Weight gain, Nutrition and Digestion

ishurao

Hi Everyone !
Im new here.

Seems like the perfect place to ask my endless questions.

I am lean and 6 feet and have recently dropped from 165 to 130 lbs because i had to do Shift work(graveyard shift) and that messed up my diet as well which has left me bone skinny now.

Now after a year i have shifted back to working during the day. Now i want to increase my calories again to a slight surplus but whenever i try to do so i get inflammation in my gut and bloating 😩.

Has someone experienced the same, will this get better ? Will i ever be able to eat more now? Has bad sleep for a year messed up my gut flora and digestion in general ? Will pro/prebiotics help ? All my blood markers are fine so doctors aren't of much help.

Any help/tips will be greatly appreciated 🥺

claireychn074

Firstly how many calories extra do you try to eat? Do you try to eat them with meals or snacks? And what are you are trying to eat?

So some people find extra calories taken in snacks easier as you don’t have to eat so much in one go (which can upset your tummy if you’re not used it). Increasing fibre, fat or protein quickly can cause gas, and upping food too much in one go can also upset the stomach. Can you give us some more info?

GaryRuns

The trick is finding out what specific food, or type of food, is causing your digestion issues, eliminating that and adding foods that don't cause you any problems.

Here's a thread on calorie-dense foods for people who have trouble gaining weight:

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

cwolfman13

Any insight as to what specific food is causing digestive issues? I get that primarily if I eat a lot of raw vegetables (one of the reasons I don't do big salads as a main meal) or if I just eat an overly heavy or large meal.

Many moons ago when I had to put on weight to avoid being underweight I had to piece meal it. I couldn't just eat large meals. I ate regular sized meals and added a lot of snacking in between and also drank calories. I can't say that my diet was overly healthy as it was primarily chow hall food and going for the salad bar or something wasn't going to cut it trying to gain weight...so it was usually cheeseburgers or pizza or whatever. I was also drinking a glass of whole milk with every meal and in between...typically drinking 5x 12 oz glasses of whole milk daily and going through a gallon every couple of days.

My issue was that I was in the military and had an very active job plus a regular PT requirement 5 days out of the week which consisted of a 3 mile run and pull ups and pushups, etc, and I just couldn't keep up with the calories I was burning. I still tried to get in some veg and fruit and whatnot, but at that point it was more important that I got in the calories I needed than meeting the RDA of fruits and veg.

ishurao

claireychn074 wrote: »

Firstly how many calories extra do you try to eat? Do you try to eat them with meals or snacks? And what are you are trying to eat?

So some people find extra calories taken in snacks easier as you don’t have to eat so much in one go (which can upset your tummy if you’re not used it). Increasing fibre, fat or protein quickly can cause gas, and upping food too much in one go can also upset the stomach. Can you give us some more info?

Hi Clairey,

Sorry for the late reply, took me some time to find my own discussion thread here : p

Right now ive been hitting 2.5 k calories daily for the past 2 weeks as per my MFP app goals, but my bodyweight is more of less the same fluctuating 2-3 lbs a day.
I'm going for 4 meals a day roughly 600-700 calories each trying to spread out throughout the day taking brisk walks after every meal so it can hep digest it faster.

Also i should mention i had done a full month of a Probiotic supplement prior to starting this weight gain attempt. Honestly the bloating and indigestion isn't that bad now and i feel i can squeeze in another meal if i wake up a few hours early. I'll do that once i feel comfortable with my 2.5 k cal routine.

Also, i would love to hear your thoughts on how sleep could affect my attempt because honestly i been hitting just 5-6-7 hours of not so deep sleep.

Ps: Milk(which im starting yo incorporate again in my diet slowly) and dairy is what bugs my stomach the most but i cannot find good cost effective alternatives to these. And they're nutrients dense foods
I'll be trying Lactase enzyme with dairy after my next visit to my doctor.
I need atleast 2.5-3 hours in between my meals.

claireychn074

@ishurao The issue with milk is that some people genetically cannot digest it, so you might always struggle with it. For some reason denaturing the enzymes can help so cheese might be okay even if milk and whey protein isn’t. Have you tried milk or cheese from sheep or goats? Again, it might just be cows milk which upsets your stomach. Have a look for some vegan protein powders - don’t know where you’re based but in the UK Bulk Powders do v reasonably priced pea protein powder.

Sleep is critical, and I know too little affects how much I can lift and eat. I wouldn’t get up early to eat more if I was you, I would maybe try to gently increase your snacks or meals (I.e. what about a dirty vegan shake before bed? Vegan protein powder, milk substitute, peanut butter?). Prioritise rest, try to schedule more sleep and slowly increase cals. It’s great that you’ve got your intake up already and it shows you can do it.

For reference I’ve previously never had to worry about eating enough but over the last few months my training has stepped up, and I have struggled to eat enough to fuel my workouts. So I do understand the struggle, and I keep emergency nuts to eat when I’m low on cals, and I dress my salads with olive oil. I am lucky as I can digest milk and that’s a great source for me.

Hope that helps!

claireychn074

Just another thought - can you digest eggs? Nutrient rich, quick to eat and can be snacked on!

SuzanneC1l9zz

Just one suggestion from another person who can't digest dairy. This is the base of my breakfast, to which I add 1/2 cup of whatever fruit. A lot of people find drinking their calories less filling, so if that's the case for you you could potentially add some solid food on top. The protein powder brand I use is LeanFit.

ishurao

claireychn074 wrote: »

Just another thought - can you digest eggs? Nutrient rich, quick to eat and can be snacked on!

Yesss !
Love eggs, they go in relatively easy.

I take 4 whole eggs spread in two servings with shake or whatever's available early morning or late afternoon.

Would love to try some tasty recipes !!!

ishurao

SuzanneC1l9zz wrote: »

Just one suggestion from another person who can't digest dairy. This is the base of my breakfast, to which I add 1/2 cup of whatever fruit. A lot of people find drinking their calories less filling, so if that's the case for you you could potentially add some solid food on top. The protein powder brand I use is LeanFit.

Its the same for me, can consume more liquid calories. Currently i'm taking small portion of something to eat with my shakes(banana milk protein shake) so it soothe the lactose bloating a lill.

ishurao

GaryRuns wrote: »

The trick is finding out what specific food, or type of food, is causing your digestion issues, eliminating that and adding foods that don't cause you any problems.

Here's a thread on calorie-dense foods for people who have trouble gaining weight:

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

Thanks for sharing Gary !