the opposite route

jcg23 · January 2013

So I know most or all women in this discussion forum here are trying to lose weight, I need help gaining it, I need healthy ideas. I'm at about 98 my goal is 110 before my wedding and although I have plenty of time to do this I want to assure this kind of weight loss can be avoided. I've tried boost but it just helps me not lose weight it isnt enough extra calories to help me gain. I got sick and I already have a fast metabolism so of course when I was sick I didn't want to eat, hence the problem I'm having now(just to let people know I have no prior or present eating disorders), If anyone knows of any extra ways to gain weight please respond.

firsttimersluck · January 2013

Healthy weight GAIN is very tricky, because you need to put on muscle AS WELL AS fat. You need to figure out what the perfect "cocktail" for that is (ie how much you need of both to be at your healthy weight of 110) . Do you know your bf% as of now?

Honestly, it's a tricky and dangerous thing to do well so I would consider consulting a doctor or nutritionist over us.

Why? Because they will know what foods will help you out the most while keeping your diet healthful (ie, keeping an appropriate % of fats/proteins/carbs ) They WILL probably discourage any cardio for now outside of what you already do to stay healthy, but I'm not sure if they would say go heavier on strength training or go lighter. They can test to see if it's a fast metabolism or something else like your thyroid that's holding you back from healthy weight gain. etc...

GL OP, sorry I'm not more helpful...

jennylee813 · January 2013

I agree with PP about looking into men's fitness magazines, since their goal is to put on mass. A nutritionist would be a huge help as well, and weightlifting would be your best friend. I think there's something to be said for creatine as well, but you'd have to talk to a trainer/nutritionist about using it as a supplement.

I have a friend who had the same problem, and he ate a lot of sweets. He was also VERY active, so it balanced out for him. He was maintaining well, but lived in fear of getting sick.

Good luck.

unchatenfrance · January 2013

HI OP,

Have you looked into Paleo? The relatively high fat intake that Paleo calls for (fat is slow-burning) might work well with your fast metabolism. Paleo also allows you to eat food that is calorically dense (because it's high fat) but low in volume. So you can consume a lot of calaories without feeling sick from having eaten too much food in terms of volume.

Good luck!

entropicbeauty · January 2013

I'm going to recommend calorie counting, same as trying to lose weight. If you want to successfully gain, knowing what you're putting in is going to be just as important.

I would make sure you're still eating a healthy balance and only increasing your calorie load by 300-500 calories a day above your maintenence amount (which should put you at gaining about 1 lb. a week).

I agree with a PP that you should definitely consult a nutritionist though for the best way to approach this.

jcg23 · January 2013

Thank you for all the responses, I have already started counting my calories I have creatine as well. I have to make an appointent with my doc soon so I will talk to her about it I've had my blood drawn many times and my thyroid was low only once. We do blood tests every once in a while but still dont know anything on that really. I am also struggling to even meet my daily calorie goal. I have tried to balance as well with fruits and veggies and meats and fats. Just not always easy since we are very low on cash at this point. But I am trying to eat healthy, The problem I have though is with the boost is it makes me feel nausiated and causes digestive issues. I definitely need to talk with my doc about that because it could be doing more harm than good if my body isnt taking in all the nutrients. But I have really been trying. I have been taking my boost to work with me and drinking it. My daily calorie goal is 2400 calories. my bmi is way under at approximately 15.3 so I defintely need to do something about that (I am 5,7"), i at one point thought of going to the hospital because I was feeling so ill from being so underweight. Still considering it since I am in fear of developing anemia I already feel I am developing it. I have tried upping my iron intake and increasing my fiber as well. But it is still scary...

freebread03 · January 2013

If you are 5'7 and only 98lbs, this actually sounds like you might need medical intervention since that is certainly not idea for someone your height.

While creatine is a good nutritional supplement for those who work out a lot, I don't think it's going to help you put on mass. You should get a supplement that is high in protein--they aren't cheap so do check Amazon before going to a GNC or vitamin shop. Since you don't want to cut calories, a decent protein powder will also include calories from fat, which is probably what you need. That being said, a nutritionist or other doctor could recommend the best supplements for your health needs.

jcg23 · January 2013

Yeah I called my doc, I got an appointment next week. I hate being so skinny. my rings are spinning on my fingers all the time. But I cannot stand it it is also affecting how my anti depressants work as well, which it could just be from body image causing me to become even more depressed, but all in all this has to change. When I was 110 lbs I was comfortable with that I have a small frame so it worked for me. But this does not. Especially since I make money based on my appearance and I've gotten questions on it, not really wonderful. Also it is taking away from what little curves I did have and that has probably been the hardest thing to deal with overall.

entropicbeauty · January 2013

Reading your post on another forum about being a dancer - that makes me think you're maybe burning far more calories in a day than you THINK you are.

It might be worth getting some sort of tracker like a Fitbit to see just how much activity you're getting in a day. You might think you're adding in enough calories to gain weight, but if you're being more active than you're estimating then you might actually be breaking even.

Just something to think about.

jcg23 · January 2013

Yeah I tried adding that into the equation. I only could find belly dancing and I figured it'd be pretty close. But what is this fitbit you speak of? Is it something you wear to track how much your burning or an app or what? But I dance about 6 minutes on stage each time so I add that and it estimates I burn 19 calories each session, but I dunno if that is probably too low or not. So if there is something I can wear to track what I'm burning that'd be awesome which I would think is available and if so how does it work is it from measuring your pulse?

jcg23 · January 2013

Thank you kwitherington. I will definitely look that up. :P since all the calories I burn aren't always from me taking steps. I do many pole tricks and I know that must be burning quite a bit. I appreciate your reply!

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