How to Gain Weight with Least Amount of Money for an Underweight Person?

iridiumstem on 24/02/2015 - 17:42
Last edited 26/02/2015 - 19:23

Hello Ozbargainers,

This question is not for me, but for my girlfriend who's BMI is 17.1.
I know that BMI usually don't tell the full story, but it has gotten me worried. We've been forcing ourselves to hit the gym but we've came to conclusions that calorie intake might be an issue as well. To be honest, as a blob of fat, I am partially jealous of her fast metabolism in a way, though I've heard bad things about having a fast metabolism.

So what would be the recommended way of fattening my girlfriend up for this Thanksgiving or Christmas even? (this sentence has been approved by my gf, so it's fine I suppose?)

I've tried to feed her stuff, but as with most petite people, she doesn't eat much and gets sick easily with lots of food.

I've heard decent things from people about protein shakes/meal supplement and how it might help to some extent, but I've never bought one myself.

Are there any recommendations for my girlfriend?

EDIT:
This is from a comment that I've wrote in this post, but I think I might add it here as well.

My girlfriend and I both have agreed that she could benefit from gaining weight. She have been losing weight recently, and we believe that this might be causing her immunity problems (though this is just a speculation from correlation more or less).

EDIT 2:

Thank you guys so much for these many responses. I read them all and I wanted to say a big thank you from both me and my girlfriend. I have discovered a truly marvellous people contributing to this, by being sincere or trolling, and I want to thank each and every one of you by mentioning your names, which this margin is too narrow to contain.

I am thinking about keep doing what we are doing, hitting the gym and doing weight training. Though I think I might make her go little bit less intensely, since I think, from your comments, I have been pushing her bit too much.

In terms of what we might do, I will come back to this post tomorrow, I've had a long long day (9am to 9pm with everything placed everywhere, bike rides from one end to another in 5 minutes) and so did my gf. We've exhausted ourselves with some intensive time table. Though sincerely, I thank you all for the comments.

EDIT 3:

Thank you guys once again for the replies you've given me on this. Since the GP that we visit is not free this week, I will definitely make her make a vist, at least to get her results from the blood tests that she've done.

I've read through all the suggestions, well at the very least almost all of them. Definitely I will try to walk her gently towards eating more, mostly healthy stuff and little bit of junk food (because them chocolates and them ice creams, if she buys some, I might be able to have some as well). I will have to learn how to make treats for her/resist the temptation to make some for me.

I will definitely take things slowly and gently (unlike what my younger brother told me, "If you can walk properly after your leg day, you are not doing it right!") After all, the last thing I'd want is her to turn into blob of fat like me or stay underweight and be unhealthy (well from GP's suggestions, it was implying this) because the routine is too tough.

Thank you guys so much on this. I will definitely revisit this post to see if there are any new suggestions.

Though if she turns really healthy, I will look more unhealthy than I am now. Also she will be all buff and strong… Damn my dilema.

Health & Beauty

Comments

  • cycleri3 on 27/02/2015 - 09:49

    Seriously, go to a doctor. This isn't the place to get health advice.

    • gimme on 27/02/2015 - 10:00
      -2

      FINALLY someone with common sense!! There's so much moronic one-dimensional advice on this thread it's not funny.

  • 2ndeffort on 27/02/2015 - 11:03
    +1

    I should probably be a subject matter expert on this! Has she discovered the many joys of Doritos, Ferrero Rocher's or whatever type of chocolate takes her fancy. How about a nice Friday night in front of a film with a Meat Lover's Pizza, some full strength coke, a couple of packs of Doritos and some nice chocolate to follow it all down. I am practically chomping at the bit thinking of it!!!! Trust me as I have practical experience, a few nights of this will soon flip the BMI stats to the opposite end of the scale!

    • iridiumstem on 27/02/2015 - 15:12

      Sounds like my pattern right now.

  • [Deactivated] on 27/02/2015 - 14:56
    +1

    Maybe you need to take umamandy to the lowest altitude possible. Somehow. Tunnel through the earth? Would that work?

    Flip this backwards, and surely she'd gain weight? :S

    We are talking about weight rather than mass, too.. so the tunnelling to the centre of the Earth should still work either way, no?

    My maths/physics is so bad lol. This post is also bad.

    • iridiumstem on 27/02/2015 - 15:03

      I will make her dig. It will be a good exercise for her 😉. I will tell her it was all your idea too. 😇

      • ProjectZero on 27/02/2015 - 15:40

        I thought you were trying to fatten her up… making her exercise would have the reverse effects. o.Oa

        • iridiumstem on 27/02/2015 - 15:50

          But it builds character. Oi you bloody lout, move your skinny ass, come on, do I see your arms? DO I SEE YOUR ARMS DOING NOTHING?

    • Scrooge McDuck on 27/02/2015 - 19:37
      +2

      We are talking about weight rather than mass, too.. so the tunnelling to the centre of the Earth should still work either way, no?

      Nope.

      As you'd approach the centre of the Earth, you'd also approach the centre of the Earth's gravity field and therefore experience weightlessness.

      • [Deactivated] on 27/02/2015 - 20:59
        +1

        For realz? Wow.

        Science! + thanks for educating :)

  • geewhiz on 27/02/2015 - 15:13

    I'm currently trying to gain as well: your GP sounded pretty unhelpful (that's like telling someone with an eating disorder to "just eat"). Maybe try booking an appointment with a dietitian - that was my first step and it really helped.
    If you get full easily, I agree with all the advice re: peanut butter, avocado, nuts etc. I find it easier to sneak things into what I'd normally eat: sprinkle cheese on meals, or add nuts/seeds on top, dress salads with olive/coconut oil. Mixing nut butters into breakfasts, and eating small, dense meals regularly.
    As for the money side of things, buying all this from markets and grocers is much cheaper :)

  • tmarshall60 on 27/02/2015 - 18:11

    Eat the opposite to a diabetic, low gi diet. That way foods eaten will be converted to fats and stored. Simply eat something sugary after a meal

  • RefusdClassification on 27/02/2015 - 18:42
    +2

    Gaining weight (in the form of adipose tissue) is the easiest thing is the world. If you want to become fat cheaply, just eat a tub of butter or bottle of mayonnaise several times a day… Per gram fats have over twice as much calorific energy as proteins and carbohydrates.

    It reflects really poorly on society when thinness is considered a disease and obesity to be normal and "healthy". Thinness (anorexia) is a psychiatric disorder, but obesity isn't. In Asia and Africa most people are lean. It is only amongst decadent Westerners that one finds large numbers of overweight people.

    • [Deactivated] on 27/02/2015 - 18:46

      Thinness (anorexia) is a psychiatric disorder

      'Thinness' ≠ 'anorexia nervosa' the psychiatric disorder.

      edit - I should add that you cannot say that being overweight is a psychiatric disorder either. It's a more complex issue than that - I don't believe you can group people together that easily based on one physical factor. People become large/overweight and even obese for a wide number of reasons. I'm not saying this to make excuses at all (I am on the opposite end of the spectrum myself but the same argument applies), but you do have to think about what potential causes lead to people becoming that way. Lifestyle factors. Societal factors. Sure you will have a percentage who do use food and end up overweight/obese as a result, and if they were to be assessed they would fit within some category of psychiatric illness (there are indeed already categories for overeaters / compulsive eaters / binge eaters!) - but to say that ALL people who are overweight consume food for the same reasons and have the same brain chemistry is just wrong.

      I've stayed in an Eating Disorder unit myself. 11 patients were severely underweight. 1 was obese. We were all there for the same reasons. Those who do have weight problems due to mental health issues can get the proper recognition. It's not swept under the carpet or dismissed - though you do have a point that it is largely less accepted in the community, and overweight people are judged more harshly overall whatever their underlying factors may be.

      Anyway.. I think there is a shift towards health consciousness and awareness these days. I don't agree that obesity or being overweight is considered healthy or normal any more.

      • iridiumstem on 27/02/2015 - 19:11

        I hate that shift.

        I was told off by the GP to lose weight today :'(
        He told me methods in which I can lose weight, while telling me that I will get early death from it if I don't lose weight any time soon.
        I am doing all of the things he was saying already, it's just that I have started two weeks ago. :(
        Also, I used to do 100kg front squat, I am healthier than what the scale says :(

        • [Deactivated] on 27/02/2015 - 19:20
          +2

          I should've said 'over-fat' lol weight is such a flawed term

          Health > weight :)

        • iridiumstem on 27/02/2015 - 19:23

          @waterlogged turnip: Meh, I know that I have gotten fatter as well. :P :'( I don't go around correcting people on terms like weight (which is measured in newton) and mass. I think it's one of those terms that will never change even though we know it's wrong.

    • iridiumstem on 27/02/2015 - 19:02

      Anorexia nervosa refers to an eating disorder which doesn't get diagnosed on the basis of thinness. It causes thiness as you don't eat food and/or puke it all out even if you eat (I am overly simplifying the symptoms here). That doesn't mean I can call all thin people as anorexic as it can be caused by many other things like high metabolism, hyperthyroidism, etc etc. It's like how I cannot call everyone who coughs as a person with cold.

      If I want to talk about the eating disorder, I will have to open DSM. :'( Please don't make me touch that book, that book's evil.

      Eating disorder can show stuff like binge eating (which can be cause of obesity) etc too.

  • lambskewers888 on 27/02/2015 - 21:16
    +1

    Hey AznMitch

    If you're trying to gain weight, try eating foods that contain large concentrations of "carbohydrates" (50g+/100g serve), supplemented with huge amounts of "protein" (poultry, red meats, fish) and "fats" (nuts, butter), plus a vitamin pill and a daily intake of fibre of about 35g, all the while watching some Breaking Bad or any other awesome TV shows that will leave you couch bound for an entire week, srs!

    But for this to work, the amounts of these 3 macro-nutrients that you eat should total a daily/ weekly caloric surplus. Just remember your carbs have 4 calories/g, fats 9cal/g and proteins 4cal/g, so you gotta do the math, which probably wont be hard since (I'm assuming) that you're Azn.

    On a serious note though, if you do proceed eating like this I can guarantee weight gain, but just make sure you go for a jog or play some sports (medium intensity) plus some weighted exercises; heavy compounds like - deadlift/squat/overhead press/bench press, at least 4 times a week.

    Furthermore, do your self a favour and read up about ketosis/ketogenic diets, you won't regret it ;)

    If you're unfamiliar with some of the terms I've used, make sure to add them to your vocabulary as they will be of much help for the future :D

    All the best mate

    inb4 body transformation vid

  • Mitchell on 27/02/2015 - 21:39
    +1

    I've been trying to gain weight myself. Used to be 54kg, now 65kg.

    Getting her to exercise/lift weights before getting her diet worked out is a bad idea.

    Another problem you might come across is that cutting out all the junk food will take away a lot of the kilojoules you need. It also means you usually have to spend more time preparing food, than just opening a packet of chips, and it's hard to get into a routine of eating good food.

    What I'd suggest is highly energy-dense snacks, with just one low-kilojoule daily meal for vitamins/minerals. And water instead of soda.

    Corn is one of the best foods for energy, so try Doritos, Grainwaves, etc. - any kind of corn chip. A 90g packet of Doritos will give your girlfriend ~25% of her daily energy requirement (90g = 1900kj). 4.8g saturated fat, 3g sugar (6% DI), ~578mg sodium (24% DI), ~2% DI for a few vitamins and minerals.

    30g of Walnuts will give you 100%+ DI of Omega 3 and 800kj.

    Chocolate is also a good addition if more energy is required (100g bar = ~30% of daily energy). Even though it's 50% sugar, it's better than not being able to meet your energy requirement.

    There aren't really many shortcuts when it comes to vitamins and minerals. Best to make soups because many vitamins are water-soluble. Use herbs (can be chopped and stored in freezer for months), chilli powder, iodized salt, ground pepper, etc. - just a few grams gives you ~5% DI of many vitamins. Include a meat for protein and increased energy, because vegetables have hardly any kilojoules. Use olive oil! Extremely energy-dense; 1 tablespoon gives 500kj (15% of daily energy). This website is helpful in finding the appropriate combination of ingredients: http://www.whfoods.com/recipestoc.php

    So with just a medium packet of Doritos, a handful of walnuts, half a chocolate bar, and a pot of soup (about ~2000kj total; ~30% DI vitamins per bowl using guesswork), you've got ~90% energy + vitamin requirement.

    Protein powder in milk; cereal; pasta in soup; bread, etc. will provide the energy for weight gain.

  • Nero on 28/02/2015 - 05:42

    The cheapest way to put on the most weight would be taking a shot or two of olive oil every day.

    It will cost like $15 for a litre and each shot (30ml) will be about 1000 calories.

  • Need a dollar on 28/02/2015 - 12:32

    Give her a joint or bake hash brownies, she'll then get the munchies and put weight on.

  • altomic on 28/02/2015 - 12:52

    TLDR - this

  • minniethemoocher on 28/02/2015 - 15:29

    Like everyone else has said go to a doctor, if the first one isn't helpful seek a second or third opinion, there may be an underlying disorder that she hasn't been diagnosed for. That said I've always found that regular consumption of milk chocolate is an effective was way to gain weight fast. I asked my friend who is studying nutrition why and she has said that the current thinking is the sugar is used to build the fat cell and the fat fills it!

  • frewer on 01/03/2015 - 14:18

    eh i dig up this video just for you buddy
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuIlsN32WaE
    In case she get too much of fat

  • sintro on 01/03/2015 - 15:04
    +1

    The idea is not to GAIN WEIGHT but to GAIN HEALTH.

    Listen to the talks here:
    https://www.youtube.com/user/DrHerbertShelton

    Then visit http://www.drbass.com/ for more information.

  • Mysterious on 01/03/2015 - 15:15

    So much horrible advice here. Don't listen to the bad advice of people saying to stuff her mouth with shit. If you want to gain weight you should definitely do it healthily. Your best bet is to go to the doctor and discuss this. Best way to gain weight is through whole foods like pasta, bread, meats and healthy food. Eat multiple times per day. Breakfast, lunch, lunch again, then another lunch, then dinner and dinner. Something along the lines of like:

    Cereal & Toast
    Refill cereal bowl
    Fruit

    Sandwich
    Sandwich again
    Chicken

    Pasta
    Rice
    Potatoes

    • [Deactivated] on 01/03/2015 - 23:21

      whole foods like pasta, bread..

      o_O

      • Mysterious on 02/03/2015 - 01:51

        Yes regularly we buy whole wheat bread and pasta. It is easy to eat whole wheat pasta because you can sprinkle on olives and sauce, but I usually fall victim to cheap white bread because it compliments well with spread, whereas whole wheat bread overrides most or all spreads.

  • Gotchas on 03/03/2015 - 13:31

    Potatoes and beer

    • iridiumstem on 03/03/2015 - 13:39
      +1

      That's why vodka is the best thing ;)

  • Aneurism on 03/03/2015 - 14:23

    So there is all this focus on the OP and his concern for his partner's well being. I think there is a bit of a double standard here. AznMitch openly admits being overweight..yet appears to be overly focused on his partner's weight.. Personally I think I think it is much worse to be overweight than underweight. Both from a physiological and psychological standpoint. (I'm not talking extremes here though).

    As a social experiment, I wonder what would happen if you both wrote down everything you eat (separately for a fortnight in separate diaries).. Then you gave the diaries to the other person, and the other person had to eat exactly the same meals as per the other person's diary for the next 3 months).. My theory is that the fatty will lose weight and the thin one will gain.

    edit: actually there is a tv show called supersize vs superskinny that does this. Both of you should watch a few episodes of that show and see if there are any parallels.

    • iridiumstem on 04/03/2015 - 04:22
      +1

      I really haven't mentioned this, but I've been going through severe diet (substituting dinner with chicken breast and brocolis) as well. I didn't bring it in because it doesn't add much to the discussion. I have also been taking my girlfriend to gym as well. I honestly don't know why when I tell people that my current BMI is blah, they automatically assume I am not doing anything about it. (i.e. my GP whom I visited for my skin condition) Actually I do, it's how obese people are associated with negative characteristics and how people infer unconsciously to those. It's fairly natural behaviour that has been observed in many places and by many age group.

      Also technically speaking, even though my BMI suggests that I am overweight, I still have some of the muscles I've built from the air force, i.e. I used to do 100kg, 3 sets 12 rep front squat (stupid Smith machine never allowed me to go above without worrying about damaging my knees) etc and ran 7kms every day for 1 year and a half after shiftworks. If it weren't for my mother being condescending towards me being at this weight, I wouldn't have started doing exercises. I feel fine, i.e. never had health problems or felt crap like what I used to feel when I was simply a blob of fat, whereas my girlfriend has been told that her weight is too low and that probably is cause of her immunity problems.

      The reason I've bought my girlfriend's problem to Ozbargain was, I know how to lose weight, reduce drinking soda, pizza, etc and increase healthy food intake; I've never had problems with being underweight.

      I've mentioned this on one of the replies, her mother is making her eat to extent I worry about malnutrition. Her parents both have history of being/or is overweight, so as a result, the mother forces the diet that only works on overweight people i.e. lack of fat, etc. (one of the reasons why I was asking for suggestions for meal supplements.)

      Also, on the note about taking notes on what our intakes are, it's not gonna work. Our behaviour will change due to it being recorded (we don't want to look bad to each other), resulting both of our diet becoming closer to the "normal" diet per se.

      • ProjectZero on 04/03/2015 - 11:40

        Amen brother, do what I'm doing/did… go on the paleo diet, all meats, vegetables and no carb whatsoever… dropped 25kg in 3 months.

        Gets boring from time to time, especially if you love noodles and fried rice as much as I do… but no pain no gain =)

        • iridiumstem on 04/03/2015 - 11:53
          +1

          I am seriously jealous of you… I've never been able to go full paleo (half of my joy from life comes from food, I dare not take it away from myself). I've simply reduced carb, even then I am having a hard time :'(

        • WT on 04/03/2015 - 12:03

          you can still eat that junk, just not every other day and maybe not a large container in one sitting.

        • ProjectZero on 04/03/2015 - 12:12

          @wholesaleturbos: Yeah that's what I've been told, however, I would rather endure it and get to my ideal weight before starting to have bad habits again lol

        • ProjectZero on 04/03/2015 - 12:14

          @AznMitch: To each their own, I simply wanted to lost my gut as quickly as possible… Of course the diet was paired with 4 days a week of gym… so I did have to sacrifice abit to get to my point.

          Though, all I can say is you will thank yourself later for pushing through the hard part first rather then prolong it. I've recently started having a bit of carbs here and there… a chip or two here nothing too major.

          Forgot to mention that if you go full paleo, you can still snack… just eat nuts for the good fats.

          Also, if you only go half paleo, whatever you do, avoid bread. From what I was told, the worst kind of carbs is bread as they have other ingredients that are processed. If you need carbs, go for rice. I'm unsure if this is entirely correct but it is what I was told.

        • iridiumstem on 04/03/2015 - 13:04

          @ProjectZero: Yeah, I've been trying to focus on losing weight and get myself toned (i.e. repetition based weight training and trying to do calorie intake control). It has been making me feel bad. Is it normal for people to feel crap about doing that sort of stuff? I didn't feel as crap as this when I didn't repeat but just increased increments of weight. It's not like I am in pain, I can walk without limping after leg day, but I just feel exhausted…

          It doesn't help when I make smoothies for my gf, I have been becoming more creative with making fattening food and it is making me tempted more and more…

        • ProjectZero on 04/03/2015 - 13:14

          @AznMitch:

          Hmm… well how I lost my weight was based off circuit training… sort of.

          My training involved alot of full body exercises around 10 reps for 4 sets each. Although it wasn't heavy or anything, it was tiring and I felt wrecked afterwards. It works well though…

          The aim of my first two set of training regime was to pretty much exhaust my body so it burns up more energy. Dropped about 4% body fat each month.

          My third program was about strength and muscle training (Giant sets , 40 reps total of different movements with short rest period inbetween and one long rest period after the 40 reps.) and I'm about to move to my forth workout. You need to change it up every once in awhile so you don't get bored.

          I'm not a PT myself so the theory is way beyond me, but my PT gives me the programs and I follow it and it gets results. So I guess do what I've been doing, exhaust your body, don't worry about how heavy the thing is… I'm still doing 10Kg DB curls but it kills my arms due to the high reps.

          Honestly, don't listen to people that says "if you can walk after a legs workout, you didn't do it right"… those guys are just idiots if you ask me… if you do it right, yes you will stumble right after it, but working it til you can't walk is over working your legs… if your leg's recovery can't keep up with you… there is something wrong.

          P.S. I still stand by my "get your gf to gain muscle rather than fattening her up", as such, I really don't recommend making fatty stuff for her.

        • iridiumstem on 04/03/2015 - 13:39

          @ProjectZero: It's healthy stuff, also, my gf has little fat intake from her diet so I think it is alright (also, I am making her to do some weight training as well). The fat is mainly from almond and peanut butter and it's just one glass of smoothie per day. :)

          Welp, I think it feels different from what I used to feel. Beforehands, I used to feel more pain than feeling exhausted (perhaps Stockholm Syndrome in a way) which used to indicate that I've "done it proper". Now, with repetition, I just feel tired and energy-less (it might be from low carb).

        • ProjectZero on 04/03/2015 - 13:53

          @AznMitch:

          Stick with it mate, you'll get results. I used to think the same and didn't go full paleo… but after doing it for a few months, it really works. If you ever feel up to it, it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot.

        • iridiumstem on 04/03/2015 - 13:54

          @ProjectZero: Might as well. The gym membership was expensive for me anyways :P

  • esty on 04/03/2015 - 16:20

    Try getting your Ms to do this, really simple and cheap! Have a tall glass of skim milk between meals, or even go half skim and half full cream. e.g
    9am brekkie
    11am glass of milk
    1pm lunch
    3pm glass of milk
    6/7 dinner
    9pm( or before bed) a glass of milk.

    This just occurred to me also, does she eat 3 SQUARE meals a day. my previous gf's only had 2 meals a day (lunch and dinner), even then i would barely call them meals.

    She would probably see some good gains just by starting off with eating 3 square meals a day.

  • icetwice on 11/03/2015 - 16:38

    My previous bmi was 17.2 and i got to a bmi of 21.5 by eating more carbs, having a tablespoon full of coconut oil with each meal and 1 to 2 sticks of butter blended with tea each morning. It took me around 9 - 10 months to gain that weight and I don't even lead an active lifestyle.

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