Skinny girl with no appetite needs some guidance

[sabhoneypot]

Hello,

I am Sabryna and I am 33 years old. I always have been a hard gainer. I used to eat a lot and never gain weight but I was at my healthy weight. I am 5'3'' and I think the heaviest i have ever weighted was 125 when I was a teenager. Around 20 to 24 I weighed 118 pounds, then started doing drugs I went down to 108 pounds. I got sober 6 years ago but started having stomach issues: IBS. I was in so much pain at the time, that I started eating less and less... went down to 105, then someday I took a picture of myself and noticed how skinny my arms and my face were. I went on the scale: 96 pounds. I started crying. I didn't notice until then how much weight I have lost and as I was already slim before.

Since then I have been struggling to gain my weight back. Right now I am stuck at 103-104 pounds. I hate my temples, my face because that's where it shows that I have lost weight. I also struggle with my self-esteem and my confidence because of that. My stomach is so used to eating less now that I have no appetite. I am nauseous often and tired. I went to the doctor and besides IBS, the issue is that I don't eat enough. It feels like a chore to eat because I have no appetite and I am full really fast. I also took the habits to not really sitting down to eat. Like I would make myself a plate, eat a few bites then go do something else and end up not eating my plate... same with I am with people, taking a few bites and that's it.

I am good at working out, having a workout routine but I am struggling big time with nutrition. My body fat is mostly on my arms, hips and legs. The rest is pretty skinny.

I would like to have some guidance in nutrition. I can't really eat gluten, red meat or too much cheese because of IBS. I want to gain weight, muscles and healthy fat. If someone has any advice, that would be so helpful!

[xsquid99]

Higher calorie things should be a staple of your diet. Things like nuts, fatty fish (salmon), avocados/avocado oil, olives/olive oil, eat more chicken thigh and less chicken breast, tofu, lots of whole grains liken quinoa, brown rice.

Make sure you're not working out "too much" to where you're just burning off the little food that you do eat. 3 workouts a week primarily focused on strength training with less cardio focus would probably be in your best interest.

[sabhoneypot]

Higher calorie things should be a staple of your diet. Things like nuts, fatty fish (salmon), avocados/avocado oil, olives/olive oil, eat more chicken thigh and less chicken breast, tofu, lots of whole grains liken quinoa, brown rice.

Make sure you're not working out "too much" to where you're just burning off the little food that you do eat. 3 workouts a week primarily focused on strength training with less cardio focus would probably be in your best interest.

Thank you. And how many meals a day should I be eating? For example if I wake up around 7:30am and go to bed around 11pm, when I should be eating?

[xsquid99]

Thank you. And how many meals a day should I be eating? For example if I wake up around 7:30am and go to bed around 11pm, when I should be eating?

Meal/nutrient timing is largely irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Some people eat 6 times a day, others only eat twice. If you're someone who has a hard time eating large meals then eating smaller meals throughout the day is probably your best bet. Or try something like eating 3 meals + 2-3 snacks throughout the day, etc.

Another thing, if you're trying to put on some more weight you don't necessarily have to shy away from eating occasional treats like desserts, pizza, burgers, etc. Trying to get all your calories in just eating nothing but "healthy", whole food sources does not always work for everyone, so don't be afraid to work in some higher calorie stuff once in a while.

[FatBallz]

Another thing, if you're trying to put on some more weight you don't necessarily have to shy away from eating occasional treats like desserts, pizza, burgers, etc. Trying to get all your calories in just eating nothing but "healthy", whole food sources does not always work for everyone, so don't be afraid to work in some higher calorie stuff once in a while.

^ this.

Eat the things that most people want to eat all the time... aka high calorie foods. They taste good and it doesn't take as much to put on the pounds.

[MrCarrot]

^ this.

Eat the things that most people want to eat all the time... aka high calorie foods. They taste good and it doesn't take as much to put on the pounds.

IIFYM crew here. I've been going 3+ years now, would probably have given up long ago if I only ever "ate clean"

[sabhoneypot]

IIFYM crew here. I've been going 3+ years now, would probably have given up long ago if I only ever "ate clean"

And it won't turn only into fat if I work out at the same time???

[skrathbun]

I spent most of my life struggling to eat with no appetite. Forcing myself to eat a peanut sandwich was grueling. I eventually realized that it was just easier to drink my calories. And to gain weight it had to be fat calories, not protein or carbs.

I bought the whipping cream or half & half and made milkshakes with these.

Start with a half cup of milkshake after breakfast lunch dinner and before bed. Eat small portions of solid food, then guzzle down the half cup milkshakes after.

I was also very very low in estrogen which impacts your appetite. Maybe consider a birth control pill with higher estrogen just for six months while gaining the weight.

Add some muscle with milk products like cottage cheese or yogurt. You don’t need too much protein right now.

I also made cakes with crisco frosting (powdered sugar & vanilla mix) to add extra high calories into my diet.

If you hate eating as much as I did, I would take a few bites of my food each hour. It was very psychological for me.

But this was the only way I gained weight. Nothing else worked for me. I ate tons of high calories snacks and protein shakes and saw no results. DNA plays a big role in how your body stores specific extra calories. Protein and carbs just would not store into my fat cells. Only pure fat from milk products.

Good luck on adding the pounds. Once you get a good layer of fat back around your organs and on your frame then focus on the muscle building. Just keep in mind that the human body has fat cells inside muscles as well. So some people gain thickness in the muscle and outside the muscles in the subcutaneous fat cells.
The first ten pounds will make a big difference and you will begin to look healthy very quickly at 112 lbs.

[getbigordie18]

Hello,

I am Sabryna and I am 33 years old. I always have been a hard gainer. I used to eat a lot and never gain weight but I was at my healthy weight. I am 5'3'' and I think the heaviest i have ever weighted was 125 when I was a teenager. Around 20 to 24 I weighed 118 pounds, then started doing drugs I went down to 108 pounds. I got sober 6 years ago but started having stomach issues: IBS. I was in so much pain at the time, that I started eating less and less... went down to 105, then someday I took a picture of myself and noticed how skinny my arms and my face were. I went on the scale: 96 pounds. I started crying. I didn't notice until then how much weight I have lost and as I was already slim before.

Since then I have been struggling to gain my weight back. Right now I am stuck at 103-104 pounds. I hate my temples, my face because that's where it shows that I have lost weight. I also struggle with my self-esteem and my confidence because of that. My stomach is so used to eating less now that I have no appetite. I am nauseous often and tired. I went to the doctor and besides IBS, the issue is that I don't eat enough. It feels like a chore to eat because I have no appetite and I am full really fast. I also took the habits to not really sitting down to eat. Like I would make myself a plate, eat a few bites then go do something else and end up not eating my plate... same with I am with people, taking a few bites and that's it.

I am good at working out, having a workout routine but I am struggling big time with nutrition. My body fat is mostly on my arms, hips and legs. The rest is pretty skinny.

I would like to have some guidance in nutrition. I can't really eat gluten, red meat or too much cheese because of IBS. I want to gain weight, muscles and healthy fat. If someone has any advice, that would be so helpful!

focus on eating more calories and lifting 3 days a week. focus on slowly adding weight

[getbigordie18]

IIFYM crew here. I've been going 3+ years now, would probably have given up long ago if I only ever "ate clean"

same here man. I went from 135 pounds to 230 pounds after a decade of lifting! Now I am a retired powerlifter and am happily maintaing my current 220 pound physique