HELP-Can't Gain Weight!

Training Beginners
21

What comes to mind is that your protein calories are likely being burned for energy rather than building you back up if your carbohydrate intake is inadequate. Make sure fat intake is sufficient as well – fat doesn’t make you fat.

Considering using steroids, rather than addressing the real issue? Bzzzt…wrong answer. There is a problem with your training/diet that needs to be addressed in order for growth. Unless that problem were “You need to take steroids,” steroids will simply be a band-aid, allowing you to ignore the problem a little while.

Then, once you’re off, you’re still practicing the same old flawed training. Just as you shouldn’t just by a calculator instead of learning mathematics, you should probably learn how to train before juicing.

22

Based on what you have said there are 3 conclusions I can think of because there is no way a 6 foot 150lb person wont gain weight on 3000 to 4000 calories a day.

1- You arent really eating 3000-4000 calories a day
This is probably the most probable explanation
2- You work an extremely demanding physical labor job
3- You have hyperthyroidism

You dont need to just eat calories left and right. Actually tally up how much you are eating.

You said you are eating 200 grams or more of protein, fine, lets give you 250 grams a day, on your 4000 calorie days this is only 1/4 of what you are eating. Im not trying to be a dick but I doubt you are eating as much as you say you are. Just keep track of your calories. You’ll be fine.

23

When I played Juco basketball alot of the guys on my team would say I dont know what it is I just cant gain weight.

Unless you have hyperthyroidism no one really has this problem. The problem is that you think you are eating alot. You are not.

24

Thanks for the help guys, here’s my diet on an average day:

8:30
Bowl of mini-wheats (can’t eat heavily after waking up) 4g of protein
2 GNC Mega Men Multi-Vitamins

9:45
Bacon-Egg-Cheese sandwich 16g

12:00
10 oz Chicken and Rice 32g

3:00
Meal Replacement bar 30g

5:30
Steak, Veggies, Potato 35g
1 Tribulus

6:00
1 Vitamin C
1 L-Arginine (500mg)

9:00
Protein Shake 50g

12:00
2 tbsp Flax Seed Oil

12:15
Myoplex Deluxe 42g
1 Tribulus
1g of Glutamine
3 ZMA
1 L-Argnine (500mg)

Thats 209g of protein

This is my honest to god diet most weekdays, weekends it changes a little but just the times. I usually work out around 6:30-7:30. I’m not lying, or exagerating, I have no reason to, I just want to get bigger.

I also drink about 3-5 glasses of milk a day, and work 9-5 and have a bottle of water with my all day to drink, and sometimes at work if I’m hungry around 4:00 I will have a bag of Roasted Soy nuts, which is 36 g of protein.

I have considered buying the Liquid Whey Protein Vials by IDS (42g of protein) and adding a meal at 3:00am and gulping one down.

Could there really be something wrong with me? Should I see a doctor?

25

[quote]ajax11 wrote:
Thanks for the help guys, here’s my diet on an average day:

8:30
Bowl of mini-wheats (can’t eat heavily after waking up) 4g of protein
2 GNC Mega Men Multi-Vitamins
[/quote]

fibre in mini wheats can suck up and stop you absorbing the vitamins.
have more protein at this time of day possibly a shake, a casein type shake is good

not much protein in this and very greesy and bad

that is ok

arginine = waste of time

why the 3.5hr wait from the steak?

ZMA supposed to be on an EMPTY stomach you would be better taking it at 11:30 by itself and have the shake later

not a fan of myoplex

glutamine a it of a waste of time and money
arginine is too
you almost certainly do NOT need tribulis and if you are taking it, are you cycling it 5 days on / 2 off or something similar?

[quote]
Thats 209g of protein

This is my honest to god diet most weekdays, weekends it changes a little but just the times. I usually work out around 6:30-7:30. I’m not lying, or exagerating, I have no reason to, I just want to get bigger.

I also drink about 3-5 glasses of milk a day, and work 9-5 and have a bottle of water with my all day to drink, and sometimes at work if I’m hungry around 4:00 I will have a bag of Roasted Soy nuts, which is 36 g of protein.

I have considered buying the Liquid Whey Protein Vials by IDS (42g of protein) and adding a meal at 3:00am and gulping one down.

Could there really be something wrong with me? Should I see a doctor?[/quote]

yes there could be something wrong with you none of the fine tuning will fix your problem.

26

regarding your diet. Looks too heavy on expensive supplements and not heavy enough on fat to me. It may be about 3000 calories though.

Consider this - add 3-6 boiled eggs a day and a cup of nuts. Is your protein shake mixed with whole milk? You can add a little cream in that too for extra calories.

Have an egg or two plus nuts and a glass of whole milk instead of your protein bar (or with if you insist on spending money) and again between the steak and going to sleep.

If that isnt working after a couple of weeks add another egg and think about mixing protein into a drink of half and half.

You need a good mix of dietary fat when you’re young and thin. Good luck

27

Is that 10 oz of chicken and some rice on the side, or 10 oz of chicken and rice?

28

[quote]ajax11 wrote:
Thanks for the help guys, here’s my diet on an average day:

8:30
Bowl of mini-wheats (can’t eat heavily after waking up) 4g of protein
2 GNC Mega Men Multi-Vitamins

9:45
Bacon-Egg-Cheese sandwich 16g

12:00
10 oz Chicken and Rice 32g

3:00
Meal Replacement bar 30g

5:30
Steak, Veggies, Potato 35g
1 Tribulus

6:00
1 Vitamin C
1 L-Arginine (500mg)

9:00
Protein Shake 50g

12:00
2 tbsp Flax Seed Oil

12:15
Myoplex Deluxe 42g
1 Tribulus
1g of Glutamine
3 ZMA
1 L-Argnine (500mg)

Thats 209g of protein

This is my honest to god diet most weekdays, weekends it changes a little but just the times. I usually work out around 6:30-7:30. I’m not lying, or exagerating, I have no reason to, I just want to get bigger.

I also drink about 3-5 glasses of milk a day, and work 9-5 and have a bottle of water with my all day to drink, and sometimes at work if I’m hungry around 4:00 I will have a bag of Roasted Soy nuts, which is 36 g of protein.

I have considered buying the Liquid Whey Protein Vials by IDS (42g of protein) and adding a meal at 3:00am and gulping one down.

Could there really be something wrong with me? Should I see a doctor?[/quote]

Half of your protein comes after 9:00 p.m., and you are getting 20 grams (maybe) before noon?

122 grams of protein are coming from a power bar and two shakes - you need more real food.

If you are having a shake before bed, it is better to have a whey casein or all casein shake. Then you won’t have to get up for liquid protein.

I don’t care if you “can’t eat heavily after waking up”, you do what you have to do. Five eggs, 4oz meat, oatmeal, real cheese, some veggies, that’s how you break a fast.

You are eating three meals a day and adding shakes - try 6 meals a day and one shake and a PWO - an MRP bar is for for occasional MRP, does not take the place of real food.

I’m not a big fan of roasted soy nuts.

When do you work out?

29

Where do you get 3000 to 4000 calories you arent even close

30

[quote]Shadowzz4 wrote:
Based on what you have said there are 3 conclusions I can think of because there is no way a 6 foot 150lb person wont gain weight on 3000 to 4000 calories a day.

1- You arent really eating 3000-4000 calories a day
This is probably the most probable explanation
2- You work an extremely demanding physical labor job
3- You have hyperthyroidism

You dont need to just eat calories left and right. Actually tally up how much you are eating.

You said you are eating 200 grams or more of protein, fine, lets give you 250 grams a day, on your 4000 calorie days this is only 1/4 of what you are eating. Im not trying to be a dick but I doubt you are eating as much as you say you are. Just keep track of your calories. You’ll be fine.[/quote]

There are plenty of people who can’t gain weight on 3000-4000 calories. What the op needs to do is eat more if he can’t gain weight.

31

Try getting your last meal as solid food instead of supplements. Throw in some pastas and don’t worry about lowering your complex carbs at night.

You should NEVER feel hungry. Eat, eat, eat, and when you think you can’t eat anymore, you eat some more. If all else fails then have the Doc shake you thyroid.

32

[quote]sloh wrote:
Shadowzz4 wrote:
Based on what you have said there are 3 conclusions I can think of because there is no way a 6 foot 150lb person wont gain weight on 3000 to 4000 calories a day.

1- You arent really eating 3000-4000 calories a day
This is probably the most probable explanation
2- You work an extremely demanding physical labor job
3- You have hyperthyroidism

You dont need to just eat calories left and right. Actually tally up how much you are eating.

You said you are eating 200 grams or more of protein, fine, lets give you 250 grams a day, on your 4000 calorie days this is only 1/4 of what you are eating. Im not trying to be a dick but I doubt you are eating as much as you say you are. Just keep track of your calories. You’ll be fine.

There are plenty of people who can’t gain weight on 3000-4000 calories. What the op needs to do is eat more if he can’t gain weight.

[/quote]

Rephrase that. There are plenty of 6 foot 150lb 20 year olds that dont fit into one of the above categories that cant gain weight on that many calories? I dont think so.

33

Lets look at this critically, not just assume you are eating alot. Bowl of mini wheats

8:30
Bowl of mini-wheats (can’t eat heavily after waking up) 4g of protein
2 GNC Mega Men Multi-Vitamins

Ill give you 300 calories for this

9:45
Bacon-Egg-Cheese sandwich 16g

400 calories here and there are more than 16g of protein in that.

12:00
10 oz Chicken and Rice 32g

If you are saying there is 32 grams of chicken in 10oz there are not there are 90grams So that chicken has 470 cals, plus rice we will say 700cal

3:00
Meal Replacement bar 30g

Ill say 250 cal

5:30
Steak, Veggies, Potato 35g
1 Tribulus

ill come back to this.

6:00
1 Vitamin C
1 L-Arginine (500mg)

9:00
Protein Shake 50g

ill say 300 cals assuming protein and some carbs or milk

12:00
2 tbsp Flax Seed Oil

give you 100 calories

12:15
Myoplex Deluxe 42g
1 Tribulus
1g of Glutamine
3 ZMA
1 L-Argnine (500mg)

give you 300 cals

Thats 209g of protein

This is my honest to god diet most weekdays, weekends it changes a little but just the times. I usually work out around 6:30-7:30. I’m not lying, or exagerating, I have no reason to, I just want to get bigger.

I also drink about 3-5 glasses of milk a day, and work 9-5 and have a bottle of water with my all day to drink, and sometimes at work if I’m hungry around 4:00 I will have a bag of Roasted Soy nuts, which is 36 g of protein.

Ok leaving out the steak and potato I came up with 2920 and I overestimated everything. Gave you 40 oz. of milk and the soy nuts. So with that steak and potato lets give you 3700 calories. Now you said you eat this most week days and the weekend is different. Start eating this all weekdays and weekends also, get some maltodextrin and put 100 grams or so in your PWO shake that should give you a kick in the pants. I dont doubt that you are eating all this, but you were vague yourself on how often, you are probably not eating this much consistently enough, Ill tell you right now.

34

Thats a great idea, I’m going to purchase some maltodextrin to add to my shakes, thanks shadowzz4. I am also going to start going to bed earlier, and wake up a little earlier so I can cook a big breakfest before heading to work.

I eat that diet pretty consistently, the first 3 meals are always the same, I get the same thing at the cafeteria at work, and have a bunch of MRP bars stocked up in my desk. I also always have a Myoplex Deluxe before bed, always. The only 2 meals that change are my dinner and evening meals. Dinner meal may sometimes be Hamburger, Chicken, and sometimes even a roast beef sandwich from Big John’s or Grilled chicken from McDonalds’s.

Also sometimes right after my work out (6:30-7:30) I’m starving so I eat another MRP bar instead of waiting to get home and have a protein shake.

35

UPDATE

It’s been about 7 months since I started this thread, and I am up to 160 lbs. Not as much as I would like, but it’s better then before.

I have been noticing some gains in size and decent gains in strength. I kept most of my diet the same, but added maltodextrin powder to my diet. I have it in a shake after my work outs and put it on cereal as a sweetner.

I’ve also been pre cooking chicken breasts and having them through out the day, and I’m going for 2nds and 3rds in all the meals I was previously just having 1 helping.

I’m guessing my caloric intake is atleast 4000. So thanks for all the advice. And if anyone else has any tips or foods that are high in calories I can eat, please post it. Thanks!

36

4 scoops of ice cream, 2-3 scoops of chocolate whey powder+milk+ blender= like 700 calories. I ate shit like this a lot too when I was trying to gain weight. can afford actual MRP now so I don’t need to.

37

Gallon of milk a day. Half a jar of peanut butter (natural stuff), a lb of yogurt. This will throw on the calories and has tons of protein and good fats.

You need to be slamming food, grab the whole wheat bread always. Eat brown rice, whole wheat pasta. Learn to love cheese (get nice cheese not shitty singles). If you feel full, put stuff in a blender and pound it.

A buddy of mine is famous for eating a jar of peanut butter in a sitting by drinking soda with it. This dissolves it so you can swallow it without chewing. He will also put a full meal in a blender (think peas, tuna, protein powder, anything) and then drink it. It won’t always be fun, but you will have to force this one to gain weight if you are having this much trouble.

I say this a lot and lots of people don’t like it, but dont do arms! When gaining and losing weight, these exercises detract energy from other parts of your body, while not adding a lot (you won’t gain sig. weight or lose weight by getting toned or bigger arms) Legs baby, all the way. This will raise your metabolism, but it is also the place to add muscle. Big back workouts are also key as this is a large muscle group.

Do descending reps with increasing weight. Start at 12 and work till 2 , decreasing by two a time. Then go back and finish off each exercise by doing low weight high rep. This should encourage both growth and endurance. It will also tire you, making you eat more.

Lemme know what you think.