Where to start?

I need a plan to get me started gaining weight, but I don't know what my goal weight should be and I how quickly I should be gaining weight. I am a female, 5'8" tall and I weight 108 lbs.  I want to focus on getting strong and healthy, but don't know where to start.  I am 35 and I have to shop in children's departments to find clothes to fit me.  I guess that should tell me something.

Any suggestions for a goal? 

Hello and welcome! Do you belong to a gym or own weights/cardio? How many calories(roughly) do you eat everyday to maintain? Your goal weight should be around 130-140 at least, but your body and you have a comfort zone that you will probably know when you are "safe." Do you have any disordered eating or an eating disorder or are you one of those people naturally skinny? Once you answer these questions I will be more willing to help you :)

I am trying to help myself with recovering from Anorexia. I can't afford to see a dietician and I know I need to gain weight. I REALLY want to feel healthy again!  I am just one of those people that needs a plan to stick to so I feel like I am doing something right and headed towards accomplishing what I am trying to do.

THANK YOU!!!!

Congratulations on starting recovery. That takes a lot of courage! Let's say you can maintain your weight on ~2200-2500 calories per day.(give or take) That would mean that in order to gain a pound per week you would need to eat at least 2700-3000 calories. Can you give me what a normal day of food looks like to me? That would help me a lot!

Well, I'm 5'7" and I feel best around 140 or 145. So I would say 130 to 140 is a good range to aim for. (Even 125 at first if such a large amount of weight seems frightening to you.) I don't know how much I can help, but eating a lot of whole grain bread and pastas will probably help. (At least, I gain weight easy with carbs, and whole grain is good for you.)

Good luck! =)

In a typical day I eat a large apple for breakfast, then about 2 cups of grapes for a morning snack.  At lunch I eat a salad (romaine lettuce, tomatoe and 3oz turkey) and a non fat yogurt. I usually have another yogurt later in the afternoon.  At dinner I usually cook 1 cup of old fashioned oats, 3 egg whites and a yogurt.  Then for a snack at night I toast two pieces of organic whole wheat bread.  It eat the same thing everyday because I don't have to think about it. I do drink coffee too, but only with Splenda and skim milk.

Thank you so much for the suggestions!

Try adding something with a bit more calories in the morning (if you can stomach it.) Maybe a small bowl of cereal? The rest of your day sounds pretty okay, and I think this would be the easiest place to add calories.

I would suggest only adding a little at a time. You don't want to gain weight too fast because it will probably freak you out and will likely be unhealthy anyway.

Other small, simple ideas:

- Small cup of pasta salad at lunch (grocery stores usually carry pre-made ones)
- Add some cheese/salad dressing/croutons/nuts to your salad
- Add something to your oats at night (strawberries, peaches, raspberries, etc.)
- Spread a little jelly on your nightly bread
- Add some veggies/cheese to your eggs (mushrooms, spinach, green peppers)
- Add some bacon/sausage to dinner

Once again, good luck!

Good for you for deciding to recoverr! I've found that using protein powder in smoothies is a big help on the way to recovering. One thing you don't want to do is just jump all in at one and eat until you feel sick. Protein powder has helped me ease into things a lot easier and its definitely something you need if you want to be strong. I personally prefer gaining muscle rather than just eating and remaining sedentary. You should exercise so you can put the protein to good use, but make sure you just compensate with adding extra calories that day too. 

GOOD LUCK!

So...my guess is around 1200 calories?(correct me if I am wrong!) While gaining you might not want to become too caught up with the calories, but more how you feel. Like how full are you and knowing when you are hungry/satisfied. I know how hard it is. At the beginning of recovery I honestly had no idea what hunger even was, but it will come back to you when you start to eat adequately! Start out with adding things and substituting to your meal plan. Here is a starting meal plan you could follow:

Breakfast: 1 C. oatmeal w/ fruit(berries and whatever you like!), cinnamon, and brown sugar on top, and some nuts for a fat

Snack: 2 cups grapes(do not want to change too fast!)

Lunch: Salad w/ tomatoes, whatever veggies are available and you like, some type of protein or fat(such as sunflower seeds or egg)

Snack: Yogurt(try and switch to low fat versus fat free) and a glass of milk(?)

Dinner: Whole wheat pasta(whatever serving you can push yourself to have) topped with an organic red sauce/white sauce(again, whatever you are comfortable with)

Snack: 2 pieces of organic toast w/ peanut butter spread onto them!

Hope I have helped! This equals~1600 calories at least...probably more! I am not a master of calorie estimating anymore since I no longer count :)

Keep up the good work! Life needs variety in our food

skcr73, have you been anorexic for most of your adult life?  if that's the case, then your habits are going to be incredibly hard to break.  i only say that bec i want you to know that we here at CC support your decision SO MUCH and know what a committment you're making here.  i, for one, understand how very strong you are.

most therapists and ED specialists advise against exercise while you're in recovery, bec it totally messes w/your head and confuses you about how much you need to eat and everything.  i totally agree.  this doesn't mean you just sit on your bum.  but basically, don't strap on sneakers, don't go to the gym, don't pop in a tae bo video.  for now.  focus.

you're tall!  that means that you need to eat a lot to support sustenance of your bones and organs.  you don't only need muscle; you absolutely need fat to produce the hormones that will keep you thinking clearly, feeling stable emotionally and psychologically, nourishing your bones (estrogen) and keeping your cycle regular.  i don't know what CC says you need to gain weight, but if i were to hazard a number that you should start w/, it would be 3000.  try to do that for a month.  that will reset your metabolism as quickly as possible.  then you can shave off a couple calories (bec you'll prob gain some weight and get nervous) or maintain that amount (if you didn't gain quickly enough). 

foodwise, i'd suggest staying away from anorexic staples like salad and grapes.  try whole egg omlettes for breakfast, w/cheese and toast w/butter and juice.  lunch can be tomato soup w/grilled cheese and apple sauce.  dinner might be burgers w/ketchup and baked potato or chicken parmesan w/sauteed spinach and onions.  snacks would be full fat yogurts, peanut butter w/crackers, turkey, cottage cheese, string cheese, a protein shake (even an ensure a day might prove to be helpful).  i wish you luck and health.