Should I gain Fat or Muscle?

Getwellsoon

OK, I've been told by my doctor that I need to gain at least 4 pounds as I am verging on underweight and my periods have stopped. I know this can be serious so I want to gain some weight. Unfortunately I have a bit of a complex about this, I wouldn't say anorexia but definitely some kind of eating disorder... but I am a vegan and I definitely do NOT undereat because I love my food and would never starve myself. I just make healthy choices. It really pains me that I have to put on weight when I'm actually still technically in the "normal" BMI weight range for my height. I feel fine (better than EVER in fact) apart from the problem with my menstrual cycle. I have more energy and am very happy. He actually assessed my diet and said he is impressed at how healthy I am!

What I'd like to know is: as my doctor said I need to try to maintain 8 stone for two weeks to get my periods to return - do I have to do this by gaining "fat", or can I do it by increasing my portions of healthy food and turning this extra energy into muscle by doing resistance training at a gym or exercise classes? I don't really want to put more fat on as I actually think I have enough of this, especially on my bum and thighs. I should have asked him this myself I suppose, but it really didn't pop into my mind til the day after. I could definitely do with some toning through lifting weights and doing sit ups / press ups as the only exercise I get is cardio from walking and cycling.

He has given me 2 months to gain this weight. For the average person who eats meat and isn't so health conscious this would probably be no problem to put it on within a week or two! But for me, a person who eats no meat or dairy it's a bit harder because I don't actually consume many fatty foods (yeah I do allow myself high calorie treats but I don't want to stuff myself with junk to gain the weight, I want to do it healthily). I tried to eat a bit more than usual today but I ended up getting really bad stomach cramps and... well you can guess the rest, LOL!!! So I think I probably haven't gained anything at all even though I ate a bit more

I mean, my usual diet would be a bagel with peanut butter for breakfast, then a soya yoghurt or some nuts mid morning, then a large bowl of soup for lunch, some chocolate for the afternoon or some fruit, then a large stir fry or some home made veggie burgers with salad or maybe beans and waffles or polenta chips for dinner. It's not like I undereat at all! Sometimes admittedly I do eat less (I used to calorie count but now I've stopped that) and I often do eat more than that (on weekends).

I just need to know if anyone thinks I will get my period back if I put on weight by eating more and toning up, or if I will actually have to gain FAT!!

Thanks everyone

Vampireskiss

I would say your should focus on health goals as oposed to body specific goals, what I mean is if you just eat plenty of good food and exercise hard your body will balance itself out

koHd

I'd say just eat some meat. Not having it in your diet is probably the problem.

What about fish even? And sure the poor chickens are only on this earth to feed us it seems. They're as thick as a plank of wood.

Sorry if I offended and vegans! I do hate it if animals suffer myself. I just think it is part of our natural diet.

TommyKnocker

koHd wrote: »

I'd say just eat some meat. Not having it in your diet is probably the problem.

What about fish even? And sure the poor chickens are only on this earth to feed us it seems. They're as thick as a plank of wood.

Sorry if I offended and vegans! I do hate it if animals suffer myself. I just think it is part of our natural diet.

With all due respect, but the OP stated that she was a vegan. This means that she eats NO anaminal products what so ever. So giving the advice

I'd say just eat some meat.

is less than useless IMHO.

Getwellsoon

You could try adding some mixed nuts, seeds and dried fruit as snacks to your diet, if you don't eat much of these already. Nuts and seeds are calorie dense and should help with gaining weight. Also maybe you could slightly increase your portion sizes at each meal. An little extra quinoa/rice/pasta/oats etc. Also Borlotti beans, Kidney beans and Chickpeas are calorie dense giving about 100 kcals/100g.

And if you are going to take up resistance training as well as maintaining you cardio work, then you should not have to worry about getting fat.

It would also help folks provide more specific advice if you were to post up a typical days food intake (detailed as possible) and an idea of your current weekly workout routine.

Best of luck


M

spiral

if you like peanut butter eat a little more of that , you could also try almond butter very tasty

corkcomp

IMO gaining muscle wont do a lot to help the situation, you need to add a little body fat and increase calories, it is most likely a lack of both that is causing your current prob ... best of luck btw ..

Getwellsoon

Thanks for your replies! I do love nuts, seeds and dried fruit so I guess eating more of those would be a good idea. I am gradually getting more into the mindset of going to classes at a gym where I can get toned and get more muscle, I think I wouldn't mind eating more then. I have been a bit scared of carbs but I do get them in the form of a bagel in the morning and stuff I mix into burgers.

A typical diet for me would be:

breakfast:
- cinnamon bagel with tablespoon peanut butter

mid morning:
- alpro soya yohurt

lunch:
- large bowl of soup such as carrot & chickpea, veggie or minestrone, or some homemade veggie sushi

mid afternoon:
- large handful of nuts / dried fruit

evening:
- vegetable stew, or stirfy, or veggie burgers and salad
- small bar of dark chocolate or a cereal bar

But I do also treat myself to a large slice of cake about 2-3 times a week, and on weekends I eat more than this because I'm usually out and about, or with friends... so I sometimes get a vegan pizza in Hell Pizzas, or some chocolate nuts and dried fruit from the stall in the Ilac centre, or a veggie burger in Blazing Salads, or a samosa and fruit from M&S... It's not like I starve myself, but I think I am low on calories. My BMR is 1200 calories and I usually get around 900-1500 depending on what I do that day - it all evens out.

Typical daily exercise is cycling to work and back (20mins each way), about once a fortnight I walk to work and back it used to be more but I've got lazy as I like my lie-ins (1hr 10mins each way), when it's not too cold/wet I cycle a LOT in the evenings and on weekends. I love cycling! Thing is, my body's probably used to that now after years of riding my bike.

Getwellsoon

corkcomp wrote: »

IMO gaining muscle wont do a lot to help the situation, you need to add a little body fat and increase calories, it is most likely a lack of both that is causing your current prob ... best of luck btw ..

oh and thank you! yes I think it's both muscle and fat. I think my body ate through its own fat reserves and has also eaten into muscle, it must be a bit of both. Wouldn't mind putting some fat back on my ribs and chest area (I'm so bony there now) but I'd like to increase muscle/tone my abs, thighs and bum! Hope that is possible. I know it's virtually impossible to lose weight from certain areas, hopefully it's not as hard to gain fat/muscle in specific areas?

Oryx

OP, you should not be wondering whether you will gain fat or muscle. The fact that you are shows a fastidiousness about weight gain and your body that you might want to look into. You mention in your post that you feel you have an odd attitude to food, which you say yourself is an eating disorder. I know myself fussy diets and an obsession with health is often used to mask eating disorders. Im in no position to diagnose you, and Im not trying to, Im just pointing out what you said, and how it sounds.

Putting on weight is easy. Eat a slice of bread with your soup. Eat calorific fruit. Eat vegetable proteins. Go slowly so your digestive system adapts. But you know all about food, so I reckon you know how to do this already.

If you dont exercise and plan to take it up as part of this new regime, do it carefully. Dont be tempted to burn off the extra you eat, and undo what youre trying to achieve. Research the type of exercise you need to tone the bits you want to, rather than going headlong into cardio or something. You already admit you have a complex, dont add exercise into the mix of it and make it more complicated.

Above all, dont be afraid of a small change to your body, if your health needs it.

corkcomp

Getwellsoon wrote: »

oh and thank you! yes I think it's both muscle and fat. I think my body ate through its own fat reserves and has also eaten into muscle, it must be a bit of both. Wouldn't mind putting some fat back on my ribs and chest area (I'm so bony there now) but I'd like to increase muscle/tone my abs, thighs and bum! Hope that is possible. I know it's virtually impossible to lose weight from certain areas, hopefully it's not as hard to gain fat/muscle in specific areas?

I would try to make sure you get AT LEAST 1500 cals per day for now .. if you get the right resistance program you will need to eat way more cals to gain muscle (the right kinds of cals though, I dont mean junk food)

justsomebloke

Getwellsoon wrote: »

My BMR is 1200 calories and I usually get around 900-1500 depending on what I do that day - it all evens out.

truthfully I think your figures at screwed up and I think 1200 is way to low a figure.

I don't think anyone here is going to able to give you the advise you need and I would advise going to a specialist especially as your health is at risk and you have also stated that you do have some sort of eating disorder

Getwellsoon

Oryx, yes you're right. I do use my fussy diet to mask my problems. Of course I do it for ethical reasons as well, especially regarding dairy I think keeping an animal alive/pregnant to produce things for you is far worse than just killing one outright. And dairy is far worse for you than meat as we aren't technically meant to have milk from another species! No other species does that. The meat thing is more complicated though, I used to just eat fish and no other meat or dairy. I leave out meat from my diet more for health than for moral reasons, sounds odd, but in a way I do see that animals eat other animals and we have sharp teeth for that purpose, so maybe to an extent you are meant to eat meat... just it's got so unethical now, it's not like we hunt for survival like animals do, we exploit them disgustingly.

Anyway, I don't want to debate that, because this is a post about my health! I've always known I need to tone up my arms, tummy, thighs etc, and I'll keep up my normal cardio in everyday cycling too so yes I'll eat a bit more and ask advice at the gym and see if I can even things out a bit in my body and do it sensibly. Thanks!

g'em

Getwellsoon I think the advice you need is beyond the realms of the Fitness forum.

I suggest you speak to a Nutritionist or Dietitian who specialises in eating disorders. Best of luck.