Gaining weight

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Jeff D.

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Apr 22, 2006
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Hey Daniel, are their any prductts you think are good for helping someone to gain weight. I am starting to work out a lot and want to put in the pounds as quick as possible without killing or hurting my body. If you have any suggestions besides creatine that would be great.

Thanks
 
I'm interested in this one aswell, I used creatine but now use maximuslce's progain and Clinutren and maxijul along with doing weights but my dietician tells me I am using far too much protein.

Interested to hear your facts
 
Let me start from the basics this what I tell all my customers that come into my store:

4 Things your body needs to build muscle

1)Amino Acids (Protien breaks down into these)
2)Vitamens and Minerals (a good strong timed relased vitamen should give you what you need and centrum and one a day are crap because most people can't digest them)
3) Fatty Acids (you find these in vegtables and in fish... if you are not eating enough fish and vegatbles consider taking a fatty acid supplement)
4) Calories (your body needs calories.... mainly from starches to fuel the building and repair of muscle tissue)

If you are lacking in any of these 4 areas you will have trouble gaining muscle...

Also your workout routine and diet play a key role...

Remember you don't build muscle at the gym you build muscle while your body is at rest and your asleep so if you are working with weights on a specfic muscle group you need to give them at least 2 days off before working them again... Or else they won't have enough time to repair and build new muscle tissue... Also
you should only be doing weight training about 3 days a week.... And you should change up your work out days about every 8 weeks or else your body will become accustomed to working out those muscles on that day...


First off creatine does not add weight to your body... You might get some water weight from it but it does not directly cause you to gain muscle mass... It can indirectly help by increasing your strenght and your endurance... You should not take more than 5 grams of creatine a day and you should never do a loading phase...

If your doc is worried about you getting in too much protien at once and that clogging your intestines then just get a whey protien shake and only take in about 10g of protien at a time and make sure you take your digestive enzymes... Papya, Protease, Amayalase are the ones you are looking for to help break down that protien...

Also one of the big things is making sure your getting in enough calories... The only way to know this is if you feel tired a lot more than should be normal after your workout and throughout that day and the next day... If you are you need to up the amount of calories you take in...

Ok digest that info and ask me what all else you need to know...
 
Thanks, I think I need to up my kcal intake. I seem to always be tired but can never sleep. I was just wondering if GNC had a product that could help me gain muscle faster. But I guess not. I will get some fatty acids into my diet more often.

Thanks
 
We do have products that will help you to get muscle faster but their expensive... If you want a pre workout drink you can try MHP's Trac-Xtreme NO... It is a nitric oxide boosting supplement with creatine and other junk in it... Good stuff expensive though... I take NO2 myself which is a pharmacutical grade product from MRI... I also take their glucotize/ageless-rx/Minus-10 yes it has had all of those names since they keep trying to expand the market base of the product... But NO2 will actively promot muscle growth without affecting testorone or any other hormonal levels... The only draw back I've seen with it is that it stregthens all the muscles so if your having abdominal cramps from your gut muscles clenching up then the cramps will be sharper and more acute rather than duller and more blunt...

NO2 is good if your good with pills but if your bad with pills it will do nothing if you don't take it right... I take it and I don't go to the gym and even though I'm on tons of prednisone it helps to keep my muscles from atrophying plus I have a lot more energy with it... Also it improves blood flow a lot well as long as you stay hydrated...

I like going in for my remicade treatments and telling them to give me some water and they watch as I transform from half-dead Daniel to Popeye due to all the supplements I'm on...
 
Thats cool man. I may try some of the supplements. I just need to get everything I do up a lot more. I don't do weight workouts due to the fact that the muscle you get from body weight excercises gets denser muscle tissue than weighted muscle tissue. I can work muscles individually or in groups. I learned them all from my sites I go on for Parkour and a body weight forum. I just did pushups until failure and a type of a crunch till failure today. Hopefully it will help me sleep so I can allow all those beutiful calories I have taken in get full use. Also if anyone does pushups to failure make sure that you just keep switching hand postitions until you can't do anymore. I start with regular then switch to inner hand right next to each other and finally as far out as possible. I keep my back straight and touch my chest to the floor for the best workout.


Thanks Daniel
 
Yeah I'm the science supplement guy... I can tell you what to take and how to take it but how you work out I'm still a noob on that... I mainly just do my ab lounger and lower back excersises... I get enough upper body workout throwing around tubs of protien and moving shipment at work... Moving 80 boxes of shipment is a workout...

Plus I'm on my feet all day basicly doing light cardio since I'm hopping from customer to customer... Customers always tell me they feel tired just by seeing me work I have so much energy... That is when I have food in my body and I have taken my supplements right and I'm hydrated... If I miss any of those things then I'm half dead zombie Daniel... But once I get them back in literally about an hour I'm back at full force...

It always amazes people how I can literally go from looking half dead to looking fully healthy over the course of 2 hours...
 
Thats crazy but I also find the same thing. I am the opposite, I don't know much about the science and supplements but I know a lot about workouts. If anyone needs advice on workouts then I would be happy to help.
 
Guys. I also have the problem of gaining weight. But I find it difficult with Crohn's to add extra calories. I mean if we eat too much at one meal I feel sick, we have lots of food restrictions, we sometimes have nausea or discomfort and don't like to eat, etc..... Ho wcan someone gain weight having this disease? If anyone of you was successful , please tell me.

Also, do you think it's healthy for us to get our proteins and nutrition from these sports food???? I think the best foods for us with Crohn's are natural and as much organic or clean foods as possible not processed sports drinks and protein meals???
 
Well I have gained 30 pounds. I just want to add some more weight, about ten pounds, so my arms actually look normal. But back to your question, you have to eat small high calorie meals throughout the day. If you only eat three meals a day of course it is hard to down all of that food. Also the best thing that helped me gain weight was working out. It helps to do body weight workouts because the build a better muscle.

Eat like fried chicken, fresh milk if you can drink it, cheese, and meats.
 
Btw the only way I've gained weight is by being on this damned prednisone so long.... I think I'm up to 155 now at 5'7"... I was at like 120-130.. Granted now I have nice happy strech marks on my tummy and leg and arms to go long with the nice happy huge abdomnal scar....
 
But is all this saturated fat in fried food and coconut good for us with IBD? I always read that saturated fat is very bad for us, and we should only eat baked or boiled meat (fish and chicken) and avoid red meat.

Also I don't handle milk and cheese very well, but I can eat yoghurt. I eat about 5 meals a day, but not very large ones as I can't handle large quantities. The main things I eat are: chicken breasts, fish, boiled basmati rice, boiled potatoes, boiled eggs sometimes, yoghurt , boiled vegetables (which I can tolerate), some peeled fruits (banana, pear, peach...), and honey. I also use flax and olive oil with food, and take fish oil capsules.

I'm not losing weight except when I flare and then I lose about 5 Kg (I don't know how much this is in pounds), but I cannot gain any weight!!!!

I think I'll try to do some weight training, but I stay late at work everyday and when I finish, I just want to go home and relax.........
 
Just do 12 pushups every commercial break if you watch tv, that helps me. Also if it is an oil then it is unsaturated fat, if it is a solid then it is saturated. Then there is poly and mono unsaturated fats that are just unsaturated fats but with a different bond. Finally there is hydrogenated fats which are oils that are injected with hydrogen to solidify them.

What I am trying to get at is if you stay to foods that are made from fruits, vegetables, and animals then you should have healthy fats because you need some fats in your body. But what you do not want to have is trans fats or hydrogenated fats. These two are the killers in the fats department. They are found in all of the processed foods and are extremely not good for us.

Eat healthy and you should do fine. Eat a variety of what you can eat and good luck.
 
This is all really interesting stuff, my brother used to take Creatine stuff but can't it damage your liver if you use it excessively?

Anyway, I used to use the Olympia build up drinks but that was ages ago before I discovered I was intolerant to milk.

Since I had my stoma fitted I have put weight on no problem, I now weigh 127 pounds and I'm 5ft 7 and a half, in fact I don't want to put any more weight on. Its really strange to think that actually, all my life its been an uphill battle to put weight on and now I'm an ideal weight.


Ruth
 
Jeff D. said:
Ruth you weigh the same as me and you are the same height. I really need to gain some weight.LOL
Click to expand...

If you can handle it try a weight gainer protein shake, GNC or any other weight training supplement store carries it, each shake can be anymore between 1000-2000 calories depending on what brand you buy, i think they even have one or two above 2000+ calories.

Alot of friends i know take them and gain weight fast, only reason i dont take them is because i am too cheap, lol, not willing to pay that much for something i can make myself for half the price :)
 
I tried those a long time ago and they give me cramps. They are also very hard for me to swallow. The last time I tried one I blew chunks right as it past my throat.

How do you make it for half price?

How is your grandfather doing?
 
Jeff D. said:
I tried those a long time ago and they give me cramps. They are also very hard for me to swallow. The last time I tried one I blew chunks right as it past my throat.

How do you make it for half price?

How is your grandfather doing?
Click to expand...

Grandfather is doing better, they hooked his new pacemaker up to a computer to make sure its doing its job today and all looks good.

Cant say i found them hard to swallow, they always tasted so good :)

I make a shake...actually concerning my diet i posted alot in that thread in the food diet section, including my shake, lol.

I think my post should answer a lot of your questions so check the Thread in the Food Diet section
 
I will check that out real right now.

I usedto mix it in water and then I tried it in milk. It was like drinking chalk. Almost as bad as Barium.
 
Jeff D. said:
I will check that out real right now.

I usedto mix it in water and then I tried it in milk. It was like drinking chalk. Almost as bad as Barium.
Click to expand...

What? Barium drinks tasted bad? Just joking, lol
 
Well, I'm 5'11" and I weighed 130 lbs 6 months ago. I started drinking 6 cans of ensure plus strawberry a day (in addition to regular meals); now I weigh about 185 lbs. This is the only method that has worked for me. The trouble is maintaining the weight once you get there. I've done the ensure plus diet before, and got to 175 lbs, but then when I slowed down on the ensure, I started to lose weight quite rapidly. It also takes alot of self control; during the period while you are gaining weight you will feel full all of the time. Also, I'm not sure if this method is entirely healthy. My doctor seemed fine with it, but according to the nutritional info on the ensure, I was getting 150%+ of recommended intake for alot of vitamins/minerals (not including meals).
 
great stuff

I'm 5'8 and 125lbs and can't gain weight either. I eat alot and drink Milk and sometimes weight Gainer. Nothing works for me, my brother jokes and says i'll be 200+ lbs if i didnt have Crohns....haha.

Whats can i do guys??
 
I eat peanut butter by the heaping spoonful. Although now it's become more of an addiction...

I also used to add soy protein powder to EVERYTHING. it's especially good in shakes and soups. the only downside is it doesn't dissolve, so if you add too much, it can be kind of gritty.
 
crisps (potato chips) put weight on me, after i dropped to just over 5 stone in hospital. they also have the benefit of containing salt, which if you have a tendency to diarrhea or loose stools, is good.

if true potato chips are hard to tolerate, try the maize type ones.
 
Yeah now I'm not having much of a problem gaining wieght. I found out the problem was that I was still sick for many years and that caused me not to gain weight. Once I started remicade I have gained many many pounds. I only have a few more pounds to go to get my goal. Woohoo
 
I tried drinking ensure to gain weight, but not six in a day... maybe I should give that a try. I only had 2 a day with regular meals.
When ever I was on prenisone they said weight gain would be a easy, they lied!
I am 5'8 115 lbs... yuck! I have always been thin, but I want to look healthier.
 
GNC Crohn's Man said:
Let me start from the basics this what I tell all my customers that come into my store:

4 Things your body needs to build muscle

1)Amino Acids (Protien breaks down into these)
2)Vitamens and Minerals (a good strong timed relased vitamen should give you what you need and centrum and one a day are crap because most people can't digest them)
3) Fatty Acids (you find these in vegtables and in fish... if you are not eating enough fish and vegatbles consider taking a fatty acid supplement)
4) Calories (your body needs calories.... mainly from starches to fuel the building and repair of muscle tissue)

If you are lacking in any of these 4 areas you will have trouble gaining muscle...

Also your workout routine and diet play a key role...

Remember you don't build muscle at the gym you build muscle while your body is at rest and your asleep so if you are working with weights on a specfic muscle group you need to give them at least 2 days off before working them again... Or else they won't have enough time to repair and build new muscle tissue... Also
you should only be doing weight training about 3 days a week.... And you should change up your work out days about every 8 weeks or else your body will become accustomed to working out those muscles on that day...


First off creatine does not add weight to your body... You might get some water weight from it but it does not directly cause you to gain muscle mass... It can indirectly help by increasing your strenght and your endurance... You should not take more than 5 grams of creatine a day and you should never do a loading phase...

If your doc is worried about you getting in too much protien at once and that clogging your intestines then just get a whey protien shake and only take in about 10g of protien at a time and make sure you take your digestive enzymes... Papya, Protease, Amayalase are the ones you are looking for to help break down that protien...

Also one of the big things is making sure your getting in enough calories... The only way to know this is if you feel tired a lot more than should be normal after your workout and throughout that day and the next day... If you are you need to up the amount of calories you take in...

Ok digest that info and ask me what all else you need to know...
Click to expand...


I would disagree about some of your info on creatine, as it increases protein synthesis and adds to the storage of water in the muscle, both of which will aid muscle growth and weight gain. It's practically the only tried and true muscle builder out there other than steroids (and not the IBD type either, I'm talking Hulk Hogan steroids). The creatine works by drawing water into the cell, and as you allude to it also increases the output of the muscle, by contractions, giving it more ATP fuel for hard work. But many places will explain how it increases protein synthesis as well. If you meant that more than 5 grams of creatine is wrong because it's hard on the kidneys, that has been proven untrue in the more recent studies. 5 is still recommended for most individuals (depending on weight), but excess is just excreted in the urine. Creatine can even help lose fat, many studies on that too.

Good info though, I haven't seen you on here in a long time, if you still even attend this forum....
 
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Wow, that's definitely a lot of ensure to drink in one day. I usually do 1 a day, I think I should do at least 2 now...
I'm still extremely skinny, but not quite as bad as I was a year ago at 6'3'' and 120 pounds.
 
My metabolism is so fast that I'm constantly hungry. I usually take a meal replacement with me while I workout. Otherwise I've found that if I'm too hungry, I can't work out. I'll never gain muscle since I don't have enough fat, working out keeps me toned, but it is tiresome being sooo hungry like I haven't eaten in two days all the time. I'll never stop working out because it has become my other medication and increased my bone density a ton. I often have to miss my workout because I'm too hungry :( Apparently menopause will help that, but menopause brings other issues like loss of bone density.

I was even given use of the machine to feed me during the night to see if that would help me. It did, but when I went off it, I returned to my regular low weight.

I find it exhausting trying to keep myself fed all the time LOL!

I'm 5'3, about 46 kl and almost 40, crazy.
 
Building muscle worked somewhat while my crohn was in remission. I would eat lots of food and drink extra protein a couple of times per day. But even then, going above my natural weight has been a huge challenge. I'm 5'8 about 140 pounds (67 kg?) when im toned and ready.

I get heavier than that, ive walked around at as much as 74 kg, but its just fat i gain and i lose the weight as fast as i put it on wich just takes a few weeks. I might be over training, i get sick cardio from running and doing two different sports every day.

Even so, im sure that Crohn has something to do with it. Its probably limiting how much my colon can absorb from the food. If you cant gain weight you just have to live with it guys. If you're under-weight you need to work yourself up to your natural bodyweight - its very important you will feel healthier and stronger. Maybe with steroids its possible to get bigger muscles, but stay away from those unless you're a bodybuilder. Else youre just a cheater ;)
 
Last edited:
I'm 18, 6'2'' and 86kg / 190 lbs

5 years ago I was exactly half my weight.
My best advice in gaining weight (If you're serious) is implementing high calorie shakes / goats or coconut milk into your diet and drink lots of it! If you can get the stuff made for IBD like Modulen.
You'll soon feel a lot more energetic.
Now's the time to start exercising to reap maximal benefits, limit cardiovascular activity ie. long distance running/ slow jogging.
You want to learn the techniques fully from a personal trainer or even better, a well ripped and bulked meathead at your local gym.
I know a source who used to be in the FBI, and now is an attorney in law, who said that the FBI use barbell squats as a prime exercise to beef up their agents- this exercise is vital for weight gains!!!

5 sets of 20 reps ATG (Ass to Grass/ Deep) Squats with the heaviest weight you can handle. Search on google for correct techniques etc. or get someone knowledgable to teach you.

Other Exercises you can include:
Weighted Pullups
Weighted Dips
Bench Press
Deadlift

If you'd like better information from better qualified people, then please do yourself a favour and go to www.rosstraining.com, the forum members are EXCELLENT in giving out training advice. Ross' books are amazing too, best in the market. In no way am I an afffiliate of this site.

My main problem is that i don't have enough calories in my diet, otherwise i'd easily be 100kg by now, but i'm working on that! :)

Hope this helps
 

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