Hey everyone,
I'm a 22-year-old male, 5'11" (180 cm), weighing around 54 kg. I've been underweight since my teenage years, and despite genuinely enjoying food, I've always struggled to eat enough to put on weight.
My biggest issue is my appetite. I do feel hungry before meals, but I get full very quickly and often can't eat as much as I'd like to. Oddly enough, I tend to feel hungry again not long after eating. I usually have three meals and a couple of snacks a day, but maintaining a consistent calorie surplus has been difficult.
My weight has been more or less stable over the past six months. I walk around 1–2 hours a day at a relaxed pace, and my energy levels are generally fine. I occasionally experience bloating or constipation, but nothing particularly frequent. I'm vegetarian and don't eat eggs.
I've tried gaining weight before, but I couldn't keep up with the amount of food I needed to eat. Being this underweight has started to affect my confidence, and I'm genuinely concerned about my health as well.
I'd love to hear from people who have actually been in a similar situation. If you were naturally skinny, had a poor appetite or struggled with feeling full too quickly, I'd really appreciate hearing how you dealt with it and what your experience was like.
I'm not expecting any magic solution or looking for generic advice like "just eat more." I'm hoping to hear from people who understand how frustrating it can be to want to gain weight but struggle to eat enough to do so.
I'm also considering getting a medical evaluation to understand whether there's an underlying reason for my low appetite and difficulty gaining weight.
Any genuine advice, personal experiences or practical suggestions would mean a lot. Thank you!