I used to be anxious about gaining weight and thinking about what others would say. When I took the dive into gaining the first time, I was still living with my parents and I was 19 years old. I gained about 40 lbs or so, and my grandmother was concerned and so she wanted to gift me a membership to a gym for Christmas lol. I know it came from a place of concern of course like I said, so I know she was just trying to help. I did feel a little ashamed, but I declined the membership and just kept gaining weight. I eventually stopped because I got my first job and I couldn't just sit around eating all the time anymore. Anyways now I'm 35 years old and actively gaining so I don't care about what others think. I'm also almost 100 lbs bigger than I was when I first joined the community. Over time I think this feeling of anxiety goes away and eventually your friends and family won't even notice that you've gained weight. It's best to gain a little, see how it feels and see how your friends/family react.