Underweight :(

[MissSunshine]

I was a healthy weight before this viral infection, my bmi said i was ideal weight
ive been ill for a week now and have gone down to 7stone 3 which is now classed as underweight and im scared :(

its not my fault as ive lost my appetite, ive been eating but not big amounts :weep: i dont want to be underweight! im scared of the health problems being underweight brings, any tips to try and stay healthy x

[panic12]

Hi i'm recovering from anorexia, I'm an 18 year old male and had anorexia for 4 years without evening realising. I have been underweight pretty much my whole life, it's not a worry for you as the weight will pile back on after you start to recover, you will slowly start to gain your appetite back. Try and eat little and often as it keeps your metabolism working. I never have an appetite so I know the feeling, I'm sure you will be back to a healthy weight soon enough :)

I'm 6'1 with a bmi of around 18 at the minute have lost alot through anxiety myself lately.

[Elle-Kay]

I've been underweight since September (7st 3lbs at my lowest, 7st 7lbs now) when I had an intense period of stress. I am putting weight on now, slowly, but it has been a bit of an uphill struggle so I definitely know where you're coming from. Around the same time as I became underweight I started seeing a medical herbalist, who has helped me with dietary advice (he's also a dietary consultant). His advice to me was basically to maximise the calories in the meals I was able to eat, to eat foods which promote natural digestion, and to try as hard as I could not to beat myself up over my eating because that was only going to make me more stressed (which burns more calories).

These are the things I've found useful:
1. Add extra calories to your usual meals wherever possible. Things that I've found especially good are pastry, shortbread, chocolate, raisins (chocolate coated raisins are even better!), mashed potato, dumplings, mini fruit pies, mayonnaise & cheese.

2. Switch to higher-calorie alternatives for the time being - whole milk not semi-skimmed, seeded bread not brown, white (not wholemeal) pasta/rice, full-fat mayonnaise, standard rather than lean beef mince. I drink at least one glass of milkshake made with whole milk & nesquick powder every day, and also switched to hot chocolate made with milk instead of tea.

3. Don't automatically assume that some foods will be high calorie - anything made with milk especially (e.g. ice cream & pre-made milkshakes) will probably be made with skimmed milk to save money! So check your labels to maximise calories.

4. Don't be afraid to snack!

5. Use www.myfitnesspal.com (http://www.myfitnesspal.com) to track your calories - it's totally free (no catch) and has a massive database of foods so it's easy to keep tabs on where you are in relation to your target each day. If you're trying to gain weight you should aim to eat over 2000 calories a day. This will seem hard at first if you've gotten out of the habit, but it WILL become easier gradually, so congratulate yourself on small successes (e.g. I started off by aiming for at least 1500 a day, then worked up)

6. Any foods that are fermented can aid digestion naturally which makes your body process food quicker & so makes it easier to eat more over time. These include yoghurt & cheese, so stock up!

7. Have a takeaway once a week (if you can afford it of course) - fish & chips, Indian, Chinese - to help you catch up on any calories you might have missed on other days.

A typical day of maximising calories for me approximately involves eating:
Breakfast: a mini fruit pie (230kcal) + a whole milk milkshake (200kcal)
Lunch: A cheese sandwich on oat bread, with pickle OR a deli wrap with meat, cheese, mayonnaise & lettuce (around 400kcal) + a deli cornish pasty (pastry, 200kcal)
Dinner: Spaghetti bolognese (homemade, beef mince with some veggies added to the sauce, around 900kcal)
Snacks: A chocolate bar (250kcal) OR a couple of shortbread biscuits (180kcal) & some glasses of fruit juice (around 100kcal).

This comes out at around 2300kcal, and I think you'll agree isn't too unhealthy (i.e. not dependent on 'junk food'), but it makes the most of each meal in terms of the calories each contains in relation to how filling the meal is.

[Edie]

Health risks associated with being underweight are more about people who are long-term underweight. As you are normally a healthy weight, and have only lost weight in the short term, you will be fine once you start eating again.

Panic12 is right that trying to eat little and often will keep your metabolism working and help you get your appetite back.

You're already doing the right things. Just keep eating what you can when you can, and you'll get over this virus and start to feel a lot better again.

[Mr Brownstone]

Health risks associated with being underweight are more about people who are long-term underweight.

This ^^

As long as you arent long-term underweight, theres nothing to worry about.

[MissSunshine]

I cant thank you all enough. You have made me feel much better and im going to note down what you suggested elle kay and panic 12 i will eat little but often,
i know my stomach has shrunk and i should take things slowly, good job easters coming up i get to eat alot of chocolate! lol
but in all seriousness i woke today with a appitite but had acid in my mouth so just felt sick all day so i havent eatin much :(


thanks again xx

[Edie]

Sorry you've got off to a bad start today. Tomorrow will be better.

Exercise is an excellent appetite-stimulator. It can be hard to motivate yourself, but anything you can manage is all going to help you recover.

[Elle-Kay]

I forgot to mention before, you could also try drinking a digestif about 20 mins before eating - something to get your digestive juices flowing. I know a lot are alcoholic, so I'm not suggesting that (sorry! lol), but I find that a tumbler of Rose's lime cordial in water really helps to cleanse my mouth, and stimulate my appetite.

I had a stomach bug around November-time where I felt ill every time I ate, and sicky most of the day. It took me a good 10-14 days to get over and start eating properly again, so don't feel too disheartened - I'm sure things will pick up :)

[Anxious_gal]

Keep a food diary, it'll help you see when you aren't eating enough.
Set a goal to eat or drink something every 2 or 3 hours, as you can go a long time without food when you don't feel hungry.