Q: I'm wanting to gain some weight, im skinny and have been skinny my entire life. In the past couple of months I have noticed that I hardly eat anymore. I've cut back on work to reduce my stress level and I still cant eat as much as I use to. I eat once a day then a couple snacks here and there. I drink dr peppers all day long though, and I dip too. When I do get hungry I can put a dip in or drink a dr pepper and I wont be hungry again for hours.... Anyone have a solution, (other than stopping my habits) on how to eat more, or at least some info to help me understand why I eat the way I do.
A: Nicotine is a narcotic, and quells hunger. This is part of why smokers who quit tend to gain weight. The Dr Pepper contains refined sugar, which is absorbed rapidly by your bloodstream. Hunger, though felt in your stomach, is actually triggered in your brain when your blood sugar is low. Elevating your blood sugar with candy or a soft drink diminishes your hunger. Dr Pepper also contains caffeine, a stimulant very similar to amphetamine, and that also reduces your hunger. Hmmmmm! Your awareness that you are skinny indicates that you are not anorexic. You just don't eat enough. The best way to safely gain weight is to increase your intake of protein. Protein can be converted by your body to sugar if necessary for energy, while neither carbs or fat can turn into tissue. Try a very high protein diet (Sylvester Stallone had a dozen raw eggs every day while bulking up for his first "Rocky" movie), keep up the sugar and caffeine, and slow down on the nicotine. If you find that you have to force yourself to eat, then you have a psycho-medical issue that should be addressed. See a doctor.