Please help! Need weight gain advice

My boyfriend is 6"3 and used to weigh a steady 176lbs. He has always been slim but has a super fast metabolism so can basically eat whatever he likes, which he does, cake and chocolate and crisps... He is also a vegetarian and eats a lot of veg and cheese, potatoes, some fish...etc. He now weighs 154lbs and is going to see a doctor.

In April he got a new job which meant moving away from everone he knows. He lives in London over two hours away from friends and family and is feeling quite lonely. The job is taking it's toll on him. Although he is doing his dream job, they are working him really hard, 12 hour days are usual for him. He is incredibley stressed. When he gets home, which is a 2 mile walk (he hates the tube) he is too tired to eat and because it's London and so expensive to live he can't aford a lot of luxury items.

Does anyone have any idea for veggie recepies that will help him put some weight on? Or any idea as to which foods he should be eating? I'm going to visit him this week and makes some meals for him to keep in the freezer so all ideas welcome.

Thank you in advance :)

My best friend is a vegetarian trying to put on weight as well. Here's the advice I gave her:

Eat a lot of nuts. Or peanut butter. It's got protein and a lot of calories. And you can put peanut butter on a lot of things. Celery, carrots, apples, bread.

Also, any sort of cheesy thing is bound to be calorie heavy. And then there are the vegetables that are really high in calories, like avocados. Pasta is convenient, not horribly expensive, and you can put cheeses or olive oil on it.

Hope that helps. Hopefully there are more people out there with even better tips.

Or just get him a lot more junk food. That's how I put on all my extra weight, lol.

hi

For years my weight didn't budge a pound, i was able to eat any junk i wanted and it never showed. That all changed when I hit thirty. The point is that if he is young and healthy then he may just be one of those lucky ones that never gains weight. The weight loss he is experiencing would be more worrying. It may be stress related and him not taking enough time to get enough calories into his system. The previous reply is spot on in this respect, get him to eat plenty of high calorie foods, you'll find plenty of suggestions on this site. If he continues to lose weight drag him along to the doctor, (you'll probably have to 'cause you know what us guys are like lol!). There may be an underlying health problem which a visit to the docs will sort out.

First up, there's a big sticky at the top of the forum with a list of high calorie food. I'd also consider telling him to look into home delivery from a supermarket like Morrisons and Sainsbury's if there isn't a local one as, as far as I remember, the prices are set and don't go up in London. (If they do, ignore this!)

For recipes, I personally reccommend asking two of the regs in the Weight Gain forum: gibbit and theofornay. Gibbit particularly is a vegetarian weight gainer. They are both very talented cooks, and theofornay has started a recipe thread at the top of the forum that may also help you and your boyfriend.

Now then. Foods!

Eating good foods to gain weight isn't as tricky as it sounds. Your new friends will be in high-calorie, low-density foods. These are exactly as the name states: food smaller in size compared to their calorie content.
(The items underlined are veggie friendly (although not neccessarily vegan friendly!))

Example Sources of EFAs, or essential fatty acids:
Oily fish - eg salmon, pilchard, mackerel
Seeds - eg sunflower, flax, pumpkin
Nuts - eg walnuts, almonds
Nut butters - eg peanut, cashew, almond
Oils - eg extra virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil, rapeseed (canola) oil - there is a massive list of EFAs in oils here. http://efaeducation.nih.gov/sig/esstable1.htm l
Avocado.

Example Sources of Proteins:
Oily fish - eg salmon, pilchard, mackerel
Red meats - eg beef, lamb
White meats - eg chicken, turkey
Legumes, pulses - eg chickpeas, beans of all types, lentils
Seeds - eg sunflower, flax, pumpkin
Nuts - eg walnuts, almonds
Nut butters - eg peanut, cashew, almond
Certain grains - eg quinoa, oats
Soy - eg tofu, soy beans, soy derived products
Dairy - (when gaining, opt for whole fat) eg cheese, milk, ice cream

Example Sources of Healthy Carbohydrate:
Wholegrains - eg oats, whole grain bread, brown rice, quinoa, corn (to name just a few!)
Starchy vegetables - eg sweet potato (or yam), other variations of potato, radishes
Fruits - eg bananas, apples, pears, berries, plums, peaches, pineapple
Dried fruits - (particularly useful for gainers) eg figs, dates, prunes, apricots, raisins and sultanas
Other natural sugar sources - eg honey

Along with these, I am sure he'll do fine with vegetable intake. Though they are low calorie it is easy to add calories to a vegetable serving through olive oil or another dressing of a similar type, and vegetables are still a vital part of the diet even if you're looking for higher calorie options.

Fibre is also very important, though this is usually easily done by eating a well balanced diet. I would suggest staying away from gainer formulas as they are NOT neccessary - it is much easier and generally better to make your own smoothies! And, while he really ought to not worry so much about numbers as he will be getting more of eat food group with a higher intake, advise he still monitor his salt if he can.

But remember: moderation is key. It's fine to eat junk once in a while. Just as eating all junk can be bad, so can eating entirely clean and not indulging a little once in a while! You can have your cake and eat it too - just not ALL the time. :'D

If you want to know anything else, please say! Good luck to you both and I hope his doctor's appointment goes alright.

 - Ellie.