Help me gain weight

[Nikeybikey]

I have just noticed how much my hip bones are sticking out and I am embarrassed. I never weigh myself. I was last weighed and measured nearly three years ago. My BMI was just about in the healthy range. I have no idea what I weigh now and do not wish to know. However, after looking up the physical symptoms of being underweight, most apply to me. I have cold extremities and suffer from fatigue and night sweats. I am currently wearing size 6 clothes but some are too big. I have eaten too much chocolate lately, to the point that I have developed a burning taste in my mouth when eating chocolate. Any advice on gaining weight?

My mum is in this position so I’ve been trying to help her. I guess we need to know what you are currently eating though? Where are your ‘gaps’? It would be good for you to think about whether it’s that you’re not eating enough or not eating often enough, or both.

For example my mum feels more hungry later on if she eats something small first thing.

Christmas pudding with double cream. Three meals and three snacks a day.

I don’t think I’m eating enough throughout the day. When the tiredness hits, I don’t perk up until after I have had dinner

When my already-slim mum lost a load of weight and had fatigue and night sweats, it turned out she had Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Please get to a doctor.

Anemias can damage appetite.
I would presume you're low on iron at least, get a supplement daily for that, and try to eat the equivalent of 3 platefuls a day (all much more calorific than salad).

I hate Christmas pudding and cream. I am already eating three meals each day. I only have a lunch break at work so no opportunity for a snack until I am home. I do have dessert every day. My after work snack is only small as a start my dinner not long after I get in.

What do you eat?

Yesterday was porridge and a slice of toast; veggie wrap, crisps, and an orange; 2 custard crème’s; curry, rice, and a rice cake afterwards. It’s during the day that’s the problem due to a lack of breaks and a busy job

Ask if you can be referred to a dietician by the GP. They can help (if you can track one down).

Also I started a thread a few months ago. It's vegan but still might give you some ideas about how to increase your food intake as there were some fab suggestions:
www.mumsnet.com/talk/vegan/4577014-i-need-help-gaining-weight

You don't sound like you undereat, seriously as I've just said, get to a GP and find out why are you are losing weight as it could possibly be quite a serious underlying cause.

Complan or similar supplements. Take them like medicine-as well as meals, NOT instead of.
Two per day if you can and you will soon start to gain.

If you have porridge then add cream or butter, or nut butter on top, things like that. Assuming you are already using full fat dairy?

Full fat coconut milk based curries are calorific if you like curry.

my dd has some drinks and shakes and juices prescribed by the dietician they are 600 cals each and she has these as well as meals.They might help you?

Use something like MyFitnessPal to assess your current eating patterns and figure out how many calories you're getting.

Eating lots of chocolate is a bad idea because it's huge amounts of refined sugar that will just leave you feeling I'll.

You'd be better off introducing healthy fats like nut butter, olive oils, avocado.... into your routine.

Something like a healthy shake or smoothie in the morning made with avocado, Greek yoghurt etc.

During the day, nuts would be good. Easy and fast.

Also a meal replacement drink but as an extra- it would be high in nutrients at least.

Milk based puddings are good too- custard, rice pudding.

Thank you for all the advice so far :). I’m off to the shops so I’m going to stock up on nuts and greek yoghurt. I may get some custard to have with some cake too.

No doctor's appointment then, no? Okay fair enough, I've done my bit.

Have you lost the weight quite quickly? Or always been small?
I managed to gain over a stone a couple of years back. I did a bit of weight training to build some muscle. Constant snacks - peanuts are good. Greek yoghurt, smoothies are high in calories. You need to treat it like a diet that you stick to. Don’t let yourself have off days where you allow yourself to forget to eat or can’t be bothered to make something proper.
Dont just eat chocolate, biscuits etc. you need proper nutrition- fatty meat- steaks, bacon etc.
I used to make smoothies with peanut butter and avocado.
I would definitely go to the doctor though if you’ve also got fatigue and night sweats.

So sorry I completely missed your post! I have always been small so I have not lost a huge amount of weight quickly. I think I am just not eating enough in the middle of the day. It is very hard to get a doctors appointment where I live so I am going to try the other ideas first and if they do not work I will book a doctors appointment. At the minute, my GP is not doing routine appointments so I cannot book one even if I wanted one.

Not to drip feed, but the night sweats are not all the time and I have had them for a couple of years. The only reason I mentioned might sweats was because they came up when I searched “physical symptoms of being underweight”

You need to see a GP
weight loss, fatigue and night sweats are not something to be ignored. Get bloods done.
i have lost recently as I’m in a specific diet but I am tracking my calories now and realised I wasn’t eating enough. Now I have a breakfast of around 400 cals, similar lunch and dinner (500 cals) and two 100-200 cal snacks and I’m maintaining. I only need around 1500 cals per day though.
I’m eating very healthily and have loads of energy.

@Nikeybikey sory, I was a bit snappy there. Please try and see a GP, the night sweats do indicate something is up, likely linked to the weight loss, and it could potentially be something serious.

Before going straight to trying to take in more calories, you need to see a doctor. Your diet looks okay and wouldn’t explain weight loss this severe on its own. It might be metabolic, like thyroid, or something more complicated or serious.

Get checked out before you change anything, as other posters have advised.

How much weight loss are we talking about over how long a time period? You say you don’t weigh yourself- could you get some scales to keep an eye on things. It will also help to set yourself a target. My target was 57kg and it was good to see the numbers gradually increasing.
assuming no medical problems (which you will rule out with a gp appointment right?!) i find liquid calories the easiest to do when my appetite is low.