Can't put on weight?

[KevinHigashi]

I am a 30 year old guy who has always been terribly skinny. People have always said that I am "lucky" and that my metabolism will slow but I see no signs of that yet. I tried lifting weights, eating like a pig and diet supplements. Nothing. I can see my rib cage clearly. My arms are so thin that elderly women stop me on the street to ask if they can help carry my bags. At a Christian camp that I attended years ago, I was excused from a day of fasting. My size zero wife carried me over the threshold on our honeymoon night. Pathetic. Anyone else? Any solutions?

 

[SonicBOOM]

I am a 30 year old guy who has always been terribly skinny. People have always said that I am "lucky" and that my metabolism will slow but I see no signs of that yet. I tried lifting weights, eating like a pig and diet supplements. Nothing. I can see my rib cage clearly. My arms are so thin that elderly women stop me on the street to ask if they can help carry my bags. At a Christian camp that I attended years ago, I was excused from a day of fasting. My size zero wife carried me over the threshold on our honeymoon night. Pathetic. Anyone else? Any solutions?

I have an incredibly fast metabolism as well... but I've never had the "Skin and bones" problem. It sounds really serious. I'd go see a doctor and see if they can get you some sort of help. Being to light-weighted is even worse for your health than being morbidly obese. this is nothing to mess around with.

 

[george]

You can go to this site here http://www.cbn.com/700club/features/BringItOn/health-index.aspx#10


I don't know your whole situation, but eating unhealthy is not the answer. getting lot's of protein can help, fish and stuff like that. and maybe you do need to consult with your doctor and see what he or she says.

 

[Tuffguy]

For extreem ectomorphs, the only solution may be growth hormones. Naturally, don't do this w/o a doctor being very involved.

Muscle size is dictated by many things...one of them is bone size and density. You can eat all you want but if you have small bones you have small muscles no matter what.

 

[fight4christ]

yeah...sounds like a hormone issue to me.....just eat eat and eat!!!...clean food...but lots of it!!! and obviously..NO cardio...or VERY little if you absolutely cant stand it....

before bed...this is what I do......(but I train submission fighting)
glass of milk
10 gr. Glutamine powder...(helps recover/spare muscle when training hard)
piece of cheese....
a yogurt....
and 20 gr. of protein powder that is micellar casein based!!!
it is a slow releasing protein that helps many gain mass.....

hope this helps....

 

[Lugus]

As mentioned in the other posts, you may have some problems which require medical attention. If you do, you should definitely see a doctor.

Telling a skinny person to eat more food in order to gain weight rarely works. The person who wants to gain weight is usually eating as much as he or she can. BTW – many slender or even skinny people say that they eat a lot of food but they really don’t (no offense). It is, however, a lot of food for them.

If, after seeking medical help, you are still unable to gain weight, it’s time to look at other options.

• Protein Drinks:

There are various high protein/caloric drinks that a person can take. You can make your own, or buy the powder or liquid. If you do try this route, you need to take the drink in addition to your regular meals. When I say regular meals, I’m talking about three meals per day. Coffee and cigarettes do not count as a meal.​

• Vitamin/Mineral Supplements:

In addition to the drink, you should probably take some sort of vitamin/mineral supplement. I’ve read that minerals (especially calcium) can have a relaxing effect and can even help with sleep problems.​

• The Wrong Way to Workout for Getting Big:

·When the high-metabolism person starts working out, they typically do things that actually hinder their gaining weight. I used to work with a guy who said that he wanted to gain weight. I asked him if he did any exercises. He said that his workouts consisted of running on the treadmill and doing curls. And he wondered why he could not gain weight.
·The typical high-metabolism approach to lifting would be to workout seven days a week for at a couple hours each day. He’d do stuff like curls, tricep extensions and running. He would go home exhausted but with the feeling that he really had a good workout.​

• The Right Way to Workout for Getting Big:

·I recommend that you start lifting weights. Although you want to gain weight, I suspect that you prefer to gain muscular bodyweight. If your goal is to gain weight, you need to work the big muscle groups. When you look at athletes (and especially lifters) who have the most muscle, you’ll see that power lifters usually come out on top. This is because the exercises that they specialize on - bench press, squat and dead lift -- hit the big muscle groups.
·If you don’t know how to do these exercises, there are all kinds of books and websites on lifting. Be sure to use good form.
·Keep your workouts short – 30 minutes (or less) to an hour (at the max). When you first start, it should be no more than 30 minutes. Workout 3 days per week with at least a day’s rest between each workout. Your workout should go something like this:​

Monday, Friday: Bench Press – work up to a couple sets of 10 reps
Squat -- work up to a couple sets of 10 reps
Wednesday: Dead Lift – work up to a couple sets of 10 reps (If you have problems with the bar slipping, you should probably drop down to a couple sets of 5.)
​

·During your workouts, Be sure to do lighter weight before you handle the heavier weights.
·Try to get a workout partner.
·Try to add weight each workout. A good goal would be increase of 10 lbs each week on the squats and dead lifts and 5 to 10 lbs each week on the bench presses. BTW -- if all this is new, you will probably have sore muscles for the first few workouts.
·However, because you are so skinny, even this might be too much. If it is, I suggest that for the first month or so, that you limit yourself to just one exercise – the dead lift (still only once per week).
·There are several good basic workouts for gaining weight. Most, if not all, use either the squat or the dead lift as the key exercise.​

 

[Onesiphorus]

Unfortunately genetics plays the major role in body type. Assuming you are healthy (you have gone to get checked by a doc, right?), lifting weights will be your best bet. Not trying it, but doing it as a part of your daily routine. I have yet to meet the person that will not respond to the proper weight training program.

Your metabolism will slow with age. It usually hits in the mid to upper 30's for people with your issues. So, you are almost there.

Maybe you could get some tips from your wife.

 

[junezephyr]

Even if it's hard to eat all the time, you've got to get lots of extra calories whenever you can. I've got this problem too (skinniness) and I know just how you feel. Eating as much lean protein, complex carbs (whole grain brown or wild rice, unrefined breads and pastas), and healthy fats as possible is important. Adding healthy oils to whatever you can helps (olive oil, flax oil, etc). Dipping bread in oil, for example, is great. I also eat a lot of butter.

As a side note, have you gotten your thyroid tested? It's possible you could suffer from hyperthyroidism.

 

[K9_Trainer]

Get your thyroid tested. A hyperactive thyroid can sometimes do things like that.

I too have an extremely fast metabolism and wear a size 0. If your free of thyroid problems and have some descent muscle mass, I think you just need to accept the way God made you and embrace it. Think of all the positive things it brings.....You can walk or hike all day and not get tired. You can eat whatever you want and don't have to measure your food our count calories like other people do. If you want that chocolate cake, you can eat it without second thoughts or feeling guilty. Less weight means less strain on your ankles, knees and hips so arthritis won't progress quickly if it even progresses at all. There is no strain on your heart or lungs so you have less of a chance of a heart attack or stroke.

 

[nicekid]

lol i have the opposite problem

 

[ForeRunner]

I am a 30 year old guy who has always been terribly skinny. People have always said that I am "lucky" and that my metabolism will slow but I see no signs of that yet. I tried lifting weights, eating like a pig and diet supplements. Nothing. I can see my rib cage clearly. My arms are so thin that elderly women stop me on the street to ask if they can help carry my bags. At a Christian camp that I attended years ago, I was excused from a day of fasting. My size zero wife carried me over the threshold on our honeymoon night. Pathetic. Anyone else? Any solutions?

Lift heavy (squat, deadlift, clean, press) and drink a gallon of whole milk a day.

You'll put on weight.