How to gain weight healthily

[Panda161]

Does anyone have any advice for someone trying to gain weight healthily? I’m finding it especially difficult as I struggle with eating too much dairy or sugar as it seems to cause my skin to break out.
Weighed myself today and and I am 6 stone 3, BMI under 16. I was really shocked and very worried now
I feel like I eat ok, 3 meals a day and 2-3 snacks. Not sure where I’m going wrong.
Any advice is appreciated as I don’t have a lot of support in real life. Also doesn’t help that everything in society now seems geared around encouraging people to lose weight and create shame around food - like calories on menus, and all the women in my office on permanent diets and constantly talking about calories. Underweight people don’t get a lot of sympathy I know

[Panda161]

Thank you, I will talk to my doctor. I think you are right - eating disorders don’t ever truly go away but can be managed with the right help

[Gladioli23]

I think if you have previously suffered from an eating disorder it's probably worth talking to your doctor because you might need to come up with a particular way of managing this?

Eating disorders, especially those rooted in disordered eating from your family are tenacious beasts and you don't want to underestimate them.

[Panda161]

Thank you for all your advice.
I did suffer from an eating disorder as a teenager but I thought I was better now. I think I struggle a lot knowing what a normal size portion is. I am coming to the realisation that my mums own relationship with food might have a lot to do with this - went out with her today, lunch at a cafe - she ate half a sandwich and sat there judgementally watching me eat a whole one with a brownie and a latte. She seems to take pride in how little she eats, remarks like ‘oh I couldn’t eat a whole apple myself’ whilst i eat one etc.
I realise that I’m an adult now and responsible for my own health though

[A580Hojas]

I think you need some investigations to see why you are losing weight. Unless you are fighting a losing battle with an eating disorder and aren't being totally honest about it in your op.

[Rustnot]

What are you eating at the moment?

Adding calorie dense foods will help: nuts and nut butters, avocado etc. Having salads but with dressings made with a good amount of olive oil, adding seeds will help but I think you will still probably need to increase the volume of food you are eating. You want to have a good portion of protein, carbs and fat for each meal. Some 'unhealthy' foods will probably be good for you as well.

If you don't think you have an ED, it might be worth looking at roughly how many calories you are eating and maybe seeing the GP to rule out a medical cause. If you think it might be an ED, definitely don't count the calories but do see your GP.

[Gladioli23]

If you're eating 3 meals a day and snacks then realistically you presumably need to increase your portion sizes as a starting point?

Do you have an eating disorder or can you just approach it scientifically - work out what you're eating currently, and what you need to eat to put on weight and then add 50% or whatever to your portion sizes to get to a point where you're full?

Starting having e.g. a slice of toast with butter and jam with your breakfast etc?

[ManyATime]

Eat as often as you can. Nuts are a good snack.