It was a momentous day yesterday with a weigh-in at 20.66 BMI and bringing the little marker line fully within the lettering for the “Normal” range. I’m not sure where 23-24 BMI rests on that scale, but I intend to find out. What’s that come out to on the scale for me, anyway? 122 lbs.
I didn’t really do anything different in the last day or two, and I can’t tell which day it is that actually results in weight gain quite yet. I’m fairly certain that it’s a combination of food in me at the time and metabolized food that got converted into fat and muscle overnight from the day before. I can be the biggest champ one day and not see the results that night, but the next day is usually pretty good, like I got a kick-start.
Let’s just review how I’m wearing all of this new weight. Remember, I was at 92lbs in 2006 and immediately put on 10lbs on our honeymoon. I have since yo-yo’d from 105-115 without being in the 115 neighborhood for more than a couple of days at a time – more like 107-112. Now I’ve been over 118 for more than a week and keep pushing into the 120s on occasions, waiting for the next milestone jump in the last week of February. The weight has been going all over and making quite an impact on my self-image and flat-out physical attractiveness.
My bony collarbones have all but disappeared, my shoulders are thicker front to back, my wrists have grown and my hands and feet are less bony, my thighs are filling out my jeans, my butt is holding up my jeans without a need for a belt with anything I own, my neck is getting thicker, and my cheeks are noticeably thicker to the pinch/poke. My hips need a widening procedure to carry the new trunk I’m developing so I won’t look like a freak soon. It’s plain to see in the full-length mirror in the buff that my pelvis is still going to be 29″ and my waist above my mid-rise jeans will be 31″ before too long.
I made a new CF Twitter friend today. He's in his late 40s and has a wife and daughter. I'm looking forward to a guest post from him about some weight gain tips he has and talking with him via e-mail about the CF process of starting our family.
Hi,
Just wanted to drop by to talk about weight gain. Before I do, anything I write here should be checked with a CF doctor first. Do not copy anything I did without speaking to your doctor(s). It could be dangerous to your health.
Ibuprofen helped me gain the most weight in my mid 20s. It was a gift and improved my appetite and made me feel better within a month of taking it. I'd still be taking it if it weren't for the hemoptysis that it now causes. What a drag. I think after a period of time taking it, it truly had an anti-inflammatory effect. Unfortunately, there can a downside to using it, too, especially in doses needed to make a difference. I believe there might be a test some docs use to measure the levels in the blood. Some CF docs only believe in its value for kids. I can say that it really helped me. The one downside I experienced was it did a good job of masking pain in my sinuses and I let them slide because of it. Be careful with this medicine. Again, talk to the doctor.
The next thing that helped me was lifting weights. It made it easier to consume calories and muscle weighs more than fat. I didn't always feel like lifting but it helped. I'm still trying to lift to this day. Last year, I bought a gym off of craigslist. It's much easier and germ free to lift in my own house. One last point: Some recent studies for normal people have shown that exercise doesn't always help them lose weight. The studies found that they gained weight because the exercise made them hungrier and they ended up eating more.
Protein shakes really helped, too. I went with the high calorie ones. I'm not talking about the little high calorie bottles at the grocery store. I'm talking about the big tins of powder you get at the health food store and taste like paper (they're better now and taste a little like chocolate). They worked best when I was working out because I could eat more.
Hope this information helps. I know there's a lot of information on the web. Go Fatboy in your quest to gain. ๐
Thanks for stopping by with what works for you. I've got the disclaimer in the footer for just such a reason. Seeing as how I'm allergic to NSAIDs, I'll have to leave that treatment suggestion for others.
I used to lift weights in high school and early college. Dang, I remember getting my bench press up to 156% of my body weight back then… I wonder how long that would take on testosterone therapy… I shall find out.
Are they measuring your levels? You don't want them baseball player high.
Yes, once/yr.