i need to gain weight

United States
April 28, 2008 11:35pm CST
i need to gain weight. im male, 5'5" and weight around 117. i eat around 4-5 times a day (im a vegetarian btw) and none of it goes to my weight. im trying to build muscle but it doesnt seem to work at all. any ideas? here's what i typically eat in a day: -no breakfast -eat lunch at 12 (usually rice with mushrooms or something like that) -then i eat again, usually around 3-4 p.m. (rice with something else, like tofu or tempeh) -again at 8 p.m. -and again at 12 p.m. -then i go to bed my workout regiment usually consist of few hundred sit ups and bench press (2-3 reps of around 50 lbs) 3 times a week... and i dont gain weight at all... help?
3 people like this
13 responses
@Marcola (2774)
• United States
29 Apr 08
Eat lots of pizza, cake, oreos, ice cream, onion rings, donuts and pies. Then you'll get your weight up. Then you can convert that to muscle.
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Apr 08
i tried that... doesnt work..
@ozzeth (940)
• Philippines
30 Apr 08
you should not skip your breakfast, have a work out to build some muscles for twice or thrice a week. Balance diet, eat real food (nutritions), monitor your weight. You should be patient, have descipline and you should have also a determination to do it.
1 person likes this
@bcote212 (1112)
• United States
29 Apr 08
If you are looking to build muscle your body need protein. Sometimes this can be hard to come by since you are a vegetarian. I believe that tofu is a pretty good food for getting protein. You may want to think of eating more tofu, or even buying a supplement powder from a nutritional store that will help you increase the amount of protein that you are consuming each day.
1 person likes this
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
30 Apr 08
Well I'm no dietitian but if I was trying to gain weight I'd start with a bowl of hot cereal for Breakfast. Oatmeal with raisins and a banana. eat your breakfast between 6 and 7 am. Dinner is at 12 pm and rice and mushrooms are not sufficient. Eat a nice big fruit salad with lots of nuts. Nuts are high in protein which you need when your building muscle. Yogurt is a good desert. Look for protein foods like nuts,beets, broccoli, artichokes, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, egg plant, green peas,soy protein. eat again at 4 pm, and again at 8pm. Go to bed at 10pm and get up early, ready for Breakfast. Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the day. Remember to eat regularly and drink lots of water.
@megumiart (3771)
• United States
29 Apr 08
To build mucsle, you need to eat protein. Try eating lots of beans, nuts and soy. :]
1 person likes this
@hcpoirot (1562)
• Indonesia
29 Apr 08
Huahahahaha me too. I am 5'10" and only 118 . I try everything but never can gain much weight. But the fun side, I can eat anything and not afraid to gain weight at all. Maybe its just a heditary from my parents. When they young through forties, they are skinny as a pole!
1 person likes this
@kamit24 (1454)
• India
30 Apr 08
buddy first of all never skip breakfast if ur vegetarian then u can take banana + milk or simply banana shake that will increase ur weight + it gives u lot of energy for the whole day just try this for few days...drink atleast 2 glass of banana shake in the morning daily. u can also take dalia + paneer & fresh fruits like watermelon is very good and take milk daily and above all these is take proper sleep atleast 8-10 hours daily :)
@ellie26 (4139)
• Malaysia
30 Apr 08
I have the same problem, difficulty to gain weight. The reason for us not able to gain weight is because of the food we take is too little or not enough for our body and our daily activity. I am not a nutritionist so I can't offer you what is good nutritional food. But based from my experience in weight gain, I suggest you not to skip your breakfast at all. Breakfast is the most important food of the day. Have a heavy breakfast. Then the rest of the day you can eat anything you like in a small portion every 2 or 3 hours. But I think the best is to see a nutritionist to ask her/his opinion on what sort of vegetarian food that can make you gain weight.
@Cocoa33 (921)
• United States
30 Apr 08
u know what u are blessed to be the way you. i am that way too. the good things is that you don't have to worry about any health issues like diabetes, and high blood pressure. u don't have to take any medications for anything. don't u know there are people who would love and would do anything to be in your position. if u were to gain weight u would not be able to wear the clothes u now wear. u would have to spend more cos you have to go buy a whole new wardrobe. you are blessed with super metabolism like me. i eat everything under the sun. i workout cos i want to. i eat the right foods. i dont gain a pound. i am happy with that. so the way i see there really isn't anything wrong with being the way u are. U know what they say if it aint broke dont try to fix it. what i m trying to say is that, since there is nothing wrong with you physically. leave well enough alone. have a wonderful day.
@madlees (1377)
• India
29 Apr 08
Hi, For a healthy weight gain, you have to eat proper and healthy nutritious food. http://www.nutrition.com.sg/he/hetips.asp http://www.nutrition.com.sg/atd/atdwtgain.asp#5 http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2006issue1/vj2006issue1weight.htm The protein foods group includes a variety of items that provide protein but also iron, zinc, and other vitamins and minerals. Foods in this group include kidney beans, chickpeas, and other beans; tofu; lite or plain soymilk; nuts and nut butters; seitan; and meat analogs. The grains group contains breads, breakfast cereals, rice, quinoa, and pasta. This group provides some protein as well as carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Try to have at least half of your servings from this group be whole grains; whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and oatmeal are good choices. The vegetable group includes both raw and cooked vegetables. This group is especially high in disease-fighting antioxidants and fiber. The fruit group includes raw, cooked, canned, and frozen fruit, as well as fruit juices. Fruit is much more filling than juice, so choose fruit rather than fruit juice from this group as often as possible. The fats group consists mainly of plant-based oils, as well as some higher-fat foods like avocados and olives. Because of their fat content, nuts and nut butters should be counted in both the protein foods group and the fats group. Don’t be tempted to skip this group. Our meal plan was designed to be relatively low in fat. The fats that are included will help make meals more satisfying, so you’re not as likely to become hungry between meals. Also, depending on the fats chosen, this group can supply vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids, both of which are essential.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
29 Apr 08
maekhamin eat your breakfast so you can kick start your metabolism. eat a lot of bananas anddrink whole milk not the low fat kind and get a bit more fat into yourdiet also. eat more beans and rice to get protein into your diet and eat about three or fourthousand calories a day and you will gain weight.
@kieungoc (232)
• United States
29 Apr 08
I have the problem also. I am just a bit too thin, but I am a lady. I don't care for too much muscle. I would rather have a little chub in the buttocks area. I have kids and I do not want them to be too skinny as adults either. We live as vegetarians because my husband doesn't eat meat either. I try to give my oldest son a lot of protein and fats from good sources like avocados.
1 person likes this
@athinapie (1150)
• Philippines
29 Apr 08
i think you really need to eat more (not just vegetables) to really have a good workout result. but if you are really sticking to your regimen, why not try eating sweets or more carbs? that would really help you gain weight. and with exercise, you will bulk up in not time.
1 person likes this