Gaining weight with the least amount of food

I wonder if because you have been eating so little if your stomach has shrunk a lot making you seem full all the time. You may have to stretch it back out again which will probably suck but it is a must. Also, your metabolism has bound to have slowed down making your food stay longer....once you speed it back up buy eating more and exercise even if it is just a short walk it should help you out. Im not sure what you currently eat, but If you are still wanting good nutritional value food you can simply add coconut or olive oil when you cook and that will add calories easy. So will nuts and any high carb starchy food.

full fat options. breads that are 110 calories a slice instead of like 50. cook with olive oil. add some avocado to salads or sandwiches. cheeeseeeeee. beer? seeds are also good to put on salads, or in the morning have a piece of 110 calorie bread with 2 tbsp pb (190-210 calories) - bam over 300 right there. try to not have high calorie foods like fast food/fries stuff like that, although it's weight gain you don't want bad weight gain and bad fats in your body.

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/highest-calorie-foods.php

Sorry, a bit late to the party on this one.

Have you looked at any sites/books/etc for the Atkins or South Beach diets? Since carbs are your problem you could probably get a lot of ideas for foods and recipes with low carbs that won't make you crash.

As for dinner situation - try choosing meals where you can easily substitute your side for something low carb. So for the chicken fried steak example, go ahead and bread his portion but just pan sear/fry with no breading your portion. You don't necessarily need the gravy, do one potato for him and spaghetti squash and tons of veggies for you. It may take a few extra minutes to plan and an extra pot or two while cooking, but it'll be better than not eating or eating then crashing, especially until you and your endo doc get you on the right dosage of meds.

I'm sorry you're going through this. *hugs*

Find things that you like that are full of fat and/or starch and sugar. Use lots of oils while cooking, if you can.

Don't buy lean cuts of meat. If you're currently eating chicken, try to switch to beef or pork.

Are you more likely to drink than eat? Make some sort of shake that has a fair amount of sugar in it, along with some vegetables for vitamins and nutrients, and drink that instead of water.

potatoes, potatoes, potatoes. load 'em up with butter, bacon, sour cream, whatever.

If you like chocolate, add a piece after every meal. Or ice cream... the full-fat stuff. Or milkshakes with whole milk, if that's more appealing.

A big bagel with cream cheese in the morning could be good for almost 500 calories.

Look for foods that are "portable" so you can move them place-to-place with you during the day... that way you're not tied down to the meal table in order to eat...you can just eat wherever you are.

Good luck. It's not easy to have to force yourself to do something you have no desire to do. Think of eating the way the rest of us think about exercise: "I may not feel like doing it right now, but I know I have to, it's good for me. Here we go."

I really like this answer. I forgot to mention in the initial post that I can't get too crazy with the processed sugars and carbs. Because the adrenals aren't working, my body over compensates and makes insulin. Insulin isn't as effective or as efficient as cortisol (the missing hormone) so it takes a LOT of insulin to process foods. That over compenensation causes my insulin levels to sky rocket and I crash, even from just a bag of Cheetos for example. I am not diabetic though.

But I think I will heed your advice and make smoothies. I would rather drink than eat. The lack of appetite combined with the lack of time I have sometimes makes me forget to eat. After chasing babies all day I look up and it's four in the afternoon and I haven't eaten yet.

As far as what I am eating when I do eat: granola and peanut butter, part of a banana or a whole date, cashews or any type of nut, all of that is normal food I eat during the day. And at night, mostly to keep up appearances when my husband gets home (my entire family thinks I'm losing weight on purpose) I make something so rich and heavy with carbs that I can't eat it because I crash. He needs that food though because he works all day. For instance I made chicken fried steak with gravy and mashed potatoes last night. Obviously something I can't eat.

I'm going to do the smoothies and portable foods like you said and maybe come up with something dense enough with calories and nutrients that we can both eat for dinner. Thank you for your answer

Might I suggest investing in something like a Vitamix or other heavy-duty blender? It allows you to fully blend things up, so you can put in heavier/harder to blend (and more nutritious) things into your shakes, allowing you to not just get calories, but also nutrients in, without relying on sugary stuff.

Also, with the insulin issues, lean more on fat for fuel, then. You can even do this for the rest of your family, since fat and carbs are both pure fuel for the body.

The GOMAD (gallon of milk a day) method is the go-to for most lifters for gaining weight, but milk has a disproportionate insulin effect (ie - it has the same amount of sugar as a slice of bread, but will cause the body to release more insulin than the bread), so go with the lower-lactose versions of dairy - things like cheeses, cream, and full-fat yogurt. Use cream and coconut or almond milk (preferably home made, but if you get store bought, be careful of the additives) for your smoothie base, for example, then add in things like avocado or nut butters for more calories, leafy greens and berries for vitamins and minerals, and protein powder for...well...protein.

Also, do you like coffee? It might be worth trying Bulletproof Coffee if you do. You can easily get in 400-500 calories or more with a cup of Bulletproof Coffee, and it's all fat so it won't screw with your insulin. There are also variations on it, such as Mark Sisson's Primal Egg Coffee, which uses whole eggs or egg yolks, emulsified in the coffee for a more cappuccino-like drink. That variation has the added benefit of the nutrients in the egg yolk (including protein, choline, and vitamins).

Check out recipes along the lines of Atkin's, Paleo, Primal, and other low(ish)-carb/GI groups to get more ideas, too. Not everything may be your cup of tea, but there will be enough crossover for you to get ideas for foods.

Finally, perhaps start setting a timer and eat something, even if it's just a single strawberry with whipped heavy cream (to help counteract the sugar), or a small spoonful of peanut butter, or a bite of a sandwich. Anything to at least get you started eating. It's possible that it might be easier to continue eating once you've started, and even if it isn't, at least you've added to your calorie count for the day.

Eat more.

clearly you didn't read anything that she wrote.


try protein shakes! I use them in the morning and they totally help me to get nourishment without getting overly full!

mix a scoop of protein powder, a cup of milk (almond, coconut, or soy will work, too!), and a 1/4 cup of oatmeal for a drink that is quite tasty, healthy, and gives you about 350 calories

Since I can't seem to eat the proper amount of calories in a 'normal' manner, I am wondering if anyone can recommend foods to help me get the most bang for my theoretical buck. I only am able to eat small quantities per day, but I what I do eat needs to be more nutrient dense. Any suggestions?

Try drinking your calories. They give stuff like Ensure to kids and older people who have no appetite and need to gain weight. Find something that tastes good in that vein and go to town on it.

Normally I would say add fat, go for calorically dense things like cheese and potatoes, but I don't know how that works with your appetite. What have your doctors said??

I saw that someone above mentioned drinking Boost. When I was in treatment for my eating disorder, Boost is what they gave us if we didn't eat our food. It is definitely a decent way to get calories in without eating. There is even a Boost with double calories where you get more bang for your buck. Chocolate and vanilla are actually pretty good tasting.

Heavy cream, olive oil, nuts, pasta.. fettucini alfredo- eat one Olive Garden serving and you've got yourself 2000 calories right there...
Just judging from your post I would think you may have an eating disorder. No one feels stuffed on 500 calories a day whether it be an adrenal, thyroid or cortisone deficiency. If you wanted to you could eat relatively little and hit 800 in one sitting without any effort. You can drink one shake with whole milk and will be over 600. I get the feeling you being restrictive by choice. There are plenty of low GI carbs packed with calories..

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Find things that you like that are full of fat and/or starch and sugar. Use lots of oils while cooking, if you can.

Don't buy lean cuts of meat. If you're currently eating chicken, try to switch to beef or pork.

Are you more likely to drink than eat? Make some sort of shake that has a fair amount of sugar in it, along with some vegetables for vitamins and nutrients, and drink that instead of water.

potatoes, potatoes, potatoes. load 'em up with butter, bacon, sour cream, whatever.

If you like chocolate, add a piece after every meal. Or ice cream... the full-fat stuff. Or milkshakes with whole milk, if that's more appealing.

A big bagel with cream cheese in the morning could be good for almost 500 calories.

Look for foods that are "portable" so you can move them place-to-place with you during the day... that way you're not tied down to the meal table in order to eat...you can just eat wherever you are.

Good luck. It's not easy to have to force yourself to do something you have no desire to do. Think of eating the way the rest of us think about exercise: "I may not feel like doing it right now, but I know I have to, it's good for me. Here we go."
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"This"
Focus on calorie dence food. Much the way we do for preschoolers because they can't fit a large volume of food in their stomachs.
I would also recommend seeing a registered dietician for help. Optimim nutrition is essential when your eating so little. The tiredness you describe is most like attributed to low calorie intake and poor nutrition.

How about drinking an Ensure shake at least once a day along with whatever else you are eating? Or could you see a nutritionist to help you determine what to eat?

Pixie sticks