Meidcal condition struggling PLEASE HELP I need advice

Hi,

I'm new to this site and wanted to know how you all deal with trying to gain weight. I have a rare metabolic disorder that has resulted in me being very underweight. I'm 89lbs and have tried to gain weight for a very long time. I finally after 3 years of unable to do much due to being severly ill FINALLY got back my life and gained weight..now I have been so busy with everything else that my stress has increased and my weight has dropped again without me realizing how bad it got. I'm really concerned and scared. It is very hard to be a young woman and trying to gain weight while others my age are obsessive for the opposite reason.

I have more of a problem gaining becuase I have to keep a strict diet due to my medical condition. I have to be careful about my liver and cannot have a high fat diet nor can I have sugar. I can't even have oils except for natural nut butters (which i consume by the jarfull.)

I am trying to gain and I keep getting "flash backs" to when I was so ill and had to see different doctors daily and every aspect of my day to day living had to be monitored because I couldn't get a proper diagnosis. This is so hard on me I get frustrated and want to give up becuase I don't want to be back to monitoring my health like i had to for so many years. It frightens me, not the gaining, but the monitoring of my health since it is a constant reminder of my past. I'm 25 and my parents want to help but are getting into their mode of back when I was sick and hospitalized, they are suggesting I weigh myself every other day with one of them since I hate weighing because I don't want to know if I lost a pound I fear it. I want to just be back to the health I was before I got sick 5 years ago. I see healthy before me pictures and I cry my eyes out. I hate that I inherited this liver condition and that I can't even just simply drink a protein shake because the additives and amount of protein is too much for my liver to handle. I'm scared and need advice from someone out there that is a young woman. please.

Tips/advice? I'm concerned because I try and it doesn't work and then I give up.

 

I'm 5' 1" and currently am 89lbs. My parents say I should gain 15lbs that seems IMPOSSIBLE I don't want to get frustrated and give up like what always happens. what do I do? How to I get back a healthy weight? How did you get through it?

thanks for your input.

Tiffany.

Hia

firstly i want to say the 15lbs isnt impossible, its most certainly possible, especially as you want it so much :)

i would suggest not weighing yourself every other day...ive found the scales just hinder my progress and since ive started weighing only once every 6 weeks ive gained more!!

in terms of what you do, theres no magic way (unfortunately) and everyone is different but simply you have to eat more and exercise as little as possible or do light strength training to help you gain some muscle ;)

its harder that your condition restricts what you can eat, if you can eat nut butters then are nuts ok?? if so they make a great, calorie dense snack. also whole grain carbs (because they have less sugar) try having a huge bowl of oatmeal to set you up for the day, with some nut butter mixed in? also beans and lentils, theyre very calorie dense and also tend to be low fat and sugar and theyre very versatile :D

i hope this helps a bit, ask if you want more xxx

Thank you for your suggestions..beans and lentils is a great idea I didn't think of combining the two..Also I get full fast and have like zero appetite due to my medical condition so I have to remind myself to eat a scheulded times throughout the day. I notice that it takes almost 5-6 hours for my stomach to handle more food. which is very annoying plus I take thyroid medications that have to be on an empty stomach so i feel like my days are structed around meals. SO FRUSTRATING. but those are excellent suggestions and I will use them thank you any other ideas send my way!

~Tiff

Tiffanybreak, I never thought I'd find another person who's going through something so similar as myself. Among many other conditions, I have Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome, a life-threatening disorder with a demographic of only about 0.013%.  At 20 years old and 5'4.5" tall, I used to be 74 lbs (12.5 BMI).  Now, three months after surgery, I have battled my way up to 81 lbs. (Improvement!)  I understand it all:  The scale-fear, food-fear, the broken-glass-in-the-belly sensation after every bite, the laundry list of forbidden foods, the constant stream of doctors and hospitals...

Feel free to message me anytime; I think we can definitely help each other out. You are not alone