How Can I Gain Weight?
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How often do you see articles on how to lose weight? I am guessing this is on a daily basis, either in magazines or on the television. But for many people losing weight and being overweight is not the problem, in fact they suffer the complete opposite problem, and that is how to gain weight.
I grew up always being the skinny kid in class, the one teased and called 'stick insect' (even though I was short in height). It used to really annoy me to see numerous articles in magazines about losing weight, (as if that was the only problem anyone had to endure), when all I desperately wanted was to be a normal weight for my age, and not the 'skinny runt' I was so often accused of being by the kids I went to school with.
Being too thin is not a luxury, it is a horror that is just as traumatic and stressful as being too fat or overweight. It is very frustrating that few magazines or television programmes and documentaries address this very real issue that many people deal with on a daily basis, much like I did.
I spent most of my childhood and teenage years trying to find ways to gain enough weight to be considered 'normal' and stop being called 'feeble' by my fellow pupils at school. I used to break down in tears in bed at night, unable to find a solution and sick of being teased and bullied for being too thin. I knew that a lot of my problem with low weight stemmed from the fact I was not only a very fussy eater and there were not many foods I liked, but also I was someone who only needed four or five mouthfuls of food and I was full. Due to a load of stress in the family with my Father suffering from severe ill health, combined with the bullying I was receiving at school, I burned off what few calories I ingested from stress, (or you could say a high metabolism as a result of stress).
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Overweight people (mainly women) seem to be jealous or even resent thin people a lot of the time (although not always), not realising that the 'skinny' and underweight person is just as miserable in an underweight body as they are in an overweight one!
Many people do not realise that statistically it is harder to gain weight than to lose it! I found this out when I did my own research into how I could make myself gain weight to a sensible level where people would not tease me or make cruel and nasty comments about my excessively slim build.
I went through my entire education underweight, as in spite of eating as many fattening foods (such as peanuts) as I could, and going to bed each night with cheese and full fat milk as a snack, my weight varied little. I left high school weighing under 7 stone, (98 pounds or 44.45 kg) at a height of 5' 3" (160cm).
You might as a reader be suffering the same problem, and be equally frustrated by the fact everyone seems to be complaining about being overweight. The media seem to completely focus their attention on those who need, or want to lose weight. No-one appears to take those who need, or want to gain weight, seriously!
Well the good news in my case is that I did ultimately manage to get my weight within my ideal range based on my BMI, (body mass index), although it did take me a number of years, (in fact I was in my thirties when I finally managed to get my weight stable at about the correct level). I achieved this ideal weight based on a number of different lifestyle changes:
1) I started to eat foods I actually liked as opposed to being forced to eat foods I didn't like by my parents.
2) I was happy in my relationship with my boyfriend and this relaxed me enough to actually 'get hungry'.
3) I stopped smoking cigarettes (a habit that I began even when underweight, and this completely destroyed my already small appetite).
4) Later in life, (having by then started taking recreational drugs to improve my appetite), I stopped smoking Cannabis / Marijuana because although at first this appeared to give me an appetite, these effects had worn off the more I smoked, so I actually ended up eating less.
5) I cut down on fizzy alcoholic or non alcoholic drinks because the fizziness and the volume of liquid simply filled me up leaving no room for food.
6) I ate more 'easy to digest' foods such as soups and cereal bars.
7) I ate little and often, (even though the 'experts' seemed to say regular 'spread out' meals were better, I could still only eat small amounts of food if I followed their recommendations, so most of the meal would go into the bin).
8) I chose highly calorific foods whenever possible, but still avoided fatty foods because I simply couldn't bear to have them in my mouth full stop.
10) I started to enjoy cooking as a hobby, and this encouraged me to watch 'appetite whetting' television cookery programmes, and of course have to taste foods I was cooking as they went through the cooking process. Like the expression goes 'Never trust a skinny chef'.
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Today (Oct 2011), I am in my early forties, but over the years I have managed to go from a UK size 6, to a UK size 10 in terms of clothing, and I now weigh around the 8 stone mark (51 kg or 112lb), and that is without having had any children (due to internal issues). People compliment me on how much healthier I look, and how my skin and hair have even improved as a result of my weight gain. I feel so much better and more confident than I used to, and this is why I felt it was important that I shared my experiences, and in doing so spread the word that it isn't only people who are overweight who struggle, those who are underweight statistically and surprisingly, struggle even more.... Their plight is largely ignored by the media and dismissed as 'not a large enough problem to be newsworthy'. This is so frustrating for thin people, and it is totally wrong for it to be disregarded. Those of us who have struggled to gain weight need to make others sit up and take notice. Being skinny or thin is just as much of a problem as being fat or overweight, and we still need help to learn how to gain weight when we simply can't bring ourselves to eat, and we feel 'full' after a few mouthfuls. Overweight people appear to have more options, (although they are not necessarily all that safe), e.g. gastric bypasses, stomach staples, gastric bands etc, but what is the equivalent treatment available for a thin person desperate to gain weight whatever it takes?
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Did you actually read the serious topic this hub covers chamilj before deciding it was a 'Ha Ha' kind of subject or picture?
Hey Misty, you touched on a subject that I think is severely overlooked or not given enough attention. There are lots of people who have weight gain issues. I know, I'm one of them. I spent many of my early years picked on and put down too, so I can relate to what you've said in this hub. It's even funnier now, because I am 43(going on 44 this month) and I'm still hugely underweight for my height. Let me give you in on my situation- I am standing in about 6'2" tall and I presently weight about 125 pounds, which to some people isn't healthy. My correct weight is somewhere around about 175-190 pounds, however I am comfortable with my size and am constantly underestimated due to my size. I like that, because it works in my advantage to those who decide to mess with me. I have never been able to gain weight due to a high metabolism(and yes stress might factor into it too), but I've come to accept the way that I am, regardless of what other people think. I even had one really good looking lady come up to me one night in a bar and ask me if I am on crack? *rolleyes* However, I told her I wasn't and never touched the stuff. She then told me that I must be doing some other heavy drugs, because only people who do are about my size. I thanked her for her compliment, which confused her and she went on her way. Great Hub! Voted UP! Thank you for sharing. :)
Wow Cags who would have guessed we had so much in common, even though we have known each other for, well, several years now I guess. I was just off to bed when I read your comment, and I am really grateful you posted it so others know they are not alone in being underweight, male or female! It annoys the hell out of me if I am honest that people with overweight problems are snowed under with articles and documentaries to help solve their problems, but those who are underweight appear to be disregarded as not having a 'serious problem' Grrrr.
Will check in here tomorrow now Cags, as really late here, but know I sincerely sympathise with your situation based on my own experiences of being severely underweight.
PS. Your mind is so brilliant I am not surprised people underestimate you. I have seen plenty of evidence of this so I am not just flattering you.
Sorry about all the typos in my comment. :/
Great hub! I am normal weight (and one of those who read the magazines about how to lose a few pounds). I have a friend who is 5'11" and weighs only 120 pounds (7 inches taller and less than me). But she has trouble gaining weight and is very uncomfortable with people commenting that they wish they had her problems (sleep, hormones, thyroid, etc.) This article is very informative and I hope helpful for others too. Best, Steph
Misty, I too was a bag of bones all through school, which I can also attribute to a stressful home life (plus a mother who couldn't cook...really). Compounding the problem was a high-metabolism gene on my dad's side that I inherited. By some miracle I did fill out to "normal" size in my early twenties, but years of being made fun of in school left their mark and I could relate to most of what you said in the hub. Why anyone would find Twiggy-thin models like the one in the second photo "attractive" is beyond me. My clothes used to hang on me just like that.
Not being able to gain weight isn't the only "opposite of the norm" that few know about. I have low blood pressure, so much so that I can't donate blood, and MUST use 2-3 times as much salt to keep it anywhere near a "normal" level. But I don't mind the stares I get from that one when I eat out.
@Cagsil, you and my 6'4" son have a lot in common. He weighs 135 (50 lbs less than his "ideal" weight), has no "muscles" to speak of, but has unbelievable upper body strength. Like you, several people have made the mistake of thinking he's a weakling until they're picking themselves up from across the room. ;D
Love it! My story is rather similar and I often wonder the same about why so little attention is paid to the issue of weight gain. At times I get so frustrated with the mainstream opinion that being skinny is a blessing and not a curse that I want to start a movement to bring attention to this problem.
Why is it ok in our society to make comments about a women’s weight when she is thin? At the end of the day, a women is going to feel self conscious or upset when you discuss her weight PERIOD.
Once after going out for dinner with some so called friends, a mate sat me down afterwards to tell me what was said at the table when I was in the bathroom. Apparently the discussion was about how I must have gone to the toilet to throw up! Can you believe that? Obviously (to them) I must have been anorexic to be that thin cause I just eat too much to stay skinny…. Needless to say I am no longer friends with that crowd but the experience has stayed with me. When I go out for a meal, I will go to the bathroom before the meal arrives and not drink too much during the meal for fear that I may have to pee too soon and start people talking!
I often tell myself....the next person who walks up and tells me how skinny I am, I am going to turn around and say "oh thanks, and I noticed how fat your arse is honey" and then step back and wait for the reaction. Still have not had the guts to do that.
People say...."it must be so good to eat whatever you want and not gain any weight!" sorry to burst that bubble but it is NOT TRUE. Don't be jealous of me....do you think I enjoy shopping in the kids section so I can find something that fits me and doesn't make me look like crap? Do you think I enjoy carrying around food in my hand bag to top up my energy levels constantly though out the day? Do you think I feel good when I walk down the street and see a 12 year old fat boy with bigger tits than me? Answer to all those questions is – NO :(
Too much emphasis in today's world on body mass and shape. Super slim or skinny models with gorgeous faces and clothes planting envy in impressionable teens. Large people shunned at every level by a judgemental society. Britain stinks, quite frankly, it's the most hate-filled society I have ever been exposed to. So negative. Good hub Miss OK Now! Bob
It appears that weight gain and weight loss are problems we should be addressing.
I never really thought of being underweight as a problem but now you have put a different way for me to look at it. I have always had the overweight problem. So Cagsll that must have been really upsetting.
Nice hub with lots of good suggestions!
I used to have the exact same problem - negative body image due to extreme thinness.
I never solved that problem - I just (luckily) outgrew worrying about it so much. When I was in high school and for years just out of high school - I'd weigh myself ten or more times a day. It was really miserable and reflective of a self esteem problem.
Wow, thanks everyone, so many comments, far too many to answer all of you individually so I hope you will forgive me.
I would like to say to Mandy though that I have had the exact same assumptions made about me when I have gone to the bathroom after a meal. I have also even had one guy ask me to have a word with his niece for him because he thought she might have anorexia. I asked him why he thought I would know anything about that as I was not anorexic? Clearly he just assumed I was because I was thin!
Another time I had a meeting with a person from our local Social Security Department to assess my abilities with regards to a possible return to work after a long period of suffering with anxiety and depression had kept me off work. When much later I demanded to see copies of the report, she has put down that I had a 'lollipop head, a classic sign seen in people suffering from eating disorders'. If the description had not been so insulting I might have found the term 'lollipop head' rather amusing.
@ Wesman, I used to do the regular weighing thing too. I recall telling my Doctor I weighed myself daily, and he immediately made a note on his pad and said out loud 'Ahhhh, a daily weigher' like it was a problem. I am sure they thought I had an eating disorder, even though I would tell them I knew I was too thin, but just couldn't seem to gain weight no matter how hard I tried.
Interesting hub Misty. Weight either way seems to be an issue. However, you have hit right, we humans should eat many small meals as hunter gatherers. However some people, pure hunters, should gorge and only eat again when food is avaiable. This has led to the the 3 hearty meal a day syndrome.
EWe have complex metabolisms based on ancestory and history.
Hi sixtyorso, I haven't seen you around in ages. Great to see you here now and hope you are well. Thanks so much for your thoughts on this whole tricky subject of weight.
Hi Cindy! voted up for this awesome hub! My father is trying all he can to gain weight and he doesn't worry about eating fatty fried foods or ice cream, chips or cheese. He lost a stone when he went into hospital end of July for a hip replacement and went down to 10st which is really underweight as he is nearly as tall as me. I have to watch my weight but just about manage to stay around 13st. Beer, cheese, pizza and chips are my weaknesses and if I start getting fat then I quit them for a while!
Hi Steve, I definitely advocate the eating lots of regular snacks constantly method to gain weight, especially nuts, as they are healthy too. I hope he soon manages to gain the weight back. Someone I was 'reading' lately suggested bread and honey, because honey takes virtually no effort for the body to digest and is rich in calories.
We have something in common too. When I was pregnant with my first kid the dr's all had a bet that I would reach 100 pounds. I got to 99 pounds. You would guess that about me now. I am not really obese but due to the many belly surguries it would be hard to turn that fat into muscle since my stomach muscles are no longer the right shape, if you get my drift. I have had 2 horizontal c-sections and one hernia surgery that way and then another hernia surgery across my belly and no more belly button. No swimsuits for me!
Is that a picture of Twiggy there on your page? She was a prominent model in then60's that was really thin. I wrote a hub about obesity in children and how they need to bring back the play time back and mentioned it it about those who are thin. Like you I hated meat and hamburger and would not eat it at all. I hated meat of any kind then, but my mom would force me to eat it.
Be who you are. I always wonder what kind of person would dictate how we are to look like and their mental status.
Hi Debbie, no I don't think that is Twiggy, although I could be wrong, (I don't think even she was that thin). Thanks so much for sharing your experiences here. It really frustrates me when people say things like 'just eat then' as if we wouldn't do that anyway if that were easy for us!!
No the second picture. The one wearing the stiletoes.
I still don't think that was Twiggy Debbie, she had a different face, short hair etc. (Google searches for 'Twiggy Model' produce nothing like that image)
Misty! I had the same problem! I was often called names because I'm thin and tall to boot:(. I didn't start to gain weight at all until after my kids were born (3)! I gained 13 pounds with number 1 - even pregnancy did not make me gain a lot. I assure you I was eating more than ever! She was 4 weeks early and still weighed 6.3lbs! The doc was amazed - even he accused me of not eating enough!
I am always amazed how people think it's acceptable to say "you look anorexic!" I wasn't that thin! I was 5'9 and weighed 118! I now am at 125 and I'm small boned so I look and feel great:). I voted you up and everything. If I had a penny for each time someone called me "so skinny!" I'd be a very rich woman. No one would ever say to someone, "my your so fat!" would they?! I and a terrible time shopping...maybe that's why I hate it still!
Hi RealHousewife. You hit the nail on the head when you said 'No-one would ever say to someone, "my your so fat" would they?'. It is apparently acceptable in most people's eyes to say 'You're so skinny' to thin people though. All wrong.
By the way, I hate shopping too so maybe that is where it comes from :)
Yes and I just love this hub. I have wished I would see articles about this. The grass is always greener. I was envious of the girls who were over weight - I used to think they could lose weight easier than I could gain. As an adult I realize it isn't true.....but I was young.
They'd call me string bean, sticks, legs, oh and my personal favorite - a carpenters dream - flat as a board and never been screwed! Yep.....and those words alone screwed me! Lol
Well RealHousewife, apparently as far as I read it IS harder to gain weight than to lose it, although both can be very difficult. When I say harder to gain weight, I am of course referring to people like us who probably have very fast metabolisms and a low appetite to boot, as opposed to the average person who can happily polish off a full plate of food with no effort. Many very thin people do eat well though, and the weight still doesn't 'stick', and this is usually down to the fast metabolism. Most so called 'normal' people, or even overweight people simply don't understand this, or even think it is all that important.
Thanks fitnesszone, I saw a girl like the first one in a supermarket queue once. She was at the checkout just in front of me. Her hands were like birds claws and her wrists like twigs. I think in her case she had an eating disorder though, as the only thing in her trolley was a bottle of diet coke. I was very thin too at the time, but not by choice. I honestly felt quite normal in comparison to her.
Hi
I am going through school right now and I am about 5'6.5" and I am a skinny twig, I have been put down, told I'm so skinny that I could die everything, I call myself a skinny fat kid cuz honestly I eat more then a pig and don't gain an ounce! Seriously, when everyones complaining about how they gained 10 pounds at Easter thanksgiving and Christmas, I'm sittening there thinking wow I just lost 3-5 pounds :( I feel gross too, like I hate how I look, I wear baggy clothes just to look heavier!! :( I kind of hate it, and my mom is skinny like me, and so is my dad, I'm not much but I am taller then my mom and my dad Is 6'?3? But honestly, I just need to gain weight!!
Hi Baii, you don't say if you are a boy or a girl, but if you are a girl you would probably find that going on to the contraceptive pill seems to put on quite a few pounds in weight. Otherwise the best advice I can give you is to keep snacking and drinking stuff like milk instead of water. you will probably find that in a year or two you start to fill out naturally as your body matures. Have you considered speaking to your Doctor and getting your Thyroid checked out via a blood test, as depending on if it is overactive or underactive it can cause people to either struggle to lose weight, or struggle to gain weight?
Sorry I am a girl :p and I rarely ever go to the doctors :( and I am lactose intolerant :(
Well on that basis Baii, I would suggest getting your Thyroid checked out, and considering going on the contraceptive pill. I put on nearly 28lb (2 stone) when I went on to the pill, and without any other notable changes to my diet etc at the time).
Either way if this is a major problem to you it will be necessary to see your Doctor.
Hope this helps.
Thanks
This is a really interesting hub and I am sure that it will be of great benefit to many people. You don't often hear about people trying to gain weight and but it is every bit as stressful as as it is for people who wish to lose it. I was very skinny as a boy and could not put on weight no matter what I ate or no matter kind of exercise I did. I so longed to be like all the other big lads in my school. I am now in my 50s and I have filled out and am not worried about my physical appearance as I am perfectly happy with how I look. Thank you for sharing this.
Thanks to you too Spirit Whisperer for sharing your experience :)
From what I have heard it is perhaps easier to lose weight than gain it. I think if you had lived in Southern California where I grew up people would have complimented you for being naturally skinny, as culturally people here considered this an ideal, especially with so many people going into the modeling and film industry as hopeful movie stars. I also never think people who are overweight should resort to stomach stapling, gastric bypass, or pills to lose weight. I had gained about forty pounds over my late twenties because I was not as active as I once had been, even though I still was pretty active, and ate too many sweets. I lost all the weight over a one year period by upping my walking to six miles per day several days a week. For me to maintain a healthy weight I realized I have to do a lot of walking, eating healthy, and I feel good doing that as I have more energy than ever. Some people with weight issues who claim they cannot lose weight usually have never tried long distance walking, running, or biking, which really helps the weight to fall off, and even allows people to eat hearty meals since they have burned so many calories. Also, I have even heard some people who consider themselves under weight talk about how marathon running gave them more of an appetite, and allowed them to put on a bit of weight since they were eating large amounts of food.
Thanks SweetiePie, some excellent tips there that I am sure will be helpful to many people. I especially liked your point about the marathon running helping a thin person get hungry enough to eat more and therefore gain weight.
Cindy, I posted this areticle in a few places and got varying responses. One was to take the block the picture. I told them to write a comment here, but I don't think they will becasue I also told them that I don't believe in censorship and that they would not have the same reaction to a picture of a fat kid. I hope that you are getting more views by me sharing this. It needs to be out there and people need to see "real" life things and not sugar-coated things.
I also got another person's opinion that it is very easy to put on weight but not to everyone's taste. I reminded them that it isn't as easy as everyone thinks it is by your story right here.
This is a wonderful Hub. I must say I was startled by the photos - so thin. I maintain an average weight but see from your Hub and comments that many folks have problems gaining weight. Rated up!
Thanks Debbie, Sadly too many people believe (wrongly) that gaining weight is easy compared to losing weight, but they are so so wrong, and need to get feedback from medical experts before they will believe this. Ignorance is commonplace, and it is articles like this one that redress the balance. Thanks for promoting this on my behalf.
Thanks Suziecat, again sadly people are so focused on overweight being a problem they completely fail to realise that underweight people have a far greater struggle to gain weight. This problem is ignored, and yet it is a major struggle for thousands. LG's comment above yours shows that there are many very ignorant people out there who still refuse to acknowledge that this is a large problem.
OMGoodness did I find something to help those who are going through this. I was losing my hair and people told me to take Pre-Natal vitamins. What I have found through taking them is that I am hungrier and thirstier than I was before taking them. I don't need to gain weight. If gaining weight or making yourself hungry enough to eat more is just one side effect I would suggest people try it. Give it a week or two because I didn't notice this after I have been taking them for 3 weeks now. I haven't noticed any new hair growing in but my nails grow like crazy.
Thanks for mentioning this LG, it might be worth mentioning the brand name too as the proportions and Vitamins etc included might vary from brand to brand :)
You are correct. When I first started taking these I was taking Nature Made MULTI Prenatal and did have the same reaction. Now that I have switched to Spring Valley Hair, Skin & Nails Plus Biotin 1000 mcg I am hungrier and more thirsty.
Thanks Debbie, that is useful information to share :)
Been reading through these comments here and realized one thing I noticed when it's an issue of "beefing up". Don't take me wrong, but it works 100% assured if a person works out like crazy and triples their caloric intake, but it all depends on what kind of body image you want to cultivate. It would be deemed crassly unfeminine to down protein shakes as a women, although it would also be a good source of biotin. There you go. The magical carousel of dieting never stops rotating. :)
Thanks for posting Thomas. As a woman I for one would really not want to 'beef up'. I hate the appearance of those overly muscular women as all their femininity seems to be destroyed by the excess of muscle tone. Tripling calorific intake would be the easy way to gain weight even without exercising, but the trouble with this is that many of the thin people struggle to consume calories or rather the volumes of food they need to in order to gain weight. I for one tried the 'Crash Weight Gain' and 'Protein' drinks used by body builders, but I couldn't abide the flavours and most of the stuff got dumped in the end. Those same shakes can do damage if used to excess or in the wrong combinations with other supplements, and it was as of a result of these (and other totally legal vitamins) that my Step Son (who worked in a gym at the time) ended up with a large degree of liver damage which is why he stopped using them altogether.
It seems to me that the people on here are not going through a 'carousel of dieting' though, they are simply people who have spent their lives struggling to gain weight, (as opposed to going up and down in weight on a regular basis and needing to correct it.)
chamilj Level 4 Commenter 7 months ago
Ha Ha I like the photo you inserted to this hub. Nice looking girl. :)