View Full Version : Unable to gain weight.
skinnbones
09-15-2016, 18:28
I will start my spring A.T. thru hike pushing 140 lbs. The heaviest weight that I've ever been was 150 lbs. I'm not a big fan of food but, could gobble down an entire turkey and gain nothing. Have you ever met any thru hikers beginning their long distant hike this light? I have a weird body system when it comes to food. I have more than once gone an entire day without eating anything and still function as normal. I have a very strong mind to overcome what my body lacks. Any thoughts for this skinny hiker?
What's your secret to not being a big fan of food? I suffer from the extreme opposite and I would love to gain your mindset. Seriously, do your taste buds not work? Or maybe you can't smell very well, which will affect taste? I am sincerely baffled and genuinely interested, as I have never heard of such a person... even other skinny people I know like food. I can't wrap my brain around it.
I'd see a doctor ASAP. Certainly before starting a long hike. No appetite and inability to gain weight are big red flags for possible health issues. All anyone here can do is speculate. Good luck.
skinnbones
09-15-2016, 19:00
What's your secret to not being a big fan of food? I suffer from the extreme opposite and I would love to gain your mindset. Seriously, do your taste buds not work? Or maybe you can't smell very well, which will affect taste? I am sincerely baffled and genuinely interested, as I have never heard of such a person... even other skinny people I know like food. I can't wrap my brain around it. If you have ever heard of the term "picky eater", I'm much worst that that. I think the biggest reason for my odd eating habit may be psychological. As a kid I was punished for not eating everything that was placed on my plate. So, I guess over time I've learned to adapt to survive without food (or much of it). Like I said, I'm very strong minded. I'm even planning on going stove less for my hike. Maybe this trail will teach me to be hungry :-?.
Maybe this condition you describe will change when you start hiking. If not, you will have a problem.
Typically even the fittest thru hikers start looking ragged and emaciated by the time they get to Maine. It's difficult to carry enough calories, and pigging out in town is the norm.
AfterParty
09-15-2016, 19:23
I'm skinny and can't gain weight too. it would be a stretch if I put on 20 lbs since high school 15 years ago. I could eat a bus full and still maintain. If you get hungry eat. Its that simple your not currently walking 10+ mpd up mountains with pack but when you do and your hungry eat.
What I noticed happening once I had burned off all of my body fat was that I didn't get hungry anymore. But I got tired. At first I couldn't figure out why I was so tired but then I eventually realized I needed to eat. Like every hour or two just to keep hiking. I'm six feet tall and got down to about 167 pounds by the end of a 4 month 850 mile hike. So if you're already thin you may just find that you need to eat to keep your energy up.
Sarcasm the elf
09-15-2016, 19:58
Get a high stress desk job, I think I've gained 2lbs this week.
saltysack
09-15-2016, 20:50
Get a high stress desk job, I think I've gained 2lbs this week.
+1....or drink good beer! I used to be -5% body fat @200lbs now 215.....damn Sierra Nevada to blame and I have a windscreen to prove it!![emoji16]http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160916/fec415dff6ec10ed7b307de46b4175f9.jpg
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Sarcasm the elf
09-15-2016, 21:26
I will start my spring A.T. thru hike pushing 140 lbs. The heaviest weight that I've ever been was 150 lbs. I'm not a big fan of food but, could gobble down an entire turkey and gain nothing. Have you ever met any thru hikers beginning their long distant hike this light? I have a weird body system when it comes to food. I have more than once gone an entire day without eating anything and still function as normal. I have a very strong mind to overcome what my body lacks. Any thoughts for this skinny hiker?
First talk to your doctor to make sure everything's good. Then, if you really want to gain weight, grab a blender and learn to make healthy but calorie rich smoothies. Drinking calories is easy to do even when you don't have an appetite and you could provably add this in to your diet fairly easily. To give one example On her 46 day speed record A.T. Hike Jen Pharr Davis resorted to drinking much if not most of her calories towards the end because she could still consume shakes and smoothies even with little appetite left.
Maineiac64
09-15-2016, 21:30
I can walk by a milkshake and gain 2lbs.
cliffordbarnabus
09-15-2016, 22:10
skinnbones...
how TALL are you. that's a huge factor! pls let us know bro!
garlic08
09-16-2016, 00:18
I'd see a doctor ASAP. Certainly before starting a long hike. No appetite and inability to gain weight are big red flags for possible health issues. All anyone here can do is speculate. Good luck.
Ditto this. You may have an eating disorder that may be treatable.
Friends say I have negative body fat, a polite way of saying "scrawny." I'm still at my high school weight (150) and clothing size (but I don't take off my shirt in public any more). Yet I had a very fun, healthy, and successful AT thru hike, and a stoveless one at that. But I like to eat and I did it pretty much constantly.
I've heard of breatharianism, but can't imagine it.
I think skinny hikers, even those who are painfully so, have an advantage over obese hikers. Many would love to trade places.
I've heard hikers talk about developing an aversion to favorite foods on the trail, but don't know how they resolved it. I've heard others say, and I've often felt, if I ever get sick of eating (your favorite food here), I don't know what I'll do. It's a real fear and a problem for some.
cliffordbarnabus
09-16-2016, 00:20
height is key. 150 pounds at 5 ft 8 in is VERY different from 150 at 6 ft 3 in!!
skinnbones
09-16-2016, 01:30
skinnbones...
how TALL are you. that's a huge factor! pls let us know bro! 5' 10" and right at 140 lbs
5' 10" and right at 140 lbs
And what's wrong with this?
I'm 6'1" and had 140lb most of my life, doing all kind of outdoor things OK.
Now I'm closer to 165lb and during every multi-day hike I lose 5-10lb, just to gain it back within a week or two of happy family life.
Nothing wrong with this, I believe.
Is it possible that your eating habits are still being influenced by your childhood rebellion against your parents? It may have started as rebellion and a way to gain some control, then turned into a habit. Habits can be changed, even past 50 years of age. It isn't easy, but it's possible.
skinnbones
09-16-2016, 05:19
Is it possible that your eating habits are still being influenced by your childhood rebellion against your parents? It may have started as rebellion and a way to gain some control, then turned into a habit. Habits can be changed, even past 50 years of age. It isn't easy, but it's possible. I'm sure this has something to do with it. I'm also sure that after I start my thru hike my eating habits will improve. Thanks.
OkeefenokeeJoe
09-16-2016, 05:38
Perhaps you suffer from Asperger's Syndrome. I have a friend who is ULTRA-ULTRA picky about his food, which is driven by his Asperger's. Honestly, he looks absolutely emaciated, almost to the point of resembling people in old photos of Holocaust survivors on the day of their release from imprisonment. He is about your size and I suspect he weighs in around 110 pounds or less, fully clothed.
My recommendation ..... go marry yourself an overweight Southern Girl (a real Southern Girl, not a frikken transplant who happens to live in the South) who knows how to cook giant cat-head biscuits. Now that right there will put some weight on that dried-up arse of yorn in short order. Why, you'll be sporting a a big ol' punkin haid and multiple chins in no time at all!
OkeefenokeeJoe
skinnbones
09-16-2016, 05:56
Perhaps you suffer from Asperger's Syndrome. I have a friend who is ULTRA-ULTRA picky about his food, which is driven by his Asperger's. Honestly, he looks absolutely emaciated, almost to the point of resembling people in old photos of Holocaust survivors on the day of their release from imprisonment. He is about your size and I suspect he weighs in around 110 pounds or less, fully clothed.
My recommendation ..... go marry yourself an overweight Southern Girl (a real Southern Girl, not a frikken transplant who happens to live in the South) who knows how to cook giant cat-head biscuits. Now that right there will put some weight on that dried-up arse of yorn in short order. Why, you'll be sporting a a big ol' punkin haid and multiple chins in no time at all!
OkeefenokeeJoe Lol, I did marry a hillbilly from WV, except I picked one that was too lazy to get off the sofa to cook. Then it took me 12 years to get away from her. Bad advice Joe....
Greenlight
09-16-2016, 07:58
The vast majority of us over 50 were punished as kids for not eating everything on our plates. If you've always been this way, it is more than likely your metabolism. There are a lot of folks who would "give they left nuts to be where you is" as the Sergeant Major says in Generation Kill. Have you been hiking regularly? Do you have energy issues? If not, I'd say hike on. If I was you and I had insurance and the time to devote to it, I would get myself studied to make sure it isn't a health issue.
If you have ever heard of the term "picky eater", I'm much worst that that. I think the biggest reason for my odd eating habit may be psychological. As a kid I was punished for not eating everything that was placed on my plate. So, I guess over time I've learned to adapt to survive without food (or much of it). Like I said, I'm very strong minded. I'm even planning on going stove less for my hike. Maybe this trail will teach me to be hungry :-?.
The other thing you don't mention is how many calories you do eat. I used to see this same thing on the bodybuilding forums where guys would say I eat everything in sight and never gain a pound. You have them actually log their eating for a week/month and they eat 2000kcal... I used to be 6'1" 141lbs, once I learned to eat I have gone as high as 217lbs with bodyfat under 10%. Now that I am focused on training for hiking, I sit ~190lbs, last skinfold showed 7% BF. You just have to get the calories in if you want to gain. The shake/smoothie recommendation is great, easy way to get calories in even when you don't want to eat.
saltysack
09-16-2016, 09:04
Lol, I did marry a hillbilly from WV, except I picked one that was too lazy to get off the sofa to cook. Then it took me 12 years to get away from her. Bad advice Joe....
Haaaaa......just go to Wal Mart after dark you will find another big un.....
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Puddlefish
09-16-2016, 09:12
I was 5'10" 165 pounds from age 18 to 32. I was lean and muscular at the time. I'd suggest upping the physical activity and strength conditioning. Once you get a muscle base, your body might start craving more food to feed itself.
If you just want to gain weight, you could always go through a messy divorce and start stress eating... but, try the above first.
dudeijuststarted
09-16-2016, 09:20
I made the mistake of not getting a physical and blood workup before my thru. Had I done so, I'd have known I was vitamin D, iron, and thyroid hormone deficient. I still made it just fine, but the weight loss kicked in a genetic thyroid disorder and some other stuff that I gotta deal with constantly now. I am not the only thru hiker I know going through this after their hike, especially the more matured adults. Point is...see a doc, tell them what you plan on doing, and ask for a complete physical and blood panel. Also consider a follow-up visit to a nutritionist to tell them your expected caloric output so you can understand what nutrients to intake out there. Dollar Store food doesn't cut it. It's not that expensive, and you'll thank yourself for it.
You may have an eating disorder that may be treatable.
Exactly what I was thinking when I read the post.
Hangfire
09-16-2016, 13:28
Being skinny and not being able to put on weight are not nearly as big of a concern as a quick loss of weight. If you were to notice a 10 pound weight drop (off trail of course) in a short period, then it's time to see the doctor. I'm a tall skinny guy, weighed 181 at Springer and finished the trail at 184, skinnier in the shoulders with gain in the upper legs. Your body will be consuming massive amounts of calories out on the trail, most people get a little out of whack in the beginning (eating/sleeping) but once your body realizes what it is going through then usually both (eating/sleeping) kick into high gear. More importantly I would get a good dental exam before starting, anyone who has gone through dental problems knows the hell this could bring.
You are at a healthy weight. Stop comparing yourself to average, fat, Americans. Enjoy your hike and good luck.
You are at a healthy weight. Stop comparing yourself to average, fat, Americans. Enjoy your hike and good luck.This is exactly what I was thinking. If you look at a height weight chart you are on the low side of a healthy body mass index. Your body will tell you what you need when you get out on the trail. Listen to your cravings.
cliffordbarnabus
09-21-2016, 22:16
i'm skinny too. i always go by how i feel. if something doesn't feel right, then i'm concerned and try to do bodily experiments, i.e. change some stuff and see if i start feeling right. if you're just thin, but you're feeling groovy, then groove on!
get your thyroid hormone levels checked...
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism last year, during a routine annual physical. Now take Synthroid daily.
funny you mention weight, cuz I went on a diet, and dropped 40 lbs in the last 6 months. Went from 180 to 140. It's great and I hope to stay at this weight. Easier on all the joints and blood pressure too
rocketsocks
09-21-2016, 22:53
My whole life I could eat what ever I wanted, I had a matabalism like a wood chipper, till I he about 40 and my balls finally dropped. You'll get there.
rocketsocks
09-21-2016, 22:55
But yeah, get your thyroid checked, might as well get your hemiroids checked too while your at it, save a office visit.
cliffordbarnabus
09-22-2016, 22:13
get your thyroid hormone levels checked...
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism last year, during a routine annual physical. Now take Synthroid daily.
funny you mention weight, cuz I went on a diet, and dropped 40 lbs in the last 6 months. Went from 180 to 140. It's great and I hope to stay at this weight. Easier on all the joints and blood pressure too
height????? that's the key. i could say i weigh 125 pounds. but if i'm 5'4" or 6'2" makes a monstrous difference!
drew_a_blank
09-25-2016, 11:23
If you want to try and put on weight, you want to count calories for EVERYTHING you eat. Seriously, catalog everything you eat and get in the habit of doing this. Once you know what your average intake is, add a few hundred calories per day to your diet (e.g. if you are averaging 2200Cal/day, go up to 2500-2700). If you increase your exercising you will want to accommodate for that as well.
If you do this diligently and still do not gain any weight over a few weeks go to a doctor.