weights, exercises for later down the road. You'll gain muscle just eating properly for now. Very best of luck, let us know how you get on!

    ^^^ nice and simple. good post.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
    Ahem...you just posted this in another thread:


    I'm 5'0 and 95 pounds, and 21 years old. I'm in the process of gaining some muscle and recovering from Bulimia.
    I have a small weight, but my waist is 23" and my hips/busts are 31. I do have an hourglass figure. My legs aren't fat, but they are the majority of my weight, lol. All of the muscle I have is in my legs. :-)
    I'm currently working on my confidence. blushing But I want honest opinions! :) Is my body type cute or is it the type that you'd avoid if possible? Don't be sensitive with me, be truthful. Thank you! flowerforyou heart


    ^^^^^ This is exactly what I mean about get back to the doctors. If you can't pour your milk on your cereal and you are posting this, you need more help than we can offer.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    When I had bulimia eons ago (and only for 2-3 years), I did have to avoid thinking about body perfection and all of that sort of thing to be able to stop, yes. I agree with that.

    OTOH, since a goal is to pour her own milk, I can support that wholeheartedly. Get stronger. Eat to feed the muscles. That idea works for me to offer suggestions, as long as her thoughts are on strength and ability. It sounds like she's focused on both.I agree that the 'ideal body' thoughts need to go right now; I had to say F it on that part to begin to heal, yes.

    To get stronger, I agree with yoga, bodyweight exercises, and even those pink dumbbells :) That's what they are perfect for, lol. When my bad back first tanked, my physio had me using tiny dumbbells and building up from there. If it's at all possible to go to a physical therapist, that would be awesome, imho. Even just to go for the consultation/evaluation and the next app't or 2 to get the plan they have for you. You don't have to do all the things with them every week if you can't afford it out of pocket, etc.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Hi!

    Firstly, well done for wanting to beat this and get better/stronger/healthier.

    Regarding your nutrition, if you are that weak, you really need to be working with a professional to ensure that you get your calories up in an appropriate way (severely underweight people have special circumstances) as well as working with a professional to deal with the underlying issues that caused you to have an eating disorder in the first place.

    When you are strong enough, then you can look into gradually incorporating some resistance exercises (You Are Your Own Gym is a good resource for body weight exercises). However, for now, I would strongly recommend working with your support team to get you to a point where you are not at such a low weight and strength level.

    Good luck.
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    Just eat right, walk, live life. Save the weights, exercises for later down the road. You'll gain muscle just eating properly for now. Very best of luck, let us know how you get on!

    Great advice...you don't want to start with too many changes, get used to eating properly, with that you will feel stronger and then you can start to workout.
  • PetulantOne
    PetulantOne Posts: 2,131 Member
    Hi!

    Firstly, well done for wanting to beat this and get better/stronger/healthier.

    Regarding your nutrition, if you are that weak, you really need to be working with a professional to ensure that you get your calories up in an appropriate way (severely underweight people have special circumstances) as well as working with a professional to deal with the underlying issues that caused you to have an eating disorder in the first place.

    When you are strong enough, then you can look into gradually incorporating some resistance exercises (You Are Your Own Gym is a good resource for body weight exercises). However, for now, I would strongly recommend working with your support team to get you to a point where you are not at such a low weight and strength level.

    Good luck.

    QFT

    I think You Are Your Own Gym would be a great place for you to start once you are ready.

    Best of luck :flowerforyou:

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