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Weight Gainers: What Did YOU Eat Today? 9/18-10/2

I am taking the liberty of starting a new thread.  This thread is for those of you looking to actively gain weight for whatever reason.

Requirements- If you are a male you need to eat at least 3000 calories, females must eat 2500-this is so that your body can begin to now only gain weight, but also for your internal organs to begin to recover, this takes fuel/calories.

It is NOT suggested that you excercise while underweight.  Excercsie is often an addicition seen with those with eating disorders. Try to stop cold turkey, IF you excercise, 2500/3000 is NOT enough.  You are only harming yourself+prolonging the illness by excercising.

If you are struggling to reach the necessary amount, and we all did, then please post a seperate thread w/ questions.  It is harmful for ppl to see posts that are under the food reuirement amount.  There are suggestions on this forum ontop regarding higher calorie+denser foods that should be incorporated to aid in reaching calorie goals.

A new thread will be started every two weeks, anyone can start the thread when the time comes.  Please start the thread by copying the initial post or two.

(copied from previous thread)-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 :]

 An example of when i was a ctively gaining weight, i was 25 and sedentary (female)-

B: Bagel, 1.5tbspns PB, yogurt, HB egg, apple, trail mix~750

S: cereal w/ milk+trail mix~360

L: 2 slices WW w/ cheddar, avocado, +sweet potato, Fage 2%, a Pepperidge Farm cookie, a plum, carrots ~700

S: ice c ream w/ trail mix~250

D: veg salad w/ trail mix+tbspn alomd butter mixed in, chicken nuggets, corn on the cob~460

S: apple, yogurt, 1/2 Chocolate Candy Bar ~410

Total ~2930

Original Post by liney_line:

i guess i dont know how big your serves are though so most could be eating out of a bucket and i wouldn't know.... GOSH i hope no ones eating out of a bucket though!

Liney: I'm deeply offended!  So what if I eat out of a bucket?!

Hahaha, just kidding!  Ahhh you crack me up!  And yes, I eat samples!  (when I can tell what they are, that is)  I never used to, because good heavens, who knew what they put in that stuff!  But noooow I get excited when I see them!  After all, shopping takes a lot of energy, we need something to keep us going:)

Sooo, I'm not posting calories anymore because I am transitioning into "Intuitive Eating!"  Yay, I'm excited!  I'll only post when I'm sure I've had 2500 or over, but I don't think that will be a problem.  I actually have a feeling that I might be eating more than before!

September 18:

B:  Oatmeal cooked w/ milk and chopped dates + brown sugar + cinnamon + chopped walnuts, 4 oz yogurt + ground flaxseed, 15 whole almonds

L:  Ham & cheese sandwich (2 slices bread, lite miracle whip, 4 thin slices ham, 1 slice swiss cheese), carrot sticks w/ ranch, apple, pudding cup, 1/4 cup honey roasted peanuts, glass of milk

S:  Chicken salad (yummy- chicken breast, lite miracle whip, chopped onion, raisins, sunflower seeds) w/ all bran crackers

D:  3 oz tilapia + tartar sauce, baked potato + ketchup, corn, cucumber salad (cucumbers, ranch, bacon bits, green onion), glass of milk

S:  Praline pecan ice cream

Today's plan

B: Crunchy nut bites cereal +milk, orange, wholemeal toast with strawberry jam.

L: Baguette with chicken salad filling, snack a jacks, chocolate and orange muffin.

D: 2 chicken enchiladas and profiterole dessert

S: Toffee apple bake-well

It's just over 2500

BLUID-hi! w intuitive eating, as ive said, hunger cues are still distorted, eating this way is VERY difficult for many, even once a healthy weight has reached, these cues take a while to restore themselves, ED thoguhts may creep in regarding if ur still hungry, portion sizes...be very careful w this, try to tally at the end of the day, or in the afternoon, just to make sure ur getting enough and on plan maybe. i think u dont have an AM snack on this day like b4?

PETITE-glad ur feeling better! yup, i have/had the vita muffins, theyre very low cal tho, only 100 cals so if u have them, maybe add PB or ice cream...

XJENNIE-good job refocusing, r u at a bmi of 20 at least?? thats y having a minimal goal of that bmi is good, incase u lose a bit ur still not too underweight+can quickly regain health!

Managed to force myself to get up at 8.00AM today despite getting to sleep at four... I do actually feel like a mashed tattie... ie. like someone has been pounding away at me with a potato masher, but never mind.. It's been nice not having to cram calories. I've just had my afternoon snack but I'll post the whole day.

BLUEID - Ohhh I so envy you - I really want to move to intuitive eating but it's such a struggle. My healthy voice tells me I overestimate (which is true) while my anorexic voice tells me I'm underestimating and eating far more than I think I am. So I sort of get stuck counting.. Which I hate, I feel like it's such an ED thing.. I mean I know people who are just trying to eat healthily count... But it doesn't feel the same.

AGRU - Hey love! How are things going for you in the gaining department? Hope you're doing well <3

Breakfast
50g oats + banana mashed in with 2 tbsp greek yoghurt
Topped with 1 fresh fig, 2 tbsp flax and 25g chopped dates
Snack
Clif bar
Apple
Lunch
Vegetarian 'chicken' salad + whole wheat tortilla + spinach
1 serving whole wheat pretzels
Carrot sticks
Vanilla 'thick n' creamy' yoghurt - so good.
Snack
Fortisip
Pear (am I the only person who likes pears really under ripe?)
Dinner
65g (dry weight) whole wheat pasta with 100g marinara sauce
20g cheddar cheese
60g peas
Big salad with sweet corn, broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes, onion... whatever my Mum throws in ^^
Snack
1 pot Fage
1 tbsp nutella
1 graham cracker (digestive)
15g dark choc chips :)

Do try the chicken salad - obviously if you're not veggie, use real chicken :) It was very good if I do say so myself - I admit I adapted it from a 'hungry girl' recipe, but mine is more calorific and I bet tastes nicer too!

MASHED-hi, honestly, im STRUGGLING, a lot, ppl tell me i look great, i feel 1000x heavier, havent weighed since last sun, and its tough convincing myself to eat 2500+ at a bmi of 18.5, compared to when i first started to gain, so its hard. how r u?

Agru - I'm OK. Pre-uni nerves, heaviest I've been in 2 years and even back then it was only through force feeding in hospital.. So I can relate to struggling. But we can push through this. Come on, look at ALL the advice you give to others -getting to a BMI of at least 20 - you know that's the right thing to do. And if your natural weight is actually lower, it will settle. You never let other people get away with listening to ED's bull, so I'm not going to let you either! You CAN do this. You've said it yourself you look 10000 times better at a higher BMI. People told ME I looked great when I got to a BMI of 14 - at the time I took it as 'so you can stop now!' but what they meant was I looked BETTER than I had done before. It's the same thing - 18.5 isn't a natural weight for 99% of the population, and you'll still be consumed by food and body thoughts if you force yourself to stay there. Be brave lovie!

MASHED-thank u!  yes, i give advice and its VERY hard for me to ask for help, on anything, something im trying to work on so i DO need motivation, help, reminders, just like anyone else, im not super amazing, i know this is not my natural weight, ive always been heavier, and happier, i need to keep reminding myself that.  i have my whole life ahead of me, i need this over now! eek, i hope ur past a bmi of 14 now, i hope ur more stable, that i scarey, im sorry, i dont know what to say even, its a scarey disease, be well!

Ooh Agru <3 You're a little like me - you want to save the world but in the process you forget to look after #1. Stick with it, know that I'm here - if you feel you need 'permission' to keep pushing - we ALL give it to you in heaps - you know what to do :)

When I joined CC in October I was a BMI of 13.9, and that was having gained a substantial amount in hospital - I'm now over 16 :) I've come a LONG way and it's hugely down to you guys motivating me and kicking my ass when I need it... I agree it gets SO much harder the closer you get to target... But we CAN do it!

mASHED-thank u!!! yea, i need to start living more, as in making sure i eat enough but i need to start really tackling everything ELSE!  LIFE, as a whole, i need to eat+be healhty in order to do that, so now that im GETTING healthIER, i need to start focusing on the larger picture more, socializing, still trying to DErigidize, dig deeper, cross boundaries, push limits.  ive started eating in a scarey way for me-super fast, large quantities, sort of frenzied, why? bc im starving and my body is taking control? idk, but its scarey. there is a lot to tackle 4 sure!

YOU-a bmi of 16 is not closer to ur goal, 1st, their is no ONE goal, a range, a minimum perhaps, but no 1 number (i need to remember that too!)  ur  still far far off, not to be mean but get in gear!!!!!!!!!! what r u eating now? r u EVER hungry in the least?? regardless of whether or not ur gaining consistantly 2lbs/wk, get it over with, get back to life, DO IT!!!!

Agru - I can always rely on you to give me a kick :) (in a nice way!) Re: a goal.. well my team want me at 17.5 but I know that's not enough to get rid of the preoccupation with food etc. I'm currently eating 3000 (just upped again) and I gained 2lbs last week on that, so I'll see how it goes this week... It's hard, because though I now look back at where I was at my lowest... which was a ridiculous weight.. and I know that was nasty, disgusting. BUT I maintained SUCH a low BMI once I was out of IP for such a long time that it's hard to even see myself as I am now.. I don't feel underweight. I know that's 100% anorexia talking, but compared to where I was.. I'm just going to take it each month or so at a time and see how I go. I ultimately know that I need to get to a healthy (not 'minimum' but HEALTHY) weight, and that is my ultimate goal, but it feels like such a big mountain to climb! I'll get there. I will.

I think I'll see how I go on 3000 and hopefullyI won't need to increase too soon - I've just got my head arounnd 3000 and at the moment I go through stages.. sometimes I'm hungry and like a bottomless pit (which terrifies me, I used to binge eat and was bulimic from the age of 10/11, started at 9 but not to the same extent, and I was overweight from 11-14ish, before AN kicked in) and others I'm so stuffed I have to force down my food and can barely stop myself wretching. So annoying >

mashed - you are doing great :D I gained 2lbs last week too after an increase & am at a similar bmi now...totally know what you mean about feeling normal & sooo close to target weight etc. partly I guess when you've gained a lot it's inevitable, and you haven't been at a healthy weight for a v long time I'm guessing? my team want me at 17 but I am going to ignore them ;) I think they just don't believe I will actually be able to stay any higher lol but they will be proven wrong! 

INNOCENT+MASHED-i cant for the life of me FATHOM WHY ON EARTH anyone woud set a goal of unhealth???!!!! not to scare you? from living life? what, how, i just dont get it???

what kind of life do u want??? for me, i dont want to have to excercise everyday and be hungry, to maintain some wegiht, maybe a silly and unhealthy weight for MY body.  so now, when i feel like im struggling to do something w recovery i try+remind myself that if i cant do whatever it is now regarding living life, i wont be able  to in the future.  i want to live  a relaxed, balanced, LIVABLE life, how can u do that underweight??? u cant, hello, live life, not a life of recovery, a life of LIFE!

Original Post by agruskin:

INNOCENT+MASHED-i cant for the life of me FATHOM WHY ON EARTH anyone woud set a goal of unhealth???!!!! not to scare you? from living life? what, how, i just dont get it???

ok dunno about mashed but as for why my 'goal' is supposed to be 17...

I've never been at a healthy weight (like, 18.5 never mind 20) in my life, and I was at a ridiculous weight at the start of this year, I've already gained a lot. also I was fairly non-compliant & ambivalent in hospital, so I think they are just aiming for me to be 'stable'...along with the fact that I'm going to university in 2 weeks & they can't really push for me to gain weight when I live 400 miles away from them. BUT they have always been clear that in the long term, their goal for me is full recovery, so that means getting into the healthy BMI range obviously. and I plan to do that this year, altho they don't know that yet ;) thing is, if they'd said right from the start 'get to bmi 19/20/21' or whatever I just wouldn't have gained anything at all cause they'd have scared me away! it took an 'intermediate' for me to accept the weight gain more readily.

The reasons my team gave were similar - chronic anorexic, never maintained - let alone gained - outside of inpatient, blah blah blah.

At the time, I agreed. Now I'm pushing foreward... But like Innocenteyes, I doubt I'd have managed to come this far if I hadn't had a 'first base' point.

Also, my periods came back last time at a bmi of 17, and the UK ED specialists put far more emphasis on period - weight than the US specialists. Like, if you get your period twice in hospital, they'll let you maintain at a kilo above that weight, regardless of your BMI/percentile. (I suppose unless it's like... 12 or something!)

INNOCENT-im glad u want to prove ur docotrs wrong and  go for what could be a better chance of health+life.

i know for me, i dont want a life of constant recovery, i want a life of life, ya know?

a nutritionist, all actually, said to aim for 2000, on that, i was not happy, gaining? yes, hungry? yes, i made the change, i ate 2800+, on my own.  its up to u, what u want for urself, im so sick of recovery.

first of all mashed tatties dont be to hard on yourself , youve come on in leaps and bounds , and im certain if you keep battling on you will get there . i get what you are saying agruskin , but you cant rush recovery if goals are set to high for me panic sets in a bit like when you are climbing a mountain if you look to the top of the mountain you just think god i havnt the strength to get there but if you look behind at how far you have come you realise slowly you are getting there. my team set a similar bmi for me, it wasnt to say they thought it was healthy or that i should maintain that  weight it was simply just somewhere to aim for , i think usually as the person gets there they realise they need to be higher anyway unless they want to stuck in the realms of weight and restrictions. i understand your frustration agruskin i know how it feels but please keep battlin think about yourself and try not to focus on others so much . i hope i havnt  offended you im just simply trying to help . also well done innocent eyes you have come a long way to and im certain you will reach a healthy weight and mindset very soon.

im a tough love type of person, thats what works for me so i guess sorry if ive eoffended anyone.

tessa-u saiy that often once someone reaches that sub healthy goal set my docotors, they often realize they should weigh more, unless theyre still in ED lasnd, weel if ur still underweight there is a good chance that ur thinking is still distorted as well, my opinion + understanding at lest.

yes, need to focus on myself, considaring weighing tomm, well see..

B: bagel w/PB+J, yogurt w/wheat bran, apple~600

S:chocolate chips~80

L:tuna salad sandwich, fruit, almonds~350

S:apple+raisins~150

planning (its a haoliday where i am)

D: small veg salad, warm bread w/raisins, apples+honey, chicken thigh, sweet potato kugel(like a soufle/cake), some veg, baked acorn squash

D: cake/cookies, fruit salad

S:maybe more...

i take your point agruskin i guess what i meant is by this point hopefully the person will be able to rationalise it themselves , for example i know you still struggle massively but i know you can she that a bmi of 17 is still to low welldone in today and keep up your battlw, im not offended i value your opinion

September 19th:

Breakfast - NEW oatmeal concoction!! Oatmeal cooked with 1/2 of a huuuge nanner, and topped with some dried cherries (love!), spoonful of PB and the rest of the nanner all sliced up. Cup of cherry juice.

Snack - Kashi crackers (finally found the original 7 grain flavour along with ranch instead of my usual honey sesame!) with hummus.

Lunch - Leftover meatloaf sandwich on rye plus a fruit salad consisting of stawberries, honeydew melon and some red grapes. Glass of soy milk.

Dinner - 2 servings of stir-fry chicken marinated in a garlic sauce and served over brown rice.

Mini Snack - cup of Chai green tea and some almonds.

Snack - TDB - probably the usual protein shake (soy milk, vanilla yogurt, strawberries and whey powder).

Deeeelicious eats today! Breakfast was so yummy, yet so simple. I cannot believe I never bought dried cherries before (me being a cherry lover and all). And dinner was very good aswell. This is my 2nd time having that stir-fry chicken and I enjoyed it just as much as the last time. It's become one of my favourite dinners, probably because of how the chicken is marinated and the red pepper flakes added in gives it just the right amount of spicyness! Mmm..!

September 20th:

Breakfast: oatmeal cooked with 2 chopped fresh apricots + 1/2 cup milk, 1 english muffin + peanut butter.

Snack: 1/2 cup apple puree, 2 (freshly baked, by me) anzac biscuits/cookies

Lunch: bagel + heapings of peanut butter + 1 banana, 1 anzac biscuit, 1 cup milk + 3 scoops vitaplan (i am feeling rather uninspired by food today, so drink calories it is)

Snack: vitaplan shake (2 scoops berry vitaplan + 3/4 cup milk + a few scoops vanilla ice cream)

Dinner: probably will be a large serving of homemade macaroni cheese (the cheese part made w/ milk, cheese, butter, flour)

Snack: caramel chocolate hokey pokey ice cream cone