almost died

AlyssaHayleyS

hey my name is hayley im 18 years old . i am 5'8 and 101 lbs. i really want to gain weight. the doctor said that i only had a few years to live please help me i need to be healthy. my parents divorced and i live with my mom. i have been recovery since last week, now i ate around 2000 cals day but i cant eat that much! help? :sad:

drmerc

Liquid calories such as pepsi, milk, and orange juice
Also look at calorie dense foods such as peanut butter, snickers, and lots of butter

schondell

Your doctor didn't give you a plan or anything to follow??
Eat a lot of carbohydrates, bread, pasta, muffins, bagels.. They are very calorie dense. Add peanut butter, jams, cheese, etc

05saleengirl

Good suggestions but also include some good healthy fats and protein in there to help you get healthy the GOOD way. I wouldn't load up on the sugar, because regardless its not great for anyone. Are you currently working with a doc and a nutritionist to help you through alll this as well.

AlyssaHayleyS

okay i will try,thank you:)

no,he just told me to eat 3000 calories. yes, he told me to eat them but my stomach hurts after i ate everything!

PikaKnight

Hmmm, he should have given you a bit more info. Maybe try to also find a local nutritionist to work with you since your doctor doesn't seem to be giving you a more detailed plan. They can create a plan and work with increasing your calorie intake and also advise you how best to do that.

PikaKnight

If you've been eating say less than 500 calories a day and you just jump up to 2000 calories...or another way to put it is if you haven't been eating anything at all and you just stuff yourself - you are going to get sick and that can cause medical problems too. Either see another doctor or nutritionist to help get you up to where you need to be safely.

Sarauk2sf

How much are you eating now? Did your doctor say to increase your calories over a period of time or up them in one go? Usually its easier to add a few hundred calories each week as you hormones will gradually get back into sync and your appetite starts coming back. However, this would be advice for someone who is not in recovery. I am not sure if the advice would be different in your case.

To foods, it will be easier to eat calorie dense foods such as

- nuts and seeds and nut and seed butters
- add oil/butter/dressing to everything
- full fat everything (no low fat)
- full fat dairy (yogurt, milk, cheese)
- avocados
- pasta
- juice
- donuts and other light but sugary pastries
- 'fatty' meats such as bacon
- ice-cream

mambagirl

Start slow...it would be hard to go from 500 to 2,000 overnight.Maybe you can add a few 100 calories on each week till you get up to 2,000.At my job we give the underweight patients Ensure(the protein shake for older people).

RobKarmic

You can easily eat a lot more than 2,000 calories a day you're just not used to it

I suggest you go on youtube and look up Super size Vs Super Skinny they swap an obese persons meal with an anorexics meal and they always figure out that they can eat a lot more than they expected just force it down for a week and you'll be fine keep high calorie food around you at all times snack a lot and you'll do great

MoreBean13

The suggestions you've been given are good. I just wanted to say good job at deciding to live, and your stomach will "stretch". It will probably only take a week or so to physically get used to eating more. Just keep trying.

I would suggest milkshakes. And full fat specialty coffees like peppermint mochas go down easy and pack a lot of calories. Yum.

Oishii

Another point: actively avoid the foods which you know can make you feel full, but are low calorie, ie (low calorie) salads and soups. It is hard to simply add calories to a way of eating that leads to early satiety, so it may be better to swap out foods, ie, instead of lettuce, have avocado, rather than having both.

Also, if you're gaining weight to save your life, no high calorie food should be out of bounds. Your body needs you!

slkehl

Back in middle school, when my mom found out about my eating disorder, she would take me to McDonalds every day. She'd force me to drink a milkshake, and we wouldn't leave until I ate the whole thing. I remember it hurt, and I was so scared at first. But eventually my body and my mind adjusted. Maybe not the healthiest way for me to gain the weight, but it got the job done!

You can do this! I am 22 and fully recovered. I have a great relationship with food. You'll be there someday too!

axialmeow

You really need to be medically supervised. It makes me sad that your doctor hasn't given you the tools/info necessary to help your recovery. To tell you to just eat 3000 calories a day? Not helpful! I'd find a nutritionist who specializes in healthy weight gain. And I would find another doctor

2essie

It might help to eat little but often. Eat as many meals a day as you can from the lists the other people have given you. If you wake up at night even, go and eat something. No holds barred here. Just eat whenever you can. Good luck to you. You can do it

girlinahat

Go back to your doctor and ask for help in creating a healthy eating plan. Get your mum involved. Aim for healthy fats and plenty of fresh vegetables. Like others say, you are going to have to work up to it slowly. Good luck and well done on facing this.

TheWinman

You really need to be medically supervised. It makes me sad that your doctor hasn't given you the tools/info necessary to help your recovery. To tell you to just eat 3000 calories a day? Not helpful! I'd find a nutritionist who specializes in healthy weight gain. And I would find another doctor

I second this!!

Firefox7275

Ask your doctor to refer you to a registered dietician.

darrensurrey

If you can eat nuts, then devour them. Also peanut butter - either on bread or just spoon it into your mouth (it sounds odd but I could devour a whole jar if I didn't have to count calories).

Also, try the likes of Complan, Fortisip etc - very high energy, nutritious drinks normally given to people who can't eat much.

taekwonkenpo

Peanut butter

Dave198lbs

pizza

cheese cake

more cheese cake

more pizza

oh man...a pizza then cheese cake

heaven

jjscholar

You need additional professional help... Please don't be afraid to get it...

PhearlessPhreaks

I want to start by saying I'm not a dietician or a nutritional specialist, and, from looking at your food diary, you may want to get in touch with a Dr. who has that backround. Having said that, though, here's my two cents.

While you're looking to take in high-calorie food, I think you want to be fairly balanced in your approach. Yes, high-fat and high-sugar foods are a surefire way to gain weight, but they're not the healthiest way to do so. Granted, eating some ice-cream, fried foods and candy, even on a daily basis will not hurt you in your situation, but I would reccomend eating real food. Breakfast, for example, can be an egg or two, scrambled or pan-fried, with bacon or sausage, and/or whole wheat toast. Drink whole milk, rather than skim or 1%. Lunch can be a PBJ sandwich on whole wheat bread, or a bagel sandwich- another commenter mentioned avacado- phenomenal idea that works great on all sorts of sandwiches. Dinner can be a burger with all the fixings, or homemade mac n cheese, Grilled Chix BLT pasta….

As others said- you're not going to be able to eat 2000-3000 calories right off the bat, your stomach is too small… but, as you eat more (say, smaller meals more frequently) your stomach will expand. As mentioned in another post on a different topic- try planning out your meals; figure 6 small meals a day, and plan them out, at regimented times, if necessary. it will help you stay on target, and also help you get in the calories you need.

one last thing- I know a commenter reccomended soda, but I would suggest, if you want to drink your calories, try 100% fruit juice, like V-fusion, Bolthouse farms smoothies, etc… you get the sweet and the calories, plus nutrients.

Good Luck! And, if you'd like some great recipes, please feel free to message me!

pinkraynedropjacki

Liquid calories such as pepsi, milk, and orange juice
Also look at calorie dense foods such as peanut butter, snickers, and lots of butter

What a silly suggestion group of food (if you can call it that) sugar & fat? Really? Not to mention the sodium in the pepsi, snickers & butter.

BonaFideUK

Eat natural peanut butter sandwiches every day and you'll soon hit your goal. Very fat (good fats) and its also calorie dense.

annietntgetfit

All of the advice you have received on here, besides from the people referring you to a doctor or specialist, is absurd. the recovery part of an ED can be the most dangerous (refeeding syndrome is a real risk) and you should be CLOSELY medically supervised. An online forum is not the place to get this kind of advise. Please find a good team that includes a doctor, an RD, and a therapist and don't listen to a bunch of strangers on MFP telling you to drink soda and eat peanut butter.

sunsnstatheart

Please listen to your doctor and follow the plan he/she provided if there is one. The long term health effects from ED are serious. Use MFP for support but follow the plan.

Mokey41

Everyone giving her a list of things like chocolate bars, pizza and ice cream are really not thinking. 1) she isn't trying to develop different bad eating habits, 2) she's not trying to become obese and 3) she needs to learn to eat a healthy diet of the right amount of food.

So that said, you probably are feeling very stuffed if you went from very low cal to 2000. Try just adding a few hundred extra at a time of good food. I wouldn't avoid fruits and veggies but you'll need to add in some full fat yogurts, peanut butter, meats, avocado, eggs, cheese, nuts and other foods that are good for you as well as have healthy calories.

Good job on trying to get healthy and if you learn good eating habits now they'll help you the rest of your life!

kelleybean1

All of the advice you have received on here, besides from the people referring you to a doctor or specialist, is absurd. the recovery part of an ED can be the most dangerous (refeeding syndrome is a real risk) and you should be CLOSELY medically supervised. An online forum is not the place to get this kind of advise. Please find a good team that includes a doctor, an RD, and a therapist and don't listen to a bunch of strangers on MFP telling you to drink soda and eat peanut butter.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Best advice so far!! ED is not to be taken lightly, remember Karen Carpenter??? PLEASE see a specialist ASAP and follow their plan instead of a bunch of well-intentioned but misinformed posters.

Trueray

Buy a Mass Gainer if you can eat all your calories.

kchaney2003

I would suggest a Registered Dietician, ED support group and a doctor to monitor your progress so they can get you to an ideal weight with back up support from MFP as a sounding board. :flowerforyou:

Good Luck.