are there any pills/vitamins for gaining weight

NaomiAnna22
NaomiAnna22 Posts: 36 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Are there any pills or vitamins you can take daily to gain weight? protein shakes and all that aren't always the most convenient.

Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    Well no because gaining weight is about calorie surplus and most pills and vitamins are low calorie at best. You need to eat calorie dense foods.

    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
  • HamsterManV2
    HamsterManV2 Posts: 449 Member
    HamsterManV2 wrote: »
    Calculate your TDEE - this is how many calories to eat to MAINTAIN weight. Scientifically, 3500 calories = 1lb. So if we divide 3500 calories by 7 days of the week, you need to eat TDEE plus 500 calories to gain 1lb per week.

    So that means you need to log and measure EVERYTHING you put in your mouth, and eat TDEE + 500 calories. I assume you are lifting during this time, as the caloric surplus will greatly aid in strength and muscle growth. I would not recommend going any more than that, as you can only build a certain amount of muscle and any excess will turn into fat.

    i.e. I am a 27/male/5'7", gymming 4 days a week. I put in my stats and my TDEE comes out to 2300 calories. To bulk, I have to eat 2800 calories DAILY for +1lb per week. If I wanted to gain 10 lbs, that's roughly 3 months of bulking. If I wanted to lose weight, I'd cut and eat 1800 calories daily for -1lb per week.

    If +500 over your TDEE is too much, do +250 instead for +0.5lbs per week, or +2lbs per month.

    Remember, consistency over intensity. Skinny people overestimate how much they eat (and overweight people underestimate). The scale and food tracking keeps us all honest. It's not how much you eat in 1 meal or 1 weekend, but what you do day-in-day-out.

    Protein shakes are roughly 120 calories per shake... That's not very high calorie. You want to aim for high calorie foods - there is a list floating around here somewhere. Eat above your TDEE
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    no, you need to eat in a caloric surplus.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Pizza pills?
    Peanut butter vitamins?

    Is there some particular reason you can't just simply eat more of the foods you like?
  • markiend
    markiend Posts: 461 Member
    I mix my protein powder with full fat milk and add an angel delight type powder for taste. Peanut butter too ... Spoon, jar of peanut butter, then apply to face .. yum
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Fill a pill bottle full of nuts. Cashews are a good choice.
  • kinsleyrenee
    kinsleyrenee Posts: 1 Member
    NaomiAnna22 wrote: »
    Are there any pills or vitamins you can take daily to gain weight? protein shakes and all that aren't always the most convenient.
    Yes there is a liquid vitamin that me and my sister take its called Apetamin it makes you feel like you can eat everything, and it slows down your matabalizam so you gain weight faster :)

  • Rom3oJuli3tt
    Rom3oJuli3tt Posts: 42 Member
    There's no substitute for "forcing" yourself to eat. Whole food is really the best way to make it happen .
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    There are quite a few appetite stimulants or drugs called orexigenics on the market but they will not replace the actual eating - they just stimulate your appetite to help you eat. Most of these do not work consistently across populations and affect people differently - therefore, if you need one, you must work with a doctor to get a prescription.

    They don't replace food, they just make you want to eat more.

    Calories in a pill? No.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    edited June 2016
    kinsleyrenee wrote: »
    NaomiAnna22 wrote: »
    Are there any pills or vitamins you can take daily to gain weight? protein shakes and all that aren't always the most convenient.
    Yes there is a liquid vitamin that me and my sister take its called Apetamin it makes you feel like you can eat everything, and it slows down your matabalizam so you gain weight faster :)

    Please don't use "stuff bought off the internet" like this. It is not FDA approved for that - it's a first generation anti-histamine used for asthma and has some possible side effects.

    http://www.rxlist.com/cyproheptadine-side-effects-drug-center.htm

    By the way, while it does stimulate appetite in about 1 in 5 persons that take it it does not slow down your metabolism. And it isn't a liquid vitamin. That isn't how it works.
  • tjones091991
    tjones091991 Posts: 1 Member
    Apetamin but check with a doctor first.
  • bornfabulous1
    bornfabulous1 Posts: 3 Member
    Apetamin or Tres Orix. They will make you gain weight, but the apetamin will make you drowsy the first few days. I'm taking the Tres Orix I started on 5/25/16 at 116lbs yesterday I weighed in at 125lbs but my stomach is looking like I'm pregnant, have to work on it
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    bornfabulous1 wrote: »
    Apetamin or Tres Orix. They will make you gain weight, but the apetamin will make you drowsy the first few days. I'm taking the Tres Orix I started on 5/25/16 at 116lbs yesterday I weighed in at 125lbs but my stomach is looking like I'm pregnant, have to work on it

    Of course you will probably look pregnant. You gained 9 lbs of water/fat in 2 weeks. Instead and rapidly gaining, slow it down (.5-1 lb per week) and lift weights. Doing this will help maximizing muscle gains and minimize fat gains. I cant tell you how many women are suggesting Apetamin, only to come back on here in a month complaining about stomach issues and looking pregnant.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    You'll notice that those recommending these products mostly only have 1 post.... and no profile.
  • girlperson666
    girlperson666 Posts: 27 Member
    you could try drinking Ensure or something like that, I think it's supposed to be like milk, but it has a lot of nutrients in it and is calorie dense
  • Scamd83
    Scamd83 Posts: 808 Member
    So many people want to over complicate something that is so simple, like simplicity cannot work for some reason. Eat more dang food you calorie avoider! Can't chew anymore bites? Fine, get a blender, chuck protein powder in, peanut butter, oats, milk, banana, whatever you like, blend, drink. Even if you just make yourself a big drink thingy like that and sip it throughout the course of your day.

Categories