Seriously underweight and I need help

[123apk]

So I added my stats a while ago and got a load of chit for them. It's not like I don't know I'm in a bad state, if I didn't I probably wouldn't be on a bodybuilding site.
I've been trying to bulk for ages now, but every time I either stop being motivated or run out of money (get paid at the end of each month).
I'm 6ft (183cm) and 50kg (8 stone, 119lbs) which some people found pretty shocking. When I have been bulking I've been eating between 4000 and 6000kcal daily, but because I didn't stick at it long enough or work out enough I didn't see any permanent gains.

I gained a bit of weight in the past, like 2kg but I presumed it was just water weight or something. I haven't been able to do it since though, but I remembered I was using dextrose that time. Perhaps it led to weight gain from glycosis? I'm going to try using it in protein shakes again to see if there's any effect.

I'm starting GOMAD on top of eating at least 4000kcal in food daily. At the moment I don't care what weight I put on, whether it's fat or muscle because I just want to get up to a healthy weight.
My main problem is eating enough in a morning and enough at work. I work a very active job, so I'm worried I'm probably burning off a lot of calories. I read somewhere that just fidgeting burns off 400kcal!
I need advice on simple, fast pasta and rice recipes to take into work that I can cook and eat quickly or eat cold.

Also, my protein intake was quite low in the past but carbs were quite high. Would bumping up protein help?
I just need some sort of advice and motivation really. I'll try and post progress pics and weights each month.
Please don't take the piss, I know I'm skinny a phuck and I've had people rubbing it in all my life, I'm here to change it. Girls don't find me attractive, I'm insecure as phuck about my body and I can't stand to look at myself in the mirror or show my twig like arms, so I'm aware.

Thanks

[jdrush]

Get about 120 G protein.

GOMAD isn't going to help you with money, there are other MUCH cheaper high calorie foods than milk. Like PB.

Rice is a great start. Oatmeal with a lot of PB and honey should do well.

Buy canned chicken if money is an issue. Look for steak specials.

Is your appetite low?

[123apk]

Get about 120 G protein.

GOMAD isn't going to help you with money, there are other MUCH cheaper high calorie foods than milk. Like PB.

Rice is a great start. Oatmeal with a lot of PB and honey should do well.

Buy canned chicken if money is an issue. Look for steak specials.

Is your appetite low?

That's what I have been getting altogether from food, but I suspect a lot of food nutrition labels overestimate it, some is destroyed during cooking and a lot of it isn't complete. When I've looked at what other people have been consuming it's been like 200 to 400g.
GOMAD isn't exactly cheap, no. But I'm desperate, it's another summer here where I'm too embarrassed to take my jumper or hoodie off and I'm 23 and have like zero interest from girls, plus I don't want to stay like this all my life anyway.

My appetite is low a lot of the time, like in the morning or when I'm stressed or tired. But I'm going to force feed myself if I have to.

[jdrush]

Don't do anything that's uncomfortable. Nobody here recommends above 0.8 g protein/pound of body fat, and 0.4 g fat/ pound.

You can certainly eat more than that if you want but it gets expensive. Instead of spending money on milk go out an buy cheap juice to drink in the mornings, GOMAD is just a way of getting calories.

What you need is high calorie foods with little work.

PB, Juice, Sugary foods, donuts, ice cream.

If you want some rice recipes try this. Half italian dressing/half soy sauce, also a good marinade for meats. Make your own pesto sauce with olive oil - really high calories.

Egg salad, chicken salad, potato salad using Mayo.

[123apk]

Maybe my T levels are low. I took maca before and felt nothing, but I've often used zinc and magnesium and felt horny as phuck, guess that's higher T? Used tribulus too, sometimes I feel it, other times not. I think you need to be using it consistently.
Worried if I raise T levels though that my bodyfat will drop or just not increase.

[Domicron]

have you been tracking your food accurately? you might be eating much less than you think.

either way, i think you might make sure with a doctor that all your levels are healthy.

after that, try eating more meals, shopping coupons and sales. you can even hit up the local food bank; the ones around here hand out beans and rice and other staples.

if money is an issue, i'd be sure to avoid ALL supplements (except maybe some dirt cheap whey) and stick to whole, unprocessed foods. try to find a local grocery store and ask them when they have meat and produce on sales (around here it's wednesday)

[123apk]

have you been tracking your food accurately? you might be eating much less than you think.

either way, i think you might make sure with a doctor that all your levels are healthy.

after that, try eating more meals, shopping coupons and sales. you can even hit up the local food bank; the ones around here hand out beans and rice and other staples.

if money is an issue, i'd be sure to avoid ALL supplements (except maybe some dirt cheap whey) and stick to whole, unprocessed foods. try to find a local grocery store and ask them when they have meat and produce on sales (around here it's wednesday)

I scan everything with myfitnesspal and weigh stuff.
Doctors kind of just shrugged it off in the past and said I'd grow with age.
I haven't bought supplements in ages but I've got a lot left - two tubs of whey, dextrose, pea protein, powdered oats (oat flour) and creatine.
When I've made protein shakes I've been making them with whey, milk, creation and powdered oats.

I think the main thing is I tend to eat a lot at night and not as much through the day because of working. I'll try and spread it out into more meals.

[jdrush]

Are you near an Aldi?

[5k1nny5tr0ng]

+1 on going to the doc to make sure all your levels are good. Have you only talked to one doctor about your weight? I don't condone shopping around to get something from a doctor but I don't think it's right for your doctor to just shrug off your weight. I'm not saying a doctor should prescribe you something but they should at least be doing whatever they can to make sure you don't have an underlying condition or that you're deficient in vital levels.

I agree with spreading out your meals. You need to get in the habit of eating breakfast though. Even if it's just an instant breakfast drink or something. I found that after eating breakfast my appetite was much higher than when I don't.

The most important thing is to not give up. I know what's its like being too skinny and ridiculed about it.

What do you do for a living?

[123apk]

Are you near an Aldi?

Yes.

[123apk]

+1 on going to the doc to make sure all your levels are good. Have you only talked to one doctor about your weight? I don't condone shopping around to get something from a doctor but I don't think it's right for your doctor to just shrug off your weight. I'm not saying a doctor should prescribe you something but they should at least be doing whatever they can to make sure you don't have an underlying condition or that you're deficient in vital levels.

I agree with spreading out your meals. You need to get in the habit of eating breakfast though. Even if it's just an instant breakfast drink or something. I found that after eating breakfast my appetite was much higher than when I don't.

The most important thing is to not give up. I know what's its like being too skinny and ridiculed about it.

What do you do for a living?

I'll go to the doc again and get some tests done. All my family have started off skinny though, my dad was very skinny until he got to his 30s. He still is a bit, but he's very thick boned now so it isn't obvious.
I'll premake some stuff for breakfast if I have to. Only thing is I recently started phenibut for social anxiety and you have to take it on an empty stomach and can't eat for like 2 hours after. Might have to ditch it I guess. Earliest I'd be able to eat would be like 10 o'clock after having that because of the 2hr rule and when my break falls. Wake up at 6.

I work in a warehouse at a retailers. Take deliveries in, put stock out. Basically light lifting all day, but mega activity level - lots of rushing around, never standing still really so I must burn a lot.
Thanks. Were you pretty skinny once? From my point of view, being skinny as a guy is worse than being fat.

[jdrush]

Natural PB is less than 2$/jar at mine (they're in a kind of whitish jar). Get some with white torilla wraps, raisins, rice krispies. Make a PB wrap that you can close up and keep at work un-refrigerated, this will be a great calorie dense snack to eat at work when you're hungry.

There are also a lot of juices there as well as premade drink powders. In your case liquid calories will be your friend.

[123apk]

Natural PB is less than 2$/jar at mine (they're in a kind of whitish jar). Get some with white torilla wraps, raisins, rice krispies. Make a PB wrap that you can close up and keep at work un-refrigerated, this will be a great calorie dense snack to eat at work when you're hungry.

There are also a lot of juices there as well as premade drink powders. In your case liquid calories will be your friend.

Don't really like peanut butter, find it disgusting. But I'm not allergic so I can live with it. I'll look up the nutrition on it.

[jdrush]

Then don't eat it if you think it's disgusting.

The only thing that's going to keep you through this is doing it the way that best works for you. They might also have Hazlenut spread.

[Domicron]

I scan everything with myfitnesspal and weigh stuff.
Doctors kind of just shrugged it off in the past and said I'd grow with age.
I haven't bought supplements in ages but I've got a lot left - two tubs of whey, dextrose, pea protein, powdered oats (oat flour) and creatine.
When I've made protein shakes I've been making them with whey, milk, creation and powdered oats.

I think the main thing is I tend to eat a lot at night and not as much through the day because of working. I'll try and spread it out into more meals.

even if you are weighing stuff, 4000-6000 calories is a large variance. it's not surprising you're not seeing results. try to narrow down what your maintenance is (actual, not calculated) by averaging your daily calories over a course of time where your weight stays the same.

then eat more than that. extra meals may help you to eat more food without feeling stuffed.

Are you near an Aldi?

also is fantastic for finding great deals on food.

[123apk]

even if you are weighing stuff, 4000-6000 calories is a large variance. it's not surprising you're not seeing results. try to narrow down what your maintenance is (actual, not calculated) by averaging your daily calories over a course of time where your weight stays the same.

then eat more than that. extra meals may help you to eat more food without feeling stuffed.



also is fantastic for finding great deals on food.

I have no idea what my maintenance is to be honest. I figured I'd work that out when cutting. Just thought go mad with food and hopefully put on weight quicker.
I struggle to eat 6000 kcal but 4000 isn't to bad and I've done that regularly when bulking. Minimum I've done when bulking was 3000 kcal.
I'll figure out level that's a good surplus but not too hard to achieve. 3000 just doesn't sound like enough for me though because that's just like 500g over the *average* mans requirement.

[jdrush]

Honestly, I think GOMAD is going to fill you up pretty quick. Imagine trying to drink a gallon of milk a day, if you're having trouble with appetite and you're really only going to have a small window to drink that milk since you're working then I don't recommend it. Go for more sugary drinks to get some calories in.

[5k1nny5tr0ng]

That's why I like IIFYM. No one wants to stuff their face with food they don't really like in the first place. If it sounds good to you, and it fits your macros, eat it. Then eat another serving. Start slow so you don't burn yourself out too. I've been in a place where I was so desperate to put on weight that I ate everything I could for a couple days and then my body just crashed and even the thought of food made me feel like crap. If you could calculate your maintenance, maybe just try and eat 250 calories more for a week or two. Then up it again by another 250 calories.

You are probably right about putting on weight once you hit 30. A lot of people are that way. I wouldn't rely on that though, you're only 23.

[MattB74]

Your thread kind of caught my eye because I’ve always felt I was too skinny, so it sounds like your fighting the same fight.

You also sound a little confused on at least a couple of different things. Your kind of all over the place, I think your over-thinking a lot of things.

When I’m completely honest with myself, it’s clear that the reason I’ve always been skinny is that I’ve never been a big eater. I was a very picky eater as a child. I’d always go hungry rather than eat food I didn’t like (or even if I didn’t think I would like, I’d be afraid to try). As such I grew up a light eater and being hungry never bothered me that much. I’d skip meals regularily.

You seem to undertand that eating more is key, but I don’t know why you think you need to eat SO much.

Honestly, no matter how skinny you are, I don’t know that gaining fat would make you look better, feel better, or healthier in any way. You should be looking to gain muscle, not weight at any cost. 6000 caloroes per day would make anybody gain fat.

You only need to eat slightly above your maintenance, and at your weight, that’s probably still no where near 4000.

Maybe my T levels are low.

You’re 19 – that’s not your problem

Don't really like peanut butter, find it disgusting.

So – Are you a “picky eater”? – find foods you like to eat and eat them on a consistent basis

I figured I'd work that out when cutting

I don’t think the word “cutting” needs to be in your vocabulary. From your starting point I don’t think you’re looking at doing bulking and cutting cycles. You may never need to cut and if you ever do it will be a very long time from now.

I struggle to eat 6000 kcal but 4000 isn't to bad and I've done that regularly when bulking. Minimum I've done when bulking was 3000 kcal.

Much like what I said about cutting above, I don’t think you need to worry about bulking vs cutting. No offense, but I don’t think you have much usefull experience in bulking either or this thread would not exist

3000 just doesn't sound like enough for me though because that's just like 500g over the *average* mans requirement.

So – Your implying that you need much more calorie surplus that “the average man”? You don’t. If your smaller than the average man, you’ll need less calories to be in a surplus than that average man does, not more.

My best advise for your is to eat a good balanced diet, and do not allow yourself to be hungry. You might be like me and be a person who isn’t too uncomfortable when hungry – try to re-train yourself that being hungry means eat. Don’t allow yourself to be hungry, just go eat something. You’ll get used to it.

BTW – There is not one mention in this thread about what your workout is or how often you’re working out. Overtraining is your enemy. I just got done running a kind of “remedial muscle building routine” with dumbbells only, doing full body twice a week. Started off doing dumbbell deadlifts with 40 lbs (2x20 lb dumbbells) and after about four months – tomorrow, I’ll be doing barbell deadlifts with 110 lbs for 3 sets of 10 reps, next week 115. I’ve gained 13 lbs of body weight.

Workout full body and have a plan. Keep a log to make sure your always adding reps and go up on weights when you hit your target reps. Eat. That’s it.

[wealthgut]

BTW – There is not one mention in this thread about what your workout is or how often you’re working out. Overtraining is your enemy. I just got done running a kind of “remedial muscle building routine” with dumbbells only, doing full body twice a week. Started off doing dumbbell deadlifts with 40 lbs (2x20 lb dumbbells) and after about four months – tomorrow, I’ll be doing barbell deadlifts with 110 lbs for 3 sets of 10 reps, next week 115. I’ve gained 13 lbs of body weight.

Workout full body and have a plan. Keep a log to make sure your always adding reps and go up on weights when you hit your target reps. Eat. That’s it.

^^
Very good points brought up in that entire reply.

It is important to work out, eat the foods you like CONSISTENTLY and get in protein, it will build the physique the right way.

I assume you want an athletic build as you are on bb.com

I'd recommend to start light weight foundation lifts and gradually going as heavy as you can ( deadlifts, squats, bench )

You will get insane results if you hit the gym hard and eat on a proper schedule my friend

[KNCarver]

Well first of all there's your genetics, I can relate from being called Twiggy through my high school years and eat an entire pizza for lunch.
Now there are different levels of programs you can work on: start with the basics and work your way up.
Eat more, what you eat doesn't matter too much if you're not eating enough, bad food is better than no food, a lot of people will try to jump you straight on some super diet which is overwhelming when trying to start out.
Carbs, fat, protein, get a blend of these with each meal and try to eat more frequently, my issue was going 6-8 hours without eating whether caught up at work, some event or busy on a new video game, if you're already into taking a weight gainer, go for one with low sugar <10g per two scoops and take it in the morning and either before lunch or supper (which ever has the biggest time gap). Three meals a day and weight gainer twice a day is working for me, if you get to this point start looking for better alternatives from where you get your carbs, protein, fat; like chicken, whole grains, fish oil, etc. I can also relate to the financial difficulty but, going hungry before your next pay can destroy your results, it is something you need to commit to.
Going to a gym on top of all this would be great and provide better results in regards to muscle but you should be able to expect to put on some weight with three meals a day, weight gainer twice a day and making sure each meal has carbs, protein and fat, if you can achieve this goal then you can start to mix things up for a healthier diet, portion size, balancing fat, carbs, protein, watching vitamins, minerals.
First and foremost is to start somewhere, Good luck. And feel free to snack!

[123apk]

Your thread kind of caught my eye because I’ve always felt I was too skinny, so it sounds like your fighting the same fight.

You also sound a little confused on at least a couple of different things. Your kind of all over the place, I think your over-thinking a lot of things.

When I’m completely honest with myself, it’s clear that the reason I’ve always been skinny is that I’ve never been a big eater. I was a very picky eater as a child. I’d always go hungry rather than eat food I didn’t like (or even if I didn’t think I would like, I’d be afraid to try). As such I grew up a light eater and being hungry never bothered me that much. I’d skip meals regularily.

I can relate to that, I thought nothing of skipping meals in the past either. There was never much food at home anyway and not much good to eat so I'd often just have ramen noodles as snacks if I got too hungry.

You seem to undertand that eating more is key, but I don’t know why you think you need to eat SO much.

I work a very active job, I must burn a lot more calories than the average person.

Honestly, no matter how skinny you are, I don’t know that gaining fat would make you look better, feel better, or healthier in any way. You should be looking to gain muscle, not weight at any cost. 6000 caloroes per day would make anybody gain fat.

Well I've been reading since and a study suggested some people just can't hold onto fat anyway. Apparently some prisoners were over fed in the 70s in an experiment and the naturally skinny guys developed an aversion to food and would work it off more by being more active from subconsciously doing more.

So – Are you a “picky eater”? – find foods you like to eat and eat them on a consistent basis

Well I've gotten into cooking a bit and have been making some good foods for bulking up that I really enjoy.

I don’t think the word “cutting” needs to be in your vocabulary. From your starting point I don’t think you’re looking at doing bulking and cutting cycles. You may never need to cut and if you ever do it will be a very long time from now.

Much like what I said about cutting above, I don’t think you need to worry about bulking vs cutting. No offense, but I don’t think you have much usefull experience in bulking either or this thread would not exist

The more I look at it, the more in thinking I don't have much ability to put on fat yet anyway.

My best advise for your is to eat a good balanced diet, and do not allow yourself to be hungry. You might be like me and be a person who isn’t too uncomfortable when hungry – try to re-train yourself that being hungry means eat. Don’t allow yourself to be hungry, just go eat something. You’ll get used to it.

My appetite has increased a bit since I've been eating a bit more lately. I haven't stuck to a bulking diet so far (lack of money) but I have been eating more. In the past I'd think nothing of skipping lunch, now I'm starving, low energy and exhausted if I do so have been eating it.

BTW – There is not one mention in this thread about what your workout is or how often you’re working out. Overtraining is your enemy. I just got done running a kind of “remedial muscle building routine” with dumbbells only, doing full body twice a week. Started off doing dumbbell deadlifts with 40 lbs (2x20 lb dumbbells) and after about four months – tomorrow, I’ll be doing barbell deadlifts with 110 lbs for 3 sets of 10 reps, next week 115. I’ve gained 13 lbs of body weight.

Workout full body and have a plan. Keep a log to make sure your always adding reps and go up on weights when you hit your target reps. Eat. That’s it.

Not going to lie, I work out infrequently, like once or twice a week. That's probably part of the problem.
I try to work out a few parts of the body, I don't do leg days and stuff like that. I do squats, bench presses, dumbbell curls, sit ups and a few others that I don't really know what they're called.
I downloaded an app on my phone with info and pictures on how to do different exercises and what parts of the body they work now.

I think I need to make more of an effort with working out and get more food in still. I hear what you're saying though, eating too much is probably pointless and will probably just make me lose my appetite and waste a load of money.

[HungrySkelleton]

I second the notion of buying canned chicken. Its a great cost per protein solution.

At my local grocer I've found $2 cans of 250 Cal 44g protein chicken in lemon pepper sauce. Makes a great lunch between some heated up white corn tortillas!

Good luck brah I know you can do it!