Gaining weight too fast?

[Freegman]

Hi, I'm new here. I'm not a bodybuilder by any means but I have been trying to gain muscle + weight so I figure this is a good place to get some answers.

I'm 23, 6'0, and as of last week weighed 120 pounds. No, I'm not anorexic, it's just genetics plus a very poor diet. I've always been "underweight" my entire life. But recently I decided to try and do something about that since I'm sick of looking like a malnourished 17 year old. Long story short, I gained 10 pounds in one week by eating a ton more and doing a pretty moderate workout routine (which is more than I used to do, ie. nothing). My diet has been pretty healthy, I've basically been eating more of everything, especially dairy, and I eat very little junk, only for dessert usually.

So my question is, is this rate of weight gain unhealthy? Aside from looking physically healthier and meatier, I've noticed one negative change, which is my last few bowel movements have been loose, floaty and smelled like hell. I've read all kinds of explanations for this, one being that it could be a sign of malabsorption. Obviously I don't think I have any sort of bowel disease, but could it just be too much all at once for my body to handle?

[natenator]

Yes there is a ratio where it becomes unhealthy. You need a solid plan of attack. Gaining 10lbs in a week isn't a good idea and will do more damage than good as the weight you will gain over that time is not good weight.

One thing is for sure that at 6' and 130lbs you need to get bigger. It's going to be a long road but with consistency you can do it.

You need to focus on the basics in the gym. Hard hard (not moderate) but smart and with good form.

Diet wise (assuming training is in order and hard) you should start with 2000 calories/day aiming for 40% protein, 40% carbs and 20% from healthy fats. Do that for a couple weeks to assess how your body is responding then if doing well and not putting on much fat but weight is increasing, up calories by 500/day in the same macro ratios.

Protein sources:
lean beef
chicken
eggs
fish
cottage cheese

Carb sources:
brown/white rice
oatmeal
yams
lentils
beans
cream of wheat
whole grain cereals
whole grain bread
pasta

Health fats:
olive oil
natural peanut butter
almond oil
almond butter
cashew butter
cashews

[Adonis13]

listen to what nate is saying bro, its valuable info. also look at what you daily and weekly activities are. are you active in sports or cardio? if so maybe look at slowing down the cardio a bit and focusing on the "hard, hard" lifting at the gym. good luck!

[Freegman]

Hi, thanks for the reply. I'm curious what you mean by not good weight? Surely at 120 even if it were 100% fat gains it would still be good weight for me? Or is it actually dangerous to gain so fast regardless of my starting point?

Though I'm sure a lot of it has been muscle gains, I've noticed my arms, chest and legs are looking a great deal bigger when I flex, and I still have a hard time finding fat anywhere on my body (I'm still below my minimum recommended BMI). I'm just a little freaked out because I've never been able to gain weight or muscle, but I'm now realizing it's simply been a matter of insufficient food intake. After I gained my first 3-4 pounds I got a little carried away I guess.

Thanks for the food tips. Looks very helpful, I'm definitely going to need to make a shopping list.

[declan]

You don't want to gain 100% fat just because you wanted to put on weight, that is defeating the purpose ;) Try to gain muscle with minimal addition to bf, this will make leaning out way easier when you reach your desired target weight.

I don't know if you are an ecto, but by your post you might be one. So, you might get away with eating more. Just follow Nate's advice and be consistent, in a year or 2 you will pack on keepable gains.

[LondonMuscle]

imo its not the rate of weight gain or weight loss that is unhealthy, its how either of those is accomplished that really matters

so if you put on 10 pounds in one week by hitting the gym a bit, eating more steak, eggs, nuts, potatoes, oats and veggies then id consider that a healthy means in which to gain weight... if u gained 10 pounds by drinking 7 days a week and eating pizza then of course ur doing urself some damage

same goes for weightloss... if u did 45 mins of cardio per day, doubled ur protein intake and tripled ur veggie intake and lost 10 pounds id say good job, keep it up!

that being said, u still do need a longer term plan... nate laid out some great food choices for you, so thats a good starting point... if u stick with those, keep hitting the gym and continue to gain weight its pretty safe to assume that ur weight gain is mostly good weight and in that case i really wouldnt worry about the pure number of pounds you are putting on, only the method you are using to put those pounds on

[dku]

I wouldn't worry about gaining too fast because your gains will likely slow down pretty fast. It's not that unusual to put on weight fast at the beginning, especially when you start off uber skinny.

[Freegman]

I don't know if you are an ecto, but by your post you might be one. So, you might get away with eating more. Just follow Nate's advice and be consistent, in a year or 2 you will pack on keepable gains.
I am an ecto to the extreme. Like I said, I've been "underweight" my whole life despite being into sports all during childhood. I was always the skinniest guy on the team. But three medium meals a day doesn't cut it even when I sit around doing nothing all day. Keepable gains sounds almost too good to be true. :D


so if you put on 10 pounds in one week by hitting the gym a bit, eating more steak, eggs, nuts, potatoes, oats and veggies then id consider that a healthy means in which to gain weight... if u gained 10 pounds by drinking 7 days a week and eating pizza then of course ur doing urself some damage
Absolutely. My goal is not to get fat, it's to gain weight via muscle building so I can actually look healthy. And that said, even though I'm only a week in, I can already see good results. But you're right, I do need a long term plan. Like dku said, I can't expect to keep gaining this fast for very long.

Thanks again for the replies and tips guys.

[tiramisu]

At 120, 6" you actually CAN expect to put on serious gains depressingly fast in the first 18 months or so. IF you lift big compound movements heavy and eat like you mean it.

As always I would point you to Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength program and site/wiki. He specializes in underweight novices and the results are generally pretty unbelievable to us old fat guys. 10 pounds a week is a bit obscene but I wouldn't be terribly shocked if you managed to put on 30 or 40 pounds of muscle in the next 18 months (this is utterly impossible for normal folk even with the aid of steroids but you are one seriously underweight 6 footer at just the right age to grow.)

[Ritch]

I wouldn't worry about gaining too fast because your gains will likely slow down pretty fast. It's not that unusual to put on weight fast at the beginning, especially when you start off uber skinny.

True, so enjoy the ride!