Trying to Gain Weight and It's Not Happening for Me!

I would ask to have a thyroid test done. Pregnancy can alter the functioning of this gland and it regulates metabolism. It is a simple blood test.

I would stop focusing on a number and start focusing on whether or not you are eating healthy, working out and getting the help you need with the "depression". I'm 5'7" and weighed 125 for pretty much all of my 20's (and younger) and then a couple years ago I was down to 114 (right before I got pregnant) but it was never a concern to me because I knew I was eating and such so I didn't focus on my weight. I don't think that you should be concerned about gaining a lot of weight because 125 is actually a VERY healthy weight to maintain for someone your height. Good luck though with the direction you choose.

I know how you feel. I have had four boys I'm 5'8" and only weigh 110 lbs. I went to a GNC and got a powder that you can mix with milk. It's called Enormass. It helps build muscle, and gain weight. The guy at the store saidsome people have gained 12 pounds in a month with the stuff. You could try that. Good luck to you.

K.-
Have you had a physical? A physical would check out health aspects and rule out any illnesses. Then you can concentrate on eating and exercise. Consulting a nutritionist could help you add healthy fats into your diet. In the meantime, unless you hate being a size 6, you could play it up. Have fun with some new clothes and a new look. If nothing else is wrong, take it as a gift. I am 5'6", small frame, a size 8, was a size 2 before having two children, and I would love to be a size 6 again. But, I eat right and go to the gym 3-4 times a week. As long as I am healthy and reasonably fit I have learned to be happy with the me I am now. Accept yourself, get help if you need, and enjoy the fact that right now you don't have to worry so much about your weight.

When my brother was younger, and wanted to gain weight the doctor told him to eat peanut butter. Maybe you could sneak it in with breakfast and lunch. Good luck!!!

Hi K.
You're a stress loser!!! So that is a mental fight too.
You'll want to eat some good proteins- only half animal based.
I'm a wellness coach. We also use protein smoothie supplements.
For our weight gain-- we call it a 3,3,3 program. Vitamins and minerals 3x a day (all our supplements work that way to ensure absorption rather than a one time pass), 3 meals and 3 smoothies- in this case your ensure. Eat your meals first then fill in the cracks with ensure or you won't eat the calories of the food as you'll be full.

Don't stress out about weight-- it means very little. It's a factor of several things. Focus more on healthy eating and your measurements-- how your clothes are fitting and how you're body is feeling healthwise.

It's a total balance, mind, body, spirit-- and I'd recommend some yoga or meditative stuff if you've never tried it too.

Have a blessed Easter holiday.

About me: 48 yo perfusionist, wellness coach actually running a nationwide biggest loser for $ online, and mom to dear 7 yo twin girls.

B. J

It sounds like 125 is a healthy weight for you. It puts your BMI in the healthy range. Maybe instead of focusing on gaining weight by eating more calories you should try working out to gain muscle? Try weight lifting 3x a week. You'll be amazed by how strong you'll get and how it will transform your body. Muscle also weighs more than fat, so if you put on muscle and you don't have much fat to begin with, you'll gain weight. Don't just try to pack in more calories; that's not healthy at all unless you weren't eating enough to begin with.

Have you had your thyroid levels checked? Ask your doctor.
Also, if you are breastfeeding, you need extra calories.

The same thing happened to a friend of mine after her first baby. It turned out to be something with her thyroid which is treatable with medication. You should go to the doctor and ask about Graves disease. It just means your thyroid is working overtime and needs to be regulated. Good luck!

You may want to talk with an Endocrinologist, (if your doctor thinks this a good strategy.) I am a guy married to a spouse who was thin most of her life than working FT and life ended up with weight gain. Now She keeps it down by portion sizes. But why am I responding? I have been thin most of my life which my family wanted for me. It made if virtually impossible for me to gain "any" weight! How did I change that and now on the low end of normal weight for a 50 plus year old? I balanced exercise and being sedentary. I learned my snacking often, about 5-7 times per day actually kept me thinner as the meals per day then were not as big a thing. I also deal with lactose intolerance which limited Dairy fats and sugars. What I can tell you if you can just find some "healthy" weight and keep at that weight that is a great goal. A dietician could maybe help you figure out your caloric need versus your intake of calories. Do you not stay still when seated? That is another "secret" to my being underweight for so many years! (about 15 years) so maybe if you do move around or not stay still, doing so would reduce your dietary needs resulting in a surplus of calories to build up weight. But do you really want fat cells? Maybe a better idea is to lift weights starting at the lowest comfortable weights to higher ones as you gain strength and then more of you body weight would be from muscle versus fat. Though some fat is needed and helpful also. I doubt you have and "eating disorder" but that is up to you to be aware of such issues. When the Antidepressant is successful you will probably also notice your appetite does improve, too. But do you really need to gain weight? Key is stopping the loss of weight not necessarily trying to gain weight. Adding things like: eating snacks like nuts (oils)and a little more of rolls (starches) should help you gain weight. But just be careful not to over do that as it could work very very well. People who cut out bread from their diet can lose weight! Good luck!

I would talk to your doctor about getting your thyroid checked and checking for diabetes. It sounds like it might be a thyroid issue.

Have you had a full physical to see if there is anything else going on? I'd recommend keeping a food journal to see how your food choices are. Good luck!!

I honestly wouldn't worry about it. That is what I weigh and I too am 5'7. Instead of weight I would try gaining muscle mass. Muscle weighs more than fat. And that really is a healthy size and weight for your height. You could have your thyroid tested just to be safe. But otherwise than that I wouldn't worry about it. I'm sure someday you will wish you had that problem again. :)

your not under weight. I am 5'7 and WAS 118 till i took a sit down all day job, now I am 135, YIKES. I am trying figure out how to loose atleast 10 lbs before summer gets here!

But check out this site, it is awsome... you can keep track of your calorie intake and all that good stuff, it has options if you want to gaine or loose weight and can help you plan meals.

http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate

also stop into the Buckle and we will find you some sweet Jeans, that fit you and will make you feel GREAT!!! (yes, I started back at the buckle part-time because I couldn't handle all this sitting, hoping this will help me work off a few lb's)

Good Luck.

Have you had a check-up to see if there's any other health problems that might be causing weight loss, and asked your doctor about it?

I am 4 ft 9 1/2 inches and a year after my son was born I weighed 95 pounds (I had ballooned up to 155 pounds with him). I checked the BMI charts and supposedly I was okay. But I looked in the mirror and I looked skeletal to me! Actually, I looked skeletal to a lot of people because other women at work started to ask me if I was doing okay.
I ate everything and anything but I was pumping several times a day so my body just automatically transformed everything I ate/drank into milk. Nothing for me, it seemed.
But I was also walking for 20 minutes 4 days a week, pushing my son in the stroller (to drop him off at daycare). My hubby said that the fastest way to lose is to engage your large muscles (like your legs while walking).
After I stopped pumping I also stopped walking (weather changes) and I started putting weight back on (it didn't hurt that it was around the holidays). I remember I put on 5 pounds in 1 week just like that!
So... I know that feeling of not being comfortable with your weight in spite of how it looks on paper.
I will agree with the other ladies about making sure you are eating healthy meals and portions rather than focusing on the number itself.
But to answer your question I would suggest to eat late at night, right before bedtime. The reasoning there is your body doesn't have a chance to burn those calories. Also, someone suggested protein... you may want to try that at night as well, someone told me that it helps to build and maintain muscle.
Other than that, try to relax a little.
Good luck!

Are you still breastfeeding? The reason I ask is because with both of my kids I lost an enormous amount of weight while breastfeeding. I am 5'8" and got down to the point of 120 lbs and was trying to eat as much as I could. I also found out by accident (when applying for life insurance) that I had protein in my urine. I visited my doctor and they ran all kinds of tests because of the protein and could not find anything. They sent me to a renal specialist and about a couple of weeks before my appointment I decided to stop breastfeeding because the weight loss had just gotten to be too much. Well low and behold when I got to the specialist I no longer had protein in my urine.

The doctor said she had never heard of an instance where this had happened because of breastfeeding but they were asking me if I had been exercising/running a lot because sometimes runners start to break down muscle if they run too much and it shows up in the urine. At the time I was not exercising at all since the breastfeeding was literally killing me. Personally I think I had gotten to the point that I had no more fat to burn and the calories used to breastfeed was breaking down my muscle.

Since I stopped breastfeeding I am now back up to 140 and would actually prefer to lose 5 lbs and be at 135 so started walking for exercise again. Anyways, sorry for the long story but if you are breastfeeding and it is causing you to lose all the weight I would stop.