Questions about weight gain, and do I have to stuff myself? page

[campanella]

I should gain about 5 lbs.
If I eat until full at every meal, I maintain the same weight. I don't want to do protein shakes or powders or pills. If I want to gain some weight, do I have to stuff myself and eat until bloated? It seems like that's what I have to do to gain weight. Any experience here? Is it unhealthy to stuff myself 4 times a day if it helps me gain? I'm a little underweight, not just trying to be muscley.

Also is a heavy reliance on cheese and unsweetened chocolate ok to gain, or am I better off health wise overeating meat and vegetables and potatoes?

I'm not in a strong state right now, I try to crank out a couple pushups in the morning sometimes, and I walk about 2 miles a day, that's all for exercise.

[namelesswonder]

Age? Sex? Height? What's an average day of food look like for you?

[campanella]

Well, I'm 16 and female. 5 feet tall exactly. The last few days I upped my calorie intake about 500 calories. A sample/typical day of recent:

2 small apples, 8 oz yogurt (full fat)
1 cup potato leek soup, 7 or 8 oz turkey breast w/ skin, 1.5 cups sweet potato plantain soup (fancy, I know)
1 cup raw carrots
1 oz of cheese
2 tablespoons butter (grass fed)
Half an acorn squash, a huge yam, 2 cups cauliflower, mushrooms in more butter
4 or 5 oz beef or chicken

Is adding in more butter a good or bad idea?

[Gadsie]

Milk is easy and has protein. Wouldn't you like some more cheese? Or some eggs?

[magicmerl]

am I better off health wise overeating meat and vegetables and potatoes?

It's really really hard to overeat on meat and vegetables. I would go for eating pure fat (drinking cream, eating butter, fatty porterhouse steak etc) to increase your calorific intake.

But really, is there a need to do this? This post reads identically to me as the ones from people who need to 'lose the last 5 pounds'. If your body is happy at it's current set point and you are healthy, why not be happy with how you are?

[Gadsie]

OR start lifting, you'll most likely get hungier and eat more and gain muscle weight

[Damiana]

Yes, eat past fullness. I get full from a few bites so I've taught myself to overeat. It worked when I was a skinny teen. Eat butter and avocados and energy-dense foods. How much do you weigh?

[campanella]

I weigh about 75 lbs right now. I said I should gain 5 lbs, but I'd be fine with 10. I'm just trying to do baby steps. It's not as severe as it may sound because genetically I am small boned, lightweight, my mom is 90 something lbs at 5 ft and doctors agree she is perfectly healthy.

[MarissaLinnea]

I would also agree, lift weights. That will make you hungrier and help you build muscle.

I personally am not a huge fan of telling someone to overly stuff themselves at every meal, no matter what size they are. I mean, if you're full, you're full. I don't think it's healthy to constantly force yourself to overeat. Just eat foods that are more calorie dense, lots of fat and lots of meat.

[EyeOfRound]

You eat about as much as I do to maintain - and I'm fairly heavy at 145 lbs. You'll have to up your calories further; like others suggested, drinking more calories and consuming more fat will help.