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Weight Gainers: What did YOU eat today?

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 :]

Hi! Kind of new here...posted a few times. Still not doing fabulous. Went to the dr. yesterday and I'm down 8 lbs for 4 weeks ago! I know that's not great but is that seriously drastic? I'm at about 93lbs now (I'm 5'4) and need to be at 107-110 per my dr. But I am having a hard time increasing my calories. Here's what my day looks like...I know not good but trying

AM

Non-fat yogurt (50 calories)

Lunch- Granola bar (90 calories) or special k protein bar (180calories)

Dinner- Salad (meaning lettuce and tomatoes) with a little chicken, probably about 200 calories

Snack- 1 cup special K cereal with half cup skim milk (150)

Plus about 7 diet pepsis!

Totaling about 500-650 on a good day

 

My Dr. actually told me to have a glass of wine every night if it made me want to eat, so I've been trying that. I made my husband take away my scale, and I'm looking at my 13 month old son for motivation. He is an amazing little boy and I hate that I am doing this to him and my husband. 

 

The Dr. has me on Prozac and it seems to be helping my mood (I'm seriously stressed) My husband and I own an Insurance Agency and from that to taking care of our son, life is kind of crazy! Food is the one thing I can control.

 

Blah blah...just looking for advice..someone who's been there done that. How do I increase my calories from my safe foods? I love PB and just stare at it in my pantry!!!!!!!  

 

You guys are such a good support for each other, thanks for letting me join :)

 

Ash

Hi Ashley! Welcome to the cc community. First of all, good for you for wanting to recover and starting to take the steps necessary to get there! I know it's so hard/scary to increase calories at the beginning, but it is most definitely necessary, so I thought I'd offer a few suggestions as to how you can up your intake gradually without it being so stressful.

I would start by changing/supplementing the foods you already eat. Could you eat a normal yogurt for breakfast instead of fat free? Maybe sprinkle some granola and berries into it to get a few extra calories. Do you like oatmeal? It's very healthy and you can easily put in a few spoonfuls of pb or some nuts and it will be delicious. Or there are some high calorie cold cereals out there that could add some much needed carbohydrates to your diet...even just a half cup to start out with. Also, smoothies are a great option if you want something that's not too bulky-try adding banana, pb, protein powder...the options are endless!

You could try a different type of granola bar at lunch...one with a few more calories perhaps? I love luna bars, kashi go lean bars, lara bars, and odwalla bars, and all are healthy with about 200-250 calories. Maybe add some fruit to your lunch. How bout an apple or banana with peanut butter? Or a glass of milk?

At dinner you could supplement your salad with lean protein, beans, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds or other nuts, dried cranberries, or avocados, or other things to add some calories. A great step would be using a full fat salad dressing, or even better, a tablespoon or two of olive oil-fat is so important right now, and olive oil is full of the healthy kinds, plus you'll barely know it's there!

As far as snacks go, things like nuts, dried fruits, cheese, yogurt, pb, trail mix, granola, fruit juice, and whole grain breads are calorically dense and healthy! You could also pick up some ensure or boost plus pre-made nutritional drinks--ice cold they aren't bad and are an easy way to add 350 calories without bulk.

Good luck!

hi ashley-good for you for deciding to recovery.  lena had some great suggestions!  i remember when i first started it was really hard to eat more and to pick higher calorie foods.  i drank ensures everyday, and they tasted great!  i liked the butter pecan flavor, put in a blender w/ a packet of sugar and some ice, and it made a delicious shake.  i started making simple foods, tuna sandwiches for ex, and couldnt believe how delicious it tasted!  i would also suggest that you not try to overcome too many "scarey" things at once, pick one thing a day or every few days that youd like to overcome.  also, dont weigh yourself everyday.  our weights fluctuate all the time, i now weigh myself once a wk.  look for higher cal foods so you're still eating the same thing, its just higher cals.  i know its hard but take each meal one at a time. 

so this am i weighed in the 1st time since eating 1200+cals for 1 wk+; i think i gained .5lbs?  i dont know what i am so scared of?!  im giving myself the summer to gain and i know that by not increasing my cals im just stalling and making it tougher, yet i still cant do it!  i think today i have/wil eat more than i have in years, yet maybe 1350ish.  i still believe that as an adult female if i wanted to maintain my weight w minimal activity i could be eating 1800 cals and really want to get there, i just dont know..  also, i asked this previously but, i see i need to rework my eating bc i leave too much for at night and was wondering if you think its ok to eat bread type stuff for a night time snack, i normally have yogurt and an apple, thanks!

Sat-

BFAST- roll+PB+J, apple, yogurt

SNACK-EAS protein shake

LUNCH- cheese sandwich, orange, cut up veggies-trying to get in more vegetables

SNACK- yogurt, strawberries +blueberries, EM w/PB+J

DINNER-turkey+cheddar cheese+dried fruit melted together into a sandwich, veg salad+ dried fruit

SNACK-yogurt+apple

IVE GROWN! when i was restricting i was 5'2" and now after 1 year, im 5'5"! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA :D!

Breakfast: Oatmeal made with skimmed milk, 45g Multigrain rice crispies, toffee hot chocolate powder and banana.

Snack: Nectarine, pineapple, mango (all topped with all bran and honey)

Lunch: Toasted multiseed wholegrain baguette with laughing cow cheese, Quorn ham + cherry tomatoes.
an apple and a pear.

Snack: Cherries, Strawberries + raspberries, dipped in soynut butter and soy nutella.

Dinner: veggie stir fry (sugarsnap peas, baby corn, pepper, beansprouts, noodles, quorn chicken chunks - all in a black bean dressing)
1 wholewheat pitta bread.

Snack: 4 weetabix with chocolate soy milk + melted soynut butter (3 tbspns.)

Supper: cocoa with skimmed milk

Congratulations yyonah!  I hope I don't grow that much after eating more! I'm 5'7" now, and perfectly content.

Breakfast- HUGE bowl of Cheerios and Go Lean Crunch with almond milk and strawberries, plum, egg, almond milk

Snack- Jelly beans at the movie theater hehe.

Lunch- Soynut butter on whole wheat, Fage 2%, Kashi TLC bar, carrots

Snack- Yoplait kids, carrots, strawberries, pudding, Boost plus

Dinner- Spinach florentine quiche, strawberry smoothie

Snack- Orange, almonds, strawberries, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, Boost plus

Eating 3000 calories has been a bit nerve wracking. What I've found that keeps me less nervous is just planning everything out the day before. This way I don't start to calculate everything during the day and freak out!

Thanks for the advice everyone :) I am trying to add more into my diet, but I am soooo scared. I think I'm a lot older than a lot of people on here, 25 married with a 13 month old son. I need to kick this ED to the curb so I can enjoy all the wonderful things in my life.

 

Yesterday was a bad day..it was date night with my hubs and I knew we were going out to dinner, so I had a 90 calories granola bar and 4 pretzels before dinner...then at dinner I ordered a side salad with shrimp no dressing and sent the salad back b/c my shrimp wasn't cooked (I'll find some reason not to eat) and then had 4 glasses of wine! I do not suggest doing this on an empty stomach as most of you know!

So needless to say I had a breakdown when I got home, and my hubs and parents want me to go to inpatient...I weighed in at home today for this first time since the dr.'s on thursday and I lost another 2 lbs not good. Down to 91lbs...

No mommy should weigh 91lbs. My son loves me because I'm his mommy not because I'm skinny! But for some reason this motivation isn't making me better. 

I am seriously afraid to eat ANYTHING! Any suggestions?????

YYONAH-that is so amazing, i really really am happy for you!  just wondering, what is your rate of weight gain, per wk i suppose?

ASHLEY-ill be 25 in aug.  im a bit under 5'4 and i THINK about 90lbs give or take, altho i feel like 125 and sometimes after a good meal like more or even that im healthy, but numbers dont lie i suppose.  i agree w/ what AQUA said about pre-planning my meals the night b4, it really helps and makes it that i dont need to think about what i will be eating all day!  you deff need to eat more than you are now, maybe swap the 90 cal bar for a 150 cal kashi one, theyre very good.  make swaps like that and preplan your meals i would suggest.  also, ensure.

AQUA-I FORGET, how old are you?  3000! yum, lol, now if i can only make my goal of 1350 today and i really feel confident i can! 

woohoo for today!!

agruskin- I'm 13! I feel really confident that you can make 1350 today! Just think about how healthy you'll be afterwards! And of all the lovely food you'll have room for in your calorie budget..

hi everyone!

lol, yea, im deff old here!  i plan on eating 1350ish till wed or so, then ill go to 1450ish.  im still really confused w/ the whole bmr thing, i think that my bmr is just under 1500-24, f, just under 5'4 and moslty sedentary.  i just dont understand how to figure out what i need to gain, how do some ppl know that they need at least 3000 cals?  how often do you weigh to gauge it or how often do you increase?  im thinking once i get to 1500ish bc its my bmr-i think, i might see an initial large gain and then it may slow or i may then need more cals to continue gaining?  although i dont think 1500 would be sufficient either. 

today i finished the day under 1350 so i ate something extra just to make sure i was at least 1350, could be over.  a big accomplishment for me today was that i baked something that i actually liked, ussually ill make something that i dont like on purpose so that i am not tempted to eat it.  but i knew id love it and i made it and ate it, and will ahve more tomm!  i just feel annoyed that i dont understand how much to eat and when to weigh so i can understand what an appropriate intake should be.

sun-

BFAST- roll+PB+J, apple, yogurt

SNACK-EAS protein shake

LUNCH- cheddar cheese sandwich, orange, cut up veggies-trying to get in more vegetables

SNACK- yogurt, homemade apple dried currant muffin

DINNER-turkey+cheddar cheese+dried fruit melted together into a sandwich, veg salad+ dried fruit

SNACK-yogurt+apple

thanks guys! :D!
Agruskin: im eating 3500+ and weight gain is SO slow! in the past year and a half ive managed to gain about 8lbs and ive been eating over 2000 the whole time!
God only knows how much im gonna need to maintain.

Breakfast: Oatmeal made with skimmed milk, Nectarine, brown sugar, and 2 crumbled weetabix.

Snack: Baked aubergine with hallumi + sliced tomatoes

Lunch: Wholewheat toasted sandwich with 2 tablespoons soynut butter, 2 tablespoons jam and sliced banana.

Snack: Yoghurt coated flapjack.
equador dark magnum.
cappucino.

Dinner: wholewheat pasta with courgette strips, Quorn chicken chunks and fromage frais.

Snack: Blueberry muffin (halved with 1 tablespoon soynut butter on each half) and 2 instant hot chocolates.

agruskin- I really don't think that BMR calculator is very accurate for people recovering from ED's. According to that. I need about 1900 daily calories to maintain, so going by that I would have to eat 2400 to gain a pound a week. And last week, I lost a pound and a half from eating 2700! I get weighed once a week by my nutritionist, and she tells me to add 300-500 calories every time I lose or maintain my weight. I started out at 2000 up from 800, and I only saw about a pound gain from that. I've been increasing gradually since then and now I'm at 3000! But everyone is different, so you might not gain at the same rate as me or need as many calories as I do to gain.

Breakfast- Kashi oatmeal made with almond milk with chocolate chips and almonds mixed in, whole milk plain yogurt with strawberries, plum, almond milk

Snack- String cheese and applesauce

Lunch- Whole wheat English muffin pizza with tom. sauce and mozzarella, Brown Cow cream top yogurt, Kashi TLC bar, carrots

Snack- Yoplait kids, strawberries, carrots, pudding, Boost smoothie

Dinner- Potato and cheddar pirogies, garlic toast, Annie's Cheddar bunnies

Snack- Orange, apple pie Larabar, plain w.m. yogurt w/ strawberries, Boost plus

hey everyone! I'm back from my trip and upping those cals back to the 3000-4000 range. it was really hard to do while not at home. Here's yesterday, day one of being back home:

breakfast: over 1 cup dorset really nutty muesli plus 1/2 cup oats with wm yogurt, berries, and scoop protein powder. Tea with soymilk.

snack: orange

lunch: quesadilla made with soy swill cheese, black beans and veggie crumbled veggie breakfast sausage, fried in olive oil. Salad with carrots, spinach, soynuts and dried cherries, olive oil and lemon juice.

snack: ezekial bread with tahini, honey, apricot jam. apple slices with pb and maple syrup. more tea with soymilk.

snack: vanilla latte frappucino at a coffee place

dinner: corn on the cob, tortilla chips, carrot sticks, homemade black bean stew.

snack: oatmeal made with flaxseeds, walnuts, dried figs and soymilk, topped with a few scoops vanilla ice cream, and granola.

yyonah- i bet the reason it has taken you so long to gain is because your body has been growing! obviously growing takes energy, and i bet that is where most of your cals have been going towards, which is why you haven't gained all that much. that is great tho..that is an unbelievable amount to have grown!!! haha congrats!

breakfast: 1 cup honey almond flax with 1/4 cup activia yogurt, 1 cup pineapple

snack1: five alive juice, caramel rice cake, 2 sugar-free marshmellows

snack2: 1 frozen juice box, 1/2 tbsp almond butter

lunch: 1/2 cup cottage cheese with 1 mashed banana, dried red currents and maple flakes on top

snack: 1 cup heritage o's cereal, 2 flax crackers, 2 cups diced watermelon, bite of a banana walnut muffin (own recipe)

dinner: 2 cups wild mushrooms, 1/3 cup sweet and sour tofu sauteed in 1 tbsp canola oil and 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, 1/3 cup rolled oats made with 1/2 cup rice milk and 1/2 tbsp melted peanut butter on top

snack: 1/3 cup mocha yogurt

so this might be a sort of stupid q, but, when you enter the foods that you're eating for the  day, do you add random bites and picks of things?  like i really want to eat enough and all, but just bc it says a certain amount of cals, i feel like i have more actually, like the drop of milk in my coffee, the few extra raisins or something, like i feel as if im really eating mroe than what i log.  hmm, hope that makes sense!

thanks

Hi everyone! Hope you're all having a good day :) So I went to the nutritionist today and here was she gave me

 

* My stats:

25 years old

5'4

92lbs

mommy to 13 month old :)

 

Breakfast: One serving of Kashi Cereal with 1% skim milk, one banana

Snack: Granola bar or yogurt

Lunch: One whole wheat tortilla with 4 oz turkey and mustard (add one slice of cheese) or eat yogurt

Snack: Pretzels (try and add 1tbsp of PB)

Dinner: 4 oz protein 1 cup veggies 1 cup rice

Snack: Cereal again or carnation breakfast (which I'm terrified of) or fruit

What do you think? Is this good? My goal weight right now is 107-110 but eventually I want it to be 115-118lbs.

Is it too much? Too little? She said to try and add a granola bar, extra bowl of cereal or a yogurt every day.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!!

hey ashley-so i have the same stats as you, minus the child.  you asked if its too much?  how can it be?  isnt that what the nutritionist suggested? 

did she give you a timeframe of how long it would take to reach 107-110?  when she said to try and add something everyday, does that mean that the plan she gave you is just a starting point and that you will continue to add more?

i think it sounds good and i would suggest to try and add things you like.

OK! SO i am sick of restricting, i ate 1350 today and yesterday and was going to wait untill wed to go to 1450 but im going to increase tomm.  i realize that today, eventhough im eating more, i felt weak during the day-that cant be good.  i wish that i wasnt always counting my cals but at least ill increase, thats one positive step.  my bmr "supposedly" is 1480 so getting closer to that whatever it really means?!

MON-

BFAST- 2 homemade apple raisin muffins, greek yogurt

SNACK-EAS protein shake

LUNCH- boca cheeseburger on english muffin, apple, celery w/ PB+ trail mix

SNACK- fruit salad, protein bar

DINNER- Edam cheese+dried fruit melted together into a sandwich, veg salad+ dried fruit

SNACK-yogurt+apple

Breakfast: Oatmeal made with skimmed milk, blueberry baby food.
1 banana, halved with 2 tablespoons of soynut butter + 1 tablespoon of natural yoghurt.

Snack: Wholegrain pancake stack with fresh strawberries, raspberries + honey drizzled on top.

Lunch: Hummus, Lettuce, cucumber + tomato on a wholegrain pitta bread, an apple, an orange + a pear.

Snack: Shreddies, banana, melted soynut butter + 85% dark chocolate chips.

Dinner: Quorn sausages (grilled) with brocolli, pea and sesame seed salad.
baked + mashed sweet potato.

Snack: Doves farm organic chocolate stars cereal.

2 instant hot chocolates.

Breakfast- Cinnamon raisin bagel with butter, oatmeal made with almond milk, orange, almond milk

Snack- String cheese, apricot, strawberries

Lunch- 2 crunchy tacos from Qdoba grill filled with lime rice, cheese, and salsa; chocolate mousse yogurt; apricot and strawberries

Snack- Yoplait kids, cherries, berries, pudding, Boost smoothie

Dinner- 3 slices Kashi pizza, strawberry cheesecake cupcake (made by me!)

Snack- Clif Mojo bar, orange, almonds, Boost plus

I have another weight check today. Hopefully I've gained some of the pound and a half back so I can be taken off one of my Boosts and exercise! I think I have though because I feel MASSIVE!

#317 agruskin Jun 23 2008 19:28 so this might be a sort of stupid q, but, when you enter the foods that you're eating for the  day, do you add random bites and picks of things?  like i really want to eat enough and all, but just bc it says a certain amount of cals, i feel like i have more actually, like the drop of milk in my coffee, the few extra raisins or something, like i feel as if im really eating mroe than what i log.  hmm, hope that makes sense!

thanks



The little bites that I have through the day I don't log them, usually what I do is I will eat 1800-1900 cals give or take, that way I leave about 100-150 cals for whatever else I have snacked on. I am trying not to count/measure as much so estimating is how I have started to let go of this stupid ED.