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Consumer Review: I Stuff Myself With 3000 Calories A Day And I Take Weight Gainer 2000 From GNC. I End Up In The Bathroom Flushing Everything Out Of My System.

I have tried to put on weight but sometimes I think we'll have a city on Mars before I see any gains! I stuff myself with at least 3000 calories a day and I take Weight Gainer 2000 from GNC. It seems I'm constantly in the bathroom flushing everything out of my system, making it pretty discouraging to spend any money on supplements and food.

I am a puny 5'9" at 115 pounds. Nothing, NOTHING I do seems to help. Both my parents are pretty skinny and life really sucks when you can't take your shirt off at the beach.

I hear creatine can help pack on the pounds but there are some serious side effects. Please, someone, tell me I don't have to be stuck in this body my whole life! No weight gainer has ever worked for me and I need some good advice!


Response #1

I sympathize with your frustration. I to have never been able to gain weight and have heard the same excuses as to why I can't. I am 27 years old, 5' 11'', and weigh 143lbs. I have tried the same things you have listed and have never been able to gain results. Hang in there, hopefully someday we will all find something that will work for us.


Response #2

I know where you are coming from. I am 25 and the most I have ever got up to was 150 pounds, but never higher. I have also tried everything, but nothing has worked for me.


Response #3

I have always had problems trying to gain weight. I have tried almost all the amino acids out there none of them work. If you want to build muscle, I suggest you do what I'm doing right now. Take Whey Pro-Elite and creatine monohydrate from PVL Nutrients. It's all natural stuff, but it really works. I am actually gaining weight for the first time in my life when using the whey and creatine. I just gained 8lbs. In one week I went from 160 to 168. So, I know this stuff really works.


Response #4

For all you who want to gain weight why don't you just live it up and eat your carbs and proteins. People that want to loose weight are being pointed in the direction of just sticking to protein foods. I have noticed that the carbs really are what puts on weight. Then, throw in some weight lifting.


Response #5

I hear your trouble. I have a relative taking creatine and it works real well. You will definitely get some pounds. As for the side effects, there are some kidney failure/complications due to a lack of water intake while taking creatine. If you drink plenty of water, an individual should be well off. Yet, no one knows the long term effects because this product hasn't been on the market very long.


Response #6

I am 5'11", 170 lbs. I used to be 140lbs. What I did was started drinking a protein shake every night before bed and a can of tuna fish. Protein and more protein is the answer that I found.

Good Luck


Response #7

At age 15 I took almost every weight gainer that I could buy. I then found creatine monohydrate and have been taking it for 2 years now. I have gained loads of muscle mass and weight in this time period. I also have had no side effects so far nor have my friends that take it.


Response #8

I gained 80lbs in one year. I didn't take anything. All I did was workout hard, ate my carbs, drank lots of water. I also have huge forearm muscles like Big Mark McGwire.


Response #9

I feel your pain. I am 29 years old, 5'9 and 120 lbs. I have been to nutritionists, taken Joe Weider's weight gainer, Gainer's Fuel, Bulk Up, you name it... NOTHING. Now I'm trying the new Harries diet. I eat 4 Dunkin Donuts in the a.m., eat all day, and eat about 1 lb. of cookies before bed. Gained 10 pounds this month and I have been trying for years.


Response #10

I've tried for years to gain weight. I've gained 20 lbs. in one month. I started lifting every day, drinking whey protein before I workout. My daily food intake is a sandwich in the morning, a big can of Beefaroni (4.5 serving can), Chinese food in the afternoon, and Campbell's soup and a 2 pack of Ramen noodles for dinner. Even though I went from 150 to 170, I still want more so I'm just now trying weight gainers. Just keep with it and be determined and it will happen.


Response #11

You might not believe me about this, but what you need to do is drink a milkshake before you go to bed every night. I'm only 14 but I play high school football. Over the summer, I went from 148lbs to 170 lbs. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO DO IS WORK OUT IN THE MORNING. I worked out all summer and I can bench 185lbs in 5 section 15 reps. I am just like you. Last year I ate anything I could get and I never gained weight, until I followed my dad's advice.


Response #12

I've never had trouble gaining weight. I have found that the ONLY way you will gain is if you work out hard, take GNC weight gainer 1850, and eat at only buffets. I have put on 20 lbs of muscle in 3 1/2 weeks. I'm 6 foot 207.


Response #13

I am a college baseball player that has hopes of turning pro sometime in the near future. In high school, I was 6' 160 around my sophomore year. I had already obtained some sort of tear or fracture in almost every joint in my body due to the lack of conditioning and high activity level. At an early age, I had made up my mind that my career would no longer be put on hold due to injury. I'm now 6' tall and weigh 198. I have a very low body fat percentage and I'm very strong.

My advice to you is to not concentrate on one muscle. Work on the body as a whole. Squats with heavy weight build the heaviest part of your body, your legs and increase overall trunk size. Your lats are also a heavy muscle that can't be ignored. Jogging after squats increases muscle size as well, because it promotes blood flow. But you have to jog until you're almost dead. Two to three miles a day does well. No matter how bad your calves hurt the first 3 or 4 weeks, you have to carry on with your jogging and get them used to it. After you're done with each jog, take adequate rest and do eight 90 yard sprints at about 85 to 90 percent, six 60's and four 30's. The more running and sprinting you do, the more muscle will build in your legs. As your squat power goes up, you'll be able to use more weight and your trunk will get bigger as a result.

Bench press with your hands shoulder-width apart. This works more of just your triceps. And in your routine, don't work your triceps as much, and your arms as a whole will get huge. Give it about a 1 year time frame and you'll end up looking very good. If not bigger, then very cut and in shape. Don't think of your body as a model, think of it as your suit of armor that you are building. Your muscles protect your bones. Go for life longevity and never look for quick results. You have to work harder every day with varying routines. And remember, chicks dig skinny guys with the six pack and small, firm arms, so don't be so quick to get huge fast. Size comes with time. Eat everything. Your body need to intake more than it burns. Low fat, high protein if you want to have a cut look. Eat anything if you just want to get big.


Response #14

I'm 5'9" and 120. I play Capoeira, a Brazilian martial arts form. I eat regular and I do pushups and crunches every night before I go to bed. Martial arts, especially kick boxing, are very good for gaining weight. I'm still not very big, but I am much more comfortable with my body and it's a lot more defined than before.


Response #15

All this stuff it extremely confusing. For a time, I did eat like hell, but nothing ever showed. Over the summer, I planned on working out while taking some type of weight gainer, but now I'm not sure. Some people say you should, and others say you shouldn't. I'm 16 and about 135 and somewhat above average height. I would really like to build muscle and, if possible, gain more weight.


Response #16

I was in your shoes two years ago. I only weighed 145lbs., and I am pretty tall at 6'1". I, like you, tried everything. I started out with GNC weight gainer just like you. Please take my advice and save your money. You should find out about a REAL SUPPLEMENT store in your area (there are also plenty online).

What did it for me was SPORTS ONE SOLID MASS weight gainer. I always had no trouble getting to the gym, but putting on weight was non-existent. I used seventeen scoops of Solid Mass, giving me 3,400 calories right there. I ate a normal breakfast and supper, bringing my daily caloric intake to easily over 4,000. I also went to the gym faithfully four days a week. Monday and Thursday I did 16 sets of chest exercises and 17 sets of arm exercises. On Tuesday and Friday I did 12 leg exercises, 12 shoulder exercises, 12 back exercises, and 9 sets of calves. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I did my abs.

Stay away from cardio, as I was told, because I was way too skinny. When you get bigger, throw in some cardio. I also used creatine, one scoop a half hour before workout with 8oz of orange juice. I have had no side effects and continue to use creatine to this day. If you decide to use creatine, on my routine I used it even on days off and skipped using creatine at least one day a month (be sure to skip only on a day when you don't lift).

One more thing...I used 4 barrels of SPORTS ONE a month which cost about $140 a month. Creatine is about $30 and lasts several months. Don't eat garbage food either! If you drink or smoke, quit. The only way to get serious about this is to be completely dedicated. I now weigh 190lbs. and have more muscles than I know what to do with. For me, it was more diet than anything and it was actually easy. Good luck my friend!


Response #17

Anyone should be able to gain weight. For the fastest results, start a power lifting work out. Less reps will build mass. You should eat plenty of food along with supplements. Weight gainer 2200 from GNC and Creatine should help you to get started. On a regular day, you should work out for at least one hour, doing as many reps as you can. You might want to get a spotter. With high weight, you should not be able to do more than 8 reps of all exercises, otherwise you will start building tone.

Before working out, eat some regular food such as a sandwich. Take the recommended amount of Creatine (Pro Performance is what I use only), wait about 15-30 minutes then workout hard, timing each workout and drinking plenty of water. Wait about 30 minutes after working out to eat some whole food. I recommended Beef Stew by Castleberry which contains about 1200 calories when eaten with bread and a full glass of water. After eating, wait about 20 minutes, then get a blender and mix up some weight gainer 2200 by Pro Performance only. Measure 6-8 scoops as provided in the container, mix it with about 24 ounces of whole-milk. The total volume may be about 36 ounces and it weighs well over 3 pounds and is about 2500 calories. Drink this. You will most likely throw-up the first couple times. Wait at least an hour before going to bed. That's why you should work-out in the afternoon. Take some creatine before going to bed. Tou may wake up at night to go to the bathroom only to urinate. If your urination is too yellow, you're not drinking enough water.

Sleep about 6-8 hours, no more than 10. In the morning eat a regular breakfast and take another 5-6 scoops of weight gainer. Then eat and drink plenty of water throughout the day. You should gain at least 5 pounds weekly. You shouldn't be going to the bathroom more than once a day. If you are, that means you're not working out hard enough. I myself did this and I went from 145 to 185 in one month. My bench press went from 135 to 285 pounds, free weight. This should work. My whole family is a tad less than average, but I am about average weight for a 5'8" male.


Response #18

Listen up kid. OK, first of all, half of the things on this page you'll read will be crap! This, however, isn't one of them. People say to eat anything and everything like Mr. Chinese and Mr. buffet. That's fine for gaining weight, but do you want to have a heart attack as well? I don't.

I'm a 19 year old beginner bodybuilder. I just finished my first show last week. When I was a junior in high school, I weighed 140 pounds. I worked out for about 6-7 months and reached 160 pounds. Everyone that says they gained 8 pounds in a week is full of bullsh––. They forgot how to add. No one can gain 8 pounds in a week unless they're juicing. What you really want to do is hit the gym hard. What you eat should be carbs and protein, lots of it. Constantly mix up your training to keep your muscles stimulated.

I've done creatine and it has worked OK. What I recommend for mass is Cytodyne by Cytodyne Technologies. They also make xenadrine RFA, a fat burner and pre-workout energizer. Just hit the weights hard and don't eat a sh–––y diet. Have a protein shake before bed and after you work out. Stay positive and work hard. Gains will come. Don't kill yourself with fat.

Steve


Response #19

If you want to get big, you've got to eat big. What you need to do is eat whatever you can get your hands on. Weight gainers are a waste of money. All they contain is high calories. Why eat high calories from a can when you can actually enjoy what you eat. A lot of people would love to be able to eat what they want and not gain an ounce, so take advantage of it. What you need to do is eat six big meals a day, about 3 hours apart, making sure that each meal contains a high quality animal protein source (chicken, tuna, turkey, eggs, milk) and maybe throw in some protein powders or meal replacements.

If you're worried about Creatine then don't take it. Take protein powders and meal replacements. And then work out at the most 5 days a week. 3-4 is most beneficial. And when you work out, only do the big exercises (barbell bench press, squats, deadlifts, barbell curls, close-grip barbell, skull crushers, pull-ups) for 3-4 sets with 4-10 being your rep range.


Response #20

Listen carefully .Your inability to gain weight is largely due to genetics. Being 5' 9" is a tall frame. You have what is classified as an ectomorphic body structure. I will assume you're below the age of 24. You also must have a fast metabolism. The reason you're hitting the bathroom may be due to over training along with all those simple carbs they put in those weight gainers.

I've been involved with fitness and nutrition all my life. Work out just twice a week. Work your legs, chest and back 1 day, then rest 2 days, then work arms, calves, shoulders and traps the other day. Get plenty of sleep. Eat 6 meals a day. Don't over train! No more than 3 sets per body part. Remember, your body needs time to recuperate from systemic fatigue. Don't fall into the NO PAIN NO GAIN mentality. And try to find a weight gainer that is lactose-free and contains omega 3 essential fatty acids. Not eating enough and over training are the main reasons why people don't gain weight.

Remember my friend, you want to coax your body into growing, not blast it. Don't get discouraged. Don't compare yourself to anyone. STAY POSITIVE. Make adjustments as needed. And do what's best and what works for you. Take a 1/2 hour nap in the afternoon to speed recovery and keep cortisol levels low. And here is the most important thing of all...buy and READ the book Beyond Brawn by Stuart McRoberts. It will change your life.


Response #21

I started weightlifting at about 15 and 95lbs. For years, I made next to no progress at all. When I hit 18 at 120lbs, I was ready to throw the towel in when a guy I know introduced me to a power lifting routine (Monday - Squat, Tuesday -Bench, Friday - Deadlift). Time went by and I made dramatic strength increases, but amazingly no real weight gains. I then started taking Megamass 2000 to try and give my body that bit extra to work with (it basically consists of loads of carbs, protein and a small amount of creatine and tastes really nice).

I thought I'd exploded! In the space of a year, I was weighing in at almost 170lbs, and if I hadn't had to diet for a power lifting competition, I reckon I would have carried on growing. Anyway, after this, I cut down on the supplements to concentrate on power lifting in my weight category and stayed at about 168lbs. I've carried on with power lifting and have some fairly impressive lifts (Bench - 250lbs, Squat - 450lbs and Dead! lift - 505lbs). I now want to move up a category, but have found it difficult to gain weight again. So now I've started using creatine and Myoplex Deluxe. Hooray! The weight has started shifting again and I'm now around 185lbs at 23.

The moral of the story is relentless training, week in, week out. And might I suggest a power lifting routine (it worked for many slow gainers I know). Look into it.

And as for supplements and food.....lots of carbs in the morning and and plenty of healthy food (Junk just builds fat) through out the day (especially after training). It's up to you if you use creatine...I do and I don't know of anyone who has had problems. + An economical whey protein shake twice a day.....EVERYDAY (morning and night.)

Good luck and stick with it.

P.S. I've never taken any gear and strongly recommend (even if you are desperate) to reconsider.


Response #22

I feel the pain. I myself "did it." I am 23 years old, and when I graduated from high school, I weighed 130 at 5'8". It was VERY difficult for me to gain the weight, almost IMPOSSIBLE! I was VERY active in sports, played soccer, participated in marathons, triathlons, was a roller blade instructor, and just LOVED doing activities that required cardio. So, anyhow...I went to the gym regularly and ate what I needed to eat, but obviously did NOT eat enough.

My answer was a friend of mine who showed me the light. Now, by looking at him, you can TELL he knew what he was doing. I watched his routine and thought, hey, maybe if I change to that, it will help me gain the muscle I wanted. Of course I was wrong. SO, I finally got the guts to ask him, and he told me it's all in the diet! I then go back and think about the kinds of foods I really ate. Food that did NOT supply my body with the nutrients/etc. that it needed for all the activities I did. He suggested I increase my protein intake and seee what happens. Well, he guided me through, and the rest is history. Here's my diet. I actually still follow this diet:

Breakfast: I usually eat 5-6 egg whites with a bowl of WHOLE GRAIN oat meal (NOT INSTANT!), a piece of fruit, sometimes I'll throw in a bowl of cereal.

3 hours before lunch (sometimes 2): I usually drink a protein shake (WHEY protein by MHP IS AWESOME!).

Lunch time: I usually eat chicken breasts with rice or salad, maybe turkey burgers (three of them) with rice or mashed potato (NO BREAD), or some steamed Chinese food with steamed dumplings. Or you can try a turkey wrap -- whatever you wish -- just EAT! ON TOP OF MY LUNCH, I always try to stuff 4-5 hardboiled eggs (just whites).

3 hours after lunch: I usually have another protein shake.

Dinner: I eat whatever I want, usually steak, maybe pasta, maybe turkey burgers or beef, anything.

Before bed: 5 MORE EGG WHITES! YES, it sounds a lot, but it's determination that helped. Also, just seeing the results drives you to work at it more and more.

I'm now 5'8", 155. My chest has grown 3 inches, my arms have grown, I actually have an ass now (Yipee!), a nice 6 pack, etc. I feel awesome!

KEEP WORKING HARD GUYS!!!


Response #23

Everyone who is still on the trying end of gaining weight, listen to what these other guys who have succeeded have had to say. I'm 27 and had been 145 pounds forever. I finally packed on 25 pounds in 2 months. This after years of increased eating off an on and working out religiously. The meal replacement (MR) or protein shakes which run around 300 calories are your best bet. Take one or two of those a day. One in the morning and one after a workout worked best for me. Use water. Don't use milk because your stomach will probably be very intolerant.

I suggest not using a weight gainer, but a protein or MR instead, since they have other stuff like minerals your body needs to repair itself after a workout. Also, they don't bloat me as much as weight gainers. Plus, unlike the weight gainer, the MR protein is mostly ionized whey protein, which is better absorbed by your body (the main reason I can pretty much take a shake and not run for the bathroom). I like Myoplex Deluxe and Lean Body. They both provide basically the same thing, but the Lean Body tasted better and definitely made me feel less bloated. I switch back and forth for variety.

As for Creatine, it doesn't make you gain weight. It helps your workouts become more intense by giving your muscles more energy. ATP to ADP becomes ATP again. I'm a chemical engineer, makes absolute sense to me. That leads to more muscles from working out, and muscle is much more dense than fat so you gain weight. Powder creatine was a pain to take, so I take the serum form. You only have to take it on the days you workout, and it has helped me increase the weight on my squats, bench press and arm exercises where I had plateaued. I also have much, much more intense workouts. I like raspberry flavor and really hated grape flavor.

You should also try eating three other meals besides these shakes to add up to 3000-3500 calories per day. And do sit-ups everyday. At least 100 reps a day. All these calories will turn into fat around the stomach unless you build muscle there to burn fat -- a lesson I learned after the first month 15 pounds.

Please let me know if any of my advice helps you guys. Five years of trial and error and I finally found something that works.


Response #24

I, like a lot of people on this panel, was in your shoes at one point. I was 6'0" and 150 lbs. Nothing worked for me. What I hated even more was idiots that could gain weight from eating celery sticks giving me advice. "Dude, you gotta hit the weights hard. That worked for me!" Gee, thanks a lot pal!

First of all, you're making a mistake in trying to shove that many calories down your system. I used to do that too. When you see some guy and he says that he eats 4000 calories a day, what he fails to mention is that that is not how he started out. In other words, don't go from an 1800 calorie to a 4000 calorie diet and expect your system to just except that. Basically, find out what your normal calorie intake is and increase it by about 400 calories a day. We don't know the long term effects of anything, but I can tell you one thing: Creatine Monohydrate ultimately put 40 lbs of muscle on me! Currently, I've lost about 20 of that, but I haven't been working out (working 70 hour weeks makes it hard) and am going to cut back on work to restart shortly.

Secondly, work out absolutely no more than 4 times a week. To tell you the truth, I get my best results from working out 2-3 times a week. When you do workout, it should last no more than 45 minutes. It's not that you've not been working out hard enough, RECOVERY is critical for us hard-gainers. Limit your exercises to squats, flat and incline bench presses, pull-ups, deadlifts, stiff-legged deadlifts, EZ-barbell curls (straight curls are rough on the wrists), dumbbell curls, dumbbell rows, dumbbell pullovers, shrugs, triceps presses. Basically, you want to follow the Mike Mentzer school of working out. He was a former Mr. Universe (about 15 years ago) who created what's known as the "Heavy Duty" school of weightlifting; blast your body and get out of the gym. No three hour work outs. That simply means that you're not working out at full intensity. With this workout routine, you want to continually lift more weight. For example, with bench presses, I usually follow a 6-8-10 regimen. For example, I start off with a weight that I can do 10 reps with struggling. I'll increase the weight by 5 lbs and usually can squeeze out 6 reps. Next week, if I've been following my nutrition correctly, then there's no reason that I should not get 8 reps out of the set. The following week, I want those 10 reps. In that same workout, I'll then increase the weight another 5 lbs and get 6 reps. The cycle continues. You have tons of room to grow, so if the cycle breaks, that means that there's something wrong with your nutrition or sleep. Of course, you're not a machine, so you'll probably reach your first sticking point around the 200 lb area. By then, you're well on your way.

I could go on for days with what I've learned over the many years. The bottom line: 4-6 meals a day (a lot of ham and cheese, tuna with mayonnaise, etc.), creatine (for whatever reason, MuscleTech's Creatine 6000 ES gave me great results while the others gave me NO results, go figure), blast your body 3 or 4 days a week tops, get good sleep and the gains will come. Good luck and may God bless you!


Response #25

There are two types of skinny people:

1. People who don't eat a ton of food and/or don't do much weight training.

2. People who eat massive amounts of food combined with serious weight training.

98% of the responses on this page deal with "skinny type 1".

I was a "skinny type 2". From 15 years old to 30 years old, my weight fluctuated from 135lbs to 160lbs at 6' tall (I am 31 years old now). I could gain about 1lb a week if I ate massive amounts of food and worked out six days a week. On the flip side, I would loose 1lb a day each day I took a break. I would weigh myself prior to going to bed - 155lbs, and weigh myself immediately upon waking up - 145lbs. Typical meals: 12 eggs, 2 1/4lb burgers with 1/2lb sandwich with fries, 2-5 complete meals at a restaurant, 8 pieces of meat at a barbecue along with all the fixins, etc.

I did not have the time or money to eat and workout all day everyday, so my weight would settle around 145lbs. If I ate a ton of pasta/bread, my weight would DROP to 135lbs.

I just weighed myself - 178lbs - a record for me! I gained over 30lbs in less than 1 year (the first 20lbs appeared almost overnight). I have cut back on my eating and haven't worked out for 5 years. Now that I can gain weight, I plan to start weight lifting and get up to 200lbs.

How did I do it?

1. Eliminated all grains including corn.

2. Went to a holistic doctor who found and cleared some energy blockages.

I would guess that 30% of people have some type of energy blockages; 20% being overweight and 10% being underweight. The rest of people can follow the "normal" advice of the professionals/magazines/etc.


Response #26

I have been skinny my whole life. In high school, I shot up past everyone in height, as they shot up past me in bench press. When I graduated high school, I was 6'2" and weighed 150lbs. I couldn't lift a thing. In college, after a 30-week ab program, I dropped down to 133lbs. Yeah, I may have had a nice 6-pack, but what is a 6-pack when they are the biggest muscles on your body?

So I began to lift regularly and all-out pigging out. I supplemented with Creatine only. In 2 months, I only gained only 5 lbs. Then I ordered the fat-free Gainers Fuel 2500. I began to take it, in addition to my high-calorie diet. I started to gain weight, but it went straight to my stomach. Goodbye to my 6-pack. So then I started eating healthier, high-protein foods 3 times a day and taking only 2 servings of the mass fuel, one of them before bed. I also started taking Cell-Tech Creatine, Hot Stuff, and Z-Mass PM. In 3 months, I have gained 22 lbs. of muscle. May I note that this wasn't fat, IT WAS MUSCLE!!! I am still at only 160 lbs., but I am well on my way to getting bigger.

Foods that have helped me in this process were: donuts, chips and salsa, hot buffalo wings (my favorite), double cheese burgers from Wendy's, tuna fish, greasy fries, hot fudge sundaes, etc. I am working out 4-5 days a week doing heavy weight/low reps, and doing no cardiovascular workout whatsoever. I never thought that I could gain weight, and I have. At one time I thought there was no hope.



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