I am starting my weight gain TODAY!!

I am 19, 5ft 1in and I weigh 89 pounds. I am tired of everyone saying that I am too skinny...DUH I KNOW I AM SKINNY...and that I look like I have an eating disorder...I DONT!! What do you suggest I do to start my weight gain? Do I just eat junk food all the time? I don't like to sit their and count calories, but if I have to, I will. Where do I find out how much I SHOULD weigh? Have you tried Boost Plus to gain weight?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!

I feel ya.  I'm 5 foot and only weight 87lbs.  I'm supposed to weigh around 102.  Everyone continues to comment on my size as if I don't eat.  I have started this new "diet."  Instead of eating when I want and what I want, I make sure to eat at least 2200 cal per day.  I count everything I eat and drink and I try not to do any cardio to keep from losing any weight. Good luck!

Hey there :)

Eating nothing but junk food is not the best way to gain. You should try snacking and eating calorie/nutrient dense foods such as nuts, nut butters, muesli, oatmeal (with lots of topping and add ins), and such. Things with healthy fats are best. Of course you can still eat junk food this way, but a weight gain diet should definitely consist of healthy calorie dense foods, too.

I am eating 2800 calories right now to gain weight, but I am recovering from an ED, so you may not need to go THAT high. But you should aim for AT LEAST 2200, like brandi said, and also don't do cardio! You can do some weight training and slow walks.

When it comes to supplements and meeting the calories, I recommend Carnation Instant Breakfasts instead of Boosts. I just think they are yummier and taste more like real food :) Personal preference though! You should check them out. But yeah, supplements are good, but most weight gain should come from real food so you are also going to have to increase your meals, as well as adding in your supplements.

Since I am on a weight gain diet too, you can check out my food blog which is linked on my CC profile. It has all the meals I eat throughout the day, so maybe you can get some ideas by looking at my menus!

Good luck :)

I am the same way, naturally thin and its hard to gain weight.  I'm 5'6" and when I joined here last week I was 101, and I never counted calories, since I joined here I have been trying to eat a MINIMUM of 3,000 calories a day.  And I weighed myself yesterday and I was up to 102, when I weighed myself today I was back to 101.  It can depend on how your body is, most gain on 2,500 and I haven't.  If your naturally thin and lets say you've been eating 1500 calories your whole life [and not realizing it since you didnt' count calories] and that was enough to fill you up and you maintained your thin weight.  You should bump it up to eat maybe 2000 or 2500, and see how that works.  I'd say go put in how much you used to approximately eat per day and see what the total was, then add like 500 to it.

hey both! yeah... tiff i fear you might have a battle on your hands... i fear that if your bod doesnt want to be more than wat it wants, then it'l fight to stay that way.

same to the OP. if things are good on the health front i wouldnt advise too much fiddling with your body. if you get periods and have generally good energy levels and if food genuinely isnt an issue for you then with the best will in the world i say: you lucky thing!

on the calorie front, if you are really desperate to gain some, start paying attention to what you are eating and try supplement that with an extra 500-1000 cals. switch to denser foods, high cal, good quality and put in some goodies too!

carrot cake is good good good! look at the foods for gaining list!

yeah :( its like no matter how much i stuff myself nothing works

There are some people who are very thin naturally but some people I think do undereat and it may not be an ed but they are not nurishing their bodies enough and that can still lead to health problems. To the poster what is a day like for you now? Do you know the calories you eat daily? You don't need to eat junk all day but you can encorporate foods like ice cream,cookies,etc to a balanced meal plan to bump calories up. Trying eating every few hours and think dense foods like granola,thick breads,pasta

If you've been this weight all your life and you find no matter what you eat, you don't gain weight, then it may well be this is actually where your body is happy. But gaining for confidence and future health is extremely viable and your weight is very low, so good for you for wanting to gain.

I suggest you read the following sticky's advice and the steps within to help you on your journey with weight gain: THE AIM IS TO GAIN: A Guide to Weight Gain, Whatever Your Reason - UPDATED

Boost, Ensure and similar weight gain shakes aren't advisable in my opinion. If you are not severely malnourished or not already taking in a very high calorie amount you do not need them. You can make calories in food very easily, without lots of bulk, as the above link will tell.