Struggling With Your Weight? Me too.

I have a confession. For many years now, I have struggled with my weight. I have tried numerous times to get my weight where I want it, but have had little success. I have tried diets, exercise, and at one point even supplements. Yet, I continued to struggle. I am not one for resolutions, but I recently decided that this year was going to be the year that I get control of my weight.

70 percent of men in America are overweight or obese. I am not one of them. I am underweight. At 6’4, my weight has fluctuated between 175-185 for most of my adult life. In “health speak,” I am what is known as an ectomorph. What is an ectomorph? Glad you asked. An ectomorph is a person with a thin body build. Simply put, I am your typical tall and skinny guy.

You’ve seen us around with our extremely high metabolisms. You’ve seen us running in the park or on the beach and thought to yourself, “What the hell is running for?” You’ve seen us at the gym in our size small yet baggy wife beaters bench pressing the bar. Yes, you also laughed and mocked us then too.

I am the guy most women love to hate. I get to eat all the ice cream, chips, and cake I want and not worry about it. Rice and pasta are like watercress salad and rice cakes for me. Despite all I eat, I still have to punch an additional hole in my belt because it is too big. While some people might envy my predicament, I don’t necessarily care for it.

Yes it is a problem for me. I have always wanted to be bigger and heavier. I never like the fact that I looked like a walking flagpole whenever I wore a t-shirt or the way my pants bunched up because they were too big for me. So buy pants that fit. Great idea…except the only ones that fit my waist looked like women’s Capri pants. (I’ll take the bunching).

Not having any natural insulation (aka body fat) means that while I’m shivering cold, most people around me are comfortable or even sweating. This is very annoying to say the least. Buying a watch is also a hassle because no self-respecting men’s watch will fit your girly wrist. You are doomed to forever be a “wrist-flicker” when someone asks you for the time. All that is about to come to an end. 2014 is going to be the year I gain 20 lbs of muscle.

Weight Gain Challenge 

In January, I was visiting my brother and we got to talking about how unsatisfied we were with our weight; you know, guy stuff. He has two kids and wanted to trim down his belly. I have three kids wanted to bulk up and add more mass. (FYI: Becoming a dad takes a toll on a man’s body.) So we decided we’d start working out and hold each other accountable. We’d have regular exercise days and regular weigh ins. The ultimate hope is that he would lose weight and I would gain weight.

You might be wondering “Why now?” Well, there are a number of reasons. This summer, one of best friends is getting married in Cancun, Mexico. I need to get my beach body on. Then at the end of this year my brother is getting married. You can read about that by clicking here. For his wedding, I will either be in a tailored suit or tuxedo. I want to get my “swole” on. I have a speech to prepare for. Don’t judge me.

Hard Work

So I started reading articles and watching videos on YouTube because I needed to have the right information. I talked with doctors, personal trainers, even former skinny guys. The first thing I learned was that I wasn’t eating enough. The average man needs to consume 2000-3000 calories per day. You consume less if you’re not active and more if you’re an athlete or a lumberjack. According to the 636 online calculators, I need to consume a minimum of 3500 to 4000 calories per day if I’ am to gain any weight. That is twice as much food as I eat now!

This blew my mind. I have always been a disciplined and conscious eater. I’ve always been mindful of my food  and never rushed any meals. Ask my wife, she’s left me at the dinner table countless times. I’m the type of person that has always eaten to live rather than living to eat.

Growing up in Haiti, I ate very healthy and in healthy portions. Anything you can imagine and some you can’t. Things like sweet potatoes, yams, manyok (also known as yuca or cassava). I ate greens and all types of legumes with just about every meal. Everything was from the farm straight to the plate. Frankly, to this day I don’t know what the fuss is over organic food. Everything we ate was organic. Organic milk from Whole Foods doesn’t compare to milk straight from the cow.

However, now I have to change my relationship with food. I have to eat even when I’m not hungry. When I eat, I have to eat twice as much so I can have enough calories to transfer to pounds gained. This is totally out of character for me and I’m still adjusting. Eating more is hard work.

Progress

In addition to eating more, I’ve incorporated a work out regimen at least three days a week with some cardio and a lot of  weight lifting. Every workout is complimented with a whey protein shake. This is great for building muscle and has the calories I need. I usually add eggs, banana, and peanut butter for additional calories and flavor. Did you know that 1 tablespoon of peanut butter has 100 calories!? 

Since January, I’ve been weighing myself regularly to track my progress. As of my last weight check, I had a net gain of 5 pounds. I’m averaging 2-3 pounds per month. Assuming I stay on track, the remaining 15 pounds should be no problem. I can’t wait.

Lessons 

I’ve learned a lot since starting out on this weight gain challenge. Here are my top 5.

1. I am in control of my body. I can change it if I don’t like it.
2. I have a new level of respect for body builders. It takes an insane amount of discipline to do what they do.
3. My wife loved me the way I was, but she really likes the new me.
4. Everyone needs to engage in regular physical activity. The benefits are totally worth it.
5. Body image issues are serious. If you don’t already love yourself, diet and exercise won’t change anything.

What is your story about weight? Are you a skinny guy? Perhaps a mom with some baby weight. We all have our personal issues with weight. Let’s talk about it.

The Haitian Therapist

www.thehaitiantherapist.com