Anyone else just trying to get a bit fatter?

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  • Ms_Wire
    Ms_Wire Posts: 22
    Can you request a referral to another dietitian if the first wasn't any good?

    My son drinks Nutricia Fortini smoothies, prescribed by the dietitan. He doesn't like them, but it's 300 cals for the 200 ml bottle, so easier to just knock back than a creamy complan style drink. He also had something called Fresubin shot prescribed, but he abolutely refuses to drink them. Sad, because they are 600 cals for 120 ml, a really small amount of liquid! Perhaps an adult would be able to just swallow it and rinse their mouth out. But I can abolutely understand why anyone would not want to drink these kind of things though.

    We give him things like chocolate, nuts (lots of different types), bits of cheese and greek yogurt to pick at throughout the day. Do you have a favouite snack you can pick at during the day?

    I also agree with the poster advising gaining muscle and the weight at the same time. It might seem overfacing to eat a great deal to allow for new exercising, but start small with the food and the weights and build up.

    I actually quite like Complan, so don't have a problem getting it down :) I've never heard of Fresubin, but I am really bad at coping with things that taste awful, even if ostensibly as adult!
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Putting on lean mass doesn't necessarily mean you want to 'bulk up'. If you are just trying to increase to a healthy BMI, unless you already have a very low body fat, it is healthier to add some muscle along with fat rather than simply increase your BF%.

    When gaining weight the gains will always be a combination of fat and LBM, just as it is when losing weight. Depending on your exercise and nutrition, the ratio of fat:muscle will vary.

    Only thing is, I'm really struggling with my calorie goal (2150) as it is, and I'll have to consume even more, presumably, if I'm working out too?

    Not if you just lift.


    But there's also nothing wrong with your current approach.
  • DrFlave
    DrFlave Posts: 59 Member
    Only thing is, I'm really struggling with my calorie goal (2150) as it is, and I'll have to consume even more, presumably, if I'm working out too?

    Strength training burns relatively few calories compared to cardio. I only lift, and I personally don't find it any harder to hit my calorie goal on gym days. There's nothing wrong with just wanting to fill out a bit though. It might help to gradually increase your calorie goal instead of suddenly trying to eat way more than you're used to.
  • Ms_Wire
    Ms_Wire Posts: 22
    Only thing is, I'm really struggling with my calorie goal (2150) as it is, and I'll have to consume even more, presumably, if I'm working out too?

    Strength training burns relatively few calories compared to cardio. I only lift, and I personally don't find it any harder to hit my calorie goal on gym days. There's nothing wrong with just wanting to fill out a bit though. It might help to gradually increase your calorie goal instead of suddenly trying to eat way more than you're used to.

    Thanks. I think, after a few weeks of pushing myself, I can feel my appetite getting bigger, so hopefully things will improve soon!
  • daynerz
    daynerz Posts: 227 Member
    Eat nuts, just a handful of almonds is roughly 300c, adds up quick
  • superhippo95
    superhippo95 Posts: 21 Member
    peanut butter, nuts, oils, whole milk, cheese, steak, butter, poptarts, cake, donuts, pancakes, pizza, bacon, sausage, pasta. oats, dried fruit, avocado, eggs, fatty fish, chocolate, candy, pancakes, cookies
  • ROBOTFOOD
    ROBOTFOOD Posts: 5,527 Member
    I'm also trying to put on some mass. I'm a distance runner, so It's a slow process. My BMI right now is 18.
    6'0 134lb.
    I was 118 3yrs ago, so I've improved a lot.
    Goal is 150.
  • milkgainer
    milkgainer Posts: 5
    I am very much where you are as well. I lost too much weight as a result of nursing my son and my BMI dropped to 16 - a weight far too low for me, even as a normally slender person. I did find that a registered dietitian was able to help me work some ideas into my diet already. For instance, along with my normal breakfast I do some homemade smoothies that have protein powder and flaxseed oil to get a boost of protein/fat/calories in the morning. But what works for me may not be the same as for you.

    I went from eating about 2300-2500 a day prior to meeting with a dietitian to 2700-3000 a day. But again, my metabolic needs are skewed especially since I'm nursing! The new diet has helped me gain 1.5-2lbs or so in the last two weeks. So it is working.

    I do also exercise 1-2 times a week (weight training) for strength but that has nothing to do with my weight goals. I will say that my doctor was concerned about bone density long term because those of us who don't carry as much fat around can have bone loss issues. So that is a plus in the weight training column if you find yourself interested in it at some point in the future.
  • WLG1974
    WLG1974 Posts: 90
    My ex husband was so skinny people thought he was anorexic. He wasn't though, he ate so much food it made me sick. We would go to Denny's and he would order 4 plates of food and eat them all. Not to mention an entire chocolate cake to himself. He couldn't gain no matter what. So, he used that weight gainer powder stuff and he gained weight except he lost all the weight really fast when he stopped consuming it.

    I think some people will just be really thin no matter what. I don't see anything wrong with it, but ya people can be so judgemental when they have no idea what a person is really going through.
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
    Try to go for calorie dense nutritious foods. Nuts as mentioned are a good one. For desert mebe strawberry with lashings of cream and sugar. Honestly im so envious right now. I'm the other end of the scale.

    There are some days I would just KILL to just enjoy a large bowl of walnuts. As it is the few i can fit into my snacking tend to just make me feel like having more lol.
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
    If I was in your situation, I would probably just choose the food I liked the best and start eating a lot more of it!

    With a BMI of 15 your first priority should be to gain weight. There is no need right now to force yourself to eat foods you hate or make you feel sick just because someone else recommends them.

    Once you get better at increasing your intake, you can worry about hitting reasonable macro targets and developing a better workout routine.
  • Ms_Wire
    Ms_Wire Posts: 22
    Thanks everyone, some helpful advice. I'm definitely going to start some strength training (as I said from the start), but I think I'm going to try and just get a little bit of weight on first, to see if I even can. It's been three weeks and I've manged one pound so far, so I'm not convinced that just isn't a fluke....
  • Linnaea27
    Linnaea27 Posts: 639 Member
    Me! I've been trying to maintain for the last month, using the calories MFP told me to eat, and have lost an additional 3 pounds. I'm thinner than I like now and am trying to adjust my thinking to be able to eat enough to gain a couple of those pounds back, as the loss of body fat is making my hormones do some weird things. I think I am going to be having fun eating pie and cheesecake and delicious full-fat Greek yogurt. Also, protein/fruit shakes made with full-fat milk and Greek yogurt are delicious. I think they make me less full if I don't add protein powder, however.

    I would like to gain muscle too, but in summer most of my activity is gardening, and I don't want to be indoors doing weights when gardening is kind of a strength-enhacing activity already. Plus, like you, I would rather gain a little body fat first.
  • yyc8
    yyc8 Posts: 1
    Hi,
    I'm 22, 5'2 and 39.7kg. Ever since 13 I have not pass 40kg... Like you, I loveee food but people still judge me on appearances and think i have an eating disorder. There are friends who will care about you and ask how comes you're so skinny and defend you when people make judgement, those are the type of friends you should cherish. For those who whisper behind your back or just make up assumption, screw them, they are ignorate and condescending. I hope you reach your goal <3

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