maintaining or gaining weight

[radiohead]

Most people reading this will probably hate me, but I am in the rare % of people that actually really struggles to maintain a stable weight, and very easily loses it. I want to actually gain weight - healthily (as in I am approaching high blood pressure, high cholestorol territory)
I exercise, have low BMI and have a fast metabolism. I also suffer from Acid Reflux - which means I cannot have massive meals,. They say eating often and regular is the best way, but it is quite hard to find time to eat 6-8 times a day. Also knowing what exactly to eat. I have heard using probiotics is helpful to digest food faster, therefore maybe this will help in my situation to gain weight?
Any advice on how to gain weight would be greatly appreciated - what food to eat, when, what type of exercise to focus on. I am hoping to gain about 9 pounds or so (in muscle ideally), in as many months. I am getting married in September and don't want to look so painfully skinny, not good for me, nor my fiance - who is looking to lose weight.
Thanks

[Adam Eason]

Hello there,

The other experts on the panel are going to be better positioned than I to give you advice on dietary needs and exercise et al. However, I wanted to mention your perception of yourself and the beliefs you have.

You state very clearly that you lose weight very easily and struggle to maintain weight - in addition to the dietary and exercise advice you receive here, you may also consider looking at investing some time in 'believing' that you are very capable of achieving a healthy weight - when you have such a belief, the ensuing actions required to actualise it will come more naturally and easily. Likewise, considering and developing a healthy image of how you'd like to be would likely benefit you also.

Good luck, I am certain you'll receive much more advice to help you on your way - and I certainly don't think anyone will hate you; your struggles are just as real as anyone else's. I send you my very best wishes.

[Gary Turner]

Hi Radiohead, congratulations on about to be getting married!

Love Adam's advice too. I'd take note

To be your perfect weight, eat when hungry, stop eating when no longer hungry, and eat the foods that your body tells ou to eat. Drink water ONLY when thirsty.

That will keep you at your perfect homeostasis, the 'set point' that your brain has for your body.

If you want to put fat on, eat more carbs, simple! Eating carbs means that any excess will be stored as fat - you'll put weight on.

I would suggest that going from thin to fat though still won't give you the look that you desire. Being thin and having shapely muscles, that's a good aim to have?

To do this you need to do resistance training such as weight training. Pop to a local gym, and do simple total body exercises, like squats, deadlifts and bench presses. In the time you have there isn't much need to do much else. Get a personal trainer to train you in the correct technique. Mobilise your body, then look to do 3-5 sets of around 8-12 reps - where you are approaching failure on the last rep yet still keeping control. Give yourself a minute or two between each set. You'll only need to do this twice a week - giving your muscles time to recover and respond.

Look to continually increase the load that you are lifting - with control, and correct form that is. The overload will create the changes.

In the first 21 days or so the majority of the adjustments will be within your nervous system, recruiting more muscle fibres as your body gets used to working out this way. Following this, once your body has recruited just about as much muscle as it can the muscles will start to get stronger and also larger.

These three simple exercises, performed in the way described, should help you put on a bit of muscle and gain a bit of shape that you are after. As you do this your body will start adapting, and your hunger will increase and the foods that you desire may change to ones that help you recover and repair. Listen to your body and it will tell you what you need to put on the muscle.

Training and eating in this way will allow your 'set point' to adapt to the new requirements of the body, so you can maintain the new size and shape simply.

Hope that helps!

[radiohead]

Thank you both. Really great advice

[Dr Masud Haq]

Hi Radiohead

It's probably worthwhile discussing this issue with your GP and getting a few simple blood test done.
Very occasionally people who have difficulty putting on weight, or lose weight easily can have a problem with their thyroid (e.g.., overactive thyroid) or have coeliac's disease. The latter condition is probably unlikely but if you have loose motions or experience abdominal pain or bloating on eating cereals or bread it's certainly possible.

Masud