Trying to gain weight since FOREVER

[stephmw]

Hi y’all I’m 25f and atm I weigh 88lbs. I’ve hit 98 but never 100 and it’s been really impacting my self esteem being told i look skinny all the time

Not sure where to start so far was thinking of getting weights to do some simple arm and leg workouts and the usual protein replacement

Much appreciated ty

Edit: i put replacement as i have stomach issues sorry forgot to mention i get no appetite whatsoever

 

[veroch]

@stephmw What is your height? You need to eat a LOT more calories.

I used to weigh an average of 103 pounds, then dropped to 94 when I had COVID, and over a year later I'm up to 115. It's been a slow and steady gain, but I'm doing it!

It was really difficult for me because my stomach had shrunk so much that it was impossible to fit so much food in it. I had zero appetite. I had to learn how to low volume eat with calorie dense foods and eat those tiny meals all day long. Instead of water, I drank nutritional shakes for even more calories.

Also, from one skinny girl to another, please try to focus your weight gain as a way to become healthier, NOT as a way to become "less skinny in the eyes of others". The "real women have curves" era hit my self esteem SO hard for awhile.
Like you, however, I wasn't just skinny; I was severely underweight - and that was just as unhealthy for me as if it was on the opposite of the spectrum. I felt brittle, fragile, weak, malnourished, low energy, depressed, etc.

Now... each new pound is a new healthy win for me.

 

[stephmw]

@veroch I’m 5ft 2in

I think that’s where I’m at too my stomach feels like a tiny tiny coin bag what meals would you recommend?

I’m happy to hear you’re at a healthy weight after a long commitment to it. And thank you for your kind words it’s really hard not to let it get to me most days I don’t feel pretty at all so thank you again

 

[veroch]

@stephmw My meals were all low volume calorie dense "snack" type meals. Because I was so weak, I spent a lot of money on premade/precut items. Your goal is to add as much calories from protein and fat into your diet. I recommend a calorie counter to help keep track of your goals. At one point I was only eating ~400 calories a day.

Here are some starter ideas from what I did:

• whole grain toast or muffin with butter, and then jam, honey, nut butter, or cream cheese
• avocados with sea salt
• whole fat plain yogurts with granola and precut fruit
• precut vegetable trays with Ranch dressing, hummus, or nut butters for dipping
• dark chocolate bars
• fruit smoothies with whole fat yogurt base, protein powder, and a ton of spinach (you can't taste it)
• premade or boxed macaroni and cheese
• baked or mashed potatoes with a LOT of butter and/or whole fat sour cream
• premade deli "salads" like egg, chicken, potato, and coleslaw
• scrambled eggs with lots of butter and cheese
• deli meat with cheese (I would just roll them up together)
• sipping soups, like chicken broth or tomato
• all coffee and tea made with half and half instead of whole milk
• if I wanted water, I had to mix it with lemonade
• otherwise, all drinks were nutritional shakes
• ... and sometimes Shake Shack milkshakes cause heck yeah

Feel free to reach out to me in the future if you need any more help with this.

 

[stephmw]

@veroch Thank you so much for taking the time to show me all these recipes! I definitely will try them I appreciate the advice and support!!

 

[dinafrancis]

@stephmw Eat more food just across the board and consistnetly.

You don't need "protein replacement" (I assume you mean protein powders) unless you aren't getting enough protein in your diet. Which, considering you just need to eat more, I'd focus on eating some more protein as well. But if drinking some calories helps... go for it.

But basically, at the end of the day, you just need more calories. Check out r/gainit

I always encourage lifting because then some of the weight will be muscle instead of just fat, but maybe go to a gym instead of just getting some weights, because anything that's gonna be good for your legs is gonna be too heavy for your arms. You could also check out r/bodyweightfitness for some ideas of stuff to do at home. And/or get a suspension training system (TRX is a name brand, off brands are way cheaper) which will allow you to use your body weight as resistance. But no matter how much lifting you do, unless you are eating the calories, it won't make you bigger.

 

[southern_at_heart]

@stephmw Peanut butter is your friend here. Take a couple heaping spoonfuls a day and lift weights so that much of the calories turn into lean muscle along with the inevitable adipose gains. You got this.

 

[danny4mission]

@stephmw do you like pasta? bc noodles in general are really calorie dense. and then once you feel “full” have like 2 cups of milk after. you can even add olive oil to the pasta for an extra bit

i think you may do well to research calorie dense foods overall bc to gain weight you dont need to necessarily “eat more” than your appetite allows

cashews, almonds, peanuts etc are a high calorie snack

if you dont mind learning how to track calories, the macrofactor app has helped me a ton

i have adhd which means i often ignore or dont even notice my hunger queues if im distracted

macrofactor helped me eat enough

also opt for maybe a slightly less ground turkey protein source instead of really lean meats. like eat chicken thigh instead of breast

 

[stephmw]

@danny4mission Ty for the app suggestion! Ill def try it cause same I struggle to eat consistently and that is def part of it adhd be like

 

[imzakman]

@stephmw the game changer for me was not focusing on eating more but eating more so consistently, I was one of those people that would eat one big meal and be good for a day or two sometimes three. Getting into a routine of eating instead of getting wrapped up into the nutritional values and macros of everything wildly helped me out. I’m a 5’9” male, in august 2023 i was 110, now i’m 140. It is hard but don’t get discouraged!

Also don’t be afraid to have a sweet treat every now and then, a little sugar helps and won’t hurt in moderation.

 

[lorip]

@imzakman I approve, same experience here. I set a 2.5h countdown on my phone and when it hits I prepare something small and eat it. Smaller spread out meals are also better for digestion (I have mild chronic gastritis and OP mentioned she struggles with stomach issues as well).

Most studies also support spreading ur protein intake in frequent smaller meals throughout the day.

I’ve also always been chronically skinny/lean and frequent meals helped me “stretch” my stomach and I don’t get bloated by the first few bites now.

 

[koos]

@stephmw I switched to drinking a full shake of huel each morning. Helped me a lot. Still drink it each morning. It's quite expensive though

 

[dawn16]

@stephmw You start with food. Working out will help with strength but I suspect you’re not consuming enough calories so I’d focus on your diet before getting serious about working out. However you can always do body weight exercises just don’t forget to eat!

 

[john420]

@stephmw ?

 

[anonymous18]

@stephmw You gain weight when in calorie surplus, as in you consume more calories than you spend in a day.

If you want to gain weight you need to eat more!