Struggling to gain weight / Can't seem to put on any muscle

Believe me, you aren't alone in this struggle.
I stand about 5'8", and if you had asked me just a year ago, I would have told you I was barely scraping by at 92 pounds.
It is absolutely harrowing!
It all traces back to the sheer, unrelenting stress of life.
I’ve managed to get myself up to 110 pounds now, though I actually dropped about 6 or 7 pounds last month simply because my stress levels spiked again; honestly, I feel like I can't even catch my breath without losing more weight.
As far as I am concerned, my thyroid levels are perfectly fine.

I actually told my partner that once I have the baby, he better have a massive, gourmet feast waiting for me so I can snap back to my ideal weight instantly—though, of course, I was being facetious.

Yeah, I’ve always been someone who gains weight when stressed—never actually loses it. Now I’m finally putting in the work with my diet, so hopefully, the scale moves back down soon. How long did it take you to pack all those pounds back on?

Hi there. My dad hasn't been feeling quite like himself lately—he’s lost about 22 pounds, and he's dealing with these sudden dizzy spells where his vision just goes dark. He’s drinking water constantly, too, though he mentions his mouth feels completely dry... almost like his saliva has thickened into something like cheese.

He hasn't made it to a doctor yet, mostly because he’s always working and can't seem to find the time—plus, he's been under an incredible amount of stress recently.

Does anyone have any insight into what might be going on here?

casualtiger19 said:Hi everyone. My dad hasn't been feeling great lately. He's dropped about 22 pounds, gets these sudden dizzy spells where his vision goes dark, and he’s constantly thirsty—even though he claims his mouth feels bone-dry and his saliva is thick, almost like curdled milk.

He hasn't seen a doctor yet because he's always working and can't find the time. Lately, he's also been under an incredible amount of stress.

Can anyone tell me what might be going on?

To be perfectly blunt, none of that sounds good at all, and honestly, the only person who can actually give him an answer is a doctor.

Hmm... I suspect that blood sugar level might be a bit too high.

If they’re also experiencing frequent urination on top of everything else you mentioned, I guess there's a possibility it could be diabetes. It would likely be type 2 if the individual is older.

It’s basically what was said above... maybe they can find some time to swing by one of those pharmacies for a quick pro-bono glucose test. I think some CVS or Walgreens locations still offer them—it's just a super brief thing. Just a heads up on the symptoms: once things start progressing, you're looking at excessive thirst, hitting the bathroom way too often, constant fatigue, blurry vision, and unexplained weight loss. Seriously, better to just head to a doctor ASAP to get a formal diagnosis and figure out a treatment plan...

Edit: I forgot to mention that you could easily cruise right through your entire life without ever even knowing you had it.

I'm totally on board with what everyone else is saying here. My dad actually went through those exact same symptoms a few years back—it turned out to be diabetes (Type 1, you know, the hereditary kind)

Type 2 can be hereditary too... I mean, it’s probably been running in their family for generations already...

casualtiger19 said:Hey everyone. My dad hasn't been feeling great lately. He’s dropped like 22 pounds out of nowhere. He’s getting these dizzy spells where his vision just goes dark, and he’s constantly chugging water because he feels like his mouth is bone-dry—he even said his saliva feels thick, almost like curdled cheese.

He hasn't seen a doctor yet because he's a workaholic and claims he "doesn't have the time." Plus, he’s been under an insane amount of stress recently.

Can anyone tell me what might be going on with him?

Get him to a doctor RIGHT NOW!!! Look, I'm obviously not a medical professional, but those are textbook diabetes symptoms.

I actually ended up in the ER with those exact same symptoms a while back, right on the edge of ketoacidosis. I literally walked to the hospital myself because I had no clue how serious the situation was until they "kindly" informed me that if I didn't get help, I'd likely be meeting my Maker in about two or three days.

So yeah, right away/emergency/now get him to a doctor.

P.S. Diabetes isn't a death sentence or a huge deal once you actually get it under control.

Thanks!
My dad just saw his doctor—it turns out he’s dealing with diabetes now.
He's started insulin, so I was wondering if he can still enjoy all kinds of fruit, like watermelon, pineapple, or kiwi...?
I guess it would be helpful to know which ones are okay to have more often, and maybe which ones he should probably limit.

Watermelon, pears, grapes, pineapple, cantaloupe, or bananas? Absolutely not. Not even in my wildest dreams.

Apples—you can have as many as you want.

Nectarines, apricots, tangerines, oranges, cherries, or kiwi... just stick to moderation there.

Over a year ago, I finally started eating regular meals. I actually gained some weight at first because I used to skip meals constantly, but over the last few months, I’ve been losing weight instead. It went from 60 kg down to 57 kg over three months, and right now, I’m sitting at 55 kg at a height of 5'9". For context, I usually finish eating by 6 PM and I stay quite active. The issue is that my family is getting really worried; they think I’m intentionally avoiding food, which isn't the case at all.🙂....
I’m honestly at a loss for what to do. What could be causing this shift? I feel perfectly fine with my body, but I just can't seem to prove that to them.🙂..Eventually, their concern starts getting to me, and I find myself feeling anxious and frustrated...🙄
Has anyone else dealt with similar fluctuations in weight?😕

darkdrifter10 said:Over a year ago, I finally started eating regular meals. I actually gained some weight back because I used to skip meals constantly. But then, for a few months leading up to now, I started dropping pounds. I was at 132 lbs, then it fell to 125 lbs over three months, and right now I’m sitting at 121 lbs at 5'9". Generally, I eat before 6 PM and stay pretty active. The issue is my family is freaking out. They think I'm refusing to eat, which isn't even true at all🙂....
I honestly don't know what to do. What could be causing this? I'm perfectly happy with how I look, but I can't seem to prove that to them🙂...And then I just end up worrying about it myself, and it just makes me incredibly frustrated....🙄
Has anyone else dealt with these kinds of weight fluctuations?😕

Your BMI is 18.0, which is clinically underweight. Your family has every right to be concerned. 132 lbs would be a much healthier target for you. I don't know if you were trying to lose weight on purpose or not, but if the answer is NO, then yes, this is cause for serious concern. How are your digestion and bowel movements? You really should schedule an appointment with your primary care physician immediately.

I didn't intend to lose weight like this, and I'm wondering if it could be triggered by stomach anxiety?😕
Otherwise, I don't have any underlying health issues at all...

darkdrifter10 said:I didn't set out to lose weight, I really didn't. Now I'm sitting here wondering if this could all be tied back to my stomach issues and nervous tension? Is that even a thing?😕
Aside from that, I don't have any health issues to speak of. Period.

You guys can't make up your minds! One minute you’re claiming you have stomach pains, and the next, you're insisting there isn't a single health issue to speak of. You really need to get your stories straight. Seriously, go see your primary care physician or, better yet, a specialist gastroenterologist immediately. Digestive issues like gastritis, Crohn’s disease, or Ulcerative Colitis could very easily be the root cause of what you're feeling. Don't just brush it off.

It’s been tough lately, especially now that my nervous stomach has become a daily reality due to how much stress I've been under.🤷
Thank you so much for the advice.🙂>

I’m honestly at a loss for where to even begin with this. I just turned 18, and frankly, I’m quite thin—we’re talking maybe 123–125 lbs at 6 feet tall. I realize that’s probably underweight for someone my age, but I can't help feeling like there's something wrong. Being young, I tend to spiral into these irrational anxieties; I constantly find myself looking at the world through a lens of pure pessimism. I’m perpetually convinced that I’m falling ill or that something catastrophic is happening. Everything shifted for me about two years ago, and it all traces back to some stomach issues I started having. It began with about a week of constant nausea, and once that subsided, I was left with this lingering, burning sensation—just excessive stomach acid that I have to manage with Tums whenever the nausea kicks back in. Since that period, I haven't been the same person. I’ve become incredibly anxious; the moment I see someone else struggling with an illness, I completely lose my composure. I don't understand why this change happened so abruptly. Also, ever since those symptoms started, I’ve developed a massive phobia of vomiting, which has made me incredibly squeamish. I was always lean before, sure, but I didn't deal with these fears. I used to be what I’d call "unshakeable." If I caught a cold or felt under the weather, I wouldn't even bother seeing a doctor or taking aspirin; I’d just deal with it. Now? The second I feel a slight symptom, I’m heading straight to the clinic. In the worst cases, I've ended up in the ER simply because I convinced myself I was dying. Usually, the doctor on duty just gives me some Xanax because my heart is racing so fast on the EKG, telling me to stop stressing about my heart and just live my life. My question is simple: how do I conquer these fears and get back to being the person I was three years ago? And more importantly, how do I put on some weight? It’s mentally exhausting when people constantly comment on how skinny I am. :S
Thanks in advance...

Thomas Wells5 said:Man, I don't even know where to start. I just turned 18, and honestly? I'm way too skinny. I'm sitting at maybe 123-125 lbs at 5'11"... I feel like I'm underweight for my age. Being young, I tend to spiral into all sorts of stupid thoughts—I'm constantly looking at the world through a dark lens. I'm always obsessing, convinced that I'm sick or something. Everything changed about two years ago when my stomach issues started. It began with about a week of constant nausea, and once that passed, I was left with this constant burning sensation—just excess acid in my stomach that I have to manage with Tums whenever it hits. Since then, I’ve become a completely different person. I'm constantly on edge; if someone else gets sick, I immediately freak out. I don't know why this shift happened so fast. Also, ever since this started, I've developed this intense fear of vomiting, and I've become incredibly squeamish. I used to be thin too, but I didn't have these anxieties back then. I was unshakable, if you know what I mean. If I caught a cold or something, I wouldn't even bother seeing a doctor or taking pills; I'd just deal with it. But now? The second I feel off, I'm rushing to the clinic. In the worst cases, I've ended up in the ER because I've convinced myself I'm dying. Usually, the doctor on duty just gives me some Xanax because my heart rate is spiking on the EKG, telling me to stop stressing about everything so much because life is unpredictable. My question is simple: how do I beat these fears and get back to being the person I was three years ago? And how do I put on some weight? It kills me mentally when people tell me I'm too thin. :S
Thanks in advance...

Your BMI is low at 17.3. Given the digestive issues you mentioned, you really ought to see a gastroenterologist for a full workup.

My doctor kept pushing me to get a gastroscopy, but I’ll be honest—I was dodging it because the whole idea absolutely terrifies me. Instead, he ordered some blood work to check for that H. pylori bacteria, and thankfully, it came back negative. After that blood draw, I actually tried to get my life together and follow some strict health guidelines. I quit smoking entirely, cut out coffee completely, stuck to a disciplined diet, and everything seemed fine. The only hiccup was that if I overindulged in anything particularly spicy, I’d deal with a bit of acid reflux. Naturally, I eventually slipped up, started smoking and drinking caffeine again, and those symptoms started creeping back. Now, I’ve cut them out once more and I’m barely using any nicotine at all. As for alcohol? I don't touch it; I'm strictly sober. 🙂
I suspect that constant, high-level stress is probably the real culprit behind everything here.
I've also noticed a pattern where my stomach issues tend to flare up whenever I catch a cold during this winter season.
On the subject of nutrition, I have a question: what should I be eating to put on a little weight healthily without irritating my stomach?