Adding Calories with Small Appetite

daydreamer0814

Hi, everyone.

I'm Kayla. I have Crohns Disease and really underweight. I had a bowel resection April 13th and can't lift or anything until May 22. Since having this disease, I've really struggled with having a normal appetite. I'm hoping it gets normal(ish) when I'm all healed. Right now I am on a soft diet. Basically nothing tough or hard like steak, nuts, etc.

Any advice? What do you eat to help gain weight? I have been trying peanut butter sandwiches. Is 2500 calories enough? I plan to really go at it soon. Right now I'm 88-90 pounds.

Thanks

Alatariel75

Can you make a nice calorie dense smoothie?

TavistockToad

Full fat dairy? Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, scrambled egg, mashed avocado, mashed potato?

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

Oil was my friend. Spoonful of nut butter every time you go in the kitchen. Add olive oil to everything you eat or cook.
Honey covered pureed fruit.

trigden1991

Do you find any particular foods cause flare ups? A friend of mine has Crohn's and found that spicy and fatty foods were not doable.

Once you know what you can't eat, eat anything else you want. Full fat, high calorie foods are going to be easiest.

Hamsibian

trigden1991 wrote: »

Do you find any particular foods cause flare ups? A friend of mine has Crohn's and found that spicy and fatty foods were not doable.

Once you know what you can't eat, eat anything else you want. Full fat, high calorie foods are going to be easiest.

This. I have Crohn's Disease, and always have to track what food irritates my symptoms. If you know what they are, great! Also, cooked foods have the tendency to be digested easier (something the GI docs actually get right), so go for blended soups if smoothies aren't your thing. avocados, bananas, mashed veggies like potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash.

richardgavel

Spread out the foods throughout the day. Add snacks. I've had cereal/milk as a before bed snack when I was short on calories. Your appetite can change as you eat more or less. I find it's just as much mental as physiological.

ndj1979

ice cream?

comptonelizabeth

I have ulcerative colitis which is similar. There are certain foods which trigger a flare and sadly they tend to be high calorie ones! Go for blended soups,shakes and smoothies and add oils if you can tolerate them. Well cooked root veg,mashed potatoes (with milk and butter if you can tolerate it)bananas...I can eat porridge (oatmeal) but you might find that hard going. Smooth nut butters are good. Do you have access to a qualified dietician?

Chieflrg

I've had a resection as well when I lost my rectum to cancer.

daydreamer0814 wrote: »

Any advice? What do you eat to help gain weight? Is 2500 calories enough?

Just add food like you mentioned peanut butter, ice cream (if you can), shakes from ice cream shops, bananas, pumpkin pie filling, pudding, maybe cottage cheese. Butter up your eggs or mashed motatoes will add calories. Lots of options actually...

Are you gaining weight? That is the only tell if 2500 calories is enough for you specially.

daydreamer0814

Chieflrg wrote: »

I've had a resection as well when I lost my rectum to cancer.

daydreamer0814 wrote: »

Any advice? What do you eat to help gain weight? Is 2500 calories enough?

Just add food like you mentioned peanut butter, ice cream (if you can), shakes from ice cream shops, bananas, pumpkin pie filling, pudding, maybe cottage cheese. Butter up your eggs or mashed motatoes will add calories. Lots of options actually...

Are you gaining weight? That is the only tell if 2500 calories is enough for you specially.

No, I'm not currently gaining. Unfortunately I think I've lost a couple of pounds since surgery. I've been having some nausea that seems be easing up. I promised myself that tomorrow I'll start tracking my calories and making sure I'm eating enough. My goal is 2500 calories.

daydreamer0814

Thanks for all the tips, everyone. I'm going to get a blender soon to make shakes/smoothies. I see my surgeon on May 22 so I'm hoping I'll be able to start doing some weight lifting. I feel nervous about it, though.

psuLemon

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10326769/are-you-a-hard-gainer-please-read/p1

You might be able to use this thread for some food ideas or recipe websites. Smoothies are a great way of getting calories. So good luck.