Need some guidance with what to add

I am 5'4 1/2 and 102 pds.  I am 38 and have 3 small children which keep me busy.  I know my weight should be a bit higher but it's so hard to focus on gaining when my days are non-stop crazy.  I just returned from 10 days at Disneyworld and thought I would have gained - I ate a lot at the buffets and other meals but did do a lot of walking.  So here's where I need help, I get in ruts with my meals (I have to pack lunch for work everyday and I have to eat in my car as I visit clients homes).  Let me give you a sample of my day and tell me what you think:

breakfast:  cereal, skim milk and banana

lunch:  yogurt, fruit and pretzels

dinner:  1.5-2 cups pasta with sauce and veggies

snack:  bagel with nutella

(usually have a tablespoon of peanut butter at some point too)

What would you change/add to gain at a slow rate?  For the record, I do feel quite satisfied and never feel much hunger.  My energy level is low but I really think that has to do with poor sleep (kids get me up early, I stay up late to get stuff done).  Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

 

Lunch seems to be the area that lacks substance.  A chunky-sized sandwich made with wholegrain bread and lots of meat/fish/cheese and salad would add a useful 400-500 cals to your day.  A mid-morning snack of nuts and raisins or a cereal bar would be quick and easy. 

In the evening, if your pasta sauce had a tablespoon olive oil added that would be another 120 cals or so.  A dessert of some kind would bump it up further....  And you could try swapping the skim milk and low-fat (?) yoghurt for full-fat versions.   Saturated fat isn't actually harmful and full-fat dairy is a good  way to increase calorie intake.

Finally, even though you're a busy mother, your health is important.  Make time for food and give it priority over other things.  Children learn their good eating habits from parents as well.  Good luck

I was so glad to read your post to see there is another mother that is struggling like me.  I am 35 and have a son.  I struggle with being busy all day and I find that it gets to be 3pm and I have only eaten maybe 500-600 calories and I am supposed to be gaining weight.  Snacking and smaller meals through out the day are what work best for me. 

Something I read recently really hit home for me and I try to remind myself of it everytime I find myself saying " I don't have time to stop and eat".  What I read is that "when a mother neglects herself, that is NOT taking care of her family".  Taking care of your own health and being at your best for your family is the best thing you can do for them.  Putting myself last may make me feel like I am doing the right thing but in the end, when it comes to something as basic as caring for your health, it's o.k. to take the time to do it.

Good Luck!

Yes, being a mom is a challenge!  I do want to set a good example and not do anything to encourage ED behavior in my kids (I have 2 girls and a boy).  I know I need to care for myself and am gonig to focus more on that, my big issue is that I must burn off a lot too (I've been stuck at this weight for a long time). 

About lunch, would you add the sandwich on top of what I'm eating?  I just don't have a good persective on what is normal anymore and can't trust my body to know.  Thanks.

 

hey! 1st congrats on looking for some help, 2nd, maybe take a lok at the weight gain  what did you eat thread.  a good lunch might be a sandwich stuffed w a protein, yogurt(not light), a fruit, some veggies, and maybe a little treat, like pudding or chips...

Just to chip in my two-cents...

For breakfast, try swapping your cereal for a higher-calorie granola (maybe try one with nuts and dried fruit). Or instant oatmeal (flavored or not) made with milk instead of water and topped with peanut butter/nuts/brown sugar/dried fruit or maybe even cooked with a packet of Carnation Instant Breakfast can be a really versatile option that's also quick and easy to make in the mornings.

Your lunch to me looks more like what I'd eat as a snack, so maybe you should in fact make that a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack (not a bad idea to eat both), and since you said you often have to eat in the car, stock up on handy snacks that you can easily down between house visits - nuts, dried fruits, drinkable yogurts, single-serving cups of peanut butter with baby carrots, yogurt-covered raisins, granola bars, 100% juice boxes (hey, your kids probably drink them!), etc, etc... Then as gi-jane and some others have said, make lunch a more hearty meal,  something like a sandwich or wrap (using a dense and high-cal whole-wheat bread or wrap) with lean lunch meat or hummus or peanut butter with veggies and maybe a slice of cheese, avocado, etc.

Try adding a protein to your dinner (if you eat meat, frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts are really easy, or lean ground beef/turkey can easily be added to a sauce... Same with tofu/tempeh/beans).  And top it all off with a snack before bed!

Also, one of the easiest ways to get cals in throughout the day is to drink liquids with calories instead of water.  So simply adding something like a cup of fruit or vegetable juice or milk to each meal would go a long way in boosting cals.  Good luck!