by Kenda Robertson

Created on: March 09, 2009

As someone who spent most of my life being called such kind names as beanpole, stick figure and worse, I can attest to the fact that being too thin is not all it is cracked up to be. I couldn't wear jeans because they would hang off of me. I hated to wear shorts or skirts and show my boney legs. I never really felt much like a woman without one hint of a curve. And, worse of all, much of the time I had little energy and didn't feel well.

In my early 20s, weighing in at 110 lbs. on a 5 ft. 6 in. frame, I became so frustrated with the negative comments, my poor body image and lethargy; I actually went to a doctor to ask how I could put on weight. After he and the nurse had a good laugh at my expense, he looked at me and said: "You are healthy. Most people would love to have your problem. Give it some time, the weight will catch up to you."

For the last 15 years or so, I have maintained my ideal weight of 125 lbs. I feel healthier, have filled out a bit, can wear jeans and shorts, and I don't get called "boney" anymore. But I do, however, get the occasional "you're so skinny" remark from someone who is usually jealous.

Being healthy and feeling good should be your number one priority when trying to put on pounds. Eating loads of junk food may put on weight, but it will usually be in the form of fat and cellulite, and you won't feel well. You want to add healthy muscle weight.

In my experiments with good and not-so-good ways to gain weight, here is what I discovered:

Get a thorough checkup.

I know it sounds disgusting, but get checked to make sure you don't have any type of parasites or health issue that could be keeping you from gaining weight. You also will want to make sure you are relatively healthy even though you are thin. A simple blood test can tell a lot about what's going on in your body.

Take probiotics supplements.

A 30-day dose of probiotics, or friendly bacteria, will replenish your good bacteria and balance out your body and improve your immune system, making it easier to digest food and absorb nutrients from the food.

Exercise.
Aerobic exercises may burn valuable calories, but exercising also increases your appetite so you will want to eat more. As you gain weight, you also want to keep your body toned and fit. Don't overdo it or you might defeat the purpose. Try to limit cardio workouts to 30 minutes three times a week.

Lift Weights.

Weights help build muscle definition and strength, something skinny people usually lack. Use free weights (dumbbells), a weight

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