Calories!

Sonoran · March 10, 2009, 12:59:47 AM

I'm starting to count calories because I am trying to gain weight. I'm 5'11" and about 145 pounds (if my jeans are wet).

I have done research about how many calories I am supposed to consume in a day to maintain my body weight, and how many I am supposed to consume to gain weight.

I never realized that I really do not eat enough!

For me to break even, given I am excersizing about 30-40 minutes per day, is about 2900. And If I want to gain weight I need to eat about 3300.

This is a list of things that I would eat in a given day, if I can. It's a lot of food for me. The main reason I'm posting this thread is I would like advice on good, healthy weight gain foods.
Here is what I figure I should eat in a given day.

Daily Calorie Count
1 cup oats (dry): 311
1 cup 2% milk: 121
2 tbsp brown sugar: 80 (I put this on my oatmeal...it might be about one, but I'm rounding up)
1 apple: 81
1 banana: 105
6 oz Orange Juice: 80
1 cup flour: 480
1 egg: 75
1 ounce almonds (23 nuts): 161
1 cup dry rice (brown): 684
1/2 chicken breast: 142
1/2 cup refried beans: 121
1 potato baked with skin (7 ounce): 220

TOTAL: 2661 Target: 3,200

I make a loaf of bread that is 4.5 cups flour, and I can eat about half which will put me at my target. Are there any nutritionists here? Am I looking at this the wrong way, because this seems like way to much food for me. Or have my eating habits been bad, and that's why this list seems big to me?

MountainDon · March 10, 2009, 01:12:32 AM

I'm not a nutritionist. But who says you don't weigh enough?

You're young, I believe. Correct me if I am wrong. To me it doesn't seem like you are much underweight, if at all. It will creep up on you at some point, MTL. Some people are just skinnier than others. Some people can eat like a horse, or so the saying goes, and not gain weight. Others look at a chocolate bar and gain a pound just for looking, or so it seems. I would rather be on the low end of the weight range than on the high end. Everything has to work harder when you weigh more.

The only time it may be to a persons advantage to be heavier is in a time of famine. I believe that some peoples (races) have it in their genes, that in times of plenty they put on weight so that in times of famine they live off their excess weight and slowly slim down. That may allow them to better survive than skinny white men.

I could be wrong on all that, but it might deserve some thought.

March 10, 2009, 07:31:51 AM

Sonoran, I'm not a nutritionist, but I would be adding some more protein early in the day... have a poached egg or two with breakfast or something!

Terry · March 10, 2009, 07:37:27 AM

I don't see any vegetables in your food list. As long as you're eating a balanced diet which includes all of your food groups then you should be fine.

diyfrank · March 10, 2009, 07:41:54 AM

I don't know your age or sex so I put you down as 30 year old male. Ideal weight is 155 with a range of 136-179 so your slightly under but not a heath issue

Check your weight here
http://www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm

March 10, 2009, 12:25:47 PM

I am shooting for about 155-160. The reason that I am trying to gain weight is because of a profession I plan on entering.

You are right, Terry, I did overlook vegetables. I will add some with dinner to be balanced.

Jens · March 10, 2009, 12:41:48 PM

What, you trying to be a middleweight boxer? Model? Flight attendant? What profession requires you to weigh a certain amount, and are you sure you want it as a profession if it does require it? Veggies and eggs, definitely good. Make sure you complete the protein in the beans by eating it with a grain, that's what makes a burrito almost the perfect food.

But given that list I must say, it sure doesn't seem like much to me, but I probably end up eating less actually, never have really thought about it. The late night cereal binges don't hurt the caloric intake for me though. Not that marshmallow mateys are healthy...

Sumo wrestlers eat a large meal, then take a nap. sleeping right after a meal is a sure fire way to keep the food stored, unfortunately it generally converts to fat, and the good cholesterol doesn't get moved, and becomes bad cholesterol. That might be a good DVD series, "see what happens, when good cholesterol goes bad".

Homegrown Tomatoes · March 10, 2009, 12:47:17 PM

Sonoran, I don't have a clue how you would ever feel full on a diet like that. Refried beans are the only veggie really, and a cup of rice is a LOT of starch. My husband is Korean and grew up eating steamed rice three meals a day. When we first met, he might have been 125 lbs. soaking wet. Then I started cooking for him and he started showing up at our house three meals a day to get fed (you should never feed strays or they'll stick around.) Well, in the year or so that we were friends before I went to teach in Korea, DH ate with me and my roommate all the time and gained nearly 50 lbs. Now, part of it was that he would get the cappucinos from QuickTrip when he was going to be up working on his thesis late at night, and part of it was that he was afraid of offending me if he didn't clear the table of every morsel of food (his best friend told him that Americans would be horribly offended if he didn't eat everything on the table), but I think that the main reason he finally gained was that he was finally eating enough protein for a man as active as he is (he was an avid soccer player, and we played racketball and hoops all the time, too.) When he finally laid off the Coke and the cappucinos from the convenience store, his weight moderated down to about what he should weigh and it has stayed the same since then. On weekd ays, he usually eats oatmeal for breakfast, and washes it down with a big glass of milk. However, for lunch, he usually has leftovers from the night before, so it is usually something like pot roast with potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions, and some other veggie, and a cup of hot tea. Supper is usually grilled meat or fish, salad, two or three other veggies, and sometimes cornbread or some other bread. If he is hungry when he walks in the door from work and I don't have dinner on the table yet, he'll grab a piece of fruit while he waits. Sometimes, he snacks on beef jerky or nuts. Eating like that has helped him gain/maintain weight.

Jens · March 10, 2009, 04:46:18 PM

I thought your husband might be Korean. My wife and I were talking it over when we looked at your family photos. One of my best friends is Korean. Says I'm the only white friend he had that would eat at his house. Not much of a fan of kim chee, but Duk Man Doo Gook, for how horrible it sounds, is awesome. Same with bibimbab. Sorry for the hijack Sonoran.

March 10, 2009, 05:38:53 PM

I don't know why I am afraid to say what the profession is. I feel that there is a negative public opinion towards it, but I have started the application process to become a California highway patrol.

I know that weight isn't as important as "smarts," he he, but I do feel that it is important.

I genenerally do not eat a lot so it is hard for me. Here is an example: I eat the cup of oatmeal in the morning. I cannot eat it all at once. I have to eat 3/4, take a shower, and then finish the oatmeal and drink my milk.

I haven't started this diet yet. We are in survival mode because my wife lost her job...in December. We've been living off of savings for the past 3 months.

I was trying to figure out what I needed to eat to reach my calorie goal so i went online and found calorie charts. I hunted for things that were high in calories and put them together on this list. I was going for things that were calorie "dense" because I am a light eater.

diyfrank · March 10, 2009, 08:16:16 PM

I hope it works out for you. I have 2 son, both wanting to go into law enforcement. The oldest graduates from college this month.

MountainDon · March 10, 2009, 08:25:52 PM

Sonoran, there's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to be in law enforcement; nor anything wrong with wanting to serve in the FBI, army, navy, air force, marines, coast guard, border patrol, and so on. I hope it works out for you.

Jens · March 10, 2009, 08:53:36 PM

Nothing at all wrong with it, and being from CA, it'll be nice to hear of there being 3 cool CHIPS officers, I've only met 2 so far

Redoverfarm · March 10, 2009, 09:59:41 PM

Sonoran

I sent you a PM.

March 10, 2009, 11:05:46 PM

Well Jens, I hope to be the third. Hopefully I can make it through the App process. It is supposed to be difficult.

I feel confident about most parts of the process. I am concerned about the driving tests and combat(at least until I put on some weight).

And by the way, I said I have just started the App process...I sent in the initial application about one and a half weeks ago. I am waiting for the next step, I believe it is a background check. And then I have to go through a series of tests. They say the process takes about 6-12 months depending on if you pass tests on your first attempt.

tanya · March 12, 2009, 12:38:32 AM

Eat the same things you are eating now with the added vegies and some more protein AND ICE CREAM, MAC and CHEESE and slim fast shakes, but don't skip meals!!! and use whole milk. This always works.

Jens · March 12, 2009, 09:02:31 AM

I'm not so sure that "slim" fast is a good thing for gaining weight

How about just ice cream, whole milk, an egg, and chocolate syrup?

BTW, I am told that your body can only absorb calcium if it has animal fat at the same time. Pretty interesting if true. That would mean that calcium from OJ, and nonfat milk doesn't get used.

tanya · March 12, 2009, 05:49:02 PM

I know lots of vegans who don't eat any animal products and the are healthy and alive so I suspect they are getting calcium from somewhere. Slim fast is a meal replacement diet drink, high calorie but not to bad if you ONLY drink the slim fast with non fat milk, BUT if you eat meals and use whole milk and drink the slim fast you will gain weight very fast. Plus it has a bunch of nutrients added as well. I've used this menu with underweight kids for years it never fails. Eat/drink as much as you want but beware you will GAIN weight a lot of weight.

Sonoran · March 12, 2009, 08:12:04 PM

Quote from: tanya on March 12, 2009, 05:49:02 PM
I know lots of vegans who don't eat any animal products and the are healthy and alive so I suspect they are getting calcium from somewhere. Slim fast is a meal replacement diet drink, high calorie but not to bad if you ONLY drink the slim fast with non fat milk, BUT if you eat meals and use whole milk and drink the slim fast you will gain weight very fast. Plus it has a bunch of nutrients added as well. I've used this menu with underweight kids for years it never fails. Eat/drink as much as you want but beware you will GAIN weight a lot of weight.

This sounds like a good idea. I think I'll have a slim fast every once in a while.