Age and Weight Gain

If you are 18 or so, you may have trouble gaining weight because you are still growing. This is especially true of men. If you think you are already eating all you can, or should, concentrate on a good weight training program, and be patient.

Weight Gain Drugs

There is really no drug or hormone for general weight gain. Growth hormone is very expensive and has lots of side effects, so should be reserved for medical needs. The growth hormone you see advertised on the Internet is not real GH. If it was it would be illegal to sell, as it must be prescribed by a doctor, probably a specialist. If you are not having results gaining through eating more and exercising, check with a registered dietician who can see how many calories you're really taking in. Just eating until you're stuffed may not be eating the right things.

Eating Doesn't Yield Weight Gain

If you can't gain by eating, look very carefully at what and when you eat. You may need to eat more or less frequently, or choose foods that are calorie dense. Liquids don't fill you up as much as solid foods, so juices and smoothies may help. A registered dietician can help you plan a weight gain diet. For exercise, you should be doing only muscle building weight training. Try working your whole body two or three days a week. Concentrate on big muscle exercises and sets of eight to twelve reps. Lastly, ask your doctor to check your thyroid. Thyroid problems are not common with young men, but it's worth checking out.

Work Eating around Your Schedule

To gain weight, you have to eat more. This can be done with extra portions and calorie dense foods. Most people do best with three meals and at least two snacks. Don't go more than four hours without eating during the day. If you are working, this may be difficult, but you can plan ahead and bring your snacks with you. This is a good time to have meal replacement drinks or bars that don't require much preparation. You also have to do weight training. You can start by working out three days a week on alternate days, then go to a split routine, where you work each muscle group twice a week. Make sure you emphasize big muscle group exercises like squats or leg presses, bench presses, and pulldowns or rows. Supplements aren't really necessary, except for a multi-vitamin/mineral and the meal replacements, or protein supplements if you don't eat much meat.

Gaining Weight without Muscle

If you gain weight, it's going to be either muscle or fat. There will really be some of each, but you want it to be mostly muscle. This doesn't mean you will have bulging muscles. A moderate weight training program will firm and tone, without giving you a lot of size. It takes a lot of work to get big muscles, and isn't really possible for most women and some men.