Help gaining weight. How did you do it?

[Plissken]

So my crohn's flared up again a few months ago after being pretty quiet for about 9 months.

My weight is usually borderline underweight but nothing to worry about, until recently where I've lost about 9lbs which I can't afford to lose. I have a fast metabolism and I just don't seem to gain weight no matter how much food I shove in my mouth!

Has anyone else been through this, if so how did you get that weight back up?

Thanks

 

[ronroush7]

Hi. Have you tried à protein shake?

 

[eleanor_rigby]

Agree - may need liquid nutritional shakes (ensure, fortisip etc)

 

[jcashen87]

I am like you, I lost 15 pounds I couldn't afford to the past couple months. I started back up on ensure plus and have been eating 3 high calorie meals a day with a snack and i was able to put back 6 of the pounds I lost so far.

 

[shamrock15]

If your disease is really active you may really struggle with absorption.
I never really found the shakes that palatable, but then that was a couple decades ago. I made my own at home - whole fat milk, a couple eggs, cocoa, vanilla, sugar. You can add ice cream to them, probably yogurt, any other flavouring that might be preferable to you. I found they worked pretty well for me and I made sure they always tasted good.

 

[Lizzie]

I lost a lot of weight while flaring and I am very limited as to what I can eat at the best of times, but I started making my own rice pudding with just rice, oatmilk and banana, I found I could tolerate tinned evaporated milk, I started eating loads of cream crackers with a bit of cheese and finally I discovered that I could eat a few Farleys baby rusks without ill effects. All these things have helped me put on four or five pounds recently.

 

[Brad P]

You have to start counting calories. You need at least 2500 calories a day, ideally 3000. Having an Ensure shake a day is added calories but may not be enough. You eat toast? Butter (real butter) both sides, add soynut butter (100 cal per tablespoon). You eat a potato with supper? Make it two, add butter. I make supershakes, comprised of Scandishakes, protein powder and 2 cups of whole milk for a 8-900 calorie shake before bed. I also have an Ensure Plus when I get into work. You drink tea? Add honey, 50 cal per tablespoon.

After my first surgery in 2008, I was skin and bones after the ordeal I went through. First 2 weeks at home I didn't gain a pound. Then a dietitian told me the above..CALORIES...and I started counting and figured I needed to eat more, and I ate as much as I could, and gained 25lbs in 8 weeks.

 

[Scipio]

If your disease is really active you may really struggle with absorption.
I never really found the shakes that palatable, but then that was a couple decades ago. I made my own at home - whole fat milk, a couple eggs, cocoa, vanilla, sugar. You can add ice cream to them, probably yogurt, any other flavouring that might be preferable to you. I found they worked pretty well for me and I made sure they always tasted good.

I'd be cautious about adding raw eggs to a shake or eating them in any other way for two reasons. 1. Raw egg whites contain a protein that binds biotin and thus may induce a biotin deficiency in your diet. 2. Raw eggs are also frequently infected with Salmonella bacteria. And a nasty nausea and diarrhea-inducing Salmonella infection is not what anyone needs, especially someone who already suffers from Crohn's diarrhea.

 

[xmdmom]

"If your disease is really active you may really struggle with absorption."

I don't know if it needs to be "really active " or just "active" but my son, a young adult, could not gain weight even with protein bars, high caloric snacks and boost nutritional shakes when his disease was mildly active (clinically). With Remicade, weight gain happened without trying.

 

[my little penguin]

DS has used supplemental nutrition since dx
First as peptamen Jr. and now neocate Jr .
Once he started remicade he also starred to gain weight
When stopped the supplements he starts to lose weight
5 years and 50 plus lbs later
It works

 

[If*]

Hi, this is a difficult position to be in, not like most people think. When trying to gain, or maintain and not loose more i found ensure enlive to be pretty good, also if you cant hold a lot of fluid due to pain boost came out with a compact size with like 350 calories. thick, but do able. (I prefer organic, but eh when push comes to shove...) Also when loosing weight, standing in the kitchen, using a blender just isn't going to happen for me. When i get to where i can i use Vega protein 26 gr/greens, organic milk, frozen organic bananas remove the peels before freezing (instead of ice seriously makes many protein shakes more creamy), peanut butter, organic ice cream, organic honey and drink up (yum).
I did see a nutritionist, her ideas were really crap, so much i thought she was joking.
ya, 3000, 3500 would be nice, but if you feel like crap,& food/liquids are painful then the 3000 3500 is a reach. I try to maintain first, then reach for the gain once things settle down. I don't push my guts/body to over work. you can feel when you are. Also i rest, meditate, try to pamper yourself a little/or a lot, drink plenty of water, sips throughout the day, get some fresh air, and tell yourself your will feel better. Oh, i found some pretty good protein bars at trader joes they are called Power Crunch, they are like a totally yummy wafer cookie with about 13gr protein. I try to go nutrient dense and not huge wasted space of junk fillers. But eh, sometimes i bend a bit.
Hang in there, think the best, try not to stress too much.I hope you feel better everyday.

 

[DEmberton]

In the 6 weeks before surgery I gained about 7 lbs from having Ensure and Complan every day, plus trying to eat mars bars and cans of coke. Depends what you can stomach of course. The nutritionist I spoke to mostly told me I should eat more fruit which wasn't necessarily great advice.

After the surgery I piled on the pounds. Went from 9 stone to 12 in 2 months.

 

[mf15]

Well besides possible poor absorption, cachexia probably going on.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16087987

One possibility is glycine/gelatin,bone broth, but the easiest way is
glycine powder, you can get it on amazon or health food store.

Contrary to general believe that glycine is none essential amino acid, humans
run about a 10 gram/day deficit.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20093739

So if the same mechanism as cancer cachexia is going on with crohn's
then glycine may work well.
My son with a j-pouch uses it and it works to add weight.
With cachexia you can eat an unlimited amount of food and still not gain
weight.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23835111

I use it myself have UC, NOW brand by it by the pound.
1/2 teaspoon about 2 grams, will also help with sleep,easy to dissolve
taste is sweet. You may need less than 10 grams even 5 or less, depending
on metabolic rates.

Old Mike

 

[Charlotte.]

Enteral nutrition as additional nutrition (ModulenIBD, Fresubin, Fortisip etc.) as well as high caloric foods, according to what you found to be tolerable for your gut (enriched with nut butters without sugar, cream, butter etc., avoid too much sugar for helping with good bacteria, as sugar might tend to worsen gut flora and promote inflammation), eat often (even if little, if you can't eat too much at once) and regularly, even without feeling hungry.
Maybe you also want to track your calories to make sure you are eating enough and/ or track your macros. In a state of inflammation the body consumes mostly protein, that's also one reason why many lose muscle mass during a flare or ongoing inflammation. So animal protein would be a good source to make sure to get in enough protein (protein rich dairy products, fish, egg, also meat but could be harder to digest).

Eating in company makes you more prone for eating a bit more than when eating alone, so that could help as well.

Also eat foods that you enjoyed in childhood for instance, reminds you of good times and gives you a good feeling though.

 

[Plissken]

Some really excellent detailed replies here, thank you! I think I will look into getting some fortisip drinks or something similar, see how that goes