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Technically, you can gain weight without exercising. However, if you want to gain weight in a healthy manner, you need some exercise. Strength training will build muscle (which weighs more than fat, so bigger gains long-term) and helps prevent bone density loss. Exercise also increases your appetite and improves your mood.…

You don't look like you have any fat to spare, honestly. Even when I was underweight--i got down to 95 lbs at 5'0"--I always had a "soft spot" over my abs. You can try building and toning your core muscles and see if that tightens your abs up any, but I don't think losing fat is your issue at this point

I'm in! ...well, at least until I fall off the wagon again and stop logging my food. :s I'm 5'0" and currently 106 lb (up from 98!). While I'm wanting to gain weight, I'm not necessarily trying to "bulk up". I just started Jiu-Jitsu, and I have a feeling that the muscle mass will come with training. Any suggestions for…

I work nights, so my eating schedule can be a little erratic. There are days that "breakfast" is at 5 PM, lunch is 1 AM (or later), and dinner is at 7 am. But it's like my digestive system needs extra time to wake up or something. I've been trying to either pack extra calories into my later meals or bring a 10 o'clock…

When I was a kid, this was always stated as a fact, not an advertising slogan. :D

I know that there are soy and rice based protein powders out there. I know my mom used Rice'n'Shine for a while, and I tried it a time or two; the taste wasn't bad. It can be mixed with just about any liquid, though at 70 cal a serving, you might want to try mixing it with juice or a milk substitute. Sometimes bland foods…

From someone who has struggled with anxiety, sometimes you need help. If you're the sort of person who can fix it yourself, go for it; I know someone who basically willpowered herself out of depression. (It was not me, BTW). Just don't think of it as a sign of weakness if you find you need help. It took me several years…

As a nurse, I have never heard of the body burning muscle during exercise.... The body will burn protein if there are inadequate carbs available, but you shouldn't be burning muscle unless you have really put yourself into starvation mode. The higher speed running--usually aerobic heart rate levels of 55-85%--may not burn…

I would try, but like all of my attempts at flirting, it would just come off as being really awkward.

You can also try small meals or substantial snacks between meals. Something nutrition and protein heavy. I can't eat a whole lot at one meal usually, but fruit, cheese, and crackers or a yogurt between meals add up. And I completely understand where you're coming from. I'm 27, 5'0", and 100 lbs on a good day. If I had a…

I have the problem of not having the capacity to consume a large quantity of food in one setting. I am more prone to snacking than I like to admit. I've used Carnation Breakfast Essentials shakes before when I worked on a busy hospital unit; I didn't always have time to sit down and eat, but I could knock back a shake…

Yay! Weight gaining buddies! I just rejoined myfitnesspal when I realized that I have really crappy eating habits (like forgetting to eat) when I'm not with my husband. I also realized that I can barely do 15 push-ups. :-( I would eventually like to get my weight up high enough to donate blood, but I haven't seen 110 lbs…

You're probably burning muscle at that point. BMI does not take into account muscle mass. I have a friend who is a dancer and bodybuilder who always ranks high on the BMI charts due to the sheer bulk of muscle he carries. He has a very low body fat percentage, but since muscle weighs more than fat, he comes out "obese" on…

I feel your pain. I weigh a little over 90 lbs--and most of that is bone and muscle--and I have had problems of just plain not being hungry. Exercise will help add to your appetite, but that wasn't ever enough for me either. Recently I've been trying products from the nutrition company Genesis Pure. Their "Cleanse,…

No, really... Why is a discussion on contraceptives hindering weight loss in a section whose goal is to GAIN weight? Personally, I don't use hormonal contraceptives. They alter your hormone levels, which changes your mood, your sense of smell (seriously it alters your subconscious perception of histocompatability through…

I can understand the frustration of not being able to gain weight. Though I've never had an eating disorder (unless you count "too busy/stressed to eat), I have been accused of being anorexic by people who should have known me better. It gets disheartening when everyone tells you that you need to "put meat on your bones"…

You're right, cardiovascular exercise does not as much fat as an increased muscle mass. In fact the cardio workout heart range is above the fat-burning range for walking and jogging. But cardiovascular workouts have benefits such as improved cardiac output, lower blood pressure and resting heart rate (over-time), lower…

It's sometimes hard to stay within the "sugar limit", especially if you aren't accustomed to it. I just decided to start again on here and discovered that my one glass of Dr. Pepper a day takes up most of my sugar for the day (and I've cut back on my sodas).

Are you sure it was Type 2 Diabetes? I have a professor who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in her mid-30s. It's not so much a matter of juvenile or adult as it is the cause. A Type-1 diabetic has to have insulin because their pancreas stops making insulin, while a Type 2 diabetic still produces insulin but their cells…