I am seriously underweight. I am 6 foot tall, but weight only 145 lbs. I would like to increase my weight to about 172 lbs, but no matter what I do, I can't gain weight. I have tried everything from an all junkfood diet (I was desparate), to high protien diets. I just can't gain weight. To make matters worse, the dining halls at my university serve the worst food, so its hard to find good food around here without spending money. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Stop trying to go in extremes with your diet. It's not an "all this" or "all that" diet, it's a "see food" diet. If you see food, eat it. You need to make eating a chore. Consider drinking a gallon of milk a day.

Stop trying to go in extremes with your diet. It's not an "all this" or "all that" diet, it's a "see food" diet. If you see food, eat it. You need to make eating a chore. Consider drinking a gallon of milk a day.

Yikes, a gallon of milk per day huh? Thank God my problem is in reverse. If I had to drink a gallon of milk per day my anus would rupture.

But yes, Emevas has it right in that you must make eating a chore. You gotta eat every 2-3 hours of good clean food. Three square meals is just not enough.

Most folks aren't going to make the full gallon, but the effort alone will put on some weight.

Jesus Christ riding a tauntaun. Do people ever read the goddam stickies??????

Drink a gallon of milk a day.


Fixed. And make sure it's whole milk. You'll need the calories if you're trying to put on mass.



Milk is quite literally better than steroids for a novice lifter to grow on, and no supplement produces the same effect.

I'm in the same boat. 5'11", 145. To put on weight, I have to eat pretty ferociously. I'd list my "winter fat" diet, but there's not enough space on the forum to cover my daily intake.

Over about 2-3 days I can pick up 5 pounds. Then, after 1 1/2 hours of grappling, I've completely lost the weight again.

I'd say unless you're ready for 4-5 workouts a week, plus an enormous diet, get used to being 145 :)

until you get married. marriage kills all metabolisms.

I used to think it was so hard to gain weight and that my metabolism was neevr going to let me do so. Also being so many lean people in my family that was pointed out to me too many times and genetics and blah blah blah.

Then I pulled my head out of my ass.

I weighed 150 lbs at 6 feet tall in fall of 2006. Now I weigh about 195 and I was about 205 in December.

The two things that I think made putting on weight possible for me was doing a structured weight lifting program to the letter that was designed by a professinal.

The other thing was eating six times a day and knowing how many calories I was eating each time and making SURE it was enough.

Very simple.

I'm pretty sure you eat everything you can get your hands on, you'll see results.

I remember I was 130 up until I was 24 or so. I had wanted to gain weight since I was 20, but nothing happened.

Then, I got with a girl for a couple of years, and all I was eating every night was beans and rice. Relationship ended, and I gained 10 pounds, and looked kinda sloppy.

Took up martial arts, and trained various different ways, and constantly ate like a horse, and went up to almost 200 (no weights) but was kinda sloppy there still, so I calmed it down a bit on the eating and am coming in at about 160, and looking pretty lean.

I'm 32 now. It's going to take determination, and some time.

that's about it. Be patient.

It's even worse when people tell you it's just genetics, but everyone in my family is jacked. Even my 11 year old brother. His calves are bigger then mine!!

When I was a kid, in every home video I looked like some outsider that was picked up from a local orphanage.

Family of Greco Roman wrestlers and soccer players with huge legs. There really is no god.

I'm in the same boat. 5'11", 145. To put on weight, I have to eat pretty ferociously. I'd list my "winter fat" diet, but there's not enough space on the forum to cover my daily intake.

Over about 2-3 days I can pick up 5 pounds. Then, after 1 1/2 hours of grappling, I've completely lost the weight again.

I'd say unless you're ready for 4-5 workouts a week, plus an enormous diet, get used to being 145 :)

until you get married. marriage kills all metabolisms.

If you're a hard gainer, I wouldn't suggest 4-5 workouts a week at all. I'd go the opposite route, and use some abbreviated workouts, training at most 3 times a week, but 2 times a week or 3 times every 2 weeks being prolly more ideal. Follow a routine like 20 rep squats or something out of Stuart McRobert's "Brawn" and keep the cals extremely high.

It's even worse when people tell you it's just genetics, but everyone in my family is jacked. Even my 11 year old brother. His calves are bigger then mine!!

When I was a kid, in every home video I looked like some outsider that was picked up from a local orphanage.

Family of Greco Roman wrestlers and soccer players with huge legs. There really is no god.
It definitely is not genetics. Everybody else in my family is/was heavy. My grandfather was in the reserves and was literally 200 pounds of muscle even in his old age. My father is just heavy although its not his fault because he has a heart condition and working out is just too risky for him. My brother is 6 foot 6 inches tall and weights a little over 200 pounds but most of that is a beer belly. I could keep going on. All of them tell me to enjoy my skinny while I can. I don't think they realize just how hard weight gain can be.

Lemme give you some links about your problem.Really great articles that will help you:


Chanko a lesson from sumos
http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=461534


Massive eating reloaded
http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=459429


The truth about bulking
http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1268956


There are lots of things that we know wrong about gaining weight.(At least I did)
And these articles could help anyone who has problem about "losing weight" too.

So don't miss these.

It definitely is not genetics. Everybody else in my family is/was heavy. My grandfather was in the reserves and was literally 200 pounds of muscle even in his old age. My father is just heavy although its not his fault because he has a heart condition and working out is just too risky for him. My brother is 6 foot 6 inches tall and weights a little over 200 pounds but most of that is a beer belly. I could keep going on. All of them tell me to enjoy my skinny while I can. I don't think they realize just how hard weight gain can be.

By the way.Genetics doesnt mean looking or being like your father mother etc.

All of your parents could have brown eyes but you can be born with blue.

My english is not good enough to tell you about it but...There are recessive (I hope this is the right word) genes which are not active when there is a dominant gene with it.But while you are taking shape as a fetus if these recessive genes comes from your parents you born different.

Umm let me tell you it with an example.

A is brown eyes
B is blue eyes.And A is dominant.

Your father has AB (A is dominant so he has brown eyes)
your mother is also AB.(brown again)

they "make you up" and by chance they dont give you A's they give you B's (which is a low percentage) and you born as a BB (blue eyes).


Well it goes like this.I hope I was able to explain it.

And more important I hope I didnt become a "dick" :D

By the way.Genetics doesnt mean looking or being like your father mother etc.

All of your parents could have brown eyes but you can be born with blue.

My english is not good enough to tell you about it but...There are recessive (I hope this is the right word) genes which are not active when there is a dominant gene with it.But while you are taking shape as a fetus if these recessive genes comes from your parents you born different.

Umm let me tell you it with an example.

A is brown eyes
B is blue eyes.And A is dominant.

Your father has AB (A is dominant so he has brown eyes)
your mother is also AB.(brown again)

they "make you up" and by chance they dont give you A's they give you B's (which is a low percentage) and you born as a BB (blue eyes).


Well it goes like this.I hope I was able to explain it.

And more important I hope I didnt become a "dick" :D

Welcome to GCSE genetics... Metabolism and size is determined bu hundreds of different gene factors (as well as environmental influence) Its not as simple as being determined by one allele/gene.

But yeah eat a lot 5 times a day, lift heavy 3-4 times a weak and up your carb intake before and after cardio.

Welcome to GCSE genetics... Metabolism and size is determined bu hundreds of different gene factors (as well as environmental influence) Its not as simple as being determined by one allele/gene.

But yeah eat a lot 5 times a day, lift heavy 3-4 times a weak and up your carb intake before and after cardio.
of course it is not...

its not this simple thats true but its good to understand the logic of it.