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 :]

Breakfast- Oatmeal made w/ almond milk, apple, English muffin with soynut butter, egg, almond milk

Snack- Sugar babies at the movie Theater

Lunch- Soynut butter on wheat, Fage 2% yogurt, Kashi TLC chocolate cherry bar, carrots

Snack- Kashi TLC soft-baked bar (NEW!), rice pudding, almond milk, blueberries, carrots, Boost smoothie

Dinner- 2 crunchy shell tacos filled w/ soy crumbles and cheddar cheese, refried beans

Snack- Soynut butter and banana smoothie, orange, almonds, Luna sunrise bar, Ben & Jerry'

Hi everyone! Hope you are all having a good weekend! Mine has been okay. I start Renfrew on Tuesday and I think I have the mind set that I don't want to eat until then because I know they are going to pump me full of food..but I CAN'T THINK LIKE THAT!!! Take yesterday for example...

Breakfast: 1/2 kashi go lean with 1/2 cup 1%

snack: none

Lunch: 1 cup Romaine Lettuce 1/2 cup grilled chicken 1 tbsp balsamic vinegarette

Dinner: Luna PB bar..not too bad but not exactly yummy either

Snack: 1 cup special k with 1/2 cup 1% milk

 

Not a great day again. Today I've had the same breakfast and added in a granola bar. What am I so afraid of? Last night my parents came over and they along with my hubs ordered the most delicious looking pizza I've ever seen, and I just sat there with my Luna bar..how sad is that?

 

I wish I could embrace eating again and enjoy gaining the needed pounds but I have to gain 15 lbs to be at my low goal weight of 107 and then eventually I want to be at 115.

 

I always ask for advice, but how to make myself eat. Everytime i take a bite of something I'm calculating in my head how many calories are in it!

 

Hope you guys are doing better :) 

hey everyone-

so i did not end up getting my period, just spots i suppose, but i think it was a good sign and the fact that i was kind of excited about it means that my head is getting to be in a good place as well.  still thinking of waiting till tues morning b4 weighing giving me 4 days at 1600 and above my bmr, which is really confusing!  i dont know if im doing it right!  how long till a gain would show anyone?

CHARLIE-great accomplishment at the concnert!  i would love to be able to "listen" to my body, but yesterday for example, i was full but kept eating bc the food was infront of me, i always need to finish my plate no matter waht.

AQUA-The soft baked kashi cookies, do you mean the chewy bars?  i tried the luna bar and not so good.

AHLEY-just try and stay positive!

lalalalaa

breakfast - 40g rice crispies; 106mls healthy living us soya milk, 1 banana

midam snack - orange; pear

lunch - food doctor bagel; 25g peanut butter; 30g apricots

midpm snck - 250mls strawberry soya milk; 5 dried apricots; a gzillion! dried prunes; 2 cashew nuts; tbsp pb

Dinner (will have) - 3 cauldron falafel; 140g reduced sugar baked beans

Eve snack (will have) - alpro custard pot; 30g prunes

VOILA!

I found nutritional yeast flakes in the UK!!!!!!!!! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

agruskin- No, I don't mean the chewy bars. What I had is kind of like a Nutri-grain cereal bar.. it's soft like a Fig Newton on the outside but it has sort of jam-like stuff on the inside. It was really good! And yeah, some Luna flavors are better than others. I like the toasted nuts and cranberry ones best, and I also like the Sunrise flavors too. Good luck today!

aqua, i forget, where are you from?  i dont see the soft bar on the site?  i went bar crazy at the store today and picked up random ones, a kashi, the cinnamon raisin luna, i think another kashi, dont even remember, lol.  i think 1 or 2 have like 200 calories though, i guess as part of lunch like instead of a sandwich, whatever, hope theyre good!

Okay, here I go posting my first day's worth of eating.  My target is around 3000 calories, but since I just had my wisdom teeth removed a few days ago and can still only eat fairly soft foods, I'm finding it hard to get as many calories as I should.  That and I haven't exercised since the surgery, which is always a disincentive for me to eat more...

Breakfast: 1/2 cup scrambled Egg Beaters with 1/2 an avocado; 1/2 cup Fage 0% mixed with toasted wheat germ and strawberry jam

Snack: 1 cup skim milk blended with one packet of cinnamon and spice oatmeal, 2 scoops of protein powder, and a banana

Lunch: homemade Minestrone topped with cheddar-flavored almond cheese; 1/2 cup Fage 0% with 1 tbsp almond butter

Snack: 1 cup skim milk blended with 1 cup peanut butter puffins cereal, 2 scoops of protein powder, and a banana

Dinner: more Minestrone with almond cheese; 1/2 of a wheat english muffin

Dessert: 1/2 pint vanilla soy ice cream

Which all comes out to about 2,500 cals...  I'll take it since I pretty much sat around like (and felt like) a blob all day.

Agru- I personally like the chai spice and the sunrise luna bars, and I also recommend larabars! I wouldn't suggest using it as a replacement though, it should be an addition to your meals or snacks to help you get those calories up!

ashley- I started eating more by tricking myself into it, stop measuring out your portions and be sure to add a little more, switch to whole milk in your cereal for example and use more than half a cup, since you'll need it for your whole cup of kashi ;) plus I add whole milk powder for extra fats and protein, or protein powder. This adds calories without bulk and you learn to not think about it being in there. I also understand the pizza thing, I still don't eat pizza but if your family is eating something you don't want, try cooking yourself something else that's equally as good. Good luck at renfrew!!

I've been thinking about counseling for myself because even though I can eat a ton now, my thinking is still really screwed up most of the time, plus I've done a complete turnaround and now have problems with bingeing :(

here's what I've eaten so far today:

breakfast: http://caloriecount.about.com/forums/post/100 789.html I posted my oatmeal recipe on here (almost 1000 calories!) and an apple.

snack- myoplex vanilla protein shake

lunch- rice cake with kefir cheese, black eyed pea salad with cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, acai berry juice.

snack- went to central market and ate a lot of samples: a fig, canteloupe, pineapple, about 5 different granolas, pecans, almonds, dried banana, dried pineapple, muesli bread (yum!)

dinner- mixed salad, tomato, and carrot, gnocchi (about 2 servings, I can never have just 1 when it comes to pasta!) with an awesome tofu mushroom alfredo sauce! Here's the recipe:

1 tbsp minced garlic
1 small package mushrooms (chopped)
3 tbsp margarine or olive oil (i used earth balance)
2 cups milk (i used soy milk plus whole milk powder)
1 14 oz package firm tofu
1/4 cup flour
salt and black pepper to taste

- saute mushrooms and garlic in oil, then add flour and stir
- pour in milk and continue stirring until it thickens
- put tofu with a little water in the blender to turn it into a cream, then pour that into the milk and mushrooms
- season
- EAT!!!

word of warning, this makes a TON of sauce, I'll be eating pasta alfredo for the next several days.

A snack will be had later on as well. I feel like a big fatty today.

agruskin- I'm from the US. I know, they aren't on the Kashi website! My friend psychoj told me about them and I went crazy looking online for them. This is the nutrition info, if you're interested: http://www.thedailyplate.com/nutrition-calori es/food/kashi/tlc-soft-baked-blackberry-graha m

I found them at Target.. do you have one near you?

hi everyone-

so today was ok, im still sort of trying to listen to by body's hunger cues, but im really not able to yet, i dunno.  i feel like ive gained, still havent weighed but am wanting to so i think i might tom morning, eventhough i normally do sat but didnt this week.  how often do you think i should increase cals?  ive been doing every 3-4 days and am at 1600ish but really cant imagine needing the amounts of others who are younger than i am, or more active.  i bought more bars to try!  kashi chco pretzel, clif mojo, and cinnamon raisin luna.  i know i want to gain weight, i just feel like i need to pace it so i guess i should weigh myself after all to see if i have, and if i have, well thats the point rt, and if it says i gained 15lbs in 10 days, well i suppose that cant be possible and taht it would be "water weight" or something?  alrt, gnite

sun-

BFAST-cereal, milk, yogurt, apple, raisins

SNACK-protein shake

LUNCH-cheese+chumus sandwich, yogurt, cut up fruit, trail mix

SNACK-1/2 EM w/PB+J

DINNER- cheese sandwich w/ dried fruit melted in, veg salad w/ lots of random stuff added in

SNACK-yogurt, apple

Breakfast: Oatmeal made with skimmed milk, apple, rasins, brown sugar + cinnamon.

Snack: Banana (Halved) with 1 tablespoon soynut butter + 1 tablespoon soy nutella, 45g bran flakes, 40g sultanas and 150ml mango bio yoghurt.

Lunch: Toasted wholeseeded baguette with veggie salami, sliced tomatoes + melted soy cheese.
Baby carrots + baby corn dipped in hummus.

Snack: Apple, orange + a pear, 10 soynuts, 4 squares ginger green + blacks, Eat Natural yoghurt + apricot bar.

Dinner: homemade pizza, (Quorn chunks, pepper, lentils, chopped tomatoes - in juice, courgette) and a green side salad.

Snack: cocopops mega munchers (dry) and 2 instant hot chocolates.

Breakfast- Oatmeal made w/ almond milk w/ brown sugar mixed in, egg on buttered English muffin, nectarine, almond milk

Snack- ?

Lunch- Peanut butter on toasted bagel, Brown Cow w.m. yogurt, Kashi soft-baked bar, carrots

Snack- Yoplait, carrots, berries, pudding, Boost smoothie

Dinner- 5 Buffalo chik'n nuggets, broccoli and cheese rice, Chips Ahoy

Snack- String cheese, Clif Kid twisted fruit rope, Clif Mojo bar, almonds, Ben & Jerry's, shake made with Haagen Dazs frozen yogurt and whole milk

wasn't feeling all that great yesterday so it was hard to get my calories up there to meet my goal.. :S I hate when that happens
breakfast: 1 activia yogurt with 1 cup vanilla rice krispies, 1 source yogurt
snack/lunch: apple, 1/2 cup honey almond crunch, 1 banana
snack: potato puffs, 1 cup heritage o's cereal
dinner: 3 cups spinach salad with salsa, croutons, cucumbers, and chicken on top, 1 corn on the cob, 1 source yogurt, rice milk
snack: goji berries, strawberries, apple with a little bit of almond butter

Aquaev-Yeah, I found them at my local grocery store actually. Near the "bar aisle." Your smoothie sounds fantastic! What  is your favorite Ben and Jerry' flavor?

Gibbit- I love oatmeal!

Agruskin- I do not think that you should gain that much, if any. You are trying to restore your metabolism. But you are on the right track. Keep on increasing those calories though! You can do it!

I feel like I want and need to restrict today. I might count calories but I am not sure and it would only be because I am NOT going to let myself restrict. I am going to try very hard not to count though. I think I can do it!

So far:

Bfast: Kashi Heart to heart cereal with milk :)

NOT ENOUGH!

hello everyone :D well...as i said im trying to listen to my body more and eat when im hungry but its not going too well...if i just eat when im hungry i eat more that what ive been gaining on which as im coming to the end of gaining i dont really want to do!! argh this is sooooo hard :/

and i went to the gym this morning which normally makes me even hungrier...idont know what to do :/ i wish there was a book on this stuff then i wouldnt have to think so much!

anyway, heres yesterday's food:

breakfast: peach and pear with fromage frais and some speciak k mini breaks on top!

snack: rhubarb compote with more fromge frais and a hot choc. with cream and choc. sprinkles

lunch: oatmeal with frozen berries and honey (mmm tastes like crumble!) and a hob nob flapjack

snack: apple pie larabar and a packet of vegetable crisps

dinner: thai buternut squash, chickpea and banana curry ade w/coconut milk with wild rice!

snack: pb + bananna milkshake and 2 welsk cakes topped with jam + cream!

Hi everyone :) I put new pics up of my and my fam from the pool this weekend! I tried sooooo hard this weekend!

Breakfast always the same: 1/1 cup kashi cereal with 1/2 cup skim milk

snack: granola bar

lunch: it was tough..ordered a grilled chicken salad with romaine and balsamic vinegerette determined to eat a lot of it and probably ate about 1/4 with maybe a sprinkle of dressing

lunch sunday: ordered grilled chicken sandwich at pool, didn't eat bun and ate maybe 1/4 of the chicken and 1/2 glass white wine

snack: Sat none, Sunday I felt like I binged but all I had was 15 teddy grahams and 100 granola bar! But I felt nasty afterwards

dinner sat: 1 cup special k with 1/2 cup 1 % Milk Sunday: 1 cup won ton soup..really only drank broth

snack sunday: 1 cup special k with 1/2 cup 1% milk

 

I am really struggling. My mind is like eat eat and my tummy is like feed me! But when it comes down to it, I can't do it. I hate this! I start Renfrew tomorrow and I am terrified!

hi everyone-

AQUA-thanks for the kashi info, i found it online but i think id rather eat something w the same cals but more protein or fiber, that could just be the ED talking but i still have probs justifying certain foods.

CHARLIE- i also want to "listen" to my body but i just dont know how.  im either not hungry or never satiated, cant decide what i want and get anxious, need to finish whats on my plate even if im full, it just doesnt work, i dunno either but good luck!  also, wow, i never had curry, dont really know what it is, lol, but it sounds awesome!  recipe please??!!  im going to try and do some weights today, what do you do at the gym?  i wonder if just doing weights in the long run would be enough for mainteneace, altho im clearly not there yet.

so after 10 days of being in a caloric range of 1450-1550ish, i have apparently not gained and stayed the same weight.  im thinking of really trying to meet 1600 till wed and then who knows.  i normally weigh myself say morning but did today instead, do you think that would make the diff?

thanks, have a great day everyone!

Agruskin-They actually satisfy me. That is weird. Oh well! Everyone is different. I also do not need to worry about fiber. I get SO MUCH and too much fiber can...uh...make things not so fun!

Charlie-It is hard isn't it? Listening to your body may be harder than trying to gain!

Aqua- It seems like I have a lot in common with you. I love those Kashi bars!!!! Thanks for your support on the other thread I just wrote.

psychoj- Ben & Jerry's= love. It's the perfect way to get my calories up. And for once I don't care about the saturated fat when I eat those. My favorite flavor is strawberry cheesecake, and then cherry garcia is second. Do you eat it?

trigirl-It does seem that we have a lot in common. Message me if you want to talk!

Does anyone know how to measure ice cream? Because I would eat two servings of ice cream with no problem, if I could measure out of the big container without there being a chance of getting more than a serving. My mind is so screwed up.. I'll eat 400 cals worth of ice cream but only if I know that's exactly what I'm getting!