I've been here a while but want to add some people with common goals.

mysmileisfading
mysmileisfading Posts: 5 Member
edited November 2024 in Introduce Yourself
I have been underweight almost my whole life. I am 23 years old now.

I have never really enjoyed eating.

I was put on a medication that boosted my appetite a year ago and I went from 98 to 120 pounds.
I am 5"6', still really thin, but finally I am at a weight where I feel confident and happy with how I look. I would like to gain five more pounds or at least maintain which I have been able to do even after coming off the med, thankfully!

I have decided to become vegan after being vegetarian for 10 years and it really is making me feel healthier and I feel inspired and my appetite is increased because I am doing something that I strongly believe in.

I would like to exercise more. I have a lot of body pains and I work at a daycare where I am lifting children constantly and my back and neck often hurts intensely. I think gaining some arm strength and leg strength could help my body to support my back.

Anyway this is my story. Anyone else trying to gain/maintain? Anyone else on a vegetarian or vegan diet?

I'd love to support anyone, whether you're trying to lose weight or what have you. So feel free to add me if you are interested in supporting each other.

Replies

  • ssaharea
    ssaharea Posts: 20 Member
    I think it's really cool you decided to become vegan. I hope to make the switch over to veganism over time as well. I started taking small steps like eating a lot more vegetables consistently on a daily basis. With time, I'll slowly be able to take out all animal products from my diet and adopt a whole food plant based diet.

    My goal is a bit different from yours. I am trying to get down to 128lbs. I am 24 years old, 5''6', and I currently weigh 143lbs. Once I reach my goal weight, I plan on doing some resistance training to bring my weight back up again.

    I think we can really motivate each other to do accomplish our goals. I recently finished the Couch to 5k running program. Running helps your leg muscles and core strength. Maybe developing leg and core muscles can help alleviate some of the pain you're experiencing? If not the rowing machine at the gym might be a good option as well.

    As far as gaining weight goes, peanut butter and seeds can really help. Flax seeds, hemp hearts, chia seeds can easily be added to oatmeal in the morning and peanut butter on toast is just the best!!
  • ChisaBear
    ChisaBear Posts: 2 Member
    edited December 2017
    Hi, there. I'm 21, and vegan. I'm quite the opposite from you weight wise. I've been overweight since childhood, but now trying to lose weight. I became vegetarian in high school, and have been vegan for around 2years now. I'm still learning as a vegan though. I like hearing what others eat as a vegan or vegetarian and being introduced to new ideas.
    I definitely agree with ssaharea, adding various seeds will definitely help boost your system. I like that they can be added to just about anything without changing the flavor so much.
    Also, I don't know how you feel about nuts and maybe you already know this but they are a great source of protein, carbs, and fat. They also have quite a bit of calories for their size, so maybe they'd be a good snack or side food (or something to add into recipes) to help you gain weight and boost energy.
    Oh, and if you haven't already, you can try adding tumeric and ginger to your diet to help with pain. Tumeric is common in a lot of indian dishes, like curry. Though, as a powder you can add it too many foods. The flavor is a bit strong to me, but just adding a little bit to various dishes may be enough. I've also heard of Tumeric tea, but I have yet to try it. Ginger is used in a lot of asian dishes. But, it's often added to drinks, like veggie smoothies or lemonade, or there's ginger tea.
    I've heard peppers can help too, as they have strong anti-infammatory properties.

    Anywayy, I may of got a little carried away especially since I hadn't planned to say much. Hopefully there was something new to you in all of that, or at least gives you some reminders or ideas to try out. If you ever want me to try searching for something specific, don't hesitate to ask, I'll do my best to find some info.

    Well, wish you all well.

    Here's an article that might be interesting:
    https://sunwarrior.com/healthhub/pain-fighting-foods

    Tumeric Tea (If you're curious, and the recipe calls for ginger too! Not so sure how it taste- there's probably other ways to incorporate it into a comforting drink too):
    https://wellnessmama.com/223/turmeric-tea/
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