Tips on gaining weight

I have a really fast metabolism and I kinda eat a lot but the weight/pounds disappear. I’ve been a steady 120 pounds for awhile and I’m trying to get up to 135. Any tips on how I can gain weight? Also, I do not exercise

Replies

  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,401 Member
    For most people, it's "easier" than you think. Eat more, and especially eat more calorie dense foods. For those with habits of eating less, it can be a struggle.

    Probably the best thread to help with ideas is...

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10326769/are-you-a-hard-gainer-please-read

    @psuLemon has it all covered
  • dallsop417
    dallsop417 Posts: 1,031 Member
    edited March 2019
    jseams1234 wrote: »
    lovell45 wrote: »
    I have a really fast metabolism and I kinda eat a lot but the weight/pounds disappear. I’ve been a steady 120 pounds for awhile and I’m trying to get up to 135. Any tips on how I can gain weight? Also, I do not exercise

    I hear the "fast metabolism" reasoning quite a bit. I've used that excuse myself... but have you spent some time diligently logging everything you eat and drink - making sure to measure and weigh everything? I found that there were days that I did eat an extraordinary amount of calories but these were ultimately balanced out by subsequent days when I under ate. The truth was that I simply wasn't eating enough consistently. Once I was able to identify the issue gaining mass was absolutely no issue. Some folks also mistake a high TDEE for metabolism. If you are extremely active every day you need to adjust your caloric needs accordingly. Regardless - high metabolism or high TDEE the answer is simply to eat more. The hard part for some people is the consistency. Setting daily goals and logging will help tremendously.

    I have to agree. I’m in the process of trying to gain weight now too. I thought I had a high metabolism and was even tested for it years ago but results said my metabolism was normal. I couldn’t understand it because I could eat soooo much and not gain any weight. When I started using this app to check the calories I’m really eating. Some days I will total 1500 calories, other days I can have 4000 and too many days it’s only 600. It’s not just the days you eat lots that matter as it’s the amount you eat over a period of time. So if you need 2000 calories a day that’s 14000 a week. If you actually have 2 days of 4000 and 5 days of 500 then that’s only 11500 for the week which is 2500 a week less than you need so will actually lose weight. The trick to gaining weight is simply eating more calories consistently. There’s lots of calorie dense food to eat so you don’t get too full so there’s room for more. I’ve started snacking on bananas throughout the day as these are 100 calories each, and other goodness, so I normally eat 8 spread through the day for an extra 800 calories. They are cheap, tasty, and not too filling but gives a good boost. Another good idea for people that struggle to eat enough calories is to have them in liquid form. You can buy the powder but it’s cheaper to make your own, some milk, a banana, but of peanut butter and you have a great calorie boost. Don’t drink these before meals or it may fill you up too much and proper food is always better.
  • msurkus
    msurkus Posts: 23 Member
    Stop by GNC or your local health food store and pick up a weight gainer supplement to add to your diet. If you are not a big eater 1 or 2 a day will do its healthier and easier than taking in extra calories from unhealthy foods.
    You are so lucky, I can add 10 lbs in one meal.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    msurkus wrote: »
    Stop by GNC or your local health food store and pick up a weight gainer supplement to add to your diet. If you are not a big eater 1 or 2 a day will do its healthier and easier than taking in extra calories from unhealthy foods.
    You are so lucky, I can add 10 lbs in one meal.

    What would you define as unhealthy foods? Have you ever seen the ingredients in a typical mass gainer? Usually cheap processed sugars, which are fine if that is what someone wants to drink... but I wouldn't exactly put them high on the totem pole of nutrition especially compared to cookies or candy (or whatever unhealthy food you are referring to).
  • m2esquire
    m2esquire Posts: 1 Member
    Great reading these suggestions, I feel like I’ve got grip on gaining weight, yet not weight gain. I’m also taking a medication that suppressed my appetite. So I find myself force feeding myself. It sounds like I really need to track my caloric intake.
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,219 Member
    m2esquire wrote: »
    Great reading these suggestions, I feel like I’ve got grip on gaining weight, yet not weight gain. I’m also taking a medication that suppressed my appetite. So I find myself force feeding myself. It sounds like I really need to track my caloric intake.

    You do need to track. It makes it easier in the long run because you can be consistent. Force feeding yourself is a drag - believe me I understand. I typically have to force feed myself quite a bit during the top part of a bulk and it's not fun when it becomes a daily occurrence. One of the biggest bonuses to tracking/logging your food is you will quickly learn what foods are calorie dense and which add unnecessary volume. That alone makes it much easier sometimes.
    msurkus wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    msurkus wrote: »
    Stop by GNC or your local health food store and pick up a weight gainer supplement to add to your diet. If you are not a big eater 1 or 2 a day will do its healthier and easier than taking in extra calories from unhealthy foods.
    You are so lucky, I can add 10 lbs in one meal.

    What would you define as unhealthy foods? Have you ever seen the ingredients in a typical mass gainer? Usually cheap processed sugars, which are fine if that is what someone wants to drink... but I wouldn't exactly put them high on the totem pole of nutrition especially compared to cookies or candy (or whatever unhealthy food you are referring to).

    It’s better than shoving fried chicken and Wendy’s down your throat and usually with weight gainers you get what you pay for. I don’t need em now so I don’t know the brand names but I’m sure with a little research you can find a decent one. It’s the fastest and easiest way to add calories for someone who don’t like to eat a lot.

    I have nothing against weight gainers. I've used them myself extensively - but only as a last ditch solution when at the end of day I haven't met my goals and I'm too far off to easily get to them by just stuffing my face... or those times when the thought of actually chewing and swallowing something is just too much. However, I'd never resort to them mid day or as a meal replacement. For me at least, a typical mass shake is huge and quite filling and would ultimately make it harder to eat normally for the remainder of the day.

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  • manowarrule2003
    manowarrule2003 Posts: 118 Member
    A simple weightgain shake made of oats, milk, peanutbutter, and a banana can be adjusted to help you add however many calories you require. I myself had one for breakfast today and it equated to around 800 calories. Gone in 2 minutes, and because its a liquid, i found that eating something solid 4 hours later was no problem at all. Other tips, olive oil shots? How about snacking on rice cakes with peanut butter between meals?
  • jdog022
    jdog022 Posts: 693 Member
    edited April 2019
    msurkus wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    msurkus wrote: »
    Stop by GNC or your local health food store and pick up a weight gainer supplement to add to your diet. If you are not a big eater 1 or 2 a day will do its healthier and easier than taking in extra calories from unhealthy foods.
    You are so lucky, I can add 10 lbs in one meal.

    What would you define as unhealthy foods? Have you ever seen the ingredients in a typical mass gainer? Usually cheap processed sugars, which are fine if that is what someone wants to drink... but I wouldn't exactly put them high on the totem pole of nutrition especially compared to cookies or candy (or whatever unhealthy food you are referring to).

    It’s better than shoving fried chicken and Wendy’s down your throat and usually with weight gainers you get what you pay for. I don’t need em now so I don’t know the brand names but I’m sure with a little research you can find a decent one. It’s the fastest and easiest way to add calories for someone who don’t like to eat a lot.

    It’s really not any different . I’d rather have an McFlurry then a weight gainer shake
  • JPuffers
    JPuffers Posts: 12 Member
    edited April 2019
    A simple weightgain shake made of oats, milk, peanutbutter, and a banana can be adjusted to help you add however many calories you require. I myself had one for breakfast today and it equated to around 800 calories. Gone in 2 minutes, and because its a liquid, i found that eating something solid 4 hours later was no problem at all. Other tips, olive oil shots? How about snacking on rice cakes with peanut butter between meals?


    THIS ^^ I have almost the same exact recipe and have one of these after I eat my breakfast or sometimes as my breakfast if I am in a hurry. Then I have another after dinner an hour or so before bed, although I do my workout in the evening too. My typical shake is one banana, 1/3 cup oats, 1 tbsp honey, and either 3-4 Tbsp Pbfit (add 1 tbsp olive oil if using pbfit) or 3-4 tbsp creamy peanut butter with 8-12 oz of a milk substitute. I don’t tolerate dairy well so I use almond cashew protein milk, oat milk, hemp milk, etc. my typical shake is 800-1000 calories.

    Tracking your calories helps a ton as mentioned and gets easier the more you do it. I average 3,400-3,800+ calories a day without feeling like I am overly force feeding myself. Calorie dense snacks throughout the day is also your friend; nuts, beef jerky and dried fruit are my go to’s personally.
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  • carsforsalebklyn
    carsforsalebklyn Posts: 12 Member
    There’s really no other way to gain weight without exercising besides taking in more calories than you are now. Obviously you would have to just eat more or easier way to do it would be using a weight gain powder or making your own weight gain shakes which would be just a lot of calories for example milk peanut butter fruit coconut oil. Space cream making a shake that has high calorie ingredients that is extra from what you normally would eat giving you more calories per day than you normally eat that would help you to gain weight.
    Another way which would be better and healthier for you would be to start training with weights 3 or 4 times a week while still eating those extra calories we just talked about. Benefits would be that the extra weight would be gaining would be more muscle instead of gaining weight from more fat. Besides the extra weight would look better on you since it would be muscle and now flabby fat, you would feel better and look amazing as a bonus. 😉