HELP ME PUT ON WEIGHT

[Daniel J Méssem]

For your body to increase muscle mass it needs to be told (hormones) and needs the fuel (excess protein)

 

Testosterone levels decrease as we get older - probably not what you want to hear, but have you considered hormone replacement therapy?

 

Basically a doctor prescribing testosterone injections, the same stuff muscle heads at the gym use, but in the proper doses.

 

Another way to increase testosterone is lifting weights, or any proper resistance training, but you said up front that you didnt want to do that.

 

There are several other factors that influence testosterone production, in my opinion their effects are too small to really be considered.

 

If you used to be ok with the same food intake, then its unlikely that changing your diet will fix things - although excess protein is required to build any muscle. That could mean eating more protein, or eating more in general, thus leaving the protein available to turn into muscle instead of being used for energy.

 

lots of books available on this topic

[Titanium Rocket]

Thanks to all, certainly some key messages here. I have been for hormone tests; testosterone certainly down but not low enough for treatment (yet). No other warning lights flashing, diabetes etc. I know I don't eat enough; food is just not big in my life, I battle with huge volumes. There is a very reputable dietician down the road from me, I shall build up some steam to make an appointment.

 

Perhaps at the end of the day, we are what we are. I am small and thin, others are large and round, that's how it is. Science and books will only ever adjust a certian amount of what we are dealt with. But thanks everyone, relieved there are some other super-skraal blokes out there with the same problem. .

[V12man]

Thanks to all, certainly some key messages here. I have been for hormone tests; testosterone certainly down but not low enough for treatment (yet). No other warning lights flashing, diabetes etc. I know I don't eat enough; food is just not big in my life, I battle with huge volumes. There is a very reputable dietician down the road from me, I shall build up some steam to make an appointment.

 

Perhaps at the end of the day, we are what we are. I am small and thin, others are large and round, that's how it is. Science and books will only ever adjust a certian amount of what we are dealt with. But thanks everyone, relieved there are some other super-skraal blokes out there with the same problem. .

 

My biggest concerns would be twofold.

 

1 - that you need to eliminate any possible disease or metabolic conditions and 2 - specifically (given that you say you don't eat and you are habitual endurance trainer) that you are not losing bone density.

 

Once you know the status of those, then you can move forward to resolving the weight loss if possible - eating more high quality (nutrient dense) foods and specifically protein definitely needs to be a consideration.

[Skylark]

Rather sudden changes are a bit of a warning sign, especially if your wife notices it. Maybe something in the intestines is not 100%, foods not being absorbed correctly. Another large factor is stress, have you endured sustained levels of high stress over the last years or in recent months extreme stress, stress can play havoc with your systems.

 

But if you are generally in good health the only way to put on weight/muscles is eat more and train more(and not predominately aerobic exercises)

[G e r h a r d Odendaal]

Lucky Bugga

[Guest EdEdEd]

It’s not often you hear about someone who battles to put on weight. I have consistently weighed 68 kg for 30 years, +/- 1 kg. I've never had to worry about food or diets or managing weight gain that most people struggle with.

 

I lead a well above-average active lifestyle; I have Polar records right back to 2005, and average 7.9 hours/week activity for those 9 years. This is made up of high intensity exercise: cycling and surf-skiing. And 20 years of competitive squash before that.

 

However, in the last 2 years or so, I have steadily started to shrivel away, now down to 64 kg. This loss is all muscle mass because I never had any body fat to lose in the first place…!! My age is now 55, which understandably has something to do with the wasting away – but not everything. My wife says I look haggard and hammered…she’s on my case to eat more and beef up.

 

I am pretty fussy about what I eat and do keep a subconscious track of carb and protein intake; if anything I don’t eat enough protein. I do know from years of racing that the LCHF diet won’t work for me.

 

Does anyone have any ideas on how to beef up, how to put on weight, specifically muscle mass. (Please don't say pump iron and eat supplements...)

 

So have you seen a way forward?

[Butterbean]

It's a funny world, isn't it? I would freaking kill to have this problem....

 

I eat a jelly bean and my ass jiggles for like a week. Seriously losing weight is so close to impossible, even when I'm super disciplined and train regularly...

 

But, enough jealousy... Good luck man! Hope you beef up quickly!

[Skuzzi]

Game has special now. 5 chocolates for 20 bucks. Checkers has 3 pringle chips tubes for 29 bucks. Should help

[Bonus]

'My wife says I look haggard and hammered…'

 

She sounds nice :-o

 

What will she have to say once your pecker stops working?

 

Lol

[ThaStig]

This reminds me of how an acquaintance of mine died. He was lying in bed while his wife was busy studying her boobs, disapprovingly in the mirror. Where upon she wondered, out aloud that they "were a bit small" and that she wanted them bigger, but a boob-job was a bit pricey.

He replied, "why don't you take some toilet paper and rub the area between your breasts? It has been proven to work"

She perked up and said, "Really?"

He replied " yeah, it worked for your butt didn't it?"

[Carrera Roadie]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC552892/

 

There's loads of info on this interesting topic. Warning the article is long. Go for the summary boxes.

 

Happy riding