Weight Gain

I am copying the many times copied thread, "What did you eat today?" in hopes of helping some of those who are just starting to gain and have no clue what to eat. I know that when I began weight recovery, I was eating tons of low-cal foods just because that's what I was used to. I learned the hard way that dense foods are essential to weight gain when you have high caloric requirements (at one point I needed 4500 cal to maintain my weight on BEDREST). Perhaps newbies can get some ideas if we post our weight gain meal plans! Even if you're not gaining anymore, grab an old one and post it!:]

Please note that every body is different and some will need more or less calories than others to gain. This thread is just so that you can get an idea of what you need.

Oh, and yes, I'm breaking the "no calories, no portions" rule, since it is pretty helpful in this case. If you want to post cals/portions you can. I just ask that you don't post if you're not eating enough, though as this is a weight gain thread, I would hope none of you are undereating.;]

I'll start....

Breakfast (875 cal)*

• 1/2 cup oatmeal (150) cooked with
• 1 cup evaporated whole milk (300)
• 1 mashed banana (100)
• 2 tbsp peanut butter (200)
• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed and cinnamon to taste (50) 
• 1 hard-boiled egg (75 cal)

Morning Snack (300 cal)*

• 1/4 cup mixed nuts (200)
• 1/4 cup dried apricots (100)

Lunch (660 cal)*

• 1/4 cup rice cooked in 1 cup chicken stock (300) and
• 1/2 cup canned or cooked chickpeas (145) and
• 1/3 cup shredded cheese (150) and
• 1/4 cup each onion, peppers, and tomato (30) cooked with
• 1 tbsp olive oil and curry powder to taste (120)

Afternoon snack (390 cal)*

• 1 serving baby carrots (35)
• 1/4 cup hummus (155)
• 1/4 cup mixed nuts (200)

Dinner (875 cal)*

• 1 cup of my insane Mac & Cheese recipe (515)
• 2 cups tossed salad (45)
• 2 tbsp rasins (60)
• 2 tbsp sunflower seeds (105)
• 2 tbsp dressing (150)

Evening snack (480)*

• 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt (180)
• 1/2 cup homemade granola (300)

About 3600 calories :]

yyonah, I know you're trying but it takes a lot of eating to overcome emaciation and it seems like your current intake is more of a maintenance thing.. have you actually gained weight from it?

breakfast: rolled oats with skim milk and melted 1 tbsp peanut butter on top, 1/2 cup kashi honey almond flax with apple raisin activia yogurt

snack: frozen strawberry kiwi juice box, 3 mini freezies

lunch: apple with almond butter, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries with activia yogurt, pumpkin flax granola

snack: vanilla shreddies, goji berries, organic flax crackers with skim milk cheese and strawberry jam

dinner: sweet potato fries, yukon gold organic fries with ketchup, salad with chickpeas and kidney beans, 2 chicken strips, broccoli and cauliflower with hummus

snack: apple raisin yogurt with honey almond flax granola, 1 strawberry ice smoothie

Needing some help guys!!! Need/ want/ trying to get up to 2000 next week.

Breakfast - 45g Bite sized shredded wheat (158) with semi skimmed milk (98), a banana (120), tbsp honey (46) and 200ml orange juice (89)

Snack - Usually mixed nuts (approx 200)

Lunch: Wholemeal roll (180) with tbsp peanut butter (98), and banana (120). Also an small apple (50) and Muller cherry 'Amore' yogurt (216)

Dinner: Approx 500 including protein, carbs and vegetables

Total - 1875......Need help! Also am i getting a good balance of everything?

 

breakfast- about a cup of kashi go lean crunch mixed with oats, soymilk with about 1/4 cup dried whole milk powder, flaxseed meal, honey, a banana, an apple.

lunch- big salad with sprouts, an avocado, mixed nuts and cranberries, olive oil, vinegar. grape juice.

snack- 1 cup fage total mixed with some wm vanilla yogurt, strawberries and canteloupe.

dinner- taboulleh salad. homemade falafel sandwich with pita and tahini, yum :)

snack- wm vanilla truffle yogurt, almond cookies, strawberries

snack- spice cake spread with pb, dried figs, dried apricots dipped in more pb (probably about 4 tbsp pb total) 2 glasses vanilla soymilk.

hi guys, just saying hi...i think that today will come to about 1250ish, Monday i am going to go up to 1300, then Thursday go to 1500.  I am going to weigh only Saturday morning.  I have a problem knowing how much I burn when I excercise(15 mins very moderate cardio) and how to gauge what to eat back?  I also need to get over my fear of eating out.  I need to find a place to eat for my graduation and for father's day.  any help/suggestions??

BUTTERFLY-try adding a night time snack and a snack btwn lunch and dinner.

gibbit, wow, are you excercising?  so cool you can eat so much!  way to go! lol

thank you all!

amy

 

Well done butterfly you're doing awesome- 2000 isn't far off, I suggest you stick in an afternoon snack of some description- crackers and hoummus? Dried fruit? (Mango is good!). Or if you don't want to eat anymore how about a mug of hot chocolate before bed- I have Options hot chocolate but make it with 200ml semi-skimmed milk instead of water. Some people like hot milk and honey?

Just a couple of ideas, but way to go on getting this far.

thanks agruskin! I usually end up feeling really full all the time but I'm actually having fun coming up with good snack/ meal ideas. I don't exercise much because when I tried that I couldn't gain any weight. I've done yoga once or twice a week throughout recovery and I'm beginning to add back in some cardio now but just what you're doing, walking or sitting on the stationary bike for 10 to 15 minutes a few times a week. It's more for my own sanity than for real exercise. According to the calculators it really only burns 50 to 60 calories, but it relieves stress and makes me feel a bit healthier.

butterfly- definitely add in at least one snack b/w lunch and dinner. Even if you're not hungry. my rule is that if I'm not "not hungry" i can eat. So try and schedule in even a small snack to start with. another good way to increase calories is drinking juice or milk instead of water. You could easily add 200 calories if you drank a tall glass of grape or apple juice with your dinner.

And to give you all some good ideas, here's what I had for breakfast today, my typical super high cal oatmeal :)
- 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 granola
- cooked in vanilla soymilk mixed with a few spoonfuls of whole milk powder, and mixed with 2 spoonfuls of flaxseed meal and chopped dates
- after it was cooked I added in a chopped banana,  several chopped strawberries, and about half a cup of wm vanilla yogurt, drizzle of honey

I think that was all, i tend to throw anything I think of in there...i need to invest in larger bowls, i sometimes overflow mine :)

well done amy!! youre doing so great, increasing a bit at a time is the best thing (well for your mind anyway :D) the cardio i do tends to be running at about 6.5mph, for anywhere between 15 - 30 mins, depending on how much energy i have ;) my walks...i have no idea how fast it is but i walk about 1.5 - 2 miles (well say 3.5 mph) the only way i know what to eat back is through trial and error....try 100cal extra for your 15 mins...i have 200 extra which keeps my gain constant

raw food bar is similar to a larabar, just a portable snack, dried fruit and grains basically, the fruit acts as a binder holding the grains together

yea eating out is a big thing for me!! you cant know exactly howmany cals you just have to guess and once youve been counting for a while your guessing becomes pretty accurate!

i wish i could help you with resturants but i dont know what you have!! i know on holiday in US i went to the cheesecake factory...food was so nice and the portions are large but you can just ask for a doggie bag to take some home (my whole family had a doggie bag each haha)

butterfly - i think your balance is fantastic, youre getting everything, eating the nuts and pb is fantastic! i dint think getting up to 2000 will be too hard for you, youre already at 1875! i like heading up's idea of a milky drink before bed....if im low on cals for the day i often have an options with milk (heading up have you tried the mint, tastes like after eights)

curvesaregood - i know you meat well but, seeing as yyonah isnt posting cals/amounts why do you think shes not eating enough? there are others on here you could say the same about but i really dont think its true/fair, everyone gains on different amounts so if it took you alot to gain it doesnt mean everyone needs that much!

finally, here is my food for today:

breakfast - porrdige(100) with apple(50) + frozen berries(30) + milk(30) 210

snack - yogurt(100) + all-bran(80) + rhubarb(20) 200

lunch - 4xfalafel(200) + 3 jumbo oatcakes(150) 350

snack - more oatmeal golden syrup falvour :P (130) + milk (30) + orange cranberry smoothie (70) 230

dinner - soya mince chilli (250) with sweetcorn (25) + pitta (125) 400

snack - milkshake (banana 80, milk 70, raspberries 30, yogurt 50) 230

total 1620 (so far...will have another snack!!)

hi everyone!

CHARLIE-you deffinately excercise WAY more than I do which makes it that you can eat 2000, are you still gaining, wanting to gain, maintaining?  I dont remember?  I don't excercise that much so that scares me that I couldn't eat that much.  I meant to say that Monday I would increase to 1350, a 150 cal jump and then weigh a wk from today although I don't know how long it takes for gained or lost weight to show? 

I live near NY and so any and all types of restaurants and foods are available.  I tried to think what I used to like to eat out before ED but I really cant think of anything.  I just get scared not knowing the cal amount and really my own safe food is steamed seafood.  how did you know how many cals in the chili you had for dinner?

GIBBIT-i can't beleive you can eat so much, I think you are really tall rt?  maybe that's why?  i know what you mean about enjoying food again, I just get scared that I'll start to enjoy it too much and then not be able to stop and never be full, you know?  I think that my bmr on my lightly active days is 1700 so I guess in order to gain IF these calculators are accurate I would have to be eating 2200 on those days, I just can't beleive that I could really eat that much?  oh, ad oameal, o some reason it gives me a stomach ache so I don't eat it.  Cereal always looks like fun to eat but it never keeps me full, even when I have a bowl of All Bran which is high fiber.  oh well.

ok, keep it up girls!

amy

Keep it up folks everyone's doing well! I'm really determined to get the ball rolling finally- I can't believe i've been "in recovery" since Jan and actually home from school recovering since Feb and havn't put on ANY weight. I really have been fighting recovery instead of fighting this damn ED. Anyway....feeling determined, I'm gonna try, try, try to gather all my courage and get to at least 1800 tomorrow and the next day and keep it up....(Also thinking I should post everyday with calorie content it might force me to keep the intake up!)

Breakfast- 30g clusters cereal, 180ml Kid's Innocent smoothie carton (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries) (200)

Snack- Ensure plus caramel flavour (not a fan of this flavour!) (330)

Lunch- Wholemeal pitta (135), edamame bean salad ( 50), Activia fibre yoghurt (120) = 305

Snack- Ensure plus strawberry flavour (330)

Snack- Dried apricots (120)

Supper- stir-fried teryaki veggies with rice (200), 2 Pink Lady apples! (140)= 340

Snack- Options hot chocolate made with 200ml semi-skimmed milk (140)

Total- 1770

(Charlie, will have to try the mint flavour, sounds good! I'll get a sachet from waitrose next shop, also was thinking about trying oatmeal as everyone seems to like it and I've never tried it! Which brand do you recommend?)

Hey everyone--

HEADINGUP- when i 1st started my recovery i used to drink ensure, butter pecan was my fav.   I would ad a packet of sugar, a few ice cubes, and tss it in the blender, it was delicious!

things are ok here, what I plan to eat tomm, Sunday-

BFAST-100 cal roll, egg+cheese, peach

Gym-15 mins light elliptical, 5 mins situps on balance ball

LUNCH- 1/2 bakery bagel-200 cal?-I don't know how bagels are where you guys are but here in the US they are huge!  that is why i keep asking you all what kind of bagels you eat?? also, cream cheese and a fruit

SNACK-120 cal yogurt, some type of fruit

DINNER- baked potato, fage 80 cal yogurt, salad

SNACK-120 cal yogurt, 1 Big apple, tea

curvesaregood: yes, ive gained 3lbs this month, i wouldnt call 3500 cals maintenance!

 

Breakfast: Oatmeal made with skim. milk, chopped dates, 20 soynuts, dried apricots.
strawberry bio yoghurt with granola.

Snack: Banana, 4 squares of homemade soynut butter fudge, 1 mini equador dark magnum.

Lunch: Rasin + cinnamon bagel, 2 tablespoons soynutella.
an apple, an orange + a pear.

Snack: weetabix with egg free custard, frozen strawberries

Dinner: tomato and spinach tartlet, 1 large baking potato with spicy soy mince and grated soy cheese.

Dessert: raspberry fool.

Before bed: chocolate chip TREK protein bar + 2 instant hot chocolates.

hi everyone!  weekends are so hard!  I hate the unknown, not knowing my schedule, where i will be, what I am eating..I already need to make a change in what I was planning, it makes me so anxious, for instance- dinner will be changed to fish, rice, and brussel sprouts-yea, woo hoo!  1st, now that I am eating more I want yummy more kid stuff, even though I am 24...  So with fish and rice, I get scared bc I don't know how to eyeball a protion of these foods, don't know how much to take or eat or count!  It's not normal, I know.  well that is what dinner is being changed to and lunch I thtink will be hat i had yesterday, i would much rather have for dinner what I had last night, it was so good!

Tomm I up tto 1350, I'm kind of excited but again I am eating with my parents for dinner which always makes me anxious, I think  I will just hae to be rigid, which I know is bad, but preplan what I will eat in order to ensure that I eat it.  It's funny bc 1350 isn't even half of what many of you all eat!  any yummy suggestions?  Also, do you all tally carbs, proteins...?s

YYONAH-wow, i love your food!  fudge?  I'm guessing you just estimate the cals on that, same with the tartlet?  Your mother must be an amazing cook!!!

Agruskin, We don't get "butter pecan" flavour here in the UK, but anywho I like them (put them in the freezer for a few hours before I drink them so they're thick kind of like milkshakes but with added nutrition!) Also I just like the way when I'm done gaining I can just take them away and continue eating normally kind of like medicine, when your better you stop taking it.

Breakfast- 20g all bran with 3 soft prunes on top, 180ml Kids Innocent smoothie carton (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries)  (200)

Snack- Ensure plus chocolate flavour (330)

Lunch- Leftover teryaki stir-fried veggies with a little pc french bread, Activia Fat free peach yoghurt (200)

Snack- Ensure plus forest fruits flavour (330)

Supper- roast chicken ( breast), tenderstem broccoli, baby corn (200), small slice GU chocolate fondant torte with strawberries (250) (450)

Snack- Options hot chocolate made with 200ml semi-skimmed milk (140)

Total- 1650ish (I'm an estimator)

(Jeez I'm getting lower, aargh, why is this not working, I keep just getting to my meal times and freaking out serving myself small portions etc. Also didn't have an extra afternoon snack becuase we had a late lunch and so wasn't really the chance! Eek i'm probably making excuses again.)

Oh well, tomorrow is a new day and I'll do better.

Hi everyone, hope all is well with everyone!  Tomm I go up to 1350ish.  I find myself being freer with bites here and there, which is ok, I still have problems when taking portions of food though, like the fish or chicken, and am still anxious about what food to get when I eat out.  I'm kind of scared that I am eating more tomm but I guess  I just have to keep in mind my priorities and I have toremember that most ppl maintain on even more so I gues I just need to stick with it.  Any suggestions or anything regarding my plan for tomm?  THank you so much!

BFAST- ~ 1/2 c. all bran cereal (50 cals), 3/4 cup Special K Plus Protein(100cals), ~1/2c. skim milk (50 cals), some dried fruit ~230ish cals

SNACK-1 plum~40 cals

LUNCH-  Boca Burger (100 cals) English muffin (100 cals), ketchup lettuce...Fage 80 cal yogurt ~300 cals

Gym-15 mins light elliptical, 10 min abs

SNACK-"vitamuffin"-high fiber-100 cals, apple~ 200cals

DINNER- roll (100 cals), 2 veggie meatblass (60 cals) 1/4 cup light shredded cheese (45 cals), tomato sauce (30 cals), salad w/lots different veggies, another veggie ~340ish

SNACK-120 cal yogurt, 1 Big apple, tea ~220 cals

Breakfast:Oatmeal made with skim. milk, banana, toffee hot chocolate powder + 45g frosted shreddies mixed in.

Snack: homemade belgian style waffles with dark chocolate sauce, 1 scoop of soy ice cream and 2 T. chocolate chips

Lunch: rasin and cinnamon bagel with 2 tablespoons soynut butter and 2 tablespoons honey, an apple, an orange and a pear.

Snack: heated wholegrain baguette with melted soycheese and tomatoes.

Dinner: wholemeal rice with tofu curry, 1/2 wholewheat pitta.

Snack: Fruit salad (strawberries, mango, raspberries, banana, apple + pineapple) topped with 150g live yoghurt, 45g granola and 2 tablespoons rasins.

Before bed: 2 instant hot chocolates.

3,407 calories! :D

breakfast: rolled oats made with rice milk, nutella and 1 tbsp peanut butter melted on top, 100g vanilla activia yogurt with 1/2 cup kashi honey almond flax cereal

snack: smoothie: 1/2 cup rice milk, 1 banana, 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, raspberries, whey protein, and almond butter, 2 mini freezies

lunch: 3/4 cup vanilla yogurt, 1/4 cup granola, 3/4 cup vanilla shreddies, 4 strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, sunflower seeds

snack: organic sharkies

dinner: 1/2 cup honey almond flax cereal mixed with 1/2 cup activia yogurt, more raspberries and strawberries

snack: frozen strawberry kiwi juice box

enia: where are the vegetables??? I know, I love any combo of cereal, oats, fruit and  yogurt and really could eat it all day every day, but unfortunately we need more variety than that to fulfill all nutritional needs.

yesterday:

breakfast- grapefruit, wm vanilla yogurt mixed with soymilk, honey, kashi go lean crunch, oats, flaxseed meal, whey protein powder vanilla

snack- grapes, soymilk

lunch- 7 grain baguette sandwich with artichokes and olives, salad, carrot sticks and broccolli, tiny slice of butterscotch chocolate cake I made for my cousins birthday. I still don't really do cake but everyone at the birthday party sort of expected me to eat the cake I made :\

snack- lots of watermelon while lounging by the pool (I love summer!!)

snack- cherries

dinner- baked sweet potato with eggs, honey and walnuts, cucumber and avocado taco with tahini dressing. More cucumber slices with olive oil.

snack- vanilla ice cream mixed with heavy cream and several spoonfuls of pb, topped with sliced banana.

This was amazing at the time, but I was still full from dinner plus I'm kind of lactose intolerant and ended up feeling sick after :\ BUT if you can have dairy and are not already stuffed, I really recommend trying it!

Havent posted for a while..last time i was just about making 1500 calories, now up to 2000 calories.

Breakfast: 45g Bitesized shredded wheat (158), 200ml semi skimmed milk (98), 200ml orange juice (89), banana (116), tablespoon honey (46)

Snack: 30g mixed nuts (197), apple (50)

Lunch: Wholemeal sub roll (206) with tablespon peanut butter (96) and a banana (116), Orange 'Amore' Yogurt (218)

Snack: Raspberries + blueberries + Papaya, mango and passion fruit yogurt (124)

Dinner: Ginger and Honey glazed salmon (316) with herb new potatos (90) and steam vegetables (80)

1998 cals all together. Go me!

Yyonah - that tofu curry sounds yummy!!

gibbit,

I know its true, but I find when I eat veggies I am so full :s I know its cause of the fiber content in them.. and I should really push to eat more of them.. but its more of a hassle because then I dont feel hungry and I keep finding it really hard to get my cals up there :S