Goal 10lb wt gain, breastfeeding mama and gluten free

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mrsSterk
mrsSterk Posts: 1
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Hello! I am 5'6" 112lbs and am nursing my 6 month old who is exclusively breastfed. I have always been tiny, but I can officially count every rib I have and I am not okay with it. I have a gluten allergy (along with other food senstivities that we won't go into lol too much info.) I was wondering if there were any suggestions on how to quickly/easily add onto my caloric intake. I am finding that I have trouble reaching my 2,250 goal. I've been getting milk shakes, cookies and chips for snacks, I typically eat oatmeal in the mornings or an egg sandwhich. Lunch is usually left overs from dinner, where I typically make a meat, veggies and a starch whether it be rice or potatoes... Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Tami

Replies

  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
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    I hope someone will advise you because, although your baby is eating and gaining well (is he?), you must eat enough or you will suffer severe nutritional consequences and even perhaps bone and muscle loss!
    Please see a dietician for advise on how to up your caloric intake considering your dietary restrictions!
  • rcolwell11
    rcolwell11 Posts: 6
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    After an illness I had to gain weight, and the easiest way is to take in liquid calories. Carnation makes a special 750calorie drink for weight gain. This also includes many vitamin and minerals, which would also benefit your baby. I'm sure you order it off amazon. If the expense is too much, start with whole milk, add bananas, peanut butter, etc to make your own vitamin+calorie-rich drinks. Just make sure you're adding them to your diet and try to maintain your whole food base. Good luck sweetheart.
  • mama2880
    mama2880 Posts: 4
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    I would like to know the name of the Carnation product mentioned by rcolwell11. I am 58, 5'5" and 98 lbs. I have lost 39 lbs. in 7 months. My initial goal was to lose 7 lbs. in a year. I have been seen by 2 doctors, a nutritionist and am undergoing another round of blood work, colonoscopy, etc. My chiropractor recommended this site and it has helped me become more aware of the total nutritional value of the foods consumed. I work out 3x/week for 30 mins. at Curves and do light free weights 3x/week for 30 mins. Thanks and have a healthy day.
  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
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    After an illness I had to gain weight, and the easiest way is to take in liquid calories. Carnation makes a special 750calorie drink for weight gain. This also includes many vitamin and minerals, which would also benefit your baby. I'm sure you order it off amazon. If the expense is too much, start with whole milk, add bananas, peanut butter, etc to make your own vitamin+calorie-rich drinks. Just make sure you're adding them to your diet and try to maintain your whole food base. Good luck sweetheart.

    The Carnation drink is NOT GF!! Boost is GF though, at least some flavors, and the oncology clinic I work for recommends it to chemo patients to keep or gain weight so I know it would work to increase your calories.

    As far as foods -- avocados are your friend; also half and half in anything you can add it to including your morning oatmeal. If one of your food allergies isn't nuts, add a handful of those to your oatmeal already. You could add cheese to your egg sandwich.

    Congrats on baby and on breastfeeding! Oh, and I like your hat!
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,298 Member
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    Avocado's, might be helpful to you they are quite rich. You could try using butter if you are ok with full fat milk. Over here we have what is called Channel Island milk, it is richer and creamier than full fat milk.

    Congratulations on getting this far. Little one should be quite well set up now you will not be failing if you are able to introduce food directly into their diet now. I hope little one will not have the problems you do. Thinking about it this is probably why you are being so dedicated. Food intolerances are hell. My youngest granddaughter has her own raft of issues which are different to her mothers and mine.

    In total ignorance I suggested chocolate as being possibly helpful before the baby was born because mother was fainting too often. Baby arrived unable to cope with milk and soya - most chocolate contains soy lecithins, got them both ways. Baby needed supplements of lactose and soy free formula.

    All the best Hope your Health Visitor will be able to help.
  • rcolwell11
    rcolwell11 Posts: 6
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    I would like to know the name of the Carnation product mentioned by rcolwell11. I am 58, 5'5" and 98 lbs. I have lost 39 lbs. in 7 months. My initial goal was to lose 7 lbs. in a year. I have been seen by 2 doctors, a nutritionist and am undergoing another round of blood work, colonoscopy, etc. My chiropractor recommended this site and it has helped me become more aware of the total nutritional value of the foods consumed. I work out 3x/week for 30 mins. at Curves and do light free weights 3x/week for 30 mins. Thanks and have a healthy day.

    I'm sad to hear that it's not gluten free, I was unaware. But at least it may help you if you don't have an allergy! It was formerly owned by carnation, but now by boost. Look up "Boost VHC-Very High Calorie Drink."
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
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    If you are not lactose intolerant, a few glasses of whole or chocolate milk would do wonders.

    Whole milk provides the most complete nutrition of any single food. The best we can do with special dieting/protein shakes is to make a reasonably decent lactose-free knock off of milk.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
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    I noticed you have a peanut allergy, but can you have other nuts like walnut, almond, pistachio, cashew, pecan? How about dried fruits? Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin)? Home-made trail mix of nuts, seeds and dried apricots, raisins, dates, etc. would have a lot of wholesome calories. I also love adding avocado to almost anything-salad, eggs, yogurt, or eat it straight off the peel:) Adding butter or oils (like olive, coconut) to veggies and rice can help. Instead of half and half, you can use heavy cream in coffee, tea, or hot cereal. Hey, when I was a kid and underweight, my mom put half and half on my cereal instead of milk.
    Other calorie dense foods:
    tahini
    coconut milk
    brown rice
    full-fat dairy
    banana chips
    fruit juice
    fatty meats (salmon with skin, bacon, marbled steak, dark meat poultry with skin)
    potatoes
    beans
  • alecno
    alecno Posts: 27 Member
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    I noticed you have a peanut allergy, but can you have other nuts like walnut, almond, pistachio, cashew, pecan?

    As someone with Celiac disease, I am also skeptical of this "gluten allergy," considering her consumption of cookies, oatmeal, and sandwiches. It is always possible that the OP only buys certified gluten-free versions of all of these items and always has them on hand for these daily meals, but I sort-of doubt that given the price and availability.
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,520 Member
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    I bf-ed 2 kids for 14 months each. I lost weight rapidly with my first child, b/c he ate every 45 minutes for at least the first 4 months. By the time I started to wean him (at almost 14 months), he was still bf-ing 10 times a day! On a side not, he's 5 and 50lbs...and I swear almost as tall as me. With my second child, she ate less often; she is also significantly smaller...the weight was much slower to come off. So your weight loss might be due to how often your baby is eating.

    Anyway, if you want to increase calories, try switching to full fat dairy, adding nuts/seeds, nut butter/seed butter, avocado, and olive oil to things you already eat. Butter is a great and tasty way to add cals/fat to anything!
  • ammaea
    ammaea Posts: 1
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    i am trying to gain weight and muscle as well - while breastfeeding- and trying to eat clean/organic as much as i can.
    i have always been thin. never worked out ever before. i just started looking at my calories and really realizing how much i need to increase them - it is difficult!!

    trying to focus on increasing good carbs (like listed here) http://www.blackhealthzone.com/carbohydrates-foods-list - i've always been afraid of carbs because i thought they linked to sugar issues -> but obv those are the bad carb!

    i'm trying to not do too much aerobic (but i still want to work my heart and pump my body!?)..
    can anyone guide me to a good home-workout video/youtube doing reps/sets with just bodyweight or weights (i need to see the movements because i have no idea what half the exercises are in just list form)..
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
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    Fitness blender has some good exercises...
  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
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    I noticed you have a peanut allergy, but can you have other nuts like walnut, almond, pistachio, cashew, pecan?

    As someone with Celiac disease, I am also skeptical of this "gluten allergy," considering her consumption of cookies, oatmeal, and sandwiches. It is always possible that the OP only buys certified gluten-free versions of all of these items and always has them on hand for these daily meals, but I sort-of doubt that given the price and availability.

    I have celiac and I buy or make cookies and bread for myself. I like toast and the occasional sandwich. The bread is $5-ish per loaf, worth my time to buy and lasts me 2-3 weeks. My grocery also carries the GF Barilla pasta for maybe 50 cents more than the regular. The flour for everything else I bake gets ordered in bulk and comes to my door every 3 months. Oats that don't share fields with barley aren't that expensive - McCann's and Bob's Red Mill are my go to brands. Using their rolled oats, one can bake a killer GF muffin with no additional flour at all. I have a PB cookie recipe with no flour too, but I am thinking of adding some of the oats to it for extra fiber. Since my diagnosis I've added $15-20 per trip to my grocery budget to treat myself to foods I enjoy and am not allergic to. I saved that much or more when I stopped eating out at lunch to avoid accidental gluten.

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