I AM DONE!

GretaGirl8

I just want to add...you may be very surprised at how much you need to eat to actually gain any weight. This often happens with people who are malnurished and eating at a deficit for a long period of time. I would recommend working with a dietician or ED doctor to get some perspective on how much/how quickly to increase food intake.

UsedToBeHusky

Congratulations on making this decision for yourself! :flowerforyou:

I would recommend soy protein powders, peanut butter, and olive oil be added to your diet.

Good luck!

socajam

Lets face it i havent been trying all that hard to recover from my ED. I mean sure i was eating but i would always try to leave a good amount of food on my plate.

Currently Im 5'2 and 82 pounds... Ive lost my period for 3-4 months. And i look DEAD! No butt no face NO BOOBS!!!! Im cold 24/7! Im sick of this. I am going to gain weight and keep it on...

Sorry for the rant now to the question...

How do i gain weight healthily? Keep in mind im a vegetarian Sure i could go down a jar of mayo and gain then feel really ill afterwards you know what i mean?

Here's a nice warm smoothie for you, not sure is it cold where you are:

1 cup milk of your choice - almond, soy - I use Horizon Organic - 2% lactose
3/4 cup steam pumpkin
1 tbs almond butter
1 tbs coconut oil - I use the one from Costco
30 grams any high fiber cereal

Warm milk and pumpkin (I normally steam enough pumpkin for a couple of days
I also weigh out all of the above
Pour everything into a blender and there's breakfast.

I prefer almond butter to peanut butter.

HarolDean

"We're done. I ate a hamburger the other day and suddenly I'm not cold all the time."

Sorry just had to throw this quote out there since Community was the first thing I thought of when reading this.

ericahassinistermotives

Hi! Congratulations on your journey and deciding to start it with us.

I know I'm not trying to make gains, but when I was a care worker, I worked with several girls who had very specific diet needs, including vegetarianism due to meat allergy; she in particular was also recovering from an eating disorder (along with a battery of other problems).

Adding protein and carbohydrates to your diet will likely help you with gains. Potatoes, beans, nuts, nut milks; pastas, noodles, breads, cheeses.
We want you on high calorie, so you gain, but not high sodium or sugar, so you feel sick; assuming your body isn't used to it.

As for nuts and nut butters and nut oils, sesame and macadamia are high calorie. Almonds as well.

Nutella is a particularly high calorie treat you may like. Spread it on fruit or stir in yogurt for a decadent treat that won't leave you over-stuffed.

So you wake up and you make a smoothie. You aren't super hungry, but maybe it's a good idea to try something.

For a banana smoothie made with almond milk, greek yogurt or nut butter, with vanilla protein powder (assuming you aren't vegan), you're looking at 400-500 calories right there depending on how much you make.
You can give yourself some substantial food (if you're comfortable) with apples, peaches, pears.

Work day? Need your coffee? Add a tablespoon coconut oil to your 2c coffee with your creamer/sugar. Stir til very melted and very mixed. You won't really taste it, and it adds another 60 calories of healthy fats to your coffee.

Lunch time is neigh!

Take some bread. Make yourself a sandwich. I like grilled cheese. If you're vegan as well, try some bean protein cheeses. Some tasty pretty bad, but there are a few gems out there. Expect to go for the white cheeses and expect them to taste sharp. Have some cheese, tomato, spinach, and guacamole in your bread and pan-fry it in a little olive oil. This sandwich in particular is 460-500 calories depending on calories in your ingredients. So now you've had about 1000 calories and it isn't even dinner yet. Go you!

Work day? Packing your lunch?
Bring in a peanut butter (or other nut butter) and jelly. One of those childhood favorites is like 400 calories if you're generous with your fillings. Serve with finger veggies and fruits and cheeses you like. Supplement with any dip you like. A garlicy hummus is one of my favorites.

For dinner, you're not really feeling anything complicated, you had a busy day!

So you steam up some pierogies (check the freezer aisle, they are potato and chive filled dumplings; no animal proteins)
And top with some marinara sauce (or alfredo, or salsa, or ketchup...).
Serve with your favorite veggies and you've finished the day (if my math isn't horrible) at 1500-1700 calories.

Feel free to treat yourself with snacks, but don't feel pressured or overwhelmed.

No meat consumed. And from what I gather, most people (your average joe or jane) maintain their weight at 1500. MFP also has gaining options and will map out your macros, but I thought I'd map out what a typical day (from my work experience) was like.

As always, take my word worth what it is, and make sure your doctor is on board with you and helping you along the way. And go at your own pace. A lot of people will trivialize your struggle and say it isn't hard to gain weight and point you toward a McDonalds. Just remember that it is a very real journey, just like weight loss is for me. I hope you the best of luck!

Tedebearduff

Lets face it i havent been trying all that hard to recover from my ED. I mean sure i was eating but i would always try to leave a good amount of food on my plate.

Currently Im 5'2 and 82 pounds... Ive lost my period for 3-4 months. And i look DEAD! No butt no face NO BOOBS!!!! Im cold 24/7! Im sick of this. I am going to gain weight and keep it on...

Sorry for the rant now to the question...

How do i gain weight healthily? Keep in mind im a vegetarian Sure i could go down a jar of mayo and gain then feel really ill afterwards you know what i mean?

Nuts are high in calories
Cheese if your eating it (there are different levels of vegetarian so I'm not sure)
Avocado
starchy foods like potatoes pasta rice ... pretty much lots of carbs (obvious choices)
Can turn to sugar so things like Pop or juice might be a good idea