Need to Increase Weight and Height

[IWAH]

Hi everyone.
Glad to have joined the forums. This is my first post on this forum. I hope I am posting it in the right section.

I am going to post as much Information as I can so you guys can help me and give suggestions. Please take some time to read all. Thanks

Aim:
In short, I need to increase my weight, Increase height and improve my physical form and general health. And I have realized that If I don't act now, I will repent for the rest of my life, so please bear me.

I basically need any tips, suggestions and guidance on Diet, daily routine, exercises etc. (Excluding "Consult a Physician" :wink: )
General Info
I am the only son of my Mother, my Father passed away when I was 2. I am 20 year old male, 5.4" tall, I weigh 40Kg. I have really thin waist for my age (28-29" max), and my bones are small too for a 20 year old male (for example, my wrist is 4.5-5.5" in circumference), but all of my male family members (from my mother's side) have relatively smaller bone size.

I think skinny might be the "almost" right word for me. I have no excess fat/meat on my body. I can feel just my bones around and on my shoulders wrist, arms etc).

Previous Diet
I nowadays eat two times a day as I am living in a hostel and I have to get food from restaurants. I have NEVER ever had egg in my life (Psychological problem ops: ), and I started drinking milk a year ago (Two mugs daily average), but before a year ago, I didn't used to drink milk, cheese, egg and beef (Though I eat white meat), and of course my overall diet intake was comparatively low too.

Possible future diet
I am writing this because I belong to South Asia, and usual meals here are different than the rest of the world.

Sof the food item I can eat and have access to : Milk, Yogurt, Pizza, White meat (Chicken and fish), Beef (Cow, buffalo and goat), Wheat (present in daily meal), Rice(present in almost daily meal), almost all vegetables, almost all fruits, Pulses (Chickpea, green soy, Lentil), Nuts (Walnuts, Almond, peanut, cashew nuts), Milk shakes, Juices, cereals, breads etc and Food supplements etc.
Normal routine and health details
I usually and most of the time keep lying on bed (partial or full), and some of the time sit on my bed while my legs are crossed when using my pc. The whole walking and going out of my room part of routine constitutes of when I go to my college or to get food. I have started exercise (Weight training with dumbells, push ups etc) from today.

I have short-sightedness which started from -0.25 (a year and half ago) to -2.75 (now). I at least two times a week suffer from Heartburn (because of the lying down problem?). I don't remember my accurate B.P, but it is something like 45-50/105-115. I usually have two or three acne on my face (oily face skin) and have a few on my back.

I have yet to confirm, but a relative of mine said that my height increased a bit in last 3 months or so. So I am guessing I have the a few more months for height increase. I would like to add that my uncle (Mother's brother) had continued growth till the age of 22.

One more thing I would like to add: I have more than usual mental activities. I am all the time thinking about stuff, reading articles about everything I can, and I keep Imagining stuff (mostly "out of the box" type). (I am not sure if this was relevent or not, so I apologize if it was not)

I guess thats all. I am pretty sure I missed something else that might be necessary, so I'll add that when some member/user will remind.

I want to thank in advance to users who will take some time and guide me. I really need your help.

Have a nice day!.

[Ian Kay]

Welcome to JP's!

I'll tell you right now that there aren't any "secrets" to getting taller. Perhaps if you have the potential to get taller, eating healthy would allow for it... but really there's nothing you can do to force it.

To get heavier (more muscle), you can eat more. I don't know what you're financial restrictions may be, but these foods that you listed:

Milk, Yogurt, White meat (Chicken and fish), Beef (Cow, buffalo and goat), Wheat (present in daily meal), Rice(present in almost daily meal), almost all vegetables, almost all fruits, Pulses (Chickpea, green soy, Lentil), Nuts (Walnuts, Almond, peanut, cashew nuts), Juices, cereals, breads

... are all great options. If you can eat more meat, vegetables, fruits and nuts every day, you will be on the road to being bigger and healthier. Lifting weights will of course help too!

[IWAH]

Thank you for your response Ian Kay.

I'll definitely try to eat as much as I can. But I was hoping that you (or some other member) will give me tips or tell of some food etc that will help to increase my hunger/apetite in the first place (apart from the physical exercises). And any other guidance about eat something specific before going to bed, or in breakfast, eating something before and after exercise etc?

[riverbender]

Hi Iwah,

I don't know of any specific food that would increase appetite - aside from maybe sugar which works too well for me, though I wouldn't recommend it!

I have found that eating smaller meals every 2-4 hours has been helpful in terms of getting in extra calories - which you will need in order to build muscle. Even if you can't manage such frequent meals, I would definitely suggest eating more than 2x a day. 3x bare minimum! And, always eat breakfast certainly!! The larger the breakfast the better! Also be sure to eat 1-2 hours before, and ideally within one hour after your workouts. Your after workout meal should consist of protein and carbohydrates. It doesn't have to be a large meal, but it is important to refuel your body during this time.

Ideally, every meal should consist of protein (beef, white meat, fish, beans/legumes/or what you've called pulses), whole grains (things like wheat, oatmeal, not sure if the rice you eat qualifies as a whole grain) and fat/oil (nuts, olive oil, etc), and vegetables.

I don't know if it is available in your area but protein powder is a staple for many of us. You can mix it with water, milk, or juice. It's an easy way to get in extra calories and protein for muscle building. Not every meal needs to be cooked, so try to find things that you can keep in your room - things like crackers, maybe some fruit, nuts, cereal, peanut butter etc.

Here is a sample diet for weight gain for an American your age and approximate weight who exercises 30-60 minutes a day. There may be slightly different dietary guidelines for South East Asians. If there are, I couldn't find them. Then again, we are all made up of the same stuff so I'm sure recommendations wouldn't differ too much.

Try to choose healthy, high calorie foods whenever you can. Beans, chickpeas, lentils are good choices. This will help you keep calorie levels up without having to eat as much food. Eating more, more often, takes getting used to, so don't expect to be able to make changes over night. Your body will need time to adjust.

[AndreaG]

Try eating fresh fruits everyday, if they are not available then buy fruit juices. Also add some meal replacement powder to your diet since 2 meals a day is WAY too less if you want to gain weight. Fish is also good, protein drinks, cheese, nuts especially almonds and walnuts will do the trick. Also drink lots of water.

[IWAH]

Thank you very much riverbender and AndreaG for your suggestions and tips.

The link you provided (riverbender) is very useful, thanks again.

I've made this rough draft of my future daily routine:

~5:30Am: Breakfast: 500ml Milk (with around 1.5 tablespoon of coffee) + 30g Peanuts OR Almonds + ~6 bananas OR 1 Apple + 1 cupcake (35g)

~6:30Am: 20-30 Minutes Exercise.

~ 11:00Am (Monday - Friday) 250ml packet fruit juice + (not regularly)2 pieces of fried snack "Potato stuffed Samosa"

~2:00Pm: Lunch 1: Rice cooked with Chicken, with yogurt

~4:00Pm: 20-30 Minutes exercise

~5:00Pm: Lunch 2: Rice cooked with Chicken, with yogurt + 250ml/500ml Milk (with 1.5tablespoon coffe or sweet colored syrup) OR 250ml/500ml Banana and Dates Milk shake.

~7:30Pm : Dinner 1 : Cooked Vegetables/Lentils/Pulses/Meat/ Chicken/Fish with flat bread (Made from wheat/white wheat) OR Boiled rice.

~9:00Pm: Dinner 2: Cooked Vegetables/Lentils/Pulses/Meat/ Chicken/Fish with flat bread (Made from wheat/white wheat) OR Boiled rice with yogurt

~10:30Pm : 250ml/500ml Milk (with 1.5tablespoon coffe or sweet colored syrup) OR 250ml/500ml Banana and Dates Milk shake.

I would be getting a supplement or protein drink most probably, so If someone could please name a few reputed brands and cautions/tips on how/when to drink it. I used to drink Ensure by Abbott two years ago, as it is easily available. I would be cautious when getting an off-the-shelf Protein shake or powder, as there are some available from unknown fraud companies, thats why I require a brand name.

About exercise, I would be doing simple push-ups for a week, then General exercises with dumbells (3-4kg for now), and then after a week, specific muscle exercises (most probably just upper body).

Please comment and suggest as you think will be best for me.

Thanks you