Underweight - need help.

Im in my mid twenties and terribly underweight.
Ive struggled with my weight since my early teens and have always been
terribly thin.
I havent had any notable health issues as a result but this problem has made me self-conscious and often I get depressed about it.
Basiccally i weigh about 120 lbs or 8.5 stones.
Ive been this weighy or therabouts since i was about 17 or 18. I think the heaviest ive ever been was nine.
I lead a normal life and eat the usual breakfast,lunch and dinner aswell as snacks most days, I dont excercise much however due to my work hours. and I often skip breakfast.
My forearms are very thin which I hate and my ribcage is almost visible which is a horrible thing to deal with.
Unfortunateluy im blessed with a fast metabolism which doesnt seem to retain any of the nutrients in the food I eat, im no expert on nutrition or anything but I know I need to eat more protein and calcium etc to improve my bodyweight.
Ive been reading up on my problem and some have suggested the best way is to start doing weights which wll increaser my body mass or something.
Im wondering have I left it too late to change my body. ideally id love to be at least two stone heavier but I just dont know where to start, the idea of joining a gym scares me as Im not sure I'd have the nerve to show up with my frame.
Is there any particular food or supplement which could have a major effect on my weight?
Or should I get a medical examination to see if I have any real problems?
Id appreciate any serious replies.Cheers

If you feel like this you should go to your Doc who can get you in contact with a dietitian who will advise you on weight gain,

you need to be eating at least 4 meals a day,

here's a link to set you on the path

www.bbc.co.uk...

Make meals a little larger or more calorific. For example, have an extra slice of toast at breakfast; drink grape juice rather than orange juice; make coffee with milk; serve an extra spoon of mash, rice or pasta; be more generous with healthier unsaturated oils, salad dressing and spreads; always have a dessert.
Have snacks to hand so you never go short. Good choices include nuts, seeds and raisins; pots of rice pudding, custard or yogurt; cereal or cereal bars; flapjacks; milk, yogurt drinks or smoothies; a scone or fruit bun; wheatmeal biscuits; cheese and crackers; fruit plus small chocolate bar.

[edit on 15-10-2006 by asala]

Thank you for that.
I'll check it out.

Wow! I have never thought of this at this angle before. You see, I am on the opposite side of this issue. I need to lose about 100lbs. I am inactive, I eat to much and my whole lifestyle needs to change. You on the other hand, I don't know what to do. I would tell you the same about seeing a pro about this. And for heavens sake never skip breakfast. That is the most important meal of the day. You will feel better all day long with a good breakfast!

I am very active, but have a bad habit of eating what I shouldn't...I have Celiac disease (cannot process wheat glutens and some combinations of nutrients) and I am hypoglycemic...

My worst habit is forgetting to eat. I have always been lanky and I was so proud of myself last year that I actually got up to a healthy 150LBS (I'm 5'10" and athletic)...but I had to really, really struggle to keep it on.

My doctor is great...and the four squares per day, plus carbs, and proteins is a good start. Seeing your doctor for a referal to a dietician is even better.

The one thing I had to start doing was eating eggs and drinking milk. Both of which I detest...so now I take in more protein in Soy, legumes, fish and a lot of cheeses (and of course my twice per year turkey indulgence) so I don't have to eat the eggs.

Vitamin supplements are useless unless your diet is under control...so that's where you'd be best to start.

Excersize is great for building mass and yes it will help you fill out, it was also even out your metabolism somewhat. Not just aerobic type excersize but actual weight training.

Best of luck and enjoy the fact you can eat pretty much anything you want!

First of all, you are still in your mid twenties, so your metabolism will slow down eventually..probably sooner than later.

What you should do is just try to slowly increasing your calories each day...spread it out over 4-6 meals, just eat throughout the day. don't hesitate to just eat nice big meals of carbs and protein and fat. Also, keep exercising regularly just to stay in good shape, and lifting might help a bit as well, although you mainly would just need to focus on eating more calories.

Go see a doctor too, because this could be some health issue such as an overactive thyroid or something...

Note: I am 52ndStreet, and didn't realize that account was logged on, as I now have my old account back...

I was about 6 ft tall 140 pounds until my sophomore year in high school when I decided not to be skinny anymore, and spent the next couple years eating as much food as I could (mostly protein and carbs), as well as lifting weights. Within 2 years, I had gained about 55 pounds and was 195...of course I gained fat, but most of it was muscle. Last winter I decided I was sick of eating so much to maintain my weight and am now a solid 180, still lifting for strength, but not size...so yea, it's definitely doable if you focus. Let me know if you need any help for diet...

Not to be rude, but your weight does seem rather low, but not that much, my mom weighs less, she's 5'3.

But my advice to you is to eat! A way I've found to work as well is to drink full beers, haha.

Originally posted by pmexplorer
Im in my mid twenties and terribly underweight.
Ive struggled with my weight since my early teens and have always been
terribly thin.
I havent had any notable health issues as a result but this problem has made me self-conscious and often I get depressed about it.
Basiccally i weigh about 120 lbs or 8.5 stones.
Ive been this weighy or therabouts since i was about 17 or 18. I think the heaviest ive ever been was nine.
I lead a normal life and eat the usual breakfast,lunch and dinner aswell as snacks most days, I dont excercise much however due to my work hours. and I often skip breakfast.
My forearms are very thin which I hate and my ribcage is almost visible which is a horrible thing to deal with.
Unfortunateluy im blessed with a fast metabolism which doesnt seem to retain any of the nutrients in the food I eat, im no expert on nutrition or anything but I know I need to eat more protein and calcium etc to improve my bodyweight.
Ive been reading up on my problem and some have suggested the best way is to start doing weights which wll increaser my body mass or something.
Im wondering have I left it too late to change my body. ideally id love to be at least two stone heavier but I just dont know where to start, the idea of joining a gym scares me as Im not sure I'd have the nerve to show up with my frame.
Is there any particular food or supplement which could have a major effect on my weight?
Or should I get a medical examination to see if I have any real problems?
Id appreciate any serious replies.Cheers

Your what we call a hardgainer. You need to lift weights. And be sure to eat plenty of protein. Start working out about 3 times a week with each workout working out a different part of your body. work out the major muscle groups in your body Do this for about a month. If you want and feel that you can get up to 5 times a week working out then try it. But you have to be into it. So make your workouts fun. Burn your own CD and listen to some of your favorite tunes. Heres another thing. Ask a friend to go to the gym with you to start working out. It will help you keep motivated haveing someone else to lean back on when your not feeling so motivated. Plus you want someone to spot you when your lifting.

When your working out, you need to mak sure your doing the workout properly. So proper form is a big deal especially when your working on bulking up.

Reps are another big deal. As a beginner I would recommend doing 8 reps of 2-3 sets. I dont know how tall you are. Im 6'7" (223lbs) I have longer arms then the average joe. So my strong hold isnt benching. the most ive ever benched is 260lbs. And i have long arms. So benching might not be your strong hold if you have long arms. like me. Just dont lift as heavy weight, make sure your doing the workout properly though (proper form).

Your muscles dont actually grow while your working out. When a person works out they actually tear down there muscles. After a workout your body starts to recover. Usually this starts the day after your workout. So dont workout the next day after working out the day before. This day should be dedicated to letting your muscles recover. This will help your muscles recover much faster and wont hurt them by overdoing it. Be sure to do upper body one day and lower body the next time you plan on working out. Mixing it up is always a good thing. Confuse those muscles! They grow better that way. But you will still need to eat lots of protein in order for your muscles to grow. Protien feeds your muscles making them bigger and stronger, and most importantly helping them to recover. So be sure to eat lots of protein. Fish, Chicken, turkey. Hard boiled eggs do wonders, just a few examples. Or drink a raw egg a day. This is loaded with protien. And peanut butter sandwiches. One peanut butter sandwhich has as much protien as a T bone steak does. So if your on a low budget, a peanut butter sandwich will do fine. Drink some milk with it. It makes the PB sandwich taste better and washes down all that peanut butter best! Carbs are also important for your body. Bread, potatos etc. those are just a few things that have lots of carbs in them. Stay away from soda. Its not good for you. Gatorade and water or flavored water are always a good bet. STAY AWAY FROM SUPPLIMENTS. they dont work buddy. Believe me its a waste of your money. Everybodys body is different from the others. Suppliments wont help your body get bigger being as to they dont know your body type. Its a waste of your hard earned money. Get plenty of sleep usually 8-9 hours a night. Another thing you want to eat usually 5-6 short meals a day. Just make sure your getting enough protein. Fast food doesnt count!!. Thats a NO NO. So dont go to McDonalds thinking the big mac or ten piece chicken nugget meal will do anything for your muscles. because it wont!

And look, dont do this for anyone else but YOU.. Its not worth it. You wont suceed unless you truly want it for yourself. Be happy with who you are no matter what. If you have any further questions just message me.

[edit on 113131p://111 by semperfoo]

It is likely you are someone who is naturally thin, and nothing you can do, even unhealthy things like steroids, will make you look like a body builder. My advice to you is to eat healthy foods in appropriate ammounts, and exercise. You should not only lift weights, but do cardiovascular and stretching work as well. Surprisingly, many very thin people have high body fat percentages and are in poor cardiovascular health because they get no exercise. It is not too late for you to start lifting weights. Your body's strength peaks when you are in your 30's, so you are still far from your prime. Weight lifting now can also minimize your risks of osteoperosis, which can start developing as early as the 20's.

I would recommend trying a low-carb diet.

Eat a lot of meat, eggs, cheese, and salads (without the croutons and sweet dressings etc.)

This diet usually brings people to an ideal weight since it eliminates all problems with insulin release. If you're too heavy you lose weight, if you're thin you gain.