No matter how much I lift or eat I can't put a single pound- help?!?
337250
Honestly Dave, I struggled also. Weight trained yrs 13-44. You don't gain 10 lbs a year naturally. Spent lots of cash on protein and supplements. Made Joe Weider rich. In the end we are the fortunate ones. We never have to diet to be lean. It's the better of the two. I see guys at the gym every day asking what can they do to loose the weight. What a drag. I take my vitamins and have a good build. At 44 I'm 185 5'11 and have abs. Just keep working out to maintain strength cuts and confidence. Slim is the way to go. The big boys (Steriods) can gain all that muscle. But at what cost? Their health. Liver damage. Passed on to their children. You alter your genetic structure. Stay lean. You are not meant to be huge. It's Ok. It's actually better.
77276
The same thing was happening to me while playing handball - the more I ran, the less pounds..wait, no pounds were lost!\nIt depends on ur metabolism and I know, every time I worked out, I was hungry like a dog and ate too much after it!\nNever push yourself over the limit, drink more water and exercise in your spare time. But nothing can be achieved in short time, be patient and you'll see the results!
273727
I can't handle anyone else telling me what I can and can't eat.\n\nCurrently, I have lost 26 pounds by just doing my own thing.  I eat two Dannon Light n Fit yogurts, a bowl of raisin bran with 1/2% milk and a sensible dinner each day. I don't say anything is off limits, but I have to watch that I only eat ONE serving of things. I occasionally allow a treat.\n\nIf someone had told me to eat only that every day I would not have followed it. I think sometimes you just really have to figure out what works for you. \n\nA little exercise and a little less food works wonders. And no fast food! EEk, that stuff is horribly calorie-laden.\n\nGood luck to you.
860545
Part of it could be your bone structure, but not all of it. Many people think they're eating a lot when in reality they're accustomed to getting full at their maintenance level. Many have a high metabolism, but it really is about slowly increasing your calories to the point where your body can't keep up (everyone has that point). Healthy fats (unsaturated) can be great and are dense with calories, try peanut butter, healthy oils, etc... Putting on muscle will look and be much better than adding fat, although muscle burns extra calories, it's benefits outweigh the added minor trouble you'd have about needing more food. Try actually counting your calories, at your weight/height, you're probably in the mid 1000's of calories for maintenance give or take a couple hundred, try eating around 2500, slowly getting there over a couple weeks. See what happens, and if needed, up it to 3000. Lift heavy (learn how first) and eat big and muscle/weight will come, if even after eating 1000 or so more calories than your body takes to maintain your weight doesn't help, possibly see a physician. Good luck!
373471
it took time to put the weight on, and it is going to take time to take the weight off, and be able to keep it off. you need to go on a diet of low carbs... no white breads, no potatoes, no rice, no pastas, very lean meats no fried foods, if you do fry use olive oil or the spray oils and very little of that.. use the low fat and low carb salad dressings.. no sugar. splenda is great.. tastes like sugar,and it comes in brown sugar also.. small portion sizes, Learn to read the lables on the things you eat.. you will be surprised at what has sugar in it.. and how many carbs are in things.. try to keep your carb count to 25-30 a meal.. and 15 to 20 per snack.. you should eat 3 meals a day and have 2 to 3 snacks a day.. Salads are basicly free. unless you load them down with lots of cheese and dressings.. but you can eat all the lettuce and cabbage, and celery, snow peas, radishes and things like that ,that you want.. broccili and cauliflower.. keep that around to snack on.. fat free dip and low carb dip.. for our veggies.. diet soda... flavored waters.. ice tea. coffee. sugar free pudding is very good !! cool whip lite  \nStart out slow on the exercise.. don't kill yourself.. walking is the best exercise you can get.. start out slow and work your way up .. water aerobics is also very good..or if you know how to swim that is good exercise.. just don't over due.. don't over due, or you will get discouraged and stop.. you will build up muscle, which will put on some weight.. but once you build the muscle, then you will see the weight loss.. Take it slow and easy. and the weight will melt off of you.. and you will be most pleased with yourself..  Good Luck !!
581324
That's alot to eat for anyone....it takes 3500 calories to gain a pound. Now you would have to take the amount of calories you have burnt all day and subtract it from the 10,000...whatever is left over is going to go towards gaining.....
352532
I am in the same boat w/you. If you dont act now, you're going to slowly put more weight on.  I didnt' notice when i went from 120- to 135 at all, so its good at least you're noticing. I acually went from 120- up to 150 and then i noticed it!! Scary.well anyway.. to your question. There is no safest, fastest way. Everything has its consequences. My best advice to you is to eat alot of vegetables and fruits. Eat meat only twice a week *boiled meat* is the best. Dont put it in the oven or grill Boiled meat in my opinion is the best, it will probably taste like crap, but it is the smallest in calories (it has to be lean too). Boiled fish, and stuff. I heard cabbage soup works too. Just cabbage, carrots, you can put lots of spices in it. Try eating it for a couple of days( i don tknow if you can eat it for a week) but if you do, guaranteed 10 pounds loss. I Have tried cabbage soup before it works great. Just make sure its only cabbage, carrots, spices, no potatoes!!! If you eat it for a week, you will loose 10-15 pounds. Tummy weight a lot of sit-ups. and jogging. Good luck!! I know its hard, butyou got to catch the beast early, because it only gets harder when yhou have to loose like 30 pounds and 40 pounds!! Also try to get a gym buddy if you can; i wish i had one!! hehe Good luck again, i hope this helps!
1131213
are you trying to stay within a weight class and add muscle? \n\nor are you happy to add muscle and move up a weight class??\n\nat your age, height and weight you do not want to diet too hard or rreally even at all  - it will slow your growth and you will have no energy to train \n\nbut i would look at maintaining the same number of calories as you eat now but add in more protein and reduce fat and carbs - this will help without reducing actual intake\n\nat the same time I would add in another hard cardio session of some sort for 45 min and another hard muscle building session for 45 min \n\nthis will very quickly (in a month)  increase your lean mass at same bodyweight\n\nhowever ideally at you age you will actually grow and add weight \n\nto do this add in around two sessions of hard heavy weights and add around 5% protein increase to your diet - you will of course move up a weight class but with much more muscle!
585496
Why people still rely on pounds as a judgement for their health amazes me yet today.  It is a myth that should be overcome.\n\nAt my healthiest (and I was very trim and firm) I was 170lbs at 5'8".  People would judge that, at first glance, as an unhealthy weight range.  But what people don't consider is that if you are a fit, trim, muscle heavy person... you will weigh more.\n\nIf you need a guide, try the Air Force body fat standards:\nhttp://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforcejoin/a/afmaxweight.htm\n\n"The formula to compute BMI is weight (in pounds) divided by the square of height (in inches), multiplied by 704.5 (Don't worry about that though, the below chart shows the maximum and minimum weights using the formula)."  Which if you go to the website it will show you what I copied and pasted next --> At 66inches, your maximum weight can be 170lbs, mininum can be 117lbs.\n\nSo you see, you're right where you should be.  And if you're concerned about not being fit enough (not skinny enough) then try this.  It will give you killer toe jumps as a cheerleader:\n\n* Hang from a workout bar, a tree trunk, playground bars, etc.\n* Raise your legs up and out in a 'V' shape\n* Hold for one minute\n* Rest for one minute\n* Repeat 10 times, every day\n\nTry running if you want to take off some fat (notice I didn't say pounds or weight).  It burns a lot of calories and gives your heart a workout.\n\nTo make sure that you're utilizing your food intake correctly, eat like a:\n* King for breakfast (big meal)\n* Prince for lunch (medium size meal)\n* and a Pauper for dinner (small meal)\n\nI wish you the best, and chin up because you don't have to feel this way forever!
107731
EAT LESS, MOVE MORE . SIMPLE AS THAT! I USE TO WEIGH 210, I AM NOW 110. I TRIED IT ALL BUT FINALLY WENT THE COMMON SENSE WAY . I PRETTY MUCH EAT WHAT I WANT, JUST NOT A LOT OF IT.GOOD LUCK TO YOU!
666740
I have gone through the exact same thing! My diet and excercise never changed yet I managed at first to lose weight then put it back on and even more. Its been over a year now, and once again Im losing weight again! Lets just hope that I dont put any more weight on! My worst problem at the moment though is getting off them, I just cant seem to do it because of the withdrawels!
773976
I had this problem, always was able to maintaine my weight.  I never over ate, but didn't watch what i ate, fluctuated up and down 5 pounds at most.   Wasn't active either due to being a heavy smoker.  \n\nWell i turned 21, winter came shortly after, I was always wearing 3 or 4 layers of clothes since i live in PA and its about a 20 min walk to classes.   Spring came and all of a sudden i realized i had a gut...gained 40 lbs and lost a little muscle.  \n\n\nMotivation.   Well instead of switching to bigger sized clothing, i stuck with the clothes that gave me man boobs and gut.  I became super self concious and was generally embarassed, always embarassed.  Even when i was in my apt alone, i could feel my stomache bulging out.  \n\nI'm a conservative person, but i'd reccomend wearing clothing a little skimpy, stuff that just makes you look horrible.  Rolls hanging out etc.  If you go to a party or something,  yeah wear nicer clothes, but the rest of the time, don't.  That will give you the motivation you need.   \n\nIt atleast worked for me.\nAlso...what i actually did.  \nWell i did cut a little bit of caliores.  I drank 4 liters of soda a day and just simply switched to more filling fruit juice (OJ with pulp) and water.  That cut nearly 2000 calories out of my daily diet.  Also, i didn't know this, but the sugar itself is somewhat addictive.  Your body gives you the urges of hunger when your sugar drops thats only cured by drinking more soda, but you don't realize this and just eat food.  \nI still drink soda now, 2 liters a week max.  \nTry to find something like that in your diet, something that you wont' entirely miss.\n\nI also did a little bit of strength training.  Being a woman, you won't have to worry about bulking out, since you don't have the hormones.  But get a dumbell, while watching tv just do some curls.  \nBasically if you are maintaining your weight....every lb of muscle you gain results in losing 6 lb of fat.  Every pound of muscle burns about 30 calories while fat burns about 5.  \n\nMy results were losing about 20 lbs in 6 months.
996814
Everybody is suggesting you eat junk food to put on fat.  I say that most of the people making suggestions are wrong.  You don't have to eat more, you have to eat more healthy.  I don't know what your diet consists of so I am taking somewhat of a shot in the dark.  First of all, eat fruits and vegetables.  Preferably raw.  Eat constantly, what I mean by that is, eat every hour or two.  No big meals, say an apple now, carrots in an hour with a bagle.  Combine lean meat (protien) with carbs.  For example, when you sit down for a meal have some chicken and a baked potatoe.  If you are eating lots of fat, chances are you body is just flushing then through.  Avoid caffeen becuase it causes you to loose weight.  Drink water, tea, avoid diet soft drinks...in fact, avoid ALL soft drinks.  That extra sugar is speeding up your metabolism.  Avoid white refined sugar and flour.  Switch to whole grain breads and pasta.  Go to the gym.  Muscle is 3X denser than fat so if you want to gain weight, that is the way to go.  Lift HEAVY!  Enough weight that you fail at about 6 reps.  Don't worry about becoming bulky or muscular.  You are a female and your body does not work that way.  I am so tired of that myth!  Finally you might want to consider hormones.  Birth control pills have caused lots of women to gain weight.  If this not an option there is a product called melatonin.  It's available at most pharmacys and health food stores.  They sell it at Wal-mart.  It's over the counter too.  Take that about 30 minutes before you go to sleep.  It's designed to help regulate your sleep pattern for jet lag and people who work night shifts, but I have seen it cause some people to gain weight.  There are no side effects that I know of except it makes you tired and gain weight.  A book I would look in to is Body for Life By Bill Phillips.  Also you might want to look at another book called The Liver-Cleansing Diet by Sandra Cabot. You want to gain weight in a healthy manner, not with pop, chips, doughnuts and lazyness.  I hope this info helps.
904021
I tried every exercise and every diet.  I want to be 144 pounds and fit the chart and I was 189 pounds.  From Weight Watchers to Atkins.  I lost and gained it back.  Until one day on Opray winfrey show this neutritionist said, "Keep a journal, a small pad that fits in your purse and you have no reason to cheat because you eat anything you want just count calories.  Got a calorie counter and remembered a slogan at a ww meeting.  "Count calories, your stomach doesn't have a brain let it use yours."\nI ate 300 calories 4 times a day.  Took forever but it worked.\nNever think this is a diet, or that it will take a long time.\nThink I got through this morning.  Eat milk and cereal  10 am break fruit.  lunch.  sandwitch and diet soda.  3 pm fruit\nDinner a chicken breast from the george forman griller and a big salad.  cooked vegetable and snack a cup of yogurt or fruit again.\nApples fill me up I go through 3 a day.\nget a sno cone machine well worth it.  At wal mart it was like 10 dollars.  Eat several sno cones with diet soda.\nwhen you get to goal start adding calories until you stop losing.\nThat is your set point.  Mine is low from a life time of starvation on diets.  1400 to 1500 any more than that and I gain weight.\nanother help for people who won't exercise: me!  I got an exercise bike and listen to jazzy music and ride my heart out.\none with handles that move.
848348
You really need to find a program that works. Now that the holidays are upon us, it is easy to gain the unwanted pounds.\n\nI just wrote an article for my Blog: http://www.keenknowledge.blogspot.com\n\nI wrote about the three healthy life style programs that worked for me. Just simple healthy foods, and lots of exercises. \n\nI will also write about a simple tea that research states is proven to help with weight.  Please check it out. You can research, and begin. As a matter of fact. I made a pledge to exercise everyday for 6 days no matter what. Join me. It is just free reading :)\n "Healthy Holidays"
925137
try using a normal weight exercise, increase the reps to 12 and maintain at the set of 3 for all exercise. this might work. I have tried it and it works for me.
836154
FIRST ! calm down. Second, just eat something that you can eat, that has a lot of calories. Don't worry, im flipping skinny too :]. Well, im a girl, but whatever. Just eat something you can fit into your stomach, and don't stuff yourself, eat something with A lot of calories, A lot.  \n\nWeight Gain \n\n1) Count how many calories you eat in a normal day. Don't change anything, just eat like you normally would and count how many calories you consumed. This is an extremely important step, so try to be as exact as possible. Also, weigh yourself. 2) Starting the day after you counted calories, eat 500 calories MORE then you normally do. So, lets pretend that the day you counted calories you counted 2000. For the rest of the week, you would now eat 2500 calories a day. Instead of eating 3 big meals a day or eating all day all the time, spread those calories out over 5-6 smaller meals. Eat one meal every 2 and a half to 3 hours. To get big, you have to eat big! Remember that. 3) Weightlifting! Get in the gym and lift! This is another important step to how to gain weight, so make sure you are doing it correctly. For more information on weightlifting workout routines and splits, read the workout routines and splits section. 4) At the end of that week, weigh yourself. You'll notice your gaining just after one week! Now, don't expect to see a 10lb increase. Gaining anymore then 1 or 2 pounds a week is unhealthy and means your putting on way to much fat. So look for 1 or 2 pound gains at the end of the week. Don't sound like much? You can be gaining 5-8 pounds a month! 5) Heres an important one. At some point, you will stop seeing weight gain. At this point, you will have to eat even more. So, when you stop gaining for at least 2 weeks, it means it is time to start eating an extra 250 calories a day. Every time you see you haven't gained weight for at least 2 weeks, add an extra 250 calories. More tips for how to gain weight (extremely important!) - Stay away from fat! Eventhough weight gain is your goal, you don't want to be gaining fat. Get rid of the chips and candy. No more fast food, nothing fried. Stick to high protein low fat foods like tuna fish (and other seafood), chicken breast, turkey, lean meats, fruits and vegetables etc. (For more information, read the diet and nutrition section. - WATER! Drink water! Drink around a half gallon a day, more if you can. Yes thats alot of water, but its that water that will give you the energy you need to gain that weight! - Sleep! YES! Sleep! The easiest, yet most over looked step. Get atleast 8 hours of sleep a night. Your gonna need it! Now the concern some people have about how to gain weight, is how to do it without putting on extra fat. Let me tell you how, YOU CAN'T! Unless you are using steroids, it is basically impossible to gain weight without putting on a little bit of extra fat. But hey, you want to see some weight gain right? Well then who cares about the little bit of extra fat you might put on while gaining. You will be able to burn that off later on, right now gaining is your main concern, so that is all you need to worry about.