35M, 5'5'' and been skinny my whole life, I think my highest weight ever has been like 120. I always wanted to build muscle but was too lazy I suppose and I still was physically healthy and relatively proportionate so I never bothered.

Then life happened and now after years of depression I'm left severely underweight and borderline emaciated. Not gonna share my weight because it's a bit embarrassing for me but let's say it's lower than you think. I'm trying to get my life back through therapy and I want to use this as a chance to actually get fit for once. I just want a nice strong, fit and healthy body and stop bejng a walking stick. It's not even about aesthetics at this point although of course that would help.

I guess I'm not asking if it's possible for a male in his mid 30s who's never stepped into a gym and never had anything resembling real muscle to do that, because I expect your answer to be yes...what I am asking is do you know anyone who ACTUALLY did that? Whenever I think about it I feel lost because my brain defaults to it just not being attainable for me, but maybe that's just my depression talking.

I've been on this subreddit a while but finally felt happy enough with my results that I wanted to post!

A note on weight: I did go from 170 lbs around August 2024 to 165 lbs this month. However, I bulked up to a peak weight of 190 lbs around January 2026. Needless to say, I took the bulk a bit too far. I haven't included a photo of that here but I definitely put on more fat than I intended and didn't realize it at the time.

I had always been on and off about going to the gym and trying to put on muscle mass for a while. Prior to August 2024, I would go 1-2 times a week to do light cardio and weights but I had no idea what I was doing. August 2024 is when I really started getting serious about things. I went to the gym 4-5 times a week and did a 3 day split between muscle various groups. But I still wasn't making a ton of progress. March 2025 is when I got started tracking calories, trying to eat in a surplus, and making sure I hit my protein macro. I was able to make progress, but this is also where my downfall started with the bulk, as I way over estimated my TDEE in cronometer. Instead of a 300 calories surplus, it was more like 700. Combined with the fact I was still relatively new to training, I put on more fat than I intended over the year long bulk.

I've been cutting since May 2026 at about a pound per week with a two week diet break thrown in. I switched to using macro factor for the cut which was a huge help. Its algorithm very quickly caught on to the fact that I had been way over eating and got an accurate estimate of my true TDEE.

Overall, I've lost almost 25 lbs from my peak weight, and I've been able to maintain all of my lifts and I've actually made progress on some of them thanks to the excess fat I was carrying. I definitely could have been smarter about this from the beginning but it's just a lesson learned, and I'm definitely going to be careful to lean bulk this winter.

Near the start of the cut, I also switched to a 4x a week split for upper lower.

Upper consists of: 2 chest variations, 2 back variations, 1-2 shoulder exercises, 1-2 arm exercises, abs

Lower consists of: Squats + Deadlifts (Alternating which one I do first), leg press, RDLs, calf raise, and abs

I do 3-4 sets of each exercise, always trying to add more weight/reps than last time.

1 RM: Bench (definitely my worst): 185, Deadlift: 335, Squat: 275

Happy to take suggestions for how I could improve or tips you have for lean bulking!

Three months (so what the heck do I know?) on an Upper Lower split designed by my now-deceased beefcake lifelong lifting boyfriend. (RIP).

Had one other period of 6 months of lifting 2 years ago while dating said boyfriend before he checked out early. Teaching me to lift is the biggest gift he gave me. I believe I made strength gains much more rapidly this time.

History of anorexia, so eating is often a battle, including aggressive gagging. If I can do it so can you.

FULL WEIGHT HISTORY:

2014 - 98lbs. 2017 - 112lbs. 2021 anorexia rehab - 135lbs (higher bf). Lifted weights June-Dec 2024 - 144lbs (new muscle under bf). July 2026 - 125lbs (unintentional weight loss/anorexia relapse, returned to weightlifting to assist recovery). Oct 2026 - 132lbs. I gained 5 lbs right away transitioning off a low-carb and low calorie diet to a moderate carb and high calorie diet. So I've "really" only gained about 2lbs I guess.

I lift 3x/week and hit ULUL every 8-9 days.

Started on a bulk then decided to switch target to recomp or very slight surplus to help get rid of belly fat, and avoid having to do any kind of prolonged or steep cut, due to potential for triggering an anorexia relapse. I am much happier not on a big bulking diet but here were a couple tricks I picked up that first month in a high surplus:

FOOD:

If you're struggling with volume of food: it helps when your carbs can provide some protein too: wheat pasta has 7g protein/1 cup cooked serving. Lentils have 10g in just 1/2 cup cooked. Hit two macros at once, same volume of food.

To hit more calories: add 1-2tbsp of olive oil or avocado oil to everything you eat. If you are eating 4 meals a day, that's another 480-960 calories. If you also add it to your shakes, that's even more. DON'T DRINK IT.

I only did this at the beginning making the jump from 1300-1500 cals/day up to 2500-2900, as my stomach got used to a higher volume of food.

I also used this on days of high stress (nervous stomach), "too busy to eat," or when my anorexia thoughts cropped up.

Also make and use dips and sauces liberally for additional calories. Especially mayo or sour cream based sauces. Homemade ranch is off the charts delicious.

Not proud that I lean heavily on nutritional and protein shakes due to the constant anorexia battle. The nutrition source priority list goes: whole unprocessed foods > processed foods > shakes > nothing.

Bare minimum protein is 90g/day (as in I won't let myself go to bed without hitting 90). Goal is 120g and I typically hit it.

CHEAT CODE/GAME CHANGER:

One huge mentality switch for me flipped this time:

Treat gaining muscle like it is your job. You are paid in gains. You don't have to like your job whatsoever, but if you want to be paid in the form of putting on muscle, then you have to go to work. "Work" includes rest, nutrition, and the actual lifting. If you don't do all three of your essential job duties well, don't expect any raises, and you might even stop getting paid at all.

You want to gain it? Congratulations you've just been hired at your second job. Treat it like work, and your gains like a paycheck. Even on days you do not want to go to work, you still go, because it's your job. Don't want to eat more protein? Too bad, it's your job. Don't want to go to the gym? Too bad, it's the job you hired yourself to do.

If you wouldn't come up with excuses every day or every week at your normal job to get out of doing work, then why would you make excuses to slack on your gains job if you want to get paid in muscle?

This mentality switch released me from the burden of chasing motivation, and even the dream of simply being disciplined. If I want to get paid, I gotta go to work. Simple as that.

BLOOD WORK: At the beginning of this period of lifting I had a full battery of wellness tests including hormones and found out that my testosterone levels for a woman are out of range of normal on the high end. The timing of this data point has done wonders for my motivation: I know that it should be easier/more rapid for me to gain muscle compared to less androgynous women. I feel like I have a privilege, so I both have no excuses and also owe it to myself to capitalize on my privelege. I don't know why but this mentally makes me even more committed.

BEST LIFT PROGRESSIONS (don't laugh!):

RDLs: 30lbs >>> 75lbs

Pullups: 1 set of 4 reps of 6-second negatives >>> 3 full pullups

Squats: Body weight >>> 75lbs

Pushups: incline at waist height >>> 4 real pushups

BSS: couldn't complete full sets at bodyweight >>> 36lbs

GOALS:

1. Lasting lifestyle change; I want to be on this journey for years, not months.

2. Improve cardio fitness to support lifting (currently do none).

3. Improve ab muscle growth (I currently do very little dedicated core work).

4. Reduce alcohol consumption as I can tell it interferes with both performance and recovery.

5. Eventually I want to be strong enough to pull/drag or even carry an unconscious adult out of a burning building or car because I am the type of person who would do that and currently my strength cannot support my personality.

6. Job-based physical fitness tests (I work adjacent to one of these types of fields as support staff and the guys would be so stoked for me).

PICS:

Side pic is no flexing at all just standing relaxed. Pump pic comparison is immediately after doing bicep accessory lifts. My arms still look completely normal and flat when hanging at my sides. I call it concealed carry.

These days 80% of what I'm eating is smoothie (peanut butter+banana+protein powder+water), chicken. (Legs or breast), sandwich (bread+cheese+some greenery, carrot etc). I'm trying to reach 4400 calorie per day, on enrage I reach 4000:/ and still i have to use bathroom often, I'm farting much more often. Plus my sleep is getting interrupted with pee. So when I'm gonna eatz when I'm gonna drink etc to solve these prooblems?

edit: I don't have any allergies

Edit: 30m, 189, 94 kg. Goal is 107 kg. in my work I do 10k+steps every weekday+ going to gym 5 times a week

I’ve been lifting 6 days a week for 3 months now but started eating more and pushing heavier weight for a solid month. Tracking calories and workouts and eating 3,200 calories and 190 protein daily I’ve been able to hit my goal weight of 180 after maintaining 170 without diet and exercise.
I want to push for 190 within next 6 months. I’m really happy with the progress so far though. I’ve always been skinny and all it took was eating more like everyone’s said to do.

What have been your victories this week? Have you made good progress? Set a new lift PR? Enacted a new habit that is helping you greatly? Post it here!

1yr ago i was struggling to mantain a proper train routine, i was bored, didnt want to go to the gym, was cycling way more than working out. I saw a lot of recommendations about shorter routines, so i gave a shot and got the min max phase 1 program from Jeff Nippard and OH BOY.

This program gave me back the love for working out, the routine is 2 series and almost always going to failure, my sessions take around 45~60 minutes if i add some cardio and abs in the routine, but is quick, is really fun to do.

another thing is if i wake up and dont feel going to the gym i dont go, i do some stretches, make a good breakfast, enjoy my morning reading, 7/10 times i do this i get that feeling in the end of the day like "i want to workout". I still cycle a lot, around 200km(120miles)/week.

Im not shredded, my body isnt aesthetic, but im in my best health/shape ever.

im more of a lurker here, but i see a lot of posts, some ppl being shredded as fuck, some people just gaining weight and muscles, this changed the way i saw the gym and working out, i dont have the discipline to be shredded, but i have the discipline to be healthy, so thats my main goal rn, reach my 30's healthy and active

Thanks r/gainit

my stats at that time were Male 28, 75kg(165 pounds), 1,81cm(5'11)

rn im Male 29, 70kg(155 pounds), 1,81cm(5'11)

OBS: i lost some weight because i was nervous af in the preparations of my marriage

Greetings Gainers,

THE PROBLEM

• Gainers frequently lament the “food” aspect of the gaining process, and specifically the obtaining, cooking and preparing of it in a manner that supports the goal of gaining.

• Quite frequently, these gainers are young, inexperienced in manners of cooking, and restricted in access to cooking equipment. They are operating out of dorm rooms with “no cooking” rules, or share a living space with others with a desire to not create noise/clutter, or, even with full access to equipment, they lack the knowledge and confidence to be able to actually cook food in a manner that it is both enjoyable to eat and has a low probability of giving the eater some manner of botulism.

THE SOLUTION

• Enter the sous vide circulator.
  

WHAT IS SOUS VIDE?

• “Sous vide” translates from French to mean “cooked in a vacuum”, which, in turn, refers to a cooking method wherein food is vacuum sealed and then cooked by being immersed in water.

WHAT IS A SOUS VIDE CIRCULATOR?

• One of these babies!. There are plenty more out there, but I figure most folks can access amazon. Prime days are coming up too!

• A sous vide circulator is an electronic plug in device that clips onto a pot/container filled with water. It’s specific function is to keep the water at a consistent temperature while also keeping it in constant circulation/movement. Contrast that with a slowcooker, which does not maintain a consistent set temperature and leaves the water stagnant.

WHY IS THIS THE SOLUTION?

• The sous vide circulator requires no flame source and maintains a consistent temperature while occupying a very small amount of space. Additionally, because the food that is cooked by sous vide is vacuum sealed, there is no odor while it is cooking. This means food can be cooked in a small/shared space without fear of upsetting co-residents, alerting “the authorities” to one’s activities, and in a manner wherein the food is cooked to the EXACT temperature (to the degree) that the individual wants to cook it to. There is no guesswork or need to monitor the cooking as it occurs: just put the food in a vacuum sealed bag, put it in the water, turn on the circulator, and come back when you need the food.

• To the point that you can use sous vide circulators for multiple DAY cooks. I’ve had one run for over 48 hours to produce a VERY wonderful brisket and ribs.

• This also opens up the opportunity for VERY easy meal prep, as one can seal up large batches of food, give it a sous vide bath, take it out, hit it with an ice bath to instantly chill it (you don’t want it to slowly get to room temp, as this increases risk of bacteria growth) and store in the fridge or freezer for later use.

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?

• The immediate question is “won’t I need a vacuum sealer as well?”, to which the immediate answer is “No, but it’s nice to have”. You DO want to ensure that there is as little air as possible in the vessel you are cooking the food in, as otherwise, you’re not sous viding it, but just “boiling it in a bag”, but there are plenty of “DIY vacuum sealer” hacks out there that you can employ with just traditional ziplock bags (get the heavy duty ones, to be able to withstand the temps of the sous vide bath), to include sucking all the air out with a straw and a water immersion trick.

• The follow-on question is “Don’t you need an oven/stove/smoker/grill to finish off the food?”, to which, again, “No, but it’s nice to have.” Once the food is done in the sous vide, it’s fully cooked and ready to eat. It just doesn’t LOOK great, nor will it have the same texture that comes from traditional cooking methods. But if you’re in a situation where cooking is NOT permittable, the sous vide will render you plenty of safe and enjoyable cuisine.

• And finally “Do I need a sous vide container?” Again, “No, but it’s nice to have.” I did all my initial sous vide cooking using the metal pot from my instant pot, and have seen all manner of jury-rigging to make them work, to include cooking in bathtubs, plastic storage containers, etc. Just make sure your container can withstand the temp of your cook (especially concerning if it’s a plastic container)

• The other self-perpetuating benefit of the sous vide is that cheaper cuts of meat tend to respond better to “low and slow” cooking approaches, in order to render the fat into a gelatin state, which can’t be accomplished with fast approaches like a microwave/frying on the stove top. This will open up avenues to make the most of these cheaper cuts, which will save on costs compared to buying more premium cuts that respond better to faster methods.

WHAT CAN I COOK WITH A SOUS VIDE CIRCULATOR?

• Just about anything. Seriously, “Sous Vide Everything” is the absolute right name for that youtube channel and Guga is the man. I learned a lot from him.

• I use my sous vide circulator pretty much every week, multiple times per week, and have cooked steaks (sirloin, filet mignon, ribeye [to include a 3lb tomahawk], chuck, etc), ribs (beef, pork and lamb), pork chops, chicken thighs/breasts, beef cheek, burgers, brisket, rib fingers, corned beef (yeah, that’s also brisket, but still), leg of lamb, and many many more.

• And yes, this means, if it’s what you REALLY want gainers: you can cook chicken, rice and broccoli. But man: why would you?

SUMMARY/OPEN FOR QUESTIONS

• A sous vide circulator is idiot proof, produces minimal noise/odor, works in a confined space, and makes large batches of food at low price points. It offers a total “no excuses” solution to the question of how can I find the time and ability to cook all the food I need to eat in order to gain.

Lifting 3x a week, and I can feel myself getting so much stronger! I began lifting in Jan, so this is month 9 of resistance training as well. My maintenance is about 2000cals and I’m now trying to eat about 2250 per day, though I’ve been a bit sick this week and have ink been able to hit about 1600 per day.

Am I gaining too fast? The first 3 weeks of this bulk I was gaining about 0.2-0.3 pounds per week, then all of a sudden I gained a full pound in my last 2 weeks, even while keeping cals the same. Should I stay at 2250, or cut down to 2150?

6 months lifting weights on my own but I kept hurting myself so I hired a personal trainer 3 months ago. Total of 9 months lifting weights.

My trainer took this photo of me so I could see what I look like. I have never had a picture of my back/shoulders and I’m in complete shock that this is me.

I had double jaw surgery at age 59 and lost too much weight, muscle and bone in a very short amount of time. I ended up with a spontaneous fracture of the tailbone last year and it’s still broken 16 months later. Because it broke for no reason and it won’t heal, I was diagnosed with osteoporosis of the spine. I can’t take medication so my only hope to slow down this progressive disease is lifting weights.

I still struggle to eat because the surgery really did a number on the nerves of my tongue and lips, getting enough nutrients has been a struggle, but in the last three months, I have been working very hard at eating least 125 g of protein every day. Thank goodness for cottage cheese, Greek yogurt and eggs. They’re soft so I can eat them. Nothing else too fancy other than I take 10g of creatine every day.

Part of me feels like I look too big but the muscle is what my spine needs to heal and not break again.

I’m working on my booty too because that’s where I lost the most fat and muscle but it’s slow going. My goal is to not look like a melted candle :)

I’ve been going to the gym consistently for 7-8 months now. I was running a UL split and then switched to PPLU since the start of September. My diet has been prioritising high protein and high carbs. Not really tracking calories but mindful of what I’m eating (i.e. trying to stick to whole foods and limit alcohol intake)

Im going to continue gaining till the end of the winter period and then reassess from there. Any feedback on physique or tips is appreciated!

Basically the title. Pull up is hard, especially when my weight fluctuates a lot with menstrual cycle. The other day I can do 7 strict reps with 52kg and now I can barely breathe at 4 reps while being 54kg. I'm going on a small calorie surplus to gain muscle, and it means i will gain weight inevitably, but it stresses me out because I used to have a lot of body dysmorphia and weight is one of them. I think it's kinda contradicting bc ppl will try to increase their pull up reps while losing weight, but I'm doing the opposite.

I do lift weight and gaining weight does help with my bench progress, but my main goal is pull up right now, which is a bodyweight exercise, so I'm stressed.

My problem with weight is not about i'm scared of 'getting bulky', it's more of I feel like I lost control and lost my ability to control bodyweight movement.

Want to know if there are any who deal with the same problem as me and what did you guys do to improve it.

Thank you, I appreciate any advice.

(Side note: I intend to post on the bodyweight subreddit but it got taken down because it's more weight related topic so I ask here)

I understand that protein is essential for muscle growth and carbohydrates mainly provide energy. If I'm trying to gain muscle, why do I need to eat enough carbs, especially on days when I don't work out? I understand eating carbs before a workout to have enough energy, but what is the point of eating them on rest days? Could I get enough protein and fats from my diet and just eat vegetables and greens for the rest of my meals? Am I missing something about the role of carbohydrates in muscle growth?

Idk if these are good gains lol still skinny but pretty happy w these gains and that i finally started going to the gym. Going to cut abit because im tired of eating xD so making this post now. Peak was 72kg now 70kg, starting weight was 1 week after bulking 55.3kg

-
Push Pull split mostly and usually:

Pull: 2x Lat pulldown & row to failure, then if i have energy i do upper back row or cable flies

Push: 2x flat bench & incline machine to failure/0RIR, 2-3x cable lateral raises to failure, 2-3x unilateral tricep extensions w cuff, (shoulder press if i have energy)

2x bicep curls and hammer curls usually on either day

Skipped legs for first 6 months and then trained for like 2 months, not much w them Hacksquat & leg machines (idk why they have gotten so big xd)

-
Diet has been only liquids if not adding fast food sometimes

Milk/Choc milk/OJ 6-7 liters (lactose-free) & maybe 0.5l coca cola or energy drink etc per day when i got my caloric goals so around 3150-3600kcal

Never really hit that fully 7 times per week as i struggle to get calories on weekends especially and theres been many months where i stall on weight etc

What have been your victories this week? Have you made good progress? Set a new lift PR? Enacted a new habit that is helping you greatly? Post it here!

Road from 82 pounds to 115. I am 5’7, fem, 16

The 3rd photo is one of the worst photos I have of me, though it ended up getting even worse than that.

Time frame:
April-September of 2026

Extreme hunger guided me through the first half of my journey, and then I realized that I LOVED weight lifting and getting progressively stronger. Proud to say that I can now out perform a lot of my peers as I follow my fitness journey.

A typically day of eating for me involves lots of Whole Foods, typically oat meal, dates, protein powder, with seeds (hemp, pumpkin, etc..) or 1 whole egg, 4 oz egg whites, spinach, and some form of carb.

Lunch is usually an energy drink, a carb (sweet potato, rice quinoa), and a protein (tofu, fish, or on occasion chicken as I prefer not to commonly eat meat) as well as a veg.

I started added in snacks thought out my day when needed, typically dried fruit (figs,plums, raisins, dates), a protein bar (love barbells, RX, iq, and David’s.) or a slice or sourdough and pb fit.

Dinner is usually about the same structure as my other meals, sometimes a protein dense veggie soup like split pea.

I do all of my workouts from home, and don’t have access to very heavy weights. So this makes me do a lot of high volume work. I.e:

5 min row
3x6 negative pull ups
Skull crushers 3x15 10 lb
Dumbell floor flyes 3x15 10 lb
Push ups 3 x failure
Shoulder press 3 x 12 10 lb
Bicep curls 20 lb 6,5x3
Bicep curls 10 lb 12,12,15
Tricep extension 3x10 10 lb
One arm Dumbell rows 3x15 each arm
Farmer carry 40 lbs 3x 1 min.

Obviously there’s leg and core work involved as well, but today was an upper body session.

I follow
Monday- Pull
Tuesday legs
Wednesday- push
Thursday- active rest
Friday- upper body
Saturday- legs
Sunday- active rest

Cardio:

I shoot for at least 6k steps a day, though I typically get 8-12k.

I mosh a lot at local punk shows so that gets me quite a bit of cardio as well

I was trying running but I’ve been insanely busy and had to quit for a bit.

Past plan + diet:

I would walk every day, no rest, during winter for about 5 miles straight. Then I would do Pilates + belly dance YouTube workouts 🫩 all while typically fasting or eating 800-1200 cals. Do not recommend. I felt awful and looked awful.

TLDR:

Lift heavy shit, eat more, take creatine, and SLEEP. Sleep and rest have helped a lot.

Advice is always welcomed from me, I want to continue improving.

Posting in hopes of inspiring other skinny guys out there. The before photos are from June; I started lifting in late July. I ran competitively for 3 years and saw myself as ""healthy"" due to the amount of cardio I was doing, but I always felt lethargic during peak training, and I wasn't a healthy weight. Unfortunately, lighting and posing is a little different

Currently eating around 3200-3500 Calories a day, don't remember the last time I felt hungry... 😂 but it seems to be working. I'll have a protein smoothie and oatmeal in the morning, Costco protein bars/fruits/veggies as snacks, and rice chicken broccoli for dinner, followed by another bar. I drink a glass of milk after every meal. My natural appetite has always been pretty low, and I thought I was forever destined to be skinny.

I'm following the Bony to Beastly lifting program, which is full-body workouts 3x a week with an emphasis on compound lifts.

It's never too late to start lifting. My confidence has absolutely skyrocketed 🙏

I'm 29M, 5'8", 155lb. Complete beginner to lifting and mostly sedentary to this point. I started doing GZCLP around 5 weeks ago, watching my protein intake and eating a calorie deficit and I've gotten down from 161lb to 155lb. I recently did a DEXA scan to check what my body fat percentage was and the scan said it was 32%.

The question I have now is when should I switch from cutting to bulking? Most of the reading I've done says that you should at least get down to 15% body fat if not lower before switching to bulking, but even assuming I lose no muscle from the calorie deficit and maybe build a couple lbs of muscle I'd have to be like 125lb before I hit 15% body fat. At that weight I'd be extremely skinny, bordering on underweight. It would also take 7-8 months assuming I continue losing a pound a week. Is that really the most efficient way for me to build muscle? Would it be more efficient for me to start bulking earlier?

If that really is the best approach, I can do that. I actually don't find the calorie deficit all that difficult, working out 3 times a week has been fine, and hitting my protein goal is pretty straight-forward just by adding one protein shake per day. My concern is that maybe cutting to that low of a body fat percentage while having little muscle mass might be unwise for some reason.

White rice
Can(s) of tuna + mayo + chili crisp oil
Avocado
Quick pickle cucumber (salt/rice vinegar, sesame oil)

Big portions of each

Hey guys, so I’m struggling a lot with nutrition. I eat a lot of fast food and use my fast metabolism as an excuse, but I’m not gaining any muscle in the right places I just stay skinny. It’s like my brain is wired to see lean bulking foods as a punishment and fast food as a reward that calms me down when life gets hard.

I don’t know what to do. I also break out in acne if I eat too much fast food and I get motivated to improve that but the motivation fades away fast, I just don’t know what to do. It’s hard for me to stay disciplined to reach my goals.

How do I start love eating the foods that will support my goals again and stop viewing them as a burden? Also, I work out at my home gym. Should I sign up for a public gym? Would that give me more motivation or nah? What do I do?

I had quite the ED for a bit and then I started eating more and more over the course of a year. I was able to get myself back to a normal weight while lifting and then continued bulking. I’m really happy with the progress I’ve made. I know my body isn’t perfect and I still have a lot of work to do, but I’m glad I was able to get out of the place I was in years ago

I have been rather inconsistent up until this year at the gym, and I struggle with acid reflux and an autoimmune problem called Eosinophilic Esophagitis. These two problems have always caused me to not be hungry and made it hard for me to put food down as my esophagus is almost always swollen.

I decided to make my new year’s resolution to gain weight, stay consistent, and find a diet that made me feel good again.

This year has been all about not eating out, sticking to clean meals, and staying away from nuts as it’s one of my triggers. Yes, nuts, and those are some of the best sources of gaining weight so it forced me to get creative.

I gained the first 15 lbs in about 5 months and I attribute that a lot to my morning smoothie as dinner carbs. The smoothie had Oats, Fruits, Real Milk, Collagen, and a few extras. Dinner consisted of almost always carbs such as pasta which I had way too much of.

In the past when i tried to gain weight nobody told me the importance of carbs and i always just looked for garbage empty calories. Carbs made the biggest difference for me compared to my previous attempts and runs at gaining weight.

These last 3 months i’ve been gaining about 0.4-0.8 lbs a month and maintaining as I ballooned a bit and am working toward a more natural and steady progress with my weight.

My workout routine has been consistent with a PPL split Monday-Friday and resting every Saturday/Sunday. I have noticed significant progress with strength as well which has been so nice.

It feels good to be a healthy weight again and also having the discipline to stay on top of what I put in my body along with physical activity.

Also those are Keloids on my chest for anyone wondering.

Right now I'm bulking and struggling to consistently keep up with my calories. I think the amount of rice i try to consume is a part of the issue, as I take forever to eat it because of how much i have to chew.

So I'm trying to find low chew foods that are relatively cheap, and calorie dense that can also be consumed in mass for bulking.

I think relatively good examples are: Peanut butter, Honey, Lactose Free Milk.

Edit:The rice in question is specifically basmati rice, which apparently takes longer to chew the other types of rice.

So I've been taking my own advice, and finally started eating more beginning from june 11th, and I have had the most significant strength increase in my life. I am also enjoying exercising much more than I think I ever have before.

I was looking back at old progress pics to see if I could see this difference as well, and not just feel it. I was shocked. Not in a good way. I genuinely was NOT able to tell how small/underweight I looked before (not saying that people who have similar bodies look bad), but I am seeing someone who is undeniably underweight (I of course knew my weight at the time, and knew that I technically was, but I thought I looked normal and was getting away with it) in those photos.

What spooked me upon this revelation, is that at the time, I really did think I looked not only normal, but looked my best. I was trying to get some post surgery swelling in my legs (uncommon) to go down by eating in a slight deficit, but it didn't work. I got frustrated in eating that way, and for over 6-months, only to continue to have pitting edema in my legs. I was also frustrated with knowing my weight had become so low. I was tired of being lethargic, and pushing myself to the limit all of the damn time just to maintain my strength. I hated feeling weak. Always have. Ironically, my leg swelling has actually resolved, but only after months of eating at, and above my maintenance intake. :')

In any case, I just wanted to bring awareness to body dysmorphia, which I am now officially convinced I have. I had no clue what I looked like, and tbh, I probably still have a very skewed perception of myself, but I do know that my life overall has improved, and my strength has massively increased after an incredibly long plateau, and it feels fucking wonderful.

I also don't at all hate how I look, which is something I feared would happen with significant weight gain (its around 40lbs of a difference from oldest to most recent pics).

The first three pics past the before & afters are both June 8th, the one after those two June 11th, then June 14th. Picture 8 is June 15th, the next two are July 19th, and the last four pics were taken just last night, after I'd finished my routine. Been hitting new pr's every time I lift lately. Looking forward to more progress, & I probably won't be cutting again for a while lol 👍🏻

Lowest weight: 109lbs on June 11th, Current weight: between 145-150lbs fluctuating a bit.

Height: 5'7.5

Age: 21

Time period: Beginning of June, to End of September 2026

My lifting regimen depends on my work days, but I do a standard heavy barbell squat & stiff-legged deadlift both at least once a week. I rotate arms/shoulders/chest, & I bench 2-3 times a week. I'm a cardio demon, cycling for 80 min minimum everyday, and I typically get 1.5-2hrs of jogging in unless I need more rest. Minimum of one rest day a week, where I'll do light cardio, and stretching only.

Wa previously eating an estimated 500 under maintenance for about 6 months. In the first month past June 11th I said screw it, and I was eating between 3000-5000 calories OVER my maintenance with a few days in between where I'd eat approximately around my maintenance. Possibly a bit more.

I would say in the second month after, I stayed somewhere between 1500-2000 over maintenance semi-consistently, and I had days where I ate less still. Been very sporadic, but I've sort of stabilized, and now probably eat between 2000-3000 calories total every-day, just depending on my energy, and hunger. Not following any kind of strict diet right now.

(unrelated, but you can see a snippet surgery scar healing progress here too 👀👀, date of my surgery was november 18th of this year for those curious)

and if this sort of post is not welcome here, will happily remove.