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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 :]

Agruskin-As long as the meal is well rounded and balanced with the nutrients you need, you are good! I think the english muffin with cream cheese and etc. sounded yummy!

thanks everyone, i know i posted about a million times today.  i sort of blanked at dinner, i was feeling full but knew i needed to eat, thought maybe once i started id get hungry.  i didnt know what to have, was thinking maybe a salad, then like 2 cups ice cream, but yea.  PB+J or cereal i was thinking but i already had those today.  i really need to preplan my day otherwise im in trouble and dont make it.  i dont know what im eating tomm, but i need to know by the 1st half of the day otherwise i start getting anxious or lazy, i basically need it ready for later in the day.  at least im figuring it out sort of.  im thinking maybe mac and cheese 4 dinner and making it earlier in the day, but i also liked the ease of just buying the bagel for lunch, so i dont know know and options dont sit well w me bc im never able to choose.

wed-

BFAST-  thomas' plain bagel mini bagel bread, 1 tbspn PB, yogurt, peach, apricot~400cals

SNACK- 1 cup all bran extra fiber cereal, 3/4 cup skim milk, 1 tbspn TRAIL MIX~200

LUNCH-1 WHOLE pumpernickel bagel+  ALOT of tuna salad from the bagel store, plum- 600?

SNACK-yogurt, 1/2 orange~170ish

DINNER- roll, cheese, salad w/ ~1 1/2 tbspns trail mix ~280

SNACK-yogurt, apple, something else

Hey everyone you all look like you are doing pretty good. Cant say i am doing well myself though. I havent really hit my new calorie target for a few days (2200) and i am v. nervous about going on holiday next week. Last time i went away i lost about 1.5bs (i think due to alot of walking) and this time it will be a lot of swimming. My Therapist says if i lose  she will put me in IP. I am having a really hard time with ED thoughts to. How do you get that vice to shut up? It whirls around in my head all day and at night, so i cant sleep. I just feel like a fat, wobbly faliure. I hate myself sooo much right now. ARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!

Agruskin: I would ensure you include plenty of calcium in your diet. Yogurt als o includes protein and cheese is a great source of calcium.  One way of planning your day and making it easier is to find some recipies (with the cals already done for you) make sure they are easy to make and have them on hand. If you get a good selection of them you will always have a meal to fall back on.

As part of my 'challenge' from my therapist i have to allow my parents to do my evening meal. We decided to pick a few recipies that i felt okay with and plan the menu for the week. Therefore i felt much less anxious and more comfortable. Plus my mum makes great vegetarian chilli !!

Psyhoj: Your posts have been very helpful and educational to read. I would just like to ask, what would be a good goal weight for someone who is 5 7'' with a smallish frame (i have tiny wrists) and also what is your opinion one exercise during recovery. Thanks x

This is what i have had or i am planning to have today:

Breakfast: Oatmeal made w/ semi skimmed milk, 25 blueberries, sliced banana and tbp peanut butter mixed in. A hard boiled egg.

Snack: 3 Ryvita's with light cream cheese. Apple

Lunch: 2 slices of whole wheat bread, 3 cauldron falafels and some salad. Activa strawberry yogurt.

Snack: Total FAGE yogurt with 8 sliced strawberries

Dinner: Home made spicy beanburgers with whole wheat roll, hot and spicy mango chutney and side salad

Snack: 200ml glass of hot milk.

Butterfly: Aw, sweetie :[ I'm sorry! You aren't a failure by any means. If it might help, try drinking some camomile tea (it's lovely with a bit of honey too) before bed. Good for you on having dinners your mum's cooking for you, though! :D I want to ask my mum if we can make a three-bean chilli next time she does it instead of a meat one for her to try. She's never had it before - missing out! :P Sadly, the only thing that stops me from eating the same dinners as my mum and sister is my dad. He'll jump in to try and take over the cooking, and still comments on everything I eat good or bad, so it's a losing battle...

That's absurd about the IP threat for losing weight on holiday - you can hardly turn down walking and swimming and enjoying time with your family. :\ "Oh, sorry mum, I can't go on that tour to see landmarks - I can't afford the weightloss". Your therapist sounds like a bit of a prat to me, lol. <<;

Agru: Other good sources of calcium - other than dairy, of course! - are tofu, chickpeas, spinach, broccoli, curly leaf kale, and figs. Random, right? I have to keep in mind good plant sources because of my dairy woes >< D'oh. Vitamin D helps calcium absorption, too - lots of it in oily fish, mushrooms and eggs.

I ate over 3000 (only a tiny bit over, but still over) yesterday! Woop~ Given, most of it was in a massive bowl of oatmeal after I realised I was short... but it's still a total, right? ><

lalabanana: (i luv your name!) thanks. I think one of the problems is that i am on summer holidays so no school therefore i am at home by myself most of the day and my thoughts just seem to grow. I have no one to talk to or to distract myself with. The ed vioce just keeps telling me to cheat, after all no one is her but me. I could easily have to snack or lunch and no one would know. I dont have a clue how i am actually getting this food into my mouth right now.  Unfortunatly i did give in on Monday and went swimmimg when i wasnt supposed to.

My dad also thinks my T is a bit of a prat but its all i've got. I havent got a nutrionists appointment till october!!! The NHS sucks.  I also hate food comments, any comments wether they are good or bad. I dont see my dad much so i dont think he understands as much as my mum. She sees how much i am struggling everyday and has to pit up with this horrible dpression i keep slipping into. I just dont know how to pull my self out or what to do any more.

Well done for reaching you goal. I know you have been struggling to get there but you did it!!

Wow butterfly you sound like me...I'm home alone for a couple of days and usually I just start thinking about stuff and get uber-depressed, also don't know how I manage to keep eating when no one is there to check on me etc. Anyway I really feel like when I get depressed it's basically because I'm not fighting properly, there's no real reason to be depressed and even if there is something a bit crappy why should I have to be miserable? I CAN FIGHT THESE THOUGHTS! AND I WILL!!! There is no positive reason to listen to ed so i'm NOT going to, in fact whenever it tries to make me feel guilty, ashamed, lazy, angry, sad, worthless etc. I'm just gonna say, SCREW YOU! And let the real me squash ed flat. I know I'm so much better than that and want the opposite for myself, I want to be happy, free and unashamed of wanting to be healthy and happy. I've realised now that I do know all the facts now, that there is no rational reason to want to be like this anymore, and the choice is up to me. So let's FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT EVERYONE!!!

Butterfly: OCTOBER? Ouch. Then again, I've been waiting since about the end of May/start of June... still not quite as long, but then there is no guarantee the clinic will remember that I wanted to see a nutritionist too. :| I'm on my summer holidays too, so I know how you feel. It's extremely difficult as my mind wanders to "Oh, I could do some exercise!" BZZT. No. Bad. I've deliberately been asking my mum to give me things to do to stop me going for more than one walk every other day ><;

I've decided to do something remotely productive, so I'm trying to get my balance on a bike - I know, 18, can't ride a bike, pretty sad - and have been allocating about ten minutes a day of going up and down the road right now. 10 minutes is all I will allow myself! My mum's off this week and the next, too, so she can keep an eye on me for that if I stop being able to trust myself.

Would your mum understand if you explained to her about the holiday, how you don't want to be worried about being stuffed in IP just for spending time with your family? :s I'm pretty sure you can't be forced into IP without parental consent and, well. It's like I put in my previous post: you're going to be out, active, on holiday, spending time with your family. Not really the kind of time you want to be thinking "ohmygod is this going to make me drop 1lb?!??!". It turns out my dad's managed to get time off for September so we get a holiday this year after all (woop) and I know I don't want to be sweating about potentially losing weight when I know I'll want to be walking and swimming and enjoying sunshine.

Thankyou ^___^ I feel REALLY sick today though. I've managed to sunburn and it's making me feel nauseous >< We're going out to see The Dark Knight later though, yayyy. I am a Batman fangirl~ :D It's a late screening, so I'll eat dinner beforehand. Won't have to worry about sneaking in a bunch of food - I've lost some good bags that way! xD

Breakfast- SNB on WW English muffin, oatmeal with pumpkin mixed in, egg, nectarine

Snack- Popcorn mini bag and blueberries

Lunch-Grilled cheese on WW potato bread, Rachel's Exotic yogurt, TLC PB bar, carrots

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

Dinner- 2 Heart Smart waffles with PB, 2 with whipped cream and strawberries (we like to have breakfast for dinner when my dad is working late lol)

Snack- Orange, almonds, Luna sunrise bar, blueberry banana smoothie, Ben and Jerry'

Butterfly-Thanks so much! I would say that for someone with a small frame and 5'7 around 120-130. And about the exercise subject. I exercised all throughout my recovery and weight gain. I have gained over 20 pounds all while exercising for 45 minutes 5-6 days a week. I would suggest strength training and some light cardio. Cardio burns more fat and calories than strength training and it can be harder to gain weight while only doing cardio. Buy an exercise ball or some weight and a pilates/yoga mat. They have great benefits. I have done about three workouts with them and I can already feel a difference. I think that exercising during recovery is extremely important! About the vacation. You can do it! I am going on vacation next week and we both will have to FIGHT! We can beat the ed voices!!!

Lala-Sorry to hear about you having to wait that long! Have a great night and I want to know what you think about that movie.

You all are doing so amazing. Keep it up!

XXX

Lala: i am planning have been thinking and i am going to try to explain all of this to my mum. I am planning to go to work with her a couple of days and theres always my grandma's and grandad's. They always take me and my sis to art galleries and museums so that will deffo provide some sort of distraction.I am going to try to enjoy my hols and hope that my mum and dad will stand up for me at my T appointment if i loose any weight. I think my mum is quite concerned about me going away without her (just m dad) at my sickest i lost about 7lbs in one week whilst staying with my dad, so understandbly she'll be phoning to check on me.

I hear you about the sunburn. I am as fair as they come and either stay white or look like a lobster. I decied white was the better option lol. Are u in the UK? It is pretty hot here today but fortunatly not to sunny where i am, more humid and sticky. I have been burnt soo many times and i hate that sicky feelng you get. Put your after sun in the fridge for a bit, it will cool down the burn. Also i recommend aloe vera...very soothing.

Just wondering what you think a 20 year old, 5'0 individual weighing 82 lbs (trying to get to atleast 95 lbs) should eat.  Is 2000 enough for me to gain.  I am short, so I feel like the weight comes on quick and is very noticeable, or that just may be the ED talking.

Aero-Well it all depends on how fast you want to gain and how much per week. Say you want to gain around a pound per week. You would need to have an excess of 500 calories every day. I would think that it will take about 2500+ to get you to your ultimate goal.

Butterfly-You mean that if you lost even one pound they would send you to IP? Wow, I would definitely talk to your mom. I mean, if you lost like 5+ pounds I can understand. Hope everything works out and have fun!(I responded to your questions earlier on another post that I wrote this morning)

Psycho: I'll let you know what I think! I'll probably be fangirling all over it anyway because I love Batman full-stop. :D I used to get up at stupid times on schooldays just to watch the cartoon versions on the telly. :B And, urrrgh, strength training... I get so painfully bored with mine sometimes .__. I need to make it more fun! I think I might start a split routine, if not just to differ things and prevent me being bored, but rhghhbleh. Oh well. It's better for me than cardio right now :|

Butterfly: I think sitting down with your mum is a good idea. I wish I had that option! I can manage small conversations with my mum but when things get serious she can get really stressed out over tiny things, plus I have to catch her in the right mood anyway :\

Hahaha, I'm there with you on the pasty-pale front! When I was in Spain last year I was blonde as well (natural brunette, but I've been blue, red, purple, blonde and combinations of those... >>) and I don't tan, just burn... so I'd just slapped suncream on and rolled with it. I looked like an albino! >__< And yup, I'm in the UK :D It's piping hot here today, but there's a really nice cool breeze along with it. Aloe vera? That sounds like a plan o: I only have tea tree but that's better as an antiseptic. I use that on my spots. xD

I'd like to say that freezing bananas is an awesome alternative to ice cream. I'm so happy. I had a banana on a stick while my mum ate a normal ice lolly and totally didn't feel like a loser. xD Dairy free and full of potassium, mmmm.

hi everyone, so busy already!  i love it!  lol

BUTTERFLY-THE ed VOICE, i have to FORCE myself to tell it to shut up and remind myself that i need to gain, i need to re-enter society already!  im sometimes kept up at night w/thoughts of diff foods i can eat the next day-it drives me nuts!  i normally get 2 yogurts and about 3/4 cups of milk a day.  is there a site that you look to for easy recipes w/ cals listed?  my mom doesnt really cook, when she does-its w like 1 cup oil, at least!  thats a great challenge having your parent's input, good luck!   youre at 2200, rt?  do you count carb equivelants?  if so, how many do you have?

LALA-thanks for the calcium input!  im always tempted to get tofu, but id be the only one to eat it in the house, what to do w/the rest, and i get so lazy when it comes to actually preparing foods, i can see myself in the future being a huge takeput junkie, and then eventually huge in stature as well-not good!  awesome reaching 3000, hows your progress?

HEADINGUP-ditto!  i tell myself those same things a million times/day, and its still a struggle.  i need to let myself be happy and treat myself well for once-im very hard on myself for no good reason, we can all beat this!!

as for me- no clue what ill be eating today which does not sit well w/ me at all!  i want to be normal and have what i want at the moment, but when it comes to eat, i cant decide, so its either preplan meals and not be normal, or try and be normal and see what happens?!  i sort of like getting takeout but dont want to become super unhealthy either.  got the bagel_tuna yesterday and tomm night going out w family to a deli type restaurant-eek!

keep pushing everyone-you are all truly amazing!

I don't really have plans as far as how fast or slow I gain them.  Faster would probably be better so I can just get it over with.  I want to get back to the gym and start with toning, but I know I have to reach atleast 90 lbs before I even think about it. 2500 sounds like soooooooo much though I think I've been eating about 15-1600 and I haven't weighed yet, I'm too scared to look.  Are you saying that's way too little to gain anything?

Agru: Firm tofu can be stir-fried, marinated or baked among other things, as well as eaten raw in salad-type dishes and so on. For storing it, you need to keep it in water and generally should eat it within 3-4 days after you initially opening it. You also need to change the water every day. x: I generally can get through a block in one day though, haha. Perhaps encourage your parents to try some with you? It's always good to try new things, and if they don't like it, they know for the future. Can't hurt to try, right? :]

3000 is good but hard to keep managing, urgh. Something is making me feel REALLY ill and bloating me like crazy and I don't know what it is. I'm thinking sunburn is causing my nausea, but my gut is pressing on my shirt right now and I honestly look and FEEL pregnant. It's been so bad I've been distended in the mornings when I wake up - that never used to happen. >< Though, if I am distended still it's handy for me because I can show the GP, lol~ Thank god for the timing of my appointment tomorrow.

Aeropink: Faster has become better for me as I got fed up of trying to take it slow and realised I was getting absolutely nowhere. 2500 is a fair bit, but very much possible especially with dense food additions like nuts and nut butters, dried fruits, heavier calorie fruits like bananas, apples and pears, healthy oils in cooking, avocados, pasta, full-fat dairy... all of these can bulk out meals and snacks quite nicely. For example, you can load up oatmeal easy-peasy with peanut butter and some dried fruits or a chopped banana. Truthfully, if you gain at 1500-1600 something is wrong, because a healthy metabolism for a woman runs at at least 2000 on average! 2500 will give you a base to work from and help your metabolism jump into action.

Lala- definitely let us know how batman is, really want to see it as am a HUGE Heath Ledger fan (him in a knight's tale!! Beautiful!) Saw Mamma Mia the other day which I loved, very corny but great feel-good stuff. Also might try that frozen banana idea as I love the flavour of bananas but the texture makes me gag so that might be a good way to have them, lovely and healthy too. Do you just push a lolly stick into it and then throw it in the freezer?

Agru- Same here about lying in bed thinking about what I'm planning on eating tomorrow, sometimes I even wake up and realise I've been dreaming about food! There are tonnes of good recipe sites, for easy ones try netmums.com or allrecipes.com and nutritiondata.com have recipes with cals listed, one of my faves is riverford.co.uk for veggie recipes. I always have 1 cooked meal a day, then I feel like i'm getting more variety in my diet which is good for fighting ed and for nutritional purposes too.

Butterfly: Try not to worry about the hol, just enjoy yourself but of course don't let ed be sneaky and use the opportunity to creep up on you, don't listen to him/it/her!

I had a Magnum white ice cream today everyone! They used to be my fave icecreams when I was little and it's def been several years since I last had one, it was soooo amazing! ( Shame I dropped the last bit on the pavement though!)

hi lala!  w/ the tofu- i like it, ive had it before, i even made a faux mac and cheese w/ it once, altho i forgot exactly how i managed that!  my parents dont like it, they like fat, and lard, and fat, lol.  so what happens if i buy it, is that ill have 1-2 servings, and then have to trash the rest bc im sick of it and no one else likes it.  w/the bloating and all, i remember my last go at recovery i was bloated and pregnant all the time, i couldnt ever wear anything tight bc i always looked pregnant but w twigs for arms and legs.  once i went to the bagel store which was my weekly dare and the guy at the counter asked when i was due- i almost died!  the initial fat and gain just goes to the stomach and i think you just have to wear loose shirts is all. 

yesterday i think i hit 2000 but i feel like i ate so much and as if the calorie counter is off, i feel i ate more than it showed, i dunno.  i think i need to get over my fear of eating higher cal food and the fear that i need a lot of food in order to become full, thats why i think i stick to lower cal stuff so that i can eat more bc im always scared of going hungry on the food i have. 

still dont know what im eating today!!??

headingup-you crept in!  magnum ice cream--those are the best!  so jealous, we dont have that in the US.  good for you, i think we need to do something daring daily, i just cant think of what i want, again, my mind and body just dont talk to me!   that and the eat natural or whatever bars everyone talks about-so jealous!  whats your cal goal?  2000?  i just want a meal plan relatively close to mine that i could look at or refer to maybe.  w foods, i really like convenience and dont like cooking all that much.  i think i could live on cereal, PB+J, yogurt, apples, and salad, oh, and ice cream--would that be bad??!!  lol  some bagels tuna and pizza thrown in.  im sort of scared taht in the future im goin to be a drive thru queen and become obese. 

How do you space out your meals about how many hours in between each, do you have specific times?  I am never hungry either, so I guess I just need to force myself to eat, so what is about right.?  I'm with you Agruskin I just don't know what "normal" eating is.