Hey Toasty! Charlotte!

Boybert

Cathlete
Can I borrow your metabolism???? Pretty please? I'll give it back promptly ;) Want to bicep curl my son? He's a good 24ish pounds...lol

In all seriousness though, we do forget that there are quite a few people who do want to gain just as those want to lose it's just that we don't hear about that as much. Good luck w/ your goals :)


"you miss 100% of the shots you never take"

Debbie
 
Ha-ha! Actually, I know there are alot more out there that are trying to gain muscle...SO WHERE ARE YOU??? LOL! So easy to gain weight if you are eating bad stuff. Maybe I am just meant to be the size I am. I will have to experiment and see how my body responds, but the thought of stretching my stomach to accomodate more food grosses me out so I think I will just learn to count calories and try to up them more each time. Don't know what else to do...anyhow, those are my goals.

Take care~

Charlotte~~
 
Charlotte,

You are not alone. I too am trying to gain muscle. It's sooooo hard. I know that I need to be "cleaner" with my diet. I don't have any real solutions just empathy!!

catherine
 
Charlotte, I think you are so on the right track . I think its all about shaking it up . So you can be the size your meant to be !.You have good goals ... (Speaking of I gotta send mine to Sarah,Sorry Sarah .)Keep up the good work .Pat yourself on the back !!!!!
 
LOL ,Oh my gosh You are on line LOL I'm so in trouble ..I so got D's In highschool for NOT doing homework .! I'll get on it in the AM . :)
 
Charlotte, gaining weight is not that hard, just stop exercising and start eating lots of junk and you'll gain weight. Gaining muscle however is another thing.

Basically, 1 pound equals aprox. 3,500 calories. You have to find a way to manage your diet and the amount of calories you burn weekly so that you end up having a net gain of 3,500 calories at the end of the week to gain 1 pound. The calories have to come from lean protein sources and complex carbs eaten together, 5-6 meals every 3 hrs or so (I think you already do this.) The amount of protein can go from 0.5g per pound of weight to 1.2g per pound of weight in women. Bodybuilders usually eat 1-1.5g per pound of weight when they're preparing for competitions, but I think going up to 1.5g per pound can be dangerous to the kidneys if it's done on a daily basis.

When it comes to gaining weight from lean muscle it is better to stop doing total body weight workouts and start concentrating in lifting weights for certain body parts 1-2 times a week (better if you do one big muscle group with a smaller one for example chest with triceps, back with biceps, etc.) You have to lift as heavy as you can handle and try to increase your weight every 2-3 weeks when possible or sooner if the exercises feel too light. Cardio should be limited to 3 sessions of 20-30 mins a week, but those sessions should be done after the weight workouts and should be moderate to high intensity (you don't want to lose your cardiovascular capacity because you're doing mostly weights.)

Remember also that due to our hormones, it is harder for us women to gain lean muscle than it is for men. The amount of testosterone in our bodies is minimal compared to men, therefore it is easier for a man to follow the regimen mentioned above and start gaining pounds of muscle in a matter of months. Women have little testosterone but lots of estrogen and estrogen makes it really hard for us to gain lean muscle. Gaining lean muscle the "natural" way is really hard for women, but it is achievable in a long period of time (for some women it can take months and for others years; genetics and age play a role, and of course conditions like hyperthyroidism are not helpful either.) I hope this helps.
 
The above poster is on target.I also say cut back on cardio 3 times a week 2 intervals and one steady should be plenty.Some bodybuilders awake in the night to down protein shakes-I'm not going to do that:) Add more calories to each meal-maybe 100-200 that should put you in excess.You can also buy protein shakes meant for body builders for the calorie purpose one shake is 500 calories if you don't want to add calories with your meals you could drink one of these or 2 servings of protein(I use whey Protein)of your protein shake with skim milk before bed.I have read that can build muscles.I usually have a glass of skim milk before bed.Do you use whey protein if not you may want to switch to that after your workout and have the slower (I can't even think of the name of the protein right now-I have those moments)protein before bed.What ever you do just stay focused and don't give up-it took me years to get the muscle I now have thru trying different things.
 
Thanks everyone for all your positive vibes filled with good solid information! Appreciate all the help. Staying focused here as usual. I think I will add in that protein shake before bed time. I do have the low carb protein mix. I have heard a few others mention about drinking a shake before bed like Diane Sue. I am trying to up my calories as well. I like getting more ideas and suggestions that would help me with my goals because we are always learning.

Charlotte~~
 

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