I Cant Gain Weight

Updated on December 25, 2007
D.F. asks from Stockton, CA
18 answers

It seems the only time i can put weight on or keep weight on is when i am eaither pregnant or nursing, well i am not pregnant or nursing anymore, problem is i am 100 lbs and cant gain any weight, for my height i am about 15 to 20 lbs under weight. I have had every lady here mention getting my thyroid, that is not the problem, it is something else, my thyroid has been checked in the past, it has been ruled out as an issue, i dont plan to have it rechecked as i know that their is nothing wrong with my thyroid. i have changed my eating habits, eating healthier, adding more calories and food high in fat and still no weight, i am the type that can eat 5lbs of chocolate and not gain 1oz, i need help, any suggestions on how to gain weight so that i can be healthy and look healthy again except getting my thyroid checked? I look in a mirror and i see a boney, skronny person, I dont look like a healthy person and its affecting everypart of my body, i lost my breasts, went from a mid C cup to a sagging small A cup, my butt is flat now, and i cant find my hips, went from the hour glass figure to NO figure. PLease help, i need to look healthy again. Alo my weight flequates between 95-100lbs, for my height i need to be at least 115 to 120lbs, yes i am underweight, even the BMI calculator says so.

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J.B.

answers from San Francisco on

I know exactly how you feel! I remember being stuck around 100 lbs. I now wiegh 125 and I love it. The 2 things that helped me are homeopathy and weight lifting. I have a homeopath that I recommend, her name is Deborah Olenev http://home.att.net/~olenev/ I have used her since 1994. Up until that point homeopathy was the only thing that helped me to gain weight. Good luck!

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N.P.

answers from San Francisco on

I had the opposite happen to me. I was tired all the time and even though I hardly ate anything I still managed to gain weight. I finally went to the doctor because thyroid disorder runs in my family and sure enough, I have hypothyroidism.

If you don’t know, your thyroid is a gland that helps regulate your metabolism. Metabolism is how fast (or slow) you process your calories. It sounds like you have the metabolism of a humming bird. It can get knocked out of whack either one of two ways. Hypothyroidism (producing too little hormone) and hyperthyroidism (too much hormone). I have the hypo version and have to take a supplement pill every day for the rest of my life or I get really sluggish and my hands and feet get very cold. I have to go in for regular blood tests so they can regulate my dosage.

These are the top four symptoms of the 33 listed symptoms from the other side of the coin:

Insomnia
Irritability
Nervousness
Unexplained weight loss

Just go to your doctor with your concerns and the test is just a simple blood test. It could be the answer.

If it’s not your thyroid it could be something as simple as STRESS and you just need to relax and get back into a smooth groove of life.

2 moms found this helpful
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K.B.

answers from San Francisco on

Have you seen a physician or nurse practitioner about this? You could have thyroid other medical problems affecting your weight. They could examine you, possibly perform some lab work, and maybe make a diagnosis that could be treatable.
Good luck. K.

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A.K.

answers from San Francisco on

My husband was also very thin and looked underweight all the time. When we found out he had lung cancer and needed surgery, weight was a big issue. My husband was a big eater but never was able to gain weight. Prior to his surgery, my husband ate as usual and drank a can of ensure drink with each meal. He drink 2 to 3 cans per day. He gained 20 lbs in a very short time. He never look as great as he did before surgery and even after surgery.

It is now 3 years later and he is one of the lucky ones to survive lung cancer.

Others friends have gained weight with ensure also. Try it out. Ensure comes in 3 flavors. Check out ensure on the benefits of ensure.

Good Luck!
A.

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C.C.

answers from Bakersfield on

Have you gotten your thyroid checked? it seems odd that your metabolism is working so hard... You may have a hormone imbalance or something.... My suggestion is to weight train.. this will build muscle and muscle weighs more than fat... also eat what you eat when you are pregnant.

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N.R.

answers from Sacramento on

Hi D.. I'm new to this site, a friend of mine sent me a tree to plant and join mamasource. I'm not a mom yet, but I'm a newlywed! I was married last weekend. I would suggest that you see your doctor to have your thyroid gland checked. I was diagnosed with hyperthyoidism at age 21. At the time, I lost a lot of weight (I couldn't even fit a size 0) I could not gain weight either. I'm 35 years old now, and I still don't gain much weight. You may not have a thyroid problem, but it doesn't hurt to have a physical exam to check things out. Good luck to you. - N. Caldwell

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S.A.

answers from San Francisco on

Are you incorporating muscle toning exercises? Could you give an example of your daily diet with names of food and portion sizes?

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C.B.

answers from San Francisco on

Not being able to gain wieght, and actually losing weight as you are can be a sign of a serious medical condition. It is time to make an appointment with your doctor to get some testing. Something that comes to mind is a condition called Celiac Disease, which is genetic. It means you cannot digest gluten, a food found in any product made with wheat (bread, cereal, battered fried foods, veggie burgers, etc), barley (malts and beer), rye & oats (oatmeal cookies). A blood test is the first thing your doctor will do to rule out Celiac. If you have it, one or both of your children may already have it, or may develop it later.

Good luck!

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M.R.

answers from San Francisco on

I could not gain weight until I stopped eating any wheat or gluten. it made a huge difference!

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A.S.

answers from Sacramento on

D., Get your thyroid checked! It is probubily over working. It can be easily taken care of with medication. Thyriod disease runs in my family and I have it, that's how I know to mention it. So go to your doctor and check it out.
Happy Holidays!
A.

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K.U.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi,
I'm not a doctor, but I was raised by two of them and I study health issues on my own. I don't know if you're otherwise pretty healthy, but 15-20 pounds is significant. It sounds like you might have a thyroid problem, but that's just a wild guess. There are other symptoms associated with hyperthyroid, you should definitely get tested, if that's what it is, thankfully it is treatable. Good luck!

K.

PS I just saw that you had been checked but I had a friend who was checked, supposedly, (she was on Medicare and didn't think her doctor followed through on the tests) and when she pressed the issue several times they finally listened to her and sure enough! she was hypothyroid. Please get a second or third opinion until you are satisfied that you are being adequately treated.

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L.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi I had a friend like that and she went to na ayravedic practisioner an they help a lot for your body type alsoo try checking your thyroid, an high protein suppliments-non soy based-good luck-Liza

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J.W.

answers from Salinas on

I would go get a physical and some blood work- check thyroid etc. Good luck!

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S.B.

answers from San Francisco on

I know many people who read your posting "how dare she think this is a problem" but believe me it is. I have the same problem and it can be quite dangerous,

Maybe you should have the thyroid rechecked. "A few years" is a long time. There are actually at least three thyroid tests, T3, T4 and a new one which is anti-thyroid antibodies.

Also, weight loss is a sign of diabetes (adults can get Type 1 diabetes, I unfortunately am living proof of that) so get your blood sugar tested as well.

I found for me that the best way to keep my weight up believe it or not is exercise. When I exercise, I eat more, and you just have to make sure that you are eating more than you are burning off. Also, muscle weighs more than fat, so there is a secondary effect as well. It doesn't have to be hours and hours, 3-4 trips to Curves per week worked for me. I injured my knee 9 months ago and stopped exercising (just had surgery last month) and yep, dropped 10 lbs. I know this is the opposite of what works for everyone else (i.e. most people exercise to lose weight, not gain it) but it works for me, and might work for you.

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K.G.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi D.,
You should really see your doctor. There a number of medical conditions, such as a hyperactive thyroid or digestive disorders, that could be causing this. Only a medical professional can really let you know what's going on and how to fix it. Good luck!
K.

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V.W.

answers from San Francisco on

try lifting weights - put on some muscle weight.

have your thyroid checked it might be hyperactive

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T.F.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi D., I agree with the suggestions to have bloodwork done. Over or Under active thyroid is just not good for you (weight issues aside) and their may be some other reason. Also, if you are not getting anywhere with your doctor and he/she doesn't think it's an issue, find one that will listen to you concerns. It sounds like you are right on track with nutrition but you might consult a nutritionist, they may think of some things that help. I wish you the best.

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L.M.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi D.,

Have you considered going to a naturopathic doctor? It looks like you live in Stockton, so I'm not familiar with resources around that area. I live in San Francisco and there are a handful of naturopaths here. A naturopath uses a variety of healing modalities including homeopathy, botanical medicine, chiropractic medicine and energy work.

I also highly recommend seeing an acupuncturist who integrates Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in their practice. Acupuncture has had an amazing effect on my health (I was overweight and had irregular periods and now I understand why I was so heavy - still somewhat heavy, but no where near what I used to be - and I have a healthy menstrual cycle now, too).

Good luck to you!

-L.

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