Miss Marple Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 He's 6' tall, 120 lbs, 16.5 years old. He has NO rear-end. Pants hang on him. He is otherwise healthy, has a good appetite (can eat a foot long sub), isn't a picky eater, likes desserts but doesn't eat a lot of junk food. I would say he has an average activity level. Other kids have talked to him about protein drinks, but I'm not a huge fan of those. Anyone remember the 80's and the kidney failure that went along with the protein drink craze? His brothers are thin, I was very thin prior to having children and homeschooling, so he does have some genetic predisposition. But he is painfully thin not just skinny. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 I was so thin in high school that I'd drink a homemade milkshake every night before bed. Didn't help, sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 All of my kids are skinny. I'm 5'2", my hubby is 5'6". I weighed 95 lbs and he weighed 120 lbs when we got married. His nickname throughout his Lieutenant years was buck-twenty-five. Still, the doctors give us a hard time about the weight of our kids. We've been to a nutritionist at least once with each of our kids. It's frustrating because as far as I can tell all they really suggest is to add fattening foods to everything they eat-oil, mayo, heavy cream, etc. The last nutritionist we saw? Suggested I use ice cream instead of yogurt in the smoothies my kids eat with their *breakfast*. Yeah, ice cream for breakfast, that's a *great* idea, I'll just go ahead and duct tape them to their school seats after that. Sorry, I'm ranting, I have a huge issue with this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 Peanut butter balls are pretty good (healthy, nutritious, high calorie/high fat) snacks. You take 2C / a jar of any nut butter you like (peanut, almond, cashew, sunflower) and mix in, well, pretty much anything you like. 1/2-1Cup of powdered milk is standard, but you can add more or less or none at all. Wheat germ (1/4-1/2 C) is a good addition. I usually added flax-seed meal. Then, really, whatever he likes in the way of nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, dried fruits (chopped small works best), shredded coconut, even quick cooking rolled oats... And roll 'em up into balls, or pat down into a shallow dish and refrigerate. If you roll them up, rolling them in sesame seeds or shredded coconut will keep them from being sticky. You can sweeten the mixture to taste with sugar, honey, maple syrup... They'll keep for a week or two in the fridge, in an air-tight container. And they're great for a quick, fattening snack. A great combination is peanut butter, powdered milk, wheat germ, honey (depending on whether the pb was sweetened already), a pinch of salt, chopped almonds, chopped dried cherries, chocolate chips, and rolled in shredded coconut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 BTW, what sort of exercise is he getting? For some young men, they really can't put on weight unless they're doing some sort of strenuous exercise (not just something aerobic, but something with weights as well). Now, obviously they still have to be eating a ton of calories too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 Beer? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 Hubby and I were both on the thin side at that age. For me, I was actually underweight (skin and bones) to the point that it was as bad as being obese (and no, I was not anorexic). Hubby could eat, eat, and eat without gaining an ounce. Same for myself...milkshakes, ensure, anything. It took age, having kids, and all the fun metabolism changes that come to put on and keep on weight (and that's not fun either). As long as he's healthy, leave him alone. He is still growing, changing, and his metabolism will change over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Beer? :D That's what my dh suggested, too. :D BTW, he's 5'11', has been as skinny as 142lb. Hitting age 40, hard physical labour, and of course the aforementioned beer ;) has him up at 170 lb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtroad Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 If he is not considered unhealthy by doctors, then he is just made thin. Don't force him into eating high caloric foods b/c as he ages & his metabolism changes... he could become a butterball! If he is eating well & has not health issues, I think it is just the way he is. Some weight lifting could develop some muscle tone & help build some bulk... not excessive... just more along the line of toning & slight building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brindee Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 My oldest is 18, 5' 10" and weighs 120. My dh is 5'11" and weighed 116 when we got married. He's only made it up to 140 now, 21 years later. I'm 5'9" and weighed 118 when we got married. When dd was 8 we went on a mission trip to Fiji. I ended up getting her child size 4 pants, because they fit her around her waist, and they looked like capris. She's 12 now, and length-wise needs a size 12, but fits better, waist-wise in a 10 slim. My 15yo is 6'1" and recently, FINALLY, gained a little weight--he's around 135 now, I think. If that's the way they're built, just regular exercise and healthy eating is all you can do, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Don't.... If you are concerned, check with his doctor to make sure he is healthy. Past that, LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE! Please... He'll change a little in the next 2-4 years, bulk up a little. It's kinda like a puppy. They get pretty close to full grown height wise but then fill out. Your son will do similarly to the degree healthy for him. He could do some strength training to bulk up a little... but really, don't try to feed him anything, any amount, any time, any anything in order to have him gain. Please.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 If he is not considered unhealthy by doctors, then he is just made thin. Don't force him into eating high caloric foods b/c as he ages & his metabolism changes... he could become a butterball! If he is eating well & has not health issues, I think it is just the way he is. Some weight lifting could develop some muscle tone & help build some bulk... not excessive... just more along the line of toning & slight building. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Don't.... If you are concerned, check with his doctor to make sure he is healthy. Past that, LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE! Please... He'll change a little in the next 2-4 years, bulk up a little. It's kinda like a puppy. They get pretty close to full grown height wise but then fill out. Your son will do similarly to the degree healthy for him. He could do some strength training to bulk up a little... but really, don't try to feed him anything, any amount, any time, any anything in order to have him gain. Please.... :iagree: I agree very strongly with this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarfoot Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Mine are really thin, too, and I've had the same experience as Mrs. Mungo. Our nutritionists must have gone to school together.;) Anyway, we eventually gave up on the "add as much fat and as many calories as you can to everything" advice and just focused on their health. It's hard not to worry, and your son sounds exceptionally thin, but if you know that he's healthy, well, that's worth a lot. FWIW, my oldest kept his "skeletal" look until we backed off of the nutritionists' advice. No amount of Pediasure was going to put weight on him. He's simply built to be thin, as are his younger siblings. He started to look healthier, though, when we stopped trying to stuff him full of high-fat, high-calorie garbage and let him eat like a normal person. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wulfbourne Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 I say don't worry about it. That was my hubby too. He was 6' or so, 130lbs skinny as a rail in high school. I teased him about having no butt when we first met. Now he's 6' tall almost 200lbs. The main thing that filled him out was getting older and his metabolism settling down. If you try and fatten him up now it might backfire later if/when his metabolism slows down in his 20's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 (edited) His weight fluctuates between 110 & 120. He'll gain up to 120 from time to time, and as soon as he does, he'll catch a cold or get a painful mouth ulcer or just get busy, and BAM! he's back down to 110 again. Generally, I don't worry about it. He's just destined to be thin, I guess. Edited August 20, 2009 by ereks mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted August 20, 2009 Author Share Posted August 20, 2009 I know he's healthy and I'm not worried about that aspect. But he is beginning to feel very self conscious. I do tell him that he is genetically predisposed, but he still feels like an oddity. And he really is considering OK is 6th in the nation for obesity LOL! I think I'll encourage him to do some weight training - since he is a concurrent student now he can use the really nice gym free anytime he wants. I think an incident at college added a bit to his concern - one of the "getting to know you" exercises a teacher asked them to do was to be paired (I think the prof. actually did the pairing) with someone who looked/acted opposite of him. He got paired with a short, plump, bubbley personality girl. I hope she wasn't embarrased - probably wasn't a real brilliant idea on the prof's part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted August 20, 2009 Author Share Posted August 20, 2009 That sounds good! He likes peanut butter...I'll try something like this, and encourage some weight training. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Unless the doctor has expressed concern, I would leave the young man alone. There is a real danger of teaching poor eating habits (stuffing on fatty, high caloric items) which will backfire when he is an adult. I weighed 98 lb. (at 5'4") all the way until I had my first child at age 29. I ate like a shrew; simply was very thin by metabolism. Now, at age 54, following four c-sections, and an injury which left me with a permanently damaged leg, (rendering much exercise impossible) I weigh 170. [gaaaack ! ! !] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 (edited) Some suggestions from our kids' doctors include ice cream, whole milk, snacks that include peanut butter, and cheese. It hasn't helped - they're still super skinny. My dh didn't weigh enough to get into the Army. The recruiter told him to eat lots and lots of bananas before getting re-weighed. It didn't help, so he sent him to the Air Force recruiter. :lol: Later, my dh was trying to gain weight and drank the protein shakes with eggs, bananas, and all kinds of things added. It took him a year to gain 30 lbs. He got in a wreck, had neck and back injuries, couldn't work out, and he lost the entire 30 lbs within a month. My dh finally did put on some weight and keep it on - after we got married and he was eating my cooking every day. Since you live in OK, I guess I can't cook for your son every day. :D My post wasn't much help, was it? Edited August 20, 2009 by LizzyBee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillary in KS Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Peanut butter balls are pretty good (healthy, nutritious, high calorie/high fat) snacks. You take 2C / a jar of any nut butter you like (peanut, almond, cashew, sunflower) and mix in, well, pretty much anything you like. 1/2-1Cup of powdered milk is standard, but you can add more or less or none at all. Wheat germ (1/4-1/2 C) is a good addition. I usually added flax-seed meal. Then, really, whatever he likes in the way of nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, dried fruits (chopped small works best), shredded coconut, even quick cooking rolled oats... And roll 'em up into balls, or pat down into a shallow dish and refrigerate. If you roll them up, rolling them in sesame seeds or shredded coconut will keep them from being sticky. You can sweeten the mixture to taste with sugar, honey, maple syrup... They'll keep for a week or two in the fridge, in an air-tight container. And they're great for a quick, fattening snack. A great combination is peanut butter, powdered milk, wheat germ, honey (depending on whether the pb was sweetened already), a pinch of salt, chopped almonds, chopped dried cherries, chocolate chips, and rolled in shredded coconut. This sounds great! Thank you! Ds 13 (nearly 14) is a competitive swimmer. He's in the pool 8-10 hours a week, year-round. He also likes to work out in the gym, and play tennis. He is 5'8" and just last month hit 100 lbs. He has a figure a supermodel would envy. He is always eating. Healthy stuff- not junk food. I struggle to get enough calories into him. This sort of snack will really help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i.love.lucy Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 I think an incident at college added a bit to his concern - one of the "getting to know you" exercises a teacher asked them to do was to be paired (I think the prof. actually did the pairing) with someone who looked/acted opposite of him. He got paired with a short, plump, bubbley personality girl. I hope she wasn't embarrased - probably wasn't a real brilliant idea on the prof's part. This sounds like my worst nightmare. "Hey, you, tall fat girl...pair up here with this tiny little skinny guy". OMG I would have DIED!:glare: My son is very small and thin, he was a preemie, and we were also encouraged by the nutritionist at the Endocrinologists office to add fat to everything. Butter, milkshakes, oil, etc. My pediatrician was appalled at the poor eating habits we'd encourage, not to mention the fact that my dd and the rest of us DO NOT need the added calories. I do buy him full fat milk (but he's still just 5 yo) but that's about it. Otherwise we focus on healthy eating. No amount of fat added to his food did any good anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Do nothing. As others have posted as long as he eats healthy there is no reason to try and put weight on him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingM Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Unless the doctor has expressed concern, I would leave the young man alone. There is a real danger of teaching poor eating habits (stuffing on fatty, high caloric items) which will backfire when he is an adult. I agree 100%. He eats, he is healthy and active. Don't try to bulk him up. Nature will probably do that to him anyway, eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 This sounds great! Thank you! Ds 13 (nearly 14) is a competitive swimmer. He's in the pool 8-10 hours a week, year-round. He also likes to work out in the gym, and play tennis. He is 5'8" and just last month hit 100 lbs. He has a figure a supermodel would envy. He is always eating. Healthy stuff- not junk food. I struggle to get enough calories into him. This sort of snack will really help! Same here with a girl. She eats over 4,000 calories a day. Her coach told me to make sure I meet her at the locker room door with a chocolate milkshake after practice. It has really helped! Her metabolism is so high that her body was feeding on her muscles on the way home from practice. That milkshake cut back on what she was eating for dinner, but has helped her to gain muscle mass. Most kids are fine with eating within 30 minutes of getting out of the water; dd has to eat almost immediately instead. She hasn't complained at all about her after practice milkshake.:lol: She is now up to almost 110 (5'8")!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 I've found that putting a bowl of nuts on the table while Calvin is working is the best way to get some calories into him. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Ask that the doctor check his enzymes levels to make sure he is able to process fats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 This sounds great! Thank you! Ds 13 (nearly 14) is a competitive swimmer. He's in the pool 8-10 hours a week, year-round. He also likes to work out in the gym, and play tennis. He is 5'8" and just last month hit 100 lbs. He has a figure a supermodel would envy. He is always eating. Healthy stuff- not junk food. I struggle to get enough calories into him. This sort of snack will really help! I could not believe how much Michael Phelps eats when they did the profile on it at the Olympics. WOWZA..... you swimmer mom's must really have a hard time keeping food in the house! I have 2 kids that can't gain (but aren't skin & bones), and 1 that has a pre-disposition to gaining. It's hard when she wants to snack like her sisters, but really shouldn't be at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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