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(@xabier94)

Posted : 06/16/2013 4:16 pm

Good day.

I'm 19, 6'1 and 155 pounds, and i'm trying to gain weight, would like to add 20 pounds during the summer.

After taking antibiotics i've been clear for 2 months, but i still eat an "anti-acne" diet, even though i've been eating more bread, more pasta etc. lately.

My concern is: do weight gainers make acne-prone people break out? I really need to put on weight, but i also dont want to have acne again after 2 months of being clear.

So if anyone has information about this topic, please tell me.

Thanks for reading this post.

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(@whoartthou1)

Posted : 06/16/2013 4:27 pm

 

first of all, are you done with the antibiotics?

 

Second of all, if you DO consume a weight gainer, I reccomend getting one with RAW whey protein

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(@xabier94)

Posted : 06/16/2013 5:01 pm

first of all, are you done with the antibiotics?

Second of all, if you DO consume a weight gainer, I reccomend getting one with RAW whey protein

Yes, i stopped taking oral antibiotics two months ago, i havent had any breakout April. Im using topical erythomycin in order to maintain the results and stay clear.

Thanks for the info, i will search for one with raw whey protein.

Im somehow worried about the amount of sugar in weight gainers, i think that the sugar may make me outbreak, but im not sure.

Thanks for replying in such a short period of time, just 10 min after i opened the topic.

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(@xabier94)

Posted : 06/17/2013 4:17 pm

Anyone? Has somebody taken weight gainers? if so, did it affect your acne?

All information is useful

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(@tritonxiv)

Posted : 06/17/2013 4:29 pm

You want to gain 20 pounds of fat through sugar-laden weight gainers? That doesn't sound like a good idea to me. You might as well start eating McDonalds every day...

Try eating complex carbs such as steel-cut or rolled oats every morning. High protein intake through chicken, fish, eggs, milk, beans, etc. Vegetables such as sweet potatoes, broccoli, dark-leafy greens, carrots. Cut out all processed foods.

Combine that with a weekly weight-lifting routine including full upper-body and lower body exercises. I recommend googling "Scooby's Workshop" for free workout routines and meal plans. All you need is a set of dumbells.

I guarantee you're going to enjoy a better looking physique, better health, and more energy if you just eat properly and get some real exercise. No chemical-laden weight-gainers needed.

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(@xabier94)

Posted : 06/18/2013 6:26 am

You want to gain 20 pounds of fat through sugar-laden weight gainers? That doesn't sound like a good idea to me. You might as well start eating McDonalds every day...

Try eating complex carbs such as steel-cut or rolled oats every morning. High protein intake through chicken, fish, eggs, milk, beans, etc. Vegetables such as sweet potatoes, broccoli, dark-leafy greens, carrots. Cut out all processed foods.

Combine that with a weekly weight-lifting routine including full upper-body and lower body exercises. I recommend googling "Scooby's Workshop" for free workout routines and meal plans. All you need is a set of dumbells.

I guarantee you're going to enjoy a better looking physique, better health, and more energy if you just eat properly and get some real exercise. No chemical-laden weight-gainers needed.

Thank you very much for aswering.

I already eat everything you said, but i find it impossible to gain weight due to my metabolism.

I really need to gain weight during the summer, keep in mind that the average height for a 19 year old male in my country is near to 6'2-6'3, so im quite small, and this is causing me lots of trouble defending other point guards, since most of them are 6'5 and a lot heavier than me.

What about a sugar-free weight gainer. Would that be okay or the other ingredients on the weight gainer may make me break out?

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MemberMember
29
(@tritonxiv)

Posted : 06/18/2013 1:43 pm

Thank you very much for aswering.

I already eat everything you said, but i find it impossible to gain weight due to my metabolism.

I really need to gain weight during the summer, keep in mind that the average height for a 19 year old male in my country is near to 6'2-6'3, so im quite small, and this is causing me lots of trouble defending other point guards, since most of them are 6'5 and a lot heavier than me.

What about a sugar-free weight gainer. Would that be okay or the other ingredients on the weight gainer may make me break out?

I would not suggest taking a weight-gainer ever. As Jack LaLanne said: "If man made it, don't eat it."

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410
(@alternativista)

Posted : 06/18/2013 4:14 pm

You are referring to some kind of powdered food-like supplement?

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(@johnh)

Posted : 06/18/2013 5:35 pm

Hemp protein is probably your best bet, since hemp is great for you, it's anti-inflammatory, and has a full amino acid profile. Whey will almost surely break you out since it's dairy. Pea protein would be a good choice too but I find it absolutely unbearable in terms of taste. Soy is not very good for you, especially for guys. Sprouted grains like brown rice protein are another choice but I try to steer clear of grains since they are inflammatory as well.

You can use Carbo Gain from NOW Foods, which is pure maltodextrin from corn (complex carb), but this may negatively affect your acne.

As others have said, just try to load up on lean proteins like chicken and fish (salmon is great, very anti-inflammatory), nutrient-dense veggies, healthy complex carbs for energy, and healthy fats like olive oil.

Almost all popular "weight gainers" like ones from Optimum Nutrition are loaded with inflammatory ingredients and artificial sweeteners.

I used to like Garden of Life RAW Meal (chocolate flavor, 340 calories and 34g protein per serving) but cut it out when I decided to cut out grains.

I'm sure you can tell by now that gaining weight on an anti-inflammatory, anti-acne diet is pretty tough. You'll simply need to constantly be taking in calories, more than a "maintenance" level - in other words, taking in more calories than you burn every day. This will cause you to gain weight and lean muscle mass if you are working out.

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(@xabier94)

Posted : 06/19/2013 7:40 am

You are referring to some kind of powdered food-like supplement?

Yes, im talking about powdered shakes to help me gain weight, but even though i havent had any outbreaks since 3 months ago, im afraid a weight gainer may make me break out.

Im looking for weight gainers for diabetic people, because since they have no sugar i guess they would be more "safe" for an acne prone person.

I have read some of your post in the past and it seems like you are an expert on alimentation, do you know about any high calorie diet that would help me gain weight without breaking out?

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MemberMember
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(@xabier94)

Posted : 06/19/2013 8:20 am

Hemp protein is probably your best bet, since hemp is great for you, it's anti-inflammatory, and has a full amino acid profile. Whey will almost surely break you out since it's dairy. Pea protein would be a good choice too but I find it absolutely unbearable in terms of taste. Soy is not very good for you, especially for guys. Sprouted grains like brown rice protein are another choice but I try to steer clear of grains since they are inflammatory as well.

You can use Carbo Gain from NOW Foods, which is pure maltodextrin from corn (complex carb), but this may negatively affect your acne.

As others have said, just try to load up on lean proteins like chicken and fish (salmon is great, very anti-inflammatory), nutrient-dense veggies, healthy complex carbs for energy, and healthy fats like olive oil.

Almost all popular "weight gainers" like ones from Optimum Nutrition are loaded with inflammatory ingredients and artificial sweeteners.

I used to like Garden of Life RAW Meal (chocolate flavor, 340 calories and 34g protein per serving) but cut it out when I decided to cut out grains.

I'm sure you can tell by now that gaining weight on an anti-inflammatory, anti-acne diet is pretty tough. You'll simply need to constantly be taking in calories, more than a "maintenance" level - in other words, taking in more calories than you burn every day. This will cause you to gain weight and lean muscle mass if you are working out.

Thank you very much for answering, i'll search for hemp protein, because dairy breaks me out so i wont take a risk with whey protein.

I know most weight gainers are loaded with inflammatory ingredients, so i may buy one for diabetic people, like naturade sugar free weight gainer, but i think it'll be very difficult to find where i live.

Im on an anti-acne diet, i eat lots of chicken, turkey, fish, foods high in omega-3, extra virgin olive oil, etc. But due to my metabolism i find it very hard to gain weight. Im doing everything that's in my hand, i hit the gym 4 times a week, basketball pratices 6 days a week, swimming. Im very defined, my body fat is near 5%, but what i need is to get bigger, hence my desire to give weight gainers a try.

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(@johnh)

Posted : 06/19/2013 8:35 am

Thank you very much for answering, i'll search for hemp protein, because dairy breaks me out so i wont take a risk with whey protein.

I know most weight gainers are loaded with inflammatory ingredients, so i may buy one for diabetic people, like naturade sugar free weight gainer, but i think it'll be very difficult to find where i live.

Im on an anti-acne diet, i eat lots of chicken, turkey, fish, foods high in omega-3, extra virgin olive oil, etc. But due to my metabolism i find it very hard to gain weight. Im doing everything that's in my hand, i hit the gym 4 times a week, basketball pratices 6 days a week, swimming. Im very defined, my body fat is near 5%, but what i need is to get bigger, hence my desire to give weight gainers a try.

I like the hemp protein from Nutiva. It is unflavored and organic, so you will need to be a little creative to make it taste good. I like to do hemp protein, almond milk, unprocessed cocoa powder, ground pumpkin seeds, and a little Stevia to sweeten.

I am the exact same way, low BF% but relatively small. Keep in mind the only way you'll gain weight, fat or muscle, is to have a caloric surplus, so the basketball and swimming are hurting your weight gain efforts in that sense. You'll have to take in more calories than you burn in order to build muscle. Consider doing a couple months of "bulking" at a caloric surplus to build muscle, which will invariably add a little fat as well, and then do a "cutting" phase at a caloric deficit to burn off the fat you gained but keep the muscle.

Your diet sounds great in terms of being anti-acne.

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(@Anonymous)

Posted : 06/19/2013 9:44 am

Hey, take it from a guy who has been doing this his whole life. I am naturally tall and thin, and my football and baseball coaches wanted me to put on muscle to have more power. It's hard to do, but with a good diet and workout routine I've gone from 6'1'' and 160lbs to 185lbs, while still staying under 10% bodyfat.

 

Listen up :)

 

Okay, so first of all there is one type of whey protein. It is not "raw" or anything like that, it is just called whey protein. It is great for you, and if you plan to work out I highly recommend it.

 

If you want to buy a ready made weight gaining powder, those are good but they can be expensive. They are entirely not necessary though; I've never liked them.

 

If you want to gain weight through diet, these foods are the best way to do it

-whole grain breads and pastas

-eggs

-pizza

-brown rice

-kidney and black beans

-whole milk

-cheese

-whole, uncut (old fashioned) oatmeal

 

When you are trying to gain weight, it's a simple calories in vs out calculation. If you take in more than you burn, you will have a calorie surplus and gain weight. Like another poster said, you should also stop at a fast food place 2-3 times a week and grab a few sandwiches off the dollar menu, sticking to burgers and chicken sandwiches (wraps or fish won't do much for you).

 

To gain that much weight though requires a solid lifting routine, otherwise you'll put on fat. Focus on compound exercises, with medium-heavy weight, and a moderate rep scheme. If you workout four times a week, try to keep it under an hour each time; if three times a week (this is what I do), keep it under 1.5 hours.

 

If you need suggestions on exercises, supplement recommedations, or anything else just post it here. I've been fighting my ultra fast metabolism for years in sports so I know quite a bit about this LOL.

 

And unfortunately, anytime you up your caloric intake you have a slight risk in getting some new acne. The effect is usually minimal, and it usually clears up once your body has become acclimated to your new routine.

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410
(@alternativista)

Posted : 06/19/2013 10:27 am

You are referring to some kind of powdered food-like supplement?

Yes, im talking about powdered shakes to help me gain weight, but even though i havent had any outbreaks since 3 months ago, im afraid a weight gainer may make me break out.

Im looking for weight gainers for diabetic people, because since they have no sugar i guess they would be more "safe" for an acne prone person.

I have read some of your post in the past and it seems like you are an expert on alimentation, do you know about any high calorie diet that would help me gain weight without breaking out?

Well, I wouldn't add a ton of anyone thing. Add a lot of things. If you do dairy at all, make sure it's full fat. Eat the whole egg. Add coconut oil. You could make cocoa/coconut oil fudge. Can you eat nuts/seeds? I make kind of like 'cookie dough' by mixing a few tablespoons of almond butter with raw sunflower seeds, cacao nibs, dried coconut, some coconut oil, sometimes some dried fruit, etc. My sunflower seeds are sprouted which is easy to do. And I include some of the soaked/sprouted and cooked buckwheat and whole oat groats that I make for my breakfast. And sometimes some dark chocolate chunks.

Avocados, of course. And if money is no object, avocado oil. Drizzle it on all foods.

If you eat grains at all, look into those that are the highest fat while also being the most benign. I'd guess that's oats.

Are you in the U.S.? If so, I buy whole oat groats, raw buckwheat, dried coconut, dried zante currants which are actually a tiny raisin and the cheapest dried fruit, all at Whole foods.

Almond butter at Costco. (goat cheese is also a good buy there. And Kerry Gold butter and cheese from pastured cows)

Trader Joe's has the best price for coconut oil unless you want to buy it by the giant tub. They also have corn tortillas without any additives there. And the least expensive sprouted grain bread I know of. Oh, and the best price on cocoa powder. And I'm not positive about it but I thought their plain full fat organic yogurt is the best price. I make my own so I haven't done a comparison shop for yogurt.

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MemberMember
1
(@xabier94)

Posted : 06/19/2013 11:18 am

You are referring to some kind of powdered food-like supplement?

Yes, im talking about powdered shakes to help me gain weight, but even though i havent had any outbreaks since 3 months ago, im afraid a weight gainer may make me break out.

Im looking for weight gainers for diabetic people, because since they have no sugar i guess they would be more "safe" for an acne prone person.

I have read some of your post in the past and it seems like you are an expert on alimentation, do you know about any high calorie diet that would help me gain weight without breaking out?

Well, I wouldn't add a ton of anyone thing. Add a lot of things. If you do dairy at all, make sure it's full fat. Eat the whole egg. Add coconut oil. You could make cocoa/coconut oil fudge. Can you eat nuts/seeds? I make kind of like 'cookie dough' by mixing a few tablespoons of almond butter with raw sunflower seeds, cacao nibs, dried coconut, some coconut oil, sometimes some dried fruit, etc. My sunflower seeds are sprouted which is easy to do. And I include some of the soaked/sprouted and cooked buckwheat and whole oat groats that I make for my breakfast. And sometimes some dark chocolate chunks.

Avocados, of course. And if money is no object, avocado oil. Drizzle it on all foods.

If you eat grains at all, look into those that are the highest fat while also being the most benign. I'd guess that's oats.

Are you in the U.S.? If so, I buy whole oat groats, raw buckwheat, dried coconut, dried zante currants which are actually a tiny raisin and the cheapest dried fruit, all at Whole foods.

Almond butter at Costco. (goat cheese is also a good buy there. And Kerry Gold butter and cheese from pastured cows)

Trader Joe's has the best price for coconut oil unless you want to buy it by the giant tub. They also have corn tortillas without any additives there. And the least expensive sprouted grain bread I know of. Oh, and the best price on cocoa powder. And I'm not positive about it but I thought their plain full fat organic yogurt is the best price. I make my own so I haven't done a comparison shop for yogurt.

Thank you for your advice. Im not from the United States, im from the Netherlands, bit i'll search for all the foods you said

Quote
MemberMember
3
(@johnh)

Posted : 06/19/2013 11:26 am

Hey, take it from a guy who has been doing this his whole life. I am naturally tall and thin, and my football and baseball coaches wanted me to put on muscle to have more power. It's hard to do, but with a good diet and workout routine I've gone from 6'1'' and 160lbs to 185lbs, while still staying under 10% bodyfat.

Listen up smile.png

Okay, so first of all there is one type of whey protein. It is not "raw" or anything like that, it is just called whey protein. It is great for you, and if you plan to work out I highly recommend it.

If you want to buy a ready made weight gaining powder, those are good but they can be expensive. They are entirely not necessary though; I've never liked them.

If you want to gain weight through diet, these foods are the best way to do it

-whole grain breads and pastas

-eggs

-pizza

-brown rice

-kidney and black beans

-whole milk

-cheese

-whole, uncut (old fashioned) oatmeal

When you are trying to gain weight, it's a simple calories in vs out calculation. If you take in more than you burn, you will have a calorie surplus and gain weight. Like another poster said, you should also stop at a fast food place 2-3 times a week and grab a few sandwiches off the dollar menu, sticking to burgers and chicken sandwiches (wraps or fish won't do much for you).

Did you even read the OP? His primary concern in finding weight gainer supplements and food suggestions is that he does not want to exacerbate his acne and wants to maintain his clear skin.

Every single thing you suggested will almost surely aggravate acne. Also, a few things:

  • Whey protein is not "great for you." Quite the opposite in fact. There are many vastly superior alternatives in terms of healthy protein powders - pea, hemp, brown rice, etc.
  • Every food you suggested in your list is highly inflammatory.
  • "You should also stop at a fast food place 2-3 times a week." - Please tell me you're kidding...

While I do agree that these foods will help you gain weight, it will mostly be stored as fat, especially fast food, which would create an unnecessarily large caloric surplus. The main issue, however, is that most of the foods you suggested are not very good for your overall health and well-being, and all of the foods you suggested are inflammatory, which will exacerbate existing acne and will likely cause acne for most people.

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MemberMember
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(@xabier94)

Posted : 06/19/2013 11:41 am

I like the hemp protein from Nutiva. It is unflavored and organic, so you will need to be a little creative to make it taste good. I like to do hemp protein, almond milk, unprocessed cocoa powder, ground pumpkin seeds, and a little Stevia to sweeten.

I am the exact same way, low BF% but relatively small. Keep in mind the only way you'll gain weight, fat or muscle, is to have a caloric surplus, so the basketball and swimming are hurting your weight gain efforts in that sense. You'll have to take in more calories than you burn in order to build muscle. Consider doing a couple months of "bulking" at a caloric surplus to build muscle, which will invariably add a little fat as well, and then do a "cutting" phase at a caloric deficit to burn off the fat you gained but keep the muscle.

Your diet sounds great in terms of being anti-acne.

Thanks for the advice. I'll try that shake with hemp protein, almond milk, cocoa powder and ground pumpkin seeds.

I will consider doing a couple months of bulking at a calorics surplus, but i wont stop with the basketball practices, i have to work hard during the summer in order to be the best in the court when the season starts. Though i'll stop running and doing that kind of exercises that wont help me build muscle but will make me burn a lot of calories.

I think that i will stick to my anti-acne diet, and i will add a sugar-free or sugar-low weight gainer to help me consume more calories, hoping that it wont make me break out.

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(@Anonymous)

Posted : 06/19/2013 11:43 am

In response to JohnH,

 

LOL this is one of the areas where my expertise lies my friend.

 

1) Whey protein is the single most bioavailable protein there is. END OF STORY. This is a medical fact. All natural proteins are almost identical in makeup and function, the only difference is how much of the protein you ingest is actually absorbed by the body. This is what a protein's bioavailability is.

 

2) Some of the proteins mentioned, specifically any plant based proteins, are far less superior to whey for one reason. THEY ARE NOT COMPLETE PROTEINS. Plant derived proteins are not considered "complete" because they all lack a few amino acids; which ones are missing depends on the plant. Now, if you combine say bean protein and rice protein, those will provide a complete protein. But for the OP to do the research and find the complete protein pairings would be very time consuming and is very bad advice. Whey is a milk based, therefore animal sources protein. Whey protein and the protein in meats is considered "complete" as it contains all the necessary amino acids.

 

3) The highly inflammatory stuff is a load of crap. I'm not even going to go into this one because I'm going to work. OP, do your own research on this.

 

4) If you expect to put on muscle, you WILL increase you testosterone, IGF-1, growth hormone, and cholesterol. All of these can potentially contribute to acne, and I believe the OP knows this.

 

This is why I rarely come here anymore. Anyone can act like an expert on this site; I try to give a guy scientifically proven advice and what has worked for me for 10 years as an athlete but someone who likely doesn't play sports (at least at a high school or collegiate level) wants to tell me otherwise and asks if I "even read the original post."

 

Try to maintain a more courteous tone bud, we all have different things to offer on this website and unless your 100% positive on something, don't imply it is fact. We want to share our knowledge here; that's the real strength of this website.

Quote
MemberMember
1
(@xabier94)

Posted : 06/19/2013 11:55 am

Hey, take it from a guy who has been doing this his whole life. I am naturally tall and thin, and my football and baseball coaches wanted me to put on muscle to have more power. It's hard to do, but with a good diet and workout routine I've gone from 6'1'' and 160lbs to 185lbs, while still staying under 10% bodyfat.

Listen up smile.png

Okay, so first of all there is one type of whey protein. It is not "raw" or anything like that, it is just called whey protein. It is great for you, and if you plan to work out I highly recommend it.

If you want to buy a ready made weight gaining powder, those are good but they can be expensive. They are entirely not necessary though; I've never liked them.

If you want to gain weight through diet, these foods are the best way to do it

-whole grain breads and pastas

-eggs

-pizza

-brown rice

-kidney and black beans

-whole milk

-cheese

-whole, uncut (old fashioned) oatmeal

When you are trying to gain weight, it's a simple calories in vs out calculation. If you take in more than you burn, you will have a calorie surplus and gain weight. Like another poster said, you should also stop at a fast food place 2-3 times a week and grab a few sandwiches off the dollar menu, sticking to burgers and chicken sandwiches (wraps or fish won't do much for you).

To gain that much weight though requires a solid lifting routine, otherwise you'll put on fat. Focus on compound exercises, with medium-heavy weight, and a moderate rep scheme. If you workout four times a week, try to keep it under an hour each time; if three times a week (this is what I do), keep it under 1.5 hours.

If you need suggestions on exercises, supplement recommedations, or anything else just post it here. I've been fighting my ultra fast metabolism for years in sports so I know quite a bit about this LOL.

And unfortunately, anytime you up your caloric intake you have a slight risk in getting some new acne. The effect is usually minimal, and it usually clears up once your body has become acclimated to your new routine.

Thanks for your advice. I guess as you said that in order to gain muscle i'll have to have a little fuck-it attitude with the diet and the acne, but somehow being clear is more important to me than adding pounds. I may only try to gain 10 pounds instead of 20 if thats better to my skin.

Thanks also for the information about exercises, the coaching staff and the people at the gym already told me what to do, but if i have any question i'll post it here, it seems like you are experienced in gaining weight and sports and such

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Guest
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(@Anonymous)

Posted : 06/19/2013 10:52 pm

Yep, no problem. It sucks, but building muscle increases the chance of getting acne in people with problematic skin. There's really no way around it, you can only give it shot and see how your skin responds.

 

Who knows, at age 19 your hormones may be starting to settle down and so what caused you acne before may not anymore. That's what I've noticed with me.

Quote
MemberMember
3
(@johnh)

Posted : 06/19/2013 11:34 pm

In response to JohnH,

LOL this is one of the areas where my expertise lies my friend.

1) Whey protein is the single most bioavailable protein there is. END OF STORY. This is a medical fact. All natural proteins are almost identical in makeup and function, the only difference is how much of the protein you ingest is actually absorbed by the body. This is what a protein's bioavailability is.

2) Some of the proteins mentioned, specifically any plant based proteins, are far less superior to whey for one reason. THEY ARE NOT COMPLETE PROTEINS. Plant derived proteins are not considered "complete" because they all lack a few amino acids; which ones are missing depends on the plant. Now, if you combine say bean protein and rice protein, those will provide a complete protein. But for the OP to do the research and find the complete protein pairings would be very time consuming and is very bad advice. Whey is a milk based, therefore animal sources protein. Whey protein and the protein in meats is considered "complete" as it contains all the necessary amino acids.

3) The highly inflammatory stuff is a load of crap. I'm not even going to go into this one because I'm going to work. OP, do your own research on this.

4) If you expect to put on muscle, you WILL increase you testosterone, IGF-1, growth hormone, and cholesterol. All of these can potentially contribute to acne, and I believe the OP knows this.

This is why I rarely come here anymore. Anyone can act like an expert on this site; I try to give a guy scientifically proven advice and what has worked for me for 10 years as an athlete but someone who likely doesn't play sports (at least at a high school or collegiate level) wants to tell me otherwise and asks if I "even read the original post."

Try to maintain a more courteous tone bud, we all have different things to offer on this website and unless your 100% positive on something, don't imply it is fact. We want to share our knowledge here; that's the real strength of this website.

Not trying to hijack the OP's thread, but I just wanted to say I think you may have misunderstood my point. I should have been more clear.

I completely agree with you that whey protein is the most bioavailable, most complete protein, and is the best protein for gaining weight and building muscle. When I talked about the "superior" alternatives, I meant in reference to overall health and the OP's primary concern being maintaining clear skin. If the OP had simply said he wanted to gain weight and didn't care about how it affected his acne, I would have absolutely 100% suggested whey protein. In fact, back when I didn't care much about my skin and health and was going to the gym and trying to gain weight, I was taking in massive amounts of whey protein daily. Since dairy is inflammatory, and whey protein is basically concentrated milk, I suggested an anti-inflammatory alternative like hemp protein, which also happens to be a complete protein with all 9 essential amino acids.

The only reason I replied to the OP and to you the way I did is because the OP clearly stated his main concern was maintaining his clear skin, and then went on to say "dairy breaks me out so i wont take a risk with whey protein." Again, had his primary concern been simply putting on some pounds, I would gladly support whey protein and inflammatory, calorie dense foods.

I meant no disrespect. Admittedly, I guess I overreacted a bit because your post just seemed to indicate that you didn't read the OP or any of his subsequent posts saying he didn't want anything that would exacerbate his acne and didn't want to try whey. I just know firsthand how important it is sometimes to want to do everything possible to keep your clear skin, which can be tricky when incorporating new foods or supplements into your diet. But in the interest of full disclosure, I was a high school and collegiate tennis player and currently work out and exercise 6 days a week with 8% body fat.

OP, in short, whey protein is the best for gaining weight, but will likely aggravate your acne. Keep in mind people react differently to different things, so it may be worth a try if you're into the idea. Hemp is also a complete protein with all 9 essential amino acids. It is anti-inflammatory and, as such, will likely help acne.

Good luck, let us know what you ultimately end up trying and how it turns out.

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MemberMember
1
(@xabier94)

Posted : 06/20/2013 4:54 am

Yep, no problem. It sucks, but building muscle increases the chance of getting acne in people with problematic skin. There's really no way around it, you can only give it shot and see how your skin responds.

Who knows, at age 19 your hormones may be starting to settle down and so what caused you acne before may not anymore. That's what I've noticed with me.

My acne started about 9 months ago, so i don't think my hormones have settled down :(.

But maybe the antibiotics i took have eliminated my acne. Lately i've been eating food bad for acne because im doing exams and im eating in college, yet i havent had any break out, so who knows

 

I think i will try hemp protein since its antiinflammatory and wont hurt my acne, or at least wont hurt my acne as much as whey protein.

I'll try to keep my acne-free diet, but i think that if i want to gain weight ill have to eat foods that are bad for acne. I guess i dont want to be a slave of acne for the rest of my life, so sooner or later i will have to start eating foods bad for acne.

About the weight gainer thing, ill search in the stores for one sugar free or low in sugar. If i dont find one, i may prepare my own weight gainer shake with product such as fruits, hemp protein, olive oil etc.

I will start my diet on monday when my exams finish, and ill post whether it makes me break out or not.

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(@aanabill)

Posted : 06/20/2013 6:09 am

just be careful about products claiming sugar free and still are sweet.they might have 'not so great' additives and saccharin which not the best thing for ur overall health

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(@xabier94)

Posted : 06/20/2013 7:29 am

just be careful about products claiming sugar free and still are sweet.they might have 'not so great' additives and saccharin which not the best thing for ur overall health

You are right, i didn't think about sugar free products having another sweeteners which may affect acne.

I guess i will have to check out all the ingredients in the weight gainer and not worry only about if it is sugar free

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(@aanabill)

Posted : 06/20/2013 12:15 pm

just be careful about products claiming sugar free and still are sweet.they might have 'not so great' additives and saccharin which not the best thing for ur overall health

You are right, i didn't think about sugar free products having another sweeteners which may affect acne.

I guess i will have to check out all the ingredients in the weight gainer and not worry only about if it is sugar free

Good luck!rolleyes.gif

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