Help! Need to help my boyfriend gain weight!

ythannah wrote: »

JoRocka wrote: »

as far as IBS- I don't think IBS = constipation- but quiet the opposite typically.

Just wanted to address this misconception. There are, in fact, three manifestations of IBS: IBS-C which is constipation-predominant, IBS-D which is diarrhea-predominant, and IBS-M which is a mixture of the two (usually going back and forth between them).

And, OP, I get it. Your role in your household is to do the meal planning and food preparation, so you're here trying to get some ideas for things to put on the table that will help your fella gain weight. Kudos to you for being a supportive partner.

In my household, the roles are reversed, my SO is the cook. And am I ever glad that he takes my dietary preferences (pescetarian) into consideration when doing so rather than saying "I'm cooking a steak, manage your own dinner, honey". Yeah, he'd like to lose about 30 lbs, but he's just not the kind of guy who would ever sign up for a site like this and faithfully log his intake no matter how wonderful a tool MFP is. So he relies on my advice regarding lower-calorie choices... not that he always follows it, lol.

Ruedora wrote: »

I can so relate to this!
My husband has Crohn's and Colitis. This makes for a fairly restrictive diet. No lactose, gluten, refined sugar or tomatoes. His restrictions eliminate most processed junk food. Not entirely a bad thing but it sure makes gaining weight hard when you can basically only eat whole foods. We do make desserts from whole ingredients and things at home that are high calorie but in the past he has struggled to keep any weight he may gain on. He has a physically demanding job and has to eat roughly double the calories that I do just to maintain. He was "blessed" with a naturally fast metabolism so he has always been a healthy weight..until the Crohn's. If your guy is suffering from some digestive issues I would recommend talking to a gastroenterologist to see about a diagnosis. Many people with gastro issues go for a long time undiagnosed and it can really affect your quality of life. Pain and bathroom things aside..one of the big things with a disease like Crohn's or IBS is that you can be eating a lot but if your flaring and inflamed you don't absorb any (or very very little) of the nutrients in the food you're eating. Not only is it hard to keep weight on but it can become a bigger issue when you start developing vitamin deficiencies etc. For a while we were consulting with a nutritionist and she was a big advocate of drinking calories. Especially for someone who has gastro inflammation. If he has the means to get vitamin and protein powder and make a couple of smoothies a day to add to his diet, I'd recommend doing it. That made the biggest difference for my husband and the liquid gives his system a break from digesting difficult foods. Some people like meal replacement shakes like boost or ensure but my guy couldn't tolerate them. As soon as the inflammation markers were down and his Crohn's was in remission, he started gaining a little weight. Its just keeping it on that's tough! He was 6'1" 132lbs and in the last 6 months he has come up to 148. Just by adding in a couple of high protein shakes a day. This is the longest he has been able to hold the weight and feel good.

Best of luck to you both If after your boyfriend has seen a gastro and you guys have any questions about gastro diets, friend me. We have been through a lot of them in the last 7 years and would love to help.

Oh, and PS. ignore everyone giving you a hard time about the way you support your boyfriend. Its not up to them to dictate how your relationship should function. My husband and I support each other in all aspects of our lives and that includes diet. We work together to make foods that help me lose weight and him gain. Neither of us feel like we are micromanaging each others lives. It's called support.