Anyone else just trying to get a bit fatter?

Everyone on the gaining weight forum seems to be a body builder of some type. I don't want to bulk and have no idea what cutting is, I just want to get my BMI up a bit from 15, because I'm tired of people following me to the toilets after lunch to check I'm not throwing up (I'm not, I love food). Anyone else in a similar situation?

I'd like to build my strength up a bit later, as I'm obviously a complete weakling, but it's more important to me to just fill out a bit first.
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Replies

  • MysteriousMerlin
    MysteriousMerlin Posts: 2,270 Member
    Uh...I have nothing to offer, except to say that World Domination is also one of my goals...


    I've got my eye on you. :huh:
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Everyone on the gaining weight forum seems to be a body builder of some type. I don't want to bulk and have no idea what cutting is, I just want to get my BMI up a bit from 15, because I'm tired of people following me to the toilets after lunch to check I'm not throwing up (I'm not, I love food). Anyone else in a similar situation?

    I'd like to build my strength up a bit later, as I'm obviously a complete weakling, but it's more important to me to just fill out a bit first.

    why not 'fill out' with a bit of muscle and a bit of fat? i dont see why gaining strength could ever be a bad thing?
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    Putting on lean mass doesn't necessarily mean you want to 'bulk up'. If you are just trying to increase to a healthy BMI, unless you already have a very low body fat, it is healthier to add some muscle along with fat rather than simply increase your BF%.

    When gaining weight the gains will always be a combination of fat and LBM, just as it is when losing weight. Depending on your exercise and nutrition, the ratio of fat:muscle will vary.
  • Ms_Wire
    Ms_Wire Posts: 22
    [/quote]

    why not 'fill out' with a bit of muscle and a bit of fat? i dont see why gaining strength could ever be a bad thing?
    [/quote]

    I didn't say gaining strength was a bad thing? Where did you read that in what I wrote?! I just said I'm not especially looking to do that right now, I just want to not look so skinny! Not averse to a acquiring a bit of muscle as well, which I actually wrote, nbut that'll only take me so far, considering I'd like to go up two dress sizes, ideally.
  • Ms_Wire
    Ms_Wire Posts: 22
    Putting on lean mass doesn't necessarily mean you want to 'bulk up'. If you are just trying to increase to a healthy BMI, unless you already have a very low body fat, it is healthier to add some muscle along with fat rather than simply increase your BF%.

    When gaining weight the gains will always be a combination of fat and LBM, just as it is when losing weight. Depending on your exercise and nutrition, the ratio of fat:muscle will vary.

    Only thing is, I'm really struggling with my calorie goal (2150) as it is, and I'll have to consume even more, presumably, if I'm working out too?
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    Are you under the care of a dietitian? If not, then it may be a good idea to ask your doctor to refer you to one. They will be able to advise how best to meet your calorie goal and gain weight in a healthy way.
  • Ms_Wire
    Ms_Wire Posts: 22
    Are you under the care of a dietitian? If not, then it may be a good idea to ask your doctor to refer you to one. They will be able to advise how best to meet your calorie goal and gain weight in a healthy way.

    Nah. I saw a nutritionist a few years ago and they weren't much help, other than telling me to add butter to everything.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    Are you under the care of a dietitian? If not, then it may be a good idea to ask your doctor to refer you to one. They will be able to advise how best to meet your calorie goal and gain weight in a healthy way.

    Nah. I saw a nutritionist a few years ago and they weren't much help, other than telling me to add butter to everything.

    A nutritionist is basically a really ghetto-ish wannabe dietitian. An actual dietitian would do you much better than that. That being said, I don't share your goals but I can perfectly understand why you want to do what you want to do. I hope you find other like minded individuals here.
  • Ms_Wire
    Ms_Wire Posts: 22
    Are you under the care of a dietitian? If not, then it may be a good idea to ask your doctor to refer you to one. They will be able to advise how best to meet your calorie goal and gain weight in a healthy way.

    Nah. I saw a nutritionist a few years ago and they weren't much help, other than telling me to add butter to everything.

    A nutritionist is basically a really ghetto-ish wannabe dietitian. An actual dietitian would do you much better than that. That being said, I don't share your goals but I can perfectly understand why you want to do what you want to do. I hope you find other like minded individuals here.

    Really? Maybe it was a dietician I'm not sure, I was referred to her by my GP anyway!
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    they used to sell 'weight gainers' that were suppliment shakes that were like 1000 calories per serving

    of course, if it were me, i'd do it the fun way with milk shakes, ice cream and candy... but if it is difficult for you to eat that many calories then maybe thats an option.
  • Ms_Wire
    Ms_Wire Posts: 22
    they used to sell 'weight gainers' that were suppliment shakes that were like 1000 calories per serving

    of course, if it were me, i'd do it the fun way with milk shakes, ice cream and candy... but if it is difficult for you to eat that many calories then maybe thats an option.

    I had the 1,000 calorie ones prescribed when I was a teenager but apparently I wasn't really supposed to have them because they're meant for people with eating disorders/malnourishment, and they made me feel so sick I couldn't eat anything else anyway. I have Complan now which is 387 calories, much more do-able. It definitely helps for those days when it's late and I'm still a couple of under calories under.
  • Ms_Wire
    Ms_Wire Posts: 22
    they used to sell 'weight gainers' that were suppliment shakes that were like 1000 calories per serving

    of course, if it were me, i'd do it the fun way with milk shakes, ice cream and candy... but if it is difficult for you to eat that many calories then maybe thats an option.

    Also - and people react badly when I say this - I don't like ice cream! It's a real problem!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    they used to sell 'weight gainers' that were suppliment shakes that were like 1000 calories per serving

    of course, if it were me, i'd do it the fun way with milk shakes, ice cream and candy... but if it is difficult for you to eat that many calories then maybe thats an option.

    Also - and people react badly when I say this - I don't like ice cream! It's a real problem!

    peanut butter? poptarts? double cream?
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  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    why not 'fill out' with a bit of muscle and a bit of fat? i dont see why gaining strength could ever be a bad thing?

    I didn't say gaining strength was a bad thing? Where did you read that in what I wrote?! I just said I'm not especially looking to do that right now, I just want to not look so skinny! Not averse to a acquiring a bit of muscle as well, which I actually wrote, nbut that'll only take me so far, considering I'd like to go up two dress sizes, ideally.

    You are probably going to be a bit happier filling out two dress sizes with BOTH.

    It took me 5 months to put on 15 pounds- which was approximately 2 dress sizes and I was lifting heavily and eating- I could have been eating more actually.

    Find food you like that's high in calories- and low in filling- you say you don't like ice cream? how about pie? cake? I know a kid who blends slices of cheesecake into his smoothies to add calories.


    do you like bagels? doughnuts? rice? sushi? chocolate milk?

    lots of things you can sneak calories in with- as long as they have calories and don't leave you feeling exceptionally full. Really the only person who can tell you if you like food is you- so all you need to do is find food you can eat lots of regularly.

    But much like losing weight- you are only going to be able to do it if you WANT it to happen. gaining is hard work too.
  • knollmma
    knollmma Posts: 21 Member
    How do you, yourself actually feel about your weight? Are you happy at your current weight, or do you actually feel that you are too skinny? It kind of sounds like you're just gaining weight out of annoyance with other people's judgement of you. As long as you're in a healthy BMI range, I see no reason for you to gain weight unless you want to add some muscle.

    #1 rule of dieting or gaining should always be to do it for nobody but yourself!!!
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    How do you, yourself actually feel about your weight? Are you happy at your current weight, or do you actually feel that you are too skinny? It kind of sounds like you're just gaining weight out of annoyance with other people's judgement of you. As long as you're in a healthy BMI range, I see no reason for you to gain weight unless you want to add some muscle.

    #1 rule of dieting or gaining should always be to do it for nobody but yourself!!!

    OP has a BMI of 15, which is very low (<18.5 is considered under weight).
  • Ms_Wire
    Ms_Wire Posts: 22
    Thanks everyone...Aside from the ice cream aversion, I do actually eat loads of high calorie foods, but like everyone in the world, I imagine, after a certain point I get full up.
  • Elsie_Brownraisin
    Elsie_Brownraisin Posts: 786 Member
    Can you request a referral to another dietitian if the first wasn't any good?

    My son drinks Nutricia Fortini smoothies, prescribed by the dietitan. He doesn't like them, but it's 300 cals for the 200 ml bottle, so easier to just knock back than a creamy complan style drink. He also had something called Fresubin shot prescribed, but he abolutely refuses to drink them. Sad, because they are 600 cals for 120 ml, a really small amount of liquid! Perhaps an adult would be able to just swallow it and rinse their mouth out. But I can abolutely understand why anyone would not want to drink these kind of things though.

    We give him things like chocolate, nuts (lots of different types), bits of cheese and greek yogurt to pick at throughout the day. Do you have a favouite snack you can pick at during the day?

    I also agree with the poster advising gaining muscle and the weight at the same time. It might seem overfacing to eat a great deal to allow for new exercising, but start small with the food and the weights and build up.
  • Ms_Wire
    Ms_Wire Posts: 22
    How do you, yourself actually feel about your weight? Are you happy at your current weight, or do you actually feel that you are too skinny? It kind of sounds like you're just gaining weight out of annoyance with other people's judgement of you. As long as you're in a healthy BMI range, I see no reason for you to gain weight unless you want to add some muscle.

    #1 rule of dieting or gaining should always be to do it for nobody but yourself!!!

    To be honest I couldn't give a toss about a "healthy" BMI, I just use it as an example of the fact that I could weigh more. I've already had enough doctors tell me there's nothing wrong with me and I should stop worrying as I just have a high metabolism (or to weight for middle age spread, stellar advice guys!). But I actually would like to look bigger, I'm not a fan of how slender I am.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Thanks everyone...Aside from the ice cream aversion, I do actually eat loads of high calorie foods, but like everyone in the world, I imagine, after a certain point I get full up.

    nope... thats why there are so many overwieght people, eating past full!
  • Ms_Wire
    Ms_Wire Posts: 22
    Can you request a referral to another dietitian if the first wasn't any good?

    My son drinks Nutricia Fortini smoothies, prescribed by the dietitan. He doesn't like them, but it's 300 cals for the 200 ml bottle, so easier to just knock back than a creamy complan style drink. He also had something called Fresubin shot prescribed, but he abolutely refuses to drink them. Sad, because they are 600 cals for 120 ml, a really small amount of liquid! Perhaps an adult would be able to just swallow it and rinse their mouth out. But I can abolutely understand why anyone would not want to drink these kind of things though.

    We give him things like chocolate, nuts (lots of different types), bits of cheese and greek yogurt to pick at throughout the day. Do you have a favouite snack you can pick at during the day?

    I also agree with the poster advising gaining muscle and the weight at the same time. It might seem overfacing to eat a great deal to allow for new exercising, but start small with the food and the weights and build up.

    I actually quite like Complan, so don't have a problem getting it down :) I've never heard of Fresubin, but I am really bad at coping with things that taste awful, even if ostensibly as adult!
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Putting on lean mass doesn't necessarily mean you want to 'bulk up'. If you are just trying to increase to a healthy BMI, unless you already have a very low body fat, it is healthier to add some muscle along with fat rather than simply increase your BF%.

    When gaining weight the gains will always be a combination of fat and LBM, just as it is when losing weight. Depending on your exercise and nutrition, the ratio of fat:muscle will vary.

    Only thing is, I'm really struggling with my calorie goal (2150) as it is, and I'll have to consume even more, presumably, if I'm working out too?

    Not if you just lift.


    But there's also nothing wrong with your current approach.
  • DrFlave
    DrFlave Posts: 59 Member
    Only thing is, I'm really struggling with my calorie goal (2150) as it is, and I'll have to consume even more, presumably, if I'm working out too?

    Strength training burns relatively few calories compared to cardio. I only lift, and I personally don't find it any harder to hit my calorie goal on gym days. There's nothing wrong with just wanting to fill out a bit though. It might help to gradually increase your calorie goal instead of suddenly trying to eat way more than you're used to.
  • Ms_Wire
    Ms_Wire Posts: 22
    Only thing is, I'm really struggling with my calorie goal (2150) as it is, and I'll have to consume even more, presumably, if I'm working out too?

    Strength training burns relatively few calories compared to cardio. I only lift, and I personally don't find it any harder to hit my calorie goal on gym days. There's nothing wrong with just wanting to fill out a bit though. It might help to gradually increase your calorie goal instead of suddenly trying to eat way more than you're used to.

    Thanks. I think, after a few weeks of pushing myself, I can feel my appetite getting bigger, so hopefully things will improve soon!
  • daynerz
    daynerz Posts: 227 Member
    Eat nuts, just a handful of almonds is roughly 300c, adds up quick
  • superhippo95
    superhippo95 Posts: 21 Member
    peanut butter, nuts, oils, whole milk, cheese, steak, butter, poptarts, cake, donuts, pancakes, pizza, bacon, sausage, pasta. oats, dried fruit, avocado, eggs, fatty fish, chocolate, candy, pancakes, cookies
  • ROBOTFOOD
    ROBOTFOOD Posts: 5,527 Member
    I'm also trying to put on some mass. I'm a distance runner, so It's a slow process. My BMI right now is 18.
    6'0 134lb.
    I was 118 3yrs ago, so I've improved a lot.
    Goal is 150.
  • I am very much where you are as well. I lost too much weight as a result of nursing my son and my BMI dropped to 16 - a weight far too low for me, even as a normally slender person. I did find that a registered dietitian was able to help me work some ideas into my diet already. For instance, along with my normal breakfast I do some homemade smoothies that have protein powder and flaxseed oil to get a boost of protein/fat/calories in the morning. But what works for me may not be the same as for you.

    I went from eating about 2300-2500 a day prior to meeting with a dietitian to 2700-3000 a day. But again, my metabolic needs are skewed especially since I'm nursing! The new diet has helped me gain 1.5-2lbs or so in the last two weeks. So it is working.

    I do also exercise 1-2 times a week (weight training) for strength but that has nothing to do with my weight goals. I will say that my doctor was concerned about bone density long term because those of us who don't carry as much fat around can have bone loss issues. So that is a plus in the weight training column if you find yourself interested in it at some point in the future.
  • WLG1974
    WLG1974 Posts: 90
    My ex husband was so skinny people thought he was anorexic. He wasn't though, he ate so much food it made me sick. We would go to Denny's and he would order 4 plates of food and eat them all. Not to mention an entire chocolate cake to himself. He couldn't gain no matter what. So, he used that weight gainer powder stuff and he gained weight except he lost all the weight really fast when he stopped consuming it.

    I think some people will just be really thin no matter what. I don't see anything wrong with it, but ya people can be so judgemental when they have no idea what a person is really going through.
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