is this a good breakfast for weight gain?

1.5 cups of cereal (Total and Life)

1 cup 2%milk

slice of toast (80cals) with a small amount of butter

half an apple

i tend to have larger lunches and dinners, and have 2 snacks a day. my bmi is around 17.7, and I am not active except walking in school and gym class.

Thank you!

you're having about 400 calories or so for breakfast. I mean it's not terrible but there is definitely room for improvement since this seems more like a normal breakfast for someone maintaining, not gaining.

Have a tbsp peanut butter on your toast instead of " a small amount of butter" it's healthier and more calorie dense. Have a whole banana chopped into your cereal instead of 1/2 an apple, that will add at least 120 calories. Then you can have that with a glass of juice or something to bump it up to about 300 calories more...so a total of about 700 calories. The quanitity is essentially unchanged but the overall caloric intake is greater which is what you need right now.

I mostly agree with Chrissy except that I don't think that PB is healthier than butter - both unsaturated & saturated fats are important, and it's good to be comfortable eating butter.  You could even put peanut butter on top of the butter - that adds easy calories. 

There's no reason to eat half an apple - if a whole apple is too much, volume wise, you could have dried fruit instead.

appletwo: i agree about not being afraid of butter but at the same time "a small amount" indicates she probably still has some hesitance about it. Hopefully it's not "butter spray" or something non-calorific. Peanut butter is a slightly better choice IMO simply because it is a bit more dense and easier to pile on...haha. I didnt mean to say that butter is bad by any means.

its a good start but a bit low for a gainers breakfast . how about adding another slice of toast and adding jam to the toast with butter and you could exchange the apple for the banana h xx

Chrissy: Okay, I totally get why you recommened it as a better choice - makes sense now :)

Its pretty lo-cal for a gaining plan.  I would add protein & fat, and maybe condense the meal a little better.  Here are some ideas:

• pick a high-calorie cereal, like granola, raisin bran, hot cereals (oatmeal, etc) and use full-fat milk or Ensure (supplement)
• Add things to the cereal, also.  nuts, trail mix, dried fruit, etc
• maybe have a yogurt too (preferably full-fat) [add mix-ins too, see above]
• bagels or muffins are very calorie dense, but not that filling
• smoothies are a great way to pack in the calories (full-fat milk, protein powder, fruit, etc)
• Here are some examples of higher-cal breakfasts:

1. Smoothie [1 c full-fat milk (150 calories), 1 banana (100), protein powder (100)] with 1-2 thick slices bread (100-200 cals) with 2 TB peanut butter (190) =640-740 calories
2. 1/2 c dry oatmeal (150) made with 1 cup full-fat milk (150) and 1/4 c trail mix mixed in (170);  yogurt (150--varies) with 1/4 c dried fruit (130) mixed in = 750 calories
3. PB & banana sandwich [2 thick slices bread (180 cals) with 2 TB peanut butter (190) and 1 small banana, sliced (90)]  with yogurt (150) with 1/4 c almonds mixed in (170) = 780 calories

Thank you all for replying so quickly with such wise suggestions! It makes a lot of sense. It is just hard, moving from 100 calorie breakfasts to 400...

is two eggs (my mom cooks with oil) 2 slices toast, some fruit, and milk good? eggs aren't very filling, and that's fat and protein...

That sounds like a good breakfast as long as the slices of toast are full-sized (i.e. you're getting 75-100 cals per slice before you add the cals from any spreads) and "some fruit" is a full serving (i.e. one piece not a half).  The milk should ideally be whole milk as well since you're trying to gain and I'm assuming you mean a full 1 cup serving.

Original Post by sarahbear24:

Thank you all for replying so quickly with such wise suggestions! It makes a lot of sense. It is just hard, moving from 100 calorie breakfasts to 400...

is two eggs (my mom cooks with oil) 2 slices toast, some fruit, and milk good? eggs aren't very filling, and that's fat and protein...

 

 that sounds like a better option h x

why? its about the same calories...

stop over analyzing.  eat food, a ny food, as long as u reach ur goal, whatever it is, hopefully its above 2500.

agruskin- i don't know what about your post did it, but i think it helped a lot. I just ate 2 slices of homemade raisin walnut bread and a slice of pumpkin bread when I wasn't hungry and i'm feeling extremely guilty and stuffed and angry, but this is helping a little. i still feel awful though :( but i need to know its helping? gahhhh

IT IS HELPING

AMAZING

DONT RESTRICT TOMM-that would be giving in!

stay 2500++

doing the actions, over and over again, is what will eventaully CHANGE ur thoughts and feelings, its thru action only!

Original Post by sarahbear24:

why? its about the same calories...

well why would you post something with the same calories? that seems silly. how about

1/2 cup oatmeal cooked in 3/4 cup regular milk with 2 tbsp peanut butter mixed in, 1 banana, 1 cup juice ~ 700 calories for a bowl of oatmeal, banana and juice

or 2 hardboiled eggs, 1 cup granola [400], 1 cup milk [160]~700

or 2 ww waffles [160] 2 tbsp peanut butter [190] 1/4 cup syrup [~120] 1 banana [100] 1 cup milk [160] ~730

Original Post by sarahbear24:

why? its about the same calories...

 id have to beg to differ there , but why did you ask if you thought it was the same ?

i feel so full......

i wasn't sure if it was the same, but i thought it was (2 eggs...200( (2 slices toast...160) (milk...130) fruit...30

those are great ideas chrissy thanks!

Fullness can be hard to deal with, but often times its more psychosomatic. You'll be fine in a few days, I promise. My breakfasts are 700+. Its really, really easy.

Example this morning:

1 cup Kashi Autumn Wheat Squares, 2TBS flaked coconut, 1 large banana, drizzle of honey and 2 hearty scoops of PB (in milk) Plus a coffee with hazelnut creamer. 

Or yesterday:

1/3 cup oatbran cooked in milk with cinnamon, mashed banana. Topped with 1/4 c. each raisins and walnuts, and a TBS of chocolate chips. Plus my coffee and creamer.

Both breakfasts top 700 cals. And its one eensy bowl of cereal! You can do it. You just need to get past the fear. And you can only do that by sittin' down and saying "I'm doing this no matter what. Its what I've got to do to get better now, instead of waiting for things to get worse."

thanks rebelchick1017! what exactly is hazelnut creamer? and what's everyones obsession with flaked coconut? it sounds delicious!

its just hard, because i feel like it wont get worse, as my mom is in control, but ED is a belt around me and its so hard to push forward!

and about my previous post...i miscalculated! haha im in AP Calculus and can't add...wow

You may feel full at first. Your gi system and metabolism is so confused. You have to train your body by nurishing it properly. Also rebel made a good statement about a lot is mental too. The more you push through this the easier it will become though there will be those hard days. When you make a choice on food you need to ask yourself is that an ed choice or a recovery choice. Things like 1/2 an apple is not a healthy choice because the full one would not be that much more filling. Also though not taking away from your progress you can just live in the "better". It still can destroy your body and life. I hear that often here and I did that for awhile but it still does not take away the health dangers you are in now. Hazelnut creamer is like flavored you put in your coffee. They have others too like pumpkin in season etc. You stated your mom is in control yet I am confused because is she aware of caloric needs of recovery? Could you ask her to assist you in making meals more dense and caloric then get support?

Why have not have the whole apple? Anyways, it's good... maybe try having a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter and flaxseed, with the milk toast and fruit? Just a suggestion.