confused by my body. do i really need to gain weight?

The story is this. I'm currently 5'6.5", 105lbs (BMI of 16.6). (I just came to the US for exchange, and in my first week here, I was travelling with really horrible companions who pretty much ignored the fact that i didn't eat meat when deciding where we should head for bfast/lunch/dinners, and so i hardly ate anything over the course of a week, during which i lost about 3~5lbs.)

School started three weeks ago, and in the midst of settling in and breaking off contact with my earlier travel companions for ever and ever, I've been trying to gain weight. I started CCing again a week+ ago to keep myself on track. (i even bought a (albeit cheap) food scale to weigh my portions to make sure that i'm not overestimating the portions of food that i'm getting in.) In the past week, I've been averaging about 2500cals a day (up to 3000cals on some), most of the time stuffing myself with more food than i'm actually comfortable with, especially near bedtime, so that i'm eating on a surplus (assuming that i'm lightly active, when i'm probably closer to being sedentary, i supposedly burn about 1800cals a day, so i should be getting a 700cal surplus a day--by now, i should have gained 3lbs, but i've been pretty much maintaining at 105lbs, save for a water-weight increase prior to my TToM.)

All that has happened so far in my two weeks of stuffing my face, though, is that i haven't been enjoying my food as much as i know i should (i've been too busy and caught up with eating enough, that after a certain point my stomach and mouth start feeling lousy--my stomach feels stretched and my mouth gets this numb tingly feeling when i eat too much). I haven't gained any weight, and I've also been getting really jittery (as though i'm hyperactive?). Last night i started shaking quite a bit in the hour before i went to sleep, i think because of a sugar overload

 

The thing is, I'm not sure why i want to put myself through this just to get to a healthier weight anymore. I mean, the last time i had my period was a week ago, and before that i had my period almost exactly a month ago, so period isn't a problem. I have B.M. once, sometimes twice a day, so that isn't an issue either. I don't look emaciated, and i don't have jutty bones, so i don't look terribly skinny or malnutritioned. I'm just really underweight--but then again, by what standards! I don't know whether i should just stop trying, and just let nature take its course, cause i'm starting to feel queasy just looking at food, when i used to look at beautifully rich and delicious food and feel really really happy at the anticipation of sinking my teeth into those wonderful goodies. ):

help!

The normal range for weight is BMI 20 - 25.  The minimum healthy weight is 19.  People sub 18.5 are classed as clinically underweight.  Short-term, the same as overweight people might not experience problems immediately, being underweight may not feel like a problem either.  But long-term it is a real problem.  Malnutrition isses are a slow-burn.   What does your doctor say?  They're the people to listen to.  Could you make an appointment and ask for their advice?  Or be referred to a dietician? 

If the amount of food you're eating isn't causing you to gain weight and if you're measuring everything accurately then it's because you're using up more energy than you think.  Someone that can lose 5lbs in one week is somone that needs a high energy intake. 

You don't have to eat sugary junk.  You don't have to 'stuff your face'.  And you shouldn't be forgetting to eat and then playing catch up at bedtime.  All of those would make anyone feel nauseous.  Do choose your foods carefully so that you're getting good nutrition plus high energy and low bulk.   There is a list of such foods in a thread at the top of the page.  And do plan your day out so that you're eating regularly as this makes it easier to get the total energy you need.   Use the CC log to work out your meals in advance and, if you can see it's going to fall short, add things earlier in the day.   Best of luck

Hey fellow Singaporean,

You should definitely be gaining some weight, while BMI might not be accurate for bodybuilders etcetera, it is definitely a reliable enough litmus of health. When your BMI is too low, your body is probably suffering from malnutrition, even though you might not feel it.

I felt ok being at about 17.5 BMI when I went to the doctor's. But subsequently, my pulse was taken and it was an alarming 48 beats/minute. Needless to say, I'm trying to gain now.

If you feel stuffed, eat more high-calorie foods (I highly highly recommend Almond Butter, you can get those at the NTUC in Bukit Timah or one of those organic stores) and drink more of your calories. I find banana milkshakes very effective during periods of "stuff"ation. If you really feel like you can't take anymore food, get a high-calorie nutritient drink such as Ensure Plus (alarmingly enough, it can be found at Cold Storage).

hey toasttoasttoast! Thanks for the heads up about the B.M.I.

i'm not in singapore now, but i like some of the ideas you gave. I'll be popping by the market and food stores that i frequent here in the USA today in about two hours or so, and i'll definitely be sure to pick up almond butter--which i churned myself when i was volunteering at the store (it's a non-profit co-op), and i didn't make a purchase cause it didn't really smell of anything much, but the peanut butter smelt so so good, so i bought that instead. i've been hearing all sorts of rave reviews about almond (and cashew) nut butters though, so i might try those out. (:

avocados (i've been thinking of getting them, but they're 1.25 each here though, which is expensive compared to the 6lbs of really fab peaches i can get with $10...) , nuts, seeds, dried fruits, milk shake (sounds good too, and i saw a few tempting flavors the last time i went grocery shopping (thursday), but they were a tad expensive, and i was reluctant to splurge on them especially since i'm on a semi-tight budget... i think they'll probably be a nice addition to my diet, but i'm not sure whether they're worth the money spent!)

i used to eat 5 meals a day back in singapore, but cause of my weird schedule in school, i'm sort of down to 3. (I have breakfast, then classes all the way from morning till about 3~4pm, and then i have 'lunch/tea' after that and dinner/supper again at night around 6~8pm. i try to eat about 750~1000cals for each meal (i used to have small (about 400~500cal) meals so it's a weird adjustment to make), It's especially hard when budget and food limitations (i'm vegetarian) is an issue unless it's monday or wednesday (vegetarian buffet dinner nights)... >"< i definitely need to do the whole planning thing though, cause it is much cheaper to plan out my meals than to grab bananas, muffins and other pastries when i'm on the go.

i just took my pulse, and it's 70beats/min... that's pretty normal? I'm not sure... i think i will make a trip to the doctor's on my campus just to check that i'm not malnutritioned.... the thing about 'not really knowing for certain whether my body is really breaking down slowly' is pretty scary. >"<

I try to eat as balanced a diet and as much fruits and veg as i can--i've been consistently getting As for my nutrition grade on CC, except on some days where i eat more pastries/junky food, and i wind up with an A-... (the main problem is that i'm not sure whether i'm getting enough protein especially since i'm drinking oat/almond milk instead of soy right now, and those aren't especially good sources of protein.... (i haven't been exercising much though, so i don't suppose that it's a big issue) it might be part of the reason why it's hard for me to hit those calories, since i make it a point to have at least two servings of fruits and vegetables by the end of every meal, and those are pretty filling, but not very calorie dense... i'll be reading up more on calorie dense foods i guess, and plan my shopping list now before i head down to the market! (: i have a vague idea about what to look out for right now, so a big thank you!

 

any good ideas what are the best calorie dense foods to get when on a tight budget though? PB and chocolates (they aren't cheap, but to me are really worth splurging on) are definitely on my list. I don't mind spending more on something that tastes really good, but i'm not inclined to spending just so that i can get high calorie food that i won't enjoy eating! looking forward to any suggestions! (:

If you don't eat meat and you need more protein plus higher calorie foods you can kill at least 2 birds with the same stone by choosing things like beans, lentils, chickpeas, eggs and full-fat dairy products (or dairy replacements) on top of the nuts, seeds & nut butters you have already.  All the complex carbohydrates are really good for weight gain so stock up on cheap things like rice, pasta, noodles, other grains, bread and starchy vegetables.  And oil is incredibly useful.  Blended olive oil isn't all that expensive and you can use it to cook with or as a dressing.  To make things taste good, invest in a few herbs and spices.  A chilli pepper here or some chopped coriander there can make a big difference.

It will help you if you cut back on the fruit and vegetables in favour of other foods.   As you point out... they're filling you up before you get all the calories in.

(: cooking is usually a problem--hence the lack of beans in my diet (since i only have a microwave, and i don't eat things like TV dinners and Lean Cuisines cause i don't take excess sodium too well.) So I usually just buy more bread (which is really high carb, though i do choose those that have more nuts and seeds sprinkled/baked into it so that i get the additional protein somehow.)

I'm half amused, however, by my friend, who thinks I need to gain weight so much that it's almost an obsession... At least now i get free (very fatty and unhealthy, but still! free!) food. :3

You can heat tinned (I don't necessarily mean baked) beans in a microwave. Place them in a bowl, still in water, and cover the bowl with a microwave friendly plate. Then heat them for about five minutes if you have a low watt microwave, and about 3 if it's a high watt microwave.