A "diet" to gain?

[CruciFixed]

Hey guys,
Sorry I don't know where to post this and even if there was a dieting section I bet they wouldn't want to support this kind of "diet" if it can be called that.

I see a lot on how to lose weight, different diet pills, surgeries, exercise equipment, nutrition plans, etc etc etc on tv, in my inbox, in my mail box lol. There's a lot out there but here's whats up:

My husband is 35 and he weighs 104 lbs and is 5'4". He's not anorexic or bulimic or anything like that. He eats well throughout the day but he can't gain weight or keep it on. At one point he managed to gain 6 lbs but lost it all in no time at all. We both could use some poundage but mostly him. He's not very active because he constantly has to have surgery or something done. Soon he will be having his bottom row of teeth pulled and his gums filed and then he will get fitted for dentures.
The more he spends sleeping and laying around due to surgery and now tooth extraction the less he gains.
Does anyone know anything he can do besides eating more food that can help him? He already eats 3 meals a day and desert. Well not right now. He's only eating squishy stuff because he has no teeth on his top row.
When he has his dentures he'll go back to eating like a normal person and he won't put any weight on. I can't put on weight either and my son struggles to gain weight as well. We've all even tried increasing our calorie intake and it wont stick to us.

Any advice?

 

[WolfBitnGodSmittn]

Hey guys,
Sorry I don't know where to post this and even if there was a dieting section I bet they wouldn't want to support this kind of "diet" if it can be called that.

I see a lot on how to lose weight, different diet pills, surgeries, exercise equipment, nutrition plans, etc etc etc on tv, in my inbox, in my mail box lol. There's a lot out there but here's whats up:

My husband is 35 and he weighs 104 lbs and is 5'4". He's not anorexic or bulimic or anything like that. He eats well throughout the day but he can't gain weight or keep it on. At one point he managed to gain 6 lbs but lost it all in no time at all. We both could use some poundage but mostly him. He's not very active because he constantly has to have surgery or something done. Soon he will be having his bottom row of teeth pulled and his gums filed and then he will get fitted for dentures.
The more he spends sleeping and laying around due to surgery and now tooth extraction the less he gains.
Does anyone know anything he can do besides eating more food that can help him? He already eats 3 meals a day and desert. Well not right now. He's only eating squishy stuff because he has no teeth on his top row.
When he has his dentures he'll go back to eating like a normal person and he won't put any weight on. I can't put on weight either and my son struggles to gain weight as well. We've all even tried increasing our calorie intake and it wont stick to us.

Any advice?

I'd recommend going to GNC or another reputable health food store and buy powdered protein drink mixes, mix with milk. Id also recommend some sort of excercize, light weights not going for poundage but repetitions... a light 10 to 15 lb dumbbell goes a long way if done properly and its not too strenuous... even 5 lbs is better than nothing

but the protein shakes along with his 3 regular meals ought to do the trick

 

[Daughter of His]

I was going to recommend fried rice because I read a while back that it could be helpful in such a situation. I'll change my answer to^^what he said.

 

[Aesjn]

I used to never gain weight and was skinny but I've been eating Thai and Indian food alot the past few years and gained like 40 pounds... Now I wish I hadn't.

 

[Simon_Templar]

The first point I'd make is that if he's not exercising, and specifically if he's not weight training, any weight gain will be fat. If he is very low body fat already thats ok, but generally you wouldn't want to pack on a lot of fat, you'd want to build muscle.

You can only build muscle through strength training, which means weights.

Other than that, weight gain (or loss for that matter) is all about calories taken in verses calories burned. If you want to gain weight, you need to eat more calories than you burn. If you do, you will gain weight guarenteed.

All else being equal (ie he doesn't have some medical condition that prevents his body from storing fat or building muscle). If he's not gaining it means he's not taking in enough calories. Some people do have trouble eating enough to gain.

If you just want to gain and don't care if its fat or muscle, then you could eat whatever you want as long as its calorie rich.

If, however, you want to build muscle, then you need to eat lots of protien. The best is eggs, then meat. Protein supplements are good and can be convenient. However its generally better to eat whole foods like eggs, cheese, meat etc.

Milk is one of the best weight gainers around. Whole milk is often used by strength trainers who are trying to gain weight.

In general fatty foods are the highest calorie density, so when your trying to get a lot of calories, fatty foods are good. Ideally you would balance saturated fats (from red meat and dairy) with unsaturated fats (from fish, seeds, and nuts). The unsaturated fats are generally seen as the best for you, but saturated fats are good for weight gain and building muscle because they stimulate testosterone.

So eat eggs, drink whole milk, eat nuts, stuff like that.

Things like Pop, sugar foods and drinks etc, will also make you gain weight because they are high calorie, but they will tend to make you gain fat, and they don't provide much if anything in the way of usable nutrients for your body.

I highly highly recommend doing a strength training routine as well. If you talk to your husband's doctor I'm sure he could probably tell you what kind of exercises your husband can do to help build strength. There is no need to start big, starting small is best. Build over time.

If you are trying to gain weight, don't do a lot of cardio/aerobic exercise. Cardio/aerobic burns the most calories, so the more you do, the more calories you will have to eat in order to gain weight. Focus on the strength training. That will not burn as many calories, it will get your body to build muscle and not just fat (which will make you healthier, and feel better).

If your husband is having surgeries etc, you should deffinetly consult your doctor though before starting any new exercises.

If you undertake this you will also need to drink lots of water. minimum 8 glasses a day.

 

[Cris413]

The best thing to do is consult your doctor. He/she may wish to check your/hubby's thyroid as it's the thyroid that manages metabolism which dictates how we burn fuel (food) and turn it into energy.

Sometimes....when the thyroid is performing within normal limits...(not clinically hypo or hyper) some people just have fast or slow metabolisms and simply can not reasonably gain or lose weight...

...and often times have to take strong measures to adjust their weight.

Most doctors are happy to discuss diet and exercise with their patients and address weight concerns...

...and as long as one is within normal limits according height, bone structure and muscle mass....IOW…not clinically obese nor clinically underweight....a proper health program shouldn't be all that extreme.

The goal is to be HEALTHY and fit....

Moderate exercise and balanced nutrition should be the game plan for us all and if one wishes to improve their body….the mindset should be an adjustment in lifestyle that one can maintain and live with in the long run.

It’s not going to do any good to apply some extreme diet and hit the gym 5 days a week if you can’t or won’t maintain that nutrition and exercise program….it’s better to eat a balanced healthy diet and to work out 2-3 times a week if that’s all you can reasonably manage. Personally I don’t like the gym at all as every muscle group can be sufficiently worked with simple equipment right at home.

I favor healthy, defined muscle over increased muscle mass. Yep…personally…I think massive muscle mass is unattractive and massive muscle mass does not always equate with muscle health.

I agree with Simon…a balanced diet with increased protein intake is a great way to go with strength training as protein builds and repairs body tissue and I also consider protein supplements are fine…but the operative word is “supplement” and shouldn’t be a replacement for food sources of protein.

Anyway...whatever program one chooses...consult with a doc is first and foremost and education into proper exercise and strength training is a MUST....as exercise and weight training....not done properly can be a waste of time with very little result and/or cause injury.

 

[CruciFixed]

I'd recommend going to GNC or another reputable health food store and buy powdered protein drink mixes, mix with milk. Id also recommend some sort of excercize, light weights not going for poundage but repetitions... a light 10 to 15 lb dumbbell goes a long way if done properly and its not too strenuous... even 5 lbs is better than nothing

but the protein shakes along with his 3 regular meals ought to do the trick

Yuck. I feel like being 80s "Gag me with a spoon!"

I used to never gain weight and was skinny but I've been eating Thai and Indian food alot the past few years and gained like 40 pounds... Now I wish I hadn't.

The first point I'd make is that if he's not exercising, and specifically if he's not weight training, any weight gain will be fat. If he is very low body fat already thats ok, but generally you wouldn't want to pack on a lot of fat, you'd want to build muscle.

You can only build muscle through strength training, which means weights.

Other than that, weight gain (or loss for that matter) is all about calories taken in verses calories burned. If you want to gain weight, you need to eat more calories than you burn. If you do, you will gain weight guarenteed.

All else being equal (ie he doesn't have some medical condition that prevents his body from storing fat or building muscle). If he's not gaining it means he's not taking in enough calories. Some people do have trouble eating enough to gain.

If you just want to gain and don't care if its fat or muscle, then you could eat whatever you want as long as its calorie rich.

If, however, you want to build muscle, then you need to eat lots of protien. The best is eggs, then meat. Protein supplements are good and can be convenient. However its generally better to eat whole foods like eggs, cheese, meat etc.

Milk is one of the best weight gainers around. Whole milk is often used by strength trainers who are trying to gain weight.

In general fatty foods are the highest calorie density, so when your trying to get a lot of calories, fatty foods are good. Ideally you would balance saturated fats (from red meat and dairy) with unsaturated fats (from fish, seeds, and nuts). The unsaturated fats are generally seen as the best for you, but saturated fats are good for weight gain and building muscle because they stimulate testosterone.

So eat eggs, drink whole milk, eat nuts, stuff like that.

Things like Pop, sugar foods and drinks etc, will also make you gain weight because they are high calorie, but they will tend to make you gain fat, and they don't provide much if anything in the way of usable nutrients for your body.

I highly highly recommend doing a strength training routine as well. If you talk to your husband's doctor I'm sure he could probably tell you what kind of exercises your husband can do to help build strength. There is no need to start big, starting small is best. Build over time.

If you are trying to gain weight, don't do a lot of cardio/aerobic exercise. Cardio/aerobic burns the most calories, so the more you do, the more calories you will have to eat in order to gain weight. Focus on the strength training. That will not burn as many calories, it will get your body to build muscle and not just fat (which will make you healthier, and feel better).

If your husband is having surgeries etc, you should deffinetly consult your doctor though before starting any new exercises.

If you undertake this you will also need to drink lots of water. minimum 8 glasses a day.

When he has teeth he can eat like 5 meals a day. For breakfast he can have two pancakes with butter and syrup. For lunch two to three sandwiches like either pb&j or ham and cheese and for dinner two hamburgers with cheese and the works and fries then for desert consume 3 scoops of ice cream with chocolate sauce and weigh the same the next day. We both can eat like horses and stay the same weight.

Thats just an example of the type of stuff he can eat.
He can eat a whole quart of Chinese food to himself.
He likes healthy food too.

He won't have another surgery for a long while and his doctor did say he could do lifting about 35 pounds over his head and he can pull like 60 backwards and 50 forward.

He won't have a problem doing light exercise and gaining muscles may improve his self confidence a little. I don't care if he gets a little fat from food just as long as its not unhealthily fat like obese. His dad is "fat" but hes healthy. I know my husband wants to have a little muscle. I could probably work out with him too but the word work is in there lol kidding.

Since right now he cant chew much all he eats is ice cream, pie, ravioli, soft pasta, and soup.

He can't chew much at all.
When he gets his dentures he'll go back to his favorite foods again:
steak
cheeseburgers
hot dogs
porkchops
chicken lol

The best thing to do is consult your doctor. He/she may wish to check your/hubby's thyroid as it's the thyroid that manages metabolism which dictates how we burn fuel (food) and turn it into energy.

Sometimes....when the thyroid is performing within normal limits...(not clinically hypo or hyper) some people just have fast or slow metabolisms and simply can not reasonably gain or lose weight...

...and often times have to take strong measures to adjust their weight.

Most doctors are happy to discuss diet and exercise with their patients and address weight concerns...

...and as long as one is within normal limits according height, bone structure and muscle mass....IOW…not clinically obese nor clinically underweight....a proper health program shouldn't be all that extreme.

The goal is to be HEALTHY and fit....

Moderate exercise and balanced nutrition should be the game plan for us all and if one wishes to improve their body….the mindset should be an adjustment in lifestyle that one can maintain and live with in the long run.

It’s not going to do any good to apply some extreme diet and hit the gym 5 days a week if you can’t or won’t maintain that nutrition and exercise program….it’s better to eat a balanced healthy diet and to work out 2-3 times a week if that’s all you can reasonably manage. Personally I don’t like the gym at all as every muscle group can be sufficiently worked with simple equipment right at home.

I favor healthy, defined muscle over increased muscle mass. Yep…personally…I think massive muscle mass is unattractive and massive muscle mass does not always equate with muscle health.

I agree with Simon…a balanced diet with increased protein intake is a great way to go with strength training as protein builds and repairs body tissue and I also consider protein supplements are fine…but the operative word is “supplement” and shouldn’t be a replacement for food sources of protein.

Anyway...whatever program one chooses...consult with a doc is first and foremost and education into proper exercise and strength training is a MUST....as exercise and weight training....not done properly can be a waste of time with very little result and/or cause injury.

You guys with your suggesting exercise and what not......are you trying to suggest we do something besides play on the computer?

Thanks for all of the advice I am definitely going to get some little dumb bells and we'll see his doc. He's only 104 lbs and he thinks he's underweight. He is probably right. My son is on a high calorie diet because his doctor wants to see him gain weight and she doesnt even care if its a little fat because he's a baby. Babies are supposed to be a little chunky. My son is 17 months old and he wears size 2 diapers and wears 6-9 month and some 9-12 month outfits. Mostly 6-9 month. We're a skinny bunch. :o

 

[hopeinGod]

I had been living the same life as the two of you all my life, and I am now 57 years old. Like your husband, I too have had obstacles in my way, always thwarting whatever my latest effort was to gain a few lbs.

In 1969, I joined the Navy at 5'10" and weighing a mere 121 lbs. I was raised in an extremely dysfunctional family setting. Sometimes we ate, sometimes we didn't. Things both tragic and horrific were a part of my life throughout my youth, which is why I quit high school, lied about my age, and joined the military.

So, the first strike against me was my emotional instability and the backlash of dsyfunction which for decades plagued me mentally.

Secondly, I developed irritable bowel syndrome which would not permit me to eat fatty foods: no red meat, oily fish, coconut, avocado, milk, cheese, and many other foods that would have added on lbs.

Then, three years ago, I developed nerve pains in my extremities, and that is when I began to add weight. Doctors put me on pain medications, anti-depressants, and numerous other pharmaceuticals, all of which will put tons of weight on most anyone.

One med that particularly comes to mind is Zyprexa. It is an anti-depressant that will turn you into a whale in no time. Today, at 5'11", I weigh 159 lbs. For me, that is a huge amount of weight.

I don't advocate pill popping unless you absolutely need the meds, but if ever the occasion arises, thank your lucky stars. Narcotics are especially weight producing.

Dave

 

[CruciFixed]

Thanks for the tip Dave. Sorry about your life and stuff. I've always had food in my mouth growing up even if my parents had to forgo eating to feed us they did. My husband's dad makes army pots full of food quite often and sometimes it goes to waste. My husband has never starved and his parents also had to starve to feed them.

We both had awesome parents so we never had a problem eating right. We just don't gain. I never had. I stayed in a girls size 14 slim until I was almost 18 and then I finally got into a size 0. I've already had a baby and everything and can still squeeze into a 0 but mostly I fit in size 2 jeans. My husband is so tiny he has to wear boys sized clothes.

Everyone's advice has been helpful. Hubby thinks he'll be able to use some of everything---except the pills..... when he feels better again.

He has been on narcotics in the past and it didn't help him. He's not on them much except for pain killers and once the pain is gone he doesn't take them lol.

 

[Simon_Templar]

I would deffinetly encourage the weight exercises then. You could get some hand held dumbells and you should be able to do a good set of exercises at home.

Remember to focus on strength building, rather than on cardio. Cardio won't help build muscle. (not saying you can't do any, but the weight lifting exercises are more important).
Plus, you will find that when you do the weight exercises it will get your heart going too.

For gaining weight, protien is absolutely key. Your body can't build new muscle if it doesn't have the protien. Some trainers recommend eating protien every three hours. The best sources of protien are eggs and meat. For those of us trying to lose weight, we generally focus more on chicken and fish in the meats, but if your trying to gain weight you can indulge in more red meats etc. Protien supplements are good because sometimes it can be difficult to get all the protien you need so they are convenient. They shouldn't be the main part of your diet though, as Cris pointed out.

Some general guidlines or starting points for diet (based on stuff I've read from the better trainers I've come across)

If you are trying to gain weight and build muscle you need to eat at least 1 gram of protien per pound of body weight. Generally they say 1 gram per pound of body weight to maintain your muscle mass.. so that would be the minimum you would want for trying to build muscle.

As for calorie intake, given his stats, I'd probably start eating about 2000 to 2200 calories per day.
Try that for a week or two weeks. If he hasn't gained any weight, then add 500 more calories per day. (so 2500 - 2700 per day).

I would recommend something like 50% carbs, 35% protien 15% fat. Or 40% carbs, 35% protien, 25% fat.

With the fats, try to get a balance between mono-unsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated. Usually people want to limit saturated fat intake but its actually good for building muscle and gaining weight. Still you don't want to over do it.

A lot of people don't get enough of the unsaturated fats though. Good sources are nuts, olive oil, fish, seeds. Flax seeds are a good source.

Counting calories is kind of pain, but its the only way to know for sure that what you're taking in and what adjustments you need to make.