I talk about over eating a lot because it is way more prevalent than under eating, and maybe because I am not an under eater either. There are lots of women though who have the skinny gene and I’m not referencing a clinical eating disorder. It’s just that some women don’t think about food a lot.

“I just forgot to eat”. I can count on one hand the amount of times this has happened to me and one of them involved a class A substance.

Yet there are those among us who are desperately trying to put on weight.

“She’s naturally skinny” usually translates to “I just don’t eat very much” and “I just don’t feel like eating.”

There is a lot of shame attached to this. Frequently my skinny sisters will tell people “I never stop eating”

Frequently (anecdotally) this isn’t true. It’s the flip side of a person who can’t stop eating pretending they eat 1200 calories a day. It’s all connected to shame.

Our hunger hormones drive our appetite. Some people don’t have a lot of food motivated hormones (ghrelin). Again not talking about ED.

What can you do if you want to put on weight but you’re lacking food motivation?

• Eat small amount of highly palatable calorie dense foods. Nut butter, avocado, olive oil, oily fish, coconut oil, chocolate, cheese, ice cream.

• Cut the cardio, your nervous system has a high NEAT output already sister. Chill.

• Resistance train heavy weights and low reps with longer rest times between sets.

• Set food reminders on your phone.

• Drink your calories. Hello full fat latte with all the cream.

• Forget about clean eating.

• Wake up earlier so you have a bigger eating window.

• Eat first and drink last since beverages suppress appetite especially water.

You may only need an extra 300-500 calories daily to start putting on size. That’s half a tub of Ben & Jerry’s.

I won’t say I’m jealous but I’m jealous, hell the grass is always greener on the other side.

Having regular sessions with us will help you stay motivated and offer a sense of accountability. They can offer gentle encouragement and answer to related questions you may have along the way. Having this sort of professional help can be invaluable in finding a sustainable way to gain weight.

Now we want to hear from you. What are your best secrets for effective weight gain? Do share your tips with us and we would love to explore your ideas further.

Written by Alexandra.
Edited by Deepa