any success stories with going from very skinny to bigger/stronger?

@cwngfd I'm the same way. I was 95 pounds at 5'2 before I started weight training (I now hover around 105). Couldn't lift an empty barbell and was definitely skinny fat. Here's what I did (keep in mind that it took a few months to start seeing results):
  • Eat with purpose. I tend to under eat if I'm not paying attention. I only track protein and total calories so that I have flexibility with macros. If you want to gain muscle, make sure that you are eating in a surplus and getting enough protein. There are many calculators out there to help you figure out your numbers.
  • Train hard and heavy. I'm not saying that you need to kill yourself for hours in the gym every day, but consistent, high intensity training is key. A bit of cardio is fine, but I would focus on weight training as that is much more effective for building muscle.
Another thing to keep in mind is that genetics also play a role in how much muscle you are able to keep on your body so YMMV but these are the basics that worked for me. Keep at it and you'll start to see improvements!
 
@cwngfd I've always been skinny and sometimes been underweight. On-and-off since I was a teenager I tried to get stronger but I always plateaued really early and gave up soon.

In September I decided to try seriously for it and commit and progress is slowwwww. That's the big thing to remember for me -- I gain muscle slowly and that's ok. I used to get really stressed about staying in a certain body fat percentage range but I hit another plateau early and figured out it was my diet that was the problem. I wasn't eating enough.

My few biggest "aha" moments were:

1) Actually following a routine. Don't get me wrong. I had "my routine" but it was not an efficient way to work out at all. But when I found a routine that I like (I use r/bodyweightfitness' recommended routine, yoga, and running) I started to get freaking strong really fast (relatively).

2) I don't get shy about eating anymore. I have peanut butter on my oatmeal every day. If I'm hungry? I eat a snack, I don't wait for the next meal. I have a high metabolism and I'm trying to gain weight. Not going to stress about it. I eat healthy high calorie foods, tons of proteins, and healthy fats. Eat enough of it, no matter who you are, you're going to get a little plump if you do it. That's a good thing.

3) I switched from being image-focused to goal-focused. I want to get stronger so I can do 10 pull ups, or do full unassisted nordic curls, or dead lift 150lbs or whatever. I have more fat now and more muscle and I don't care anymore if that makes me more or less attractive.
 
@cwngfd It’s going to take way longer. I started to see great results peeking through at 6 months. But after a year was the real magic. And I cannot stress enough that you NEED to be eating in a surplus and hitting your protein goals. Most people think that they eat enough protein and they don’t. I was convinced I was until I started tracking.
 
@mommybiker I tend toward 1g/lbs body weight as a minimum.
Past that likely isn’t any more beneficial.
I go higher than that because when I’m in a surplus to build I personally find I put on less fat when my surplus comes mostly from protein. There is a school of thought that says the body is better at storing excess as fat when it comes from carbs. I’m not here to debate if that’s true or not, I just find that the more lean meats I eat as a surplus the stronger I feel in the gym and tend to hold less water weight. So it’s a personal preference for me.
 
@cwngfd It’ll take time but it’s definitely achievable. I started out an absolute twig in my 20s & now in my 30s, I have some mild to decent size on me.

I’m not naturally built big & don’t think I’ll ever have a commanding presence but getting even a bit bigger/stronger the past few years was 100% worth it.

Good luck & be kind to yourself. It’s early days still with only being 1.5 months in. You have room to grow!
 
@gcrawford215 Thank you! I’m perhaps guilty of oversharing my old progress pics because it’s a little harder to find inspiration for “Skinny to not-so-skinny” progress.

Inspiration abounds for skinny to curvy/thic but I’m not built that way. Plus lots of the “getting bigger” progress I found was very glute focused & that’s just not going to happen for me 😂 So I’m quick to share for those similar in build.
 
@cwngfd It’s only a month and a half! Also, you mention you work out - what kind of workouts are you doing? Heavy lifting is what you’ll need to bulk up.
 
@cwngfd At 22 I was 124 pounds. I ran track in college so running + weight training, I went from 124 to 134 after a year or two in the program.

Keep at the weight training and try not to overemphasize the eating portion of this journey. You will get there with time! Accept all versions of yourself in each moment and also set goals and aspire for more. A healthy mind aids and healthy body.

Best of luck!
 
@cwngfd Hop over to r/gainit. Yes because it’s 99% men, you may need to adjust some of the advice slightly but overall 99.99% applies to women as well. That group is dedicated to the grind of gaining muscle mass and is a great resource. It’ll take time (especially as a woman) but it’s doable. Building muscle is a painfully slow progress. Think 1 year not 1 month. I once put on 15lbs in 5 months for my university sport. My biggest advice is ease in to upping your calories. Figure out your base and then add an extra 200-300 calories. Increase that every week or so until you’re at the intake you need to be. You’ve got this, train hard and eat harder!
 
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