I need to gain weight, low appetite

[Anonymous219]

Let's start off by saying I'm a woman in my 20s. I really need to gain weight, my work depends on it and I can't stand having low energy all the time anymore. I'm in good shape, I workout like 4-5 times a week (mostly weights) and don't do any cardio as it makes me lose weight. The difficult part is no matter how much I eat, I still struggle to gain weight, I have extremely fast metabolism. My appetite is also fluctuating so much. I could eat 4-5 full meals one day and then skip breakfast, have lunch and barely eat a salad the next one. In those days when my appetite is so low, I try to force myself to eat as much as I can but just thinking about food makes me sick. Especially in the mornings. I really want to up my appetite, eat enough, so I can have enough energy to workout, be in a better mood and so on. Also, I need to gain like 3-5 kg/7-11 pounds by August (5kg would be the better option if possible) That adds even more pressure. Are there any supplements to boost my appetite or gain weight? Different shakes, food recommendations, exercises and any other tips would be appreciated!

What do you eat now?

High calorie, low volume sounds like your best option. Essentially it means you add to every meal.

Add cream to things like soups and sauces and cheeses or fats to meals.
Peanut butter, nuts, cheese etc as snacks.
Use only high fat dairy.

Have a look at build up drinks, but these are in addition to normal eating, not instead of...

Have a think about why you currently eat the way you do - do you need professional help to make these changes? See a dietician maybe? Are you underweight?

Instead of 4-5 meals one day and none the next, or needs to be smaller meals or snacks and more often so you eat about the same every day.

Make sure you're still getting the right amount of protein, carbs and veg though.

If you're late 20s this will probably start to naturally change very soon. When I was in this situation in my 20s high fat and regular meals as @NeedForSpeed suggests helped.

Do you know what is behind your low appetite? I.e. is there a medical issue and is that being treated?

As pp has said, fat might work but it is an issue because it is highly satiating which is not what you want to build appetite. I keto and a high fat diet actually decreased appetite in many people.

Do the opposite of what we are told to do to lose weight. Drink calories in liquid form so they don't fill you up. sugar (healthy sources) sweet fruit, combine fat and carbs as they drive appetite etc.

Could you give examples of what you eat on a daily basis? It might be that you are not getting enough of certain things even if it feels like you are eating balanced meals. People might be able to advise better if you can provide an example.

As a dietitian myself and see this regularly,
please speak to your GP. The priority is identifying the cause - assessing your nutritional status, abdomen, psychological health,
hormone levels and so on
Please don’t reply to pp about dietary intakes, you do not need online pretend healthcare professionals. X

Thank you all for the feedback! So, a normal day of eating consists of: Breakfast (I do occasionally skip it but try not to): overnight oats with milk, honey/maple syrup, peanut butter and fruits or some kind of toast (typically cheese); I make a shake with one scoop of protein powder, 1 banana and 1-2 spoons of peanut butter typically when I don't feel like having a breakfast; Lunch: omelette with 2/3 eggs, tomatoes and cucumbers as a side or french fries; Chicken with rice; When I don't have much appetite I stick to some kind of oven baked vegetables, such as zucchini, peppers and some yoghurt maybe. Dinner: different meals as I cook a lot. Pasta, potatoes and meat in the oven, spinach and rice, mushrooms and rice, meat and rice, scrambled eggs, all of them with a salad. Last night I had some homemade pizza with lots of different cheeses on top. I sometimes have avocado toasts as well.
It's the same on the weekends except I have more time to prepare breakfast, so I make 2 or 3 french toasts, crepes (eating around 6 with chocolate) or protein pancakes.
When I'm thinking about it, I don't really have any snacks during the day.

I’ve been trying to gain a stone for 6 months and I’m actually 1lb lower than when I started. I have zero appetite and it’s so hard to eat. I also do a really physical job but it’s making me exhausting and my muscles seem to have wasted away. I’m going to start really trying though. Good luck!

@Raindropsandroses123, thank you! I've already spoken to my GP and they've ran some tests. All is good. Said it's just fast metabolism and in a couple of years it'll start to slow down, also low water intake. I'm definitely not underweight but I feel like I can benefit from gaining some muscle mass. I'm now trying to up my water intake as well and it seems that it's helping my mood, energy level and appetite a bit, we'll see with time. Maybe that's another reason as well.

I’m sorry, please refer to my previous post.
if I was seeing you for this there is so much missing information. There is no way anyone here can give you good advice from the information you have provided, and if they do, it could be more harmful than helpful. I know people are probably trying to help but professionally in this situation they won’t be. Please speak to your GP. Good luck

My partner and adult DC are like you. I agree with poster who said see GP or nutritionist. One of my DC saw a nutritionist who advised on what to eat etc....

What I have noticed in my family is they rarely feel hungry. Then suddenly they are weak with hunger and have to eat a lot. My guess from observation is their hunger receptors are not very engaged until somewhere in the body a message is sent saying - feed me quick.

OK, so you add to what you already eat.

Make the oats with full fat milk / gold top / cream. Add a spoon of seeds to it. Plus your usual fruit etc.

Add cream to the omelette mix, fill with some cheese, fattier meat like bacon or sausage or even lean meat - doesn't have to be a greasy mess, just higher in dense calories and protein. Add some full fat dressing to the salad - yoghurt or oil based. A tablespoon of olive oil is 119 calories for example.

If you don't have an appetite, that baked veg meal is very very low cal - switch it up a bit maybe. Bake that same veg with plenty of olive oil, feta cheese and some chicken. Still tasty but inserting calories again. Or bake the veg, blend it, add veg or chicken stock, some cream and have a fresh soup. I keep parbake rolls which take 7 mins in the oven - serve up with the soup.

Every rice dish, add more veg or sauces.
Every salad, add a higher calorie dressing.

Think about snacks - avoid low cal options, protein bars and protein drinks may be too satiating for you and not high enough in calories unless you buy mass gaining options which are higher calorie.

Essentially, add to what you eat. Don't have fasting days. Try to be consistent. Meal planning may help you in the week, especially if you can just grab a frozen meal or soup and microwave it without having to take the time to get on top of it.