Believe it or not...how does a very thin person gain weight?

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I have a friend at work, who is tall, and scary thin. She recently just got over some major stomach issues that she has had for years. For the first time in many years, she finally gets to eat without being worried that she will be in pain. She is one of those people that anxiety and worry will also keep her from eating.

Recently she told me that over the weekend she had eaten like no tommorrow. (Because, now her stomach issues are healed.) When she weighed herself, she had lost 3 lbs. She is very disturbed with all the attention she gets from co-workers and the like, about how thin she is. Is she anorexic or what? You know how rude people can be when overweight; I guess it also happens to those who are too thin.

How can she gain weight? Her metabolism is super fast. She is starting to worry, because, now she gets dizzy and doesn't feel balanced.

The doctor's don't know what to do either. Can anyone help my friend?:sad:

Replies

  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    in all seriousness, there's no way for us to help if we don't know a lot more about her. of course eating more than you burn is the obvious answer, but unless she wants to gain fat, that's a lot harder then it sounds, you have to be quite meticulous in what foods you eat, when you eat them, your exercise, and daily activity levels.
  • jennalink807
    jennalink807 Posts: 226 Member
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    Has she asked the doctor to evaluate her TDEE? If she ate at a surplus over that then it would make sense she would gain weight. Also... peanut butter. And lots of it :) <that's what my brother ate when he needed to gain some. It's easy to put on anything or in protein shakes, and it bumps the calories up quite a bit.
  • rdsxgrl28
    rdsxgrl28 Posts: 165 Member
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    My BF is in the same boat he wants to gain but by adding muscle. Try some of the high calorie drinks like Ensure etc...
    High in fat/carbs & calories, these are the same things they gave my father when he was acancer patient.
  • jimmie25
    jimmie25 Posts: 266
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    My brother is the same. he can eat whatever he wants and I have seen how he would eat 8 cheeseburgers at mcdonalds. at home he eats every hour and he eats A LOT. He is still underweight (not dangerously underweight tho). after checking him for worms and all sorts of different diseases, his doctor thinks it's a metabolic disease and he doesn't really know what to do about it. He has to go for check ups every 6 months but since his weight isn't dangerous and he really has no other symptoms (that I know of), they aren't concerned. I'm just jealous he can eat 8 cheeseburgers, fries and a huge ice cream without having to worry about it.
  • effieking
    effieking Posts: 11 Member
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    Has she asked the doctor to evaluate her TDEE? If she ate at a surplus over that then it would make sense she would gain weight. Also... peanut butter. And lots of it :) <that's what my brother ate when he needed to gain some. It's easy to put on anything or in protein shakes, and it bumps the calories up quite a bit.
  • effieking
    effieking Posts: 11 Member
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    what is a TDEE?
  • ChrissyLu723
    ChrissyLu723 Posts: 154 Member
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    what is a TDEE?

    Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) quantifies the number of calories you burn in a day. This measure is best estimated by scaling your Basal Metabolic Rate to your level of activity. TDEE is critical in tailoring your nutrition plan to desired fitness goals.
  • barefoot76
    barefoot76 Posts: 314 Member
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    DRINK YOUR CALORIES. Seriously, drinking calories is a great way to sneak them in (and always the first culprit when we gain weight and are trying to figure out where to cut calories!). Of course, she wants to drink healthy calories like raw fruit and protein smoothies or fresh fruit juices. This will both help her add calories AND keep her hydrated. And if she is having low blood sugar issues, she can sip all day to try to keep her insulin levels balanced.

    She should also consider taking supplements to help her maintain her vitamin and mineral levels, and she should avoid things that might curb her appetite like coffee or tea. A close friend of mine battles anorexia, she doesn't eat much and she has weird "food rules" that keep her from eating, so we just try to encourage her to eat high calorie stuff when she does eat (fatty salad dressings, pasta lunches, etc).
  • rw4004
    rw4004 Posts: 157
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    As a nurse there are a lot of things not listed that could be causing/contributing to the problem:has she had her thyroid tested,anemia,hypergylcemia(thats HYPER not hypo big difference),Chrohns disease,ulcers,etc.What kind of pain is she experiencing?Any other issues going on?In general I recommend yoga for total body (and mental) health.Has she seen a doctor?If she has and isn't imporoving I would say get a different doctor.I would also seriously recommend Extra Virgin Coconut oil -like from wilderness family naturals no matter what the problem anyone can take it.It's an anti-viral too.*No I am not getting paid to say that!!I'll say a prayer for her.Keep us updated.Rose
  • LuciaLongIsland
    LuciaLongIsland Posts: 815 Member
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    I have a friend at work, who is tall, and scary thin. She recently just got over some major stomach issues that she has had for years. For the first time in many years, she finally gets to eat without being worried that she will be in pain. She is one of those people that anxiety and worry will also keep her from eating.

    Recently she told me that over the weekend she had eaten like no tommorrow. (Because, now her stomach issues are healed.) When she weighed herself, she had lost 3 lbs. She is very disturbed with all the attention she gets from co-workers and the like, about how thin she is. Is she anorexic or what? You know how rude people can be when overweight; I guess it also happens to those who are too thin.

    How can she gain weight? Her metabolism is super fast. She is starting to worry, because, now she gets dizzy and doesn't feel balanced.

    The doctor's don't know what to do either. Can anyone help my friend?:sad:

    My girlfriend is going through that now. She has had 3 surgeries and every test. The doctors have finally decided, after torturing her that her intestines are swollen and her digestion is way off. At one point I thought she was dying. She was down to 80 pounds. Your friend needs to see a doctor. This is why I do not believe in this starvation mode theory. According to people here she is supposed to not lose. Again, she needs to see a doctor.
  • Lindaendall
    Lindaendall Posts: 177 Member
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    I have no medical knowledge whatsoever, but my suggestion would be that the sooner she can realise that her body is now 'sorted' and she is free from pain when eating, she will then relax and stop burning up the anxiety calories. It is easy for us who struggle with our weight to say how lucky she is, but I know it is not that easy.
  • paigemarie93
    paigemarie93 Posts: 778 Member
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    I have a friend at work, who is tall, and scary thin. She recently just got over some major stomach issues that she has had for years. For the first time in many years, she finally gets to eat without being worried that she will be in pain. She is one of those people that anxiety and worry will also keep her from eating.

    Recently she told me that over the weekend she had eaten like no tommorrow. (Because, now her stomach issues are healed.) When she weighed herself, she had lost 3 lbs. She is very disturbed with all the attention she gets from co-workers and the like, about how thin she is. Is she anorexic or what? You know how rude people can be when overweight; I guess it also happens to those who are too thin.

    How can she gain weight? Her metabolism is super fast. She is starting to worry, because, now she gets dizzy and doesn't feel balanced.

    The doctor's don't know what to do either. Can anyone help my friend?:sad:

    I really wish people would read up on Anorexia & ED's before they go around asking complete strangers "do you think ___'s Anorexic".
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
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    If the doctors don't know what to do, I doubt anyone here can help.
  • clean115
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    She just started eating better, so I guess she should give it a while, and drink whole milk and eat peanut butter.
  • deninevi
    deninevi Posts: 934 Member
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    She needs to find a doctor that knows what they are doing! This board is not the place for the help she needs. Good luck to your friend!
  • marinaevgenevna
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    I think that the fact that eating had been painful for her previously was the major deterrent from eating for her (for a similar reason, people undergoing chemotherapy lose weight - because food is no longer enjoyable). I think that since her stomach issues are resolved (as you mentioned), she should just stick to a healthy diet and she will put on weight naturally (I would avoid trying to gain weight effortfully by eating lots of ice cream and baked goods and junk food...). If it feels weird for her to eat normally at first, then perhaps I would recommend "drinking" food like smoothies, but also make sure that there is enough protein, so add milk, and protein powder or cottage cheese to the smoothie.
  • GoMizzou99
    GoMizzou99 Posts: 512 Member
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    Work construction and travel with 17 others while on expenses. Find every all you can eat dive and pizza joint and eat 'till uncomfortable. Then drink beer after while playing cards at the hotel and snacking. Works like a charm.

    Then lose 70 pounds and get your life right and remember the days you could not gain weight if you tried.