Not sure where to begin

rayvencriswell1

Hello! Im a 20y/o F. I'm 5'5 and 98lbs. I have found myself on a slippery slope. I have no appetite and when I do eat I get full before i can even finish a meal. I want to get back to a healthy weight, but im not sure what to do. Should I start working out (lifting weights etc)? And what are some good foods, or meal plans I can follow to reach my goal weight of 115lbs?

yweight2020

You should consult with your doctor and a nutritionist and since you need to gain I'm not sure about working out because your seriously underweight for your height and don't need to do anything at this point to burn calories, please seek help and advice from medical provider to see what's going on with your appetite and the fullness, could very well be Gastrointestinal issues or a number of other issues. Please check in with them, until you see them maybe you can supplement with nutrition drinks like ensure or boost in between meals. Here is a link regard weight gain. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/3000-calorie-meal-plan. You can also google others.

Hope this helps you, please take care of yourself.

MaltedTea

While 3k calories every day to reach their chosen target would be over top for this person (unless they're an athlete), the suggestion to check-in with the healthcare team is solid.

May you find a long-term, sustainable process @rayvencriswell1

rayvencriswell1

Thank yall! I have IBS and being underweight has been from not being able to afford to eat. Dont have health insurance so going to doctors are not ideal but i am also in therapy. Not looking for sympathy, because I am just one of very many going through this same thing (thanks covid lol). Appreciate the help!

claireychn074

There’s a lot to unpack here, and to be honest it’s difficult for us to give you good advice as we’re not doctors or dietitians. IBS can be set off with lots of different foods so our ideas might not help. But to get more calories in cheaply, look for full-fat versions of milk, yoghurt and cheese. Look for higher calorie bits of meat and fish (chicken thighs have more calories than breast, salmon has more calories than cod). You can get packs of lentils and pulses cheap and they keep, and you can make a big batch of lentil Dahl using full fat coconut milk (for instance), which will help with the calories. Seeds and nuts can be high calorie for small amounts as can peanut butter. You may need to plan snacks throughout the day, even a glass of milk and a couple of biscuits (cookies) at night will help to get the calories in.

Exercise may help you to develop an appetite but - not knowing your history - with your low body weight please be careful if you’ve ever had an eating disorder. And I’d suggest trying to eat more calories before exercising as you could make yourself feel dreadful, stress your body and start to lose hair / body condition.

Follow the normal advice on all these forums: put your weight etc into MFP and ask to gain 1lb a week. Have a look at the macros it suggests and see how you think you could achieve them. Good luck!

Viking_Dad

Drinking calories might be easier than eating them, if you have no appetite.
Things like peanut butter and a banana blended into a protein shake can total up to 500-700 calories.