Can I eat corn to gain some weight?
June 2, 2013 11:02 AM Subscribe
I am a 19 year old teenager, I weight about 63 kg (138 lbs) and my height is about 176 cm. I want to gain weight because I look a bit skinny. Though according to my BMI, I'm average.
I was wondering whether eating corn alone everyday would increase my weight and benefit me at the same time. I surely don't want to gain weight going to McDonald's.
Are you looking to increase the fat on your body, or are you looking to start a regimen that will build muscle? The approaches will be different depending on your goals. I don't think that corn is the answer to either.
posted by quince at 11:09 AM on June 2, 2013
posted by quince at 11:09 AM on June 2, 2013
Best answer: Corn is pretty much no better for weight gain than any other carb (or any other calorie, depending on who you ask.)
There's a good way to gain weight and a bad way to gain weight, right? So you don't want to just "gain weight," because that will make you bigger without making you healthier or look better. You might want to look into what's called "lean bulking," where you eat a lot of healthy foods that add up to slightly more than the calories you're spending each day. Throw in some moderate exercise and boom! You've added weight to your frame that's not just all in the gut and won't clog your arteries. Some of it will be muscle, too, so yay! You'll be stronger as well! This is a pretty good, straightforward primer if you're looking for one. It's put together for people who want to get fit, but the part about diet has a pretty good overview of the basics of how to gain weight.
(All that being said, I do know a few people who just can't seem to put on weight and most of them are young, tall men. If eating well and more doesn't seem to add anything, you could just be blessed/cursed with a killer fast metabolism. If that happens, keep calm, eat right, and get some exercise to stay healthy, but don't sweat it. If your body wants to stay at that weight, that's probably where it should be.)
posted by WidgetAlley at 11:11 AM on June 2, 2013 [7 favorites]
There's a good way to gain weight and a bad way to gain weight, right? So you don't want to just "gain weight," because that will make you bigger without making you healthier or look better. You might want to look into what's called "lean bulking," where you eat a lot of healthy foods that add up to slightly more than the calories you're spending each day. Throw in some moderate exercise and boom! You've added weight to your frame that's not just all in the gut and won't clog your arteries. Some of it will be muscle, too, so yay! You'll be stronger as well! This is a pretty good, straightforward primer if you're looking for one. It's put together for people who want to get fit, but the part about diet has a pretty good overview of the basics of how to gain weight.
(All that being said, I do know a few people who just can't seem to put on weight and most of them are young, tall men. If eating well and more doesn't seem to add anything, you could just be blessed/cursed with a killer fast metabolism. If that happens, keep calm, eat right, and get some exercise to stay healthy, but don't sweat it. If your body wants to stay at that weight, that's probably where it should be.)
posted by WidgetAlley at 11:11 AM on June 2, 2013 [7 favorites]
Corn isn't protein-complete. The Mayans learned that they needed to boil corn with wood ash to chemically change it and make it healthy.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 11:12 AM on June 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 11:12 AM on June 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
If you want to gain weight without it all being fat, you should follow a balanced diet with more fats than usual, and do strength training so that new weight actually turns into muscle. Stumptuous has a couple of useful articles on that: Eating for muscle mass gain and How to gain mass.
Stumptuous is written primarily for women, but there's a lot of useful info there for us menfolk too.
posted by brianogilvie at 11:12 AM on June 2, 2013 [3 favorites]
Stumptuous is written primarily for women, but there's a lot of useful info there for us menfolk too.
posted by brianogilvie at 11:12 AM on June 2, 2013 [3 favorites]
You can gain weight by increasing your caloric intake - this is most easily done by what I (perhaps mistakenly) call carbo-loading: eating lots of carbohydrates like big plates of pasta. Pair it with a nice cheese sauce for extra calories. This is what I ate when I was on a trip and hiking 15-20km per day, but it was a hard habit to kick when I stopped and I quickly gained 15lbs after I got back.
But if you are concerned about your appearance, you probably don't want to just gain weight, or you will be still skinny but with a pot belly.
What you want to do is to bulk up in a healthy manner. You don't specify if you are male or female, but if you are male, you are lucky: you will put on muscle more easily than most women thanks to that handy testosterone. Someone I know who has bulked up recently said that he did so by eating food with lots of protein and going to the gym with his boyfriend. If you don't have access to a gym, there are exercises you an do at home to bulk up, like push-ups.
So, you should increase your calorie intake, but include lots of protein as well as carbohydrates, and do muscle building exercise so that your weight gain is where you want it and not where you don't.
That said, if you are solely concerned about your appearance, maybe you shouldn't be. Your BMI is healthy, and lots of people are naturally attracted to very slim people. You just need to find those people for whom your ectomorph build is a feature, not a bug.
posted by jb at 11:17 AM on June 2, 2013
But if you are concerned about your appearance, you probably don't want to just gain weight, or you will be still skinny but with a pot belly.
What you want to do is to bulk up in a healthy manner. You don't specify if you are male or female, but if you are male, you are lucky: you will put on muscle more easily than most women thanks to that handy testosterone. Someone I know who has bulked up recently said that he did so by eating food with lots of protein and going to the gym with his boyfriend. If you don't have access to a gym, there are exercises you an do at home to bulk up, like push-ups.
So, you should increase your calorie intake, but include lots of protein as well as carbohydrates, and do muscle building exercise so that your weight gain is where you want it and not where you don't.
That said, if you are solely concerned about your appearance, maybe you shouldn't be. Your BMI is healthy, and lots of people are naturally attracted to very slim people. You just need to find those people for whom your ectomorph build is a feature, not a bug.
posted by jb at 11:17 AM on June 2, 2013
Greek yogurt is what you want. It's good for you, and I went up two cup sizes after eating it for a year!
posted by limeonaire at 11:26 AM on June 2, 2013
posted by limeonaire at 11:26 AM on June 2, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks for your answers! I'm male, and the main problem in my appearance is that when I start to lose weight, I lose it first on my face and so my cheeks look "empty". Otherwise, I'm not really worried about the rest of my body, but I also want to gain some muscle (build abs).
posted by Attozes at 11:31 AM on June 2, 2013
posted by Attozes at 11:31 AM on June 2, 2013
Response by poster: WidgetAlley : you were right about my metabolism. I pretty much stand/walk a lot more than I sit. I listen to music while standing and I love walking too.
posted by Attozes at 11:33 AM on June 2, 2013
posted by Attozes at 11:33 AM on June 2, 2013
I guess it depends what you mean by corn.
Kernels of corn aren't a terribly efficient food in terms of your body's ability to actually digest it. It's a lot of bulk for not much actual caloric intake. So I don't think eating only corn on the cob (or kernels themselves) would cause you to gain weight any more than a comparable amount of whatever other type of food.
Same for popcorn -- all fluff and bulk, very little actual content. Unlikely to cause you to gain unless you mean movie theatre popcorn with extra butter.
I think corn could bring about weight gain if you ate it in more processed forms, like tortillas, chips, tamales, grits, etc. Just because all the useless undigestible stuff is stripped away and you eat drastically more of the digestible part. I mean, think of the number of corn kernels it would take to get one tamale. Also, this type of food usually works as a vehicle for other highly caloric things like butter, cheese, and fatty meats.
posted by Sara C. at 11:37 AM on June 2, 2013
Kernels of corn aren't a terribly efficient food in terms of your body's ability to actually digest it. It's a lot of bulk for not much actual caloric intake. So I don't think eating only corn on the cob (or kernels themselves) would cause you to gain weight any more than a comparable amount of whatever other type of food.
Same for popcorn -- all fluff and bulk, very little actual content. Unlikely to cause you to gain unless you mean movie theatre popcorn with extra butter.
I think corn could bring about weight gain if you ate it in more processed forms, like tortillas, chips, tamales, grits, etc. Just because all the useless undigestible stuff is stripped away and you eat drastically more of the digestible part. I mean, think of the number of corn kernels it would take to get one tamale. Also, this type of food usually works as a vehicle for other highly caloric things like butter, cheese, and fatty meats.
posted by Sara C. at 11:37 AM on June 2, 2013
Eat a big meal and then go to sleep? This is what sumo wrestlers do.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:38 AM on June 2, 2013
posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:38 AM on June 2, 2013
I used to be extremely skinny, now I'm at a much healthier weight. What worked for me was trying to keep track of my protein intake. I really tried to eat my body weight in protein every day - I usually wouldn't make it, but it ended up being a whole lot more than I used to eat daily.
I'd try to reach this goal with small changes - an extra egg in my omelette, having two chicken breasts at dinner instead of one, making sure to snack on things like nuts and cheese throughout the day. I'd eat a ham and cheese sandwich for breakfast every day. A few slices of low sodium ham, 2 slices of low-fat provolone on two slices of ezekiel bread - nearly 40 g's of protein right off the bat. I filled out after a year and people comment on how much healthier I look. I mixed this with high weight/low rep weight training and I think it stimulated a little bit of growth as well.
posted by windbox at 11:54 AM on June 2, 2013
I'd try to reach this goal with small changes - an extra egg in my omelette, having two chicken breasts at dinner instead of one, making sure to snack on things like nuts and cheese throughout the day. I'd eat a ham and cheese sandwich for breakfast every day. A few slices of low sodium ham, 2 slices of low-fat provolone on two slices of ezekiel bread - nearly 40 g's of protein right off the bat. I filled out after a year and people comment on how much healthier I look. I mixed this with high weight/low rep weight training and I think it stimulated a little bit of growth as well.
posted by windbox at 11:54 AM on June 2, 2013
Best answer: I put on ~30 lbs (~15 kg) a couple years ago and went from skinny to decently filled-out without any fancy program. What I did:
1) Exercise lots. Weights especially, but some cardio is fine too if you like it. People recommend Starting Strength a lot, but whatever program you do the key is to lift heavy things, be exhausted at the end of your workouts, and stick with it indefinitely.
2) The exercise will make you hungry. When you get hungry, eat lots. Lots of protein (meat, nuts, protein shakes, eggs) and lots of fat (full-fat milk, full-fat yogurt, cheese, olive oil on everything). Go buy a big bag of protein powder.
3) You get to eat lots of delicious things in step two, but you still need to eat healthy. Lots of fruit and veggies will keep your energy levels up.
4) Try not to eat empty carbs like potato chips because they're basically just taking up stomach space from the good protein and fat you should be eating. That said, you don't need to go low carb unless you want to be super disciplined about your body fat percentage. If I were you (and I was), I'd first worry about putting on weight and then when I'd filled out a bit worry about dropping some fat while keeping the muscle.
Regarding your follow-up: You basically have contradictory goals. Normal people can't put on weight and get washboard abs at the same time. First lift lots of weight sand put on some pounds, then worry about dropping excess fat and getting your six-pack.
posted by no regrets, coyote at 11:57 AM on June 2, 2013
1) Exercise lots. Weights especially, but some cardio is fine too if you like it. People recommend Starting Strength a lot, but whatever program you do the key is to lift heavy things, be exhausted at the end of your workouts, and stick with it indefinitely.
2) The exercise will make you hungry. When you get hungry, eat lots. Lots of protein (meat, nuts, protein shakes, eggs) and lots of fat (full-fat milk, full-fat yogurt, cheese, olive oil on everything). Go buy a big bag of protein powder.
3) You get to eat lots of delicious things in step two, but you still need to eat healthy. Lots of fruit and veggies will keep your energy levels up.
4) Try not to eat empty carbs like potato chips because they're basically just taking up stomach space from the good protein and fat you should be eating. That said, you don't need to go low carb unless you want to be super disciplined about your body fat percentage. If I were you (and I was), I'd first worry about putting on weight and then when I'd filled out a bit worry about dropping some fat while keeping the muscle.
Regarding your follow-up: You basically have contradictory goals. Normal people can't put on weight and get washboard abs at the same time. First lift lots of weight sand put on some pounds, then worry about dropping excess fat and getting your six-pack.
posted by no regrets, coyote at 11:57 AM on June 2, 2013
> I was wondering whether eating corn alone everyday
Don't do this, or anything like it. Eating just one kind of food will make you sick.
As a young man, gaining weight can be difficult. In my 20s I used to eat ridiculous amounts of food and still stayed skinny. You can eat more, and try adding different foods, but keep a basically balanced diet and don't let your weight goals drive you to crazy stuff. Making yourself sick to look better won't work in the long run.
posted by mattu at 11:58 AM on June 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
Don't do this, or anything like it. Eating just one kind of food will make you sick.
As a young man, gaining weight can be difficult. In my 20s I used to eat ridiculous amounts of food and still stayed skinny. You can eat more, and try adding different foods, but keep a basically balanced diet and don't let your weight goals drive you to crazy stuff. Making yourself sick to look better won't work in the long run.
posted by mattu at 11:58 AM on June 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
Squat, drink milk. You can't not get big.
posted by wrok at 12:37 PM on June 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by wrok at 12:37 PM on June 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
Squat, drink milk. You can't not get big.
This. You're 5'9" and 138 which is .. unusually thin.
(If that doesn't work, you might also want to check into whether you have a nutrient absorbtion disorder or some kind.)
posted by rr at 1:06 PM on June 2, 2013
This. You're 5'9" and 138 which is .. unusually thin.
(If that doesn't work, you might also want to check into whether you have a nutrient absorbtion disorder or some kind.)
posted by rr at 1:06 PM on June 2, 2013
Response by poster: rr : My BMI is 20.5. That is normal weight, I'm not unusually thin.
posted by Attozes at 1:11 PM on June 2, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by Attozes at 1:11 PM on June 2, 2013 [4 favorites]
I have about your same BMI, and a naturally high metabolism. When I was running more, I had to add about 1000 calories/day to my diet, which wasn't easy.
The only thing I could stomach was 3 slices of peanut butter toast, a half a jar of unsalted peanuts, and a 20 ounce chocolate milkshake with some whey protein powder thrown in. Besides that I was also eating healthy, normal sized portions of real food for lunch and dinner. It was about the only way I could handle that much extra food.
posted by Llamadog-dad at 2:11 PM on June 2, 2013
The only thing I could stomach was 3 slices of peanut butter toast, a half a jar of unsalted peanuts, and a 20 ounce chocolate milkshake with some whey protein powder thrown in. Besides that I was also eating healthy, normal sized portions of real food for lunch and dinner. It was about the only way I could handle that much extra food.
posted by Llamadog-dad at 2:11 PM on June 2, 2013
Yeah, 5'9" and 138 is slim but it isn't unusually thin, we just no longer have a good handle on what "normal" is.
Attozes: It doesn't matter what you eat if you want to gain weight, you just have to eat a lot of it. If it were me I'd just eat a bunch of ice cream sundaes every day, smothered in whipped cream, chocolate fudge, and caramel. Or I would have before I stopped doing the lactose thing so well.
Eating lots of healthy food and exercising is great for you but it won't help you gain weight any more than just eating a lot of french fries or hamburgers or ice cream. But just eating corn is a horrible way to do it. Eat what you want to eat, just eat more of it.
posted by Justinian at 4:43 PM on June 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
Attozes: It doesn't matter what you eat if you want to gain weight, you just have to eat a lot of it. If it were me I'd just eat a bunch of ice cream sundaes every day, smothered in whipped cream, chocolate fudge, and caramel. Or I would have before I stopped doing the lactose thing so well.
Eating lots of healthy food and exercising is great for you but it won't help you gain weight any more than just eating a lot of french fries or hamburgers or ice cream. But just eating corn is a horrible way to do it. Eat what you want to eat, just eat more of it.
posted by Justinian at 4:43 PM on June 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
You might want to schedule a visit with your doctor to talk about possible endocrine imbalances, too.
posted by empath at 5:20 AM on June 3, 2013
posted by empath at 5:20 AM on June 3, 2013
I lose it first on my face and so my cheeks look "empty".
Don't worry about this. This will end up giving you a chiseled look. Totally OK.
posted by plinth at 7:00 AM on June 3, 2013
Don't worry about this. This will end up giving you a chiseled look. Totally OK.
posted by plinth at 7:00 AM on June 3, 2013
ChocolatePickle, you seem to be conflating two different nutritional issues with corn. It is indeed deficient in essiential amino acids. This is true of pretty much any grain. The solution is to pair it with legumes (beans). Cooking corn with ash, or another base, is also useful for unlocking essential nutrients, specifically niacin, which is present in corn, but not in a form that can be easilly absorbed.
Nevertheless, eating a bunch of corn isn't a great idea, as other have already explained.
posted by Good Brain at 9:03 AM on June 3, 2013
Nevertheless, eating a bunch of corn isn't a great idea, as other have already explained.
posted by Good Brain at 9:03 AM on June 3, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:04 AM on June 2, 2013