Why can't I gain more weight?

Question

I had a bad eating disorder for a long time. This had a bad effect on my health and I became very skinny. Now, I am eating health again but still can't gain anymore weight. I am 47kg with a height of 5.6 feet, male. Am I underweight?

Answer 1

Am I underweight? Yes

Yes, your BMI is 16.7 and so you are classified as underweight. Healthy weight range for your height: 52kg - 70.5kg (based on your age being 30).

The calculation for you bmi was done using this calculator: http://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Healthyweightcalculator.aspx

Why can't I gain more weight?

It's impossible to say without a full breakdown of your diet and medical history. At that point any answer is attempting diagnosis for your specific case.

Note: I personally would recommend you get a calorie tracking app or write down the calories and shoot for about 2500-3000 (healthy, balanced) calories per day, paired with a reasonable (3-5 days a week) exercise regime of:

• cardiovascular activity (running/rowing/biking/etc.)
• weight lifting (squat/deadlift/bench/etc.)

The above advice is asserted through personal accumulated knowledge and from the http://reddit.com/r/fitness/wiki

Answer 2

Yes, absolutely you are underweight, but don't worry we can still improve that just follow my advice:

1. Make peace and be friendly with foods

• I advise you experiment and having fun creating new dishes, you have to learn new food combinations that are healthy meals and are tasty for you.
• You have to start reading different kinds of foods that you think you like and know what type of nutrients they can give you.

2. Change the way you think about foods * If you think that eating vegetables, fruits, meat, brown rice, tuna, cinnamon and etc. can kill you or might harm you, you have to change that; the moment you change the way you judge foods that are the time your body will accept those foods that you don't like. If ever you are eating and suddenly you stop because you don't like it, just imagine and think what nutrients and good health benefits it can bring to you before you stop. It's a matter of sacrificing what you really think about this food and reverse it.

3. Try to eat together with your friends and family * don't try to eat alone, eating with a team can help you improve your eating disorder because most of the time you are talking, laughing and you don't really mind on the foods that you eat.

4. Make friends with those who love cooking * Having friends that are good in cooking and experimenting different kinds of dishes can help you change the way you treat those foods. Aside from learning new recipes, you can improve your eating disorder because most of the time your friends talk about foods and you will like it in the long run.

5. Start moving and exercise * You can start walking 30 minutes a day be exposed to the sun could help you with your problem. It's simple because when you arrive at home probably the first thing that you might be looking for is water and next is food. Because you exert force while walking or jogging it depends on you.