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 :]

so basically i feel stuffed and like a cow, but im still eating...again, no clue if im eating too much or what

sat-

BFAST-mini thomas's bagel square, tbspn pb, apple, hardboiled egg-440ish

SNACK-protein shake

LUNCH- 1 1/4C kashi vive cereal, 3/4 c. milk, fage yogurt, apricot, pudding~440

SNACK-3/4c ice cream, peach~250

DINNER-1 serving macaroni and cheese, veg salad+trail mix ~350

SNACK-apple, yogurt~250  maybe something w/it

eurgh.

i just had kfc for dinner.

and now i have a MASSIVEMASSIVE KILLING stomacheache :(

agruskin- No way are you eat too much! That's only 2000 cals or so right? Have you weighed recently to see how eating this amount is working?

trigirl333- Sorry you're having a tough time. Just remember that you need to gain to be healthy! Weight gain is never going to be comfortable. I already dislike the size that I am and my GW is still like 15 lbs heavier than I am now. I hope you get to do sports, it relieves so much stress. I've just been told that I'm allowed to do yoga three times a week now... When I saw my nutritionist for the first time, the first things she told me to change were 1: only eat real eggs! No whites allowed! and 2: Have full fat everything! Cheese, yogurt, ice cream, etc. These are just tiny changes that you won't have to think about too much. It's just swapping one thing for another. Good luck

Breakfast- SNB on WW English muffin, oatmeal with pumpkin and cinnamon, egg, nectarine

Snack- String cheese and strawbberries

Lunch- Grilled cheese on WW potato bread, chocolate mousse yogurt, TLC cherry chocolate bar, carrots

Snack- PB on WW Cheddar Bunnies, string cheese, apricot, carrots, Boost smoothie

Dinner- Morningstar pizza burger on WW bun with provolone, corn on the cob with butter, cheddar bunnies

Snack- Orange, almonds, blueberries, Clif Mojo bar, Ben and Jerry's, PB banana smoothie

hey..first time to post here!

i'm 16, 5ft2, 88 lbs.. trying to get better, slowly though, coz gaining weight still freaks me out a little..

breakfast: 1 buttermilk pancake with nutella on top + fatfree yogurt + orange juice.. 350 calories

snack: caramel popcorn 200 calories

second snack: 2 toasts with nutella + 1 slice smoked cheese  300 calories

lunch: lean meat serving + veggie salad+ 1 small mango  300 calories

+ burned 900 calories at the gym (i do this daily)badbadbad

that's it for today.. i'll try to up my calories more during this week although i'm already feeling unbelieveably full and bloated..ugh..i have no idea how am i supposed to eat at least 2000 calories..any ideas?

Hi there Relena. :] You're doing a pretty good job so far, but I've got a few suggestions that might help.

First of all, you need to be willing to eat back your burn from the gym. While a small amount of exercise is okay (I stick with walking for 30-60 minutes tops, and lifting weights 3 times a week) as much as a 900 burn will just hinder your progress and eat away at muscle. What would be more ideal for you would be weight, strength and resistance work. This way, you can put on muscle and lean body mass - always a plus.

Food advice, then!:

 - Switch up your fat-free yoghurt to at least half fat, or full fat. The change is more or less unnoticable while giving you extra calories. Dairy is also very important to you as you will need calcium to help your bones recover - tofu, chickpeas, spinach and broccoli are also good plant sources alongside your usual dairy products.

- I remember you mentioning anemia elsewhere. I'm anemic too, so I feel your pain. Alongside red meat, other places to get iron from are eggs, sardines, spinach, chickpeas, figs, apricots, and lentils. Vitamin C aids iron absorption, as a side note, while dairy inhibits it - so don't have cheese with that steak. ;]

 - Try to get a good and varied balance of foods. Healthier sugars from fruits and natural jams, or honey; healthy fats from oily fish, avocado, nuts (walnuts particularly) and nut butters, olive oil, even tofu has some; protein from white meat, eggs, tofu, fish and seafood, pulses, legumes and beans, nuts (again), and grains like quinoa and oats; and make your carbohydrates complex where you can. Wholegrains are delicious.

- Are you constipated? I know it's a gross question, but you mentioned bowel trouble on a different thread and bloating here. I know that, when I got regularity back and started taking peppermint oil capsules, my bloating is nigh on unnoticable now. You will always experience a little bloating as you up your food intake while your stomach adjusts, but it won't be there forever. :] If you're 'blocked up' as it were, up your fibre intake adequetly. Play with how much you need but aim for at least 25-30g a day. I can give you a full list of good sources of fibre if you want them (I know way too many, as I need about 70g average a day to function right personally -__-) but good starting places are oatmeal, quinoa, beans, legumes and pulses, prunes, fruits with skins (apples, pears, plums particularly), raspberries, and wholegrains.

Popcorn is a good source of fibre, but because of the air in it, it can make bloating worse. Try sipping on peppermint tea after a meal, too. As I said before, the oil capsules have done me wonders, and the tea is equally quite effective. :] If you're still uncomfortable phsyically, though, eat more calorie-dense but small foods - olive oil in cooking, nuts and dried fruit, nut butters, avocados, bananas, and full fat dairy products. Making shakes and smoothies is also a good way to get your calories in if you can't eat them.

- I also noticed you stopped at lunch. :s You should aim for 5-6 meals a day. This will boost your metabolism and help your body establish a routine. With your main meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) make sure there's a serving of fruit or vegetables, protein, healthy fats and carbohydrate on your plate. For example, a breakfast in this manner could be:
Oatmeal made with milk and a teaspoon of peanut butter, topped with apricots and raisins
 Or
An omelette made with a mixture of peppers, chillies and courgettes (zucchini) topped with a bit of guacamole and some sour yoghurt
And so on. The last would work as a lunch or dinner, too. It's very easy to make combinations. :]

I hope this helps you a bit. Feel free to ask if you have any more questions. :D

hi everyone-

so eek, since i feel weird and overly full w/ what im eating, i think im going to take the leap and buy some higher cal foods so that i dont have to eat so much-im just still scared of "running out of cals" and still being hungry.  ive always gone for volume-more food, rather than less, higher cal food. 

SAYKYOKU-kfc can be ok, it can be good and liberating to try new things-good for you!

AQUA-i weigh 1/wk-wed, so last wk i went up about 2lbs or so so well see i guess, but i do feel like a pig!  whole eggs are ok-the yolk has a lot of benefits, dont worry about high cholesterol or whatever.  how tall are you and your goal weight if you dont mind?  each time i gain i rasie my goal weight, lol.  how was the eat natural bar??

relena-welcome!  im seeing what LALA wrote and i have to agree.  cardio burns cals like no other, weights would be better and would also ease your mind that you did get some actiuvity.  you excercise a lot, im sure you know, id really try cutting down plus eating it back AND MORE.  excercising increases your metabolism even after so youre burning even more cals-not helpful when gaining.  i know its tough but keep your ultimate goals in mind!

Agru: OH MAN. You basically took words out of my mouth. I have trouble eating smaller, denser foods a lot of the time because I know they won't fill me up. Same with drinking calories. I'm okay if something is mixed in with something else (eg: putting things on oatmeal) but I could never eat a handful of dried fruit on its own. I know I'll be left afterwards thinking, "So, what now?" and it sucks! ><

Saykyoku: When I was beginning recovery, I had my exams, too. After my very first exam, which was two and a half hours long, I really, inexplicably, wanted a Big Mac and all the trimmings. So I got it. I ate it. I loved each bite despite knowing how horribly bad for me it was... and the next day, I felt the consequences. Haha. It was a good reminder to me why clean and yummy foods are better than junk food, even if junk food can taste good. xP

I got myself up off of the floor and back on to the wagon, and got back into my weights routine today! I feel better already. :] My anemia has been kicking me in the shins pretty hard lately and I've been really tired, but I felt very spritly today and even added in a couple of extra sets with my arms because I could actually manage them! It's odd, but weight is actually distributing to a couple of places I didn't expect - like my bum (OH GOD I HAVE A BIT OF A BUM AGAIN) and my arms. I'm really glad! Got on the bike for the second time today, too. I crashed into another fence and tore my knuckle, but it's all good. My sister's offered for us to try going to a park or a route away from a road next time because I freak out when cars go past. x: Oh well. Hope you're all okay!

Original Post by lalabanana:

I have trouble eating smaller, denser foods a lot of the time because I know they won't fill me up. Same with drinking calories. I'm okay if something is mixed in with something else (eg: putting things on oatmeal) but I could never eat a handful of dried fruit on its own. I know I'll be left afterwards thinking, "So, what now?" and it sucks! ><

OMG meee too!!!!!!!!!!!!! i have the worst porblem using something for like 300 cals thats like the size of a golf ball and saying k ur done.... i would much rather have a few here and there things that are 300 cals and be satisfied from it... maybe im a weird recoverer i dunno, like i wont eat 300 cals of nuts in a sitting but ill have a few here & there all day long with other things... anyone else do this??

lala and malibu-thats what i had said, but, now that im shooting for 2000+, i get really full at night.  im scared that if i do eat higher cal foods that they wont fill me up bc there is less of it, but ithink i might try and have some higher cal stuff.  ive always gone for volume w/food bc for some reason, im always scared of going hungry.

Seems this is a pretty normal thing for us ED recoverers! I do it too! I always eat really slowly as well, I don't know if I'm trying to savour the food or drag out the meal so it's less time until I eat next or something- guessing it's probably that we appreciate food more now as we went for so long depriving ourselves.

Welcome Relena! This community is really great for support and advice so you've come to the right place. You are definitely doing the right thing- keep it up.

Congrats on the bike-riding Lala, serious achievement

As for me, I think I'm doing ok with the eating at the moment- I really have to prove I can gain weight at home in the next couple of weeks or else I'm definitely going in-patient which I really don't want. I can't believe I've been recovering at home since Feb and have only succeeded in losing rather than gaining! EEK!

Here's yesterday:

Pre work 7.30am- 180ml Kid's Innocent smoothie carton

Breakfast at work- 50g Alpen cereal with semi-skimmed milk

Lunch- Wholemeal pitta with sliced tomatoes, lettuce and hummus, Activia FF yoghurt

Snack- Ensure plus (banana flavour)

Supper- home-made egg and prawn fried rice thingy ( sesame oil, onion, garlic, carrot, rice, 1 whole egg, peas, 6 big prawns), apple

Snack- Options hot chocolate made with 250ml semi-skimmed milk

Not finished today so will post it later...

 

breakfast: porridge sachet, 60 mls soya milk, 125mls water, 2 tsp golden syrup

sback: slice rye toats

lunch: dsp soya pea pate, food doctor bagel, green apple

snack: tropical reduced sugar jubbly

dinner: massive massive massive soya bean stew

snack: 9 wholebake bar...

 

we're going camping tomorrow, in prep i made some bean burgers and a lunchbow microwave-burrito. At 400 kcals, it's pretty good. I'm going to buy some weights tomorrow, and really am gonna start running aswell,,,hmmmm....

hi everyone, i just have to say that im really proud of all of us and really think weve come so far! 

PEANUT BUTTER-i dont know what any of your foods are, lol, dsp soya?  jubbly?

HEADINGUP-i also eat really slowly i think so as to have less time btwn meals, im just scared of not having enough to eat or something, i dunno.  some thoughts-maybe switch from nonfat to lowfat, add something to breakfast, a fruit, eggs, dried fruit to the cereal?  also maybe add fruit to lunch, or a pudding or something?  good luck!

so far-

BFAST-thomas mini bagel, tbspb PB, apple, babybell cheese, protein shake~470

LUNCH-hamburger bun w/ tuna salad(has mayo), brown cow nonfat chocolate yogurt, cut up veggies, peach, some random grapes~440

hey guys! 

I think everyone here is doing so well - we should get medals or something!

 

peanut_butter: what is the tropical sugar jubbly thing? it sounds yummy!

headingup and agruskin: I seem to have two eating speeds at the moment: panic mode where I eat everything on my plate at 60 million miles an hour just to get it over with and slow slow mode where I can't seem to eat it at all and it takes me yonks!  Maybe try having something small before you eat your main meal, like an apple or something, to take the edge off? 

here's what I ate today:

breakfast: 2 weetabix and an innocent smoothie

lunch: beetroot, carrot and scallop salad(marks and spencers 2 for 1 on scallops, get in! although now, I am pretty stained pink!)

Dinner: scallop stir fry thing with extra mushrooms (yum yum yum)

Snack: strawberries and greek yoghurt

before bed: hot toddy

also I spent today at our local pick your own gorging myself silly on raspberries - gonna have a funny tummy tomorrow!

does anyone else find themselves getting really off cravings? I'm eating sweet chilli sauce on EVERYTHING at the mo!

Mmm, I wish there was some place I could go around here to pick my own berries - that sounds fabulous, theofournay!

And peanut_butter, so jealous of your camping trip!  I usually go backpacking for about 2 weeks twice a year, but can't this summer because I'll be out of the country!  I am a vegetarian, and so we usually take extra tempeh, which can be seasoned and sauteed up to replace the meat in anything else we're making - maybe you can bring an extra little saute pan that won't touch any meat.  Have fun!

So I did a little bit better today (about 2200) - had to preplan again, but hey, it works!  I am still probably not eating enough to maintain - sometimes it's like I want to prove to myself that I CAN still lose/maintain weight when I want to.  I think I'm going to refocus for a few days by focusing on maintaining (about 2500 most days when I work out) and then get back in the game.  I DO want to be able to eat like a normal person when all is said and done (MORE not less!).  Oh, and triumph - ate goat cheese last night!

Breakfast:  1 cup greek yogurt with 1/3 cup soy nuts and 1/3 cup dried cranberries; 1/2 cup scrambled egg whites with 1/2 a medium avocado

Snack:  1 cup soy milk blended with 1 packet chocolate carnation instant breakfast, 1 medium banana, and ice; 1 cup Puffins cereal; 1 oz almonds

Snack:  Pumpkin Flax Kashi granola bar; 5 pieces dried pineapple

Lunch:  1/2 whole wheat pita stuffed with cannelloni beans stewed with spinach and tomato sauce; baby carrots

Dinner:  black bean veggie burger on Tuscan bread; 1 cup skim milk; watermelon

agruskin- I love whole eggs now! Whites are so boring tasting. My nutritionist told me to eat them to get all the vitamins and stuff in them. I'm 5'7" (you are in the US right? You use inches and feet?) and my goal weight is in the 120's somewhere, I don't know exactly. I might try to compromise with my doctors to make it 115 because I only got past 115 by binging and hated myself. Oh my God, the eat natural bar was SO GOOD!!!! I was really really sad when it was gone. I wanted to cry. If only they had them here :( Next time I go to the UK I'll have to buy like 20 and send you some!

Aqua- Thank you so much for your advice!!!! You are such an inspiration. I am scared to eat full fat dairy, but I might try to do it soon. I just hate the way I feel. I am so bloated and I think that I am fat because of it. Ugh, I hate ED!!!!!!!!

hi everyone-

THEOFOURNAY-welcome, how long have you been in recovery?  im guessing you live in the UK also bc i dont recognize your foods, lol.  do you ahve a cal goal?  hot toddy, whats that?

LIKEARE-so i know prepaln is far from normal, but it works for the most part, unless i get lazy before dinner and dont wantto make whatever ive planned, but cant decide what else i want instead, thats when trouble happens.   try an egg, theyre really good and give lots of energy. 

AQUA-yes, i live in the US.  is there anything similar to the eat natural bar you think, like another bar?  so annoying!  lol.  well im just under 5'4 but i think my ultiamte goal, or where my body would naturally be healthy, is in the 130s or more, i cant see myself being thin in the future since i was always in the 140s before the ED.  my brother lives in isreal, closer to the UK than i am, wonder if he has them, hed think im a nut for asking though.

sun-

BFAST-thomas mini bagel, tbspb PB, apple, babybell cheese, protein shake~470

LUNCH-hamburger bun w/ tuna salad(has mayo), brown cow nonfat chocolate yogurt, cut up veggies, peach, some random grapes~440

SNACK-1/2 granola bar, fage yogurt, plum~180

DINNER-kashi pizza SO GOOD!!!! I WILL BE BUYING MORE!!LOL, veg salad w/ trail mix, apricot~350

SNACK- apple, yogurt~250

hey kids,

agruskin: yes I live in the uk: a hot toddy is hot milk and whisky - sends me off to sleep like anything!  Dad's family is scottish so we have whisky in everything, even in porridge in the morning! Mum's is french, so a lot of white wine in cooking!I'm f, 21, at the mo 110lb and around 6ft, and officially I've been in recovery for about a month, but I've only really just started to want to change - so: does anyone have any ideas of easy no stress ways I can up my calorie intake? I'm trying to eat 2000, but barely hitting 1500

ideas would be appreciated!

aquaev: eat natural bars rock!if I could I'd send you a crate of them! would you send me a crate of peanut butter cups in return?!

keep it up everyone!