# I want to gain weight **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 4, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-gain-weight/584270 "2011-06-04T01:09:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-gain-weight/584270/1 "2011-06-04T01:09:30Z")
Okay, in the past year, I’ve lost about 15 or so pounds. I do not want this, I am about 5’10" and now 119 lbs. I used to be 135 which was just right, I think. I want to gain weight, help me. I want foods that are fatty, but not salty or sugary. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-gain-weight/584270/2 "2011-06-04T01:16:35Z")
First off, have you seen a doctor? Have your eating/exercise habits changed in the past year? Recent job change or other life situation change? ---
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-gain-weight/584270/3 "2011-06-04T01:19:15Z")
I saw my dr. last January. I have been on blood pressure meds for a bit, a diuretic and amlodipine. My blood pressure is great now. Also I am on a thyroid med for hypothyroidism. I quit the birth control pill last Sept. I feel fine, walk all the time, which I’ve always done anyway. I Hate the fact my boobs have shrunk! I was a 36C and now it looks to be 34B. I’ve never smoked and am okay though am late on getting a mammogram. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-gain-weight/584270/4 "2011-06-04T01:28:14Z")
I would presume that you were a bit overweight due to the hypothyroidism and now that your levels are being corrected, you’ve shed the excess weight. [Mayo Clinic article.](http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypothyroidism/DS00353) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-gain-weight/584270/5 "2011-06-04T01:32:02Z")
[Weight Gain 4000](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2767/4377531687_391f325972.jpg). BEEFCAKE!!! ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-gain-weight/584270/6 "2011-06-04T01:37:27Z")
I am also trying to gain weight - but I do not have the complication of being medicated for a dysfunctional thyroid. Is your doctor worried about your weight loss? He should be, since you are now quite underweight for your height and weren’t before. Do you have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis? If you do, it’s very common for your thyroid function to swing from one extreme to another, so you will start to veer into hyperthyroidism naturally. The side-effects of a hyperthyroid state (which almost almost include weight loss as well as many other unpleasant things) will be much exacerbated if you continue taking your medication for hypothyroid during this time! You should be going in very frequently for testing if you have any type of thyroid problem, since the balance is so delicate, difficult to correct, and very important to your general health. Please, explore all this thoroughly with your doctors. If they aren’t concerned I would get a second opinion. General weight gain advice: do plenty of weight-bearing exercise to build and maintain muscle mass. Eat a whole-foods, high-calorie diet mostly comprised of delicious nutritious things such as seafood, meats, eggs, cream, butter, olive oil, starches, nuts, and of course plenty of veg. It makes me feel fantastic, and I’ve gained and maintained an unprecedented 10 lbs in the past year and a half or so (have been an underweight hard-gainer almost my entire life). ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-gain-weight/584270/7 "2011-06-04T01:41:05Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > I would presume that you were a bit overweight due to the hypothyroidism and now that your levels are being corrected, you’ve shed the excess weight. > > [Mayo Clinic article.](http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypothyroidism/DS00353) Erm. She had a BMI of 19.4 before, now she is barely hanging on to BMI 17. It’s almost impossible she had excess weight to lose since she was very slim before, and it’s likely she’s lost substantial muscle mass, which is the opposite of ideal for an older small-framed woman. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-gain-weight/584270/8 "2011-06-04T01:41:34Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > I would presume that you were a bit overweight due to the hypothyroidism and now that your levels are being corrected, you’ve shed the excess weight. > > [Mayo Clinic article.](http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypothyroidism/DS00353) Actually it doesn’t really work that way - getting your medication levels sorted will help you stop _GAINING_ weight, but it won’t really help you lose weight. **BigBertha** - there is a HUGE range of ‘normal’ when it comes to thyroid levels meaning you could get a ‘normal’ reading that’s not normal for you - my first guess would be that your synthroid dose is a bit too high - have you discussed that option with your doctor? (i.e. perhaps your dose level is making you a bit hyperthyroid?) ---
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-gain-weight/584270/9 "2011-06-04T02:03:13Z")
Thank you all for your advice. I am going to have an appointment soon. However, I still was going for posts that mentioned what foods would be helpful to gaining weight. I’m talking store bought not the ridiculous items in some restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-gain-weight/584270/10 "2011-06-04T02:14:03Z")
Here’s some things I eat: Mashed potatoes made with extra butter and cream. Big juicy steaks. Huge salads slathered in olive oil dressing with a heaping pile of chicken or tuna on top. The highest-calorie ice cream you can buy. Thick-cut pork chops with a quick wine reduction. Roasted sweet potatoes with lots of butter. 4 scrambled eggs made with plenty of butter and extra melted cheese on top. Smoothies made with ice cream, several bananas and some frozen berries, with a scoop of whey protein. Nut butters by the spoonful. Heavy cream in your coffee (or have your latte made with half and half instead of milk). Green vegetables cooked in copious amounts of animal fat. Extra bacon. If you have a smart phone, get one of the calorie-counter apps so you can track how much you’re getting. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-gain-weight/584270/11 "2011-06-04T02:36:40Z")
Food digests fastest while asleep and slowest while exercising. Eating extra Calories before bed can help if you’re trying to gain weight. ---
**Author:** ![beartato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@beartato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beartato)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-gain-weight/584270/12 "2011-06-04T06:11:13Z")
Hmm, low salt, low sugar: Avocados in everything. Morning smoothies with fruit, full-fat plain yogurt (“Greek style”), and a spoon of almond/peanut butter stirred in. Spoonfuls of hemp seeds and flax seeds on your salads. Can you give us some idea of what you eat and like to eat currently? ---
**Author:** ![StuffLikeThatThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@StuffLikeThatThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StuffLikeThatThere)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-gain-weight/584270/13 "2011-06-04T06:48:27Z")
My son requires a high-calorie, high-fat diet. I rely pretty heavily on dairy to get extra fat in. Extra butter in everything he gets. Cheese cubes as a side with every meal. Peanut butter milkshakes made with full-fat ice cream and heavy cream. Cheese sauce on vegetables. Extra layers of cheese on a portion of a casserole or chicken bake marked off for him. For breakfast, he likes an egg and toast and some baked potatoes cubed and then fried in obscene amounts of butter. I try to get him to drink as many calories as I can, too. (Not soda, though. Juice and whole milk.) And if anything is remotely dippable, I offer ranch dressing on the side. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-gain-weight/584270/14 "2011-06-04T07:05:57Z")
Welcome to my world. I’m hyperT and it bites. The meds work for a while and then I go all random without noticing until my clothes don’t fit. Ice cream is a good breakfast. Bagles and cream cheese is good as well. I’ve learned that drinking calories is good, but if you go for candy coffee…drink decaf. You don’t want to amp your system more than it already is. Beer in moderation is never a bad thing. Dark chocloate is a bad choice due to the caffiene. White chocolate is good. I tend to crave veggies, and have learned to avoid celery and carrots. The chewing and fiber stops me from eating cliff bars. Put real butter on the cooked veggies, maragine is icky and bad for you. Eat at least 6 times a day and have a heavy meal just before you go to bed. Pizza is good, btw. You can eat half of it before going to bed and then have the rest in the morning with a milkshake. And…this is my most important advice…be sure to get your bloodwork done often. You won’t notice that your meds are off until your clothes don’t fit and you can’t sleep. The bloodwork will let you know before that. Good luck. I’m sorry this is happening to you. It truely does bite. ---
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-gain-weight/584270/15 "2011-11-05T15:24:51Z")
I found a new doctor and went to her. I am awaiting results from some blood tests. She was kind enough to give me a prescription for Boost (the generic kind actually) so am drinking 2 a day, which turns out to be 500 calories. I think I’ve gained a few lbs already. Also, Banquet makes small cheap pot pies which have 410 calories for the small size of it. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-gain-weight/584270/16 "2011-11-05T15:29:28Z")
Sugar, lots of it. And bread. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-gain-weight/584270/17 "2011-11-05T15:56:56Z")
Just me-too’ing the good advice you’ve been given - Losing weight without meaning or wanting to, especially going from thin to clinically “underweight”, is a big flag. Good on you for getting your (new) doctor involved and on her for investigating it. **Monstro** has been dealing with the same concern (see [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=615634)) and has been succeeding in putting some back on - maybe she’ll, uh, weigh in here. Placed in that thread was [this WebMD article](http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/healthy-ways-to-gain-weight). Good advice there too. Eating before bed. (A good time to chug down one of those Boosts.) Extra healthy fats and protein. Weight bearing exercise followed immediately by a meal or at least a healthy snack with at least a dozen grams of protein in it. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-gain-weight/584270/18 "2011-11-05T15:58:57Z")
> [@PandaBear77](#): > > Sugar, lots of it. And bread. No, you’re much better off eating mono and poly-unsaturated fats, like Olive oil. Fat has 9kCal/g while sugars only have 4kCal/g. So, eat nuts, salad with olive oil dressing, avocados, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-gain-weight/584270/19 "2011-11-05T17:48:08Z")
What an odd username/OP combo. ---
**Author:** ![FlyByNight512](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/82dd89/32.png) [@FlyByNight512](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyByNight512)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-gain-weight/584270/20 "2011-11-05T18:43:47Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > What an odd username/OP combo. That was my thought too. Sorry, BigBertha, I’m sure it’s not an amusing situation to you! Nuts are very high in fat and have a crapton of calories, you might keep them handy for snacks if you like them. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-gain-weight/584270.md?page=2)