I'm sure there are threads on this already,there must be other people here who struggle to keep their weight high enough to be healthy.
It can feel quite isolating sometimes because everything we hear tells us that people are either trying to lose weight or are "struggling" to keep their weight healthy, like everyone is constantly having to resist food and work to keep their weight down. I understand why that is, and I have every sympathy for people who struggle being overweight too, because I know appetite and weight are really not that easy to control, no matter which end of the scale you are! But being in the minority it can be harder to find advice and support.
At a hospital appointment a nurse once weighed me and then said "aren't you lucky" - when I was clearly underweight and there to see a gastroenterologist!
Things that have helped me include:
Eating little and often. This is odd because it's recommended for dieters too. But I can't manage large volumes of food so eating often is better than trying to eat full size meals.
Low fibre. Fibre makes my symptoms worse anyway, but it also just adds bulk and volume without calories.
High sugar rather than high fat. Because fat is rich and filling.
Liquids and semi liquids (like puddings) go down easier.
So basically I end up eating an unhealthy looking diet: low fibre, sugar, refined foods, etc. But it's healthier for me. I did see a dietician but it really wasn't helpful because I had to find what worked for me by trial and error, and I could find out nutritional information for myself anyway. Having someone tell me to eat more and telling me which are high calorie foods wasn't that useful. I do find prescribed supplements useful (get all the vitamins and stuff so don't have to worry about that, and they go down easy).
And not worrying too much about it. If I'm feeling really sick then it's not worth struggling to get the calories in. One bad day won't make too much of a difference. And on the scale of things, being a bit underweight is not the biggest threat to my health right now (it's not like I'm starving... if it got to the point where I really couldn't stop losing then I guess I'd have to trust to medical intervention anyway).
It can feel quite isolating sometimes because everything we hear tells us that people are either trying to lose weight or are "struggling" to keep their weight healthy, like everyone is constantly having to resist food and work to keep their weight down. I understand why that is, and I have every sympathy for people who struggle being overweight too, because I know appetite and weight are really not that easy to control, no matter which end of the scale you are! But being in the minority it can be harder to find advice and support.
At a hospital appointment a nurse once weighed me and then said "aren't you lucky" - when I was clearly underweight and there to see a gastroenterologist!
Things that have helped me include:
Eating little and often. This is odd because it's recommended for dieters too. But I can't manage large volumes of food so eating often is better than trying to eat full size meals.
Low fibre. Fibre makes my symptoms worse anyway, but it also just adds bulk and volume without calories.
High sugar rather than high fat. Because fat is rich and filling.
Liquids and semi liquids (like puddings) go down easier.
So basically I end up eating an unhealthy looking diet: low fibre, sugar, refined foods, etc. But it's healthier for me. I did see a dietician but it really wasn't helpful because I had to find what worked for me by trial and error, and I could find out nutritional information for myself anyway. Having someone tell me to eat more and telling me which are high calorie foods wasn't that useful. I do find prescribed supplements useful (get all the vitamins and stuff so don't have to worry about that, and they go down easy).
And not worrying too much about it. If I'm feeling really sick then it's not worth struggling to get the calories in. One bad day won't make too much of a difference. And on the scale of things, being a bit underweight is not the biggest threat to my health right now (it's not like I'm starving... if it got to the point where I really couldn't stop losing then I guess I'd have to trust to medical intervention anyway).