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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 :]

Yeah, thanks guys! It's just I obviously have a bit of BDD so I can't even really see myself.. so I was gauging by what other people said. Despite what everyone else said, I'mma keep trying to gain! This is my body and I want it as strong as possible! ..And I want a new doctor! >< Aha.

Breakfast so far: A spiteful supersized bagel and cream cheese! lmao.

oh my, so much to resond to! So, yesterday didn't end as planned but it was good! I had dinner on the stove, BUT one of my friends called and invited me to go to a morrocan restaurant, so I chose that instead because that was much more social. And it was really good and there was a belly dancer and we got up and danced! So fun! I also got through my day without counting and stopping myself from estimating anytime I started to count, AND I had a fantastic eating day. I think slipping so much that first day of not counting really shocked me so I'm super motivated now :) On to day 3!! You should all try this, it gets so much easier!!

 AGRU -the party was fun too! there was only alcohol lol, good thing I brought cupcakes! Everyone loved them. It was a housewarming party actually so I thought there might be snacks at least, but it's also two of my guy friends that moved into the house so boys= just beer haha. Then when I got home I had 2 slices of cake with pb, and a bowl of oatmeal with currants and almonds. Today and tomorrow I have training to be a group leader on camping and kayaking trips for a school club so I'll be out all day and eating camping junk. I'm bringing snacks just in case too!

wistful- that sucks about your parents! they should be a little more considerate about your situation too, is there any way you could keep your own stash of food, or have a seperate cabinet just for you? Just because there are peanuts in the house doesn't mean they have to eat them, and they should be a little more concerned about your health as well as theirs. Good job not letting them get to you though!

suzy- You're doing great too! I love how you put it "suzy+ anorexia" and that's very true. I try to remind myself of that when I start getting down about the weight gain, I just have to tell myself that what I look like does not define who I am, I need to be healthy. My friends and family will still love me no matter what, I can still be successful, I can still have fun, and in fact will have more fun once I'm recovered.

angel- awesome intake! I love baked apples. Its definitely taking way more than any nutritionist told me for me to gain so just keep increasing until you see some progress, you just have to figure out what works best for your body. I had to get a CT scan done last fall too, its not too bad. Same thing happened at my party last night too, so I had to come home and eat, but I'm glad you had fun!

likear- you're so lucky! You're going to have the time of your life! And that dinner sounds really good! Who cares how many calories were in it???

relena- That's awesome that you're increasing! I'm so proud! :) You could make a super dense oatmeal with nuts and dried fruit and whole milk, or even condensed milk if you have some, top with some ice cream and pb, yum!

well, i'm off to training, have a great day everyone!

wistfulxthinking: Get a new doctor! Blood tests are not necessarily an indication of health. Even at very low weights anorexics often have remarkably normal blood stats.

Questions: I notice some of you have more than one snack in between meals. How do you do it? About how much time in between meals and snacks do people have. I feel so full all the time. I keep telling myself it WILL get better, my appetite will kick in but I am impatient (far better than being inpatient). How long did it take for your appetites to return?

Charliebo-Hello and welcome! It probably was a God-thing! It is awesome that you are ready to get healthy. Healthy is an amazing feeling. You can do it! Fats are so delicious and it feels great knowing that they are healthy for you :) The exchange thing is nice b/c it does not let you get obsessed with calories. Good luck and feel free to ask us anything!

Suggestions about meal plan-

-Try and not eat too many fruits and vegetables. They are very healthy but are also filling and not calorie dense.

-Are you vegetarian? The only meat I see is tuna. If you are not a vegetarian, try and incorporate some meats. Chicken, salmon(high in omega threes and delicious!), and other meats.

-NOTHING nonfat! You could switch over to whole milk/low fat(whatever you are more comfortable with right now) and get another probably 100 calories without really adding anything.

Angel-Sorry no cake. But good that you still got the cals in!

Wistful-Hmmm, you really are in a tough spot! I think that you are the one on charge of what weight you should be. Sorry the ones around you are not really helping!

Lala-I gained I think 9 pounds at the beginning of recovery in around a week or two weeks tops. I was eating ~3000 at the time as well. Do not fret! It will slow down.

Aussie-Yeah, I really do not want to start counting. I have stopped counting and am just listening to my body, but whenever I an trying to be "in touch" with what my body says it needs(like growling in my stomach=I feed it) I loose weight. Then I eat a ton to get it back up, then I go back to listening to my body's hunger signals, and loose weight again, etc. etc! It is so frustrating. I might count for a few days just to make sure x-(

Relena-Yay for eating more! Awesome job. So proud of ya girl!

Aquaev-Thanks so much! He really is too. I could go on and on, but I will save myself the "breath."

EDIT:(because by the time I was done posting, there was like 30 new posts!)

Gibbit-Have fun today. I am sure you will feel great. I love not counting! Doesn't it leave you with a much more relieved sense of mind? It is awesome!

Wistful-Ditto Charliebo! She is very right. A lot of times people are so used to seeing you at a low weight, even when you gain a small amount, they automatically think you look "fine or healthy." (Although you really aren't) Hope that made sense!

Psycho: Aaagh, thanks. Though I'm just scared this rate of gain will continue, you know? I'm at about 4k calories a day and 5lbs a week = a bmr of 1500 on average. WTF? How long did it take before it slowed for you? This rate is scaring me!

hey guys

thankyou all so much for your support...im GOING to hit 2200 today...nothings going to stop me :)

agruskin and aqua flapjacks are made from oats, sugar and butter plus whatever else you want to add (i like sultanas) and you bake them in the oven and depending on how long, sometimes theyre soft and sometimes theyre crispy (i like soft!) and you can top them with choc :P i can provide recipes if you want ;)

oh and i do make my own pancakes, last night i had them like amaerican ones but over here we call pancakes what you know as crepes (which are french)...so you fill them and roll them up!

ok so im not going to post food until ive finished eating but....ahhhh i nearly died this morning....my mom brought a new digital scale...the one i normally weigh on is the old kind with the needle....so it turns out its so old it added 10lb on to me :/...so basically im now 95lb :O, and i thought i was nearly there ;(

so yes im def increasing my cals, i am right to trust the new scale over the old yes?

oh yea, wistful get a new doc!! thats awful, my bloods were perfect when i was 75lb but i sure wasnt healthy...hell i actually look like i could be healthy now, but (as of today) my bmi is about 16! you know hes wrong

Lala-I would say the weight gain kind of slowed down around the next week actually! Maybe two weeks. When it slowed I just upped the cals and kept on going hard! Keep up the hard work!

Wow!! Sooooooooooo many posts!

Lala- octopus in a tin? How bizarre? I love squid and octopus so may have to check this out- delish mixed with cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and spaghetti!...

Likearock- If you havn't already gone! Have a fantastic time in Ecuador, South America is amazing, everyone just seems super-friendly. Great opportunity for crushing ed down too.

Charlieuk- yummy scrummy flapjack! I made some oatmeal-raisin cookies a couple of days ago which are pretty similar. I'm keeping them in the freezer so if i'm low on cals at the end of the day i can just pop one in the aga to eat with my hot chocolate!

I can't believe all this Ensure-hate about, I still like them and find them pretty much essential for getting the cals up, I really don't think I would get to 2000 without them- I usually have 2 a day.

Yesterday I ate:

B: 20g all bran with 3 apricot halves, Kid's innocent smoothie (200)

S: Ensure plus (330)

L: Pret falafel, spinach and tomato sandwich on wholewheat bread with yoghurt dressing and tomato relish, yummy! (360)

S: Ensure plus (330)

D: 1/3 mushroom quiche with green beans and lettuce, Activia fibre yoghurt and Pink Lady apple ( 470)

S: Options hot chocolate made with 250ml semiskimmed milk and homemade oatmeal-raisin cookie. (300)

Total= 2000 (still going strong! Havn't weighed myself yet, pretty scared, I'm gonna leave it until i've had a week with the upped intake)

Headingup: It was from Sainsbury's - Isabel's was the brand I think. It was very nice, though check it all over for small fragments of bone (? I think it was bone, was dark grey compared to the pinkish flesh so easy to spot) and rinse it but otherwise it's yummy. :D And I don't like Ensures because of a bad experience having to live on a liquid diet for two weeks. Nutrition drinks make me gag now .__.

Still freaking out a bit. Aaagh.

EDIT: DAMN YOU FOR HAVING A PRET A MANGER NEAR YOU, I LOVE THAT PLACE. I had that exact same sandwich last time I went there and it was amazing ;___;

/shakes a fist xD

HOLY COW! LOL, 19 POSTS SINCE I WAS ON LAST NIGHT-I LOVE IT!

im eating about 2100 the past few days and feeling a bit confused if i should infact be eating more, im thinking of maybe asking my parents to go to a nutritionist.  just not sure what to do w how much to eat?

HEADINGUP-i think i just had a bad flavor, or it expired bc i used to love them.  PRET FALAFEL-thats a store bought frozen item that you then make at home? ha- i was just going to ask how your porgress was w/these cals, im also waiting to weigh, keep it up!

CHARLIE-yes-recipes please! lol, flapjacks, pancakes, crepes, whatever!  the crepes are very thin i guess bc pancakes here are thicker.  oh man, the scale-do you have dumbels to tst it?  keep up the great work! cant wait to see youre meals!

PSYCHO-yay for the boy!!!  i know that my hunger/satiety signs and all that are so messed up that im not able to go by them yet, maybe try to listen to your body, but also keep in mind throuhgout the day how much/little youve eaten.

GIBBIT-wow!!  awesome of you, goin out, dancing!  youll be so active w/ all that training, honestly, you can eat anything! have fun!

ANGEL-yum!  i never used pumpkin, do i store the remaining part in rubbermaid in the frdige or something? 1 container fage? was it puffed cereal, dont have that? thanks!

AUSSIE-maybe try whole eggs, theyre really yum and healthy! make sure to eat before drinking! have fun!

Lala- hehe, yep pretty lucky! My Mum was actually walking by and called me to ask if i wanted anything from there for lunch! Kind Mummy!

Agru- Pret a manger is the name of the sandwich shop, it's all natural, nutritious stuff and so what i had was one of their sandwiches, i didn't have to do a thing.

 

agru-your meal plan looks good really though dont be afraid to eat more,you really need to feed your body and get it back to its optimal health.kick start your body so your maintenance can be what your eating now.i know its hard, like super really effin hard. last year when i got out of IP i didnt believe it at all hah i was given 1950-2300 to maintain my weight when sedenetary and i thought my nutritionist was a psychotic mad women.it seemed so ridiculous that i would have to eat so much to maintain my weight(i was still slightly underweight when i was released)so i went to a different nutritionist that recommended 1600-1800, on excercise days i ate 2000 and days that i went out to party it was like 2200-2500 and i followed this for about 3 months and i ended up losing around ten pounds.i looked bony,sick,weak and scrawny.everything i didnt want to be.i wanted to be a strong healthy-boddied swimmer/soccer player. and i felt like i didnt want to play the sports i loved because of my physical appearance.i now regret that i havent just followed my meal plan.when i had to then  i would not have relapsed.i would not be at this point where i am now.you have to let go and just breathe.agru i so believe in you,reading your posts i know that your trying.keep up the good work.

yes i have a food scale.when i struggle with food i get really obssesive and i want everything to be EXACT hah. and maui loa's would be incredible delicous macadamia nuts.its a brand that i buy from costco a bit expensive but worth it.whole foods has some maple flavored macadmaia nuts that i want to buy but soo expensive. over 20$ a pound .haha

yesterday i ate

breakfast-one cup hemp granola(280)one cup vanilla soy(130)one cup blueberries(70)one cup orange-peach-mango juice(120)

snack-celery and peanut butter pack(170)ritz crackers(140)nature valley granola bar(180)crystal light(10)

lunch-chicken,rice,vegetables(290)1/2 cup starberry ice cream(140)ounce of almonds(170)

snack-

dinner-in-n-out hamburger without spread(310)ketchup(30)

snack-starwberries(50)one cup dannon la creme peach yogurt(280)1/2 cup banana nut granola(280)

i missed out on snack and struggled with dinner,blaaahh my mom came to spend time with me.i look up to her alot and she made so many remarks.ugh it just pissed me off.she didnt want to eat dinner and she was always like "are you sure you want to eat that?" i think she was trying to test me. we went to in-n-out and she was like "why dont you eat half a burger?and i eat the other half.or why dont we just go shopping instead?" uhm blahh. i dont care if she wants to lose weight right now, but i dont want her rubbing any of her eating habits on me right now

im doing better this morning today, im going to make it over 3000 again.

I'm trying to get around 2500 today for the first time, since Meesh suggested it () and I wholeheartedly trust her opinion. Meesh, I hope you're doing okay. Don't worry about what your mother says- you know you have to eat more, no matter what, and make sure she knows that she'd be sabotaging your efforts if you didn't eat as much as you do normally.. <3

What I've eaten so far:

Breakfast: 1/2 cup quick oats(150) with 1 cup skim milk (90), 2 tbsp. PB (180) 2 tbsp. maple syrup (120), 1/4 cup raisins(120), 1 tbsp. ground flaxseed & cinnamon (50)

Snack: 1 cup skim milk (90), 1 medium banana (100), 1 tbsp. maple syrup (60), a tsp. instant coffee powder(0-5?..) and a bit of jello instant vanilla pudding (around 100). This was a smoothie. :D

Lunch: 2 slices dempster's prebiotic bread (220), 110g lilydale chicken (160), tomato (20), mushrooms (10), about 1 tbsp. compliment's mayonnaise style dressing (50)

And that puts me at about 1500 so far, and I'm stuffed... geehhh. D:

 

EDIT: Yay! Just made myself a 500-or-so calorie milkshake with icecream and stuff, so now I'm up to 2000+. :D

Hey guysss :)

agru- yeah i usually buy the big container then store the rest in the fridge. I eat a lot though soo you might want to get the small container so it doesn't perish. As for greek yogurt, I get the trader joe's big containers. They have like 2.5 servings perrr container. HEhe I buy like 3 for one week. And arrowhead mills has like unsweetened cereal, comes in puffed corn, kamut, millet....I dunno, I just like to sweeten things myself? So i get it.

gibbit- haha the CAT scan was kind of scary for me. No pain but still kind of creepy.

I'm just wondering, they gave me two containers of barium sulfate. Does anyone know whyyyy in the world I feel so stuffed. that stuff doesn't even have calories?. I mean I haven't eaten hardly because I can't eat before a CT scan. But I drank those shakes and maaaaan I can't fit in anything :(. Gibbit, or if anyone's had a CT scan, any similar experiences?

Lala-to answer your question about when your weight gain will slow down, I will tell you what my therapist told me:

When you restrict your food for so long, your body starts to shut off non-essential things bit by bit, so obviously if you are not healthy enough to sustain yourself, you lose your period because obviously your body would not be able to sustain another life, let alone yours. So, when your body does this, it is like a house that does not have enough energy...it will "air dry" clothes instead of using a dryer, etc. So, when you start to eat again, your body expects that it won't last for long because it is used to not getting this energy, so it will hoard it. But, after you keep eating and giving it energy it realizes that energy will keep coming in, so it will start to use the "dryer" and will reve up it's metabolism. I know that when I was restricting, I would need to nap EVERYDAY, and was so tired. But, now that I constantly eat, my body does not need to conserve energy so I am more energized to do additional things beyond exist.

I think this is a really positive thread, but would also encourage you all to start going to people instead of food to take care of your emotional needs. I am finally successfully replacing my food restricting and shifting it to people and having my emotional needs met by them. I went to restricting because I didn't have close people in my life to share my feelings with. But, once I started to tell people my feelings and voice how I felt, food was no longer the focus. The issue with food is that unlike alcohol or drugs, we actually need food in order to live, so it may always be an issue for us restricters. But, once you put the focus on you and the people around you, food will no longer be your lifeline to coping with life!

hi everyone!

HEADINGUP-so cool, i dont have any healthy type restaurant near me, nor have i ever heard of such a thing!  i think id like live there-how conveniant!

MEESH- im so sorry that your mother was being a bit difficult, parents are so confusing!  my mother will threaten me w/ IP, yell at me for not eating her cooking, then ask me to go to the gym w her!  keep up the AWESOME work!  so im confused, when you left IP, why were you told 2 such diff caloric ranges for maintenance?  you stuck w/ the lower range and then lost weight?  im not an athelte so maybe my metabolism is lower than others bc of that?  so you think stick w/?lol, i know ive asked many times, but 2400-2700cals target-just seems like a lot!

ALYSHA-hey!  sounds like youre doing great!

ANGEL-is the barium thing so they can trace it going thru your body, like you drink it and lie there and they watch it travel thru you?  i did that and it was gross, it was pre ED and bc of my stomach probs but it was thick so yea, gets you full.  im asure youll get hungry soon.

FORGETMENOT-welcome!  where are you in recovery? 

SAT-

THOMAS mini bagel square, ~tbspn PB, jelly, slice of cheese, apple ~450

THOMAS mini bagel square, 2 tspns cream cheese, tomato+onion, fage, jelly, plum, pudding, ~tspn trail mix ~ 420

Lala: I understand how concerned you are about the jump in the scale. When i first started recovery i had quite a big jump....but then i lost it all again by accident. Try not to worry anf let your body settle, it needs its nutritional needs to be met and eventually it will get back to normal.

Agru: Here in the uk, pretty much every school (both primary and high school) wear a school uniform. They have there own colours (e.g blue, white and navy) and there own symbol. It sucks. Everyone is soooo jelous that all you lucky americans get to wear own clothes. We only get to do that at the end of year/christmas etc plus we have to pay a pound to ge towards charity.

I have been reading a few articles today about anorexia recovery and the nutritional needs that a recovering anorexic requires. Apparently fats are essential, you are more likely to fully recover if you eat a higher fat diet and reduce the chance a relapse. Also, calorie requirements should apparently be up to 3000+ and will be elevated for at least 6 months after full weight restoration. I found all these reasearch articles very intriguing and encouraging.

So i have 2 Questions. Firstly, i have been contemplating getting up to 2500 calories or even 3000 but i pretty scared about getting there. Should i just go for it?

Secondly, I am going grocery shopping 2morrow. What would be some brill healthy but high calorie foods. I am in the uk.

Finally what i ate today:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with semi skimmed milk, strawberrie, banana, tbsp honey and tbsp peanut butter

Snack: 3 Ryvita with light cream cheese. Apple

Lunch: 2 Slices whole wheat bread, 1 egg, tbsp mayo, sliced tomato and salad. Activa Raspberry fruity layers yogurt. 3 squares dark chocolate.

Snack: Trek peanut and oat wholefoods protein bar

Dinner: Quorn mexican burger on whole wheat bun with side salad of lettuce, carrot, spring onion and dads home grown chrry tomatos and tbsp hot and spicy mango chutney.

Snack: 400ml semi skimmed milk with sachet of orange chocolate options hot chocolate. 5 almonds.

Total: 2146 (was supposed to get to 2200 but have no food in the house lol)

I am so sorry that I have not been posting/on today. Swimming was a lot of fun though! Tired and hungry. Going out to eat at an awesome Greek/Mediterranean place. It is supposed to be delicious and healthy, never been though. I will post later! xxx

ah! I can't keep up with everyone! training was fun but I'm exhausted. It wasn't anything physical though, we did classroom type stuff today and learned about teaching methods, the equipment, and first aid. We're going canoeing tomorrow but I probably will just have to be pushed around because my hand is still healing from the biking accident :\ so that sucks because I love rowing! They ordered pizza but I can't really have cheese anyways so I had brought a pb and j on cinnamon raisin bread :) plus it turns out 2 of the other leaders are veggies too so on top of the general sandwish stuff we're bringing pita and hummus, yay!

Welcome charliebo! isn't this place fantastic?!?! Seriously, it's saved my life. Your intake seems really good and healthy and I would just second all the other tips you've gotten. Veggies are good as long as they don't keep you from reaching your calorie goals and there are higher cal ways to eat them. I still feel like I have to get in a good amount of vegetables in a day because it's so good for you but I think my intake is high enough to where I can manage the veggies in addition to myother food, plus I add tons of nuts and beans, and olive oil to all of my salads so the cals are up there anyways, or sauteeing in olive oil also does wonders :)

angel- yeah the barium thing was yucky! And when I did it I still hadn't started eating much so just fitting it in my stomach was difficult. just a warning- you will probably have a very large BM soon :X hehe

meesh- I'm sorry your mom isn't more understanding! I hate seeing all these parents on diets when they should be more concerned about their child's health. I'm lucky I come from a family of big eaters so that's really helped me to see them all enjoying their food and eating so much and still looking thin and healthy.

heaadingup- i've had the pret falafel! the balls are so small, but it was good. I love their smoothies.

charlieuh- that sucks about the scale! I guess that means you just have to keep eating :) My scale is actually a little under what the doctor's usually say so I have to add about 4 lbs when I do actually weigh.

So far today I've had

b- warm glass of soymilk with honey, greek yogurt, banana, LOTS of grapes, dates, almonds, granola

l- pb and j on ezekiel cinnamon raisin bread, apple (i know, not so good :\ but I was at training)

s- just got home and had kale steamed in the micro with mixed seeds, carrot, garbanzo beans, and olive oil

s- not sure what i'll have yet but I'm sure I won't make it to dinner without one

d- the curry type stew I was making last night, barley, quinoa, couscous, oats, lentils, garbanzos, eggplant, dried apricots, onions, olive oil, curry, I really threw everything in there! And probably some toast to scoop with and maybe a veggie side?

s- I'm going to a wine and cheese party, but I probably won't have too much cheese, so wine and then another snack when I get back tonight.

Whew, so many posts! I basically spent the whole day shopping! So I had to eat out even though I'm having a crap ED day and didn't feel like it.

charliebo- Welcome! This site is what I credit most of my recovery too so far. I never would have gotten the courage to eat what I do without seeing all the inspirational people on here. A  suggestions is to Switch out fat free/ light anything for full fat. Meaning yogurt, cheese, cream cheese etc. And I have three snacks a day. One after each meal. I usually eat once every hour or two hours. I can't answer the appetite q, because I'm always hungry! Good luck!

gibbit- What is morrocan food like? It sounds like you had so much fun! Great job with no counting, it seems to have made you a lot hapier!

charlieuk- Haha, thanks for explaining to the ditzy American what a flapjack is! Sorry about the scale mishap, but if it makes you feel better I have a 20 year old scale so I'm probably lighter than it shows too! Yeah, digital scales are much more accurate than needle, so trust that one.