Desperate to gain weight!

[Archa004]

Hi all,
I’ve always been thin/fast metabolism but after being diagnosed with Crohn’s 2.5 years ago, I’ve reached a whole new level of “sickly-looking”. My Crohns is in remission but I still cannot gain weight for the life of me. As an added bonus, I just gave birth to our first child, and I’m nursing, which burns calories like crazy. I gained 40lbs during my pregnancy, and now 4 weeks later, it’s ALL gone. I know most women wish they had this problem, but I’m so sick of people making comments about my weight. Even my husband says “just ea more”...

I’m 5’9 and weigh 120lbs. I’ve tried whey protein powders like Optimum Nutrition Pro Gainer (650 calories) and didn’t gain an ounce. I’ve also tried Boost Very High Calorie supplement drink but it caused GI discomfort. I’ve even been to a nutritionist and they said my diet was fantastic.
Does anyone have any other recommendations? I’m beyond desperate to not look like a sickly skeleton.

 

[my little penguin]

Most with Crohns have trouble with whole protein shakes like boost or ensure
Ask your GI for samples of formula
Peptide -peptamen are semi elemental formulas they are easier on the gut since the proteins are broken down
There is also elemental formula such as vionex (ready to feed) so no mixing
Elemental tastes fouler than foul but your gut doesn’t have to do any work since it’s elemental
Ds drinks neocate jr chocolate orally plus food
Most older kids can drink elemental and need an ng tube
They place the tube at night and pull it in the morning
So that could be an option

Durable medical equipment clause can cover formula as infusion therapy supplies
Most prescription plans will not cover it

E028 splash neocate is elemental pre mixed as a juice box style

Some like those
Againyour GI can get you samples

Formula saves your body energy so you can gain weight
The higher calorie versions (more than 1.0 cal ) are very hard on the body
So you might tolerate “simply boost “ in addition to higher fat foods
Like avacado etc...
When nursing -eat every time the baby eats
Plus your normal meals
Even then you may not gainuntil the baby gets older nurses less )
(I had that issue with the kids even without any disease )

https://www.neocate.com/shop/product/47/neocate-splash

http://www.nestlenutritionstore.com/product/Adult-Specialized-GI-Nutrition/

 

[s.a.m.]

When I was having trouble keeping weight on, I drank the Ensure brand. They make one with extra fat, and one with extra protein. Also, the Glucerna one is meant for diabetics but it has less sugar which I preferred. The wild berry flavour isn't terrible if it's really cold. Avocados are also a great suggestion, mashed on toast with a little olive oil mixed in was another go to for me. Take care.

 

[Lady Organic]

My friend lost a lot of weight when breastfeeding for the first weeks.
maybe try to consume more high caloric foods such as avocados mentioned above.
An easy way to gain weight I find is to eat nut butters. I eat a lot of almond butter along with a banana and other fruits. very rich and caloric. Almonds are also very high in calcium.

 

[Dawn101]

What’s a day of eating look like. Keep a journal for three or four days and eat like you normally do and write down everything you eat, what time it is, what you are doing at that time ie are you multitasking or sitting at the table, even jot down what your feeling or thinking. This will give you a start. You may think you are eating more than you actually are. Congrats on the baby.

 

[rainbowcloud]

A lot of commercially available protein/weight gain shakes have ingredients that are bad for me like corn and soy. I have tried making my own with hemp protein powder but it didn't go down too well. Also, it might be hard to find time to experiment in the kitchen with a newborn!

I find coconut or flax oil helps me to gain weight but that's pretty much the only thing. I have a tablespoon a day when I can tolerate it. I am the same when people say "you're so skinny" I die a bit inside because they have no idea what a struggle it is. Congratulations on your baby and I hope you can find something that works for you soon.

 

[Dawn101]

I don’t buy the I don’t have time...unless you are flat out sick. Time is a funny thing. A time journal helps focus on where the time is being spent. If it is a priority we make time and when it comes to our health and the health of our family it should be a priority. Sometimes it’s as easy as cutting back on screen time...eat can eat away hours. Sleep is really important...now that may suffer until the baby develops a sleep routine. Make sure you aren’t vitamin/mineral deficient and eat whole mostly unprocessed foods.

 

[Liquid Bacon]

Hi all,
I’ve always been thin/fast metabolism but after being diagnosed with Crohn’s 2.5 years ago, I’ve reached a whole new level of “sickly-looking”. My Crohns is in remission but I still cannot gain weight for the life of me. As an added bonus, I just gave birth to our first child, and I’m nursing, which burns calories like crazy. I gained 40lbs during my pregnancy, and now 4 weeks later, it’s ALL gone. I know most women wish they had this problem, but I’m so sick of people making comments about my weight. Even my husband says “just ea more”...

I’m 5’9 and weigh 120lbs. I’ve tried whey protein powders like Optimum Nutrition Pro Gainer (650 calories) and didn’t gain an ounce. I’ve also tried Boost Very High Calorie supplement drink but it caused GI discomfort. I’ve even been to a nutritionist and they said my diet was fantastic.
Does anyone have any other recommendations? I’m beyond desperate to not look like a sickly skeleton.

I feel your pain! I graduated high school at 5'11" and 115 pounds, and I've always been skinny. Gaining weight with crohn's can be tricky. You need to eat enough calories to exceed your daily maintenance level, but not enough that it sets the crohn's off!

My advice would be to download a calorie counting app like myfitnesspal, because most of us skinny people think we eat more than we do. For years I thought I ate a lot, and then realized I was only eating 1800 calories a day. We get scared of food and have gotten in the habit of eating less because we know the food is going to bring on the pain and diarrhea.

If you can keep your crohn's under control with medication, and eat smart, you can gain weight slooooowwwly. In the last 1.5 years I've been making a real effort, and with the addition of weight training I've gone from 145 pounds to 160, with a lower body fat percentage.

Focus on the whole foods and don't eat stuff out of packages - especially those weight gainers. They're all sugar and junk.

 

[hugh]

Hi Archa004,
First up,
It's not about how much you eat so ignore all the people telling you to eat protein powders and high calorie potions.
all that processed shit won't help.

Eating more won't work if what you are eating is contributing to your illness....

It can be a long journey finding out what you can and can't eat.

Personally, i was stuffing myself and always feeling hungry and still a walking skeleton (5'9" 119lb) to 145lb in three months when i went paleo (and eating less).
Paleo is a pretty broad term and i have seen people eat incredibly stupid diets in the name of 'paleo' (and other dogmas).

Read these and if it has any resonance then check out the paleo threads......


Bowel Disorders, Part I: About Gut Disease
“In our view, various dietary and nutritional tactics are critical, with toxin elimination and vitamin D normalization among the most important steps. Most medical treatments are likely to be ineffective if the diet is bad.
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2010/07/ulcerative-colitis-a-devastating-gut-disease/

Bowel Disease, Part II: Healing the Gut By Eliminating Food Toxins
“Summary of Toxic Foods to Eliminate or Avoid
In short, bowel disease patients should eliminate toxic foods from their diet:
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2010/0...i-healing-the-gut-by-eliminating-food-toxins/

Bowel Disease, Part III: Healing Through Nutrition
Summary
Although not a complete list of the vitamins and minerals which may be helpful to bowel disease patients, these are among the most important – and most often overlooked:
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2010/07/bowel-disease-part-iii-healing-through-nutrition/

Bowel Disease, Part IV: Restoring Healthful Gut Flora
A healthy gut is a multi-species society: it is the cooperative product of the human body with trillions of bacterial cells from a thousand or more species.
An unhealthy gut is, more often than not, the product of a breakdown in this collaboration.
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2010/07/bowel-disease-part-iv-restoring-healthful-gut-flora/

 

[Dawn101]

True it’s not how much we eat but how much we absorb. If you are eating foods that are causing distress to gi system it’s a losing battle. Paleo is one method that seems to work for people but by no means is it the only way. Biggest thing is find out your triggers and stay away from them. Find what works for you.