What motivated YOU to gain weight?

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jo_marnes
jo_marnes Posts: 1,601 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Before I start, please don't shoot me down for this thread. I realise the majority on here are trying to lose weight but we are not all in the group and I know there are some very knowledgable people here who might be able to help me out.

I've been aware for about 12 mths that my body fat % is too low (14-15%). I've stopped having periods, I'm always cold and I look thin (BMI is 18.7). I want to gain in order to be healthy, but I just can't seem to do it. My head is still programmed to lose weight. I eat maintenance cals and feel bad if I go over. I exercise 6 out 7 days. I am concerned that I will lose the fitness and body I have worked so damn hard to achieve.

I am aware of the health risks of being underweight. But being aware is not helping - it's clearly not working to motivate me. So I am asking, what motivated you to regain some weight? Any tips/ ideas/ stories welcome! Thankyou xxx
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Replies

  • Dahllywood
    Dahllywood Posts: 642 Member
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    I am having the same issue. You are not alone :)
  • jo_marnes
    jo_marnes Posts: 1,601 Member
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    bump
  • DesireeLovesOrganic
    DesireeLovesOrganic Posts: 456 Member
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    What if you add 100-200 cal a day of healthy fats? Avocado and nuts, etc?
  • feltlikesound
    feltlikesound Posts: 326 Member
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    This is not my problem, but a friend of mine is trying to gain weight for similar reasons -- she is always cold, she doesn't feel healthy, and she feels awful/unattractive in clothing. She also hates looking very child-like, especially as she tries to compete in a competitive professional career.

    She is having a hard time with it, i'd say a much harder time than I am having losing weight, and she doesn't get the same respect for it.

    I wish you well on your journey!
  • eireannyoung
    eireannyoung Posts: 154 Member
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    I was always underweight and always tend to forget about eating or not bother. I never bothered to try gaining weight until about five weeks ago. I went to the doctor complaining of muscle weakness, they ran some tests and told me that my body was breaking down the protein in my muscles for energy - this was from a combination of eating too little carbohydrates, and not replacing calories burned after working out.

    I'm motivated to gain weight (and eat more carbs) because I'm tired of being weak and sickly! I want to have enough energy to get things done and enjoy life, and I want to look better (too much weight loss gave me dry and cracking skin, shadows under my eyes, and limp hair... not so attractive).

    Nuts and seeds are high-calorie and very nutritious. I soak them overnight and eat them in the morning for breakfast - that paired with a green smoothie gives me about 1100 calories right at the start of the day. Cream-top or traditional greek yogurt is also excellent for weight gain and very easy to eat.
  • EarthyChocl8AKA
    EarthyChocl8AKA Posts: 69
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    I agree, try adding healthier cals like nuts, avacado, etc and maybe once a week have a large calorie laden meal or two (but healthy still).
  • TyFit08
    TyFit08 Posts: 799 Member
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    I agree with others here, but also considering cutting back you exercise too.
  • C00lCountry
    C00lCountry Posts: 282
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    You could try bumping your calories up a little.
    Remember to shot for a weekly average instead of daily.
    If you go over one day and under another about the same they cancel each other out.
  • bbrat333
    bbrat333 Posts: 158 Member
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    I've never had to try gaining weight, it's been a struggle to lose any. However, I would assume you could use many of the same reasons you lost weight as reasons to gain... for attractiveness, healthiness, energy, etc. It seems to be similar symptoms. I lost my period due to being over weight, It has become regular again now that I'm losing weight. You just need to find the right medium for yourself where you feel healthy.
  • MaryJane_8810002
    MaryJane_8810002 Posts: 2,082 Member
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    :happy:
  • aproc
    aproc Posts: 1,033 Member
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    I was at a bmi of 16.5 and I had the same problems and still stressed eating over maintenance. I eventually picked up weights and still was spinning my wheels for a while until I met my amazing bf in the gym. With his encouragement I started eating more and after seeing the results that come with it like higher weights I could lift and progress more often in the gym I was just hooked... Now I can't imagine dieting down too much again. I didn't want to lose what I had worked for then....well now it is the same way but in the other direction. I don't want to lose the progress I've made in the gym. I love the thought of more muscle and now at a healthy weight (I was before getting serious about weights but it still came from encouragement and support from my brother) I am still working on gaining to put on muscle.
  • Kenzietea2
    Kenzietea2 Posts: 1,132 Member
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    Continue your exercise regime, there is no need to give it up. There is definitely a healthy way of gaining weight and you sound like you are fully aware of this. Just like when losing you should do the slow and steady method, you should do the same when gaining. Maybe change your weight to 5-10 lbs heavier and start eating the maintenance calories for that weight, and eventually you will get there. Who cares if it is slow, gaining weight quickly no matter how underweight you are is never a good thing. Good luck!
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
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    it was that friggen mirrior i had to look into every day.
  • skinnylove00
    skinnylove00 Posts: 662 Member
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    last year i had really restrictive tendencies...i lost my period, had an underweight bmi, lost a LOT of my hair, my hands and feet would turn bluish/purple in air conditioned rooms, i had a very low heart rate and a low blood pressure, and i was just really really sick and bony looking. my doctor told me if i kept running/excersing at the vigorous pace i was, that i was going to have a heart attack. i mean, can you imagine a 98 pound 19 year old girl dying from a heart attack? :noway:

    so i saw a nutritionist and she really helped me balance my meals. i stopped running 10k a day and did pilates, yoga, and resistance exercises instead. they helped me stay fit but i TRULY needed to gain weight back in order to be healthy, so i had to back off. the biggest motivation was to get my hair back (i know, kind of vain, but true. i was BALDING!) definitely talk to a nutritionist, tell her your situation. my girl was awesome and she showed me proper portion sizes and set up a simple chart showing me what food groups to eat at each meal. it was easy to follow, so i shut out that ED voice and began nourishing my body again. it took a LOT of effort to get rid of `that voice` and i still hear it daily, but i ignore it and tell myself that healthy is better instead. if i cant be the epitome of thin, then i might as well become the epitome of health and fitness, right? thats the road i am on right now. hope this helps and good luck on your journey :flowerforyou:
  • jo_marnes
    jo_marnes Posts: 1,601 Member
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    Thanks everyone. I do know HOW to gain.... I just don't let myself do it!

    I'm not tired all the time, I'm not sickly and I am the strongest and fittest I have ever been. Hence no real motivation to actually start putting on weight again! I can see abs for the first time EVER - any fat on and they will disappear. I'm having a hard time agreeing that extra weight will make me look better I suppose. It's all about vanity I suppose.
  • gogophers
    gogophers Posts: 190 Member
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    Well first of all, extra weight will make you look better. Are you hungry and just forcing yourself not to eat, or do you just forget about eating?

    Do you work at a desk? If you do and you are simply forgetting to eat, maybe put some nuts in a jar and grab a couple every time you sit down. I don't know what your diet consists of, so you can substitute something else for nuts if they don't work for you or you don't like them.
  • FoodieGal09
    FoodieGal09 Posts: 198 Member
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    I'm not underweight, but I recently read a thread on a clean eating board about coconut oil. This woman's child was under weight for his age, not unhealthy but he was in like the 80th percentile or something like that. She started adding a tbsp of coconut oil to his cereal each morning and his weight has slowly gone up even though his diet hasn't really changed. So that is my advice, start adding in healthy fats. You don't need to eat a huge amount of food, just make a small change.
  • daisyhougan
    daisyhougan Posts: 52
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    I personally have the opposite problem but have a slightly different experience with this. My daughter has a health problem that has resulted in a fairly high metabolism so she's both growing and underweight and it was impacting her growth. (Plus, she looked frail.....and that wasn't just my perspective.) Try having that conversation with your pediatrician! It was so obviously the opposite conversation than the one he was used to having but it was frustrating. I wanted to teach her healthy eating habits so I didn't just want to give her lots of junk food or discourage her from being active because both would be detrimental to her long term. What worked for us was to try to sneak what was essentially another snack into the day. She'd have breakfast, lunch, afterschool snack, dinner, and before bed snack. It was usually something healthy,we did lots of nuts or veggies dipped in peanut butter or pretzels. Perhaps I'm wrong but it sounds like part of the problem for you is that you've done such a great job in losing weight that it's hard to have to readjust slightly in the opposite direction. Good luck in your journey!
  • WillPowerYes
    WillPowerYes Posts: 103 Member
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    So I am asking, what motivated you to regain some weight? Any tips/ ideas/ stories welcome! Thankyou xxx
    Back in the days of being skinny, I was motivated to gain weight because I wanted to have a healthy pregnancy.
  • jo_marnes
    jo_marnes Posts: 1,601 Member
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    So I am asking, what motivated you to regain some weight? Any tips/ ideas/ stories welcome! Thankyou xxx
    Back in the days of being skinny, I was motivated to gain weight because I wanted to have a healthy pregnancy.

    This would defo be a reason - if I hadn't already had my 3 kids! lol

    I am not working - well, not employed anyway, haha. I am a Mum to 3 young boys, a midwifery student and I volunteer with the SES (State Emergency Service) and am the chairpeson/ fundraiser at my child's Kindy so I'm pretty busy. I don't forget to eat and I'm not hungry. I actually eat a fair amount - around 1800 cals a day. Considering I was eating 1200 - 1400 6 months ago (I've lost 25kg/ 55lbs since 2008) it seems like a lot for me. In fact, when I eat more than that, I never have an appetite the next day and therefore eat less!

    I don't FEEL bad - that's the point. If I did, or was unhappy with how I look, I'd sort it out. But right now I just have everyone else telling me to gain weight and I'm just not seeing a REAL reason to. Maybe 100 - 200 cals a day wouldn't be too scary. I'm just not so good at sticking to the amount. I do it for a week or so then fall back in to the same habits. My dietician says I shouldn't count cals, but I feel I'd actually eat LESS if I didn't.

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