21, 130 lbs, 3000K intake, no weight gain

Hi All,

I have been using this app for a while now (about 4 months) I currently have an intake of 3000 calories a day, I am hitting the nutrients and macros daily, I am going the gym 4 times a week however I cannot seem to put on weight. I have gained 2 lbs in 4 months and I am not sure why this is not working.

My usual meal plan will consist of the following:

Breakfast:
3 Large Scrambled Eggs and 3 rounds of wholemeal toast

Snack:
Protein Shake and an Orange

Dinner:
Usually consists of potatoes, tuna, cheese or chicken and pasta, chicken and rice, etc

Snack:
Mixed Nuts

Lunch:
Again similar to what I would have at luch so tuna, chicken, beef, potatoes, rice, veg, salad, etc...

I will then go the gym and afterwards have another snack, usually these fruit things which are called yo yo's I think and another protein shake.

Any advice would be more than appreciated!

Thank!

Replies

  • youngbladezfadez
    youngbladezfadez Posts: 1 Member
    edited February 2016
    You should start power lifting.... Only 4 to 6 reps...
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    edited February 2016
    You should start power lifting.... Only 4 to 6 reps...

    No

    OP - if you're not putting on weight, you're not eating enough.

    Bump your calorie intake to 3300 for a few weeks and gauge your progress. Keep bumping until you gain 1/2 - 1 lb per week on average.

    Looking at your average daily diet, it consists of a lot of foods that have relatively low calories for the volume. If you can't stomach the thought of eating a greater volume of food, switch out some of the tuna, chicken, rice, etc for higher-calorie dense foods.
  • kingkam21
    kingkam21 Posts: 76 Member
    I was 130lbs at age 20. I'm 21 now and 175lbs. Eat more rice, and pastas. Do not depend on supplements like powder proteins and mass gainers, they won't help the skiny guys as much as real food will. You don't need to count calories as your just starting. Just eat everything you can. Eat until you can't eat anymore with every meal. More than half my pay check gos to food at costco. Your body is using all the 3k calories your eating so eat more! You don't need to depend on a caloric intake if your just starting. Just eat as much as you can. Buy a 20lb bag of rice from Costco for $15 and eat 2, cups a day. 1 cup before workout and 1 after. If your drinking powderd protein shakes than start making your own real shakes with peanut butter, oats, bananas and raw eggs. Almond s and dairy products like yogurt in your shakes really help. Have fun and don't stress.
  • CodyQuinlan
    CodyQuinlan Posts: 38 Member
    I'm 22 and when I started I was the same weight maybe 132. What worked for me was doing 3300 calories gym 6/7 days a week and doing 5x5 for compound movements and 4x8-10 for isolation movements
  • teethakuri67
    teethakuri67 Posts: 5 Member
    The more active you are, the more calories you're burning.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,988 Member
    edited February 2016
    Hi All,

    I have been using this app for a while now (about 4 months) I currently have an intake of 3000 calories a day, I am hitting the nutrients and macros daily, I am going the gym 4 times a week however I cannot seem to put on weight. I have gained 2 lbs in 4 months and I am not sure why this is not working.

    My usual meal plan will consist of the following:

    Breakfast:
    3 Large Scrambled Eggs and 3 rounds of wholemeal toast
    This looks to be about 450 calories
    Snack:
    Protein Shake and an Orange
    300 calories
    Dinner:
    Usually consists of potatoes, tuna, cheese or chicken and pasta, chicken and rice, etc
    Let's say 1000 calories
    Snack:
    Mixed Nuts
    300 calories
    Lunch:
    Again similar to what I would have at luch so tuna, chicken, beef, potatoes, rice, veg, salad, etc...
    another 600 calories
    I will then go the gym and afterwards have another snack, usually these fruit things which are called yo yo's I think and another protein shake.

    Any advice would be more than appreciated!

    Thank!
    So I may have estimated high, but it short of 3000 calories. Your BMR is likely at least 1600 and then you work out (say another 400 calories) then add in work and regular physical activity (walking, moving) you're likely around 2500 or more. So if you're eating 3000 (which it doesn't look like) that's a surplus of 500 calories. But here's the thing, are you eating 3000 calories per day everyday? I doubt it. I've seen this same scenario many times and most guys who are trying to gain just don't eat enough.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

  • CFaulkner97
    CFaulkner97 Posts: 65 Member
    Gaining Weight can be a discouraging goal I've had bad experience as well .This is a testing experience. Unfortunately you need to but your calories even if the app tells you 3,000. We all have different metabolisms and different amount of activity. Keep going with trial and error till you know your body's needs
  • borrego6193
    borrego6193 Posts: 26 Member
    edited February 2016
    Eat more, bump up calories by 250 and if that's not working, bump up another 250
  • TomBrownLFC
    TomBrownLFC Posts: 5 Member
    Hi All,

    Thanks for the advice, I will bump up my calorie intake and see where that leads me over the next few weeks :)

    I am just wondering if there is a thread in here which contains a list of the most dense calorie foods to help me prepare mealsnto hit these targets?
  • jacklifts
    jacklifts Posts: 396 Member
    edited February 2016
    You know...in losing weight, I find that a big portion of my calories come from snacks rather than meals. Maybe you should focus on having higher calorically dense snacks. Protein shakes are not calorically dense....switch those out for protein bars, maybe with a few tablespoons of peanut butter. You need more "junk" food in your diet if you want to gain weight without dramatically increasing your food volume.

    For dinners, try stuff like mac and cheese next to chicken, made with real full fat cheese and butter. Eat ice cream for dessert with a piece of chocolate. For lunch, have a burger made with 85/15 beef, a couple of slices of cheese and mayo, with a side of fries. That's 1400 calories right there. Add a shake. After your yo-yos, add some ho-hos.

    You can still meet all your protein and nutrient requirements in those snacks and meals.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,988 Member
    Hi All,

    Thanks for the advice, I will bump up my calorie intake and see where that leads me over the next few weeks :)

    I am just wondering if there is a thread in here which contains a list of the most dense calorie foods to help me prepare mealsnto hit these targets?
    When I went from 126 to 150 in a year, I ate pizza, burgers and sushi.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    your diet is missing peanut butter!!!!
  • april0622
    april0622 Posts: 10 Member
    Try purchasing apetamin. It will give you an appetite. I have it and it works.
  • cgvet37
    cgvet37 Posts: 1,189 Member
    As others have said, you need more calories. If you don't consume more then you burn, you will never gain weight. As you will be in a caloric deficit, and you need a surplus. Keep bumping up your calories, until you find what works for your nutritional needs.
  • edwardmack23
    edwardmack23 Posts: 51 Member
    Hi All,

    I have been using this app for a while now (about 4 months) I currently have an intake of 3000 calories a day, I am hitting the nutrients and macros daily, I am going the gym 4 times a week however I cannot seem to put on weight. I have gained 2 lbs in 4 months and I am not sure why this is not working.

    My usual meal plan will consist of the following:

    Breakfast:
    3 Large Scrambled Eggs and 3 rounds of wholemeal toast

    Snack:
    Protein Shake and an Orange

    Dinner:
    Usually consists of potatoes, tuna, cheese or chicken and pasta, chicken and rice, etc

    Snack:
    Mixed Nuts

    Lunch:
    Again similar to what I would have at luch so tuna, chicken, beef, potatoes, rice, veg, salad, etc...

    I will then go the gym and afterwards have another snack, usually these fruit things which are called yo yo's I think and another protein shake.

    Any advice would be more than appreciated!

    Thank!

    I went from 135 to currently 204 and gaining used a supplement call cb1 it's a weight gainer and what it does is it slows down your metabolism and increases your hungry allowing you to consume more calories and burn less
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    april0622 wrote: »
    Try purchasing apetamin. It will give you an appetite. I have it and it works.

    No need for drugs-just food.
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    Hi All,

    I have been using this app for a while now (about 4 months) I currently have an intake of 3000 calories a day, I am hitting the nutrients and macros daily, I am going the gym 4 times a week however I cannot seem to put on weight. I have gained 2 lbs in 4 months and I am not sure why this is not working.

    My usual meal plan will consist of the following:

    Breakfast:
    3 Large Scrambled Eggs and 3 rounds of wholemeal toast

    Snack:
    Protein Shake and an Orange

    Dinner:
    Usually consists of potatoes, tuna, cheese or chicken and pasta, chicken and rice, etc

    Snack:
    Mixed Nuts

    Lunch:
    Again similar to what I would have at luch so tuna, chicken, beef, potatoes, rice, veg, salad, etc...

    I will then go the gym and afterwards have another snack, usually these fruit things which are called yo yo's I think and another protein shake.

    Any advice would be more than appreciated!

    Thank!

    I went from 135 to currently 204 and gaining used a supplement call cb1 it's a weight gainer and what it does is it slows down your metabolism and increases your hungry allowing you to consume more calories and burn less

    No. Knowing what you do now, you didn't need drugs. Just food.
  • TomBrownLFC
    TomBrownLFC Posts: 5 Member
    Just wanted to give you all an update, managed to increase my calorie intake by 200-300 calories and the past week I have put on 3 pounds which is amazing so thank you all for the help so far, I am going to keep going and see if I can hit that 10st/140lb mark :)
  • OzzyG09
    OzzyG09 Posts: 1 Member
    Counting calories has been important for me for gaining weight (which is why I downloaded this app in the first place). Track them accurately as well as your exercises. Lifting weights will help build the mass you need. If you're doing cardio on top of that (or sports), you'll need to take that into account. Either do less cardio or eat more.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Here is a list of calorie dense foods you can add: I think the estimation that @ninnerbuff did looks pretty close to being calculated off the top of his head...

    Add some of these:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Just wanted to give you all an update, managed to increase my calorie intake by 200-300 calories and the past week I have put on 3 pounds which is amazing so thank you all for the help so far, I am going to keep going and see if I can hit that 10st/140lb mark :)

    OP I missed your update above on Feb 29 and see that someone put this thread back into the news feed by posting 2 days later... sorry about.

    I should have seen it before I posted as you have already made some changes...

    Good luck OP you got this! :)
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    april0622 wrote: »
    Try purchasing apetamin. It will give you an appetite. I have it and it works.

    no....

    just eat more...

    OP - are you using a food scale? as @ninerbuff pointed out your intake appears to be below 3000..I would suggest getting a food scale so that you can accurately track your intake....
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
    edited March 2016
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Hi All,

    I have been using this app for a while now (about 4 months) I currently have an intake of 3000 calories a day, I am hitting the nutrients and macros daily, I am going the gym 4 times a week however I cannot seem to put on weight. I have gained 2 lbs in 4 months and I am not sure why this is not working.

    My usual meal plan will consist of the following:

    Breakfast:
    3 Large Scrambled Eggs and 3 rounds of wholemeal toast
    This looks to be about 450 calories
    Snack:
    Protein Shake and an Orange
    300 calories
    Dinner:
    Usually consists of potatoes, tuna, cheese or chicken and pasta, chicken and rice, etc
    Let's say 1000 calories
    Snack:
    Mixed Nuts
    300 calories
    Lunch:
    Again similar to what I would have at luch so tuna, chicken, beef, potatoes, rice, veg, salad, etc...
    another 600 calories
    I will then go the gym and afterwards have another snack, usually these fruit things which are called yo yo's I think and another protein shake.

    Any advice would be more than appreciated!

    Thank!
    So I may have estimated high, but it short of 3000 calories. Your BMR is likely at least 1600 and then you work out (say another 400 calories) then add in work and regular physical activity (walking, moving) you're likely around 2500 or more. So if you're eating 3000 (which it doesn't look like) that's a surplus of 500 calories. But here's the thing, are you eating 3000 calories per day everyday? I doubt it. I've seen this same scenario many times and most guys who are trying to gain just don't eat enough.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

    This is what I'm thinking too.

    OP When I was your age and weight I thought I was eating a lot more too. You need to up those calories until the scale moves.
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
    Hi All,

    I have been using this app for a while now (about 4 months) I currently have an intake of 3000 calories a day, I am hitting the nutrients and macros daily, I am going the gym 4 times a week however I cannot seem to put on weight. I have gained 2 lbs in 4 months and I am not sure why this is not working.

    My usual meal plan will consist of the following:

    Breakfast:
    3 Large Scrambled Eggs and 3 rounds of wholemeal toast

    Snack:
    Protein Shake and an Orange

    Dinner:
    Usually consists of potatoes, tuna, cheese or chicken and pasta, chicken and rice, etc

    Snack:
    Mixed Nuts

    Lunch:
    Again similar to what I would have at luch so tuna, chicken, beef, potatoes, rice, veg, salad, etc...

    I will then go the gym and afterwards have another snack, usually these fruit things which are called yo yo's I think and another protein shake.

    Any advice would be more than appreciated!

    Thank!

    I went from 135 to currently 204 and gaining used a supplement call cb1 it's a weight gainer and what it does is it slows down your metabolism and increases your hungry allowing you to consume more calories and burn less

    How does it slow down your metabolism? I think you need to find out what metabolism is and why you shouldn't want to play around with it. As for anything that increases your appitite there just isn't a need to do that. Don't screw with your body for short term gains just feed it.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Seriously with some of these replies.....

    OP:

    Someone previously commented to add 250 calories and if that doesn't work, add 250 more.
    That's generally the method I'd use.

    Make a bump to calories, monitor average bodyweight for 1-2 weeks, repeat if you're not gaining weight.

    If you start having trouble with appetite in that you can't keep up (too full) start looking at reducing food volume by selecting lower fiber foods, less voluminous foods, and foods that generally are highly palatable and less filling.
  • Zeus727
    Zeus727 Posts: 78 Member
    If not gaining at 3000 increase calories and your food intake is less than 3000.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    Yeah I agree with the others 2600 calories ish with everything you're eating is being generous. It's much better to log everything rather than just guesstimating. Glad to see you're gaining weight now though.