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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 :]

ok guys, so I went to the store and got some amazing trail mix! and like high cal things that I can just munch on every time I go by the kitchen...

b-egg whites, vegetables, nutritional yeast, carrots, bean dip. 2 slices of whole wheat toast with cottage cheese and blueberries

s- earth's best cheddar crackers :)

s-2 oz trail mix (those things are not filling and so high cal! yay :D)

s- greek yogurt, pumpkin, mango, almond breeze..all made into a smoothie :)

l?-tofu, veggies, spices, soy cheese, hummus

l-cup of macaroni w/ cheese, spices, nutritional yeast

s-baked apple & blueberries w/ peanut butter

went to work, so no dinner..

s-tofu again w. vegetables, nutritional yeast (leftovers, didn't feel like cooking anything new :p)

s- oatmeal, soy milk, cocoa, carnation instant powder, mighty bites cereal

s- kashi peanut butter bar

I calculated and it's wayy like 2500+ WOO!

Agruskin-WHOA! Amazing job! I am so proud of you girl! Sounds delicious. Yeah, I am maintaining. Well, I am listening to my body and if my body wants to get bigger then so be it! (growing teen still!) I do not count calories, but my guess would be at least 2500. Although I do not count, I do pay attention to how many carbs, protein, and fats I have. I would say that I am calorie conscious, but my body trumps what my mind thinks I need. For instance if I know that I have eaten a good bit, my mind will sometimes think "Oh you do not really need anymore" while my stomach is growling. I choose to listen to my body :) not my mind! Yeah I am going to the gym. I am recovering from a knee over-use injury, so my summer has not gone as planned. I actually am going to Physical therapy tomorrow morning. I just need to strengthen the glutes, hamstrings, (sp) and whatever other muscles are near my knees! I am feeling better though. Running 6 days a week while eating nothing during the worst time of my eating disorder=PAINFIL INJURY! But I do not do that anymore, so I am feeling much better! I love trying new foods. I love exotic things and trying new stuff. During my eating disorder though, if you would have dragged me to a restaurant  I would have gotten a salad, maybe that.  Now does that sound at all fun?! I love food now! LOL!

Today's menu-(Off to bed!)

Breakfast:Kashi Heart to Heart Cereal w/ milk(in a rush)

Snack: Rice cake :/...I was not that hungry and lunch was soon and I did not want anything too heavy!

Lunch: The most DELICIOUS(if I do say so myself :D ) chicken salad sandwich on WW bread, kashi TLC cheese crackers

Snacks: Kashi TLC cherry dark chocolate bar, organic apple

Dinner: Whole wheat penne w/ mozzarella, Romano cheese, fresh tomatoes, and a sprinkling of basil(I used my own basil I grow in my pots!!!)....glass of milk

Snacks: apple, grapes, ~1/2 cup(it was a 1/3 of a pint) of B+J'S half baked(frozen yogurt), and a glass of milk after my workout for protein and calcium!

quick q guys, i dont ussually pick randomly at food bc then i get crazy about how much i ate and not knowing and stuff, do you guys log that?  im really feeling tempted to not  count, i mean, i feel awesome and havent checked the cals of waht i ate at all, and havent logged.

PSYCHO-so happy for you, i hope you recover your leg for next yr!  awesome recipes on that site, thanks!  i cant beleive it, but i really think im recovering and its greattttttttttttt!  oh, so you do the machines there?  i really like weight lifting, its really calming i think.  i dont really count carbs, protein, and stuff, i feel like the most unhealthy anorexic!

ANGEL-yummy day!  how do u make the apple w/ PB?  and h ow do u do the tofu?

thats briliant angel! mega congrats on upping the cals!!! i keep delving into random things in the kitchen when i go by - who knows how many cals i actually eat in a day lol!

i dont see a nutritionist but guess i can increase anyway - i know i can do it.

argu - me too!!!! i ate loads when younger, was a wee bit porky but HAPPIER! I hit teens and thought if i was thinner id be happier. and then this all happened..6 years later - i know this is now NOT TRUE! I still have a major love of food though - i guess this is what scares me the most as i fear i will loose control again.

btw - i have a male friend who suffered with and ed for a long time for ages. one mornig her decided enough was enough. e began eating what he WANTED/FELT like eating, really listening to his body. he told me anything 'healthy and wholesome' is justifiable and that nothing is 'bad' for you. he reached 4000cals+ some days on hardly any exercise (he used to be a compulsive exerciser!!!) and would eat what he truely desired - whole store apple pies if his body craved it. he's now totallu recovered and, while he says life has it's ups and downs (like anyone's does) it was the best thing he's ever done his life and was worth it 110% - never looked back. just thought i'd share this as he says there isnt ANYTHING unpositive (is that a word lol) about recovering from anorexia

just thought i'd let you all know

keep going guys - have i told you you're all amazing!!

Suzy Suzy Roo, where are you? xxxx

agru- I took an apple, diced it with some blueberries and put it in a small baking pan. Then mixed in cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, lime, vanilla, and a T of peanut butter and baked it at 350 for 30 mins. SO worth it! I couldn't do any more add-ins; was in a hurry for work. You should try it, though. Maybe add some rolled oats and make a delicious pb apple crisp kind of? I think I'll do it :) Also, since I've been vegetarian for a while the taste of tofu is actually alright with me now. For those who don't eat it often it might be strange..All I do is cook it in a saucepan, usually with olive oil and spices (like curry, cumin, turmeric). I like it in mexican dishes (with beans, rice, pitas), or italian (marinara, pasta...). Sometimes I just like to eat it in a veggie pita with hummus too.I'm not a big fan of soy sauce, but a lot of people love it in stir fries and stuff.. guess to each his own :p I also love tofu with desserts, if you ever need to know, just ask!

suzy- awee thanks, you're amazing toooo! suzy suzy roo ahha I love scooby doo. Yes, we should listen to our bodies, even if it means to eat 4000 cals! or anything! When we're hungry, we're hungry!

Hey again! I have to keep up with you guys! So I had thought I could have a peanut butter free day today since I've eaten so many other things and was definitely ok on my fats, but it just didn't work out. I ended up having two slices of my jam cake spread with pb as my after dinner snack. I can't stop it! It's just so good and such an easy way to get in even more calories for the day, why not?

as for tofu recipes, I know a ton if you ever need any! Like angeleyes said, in stir fries, sandwiches, you can bake it, pan fry with different seasonings, it can be used as a cheese replacement in lasagnas, quiches, scrambles, ravioli, I used it in the mushroom cream sauce I had on my pasta a few posts ago, in desserts it can be used for pies, mousse, smoothies, so many options!

angel- I love making apple crisps or any fruit crisps, but I've never done it with pb. As much as I love nut butters, I tried it in oatmeal the other day and wasn't too pleased with it. It made the oatmeal taste weird but wasn't peanut buttery enough for me, even though I probably ended up putting 4 full tbsps in there trying to make it taste better. I also always carry a bag of trail mix with me when I'm in classes or working, or just out. It's a must in my bag just like a wallet or phone lol.

agru- I usually don't log all the little things I pick at throughout the day because it's hard to keep track of unless I eat a significant amount. I also really need to stop counting! I also couldnt count my lunch today since it was a restaurant and an all you can eat buffet at that. I have no idea what or how much I ate because I just tried a little bit of everything. Don't listen to your dad! You'll be fine when you want to maintain and 450 is a completely normal breakfast. Mine usually are at least 700-1000. I'm glad you enjoyed your meal!

aqua- yucca is a root vegetable, also called cassava. kind of like a potato but with a less starchy texture. It's soo good! You peel and boil it and then serve it with an olive oil garlic-y sauce. And the yucca itself is about twice the calories of potato. And yes, fried plantains are amazing! I actually just use bananas and pan fry them since full on submerging things in oil is still gross.

well, i'm off to bed, happy eating everyone!.....I want more peanut butter

wow, every  3 hrs there are,like alot of new posts! good job, guys, keep active and chatty!! anyways, tomorrow is my weigh in. i'm VERY scared. i feel full already and bloated..i used to  have today's plan, but didn't follow it and had  the following instead.. 

breakfast: 350 cals

mini wheats with skimmed milk and honey +orange juice+small piece of leftover sponge cake

snack: 250 cals

granny smith apple+ pice of cake+fig

lunch: 220 cals

edam cheese +wholewheat toast

dinner: 300 cals

grilled shrimps + lettuce+1 wholewheat toast

i think i'm slipping back a little, i was just so scared of tom's weigh in i didn't want to eat anything..i also exercised as usual, burning 500 cals. i feel so bad, i feel like i'm never going to get over this, i don't want to gain weight as i'm already struggling with my current shape BUT trying real hard not to go to severe restriction again, but honestly, i was much comfy with how i looked at 88lbs...or maybe it's just a bad day  and tomorrow i'll be better out of sudden again? 

suzyroo: thanks for the welcome :) i find it alot easier to deal with this weight gainin acceptance ting wen i read about how gr8 everyone here is doing.an thanks for the gr8 inspirational story about your friend. it gives me some hope.

psychoJ: lol no i didnt say caramel sauce, i said caramel slice, its like a square of biscuit with caramel an choc on top. same type of treat as a brownie only different flavour and its not all choc.

gibbit: thanks 4 the tips :) yeah im really tryin to increase what i eat at dinner but as the day gets later i jus find ithard to eat alot. i think im worried about gettin too full an settin off a b/p cause i always used to b/p (binge and purge) after a big dinner or lots of junk, thats also why i get a bit anxious around sweet foods, cause i wanna be normal an be able to eat them if i want in moderation but im always worried they will set off a binge. i think im gonna try cut back on the cofee an coke today hopefully. ive recently tried pb for the first time and i looove it lol i can understand why your addicted to it lol.

relena: good luck with the weigh in tomoro, hope it goes well :) and if u feel like ur slippin back ive found asking myself stuff like whts it gonna acomplish stayin anorexic ? is it gonna make mehappy , an all i have to do is think of how hard everythin has been to snap outta the ed state of mind

agruskin: thats awesome u had such a great time at the restaurant :) congrats!! and 2400 is a fr8 aim, good luck :)keep up the good work!oh an sometimes i end up pickin at somethin but i usually dont really count that cause it cud be like one peanut or somethin lol so i wudnt no exactly how many cals it wud be?

heres todys planned intake:

b- oats n more cereal and milk (  looovvve this cereal lol ive eaten it pretty much daily for a year lol ) 300 cals

s- fortisip 300 cals

lunch- sandwhich with egg white, turkey sweetcorn an relish 300 cals

s-fortisip

d- spaghetti bolagnese with wholewheat pasta 300 cals id say?? mayb more not sure though cause i have alot of veggies in mine an i still find ithard to eat pasta so i dont have much

ok so i decided to stick to the fortisip today cause i dont think i can manage snacks, i feel unhealthy after yest, last ite i ended up also havin a big cookie that mum bought from m n s ( supermarket) an i really enjoyed it but then felt soo bad after an iw as so colse to going an gettin sick but guess what i stopped myself an dragged my dad n bro to the park for while to distract me :0 i was soooo proud of myself.....but then.....this mornin i decided to check my weight an i no im meant to be gainin but i havent actually gone up much at all since i started recovery so any gain is scary to me. the scales had gone up o.2 kg so almost half a pound frm a stupid cookie??? wtf? is that possible? it cant have been more than 250 cals an seemin as i was at the park after i ate it i prob burned alot of it off, i know im meant to be gainin an shud b ok with it but im jus confused more than anything. like now im worried even the sallest cal increase an the weight is gonna pile on too fast??? did anyone else feel like this when they first started gainig? sorry u guys have to listen to my rant :(, i jus really wanna recover an need to pushmyself an u guys all help alot.

also im really havin trouble not eatin the same thing every day, like if u guys have noticed my intake is pretty much always the same thing excpet for my dinners, any advice?

xxxxx

Hey folks, just a quick check-in with the eating side of things- here's yest

B- 50g alpen cereal, Kid's Innocent smoothie= 260

S- (At work! Now taking snacks with me!) 50g Dried Mango- 150

L- (Still at work) Wholemeal pitta with falafel bites and lettuce, Pink Lady apple= 310

S- Ensure plus (330)

D- (Ate in the cinema! Felt very naughty sneaking food in but it was too early to eat before and would have been too late afterwards!)

M + S Orzo pasta with slow roasted tomatoes, red onion and spinach and light basil vinaigrette= 350

Fresh raspberry jelly pot= 110

160g Mango= 100

S- Vanilla "Build-up" made with 200ml semi-skimmed milk= 225

TOTAL- 1850ish (Not bad for me but certainly could have been better- gonna work hard to reach 2000 properly today)

Ehh... I'm still constipated today, and after having cut down on fibre, tried all sorts of natural laxatives and such and taken some of my medications all to no avail I'm now waiting for a laxative to take effect. -__- I'm annoyed. I don't like using them, but I weighed myself a couple of times experimentally over the past couple of days and found I had jumped 2lbs each day. Which... I would put down to the constipation. My measurements haven't changed, so it has to be that. |: Stupid, right? Egh. I love nuts, now, though. Hahaha. I went for a jog (! and loved it, even though I can't physically do a lot thanks to asthma) this morning and bought some almonds on the way back ^____^ And I think my sister has converted to soy! She was telling me how much she likes the soy milk I get for my porridge, hahaha. :] Hope you're all doing well.

lalabanana: i used to have a really messed up digestive system a few months ago from all the b/p i did which messed up my tummy an i wud hardly ever go to the bathroom i was blocked up alot ( sorry tmi lol) and i started taking aloe vera tablets an since i started takin them after only a few days i started goin to the bathroom regularly an i still take them today an my stomach an digestive system are sooo much better, u can get aloe vera tablets or the juice both are good, most health shops shud sell them. hope it helps :)

AGRUSKIN:  I'm just a smidge over 5'6".  I've never weighed more than maaaybe 117, and that was over 4 years ago.  I got back to 115 once during my first "recovery" but have never been that high since (especially now that I'm in college/have a new doctor).  So that's still at the low end of my healthy weight, but I'm not comfortable setting a higher goal right now.  I definitely am active though, so I do need to keep upping my intake!

I'll post my meals later :)

Alright, I am NOT counting or logging calories today. Everyone please hold me accountable for this!

lala- I'm sorry you're still having trouble! I hate taking laxatives. I'm surprised the job didn't help, usually some good exercise will get things going for me. I ran out of almonds yesterday so I might just take a walk over to the store myself and get some. I ended up in front of the pantry last night with a spoon and an open jar of pb :X BUT I stopped myself after 3 or 4 spoonfuls, so before making myself feel sick so that was a good step!

heading up- there are some easy things you could do to increase the calories, add nus to your dried mango mix, switch to full fat milk, some tahini sauce on falafel is yummy! I was in London a little over a week ago and finally tried those innocent smoothies but I got the full one, the kids have hardly any calories! So get the real one, I got the honey vanilla and loved it. Oh and I have to sneak food into movie theaters too! Movies are too long for me to go without eating unless I eat right before and go eat right after, but sometimes my friends aren't nice enough to plan around my eating schedule :p

aussi- don't worry too much about the .2 kg, it definitely does not reflect the cookie, our weights shift around all the time, but most people don't notice if they're not constantly weighing themselves, it could be water, it could be the time of day you weighed, the kinds of foods you ate, whether you had gone to the bathroom in a while, etc. Good job eating the cookie! And don't worry because the weight does not just pile on, it's actually a very long hard proccess, as much as I sometimes wish I could go back to normal overnight. Some things you could switch up could be adding dried fruit and nuts to your oats and more in the morning or slicing up a banana in there, or pb. Get some more calorie dense bread for your sandwiches, use the whole egg, maybe add avocado to it, or try different things like wraps or pitas with hummus! ultimately you have to be ok with eating more and we can't do that for you. I've managed to eat more by looking at the nutritional value everything provides me. For instance whole wheat pasta is really good for you so you can have a lot of it! If you add olive oil to it, that's a lot of good fats, the egg yolk has lecithin and other vital nutrients, etc. I justify it as, if it's good for me, I can eat as much of it as I want. Keep pushing for this, you'll get there!

relena- hang in there! You don't want to slip back, it will not make you happier. If you have to, just see this as a chore or responsability for now because you know you need it. Do it for your parents, your doctor, whatever reason you can use. It will be so much harder to start over. And as much as 88 was a comfortable weight, I can bet you weren't any happier. The whole ed lifestyle was also comfortable because it had taken over us and I could lock myself in my apartment and not talk to anyone and refuse to eat, and it was easier to stay than to try to recover, but ultimately that is deadly and I was not happy, heck, I was barely alive. Sorry, that was sort of morbid :\ but hopefully it was a good kick in the butt for you!

I'll post my meals later! Remember, not counting today!!

Agruskin-YAY FOR RECOVERY! Isn't it amazing? Yeah, I do cardio and those weight machines. I also do some spin classes. I love my gym! I do not count them(protein, carb, etc.) but just pay attention to making sure my meals are "well rounded." You are not unhealthy! And I love that website!

Suzy-That is awesome! Such an inspirational story! You are amazing too :)

Relena-Do not give up! You can do it. Good luck at that weigh in!

Aussie-Lol...sorry! But that sounds really good! But yeah, adding variety can be hard. But once you do, food becomes WAAYYYY more yummy and enjoyable!

I will comment on the rest of you alls post later. I am off to my Physical Therapy appointment!

agru- Glad you enjoyed the Greek food! I love Greek. Meesh posted a couple articles about how recovered anorexics usually need more calories than normal people to maintain their weights. So, you might even be able to eat more that 1800! Oooooh I love moussaka! I've made it with soy crumbles before but I forget what it's made of. Haha, have fun with the dork! Good luck with getting to 2400.

suzyroo- Your friend's story is really inspirational. Hopefully we can all be like tha tsoon! And you're amazing too!

aussiegirl- Don't worry about the .2 kg gain. It is probably NOT from the cookie. It is normal for every person's weight to shift around like that. Your weight isn't going to pile on too fast. The first time you increase the extra cals are kind of a shock to your system so your body absorbs what it can, so you see your weight jump up a bit in the beginning. But once your metabolism gets used to the extra food, it levels out so you gain at a slower weight.

gibbit- Good luck not counting today! If you just pay attention to what your body wants it'll be easy.

psychoj- Hope your appt. goes well. You'll be able to use your knee in no time!

Breakfast- Plain WM yogurt with blueberries and almonds, oatmeal w/ pumpkin, egg, nectarine

Snack- Almonds and berries

Lunch- PB on WW bagel, chocolate mousse yogurt, Kashi TLC bar, carrots

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

Dinner- 4 potato and cheese pirogies, garlic toast, something else...

Snack- Orange, blueberries, Clif Mojo bar, Ben and Jerry's, some type of smoothie/shake

Agru - i dont have a nutrionist, the appoinment has been booked but i have got to wait months for it :( I am pretty much doing this on my own

Breakfast: Oatmeal made with semi skimmed milk, peach, banana and tbsp peanut butter

Snack: Natural yogurt with frozen blueberries, tbsp honey and 15 chopped almonds

Lunch: 2 slices whole wheat bread, with light cream cheese, sliced tomato and spring onion. Activa Raspberry fruit layer yogurt. Small apple.

Snack: 50g Dorset cereals 'berries and cherries' museli with 100ml semi skimmed milk

Dinner: Salmon in water cress sauce, baked potato and veggies

Snack: 250ml semi skimmed milk with sachet of options hot chocolate, slice of whole wheat toast with tsp of peanut butter.

Total: 2093 calories. Going to increase 2morrow again.

I have barley even sat down today. Been working hard in the garden and i am knackerd plus i have scrubbed a hell of a lot dirt from underneath my finger nails lol

Moussaka is, essentially, hollowed out aubergines then filled with a protein (traditionally it seems to be lamb, but either mince, soy mince, or sometimes mushed pulses like lentils or beans all work), the flesh of the aubergine that was removed and then usually some onions and garlic and a mixture of spices/herbs. I've seen it topped with cheese and I've seen it topped with yoghurt, heh. I tried some when we went to Santorini a couple of years ago, it was yummy. :]

http://www.tesco.com/recipes/product.aspx?R=2 93&bci=4294967280%7CVegetables <--- there's an example recipe there, but I'm sure there are more across the web and it's easy to adapt to needs. :B I'm glad you enjoyed the restaurant, Agru!

hi everyone!

so im aiming for 2400 today but on that metabolism thread a girl not much younger than myself, buch taller, said her nutritionist told her to eat 1500cals?!!umm am i wrong?

SUZY-so inspiring about your friend!  i want to try and listen to my body-but, i know my hunger/satiety cues are still skewed so its hard rt now to do.  also, i deff do not think i eat healthy and wholesome and feel myself wanting to get take out much more often!?eek

ANGEL-yuuuum!  ive had tofu before but cooking it takes time plus, when i buy it, lets say i have a portion or 2, no one else in my fam likes it so it just goes to waste-a pain!

GIBBIT-i have PB everyday...so?lol

AUSSIE-so i sometimes get full or scared at night to at more thinking of all i ate earlier in the day, so i try and eat more during the day incase that does happen.  i also find pasta a challenge, sux!  dont weigh everyday-i seriously fart, sorry lol, and the scale will change!

LALA-simetimes it does come to a laxative for me too, its rare but sometimes the only thing that works.  how long did you jog for?  ill check the recipe out, thanks! it said it had bechamal?  diont know what that is?

BUTTERFLY-yup, on my own as well just crossing my fingers!  eat back those burned cal from gardening!!!

Agru: Bechamel sauce is white sauce. :] The kind often used in lasagne.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9chamel_sa uce

Jogging wise - oh, god, like 10-15 minutes tops? That includes my warm up, and I walked in places. Hahaha. I'm asthmatic, so it's hard for me to do a lot regardless - and I won't be doing too much because I obviously don't want to go overboard. But it was pleasant this morning (instead of humid/raining like it has been lately) and I felt like a jog. Heh.

Gibbit-You go girl! You can so do this. Good luck! I love peanut butter. No such thing as too much :D

Physical therapy went amazing. I am so relived. We made goals. 1) to be able to run again 2) " basketball 3) "soccer 4) squats 5) sit for long periods of time. I would love to become a Physical Therapist some day. Today we focused on strengthening exercises of certain muscles. He gave me homework (exercises) and I am SO GOING to do them! I am also going to purchase a foam roller.(runners will know what I am talking about) It is a piece of foam in the shape of a cylinder and it helps loosen muscles. I am so happy!