Need to gain 20 pounds

you can have my 20 and I'll be free of this extra weight!!!

My hubby has the same problem

Most of us on here want to loose, but I know from friends of mine that gaining can be equally hard and frustrating! From researching nutrition and from taking some college courses (I'm not certified) my suggestion would be to eat lots of protein and start weight training. Weight training helps you gain muscle which weighs more than fat! Don't go eat bad food to gain, you still want to be healthy! Also if you havn't; try to see your doctor and see if you can get referred to a nutritionist! Good luck!

Up your calorie intake!!

Healthy fats include sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids, such as tuna, salmon, flax, and walnuts. Good sources of protein include lean meats, fish, poultry, nuts, seeds and legumes. Healthy carbohydrate sources include fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

It may be easier to eat five or six smaller balanced meals per day rather than eating three large meals, especially if you are not used to eating much at one sitting.

Protein powders and nutritional supplement drinks can be consumed as in-between meal snacks if you still need more calories.

Although most of us are jealous as heck of your problem, I know it's just as serious as those of us who are trying to lose weight.

Contrary to what people will joke about, stay away from all the junk food and sugar. That will make you gain fat, which I'm sure is not what you want to do. Do like a few others have said. Eat high protein foods and lift weights. Go to a nutrition store like GNC and see what they have as far as supplements go (for protein). Also know that it will take time, so be patient. Also, eat often. A guy here at work is doing the same thing and he eats every 2 hours. A turkey sandwich, a hard boiled egg, a peanut butter sandwich, etc. Keep fueling your muscles.

Good luck!

My friend has the same problem as you (curses!) and he has to workout constantly and drink protein shakes 2-3 times a day on top of regular meals. You probably want to workout 3 times a week, one day will be super heavy (1-5 reps), one day will be medium (8-10 reps) and one day should be light (10-20 reps). Each day you should workout your entire body (compound exercises work best) and let your body rest in between.. this is where your muscle is built. By varying your load you workout difference muscle fibres so it _should_ be the most efficient way to gain. My friend can put on 20 pounds if he sticks to his workouts and his diet, as soon as he slacks he loses his weight.. pretty much the reverse of my problem :P

I hope to god some day someone invents a machine that transfers your excess metabolism to people who really need it ;-)

I am actually in a similar boat as you, but i am only trying to gain back 3-4 pounds.

I would still exercise as it is a good thing to do for your heart and body overall. You should probably be focusing more on strength training to gain muscle weight, you don't want 20 pounds of fat on you!

You just need to set a daily calorie goal and commit to meet it everyday. Plan your meals to divide the calories up and eat whatever you have left at the end of the day. Of course, you should not be doing this with cheeseburgers and milk shakes, but you obviously have more room in your diet for that than most. Focus on healthy fats and your proteins - some animal, more plant based.

Have fun and good luck!

definitely check you diet to add more calories.

you can gladly have 20 pounds off me lol.