Weight gain Archives - Lutgard Musiime

For a big part of my teen years, I did not like what I saw when I looked in the mirror. I hated how my collar bones made the first show when I was out and about; so many times I could not get myself to wear off shoulders and fashions that exposed my upper body. I did not like the way my rib cage was numbered like I didn’t care for it enough to cover it with some flesh. No, I was not stressed, I was just skinny and did not like any bit about it. The shattered self-esteem that comes with body weight concerns is not funny and no one not even yourself may understand the full gravity of it.

I know the majority of people out there want to shed off some kilograms and there is a silent weight loss movement that has taken over the world. Most of the current weight management content out there is focused on weight loss leaving those who want different guilty. However, there are plenty of people out there struggling to gain weight. I am here to share with you some things to take note of based on my experience and expertise.

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Why you may not be gaining weight

Not gaining weight is a mirage of varied factors that may be the reason why one is not gaining weight as desired and this makes gaining weight as hard as losing weight, if not harder. Some common reasons why a person may find it hard to gain weight include:

Genetics
Not eating enough for your body’s needs
Having a very physically demanding lifestyle or job
Over-exercising
Underlying medical conditions
Substance abuse
Eating disorders
Disability

When is it important to gain weight

Underweight

Being underweight in simple terms comes about when the calories (energy) being consumed is less than the energy being utilized. Being underweight is associated with a weakened immune system, fragile bones, fertility problems, and nutritional deficiencies and before I even continue, I need to make it clear that being skinny does not always equate to being underweight. The only sure way you can ascertain that you are underweight is by using the Body Mass Index (BMI). A BMI reading below 18.5 is what we consider as underweight. Calculate yours here. So if one is underweight, it is important to gain weight and achieve a healthy and ideal weight to sustain a quality life.

Recovering from disease

Diseases come with a collection of symptoms that may strip your body of its weight for example diarrhea, dehydration, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite to mention but a few. Sometimes even the medicines that are given may leave you with undesired effects. It is important that someone recovering from disease is supported to gain weight as this will improve their immune system and also guarantee faster healing.

For pregnancy

Not gaining enough weight during pregnancy can have far-reaching negative effects on the baby and mother. Many women will gain 1 – 2 kilograms during the first trimester and thereafter 0.5 kilograms every week for the rest of the pregnancy. Throughout pregnancy, different women will have different parameters for gaining weight. An overweight woman needs to gain less (7 to 9 kilograms or less, depending on their pre-pregnancy weight) while an underweight woman will need to gain more (13 to 18 kilograms). One who is having more than one baby will be required to gain even more. Women having twins usually need to gain 17 – 24 kilograms.

In your antenatal visits, you will be told the required kilograms you will need for a healthy pregnancy.

Self-esteem

Bodyweight concerns have unfavorable health and self-esteem effects on an individual. Self-esteem is defined as the overall opinion of yourself. When someone has an issue with the way they appear and in this case, someone feels too skinny, gaining weight will do a lot for them to appreciate themselves better. I have clients who come to me bothered by their current weight and look, and when they begin their weight gain program, they light up even before they hit the scales.

Weight gain

What to do

Work with a professional before attempting a weight gain program

We are in the 21^st century where there is tons of information everywhere. Why it is important to work with a professional is because you will avoid gambling with your health because that is not a very smart thing to do. Working with a dietitian or physician will enable you to know the reason why you need to gain weight, rule out the possibility of an underlying condition, customize your diet to your specific body needs and know what your healthy weight is and be able to work towards that.

Adopt a healthy and enjoyable lifestyle

The goal here should be to gain weight gradually NOT drastically until you reach a healthy weight. Drastic methods of gaining weight may work but will not last or will leave you in a worse state than before. Consuming unhealthy food like high-calorie foods that are packed with saturated fat and sugar increases your risk of having high cholesterol in your blood which is a big catalyst for developing cardiovascular diseases. Rather opt for healthy high -calorie dense foods. Add activity to your lifestyle so that you do not end up storing more calories (energy) than you need as these are the ones that will be converted into unnecessary fat.

Eat more to stimulate muscle growth

It is important for us to understand that you can gain weight by building muscle (lean body mass) and by building fat. Always aim to do the former rather than the latter for reasons I have explained above. The way you can do this is by increasing your meals but choosing healthy foods.

Eat at least 3 main meals and have more healthy snacks throughout the day.
Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day.
Consume whole-grain foods for your carbohydrates.
Consume a lot of high proteins especially animal protein for example meats, dairy, or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks and yogurts). Have whole (full-fat), eggs, fish. Do not ignore the plant-based proteins too like legumes, nuts, and seeds
Use unsaturated oils and spreads, such as olive oil, avocado oil, and eat them in small amounts.
Drink plenty of fluids but try not to have drinks just before meals to avoid feeling too full to eat.

Build muscle not fat

Exercises are one way you can build muscle. It is important to work with fitness trainers who understand what they are doing so that you can build muscle and begin to see an upward change on the scales rather than lose even the little you already have by choosing the wrong type of exercise. Choosing compound exercises that work for multiple major muscle groups, for example, the squat and bench press is one of the helpful ones.

Track your weight gain journey and document it as much as possible

Motivation is the air beneath the wings for any attempt in life. If you do not find motivation for your weight gain journey, chances are that you are going to get bored, feel overwhelmed or frustrated and end up abandoning the journey altogether. Tracking and documenting this journey gives you something to look forward to and also a way of being accountable to yourself. Look out for interesting recipes to spice up your meals so that they are new each time you are going to consume them. You can also look out for people who may be on the same journey as you are, as this will help you know that you are not alone. If there are communities you can join, the better.

As you begin your journey, you may encounter countless roadbocks, eyes on the prize friend. Imagine how you would feel if you achieved your goal and then stay the course. I wish you the best of luck.

Weight Gain

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See you next Wednesday

September is a month set aside to increase awareness of a condition that has for so long baffled scientists and until now, has no confirmed cure. This condition is called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or simply PCOS.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder among women that is also one of the leading causes of infertility yet it remains one of the most underdiagnosed diseases in the world, with less than 25% of women with PCOS being diagnosed, according to Reproductive Science Center. Dr. Louis Chang, the MD of the PCOS Awareness Association writes that “PCOS affects over 7 million people. That’s more than the number of people diagnosed with breast cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and lupus combined.”

PCOS is characterized majorly by; irregular or absent periods, excess androgens (elevated testosterone and androstenedione levels), and multiple cystic areas on the ovaries.

I remember my journey to discovering that I had PCOS began after I had missed my periods for about 9 months. They were regular from their onset at the age of 14 until the age of 22 when my hormones took a turn. Although I wasn’t sexually active at that time, I did not want to take chances because 9 months without your period is a long time. This pursuit I will assure you is not a walk in the park, it takes your money, your peace, and let me not talk about the uncomfortable tests done like the transvaginal ultrasound. At one point, because of the heavy periods, I was using at least 10 sanitary towels daily for not less than 3 weeks. When I tell you your mental standing will be tried, this is one of them.

PCOS is known to present itself with infertility, heavy periods, and spotting between periods, pelvic pain during or between periods, mood changes, weight gain, fatigue, or low energy levels, excess growth of hair on the arms, face, back, chest, abdomen or hands and feet, hair loss or male pattern baldness on the head, acne, and insomnia or poor sleep.

Now unless you are familiar, this hormonal disorder is invisible, nothing seems out of the ordinary yet it leaves the bearer miserable who often time will not come out to say anything; you know why? The world has indirectly conditioned women to bear the pain, branding the one who is able to endure the most pain as a ‘strong woman.’ Most often than not, that pelvic pain, the heavy periods, you will be told that that is normal and women are different. No one often sees it as a problem because well, we talked to the snake in the garden of Eden right?

No one sees how one’s mental, physical or spiritual life is affected, constantly hoping for a miracle since up to this day there is no permanent cure, only the symptoms are dealt with from time to time.

My most recent appointment was at Bethany Women’s and Fertility Hospital in Luzira here in Uganda and I remember my gynecologist, Dr. Nsenga Joseph, a highly qualified fertility specialist taking me through the mini-lecture of where scientists have reached in finding a permanent cure for PCOS, what was previously thought to work only to find out that it wasn’t. We ended our appointment with the same thing that has been happening for all these years, dealing with the symptoms.

The dramatic weight fluctuations are frustrating especially when everyone around keeps screaming, “you have lost weight! you have gained weight!” but the control is out of your hands. Many have been labeled lazy. The inability or slim possibility of becoming a mother, making others a father, grandmother, uncle, or auntie leaves you weak in your knees making you feel less of a woman because truth is, we dread the question; “When are you going to start having babies?”

The trap is deep because many of us do not want others to worry or feel sorry so we push on quietly, burdened by the pain and constantly wondering whose son would want to be dragged into this mess if only they knew. Sadly silence does not alleviate, it only isolates.

Writing this is not comfortable for me at all but I recognize that there are many out there scared to let anyone know. We need to reach out for help because we are fighters who need each other, speak up for others who continue to suffer in silence or ignorance. Our stories will offer hope or consolation to those in denial believing that they are alone or crazy.

No, my sister, you are a fighter and you are beautiful. Just like I mentioned in this piece I wrote a while back, PCOS may be part of your story but it is not your story, it is just a chapter in your life book and you cannot allow it to rob you of your joy and laughter, it cannot dictate your storyline or define you because you are in charge of which way your life turns.

So to every lady out there struggling with PCOS, push through the pain, persevere, cry if you need to, fall but do not stay there. Positive is doable and it is possible, take each day at a time and rise above every obstacle and achieve the impossible.

Care for yourself as much as possible, continue to consume the right diet, take the medication prescribed, and exercise with utmost dedication. Do not compare yourself with others because you do not know their story and be kind to yourself. Take the opportunity to help others whenever the opportunity presents itself, Stay strong because it takes soul searching to accept the disorder we suffer. Remember your identity is not your symptoms. You are special and can be confident.

No matter what you are going through, each and every one of you is worthy of joy, happiness, and love. Be strong, you are not alone!