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I need to put on weight.

  
 
Blake Head
14:24 / 27.12.06
Despite a good stuffing over Christmas, checking my weight on the scales at home I’ve discovered that I’m nearly a stone lighter than my optimal weight. Which maybe doesn’t sound like much, but when you’re a skinny thing like me you don’t have very much to lose before you notice. My BMI isn’t desperately unhealthy yet, but it’s getting there, so I’d like advice on how best to stop gradually losing weight and hopefully put a bit more on. I’ve been a bit run-down lately, with various aches and pains that aren’t going away as quickly as I’d like, and I’m starting to think this might have something to do with being a bit underweight, and want to do something about it.

A few things from recent history:

My diet has changed in the past six months from fairly carnivorous to being about 50% vegan, and generally consists of rice, pasta, fruit and veg topped up with occasional junk food.

My current job involves sporadic heavy lifting, not enough to constitute a full body work-out (I’m not digging swimming pools) but generally speaking I’m on my feet all day and I’ve been putting more stress on the old muscles than I would normally.

Generally speaking I’m one of those annoying people whose metabolism lets them eat whatever and as much as they want and not put on weight (hollow legs syndrome), but even so I’m usually pretty careful about what I eat. What I’d like to know is any diet/routine tips for putting on a weight healthily, and how much the vegan thing, or changes in diet generally, might affect it - if at all. I know I need to get a bit more structured exercise, any guidance on what’s best for not burning off more weight much appreciated. Preferably I’d not be putting on all this weight around my gut in a DRINK MORE BEER!!! sort of way. Anyway, cheers, apologies to anyone with the opposite problem to whom this probably sounds awfully smug.
 
 
■
14:59 / 27.12.06
Make the most of it, young whippersnapper. At your age I was also fairly underweight. Now I'm a good 5 kilos over, probably for good. You'll be fine, just have a steak now and then. Or a tagine from that Moroccan place next door. Ooh, or some nice whiting from the fishmongers over the road.
 
 
Ticker
15:21 / 27.12.06
On a vegan diet you most certainly need to watch out for weight loss. However a 50% vegan diet is not the same as a 100% vegan diet. Weight is all about calorie intake versus calorie use. Sources of fat and protein are essential to maintaining healthy muscle, joint, and cardio.

If you can afford it, go to a nutritionist and get a personalized diet plan. If you can't afford it keep a food journal for a week. Spend an hour at the end of the week figuring out your calorie intake and seeing where you can boost it in relation to your more active periods of time. Breakfast, BTW, is not optional it is required and should contain protein.

Some folks require 3 meals plus 3 snacks, which are mini meals. A low fat diet is not the same as a no fat diet. Make sure you are getting enough building block foods.

A frequent problem people encounter when becoming vegan is not getting enough good fat along with protein. They tend to load up on carbs. Cooking with healthy oils, making friends with the mighty olive, and paying attention to food reactions is highly recommended.

If you're too thin for your health, the simple answer is increase your calories especially during active periods. The reverse is true for those who believe themselves to be over weight.
 
 
Shrug
10:57 / 28.12.06
Kalteen Bars (should they exist)or a version thereof?
 
 
HCE
19:20 / 28.12.06
I agree with getting a personalized plan if you can. I spent a few months living with a happily chubby Jain family and on their diet I dropped down to under 100 pounds, which is too light for my height. Every body is a little different. Also, you may need some time to settle in to a new routine.

Here's some information about supplements and dietary balance:

http://www.veganhealth.org/sh
 
 
Blake Head
01:22 / 05.01.07
Ooh, haven’t had steak in ages. I think the Moroccan place has shut now Cube, though if it’s the one I’m thinking of I went a few months ago and it was very nice indeed.

Keeping a food journal sounds like good advice xk, thanks. Will attempt to do it now that things have calmed down a bit after New Year. I am guilty of skipping breakfast. I should also probably watch the whole remaining active into the small hours thing…

Anyone with advice on exercise/activity that promotes general health / muscle mass but not weight loss?

[insert optimistic comments about turning this tender young sirloin into a prime hunk of Scottish beef here]
 
 
gingerbop
01:49 / 05.01.07
How long have you been at your current job for, and what were you doing beforehand?

I ask, because in the circus school I'm at (though I'm quite sure your job is slightly different), the men tented to lose half a stone or so near the beginning, and by the time 6 months or so had passed, they'd put it on again as muscle. And because you said your muscles were working more than usual.

In terms of diet, I'm with xk on making friends with the olive. And as for excercise- I'm no expert, but something slow, effortful and tedious, I would imagine, like weight-training. I'm not sure about swimming- it's generally hailed and the wonder-sport, and great for both core and outer muscle groups. But I don't know any reason why it would be any different to running in terms of making you even skinnier. Any swimmers out there?
 
 
illmatic
06:19 / 05.01.07
If you want general diet and nutrition tips, you could do a lot worse than look at John Beradi's site. He's a weight trainer and nutrition expert and, simply put, bloody huge, as you can see from the front page. It gets a bit technical in places, so start here with the 7 Nutritional Habits.I don't do this myself, as I'm not committed to changing my diet at present, but from the little I know about nutrition it's state-of-the-art advice. If you're eating right, I think your weight will almost manage itself. I also like the food/nutrition/diet pages on Stumptous All very readable stuff. There's information about sample diets and she links to Fitday where you can get an online account to track your diet.

There's a couple of articles on Beradi's site about bulking up if you're a body builder - which I'm not - which you might find interesting. If your major commitment in life is to have monstrous pecs, you might want to eat like that, but for us mere mortals, I think it's a bit much. A bit expensive also.

Gingerbop is correct, and weight-training is the best activity for putting on muscle, but you need to be eating correctly and resting for this to happen. I've heard people say body-building is 20% lifting, 30% good nutrition and 50% rest. See Stumptous again for advice. To build muscle, you need to do exercises that you can only manage 6-8 repitions of for 2/3 sets, as you need to stress the muscles so they grow. Twice a week, evenly spaced out is the way to go.
 
 
Elettaria
18:34 / 06.01.07
He's not been going vegan, he's dating a vegan. I've been vegan for a decade, I know the nutritional stuff, I'm a good cook drawing on a variety of global cuisines, and on the same diet I've somehow managed to put on weight since we've been together, so I don't think it's that. (Bloody male metabolism, though it might also be because while he's lifting lots of boxes of books at work, I have fairly nasty ME and am lucky if I can get out of the flat, let alone exercise. Any advice on that one is also welcome.) He started the job just before he met me, about eight months ago, but I reckon it's more to do with the activity level side of things than what he eats here, though we both have a bit of a habit of skipping meals when distracted. The olive oil used in this household, I hasten to assure people, is of the finest extra virgin quality, none of that raving slapper stuff for me, thank you. I think the levels of fat and protein are good, plus I tend to use wholegrains, organic veg, that sort of thing. We're both nibblers (my hormones do scary things to me if I don't eat every few hours, he gets tired and dizzy), any suggestions about useful snacks for either of us? We're still trying to come up with very quick breakfasts that we both like.
 
 
■
19:50 / 06.01.07
I kno my first post may have sounded a bit sarky to some, but I did mean it. If you're not yet going the whole hog, you do need some good lean meat regularly (not denigrating your cookery, Elett, but it does take a while to adjust).
I'm semi-qualified for the swimming thing (was like a fish when I was ten, now I'm more like an overweight and imbalanced dolphin). I tend to only do it now for pleasure/stretching after harder exercise, but it does help tighten everything up well. Unless you're really hardcore and do 20-30+ lengths regularly it doesn't tend to aid weight loss as you aren't really exerting yourself that much if you've got the technique right. After a bit of cardio and weights I tend to do breaststroke to loosen up my spine followed by crawl without kicking for just a few lengths (which kind of pulls everything from your shoulders to your waist together nicely).
The other benefit of swimming over running is that, especially for the taller person (which my brain remembers Blake as being, but it is a bit fuzzy right now), there is much less in the way of stress on the joints through shock and gravity.
 
 
petunia
20:33 / 06.01.07
We're still trying to come up with very quick breakfasts that we both like.
Muesli does it for me. Grab bowl, pour in muesli, pour in milk (likely rice or soya milk for the vegan choice), grab spoon. Eat.

Pretty quick, though it does take a while to chew.

That said, it might not be to your taste. I love the stuff but seem to get odd looks when i eat it...

How about a smoothie? I love innocent smoothies, but the are pretty expensive. You could prepare a batch of your own which should keep for a few days. Then it'd be 'grab glass, pour smoothie, drink'. Which would be even faster. Obviously, this isn't as preferable as a fully chunky breakfast that'll fill you and keep you til lunch (and it won't help much with the weight-add) but it's still gonna pack a load of goodness into you in a minimum of time, and would be a good extra to add to any other snack you might grab in the AM.

As for Operation Weight Add; i'm probably stating the obvious, but quite often, people's bodies are just geared to be at a certain weight.

If you are worried about your weight irt medical bodymass guideline stuff, then you might be better off just continuing as you are at the moment. These things are guidelines, and it's fun to be an anomaly. If you are eating healthily (i.e. 'good food' like what elettaria describes, and eating it when hungry) and you get a reasonable amount of exercise, you're probably fine.

If you're concerned about your weight for matters of personal preference (body-image, winter warmth, etc.), then i really don't know much. The times i've been at my weightier are the times i've eaten unhealthily and been drinking too much, so i have little concept of healthy weight-addition.

Okay. Maybe a couple of tidbits:

One friend of mine warned me of peanut butter when i was feeling all weighty. She had used it as a way to put on some mass after a bulimic patch and she said it was remarkably effective. As long as you get the good stuff without added hydrogenated oils etc (look for the stuff that seperates in the jar when left alone for a bit), it's really good for you and it tastes fucking great.

One family friend had a bizarre diet. She would (and perhaps continues to) eat nothing but dry roasted peanuts and pizza. I think there were a few other foodstuffs she would try, but these were the main staples of her diet. While not (too) unhealthy - she was a keen swimmer, cyclist and so on - she was very thin. So her parents took to giving her a glass of protein shake to drink everyday - the stuff you see advertised for body-builders etc. Seemed to do the trick, and she put on weight in a seemingly healthy way.

I'm afraid i'm rather medically naive and tend to judge another person's health in terms of 'their skin looks radiant' or 'she seems a lot happier now'. For all i know, their liver could be a ball of black blood. But they looked healthy and put on weight, so the advice must be good.
 
 
Triplets
09:08 / 07.01.07
I'm glad to hear to Mexico University of Dieticians has paid for itself, .tramp
 
 
petunia
11:30 / 07.01.07
Hey everybody!
 
 
illmatic
14:05 / 07.01.07
This link is not really on topic at all but it's worth watching this video as it's freakily hilarious. Blakehead: this is my challenge to you, get a Powertec machine and by 2008, blow Jay Cutler off the stage!
 
 
Blake Head
13:17 / 08.01.07
Eggs: Both those links look really useful, and I will make time to read through them properly.

.trampetunia: I’m already pretty much firmly on the side of slim. I’d be happier if I was say a stone heavier, as that’s what I think of as optimal from past experience, and if my energy levels were a bit higher, some of which is going to be lifestyle stuff.

I haven’t been swimming in months, and longer before that, but if I decided not to be so lazy it might be quite a good thing to do in the morning. My focal distance is so poor that the last time left me feeling distinctly vulnerable, but I’m sure I could get used to it if I work out when the pool’s quiet and I don’t have to, y’know, worry about bumping into those blurry objects I’m assured are other swimmers. Weight training was what I expected in an answer, which I’ve done a little of in the past; I mainly wanted to reassure myself that this would be a sensible option before I went and got up the energy to actually do it, and the reminder about proper rest was something that’s probably most pertinent, as I have a tendency not to get enough.

Massive muscles of any sort of sort are not really desired, or indeed a realistic goal. It’s always amused me how much and how easily terms like “unreal”, “monster” and “sick” are used as positive terms in the bodybuilding field, but that’s probably continuing to get away from the matter at hand.

But who knows, maybe I’ll bulk up a bit and get really into it. One day I too could hold my rigid neck muscles towards the autocue and summon the concentration to mouth:
Only... The... Best... Train... With… Powertec...
 
 
■
14:48 / 08.01.07
Cartman whine: "Live your dreams, you can reach your goals. Beefcake. Beefcaaaake!"

By the way, the thing that got me back into swimming was getting prescription goggles. They cost about £30 but they don't half help your confidence in the pool. Before I got them I'd spend ten minutes before approaching the pool reading all the signs from a few inches that everyone else could see easily.
 
  
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