Underweight help..

kellysara15
kellysara15 Posts: 2 Member
Ok so a little background. I'm underweight by around 20 lbs. I've been the same exact weight for 7-8 years. I've had my thyroids tested multiple times & the doctors I've seen don't really seem to help since I don't suffer from anorexia or anything. I explain to them that I want to gain weight & they're no help. I've seen doctors since I was 16 about this. They told me to drink pediasure or ensure and that's really it. I've gotten so upset about my weight that I can cry for hours about hating how skinny I am. My grandfather told me he was only around 118 lbs when he got married around 6 ft tall & my dad is around 5'7 5'8 and about 120 lbs. my brother is also around 5'7 5'8 and 105-110 lbs. my mom was always around 90-100 lbs 5'2, now overweight. I feel like I'm always hungry, but I'm very picky. I'm not a big meat eater and the feeling of being to full gives me a headache and makes me nauseated. When I finally add some weight, if I go a single day without eating as much as the day before I go back down to my original weight. Anyway, I'm trying to add more calories to my diet hoping it will do something. I've considering lifting for muscle gain, but I'm a very busy person and that doesn't seem like an option right now. Has anyone added 1000-1500 extra calories to their diet? If so how did you manage to stomach that much extra food? Any food options that have a good amount of calories that aren't very filling? I'm literally out of options. Saying "eat more" isn't help because that's obvious. I'm currently working with my therapist on how to gain, but it's a slow process.

Replies

  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
    There is another thread (under most helpful posts at the top of this forum) called are you a hard gainer,which has a similar list. (My phone app won't let me copy links)
    I am the same when it comes to eating big meals and feeling full quickly. I've been able to gain weight (at last!) by adding snacks of high calorie foods from the above links. You can also drink your calories. On days when I have trouble eating enough protein I use an unflavoured whey protein powder which you can mix with full fat milk and add things like nut butters and banana for extra calories.
    Make sure you weigh and log everything accurately- I found I just hadn't been eating as much as I thought. And log any exercise you do and make sure you eat back the calories.
    I started doing a simple body weight programme at home- it doesn't need to be too time consuming and have now progressed to a lifting programme which I also do at home. Check out the links at the top of the forum for suggestions - there's one called which is the best lifting programme for you which has some good beginners programmes.
  • Rusty740
    Rusty740 Posts: 749 Member
    This might seem sort of a weird suggestion, but might be worth a try. Go for a run or something. Maybe people who are actually trying to lose weight (not you I know) find that even though they are doing cardio, they end up eating back more food than they burned. The body just craves some food after a good workout and they end up eating more. Might be worth a try.

    I don't have much time for lifting weights either, so I spend 15-20 minutes at home doing dumbbell, barbell, pull-ups, push-ups, deadlift etc. I try to do this 3 times per week whenever I can. Now that I've made a habit out of it since January, I find I really have the desire to go do it when I miss some. This could be something for you too. You don't need barbells or dumbells either. A milk jug or some heavy cans will do. Even a small dog! :smile:
  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
    Sometimes it's not just about what you eat but when you eat it. When I wanted to add extra calories I did it by adding snacks mid morning and/or mid afternoon, like a Quest bar. Then added a before bedtime snack of cereal n milk. All fairly small but each can add 200 calories at a time your stomach is fairly empty.
  • LiveLoveFitFab
    LiveLoveFitFab Posts: 302 Member
    I too was severely underweight when I was in my 20's, and couldn't gain weight so I feel your pain. I'd recommend some weight training and tracking to make sure you really are eating over maintenance.

    I only put on weight once I started taking medication that causes weight gain :( But I was eventually able to put some muscle on despite my skinniness. So things can change, no matter how much you think you will be skinny forever.

    If you are on any medications, be sure to review them with your doctor and make sure they aren't exacerbating the problem as some meds can cause low appetite and inability to gain weight.

    And if your doctor says you are healthy at your current weight then just concentrate on getting stronger and healthier and don't worry about your weight. Health is the most important thing. So skip the cardio, lift some weights and make sure you are eating lots of food.
  • SarahKenney2
    SarahKenney2 Posts: 12 Member
    My family has skinny genes too. My brother was so underweight he couldn't get health insurance even though he ate like a horse. A year ago I was about 20lbs underweight and my doctor asked if I had anorexia. I never have, and have never had body image issues. However, I hated looking so skinny because I used to have an athlete's body.

    My doctor told me to gain weight, and the only thing that helped was using MyFitnessPal to track calories. I didn't realize how little I was eating. My body had gone into starvation mode and was eating away all my fat and had started on the muscle. Once I had a calorie goal for the day, the weight started to gradually add up. I managed to gain around 13 or 14 pounds in a few months. That's without weight lifting. The only exercise I did was a lot of walking, but my job requires it.

    The hardest part was dealing with extreme hunger when the weight started coming back. I found myself unable to go for more than two hours without needing a meal, and I would wake up starving. It honestly was a nightmare for me because I have a nervous stomach too, and eating a lot of food made me anxious. I was always afraid I might vomit (I have a vomiting phobia), and I don't like eating when I'm stressed out. It was a viscous cycle. However, I just forced myself to deal with it and drank a lot of protein shakes/smoothies to add calories when I had trouble with solid food. I could eat upwards of 3,000 calories/day during that gaining phase and still feel hungry.

    You have to eat high calorie stuff. Drink whole milk, try to eat more meat, lots of peanut butter, and don't try to eat healthy. Just eat to get calories in you. I found adding Muscle Milk powder to a cup of milk was a quick way to get 500 calories. I resorted to fast food often, and my wallet took a hit (if you can cook at home it would be better).

    Anyway, I still need to gain more weight, but my hunger has stabilized a lot more now that I've got back most of the fat I lost. I'm dealing with hypoglycemic feelings if I let hunger linger without eating at regular 4 hour intervals, but that's an improvement over the 2 hours it used to be. Today I'm really stressed over work stuff, so though I'm hungry, I'm having a hard time eating. It sucks. Somehow I think it's easier to lose weight than to gain or maintain. At least for me it would be.
  • federicafezza4271
    federicafezza4271 Posts: 69 Member
    Are you currently logging your food to assess your current calorie intake? maybe you could start increasing calories gradually so you will get used to it slowly, by adding 100 calories, then 100 more, etc...

    I use MFP to lose, not to gain, but logging my food helps me understand what habits are consistent to my goals, for example what lunch will allow me to be decently full but also to stay in my calorie budget.
    I think it can be the same for you, only opposite: you will understand what habits, recipes, etc will help you eat more calories without having headaches or being nauseated.

    Good luck!
  • JB035
    JB035 Posts: 336 Member
    Before I started logging food I though I ate a lot, I did not even get close.
    If your not I'd start.
  • kellysara15
    kellysara15 Posts: 2 Member
    Thank you everyone for your insight!! It definitely helped me :smile:
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