I think I'm underweight

by Jessica

I am 21 years old and i feel that i amunderweight for my age. I think i weigh between 90-100 pounds. I also feel likeim not gaining weight at all. How can i gain weight and what are the foods thati should be eating?

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At 5'1" and 100 pounds you are teetering on the border of being underweight and at 90lbs you definitely would be considered underweight. See my interactive calculators to get a better idea of the appropriate weight range for your height:

Body Mass Index
Height-Weight Chart

In order to gain weight you need to consistently add calories to your diet. An additional 3,500 calories over the course of time will equal one pound. I'd suggest trying to add an additional 250-500 calories per day in order to gain at the rate of 1/2 - 1 pound per week.

Try adding a regular morning or afternoon snack of trail mix

1/4 cup nuts + 1/4 cup raisins (~320 calories)

or eating slightly larger portions at meal times

6oz of salmon vs 3oz salmon boosts caloric intake by ~200.

Other calorie dense foods (lots of calories in a small amount) include

peanut butter
sunflower or pumpkin seeds
any kind of nuts
dried fruits, nectar and juices
salad dressing
avocados
mayonnaise
oil

Try adding these foods to your diet or eating slightly larger portions of them when you eat them.

Most of all...be consistent!! You'll need to consistently eat a little more food to see the difference. Please feel free to contact me to set up a phone consult if you'd like to talk in more detail!

Suzette