# Who here struggles/has struggled with being underweight?



## ShyViolet (Nov 11, 2003)

I've been underweight my whole life. There have been times when people thought I was anorexic. In middle school people would want to see if they could wrap their hand all the way around my ankle.


----------



## llee (Jan 16, 2007)

.


----------



## Hit_the_Lights (Nov 1, 2006)

Fetography said:


> Right now my BMI is at 17.4..
> My height is 5'11 and weight is 125lbs.
> At my heaviest I was at 128lbs (same height).
> 
> ...


Your probably naturally an ectomorph, which makes it very hard for you to gain weight.

I'm 5'10 and the lowest weight I had was about 145 lbs a few years ago, and I thought I was extreamly skinny, now i'm about 175. The thing that changed for me was I started working out and naturally I started to fell more hungry and ate more. Also understanding that to gain from working out u need to eat a lot, so I also force myself to eat sometimes.

If you want to gain weight you will probably need to force yourself to eat. Your not use to eating alot so it's going to be hard, I would recomend trying to eat something every two hours.

Maybe your depressed or something, that would too probably cause loss of appetite.


----------



## odd_one_out (Aug 22, 2006)

I have a similar BMI. I just can't eat much and nothing really appeals, unless maybe I spent all day cooking nice food. I can't stand things that aren't fresh or are junk food.

I have to take milkshakes prescribed by my doctor every couple of days to gain nutrients and maintain my weight. I used to use this powder supplement that you sprinkle over food and mix into soups and drinks. Nothing seems to work. I can't eat larger portions, which they recommend, as I leave even my small portions. I tried taking daily exercise for a few weeks but it didn't stimulate my appetite.

I think the root of the problem is anxiety. I have to lay off eating till I'm extremely hungry or it makes me gag. No one seems able to help much, and the dietician just told me how to eat, which is fine if you're relatively OK with the food. When I couldn't manage it I got referred to a therapist but, due to SA, I'd already been seeing the one they'd referred me to and hadn't gotten on well with him at all. That was a couple of years ago. I suppose I'll have to try forcing myself to eat more, but it's going to be barf-inducing.


----------



## Chris435435 (Nov 6, 2005)

Now, I'm not saying you should do this, but if you'd like to gain weight... perhaps you should consider high-calorie shakes. GNC supplies lots of supplements. 

One of the posters here said that by working out, you'll gain weight... and also by eating more. You'll gain weight because you are building muscle and muscle is heavier than your fat. If you start working out, I suggest that you take a Whey Protein supplement (thats what I use... more specially the Mega Whey supplement provided by GNC Pro Performance).

To build muscle, you have to push yourself hard for every work out that you are doing. Therefore, the best way to do this is to concentrate of specific muscle groups for each workout... For instance, I do arms one day, chest another day, legs, another day, back another day... and so on. 

Also, don't aim for a high amount of reps when you are working out. You have to aim for about 5 - 6 reps your first set, 3 - 4 your 2nd set, 1 - 3 your third set. Basically, you want to make sure that you are sore after your workouts. 

I've gained 20 pounds... I was 135 and I'm now at 155 (I'm 5'9"). Now I haven't taken high calorie drinks, but perhaps you can consider it. 

Also... keep in mind that this all takes time and you need to do it slowly. For instance, I first started working out a little bit just to get in to the habit of doing it. Then, I started adding supplements to my diet... and then I concentrated on my nutrition. 

You can gain weight, you just have to work hard at it and remember to take it SLOW. A lot of skinny guys seem to be able to put on weight quickly when they start working out seriously.

Lol, I think I'm running my mouth too much. Maybe you don't want to work out at all. You could also gain weight by simply eating. You must try to force yourself to eat.


----------



## scairy (Sep 18, 2005)

I haven't met you and haven't seen your eating habits. When I was in highschool I was 6'1" and weighed in at 150. Now I weigh 215-220 but to be honest it wasn't easy. I had to start eating more and had to stop all aerobic workout. I then took weight gainers and ate throughout the day and then lifted weights. Some say weight gainers don't work but they worked for me, but I didn't supplement weight gainers for a meal. I still ate my other meals and made those meals that I ate bigger portions. It doesn't happen overnight either. It has taken me a 4 years of hardwork. Now the weight stays on without as much effort but if I slack off in eating for more than a day I'll start dropping weight.


----------



## Blue Oval (Oct 18, 2006)

i gained like 10lbs last summer by weight lifting and eating a big bowl of mac and cheese before bed. i lost the weight when i stopped lifting but im getting it back, i just weighed myself at 124 and im trying for 140 and that should look like a big difference when your 5'2


----------



## Amocholes (Nov 5, 2003)

Give it a few years and you'll be fighting to not gain weight. At 18 your metabolism is still in that post-pubescent growth mode. 

At 18 I was 6' and 134 lbs. My navy uniform was a 36 long. At 46 I'm just trying to keep it steady around 190.


----------



## scairy (Sep 18, 2005)

Amocholes said:


> Give it a few years and you'll be fighting to not gain weight. At 18 your metabolism is still in that post-pubescent growth mode.
> 
> At 18 I was 6' and 134 lbs. My navy uniform was a 36 long. At 46 I'm just trying to keep it steady around 190.


This is true. I think this is also partially what helped me put on the weight.


----------



## afboy143 (Oct 10, 2006)

I actually started workin out a year ago cuz I was 130. I take creatine, protein, weight gainers, fish oils, multivitamins and the sort. I am now 165 and am much better. I get hungry a lot more cuz im contantly doin something. I suggest working out , plus it helped SA go down a bit. Not to the point where I want it....which is where nootropics come into play


----------



## Arrow (Oct 20, 2006)

Are you a guy or a girl?

Get active or involved in a sport. Im still pretty slim/skinny but getting regular excercise from running/raquetball/pushups-pullups-chinups will get you away from looking unhealthily skinny. Getting involved in sports or excercising regularly just forces your body to get the blood moving making you look healthier overall and a healthy looking body is one that can perform output.


----------



## whiteclouds (Mar 18, 2004)

I was real skinny as a teen, and I had a big appetite too! Lots of people are naturally thin, especially as teens. I agree with Amocholes, give it a couple years (literally) and you're metabolism will steady out. Around age 21, I already started to look average, instead of scrawny.


----------



## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

I struggled with being underweight untill I started using zyprexa. That gained me 40lbs. I think you are on zyprexa too, maybe an increase in the dose you are on might help.


----------



## pikindaguy (Nov 21, 2004)

How old are you? When I was in HS I was 5'8 125. About 4 years later after working out + eating more, I was an inch taller and about 160...and now I'm at 180--which according to the BMI charts puts me slightly overweight.


----------



## Derekgnr (Nov 9, 2003)

I'm 5'11 138 lbs and I'm 33 years old. I have always been underweight. Once in a while if I eat a little extra for awhile I'll gain a couple lbs but it seems to just be fat adding to my stomach. So I'm kinda afraid to eat too much cause I don't want it going to my stomach. My arms/wrists and legs/ankles are really skinny. I workout a little bit.

At 18 I think I was about 120 lbs.


----------



## Nameless Loner (Dec 21, 2006)

I have friends who struggle with being underweight but they are Chinese though and we tend to have smaller frames then our racial counterparts. I'm 5'11 155lbs. 14% BF and I am considered fat by some Asian standards. :um I exercise but I don't really care to gain weight. I rather be lean and continue to maintain/develop my definition. I think gaining weight is a male North American obsession. Most Asian and even European people I know don't care much about gaining a lot of weight or muscle mass but rather be lean and cut.


----------



## pyramidsong (Apr 17, 2005)

Fetography said:


> Right now my BMI is at 17.4..
> My height is 5'11 and weight is 125lbs.
> At my heaviest I was at 128lbs (same height).
> 
> ...


Is it possible for you to work on accepting your body as is? I mean, if there's nothing medically wrong with you maybe that's exactly your body's natural state. As a culture, we are told how our bodies "should" look, rather than just focusing on health.

There's nothing wrong with making cosmetic changes, I work out to maintain health but also because I like that my body looks athletic, but by the same token there is no standard appearance of a healthy body, we're all different. And that's ok.


----------



## njodis (Nov 8, 2006)

I seriously was about 5'5 and 120lbs at the end of highschool. I could literally eat anything I wanted and I would never gain weight. My metabolism is definately starting to slow down though. I am still a fetus sized midget, but I have gained about 25 pounds in the past 4 years. I'm not fat, but I definately look healthier. I used to literally be able to see my ribs when I took my shirt off. :lol


----------



## random889 (Feb 6, 2007)

I'm 18, 6'3 and barely 140 lbs. I stopped working out regularly recently because the semester ended and my fitness class along with it. I don't mind being slim because I know a lot of people struggle with being overweight but I'd like to be a healthy weight for my height, which I think is like 160-170 lbs.


----------



## eyedlemon (Jan 11, 2007)

I'm in a similar situation, although I don't appear that skinny. People describe me a short and stocky and nearly always overestimate my weight by 15-20 lbs. I'm 5'6 and 134 lbs (only because I'm eating and working out again). I was down to about 122 a few months ago when I fell into a depression and couldn't eat much. A year or two ago I found a diet & fitness plan that actually gave me real results for the first time since I started lifting about 7 years ago. I got my weight up to about 145 with no bodyfat % increase and kept it there for a while. Granted, not everybody will respond the same way because we all have different metabolisms, but here's what I did:

1) EAT! I was doing serious lifting 5 days a week for about a year and was seeing no muscle increase until altered my diet. The key is protein--a little under a gram for each pound of bodyweight per day (eg. 130lb = 115-130g of protein per day). If you do not eat enough protein, you cannot absorb enough amino acids, which gives you little to build muscle with. I'd recommend eggs in the morning (3 whites, 1 whole ~ 18g protein), half-can of tuna for lunch (16g), dinner (w/ an average serving of poultry/beef/pork/fish = 25-30g), a post workout scoop of protein powder in water, milk, or juice (I like designer whey ~ 18g), and a lowfat cheese at night (a half cup of cottage cheese ~ 14g). Fill in the rest with your choice of carbs, fruits, and vegetables. If you have the money, which I don't, Detour bars are really tasty and are packed with 32g of protein.

2) Lift weights--and you don't necessarily need a gym membership. I have only a bench, and sets of 15, 25, and 40lb dumbells and can target every muscle group effectively right at home. Start out with a full body workout 2-3 times a week, then train 2 muscle groups (back/chest/arms/shoulders/legs) per workout 3-4 times per week thereafter. Be sure to warm up before, drink plenty of water during and stretch after your workout. If you've never really lifted before, I'd suggest getting a gym membership and having a trainer show you proper lifting technique to avoid injury and target muscles precisely.

3) Avoid excessive cardio. It's not a bad idea to ride a bike, climb a few stairs, or play some team sports to keep your heart healthy, but prolonged aerobic activity like running more than a mile every day can get in the way of serious gains. The only cardio I get is by communting to class by bike about 15 minutes per day.

You just have to find what works for you. Many of us are probably ectomorphs, like someone else mentioned, so a plan somewhere along those lines should work well if tweaked to your taste. Pick up a Muscle & Fitness magazine to get some good inspiration and other good tips. 

Trying to gain weight (but not fat) can be a great way to keep your mind focused on something meaningful. Working toward a goal such as attaining your ideal body weight keeps you motivated and gives you a reason to get out of bed. Keep a scale and weigh yourself every day to track your progress. What motivates me personally is the idea of fitting into my clothes better. It seems like "small" sizes in the U.S. these days keep getting bigger, probably because America keeps getting fatter, but that's whole other story. I hope to be about 150 maybe by the end of this summer but it'll be tough.

GL


----------



## jasonl34 (Feb 7, 2006)

This is one thing I finally figured out how to conquer. I always thought that as well, impossible to gain weight blah blah. Well I started lifting when I was 18 and pretty much knew nothing about how much you actually had to eat. I thought 1 weight gainer shake to my daily meals was going to be the miracle. 

If that was the case everyone would be big. You also have to train your body to eat more, to want to eat more. At first it sucks because your eating when your not hungry but after a while your body gets use to it and you will get hungry quicker. Nutrition is the biggest part of getting bigger. 

If your not gaining weight and your try to, pretty much double the amount of food your taking in. I eat 4-5 meals a day and also drink 3 weghtgainer shakes a day. And theres no skipping meals or messing up because if you dont supply your body with protein when your trying to build muscle it will turn to your own muscles and cannabalize your self basically. Also make sure you get 6-8 hours of sleep. Muscle builds when resting.

Before I started lifting I when I was 18- 6'0 140lbs. I have always taken a couple months off a year but back up to 188lbs and im 25 years old. Ive been a hard gainer too so I am very lean.


----------



## Failure (Feb 4, 2007)

I was 107 lbs in 9th grade i could see my ribs. I was 145 lbs at the end of 12th grade from working out and i looked pretty toned and good. After a few years in the military i was 165 lbs and all the added weight was muscle. I'm 5'7".

Eat as many small meals a day as you can, and drink two of those whey protein shakes a day. You're going to be unable to gain fat easily if you have this body type so you'll need to try and gain muscle. Make sure you eat lots of protein and carbs. You need your own weight in protein (ie 165 g protein for 165 lbs) if you want to gain muscle. Two shakes a day should give you close to 70g of protein, and the other ammount should be easily obtainable by food.

Work out every other day or so and set up a routine. Don't work the same muscle group 2 days in a row or you will get weaker. Don't forget crunches either to get rid of any fat around your stomach that may gather up from eating more.

The trouble i had most was my legs. It took my a while before my legs wern't too skinny. My arms chest and back were easy to bulk up.


----------



## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

My appetite is gone again and ive lost another 10lbs


----------



## thecurerules (May 31, 2004)

I am 6'2 and around 145-150lbs. (not sure exactly) My doctor said that I have less than 10lbs. of fat on my whole body! :shock 
I eat like a savage, too.


----------



## Blue Oval (Oct 18, 2006)

*Re: re: Who here struggles/has struggled with being underwei*



thecurerules said:


> I am 6'2 and around 145-150lbs. (not sure exactly) My doctor said that I have less than 10lbs. of fat on my whole body! :shock
> I eat like a savage, too.


about how many calories a day do you know? im trying to eat a lot but the wait is pretty much constant


----------



## thecurerules (May 31, 2004)

*Re: re: Who here struggles/has struggled with being underwei*



Blue Oval said:


> about how many calories a day do you know? im trying to eat a lot but the wait is pretty much constant


No, I don't keep track. If I were to guess, I would say around 2500 to 3000 calories in a day. But lately I've been trying to eat less because I don't like the feeling of being full of food all the time. Plus, I am becoming more comfortable with my body as days go by. I am learning to accept the fact that I am a naturally thin guy.


----------



## jasonl34 (Feb 7, 2006)

Thats not really a lot of calories at all. If you want to gain weight you need to know how to do it. You would have to find out how many calories on average you take in a day, this is your maintenance value)the number of calories it takes to maintain your bodyweight) Then you start eating at least 500 calories extra a day on to that. Your either bulking or cutting, you cant really do both at the same time.


----------



## Speak Easy (Jun 27, 2006)

i'm 5'10" and i have put on about 20lbs (from 138lbs to 159lbs) in the last 2 months from paying more attention to my diet and working out.


----------



## barry (Mar 29, 2007)

Yes i have had this problem for my whole life too.

I am 5'10 & weigh 126lbs. I eat quite alot aswell (usually scoff when i'm not so depressed ) and people think i have tape worm lol 

It really pisses me off when people i don't really talk to much turn around and call me skinny.

My doctor has told me to eat plenty of carbs. Which i do but to no avail.


----------



## Failure (Feb 4, 2007)

*Re: re: Who here struggles/has struggled with being underwei*



barry said:


> Yes i have had this problem for my whole life too.
> 
> I am 5'10 & weigh 126lbs. I eat quite alot aswell (usually scoff when i'm not so depressed ) and people think i have tape worm lol
> 
> ...


Protein and working out will build muscle. Guys with the skinny body type can only really gain muscle, fat is next to impossible to gain.


----------



## eyedlemon (Jan 11, 2007)

An addition:

Paxil - get a script for it. It will help you gain weight and aid with anxiety/depression. Watch out sedation and sexual side effects though.


----------



## Speak Easy (Jun 27, 2006)

*Re: re: Who here struggles/has struggled with being underwei*



eyedlemon said:


> An addition:
> 
> Paxil - get a script for it. It will help you gain weight and aid with anxiety/depression. Watch out sedation and sexual side effects though.


taking an ssri as a primary weight gain assistant? not the best recommendation i've heard. try something a little more healthy like taking protein shakes daily (or just eating a lot of protein), working out as much as possible (i will provide you with my routine that my trainer has written up for me -- keep in mind i have put on 20lbs in 2 months, and have never felt better). also, i have heard muscle milk is very reputable to put on weight. i think it has like 90g of protein in one shake.


----------



## Mysca2 (Mar 27, 2007)

I've always been scrawny, even after having 3 kids I still only weigh in at a HUGE 102 pounds lol.. and I stand 5'6. I eat like I never know when my next meal is, doc had me counting calories and had me on a system of 3500-4000 calories a day at one point... boosted me up to 123 pounds! Then I started having really rough bouts of anxiety and I started to lose the weight again despite my keeping my calorie counts up... mind boggling.

Just started to read a book called "when the body says no" has to do with how anxiety and stress take their toll on the body.. I'll let you know if I find anything in it about anxiety eating our fat/muscle tissues away


----------



## eyedlemon (Jan 11, 2007)

*Re: re: Who here struggles/has struggled with being underwei*



LDG 124 said:


> taking an ssri as a primary weight gain assistant? not the best recommendation i've heard. try something a little more healthy like taking protein shakes daily (or just eating a lot of protein), working out as much as possible (i will provide you with my routine that my trainer has written up for me -- keep in mind i have put on 20lbs in 2 months, and have never felt better). also, i have heard muscle milk is very reputable to put on weight. i think it has like 90g of protein in one shake.


Actually, I think it's a great idea. I'm not saying just anyone looking to gain weight should try it, but if you're taking an SSRI anyway, why not take one that will give you desirable side effects? Antidepressants and other drugs are prescribed for all kinds of things unrelated to their primary indications. For example, docs prescribe Wellbutrin as a smoking cessation aid.


----------



## boxofcheapwine (Apr 3, 2007)

I've struggled with the issue of being underweight my entire life. I'm currently 6'1 and 158 lbs. I'm not entirely shamed of my body because it's in fairly good shape from regular exercise but I wouldn't mind adding another 10lbs or so of muscle to my frame. My ultimate goal is Brad Pitt's body in "Fight Club," which I believe is attainable with persistence and hard work. Then again, I've had this goal since three years ago and I'm still only halfway there.


----------



## Speak Easy (Jun 27, 2006)

*Re: re: Who here struggles/has struggled with being underwei*



eyedlemon said:


> LDG 124 said:
> 
> 
> > taking an ssri as a primary weight gain assistant? not the best recommendation i've heard. try something a little more healthy like taking protein shakes daily (or just eating a lot of protein), working out as much as possible (i will provide you with my routine that my trainer has written up for me -- keep in mind i have put on 20lbs in 2 months, and have never felt better). also, i have heard muscle milk is very reputable to put on weight. i think it has like 90g of protein in one shake.
> ...


first off, wellbutrin is FDA approved as a smoking deterrent and it is more popularly prescribed as a smoking cessation aid than it is as an antidepressant. personally, i wouldn't want to be taking paxil for weight gain, simply because i like my leptins just the way they are, as i do my other hormones, and my metabolism. a desirable side effect? i believe that defines the word paradox, wouldn't you agree? the weight you put on from ssri's is not good weight; it is fat. this will not bring someone who is underweight to normal weight; it will make them fat. you cannot determine how much weight you are going to put on when taking paxil because everyone is different, so when the individual who was 5'10", 120lbs reaches a desirable weight of 5'10" 140lbs, do they stop taking the ssri? what correlation does weight gain and depression/anxiety have, unless they have some type of BDD or eating disorder? the weight gain from an ssri is not a positive one; it is abrupt and unhealthy, whereas a healthy weight gain is something that takes time, proper diet, and exercise.


----------



## eyedlemon (Jan 11, 2007)

_"the weight gain from an ssri is not a positive one; it is abrupt and unhealthy, whereas a healthy weight gain is something that takes time, proper diet, and exercise."_

I agree that this is true in many cases, but it depends on where you're coming from. Gaining fat is not always a bad thing. An individual in with depression may have an abnormally low body fat percentage, so it would be advantageous to put on some fat. Furthermore, SSRIs can influence appetite (ie. leptins), thus increasing the amount you eat, fats, carbs, or proteins. I'm not saying this is a permanent fix for someone who is chronically underweight, but in cases where depression/anxiety is playing a role, it can be useful in gaining some weight back by increasing the urge to eat. An individual's reaction to depression can vary between decreased/increased/no change in appetite, but for those that tend to eat less have trouble staying at a normal weight, an SSRI can certainly help indirectly by treating depression, in turn, increasing appetite. If you eat healthy, then it's not going to be all "bad weight."

Anyway, it's just an idea. Follow your doctor's advice in any case.


----------



## VerbalHologram (Feb 19, 2007)

i'm 6 foot 2 140ish..so yeah i would sayyy yuuuuuuuup


----------



## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

I wish there was more help in society for us who are underweight. Seeing as underweight is the default, it should be studied more.


----------



## Blue Oval (Oct 18, 2006)

underweight isnt as bad for you as overweight is


----------



## X33 (Feb 13, 2005)

Its just that there are a LOT more overweight/obese ppl in US than underweight. Research dollars are limited so they are funneled into fields where they can provide maximum benefit for most number of ppl. This is the reason why extremely rare diseases are often not well studied. Also, as Blue Oval said being overweight is more harmful than underweight. So ultimately you have very little support for underweight ppl compared to overweight. 

I know of a grand total of 1 active message board for underweight ppl whereas there are countless for overweight/obese.

It sucks but thats the way things are.


----------



## cajunjay (Apr 2, 2007)

At the age of 25 i stepped on the scales and weighed 9st 11, im 5ft 10 and i felt terrible. I was smoking a hell of alot of Marijuana daily and drinking heavily without ever really eating.

I was wasting away my family and friends where concerned about my health so i used this topical pro hormone spray i bought from 1fast400. It made me so hungry all the time and i did heavy weight lifting 5 days a week whilst on this stuff.

After 2 months i was 12st 6lbs and alot bigger, stronger and happier. I had a bit of a big belly tho but its went down slowly. That was 4 years ago, and i kept all that weight im now 12st exactly with a flat stomach.

I was the ultimate hard gainer and thats how i did it, its a strange path to take I know but it worked for me. Better than drinking shedloads of protein shakes which ruin your stomach.


----------

