Sport So I need to gain weight

[Terminal Happiness]

Hi there, allow me to summarize how I got here

Last summer I weighed 180 pounds (mostly fat) and was 5'10-5'11. I couldn't exercise much before because I had heart arrhythmia and any kind of cardio would kick my heart into some crazy overdrive. But I've been getting better and started to run last summer.

In the spring though things because different, a friend of mine recommended I join my school's dragonboat team, and at this point I started REALLY exercising and working out. I went to all the practices (3 times a week), and pushed myself like mad.
Now even though I'm in relatively good shape now, I've actually become too skinny. I'm not starving myself, I'm still eating until I'm full, though my diet has decreased slightly. The thing is in the 2-3 months I was in dragonboat I went from being 175-180 to 150 (I'm now 6 feet). I really need to gain weight here (even my face has become too skinny).

Now I'm doing P90X, but need to gain weight in order to help build muscle and restore some mass to my face. Any suggestions?

 

[Terminal Happiness]

Hi there, allow me to summarize how I got here

Last summer I weighed 180 pounds (mostly fat) and was 5'10-5'11. I couldn't exercise much before because I had heart arrhythmia and any kind of cardio would kick my heart into some crazy overdrive. But I've been getting better and started to run last summer.

In the spring though things because different, a friend of mine recommended I join my school's dragonboat team, and at this point I started REALLY exercising and working out. I went to all the practices (3 times a week), and pushed myself like mad.
Now even though I'm in relatively good shape now, I've actually become too skinny. I'm not starving myself, I'm still eating until I'm full, though my diet has decreased slightly. The thing is in the 2-3 months I was in dragonboat I went from being 175-180 to 150 (I'm now 6 feet). I really need to gain weight here (even my face has become too skinny).

Now I'm doing P90X, but need to gain weight in order to help build muscle and restore some mass to my face. Any suggestions?

Just to add to this BTW, I'm 18 years old with a body fat percentage of 14-15%

 

[darren187]

From what you say my guess is that you tipped the balance from holding fat to losing fat and lean mass, and you have become efficient at burning calories!

You do need to eat MORE calories at this point to maintain/increase your lean mass percentage. With an increase of lean mass you will also need to to continue to eat well, and you'll find find that, slowly, you will tighten up (lose any stubborn fat you've been holding on to).

How may calories you need exactly will require some initial work on your behalf, and then (if you want to bulk up without gaining mostly fat) you'll need to stick to a good macronutrient breakdown and count calories for at least 4-12 weeks!

A good macronutrient breakdown of building lean mass is around 40-55% carbs / 25-40% protein / 20-30% fats. So for example you could do 45/35/20 carbs/protein/fats and then stick to a certain amount of calories to bulk up on. If you know roughly how many calories you are eating daily at the moment then add at least 250 per day to start and keep weight records (and body fat percent if possible), if you weigh in daily for the first few weeks and keep records you'll see trends quicker than if you weight in once a week (why wait seven days to see if what you are doing is working?). Once you know your calorie increase is working you will be in control of your weight!