I want to gain weight page

[Gilleh]

Hey guys
I want to gain some weight and fill those sleeves with some arms in a primal way.
Last time I tried gaining weight it was 8 months ago, pre-primal, in a very "healthy CW" way -
I did it with full grains and legumes. I slowly gain the weight but I felt like shit and that's how I discovered primal,
figuring stomach aches, no energy, sugar crashes, shit mood and bad skin&hair shouldn't be resulted of eating "healthy'.

How do I gain weight without stressing my tummy, in a gradual way?
ATM I'll take a guess and say I'm around 100 carbs a day (about 1-2 apples, a pear, a tomato or 2/onions with the meat I eat, some carrots). I've reintroduced potatoes like yesterday (sweet potatoes are mad expansive!) too.

Well I actually changed my mine about 'getting a menu'. My questions are: Should I cycle my carb days?
Did anyone tried this before? I'd like to hear you - how did it go??

[tfarny]

Eat more, keep it primal, don't bother low-carbing at all. Reintroduce white potatoes and / or white rice and maybe good quality whole milk into your diet, depending on your tolerances and preferences. Ramp up your food intake gradually and keep lifting heavy and consistently. Start or continue a high quality training program like Starting Strength or You Are Your Own Gym or Convict Conditioning or Power To The People, whatever works for you.

[tradawg]

I'm not going to give a menu, because it's easier to just add to what you're already eating. Add a sweet potato with your lunch, have a glass of raw milk and some fried plantains after dinner...things like that. Just add a couple hundred extra calories a day and see how you feel. If good, than add a couple hundred more.

[wolfman]

I'm just starting my weight gain program as well, I'm going to eat, 1x sweet potato, 1xbannana, 1x half gallon of grass fed milk (on workout days) .5x chicken, .5x beef, spinach, bacon, avocado, strawberries, the milk helps the most 1250 calories, lots of sugar but I'm just going to gain for 2-3 months.

[tfarny]

I'm just starting my weight gain program as well, I'm going to eat, 1x sweet potato, 1xbannana, 1x half gallon of grass fed milk (on workout days) .5x chicken, .5x beef, spinach, bacon, avocado, strawberries, the milk helps the most 1250 calories, lots of sugar but I'm just going to gain for 2-3 months.

These kinds of posts always weird me out - do you first do a bunch of calculations, then head to the store? It's what I'd expect out of an Olympic athlete in training or a pro bodybuilder, not a normal person. I just can't imagine that as a starting place for meal planning.
Why not got to the farmer's market, see what's local, fresh, tasty, and on sale, and make something tasty from it? Then track your macros later. I'm willing to bet it'll be healthier as well as tastier and more satisfying.

[Jerseyjim]

Lift big, eat big.

Any questions?

[BobthePhotoGuy]

If you want to gain muscle, make sure you are eating plenty of protein and fats.

Go with at least 1g protein per 1lb of lean body mass.

If you do this you won't be too far from a good calorie count

[Neckhammer]

I ate more for about 5-6 months to put on some muscle. Thats all I did. Ate more and continued with my heavy lift day. I put on about 15lbs over 8 months (first 2 I did not intentionally increase my food intake). I tend to increase fat, but that just worked for me since I really like it.

[BlissfuWriter]

For people having difficulty gaining weight, try the following...

1. Eat more calories from fat and protein (pasture raised animals and fish). And if you do not have blood sugar problem, add in starches from potatoes and rice.

2. Avoid gluten (bread, pasta, pastries). Some people may have gluten intolerance or hidden celiac disease. If so, and they eat gluten, the body autoimmune disorder will attack and damage the villi of the small intestines causing malabsorption of foods. Get tested for gluten intolerance and celiac disease.

3. Get insulin levels tested. If body is unable to produce insulin in sufficient quantity, the body can not shuttle fuels into the cells nor can it store fat. Low insulin is typical of Type 1 diabetes (people can be thin and unable to gain weight). High insulin typically of Type 2 diabetes (people usually obese). Note that Type 1 diabetes can occur later in life such as in the 30's and 40's -- known as Latent Adult Diabetes in Adults.

4. Get thyroid tested. Hyperactive thyroid means extremely fast metabolism and it may burn more calories than you can eat.

[Gilleh]

For people having difficulty gaining weight, try the following...

3. Get insulin levels tested. If body is unable to produce insulin in sufficient quantity, the body can not shuttle fuels into the cells nor can it store fat. Low insulin is typical of Type 1 diabetes (people can be thin and unable to gain weight). High insulin typically of Type 2 diabetes (people usually obese). Note that Type 1 diabetes can occur later in life such as in the 30's and 40's -- known as Latent Adult Diabetes in Adults.

4. Get thyroid tested. Hyperactive thyroid means extremely fast metabolism and it may burn more calories than you can eat.

Now you just scared me.