I would like to know if it is possible to gain body weight and a little muscle without consuming a lot of protein. I suffer from kidney disease and have been advised by a doctor not to eat more than 40 grams of protein daily. I am about 5'7" and weigh about 128 lbs, but I do run and go to the gym regularly. I know I will never become a bodybuilder with a massive frame but I would like to get up to about 140 lbs. Does anybody have any suggestions for fitness training and nutrition? Thanks for any tips.

I would like to know if it is possible to gain body weight and a little muscle without consuming a lot of protein. I suffer from kidney disease and have been advised by a doctor not to eat more than 40 grams of protein daily. I am about 5'7" and weigh about 128 lbs, but I do run and go to the gym regularly. I know I will never become a bodybuilder with a massive frame but I would like to get up to about 140 lbs. Does anybody have any suggestions for fitness training and nutrition? Thanks for any tips.

Muscle is virtually all protein, driven primarily by the glucose, which is in effect, the 'gas' that makes the muscle contract. I spent literally years trying to gain bodyweight... so I sympathize... not easy if you're an ecktomorph, meaning biologically slim due to the gene pool given you by your parents... I took massive amts of protein and gained virtually nothing in that time too... so first problem is our genes... second is our metabolizm... which we can only partially regulate... if you run, you're burning calories quite fast... there goes the bodyweight, and it takes precious protein to make those muscles move... third problem is what we actually put in our mouth... if you're restricted to a low-level protein diet, you're going to have a hard go of it... I would suggest two things: First, stick with moderate weight training... not a lot of reps, use heavier weights, but lower repetitions... burns less calories... you can't afford to lose many in any workout... secondly, I'd contact a homeopathic/naturopathic doctor of good reputation, get a handle on this 'kidney disease'... I have little trust and faith in the American Medical Association... they're not in business to make us healthy, they're in business to make a profit... our collective health is NOT what they're looking for... so get a second opinion concerning your physical problems. You didn't state your age, so I'm going to assume you're still fairly young, so there's no time like the present to pull out the stops and seek professional help that is just that, HELP... not business as usual, come back every week and we'll give you more tests and more medication and more bad news... I've studied homeopathic healing for years and feel quite confident in telling you that there's virtually nothing that ails us that cannot be cured... and that means you too...
One other thing... don't try to bulk up by pounding the carbs to you... that only adds fat over time... and 128lbs and fit is far more important than 158 and out of shape... consider how many FAT people there are out there that would literally kill for your problem!

Good Luck...

This is unreal, I am 24, 5'7/8 and weigh 129 and also have polycystic kidney disease. Therefore, I am not able to have much protein in my system as it can severely deteriorate my kidney, but I also want to gain weight and have some muscles and chest. Hope this guy has seen some improvements and could give me a feedback on his progress. My email is [email protected]