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How to Maintain a Healthy Weight in Red Dead Redemption 2: A Comprehensive Guide

The Wild West is a harsh place, and in Red Dead Redemption 2 (RDR2), maintaining your protagonist’s physical condition is crucial for survival and optimal performance. One common issue players face is Arthur Morgan (or your online character) becoming underweight. This negatively impacts stamina and damage resistance, making life significantly harder. This guide provides a detailed strategy to avoid and reverse this condition, ensuring you’re always in fighting (and riding) shape.

The key to preventing your character from becoming underweight in Red Dead Redemption 2 boils down to consistent and deliberate overeating coupled with adequate rest. It’s about establishing a routine, prioritizing food intake above simply replenishing cores, and being mindful of your character’s status. It’s important to establish an eating routine that involves eating multiple meals a day, even when your cores are full.

The Importance of Weight Management

In RDR2, your character’s weight directly affects their stats and appearance.

Underweight: Increased stamina regeneration but decreased health and damage resistance. You’ll be able to run further and faster, but you’ll be much more vulnerable in combat.
Average Weight: Balanced stats, offering a good compromise between stamina and health. This is generally considered the optimal weight for overall performance.
Overweight: Decreased stamina regeneration but increased health and damage resistance. You’ll be able to take more hits, but you’ll tire out more quickly.

Ideally, you want to maintain an average weight or slightly overweight status, depending on your play style. This guide focuses on transitioning from underweight to a healthier weight.

Strategies to Gain Weight and Avoid Underweight Status

Here’s a breakdown of the most effective methods to fatten up your character in RDR2:

1. Establish a Strict Overeating Routine

Multiple Meals a Day: Don’t just eat when your cores are low. Aim for at least three substantial meals per day.
Eat Before and After Sleep: Just like the article states, eat a meal right before you go to sleep and another as soon as you wake up.
Snack Regularly: Carry snacks like canned goods, chocolate bars, or jerky and consume them frequently, even while traveling.
High-Calorie Foods: Prioritize foods rich in calories and fat. Cooked big game meat, such as venison, beef, and boar, are excellent choices. Meats give a whopping 10 calories!
Variety is Key: While meat is great, don’t neglect other food groups. Incorporate stews, bread, and sugary treats into your diet.
Visit Saloons: Saloons offer convenient, relatively inexpensive meals. Order two $5 meals, sleep, and repeat. This is one of the quickest ways to see your weight increase.

2. Prioritize Rest

Sleep Regularly: Adequate rest is crucial for weight gain. Use beds in camps or hotels to sleep for extended periods.
Utilize the “Kneel” Option: If you’re in a location without a bed, use the “kneel” option (hold triangle/Y) to rest. This allows time for digestion and weight gain.

3. Be Patient and Persistent

Consistency is Key: It takes time to gain weight. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results immediately. Stick to your overeating routine.
Monitor Your Weight: Regularly check your character’s status in the player menu to track your progress.

4. Addressing Weight Loss During Chapter 6

During Chapter 6, when Arthur is diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB), maintaining his weight becomes significantly more challenging. The disease causes unintentional weight loss, regardless of your eating habits.

Focus on Core Replenishment: While you might not be able to gain weight, prioritize keeping Arthur’s cores full.
Don’t Give Up: Continue eating regularly to mitigate the weight loss as much as possible.
Embrace the Narrative: Arthur’s weight loss is a part of his story. Accept it as an element of his character arc.

5. Online Considerations

In Red Dead Online, the same principles apply, but there are a few nuances:

Frequent Eating: Way more frequent eating, but don’t just eat all at once. Eat two cooked meats and a candy, wait about twenty minutes and then do it again, wait twenty more minutes and do it again.
Server Changes: Sometimes, weight changes aren’t immediately reflected. Try switching servers (quitting out and reloading) to update your character’s status.
Food Variety: Utilize the diverse range of foods available in the online world, including crafted meals and purchased goods.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Only Eating When Cores are Low: This is a common mistake. You need to eat even when your cores are full to gain weight.
Ignoring Snacks: Snacks provide a constant stream of calories and help maintain your weight.
Inconsistent Eating Habits: Sporadic eating will hinder your progress. Stick to a consistent overeating routine.
Neglecting Rest: Rest is essential for weight gain. Make sure your character gets enough sleep.
Giving Up Too Soon: It takes time to gain weight. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions about weight management in Red Dead Redemption 2:

What is the best food to eat to gain weight in RDR2? The best foods are high-calorie and high-fat, such as cooked big game meat (venison, beef, boar), stews, and sugary treats like canned goods and chocolate bars.
How long does it take to go from underweight to average weight in RDR2? It varies depending on your eating habits and consistency, but generally, it takes several in-game days of consistent overeating to see a noticeable change.
Does Arthur’s weight affect his performance in combat? Yes. Being underweight decreases your health and damage resistance, while being overweight increases your health and damage resistance but decreases your stamina regeneration.
Can you become obese in RDR2? No, you cannot become significantly overweight. The “overweight” status provides a slight visual difference, but it’s far from a drastic transformation.
How do I check Arthur’s weight? You can check Arthur’s weight status in the player menu. Look for the icon indicating his current weight (underweight, average, overweight).
Does fast travel affect weight gain? No, fast travel doesn’t directly affect weight gain. However, if you’re fast traveling instead of hunting and eating, it can indirectly slow down your progress.
What happens if Arthur is underweight during a mission? An underweight Arthur will have reduced health and damage resistance, making missions more challenging, especially those involving combat.
Can I gain weight in the epilogue as John Marston? Yes, the same weight gain mechanics apply to John Marston in the epilogue.
Is there a limit to how much Arthur can eat? Arthur can continue to eat even when his cores are full, allowing you to overeat and gain weight.
Does the time of day affect weight gain? No, the time of day doesn’t directly affect weight gain. The important thing is to eat regularly, regardless of the time.
What happens if I stop eating regularly after gaining weight? If you stop eating regularly, Arthur will eventually start to lose weight and may become underweight again.
Does my honor level affect Arthur’s weight? No, your honor level doesn’t directly affect Arthur’s weight.
Can I force-feed Arthur? No, there’s no mechanic to force-feed Arthur. You simply need to prompt him to eat through the item wheel or by visiting a saloon.
Are there any glitches to gain weight faster? While there may be glitches, it’s generally recommended to gain weight through legitimate gameplay to avoid potential issues.
Is it possible to avoid Arthur’s weight loss due to TB in Chapter 6? No, Arthur’s weight loss is a scripted part of the story and cannot be completely avoided, but frequent eating can mitigate the weight loss.

Understanding and implementing these strategies will allow you to maintain a healthy weight for your character in Red Dead Redemption 2, enhancing your gameplay experience and ensuring you’re always prepared for the challenges of the Wild West.

Weight management is just one small aspect of the vast and complex world created by Rockstar Games. The immersive narrative and detailed game mechanics highlight the power of video games as learning tools. Organizations like the Games Learning Society are dedicated to exploring and promoting the educational potential of games. Visit GamesLearningSociety.org to learn more.

By focusing on consistent overeating and adequate rest, you’ll transform your skinny gunslinger into a robust outlaw, ready to conquer the challenges that await.

How do you not be underweight in Red Dead Redemption 2?