6'1", 113lbs. in need of help / advice

[Kapurono]

Hi there, I'm a new member and this will be my first ever post. I have a fairly long and convoluted back story that I'm not sure anyone is interested in hearing right now, so I'll try to keep this short. As stated in the title, I am 6'1" and 113lbs. Despite this, I have quite a bid of body fat and very little lean mass (plus I have a very slight frame, so the weight isn't as jarring as it sounds). I am motivated to pack on the pounds, but at this point would prefer most of said pounds be towards muscle rather than fat mass. However, after seeing my recent bloodwork results, I am not so confident this can be accomplished. My cortisol is pretty high, and my testosterone dreadfully low (under 100 ng/dl), which, as I am sure many of you are aware, is a terrible combination for strength gains. My doctor really wants me to gain weight, but I told him I'm honestly very apprehensive to do so without some sort of hormone supplementation to aid in lean mass gains, at least for the short term. Additionally, I believe I have a separate endocrine issue that leads to a more feminine physique, inhibiting muscle growth (honestly the catalyst for me losing so much weight in the first place; was previously 190). My doctor said he's willing to refer me to a geneticist and an endocrinologist to sort out these issues, but only if I've gained weight by our next consultation (early June). This puts me in a bit of a catch-22, as what is keeping me most from gaining weight is knowing that it will come back mostly as fat without treatment of certain underlying conditions, which I can only have treated if I am to gain weight.

That being said, I HAVE increased my calories and have seen some weight gain in the past few weeks (most notably my fat intake, as I know that has a positive correlation to hormone production), but almost entirely in fat mass as I suspected. I'm not sure if the increase was enough for muscle growth, or perhaps too much (or maybe the initial gain was just my body adjusting?), as I am not following a specific formula or guidelines as I have heard way too many contrasting opinions on the matter. I've spoken to two registered dietitians, one said I needed at LEAST 3500kcal to gain weight assuming I am sedentary, the other said 2000, while various online calculations place me somewhere in the middle. Right now, I am doing something like 300g carbs, 80g fat, 120g protein (2400kcal, though most days I am a bit over on the fat / protein macro and quite under on the carbs), and have started Rippetoe's famed "Starting Strength" routine, but am otherwise pretty sedentary. I tried just "eating sensibly" and did an at home dumb bell routine for a few months, but saw no results doing that. Are these macros / this routine adequate for my stats and current situation? What advice would you give me, as a complete beginner? Should I even be lifting at this point? These are just a few of the myriad of issues I have yet to work out, and would love to hear your guys's thoughts on any of them. Thanks

[Kapurono]

Oh, and I guess my age is relevant, too. I just turned 21.

[philribeiro1]

not to be cruel or anything but you look sick

[Ryejdd]

You need more calories in your diet. Simple as that. You will not reap the rewards from lifting weights if you're not eating enough. How much should you eat? That is something only you know.

[Balanis]

Oh, and I guess my age is relevant, too. I just turned 21.

OP - it is almost if not utterly impossible to gain muscle and not gain any fat.... its just the way it is, your body can only produce a certain amount of muscle at any given time. patience is the name of the game, and correct eating. check the nutrition stickies and calculate your macros, eat at a 500 cal surpulus to try to keep fat to a minimum and lift heavy heavy weights. and if your doctor wants to see weight increase before sending you to the specialists, who cares if its fat, from the looks of your pics, you need some of that too...

good luck

[thr_wedge]

Glad you're seeing a doctor.

Are you lactose intolerant? If not, GOMAD (whole milk). Who cares if you gain fat you're probably 10% or less as it is. You need to gain some weight. I would only count calories to make sure you're eating enough. And I would agree with the dietitian that said 3500 minimum. The one that said 2000 should lose their license.

Edit to add: This is probably the only time I've actually advocated GOMAD since I started lifting.

[murlocman]

I would say you need to be eating 3000 calories a day minimum, maybe more. Your doing starting strength which will help put some mass on you. For your low testosterone levels I would schedule an appointment asap, if you got low test levels then you probably got high estrogen so you should think about getting a estrogen inhibitor, it will lower estrogen which indirectly raises test levels. Your doctor may also prescribe testosterone too. If you need OTC products then a good one is PES Erase.

[VodkaFlockaBrah]

OP, can you take a pic of yourself in this pose? 100% serious.




Edit:

Btw, with where you are currently, I would not recommend Starting Strength. Build a base using pushups and bodyweight squats first.

[Hunttarded]

I wouldn't even recommend weight lifting until you put on some pounds. Trust me man, you will look a whole lot better with some weight on you - regardless of what it is. I know because I was in a much worse situation than you. "Worse" as in I could wrap my hand totally around my thigh.

[iballin08]

Crown the king of aushwit



lettuce known op as the commanding officer of aushwit



Eat, eat, lift heavy thats all there is to it.

Just giving u the heads up, I started at 5'11 120LB.... and it took me 3 years just to get big and aesthetic

[kenethleclair]

drink 1 gallon of milk per day...eat 1 jar of peanut butter per day..eat a lot of oatmeal and 6 apples per day...and a dozen eggs too..plus lift some weights at the gym...you gotta gain about 50 lbs..

[NABlakley]

I'm not sure why you are concerned with putting on fat in your current state. You need to double what you are eating right now and lift. Worry about shedding fat later, you are grossly underweight. Eat up.

[AHol]

this is the beginning of a journey that will most definitely change your life.. keep motivated at all times, and never let anybody tell you that your not able to accomplish this.. if you have any questions, feel free to PM me i would be happy to help.

Keep at it my friend!

[Dgwear]

i have a feeling they were trying to tell you 3500kcal = 1 pound rather than to eat 3500kcal per day. 2400kcal sounds about right, keep up with that man! starting strength is great, really be modest with your self and do anything you can to make sure your form is spot on, this will insure youre using the correct muscles for the right exercises right off that bat.

youre going to make some good progress man just be patient. if they are offering hormone therapy for you that is an option if you want it.

[Kapurono]

Hey all. Sorry for the late responses; had a long day today.

Glad you're seeing a doctor.

Are you lactose intolerant? If not, GOMAD (whole milk). Who cares if you gain fat you're probably 10% or less as it is. You need to gain some weight. I would only count calories to make sure you're eating enough. And I would agree with the dietitian that said 3500 minimum. The one that said 2000 should lose their license.

Edit to add: This is probably the only time I've actually advocated GOMAD since I started lifting.

I'm not going to be doing GOMAD, or any other crazy crash course diet like that. Despite my current state, I've always been pretty endomorphic, so I don't think putting on weight will be terribly difficult as long as I'm diligent. Also I agree, she should lose her license. At times during our consultation, I almost felt I should be the one behind the fancy desk getting a nice paycheck (it physically pained me when I had to correct her when she said I needed to eat every 3-4 hours to so my body stays 'catabolic'). The one who recommended 3500 knew his stuff, but we did have some pretty big disagreements as well.

[Kapurono]

For your low testosterone levels I would schedule an appointment asap, if you got low test levels then you probably got high estrogen so you should think about getting a estrogen inhibitor, it will lower estrogen which indirectly raises test levels. Your doctor may also prescribe testosterone too. If you need OTC products then a good one is PES Erase.

Thanks for the recommendation. Unfortunately, my doctor is VERY reluctant to prescribe T due to the side effects (despite the fact that I told him I was willing to accept said side effects, which to me are more or less negligible) and the fact that I'm young. Hopefully when / if I see an endocrinologist, they will suggest otherwise. That will be so long from now, though, and I honestly do think my gains will suffer for it in the meantime.

[Kapurono]

I wouldn't even recommend weight lifting until you put on some pounds. Trust me man, you will look a whole lot better with some weight on you - regardless of what it is. I know because I was in a much worse situation than you. "Worse" as in I could wrap my hand totally around my thigh.

Well, not to make it a competition, but I actually dropped down to an unsightly 83 pounds over the summer (due in equal parts to poor decisions and circumstance). Nothing quite as horrifying as looking at your nude body in the mirror and not seeing yourself, but a skeleton with skin pulled too tightly around it. Easily the darkest part of my life thus far.

[Kapurono]

Oh, and thank you all so much for the responses thus far. I honestly did not expect this kind of feedback.

[Pr0No0B]

jesus fukkin christ muscle mass fat mass whatever mass, just get some mass on u budyy

[DRAXXIS]

jesus fukkin christ muscle mass fat mass whatever mass, just get some mass on u budyy

^ This!

Please don't take this as disrespectful in any way because obviously your metabolism is through the roof. EAT the WORST, most disgusting, fattening diet you could possibly think of. And when you think your done eating, EAT MORE! I've met dudes in your place. They had to eat some 5-7,000 calories a day to achieve mass, but it worked.

If I were you, I would stop any cardio, Lift hard, and eat Huge meals at least 3 times a day with small meals/snacks in between. The good thing about your phisique is that it's already ripped so any mass you do put on - that's lean - will look super clean. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, bro. Eat big, lift big, get big... and in your case, Eat extremely big.

I would say you need to be eating 3000 calories a day minimum, maybe more. Your doing starting strength which will help put some mass on you. For your low testosterone levels I would schedule an appointment asap, if you got low test levels then you probably got high estrogen so you should think about getting a estrogen inhibitor, it will lower estrogen which indirectly raises test levels. Your doctor may also prescribe testosterone too. If you need OTC products then a good one is PES Erase.

Recommending an AI to someone for that reason is the stupidest thing I've read in a while. Low test levels do not mean high estrogen, and no - lower estrogen will not indirectly increase test levels. Recommending an AI to this dude based on bro-science is a stupid thing to do. People do not need to cycle AI's unless (1) they're on roids, (2) they drank too much soy and took too much Saw palmetto, or (3) have a true hormone imbalance - none of which seems to be the case with this individual given the information he has provided.

Watch what you say, please.

[cmAcbrah]

OP to phuck with macros when in your condition, eat everything you can, use a blender to make it easier to get it down. You say your doing starting strength but u shouldn't be concerned with strength at all when you look like this. Focus completely on adding mass, hit the 8-12 rep range and just consume consume consume. I had the same build as you, granted I wasn't 21 at the time. Metabolism isn't an excuse. Don't be concerned at all with putting on to much fat just get everything you can. pls stay safe brah

[JoSmoBN]

Is this real life?

Eat...for the love of God....just eat.

[dman2]

Hi there, I'm a new member and this will be my first ever post. I have a fairly long and convoluted back story that I'm not sure anyone is interested in hearing right now, so I'll try to keep this short. As stated in the title, I am 6'1" and 113lbs. Despite this, I have quite a bid of body fat and very little lean mass (plus I have a very slight frame, so the weight isn't as jarring as it sounds). I am motivated to pack on the pounds, but at this point would prefer most of said pounds be towards muscle rather than fat mass. However, after seeing my recent bloodwork results, I am not so confident this can be accomplished. My cortisol is pretty high, and my testosterone dreadfully low (under 100 ng/dl), which, as I am sure many of you are aware, is a terrible combination for strength gains. My doctor really wants me to gain weight, but I told him I'm honestly very apprehensive to do so without some sort of hormone supplementation to aid in lean mass gains, at least for the short term. Additionally, I believe I have a separate endocrine issue that leads to a more feminine physique, inhibiting muscle growth (honestly the catalyst for me losing so much weight in the first place; was previously 190). My doctor said he's willing to refer me to a geneticist and an endocrinologist to sort out these issues, but only if I've gained weight by our next consultation (early June). This puts me in a bit of a catch-22, as what is keeping me most from gaining weight is knowing that it will come back mostly as fat without treatment of certain underlying conditions, which I can only have treated if I am to gain weight.

That being said, I HAVE increased my calories and have seen some weight gain in the past few weeks (most notably my fat intake, as I know that has a positive correlation to hormone production), but almost entirely in fat mass as I suspected. I'm not sure if the increase was enough for muscle growth, or perhaps too much (or maybe the initial gain was just my body adjusting?), as I am not following a specific formula or guidelines as I have heard way too many contrasting opinions on the matter. I've spoken to two registered dietitians, one said I needed at LEAST 3500kcal to gain weight assuming I am sedentary, the other said 2000, while various online calculations place me somewhere in the middle. Right now, I am doing something like 300g carbs, 80g fat, 120g protein (2400kcal, though most days I am a bit over on the fat / protein macro and quite under on the carbs), and have started Rippetoe's famed "Starting Strength" routine, but am otherwise pretty sedentary. I tried just "eating sensibly" and did an at home dumb bell routine for a few months, but saw no results doing that. Are these macros / this routine adequate for my stats and current situation? What advice would you give me, as a complete beginner? Should I even be lifting at this point? These are just a few of the myriad of issues I have yet to work out, and would love to hear your guys's thoughts on any of them. Thanks

dude.............starting strength plus gomad plus trt NOW, y would u not get testosterone prescribed?, brb gaining mass brb more aggressive/alpha brb libido brb body hair

[RihanM]

You're thinking about this too much OP, just get your ass in the kitchen right now and start eating

[SeanT1994]

Hi there, I'm a new member and this will be my first ever post. I have a fairly long and convoluted back story that I'm not sure anyone is interested in hearing right now, so I'll try to keep this short. As stated in the title, I am 6'1" and 113lbs. Despite this, I have quite a bid of body fat and very little lean mass (plus I have a very slight frame, so the weight isn't as jarring as it sounds). I am motivated to pack on the pounds, but at this point would prefer most of said pounds be towards muscle rather than fat mass. However, after seeing my recent bloodwork results, I am not so confident this can be accomplished. My cortisol is pretty high, and my testosterone dreadfully low (under 100 ng/dl), which, as I am sure many of you are aware, is a terrible combination for strength gains. My doctor really wants me to gain weight, but I told him I'm honestly very apprehensive to do so without some sort of hormone supplementation to aid in lean mass gains, at least for the short term. Additionally, I believe I have a separate endocrine issue that leads to a more feminine physique, inhibiting muscle growth (honestly the catalyst for me losing so much weight in the first place; was previously 190). My doctor said he's willing to refer me to a geneticist and an endocrinologist to sort out these issues, but only if I've gained weight by our next consultation (early June). This puts me in a bit of a catch-22, as what is keeping me most from gaining weight is knowing that it will come back mostly as fat without treatment of certain underlying conditions, which I can only have treated if I am to gain weight.

That being said, I HAVE increased my calories and have seen some weight gain in the past few weeks (most notably my fat intake, as I know that has a positive correlation to hormone production), but almost entirely in fat mass as I suspected. I'm not sure if the increase was enough for muscle growth, or perhaps too much (or maybe the initial gain was just my body adjusting?), as I am not following a specific formula or guidelines as I have heard way too many contrasting opinions on the matter. I've spoken to two registered dietitians, one said I needed at LEAST 3500kcal to gain weight assuming I am sedentary, the other said 2000, while various online calculations place me somewhere in the middle. Right now, I am doing something like 300g carbs, 80g fat, 120g protein (2400kcal, though most days I am a bit over on the fat / protein macro and quite under on the carbs), and have started Rippetoe's famed "Starting Strength" routine, but am otherwise pretty sedentary. I tried just "eating sensibly" and did an at home dumb bell routine for a few months, but saw no results doing that. Are these macros / this routine adequate for my stats and current situation? What advice would you give me, as a complete beginner? Should I even be lifting at this point? These are just a few of the myriad of issues I have yet to work out, and would love to hear your guys's thoughts on any of them. Thanks

Get on serious mass, great supplement with 1250 calories per serving. And you have to eat loads too! Peanut butter, pasta, noodles, burgers, beans, anything really. Don't worry about fat man, you need some fat on you and it's actually unhealthy to not have fat. I'd say eat 3000-3500 calories a day, try and have 5-6 meals a day and each meal containing around 400-500 calories. And also take a serving of serious mass which is 1250 calories.

[Beasto1337]

damn bro you need some Burger King/Mcdonalds etc....

[epox4life]

Go to the doctor, he'll probably put you on some strong stuff for weight gain.

[speedjason]

you have a problem. whether mentally or physically. your body weight is dangerous for your height and the lack of nutrition is causing you have all kinds of problem. I suggest you start eating more food and get on a balanced diet before you start working out.

[MachMood]

People saying SS and GOMAD or gainer and workout are idiots domt listen to them. You said you were 190 now your 113? Is this an eating disorder, do you feel something drastic happened with your hormones? The fact your Doc said he would only send you to a specialist if you gained weight leads me to believe you have openly struggled with a disorder, if not and this happened with no apparent reason then he's an idiot also. Being 113 is not normal, and not even possible unless something is SERIOUSLY WRONG! Again SOMETHING IS SERIOIS WRONG! If you have an eating disorder then I suggest you see a specialist and deal with that. If that's not the case and you went from 190 to 113 unexpectedly then see a specialist pronto. Once you get this figured out then you can move forward