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Foods for weight gain


Jackie
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I feel ridiculous asking the question when I’m struggling with not losing weight, but my daughter needs to gain weight. She started a medication that is wonderfully effective at what it’s supposed to accomplish, but also takes away her appetite. She was already tiny, and is now even tinier.

 

We generally do high protein, full fat, and whole grain foods. I can add Pediasure. She has very little appetite, so I’m looking for the highest impact foods possible without needing to eat much volume of food. Ideas?

 

ETA: She is not a picky eater at all. When she has an appetite, she is a great eater, just tiny.

Edited by Jackie
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I feel ridiculous asking the question when I’m struggling with not losing weight, but my daughter needs to gain weight. She started a medication that is wonderfully effective at what it’s supposed to accomplish, but also takes away her appetite. She was already tiny, and is now even tinier.

 

We generally do high protein, full fat, and whole grain foods. I can add Pediasure. She has very little appetite, so I’m looking for the highest impact foods possible without needing to eat much volume of food. Ideas?

 

ETA: She is not a picky eater at all. When she has an appetite, she is a great eater, just tiny.

 

My son's go to snack when he needs to gain weight is a PB and honey sandwich (or two) and a big glass of whole milk.  And he eats ice cream nearly every night.  

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When DD16 was little, she was on a drug with a similiar side effect.  We focused on feeding her outside the traditional  meal-time windows.   She could eat first thing in the morning before she took her pill and late at night when it started to wear off.   Second Dinner happened sometimes at 10pm - high calorie, full fat options that seemed to help her sleep better too.  Or I would wake her up at 5am when I got up, feed her a snack and then put her back to bed for a couple of hours.

 

During the day, I pushed liquids since she would drink those even when she really wasn't hungry and she needed the fluids. 

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My kiddo like this also has trouble with having to chew lots and lots, so we have to add in softer foods. Even if she likes the food she's eating, if she doesn't like to have to "work for it," you might factor that into what you select.

 

Will she snack, and if she does, does she end up eating more over the course of the day or less when she snacks? My son is allowed to snack as long as it's not close to a main meal. If he eats near a meal, it effects his overall intake negatively, but generally, he eats more if he is allowed to snack.

 

Can you get at least one good meal in before she takes the meds or after they wear off? My son eats a lot after supper and up to bedtime. Sometimes he comes out after he's been in bed and eats more. 

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The nice thing about fat is that it's calorie-dense, so a small amount equals a lot of calories.  But science seems to be showing that fat- for fat's sake- won't fatten you up.  In that respect, calories are basically equal.  So, if ideally she should be eating a few handfuls of cashews to get in max calories, but in reality, she is MORE LIKELY to be able to nibble her way through a few handfuls of goldfish crackers... just go with what you think she can get down.  Encourage a good glass of milk with or between meals.  Is there anything she used to really love before the medicine (pizza?)  It may be she has enough "muscle memory" to gulp down four slices out of habit without thinking too much about hunger.  

 

I hope you find some solutions!  I know gaining for people who need to gain is just as much a struggle as losing is for people that need to lose.  

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Lots of calorie-dense foods like nuts and dried fruits.  Can you add healthy fats to her food so she's not eating more, but consuming more calories/fat?  Something like Pediasure or Boost is good, too.  Make sure she has full-fat cheese, milk, ice cream, etc.  

 

 

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I substitute whipping cream for milk in pancakes, waffles, mac and cheese, etc. I add oil where I can - noodles, before the spaghetti sauce, roasted veggies and potatoes. Fry grilled cheese sandwiches in butter. DS is allergic to nuts, but I'm going to try the dried fruit idea - he would like that I think. 

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My son eats around (big meal before, big meal late) his meds.

 

Adding whole milk helped here, and drinking calories is sometimes possible even with medication affecting hunger.

 

You might find something she loves that she will eat with medication too--for my son that's a certain type of granola cereal. He's put on weight just in granola I think. Expensive way to do it, but it's been effective. He will eat peanut butter, cheese sticks, and similar fat foods too. But sometimes calories in carbs seem to be easier to do a lot of, and volume matters. 

 

Finally, from time to time over the years doctors have mentioned possibly prescribing a medication that stimulates appetite for my son. Might that be possible? I mention because we've had situations where I was concerned my son might get pulled off meds just because of weight. This might be an option if you get to that point. I think I also remember looking into possibly using essential oils (smelling) to try to stimulate.

 

 

Edited by sbgrace
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My oldest is working on gaining ~20 lbs after a medical issue. 

 

Add Boost Plus shakes...Pediasure is only 120 calories whereas Boost Plus is 360 calories per bottle. Walgreens has a deal now (near me) of Buy 1, Get 1 50% off with their customer loyalty card for the big boxed 12 packs so check there first. My Dd has had 2/day for about a month and a half and has gained almost 12 lbs. (yes, she still has ~20 to go...) Also, pecans, walnuts, and cashews are all very high calorie for a small amount of food. I've found combining higher fats and carbs in a meal has helped significantly. I give her lots of rice, dairy products and avocado. She's also free to have a manageable amount of sweets/ice cream after dinner but she hasn't taken us up on this too much. I also have added in soda and juice occasionally. 

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Thank you, everyone!

 

DD and I went to the store this evening to stock up on stuff she may find tempting to eat even when she’s not hungry - chocolate covered nuts, lots of Kind energy bars, hot dogs and corn dogs, Triscuits and laughing cow cheese, even candy bars with nuts in them. She was especially amazed by the inclusion of candy bars, lol. We bought a six pack of Pediasure to try; at 240 calories for 8 ounces, it’s worth a shot. She had bread with peanut butter and chocolate chips for lunch today, which was certainly better than nothing. We’ll make peanut butter Rice Krispie treats tomorrow. I’m sure I’m forgetting something we stocked up on, but basically lots of protein and fat.

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To answer some of the questions, she fell from 6th percentile to 3rd percentile in weight. She’s naturally small, so it’s more the loss we’re worried about than the number itself.

 

Meds to stimulate appetite may be a possibility, but the doctor really wants to not add a second medicine if possible. DD’s not entirely happy that DH and I made the decision to start the ADHD med, so I’d also rather not add a second med for her to object to if I can make up the difference without it. Now she is starting to equate the meds with getting extra chocolate, which is much more pleasant to her, and I’m quite willing to live with.

 

We talked today about eating like a hobbit - second breakfast, elevensies, and so on. She finds the idea of eating like a hobbit fascinating, so it may at least sustain her for a while. :)

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I feel ridiculous asking the question when I’m struggling with not losing weight, but my daughter needs to gain weight. She started a medication that is wonderfully effective at what it’s supposed to accomplish, but also takes away her appetite. She was already tiny, and is now even tinier.

 

We generally do high protein, full fat, and whole grain foods. I can add Pediasure. She has very little appetite, so I’m looking for the highest impact foods possible without needing to eat much volume of food. Ideas?

 

ETA: She is not a picky eater at all. When she has an appetite, she is a great eater, just tiny.

 

I am naturally slim and the only thing that makes me gain weight is sugar and white flour. Milk, fat, meat, high calories... no problem, I don't gain. I need Russian Tea Cakes by the dozen.

 

Cream does NOT make me gain weight. I drink cream all day in my coffee. I put cream in my breakfast cereal. No help. I apparently make too much insulin? Or whatever your thyroid makes as well, in conjunction with lots of insulin. I eat butter unlimited and I do not limit my meat intake.

 

French fries and milkshakes will do it for me, though.

 

And when I do lent I give up alcohol and sugar an invariably lose 5 lbs even if I don't change my caloric intake.

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I am naturally slim and the only thing that makes me gain weight is sugar and white flour. Milk, fat, meat, high calories... no problem, I don't gain. I need Russian Tea Cakes by the dozen.

 

Cream does NOT make me gain weight. I drink cream all day in my coffee. I put cream in my breakfast cereal. No help. I apparently make too much insulin? Or whatever your thyroid makes as well, in conjunction with lots of insulin. I eat butter unlimited and I do not limit my meat intake.

 

French fries and milkshakes will do it for me, though.

 

And when I do lent I give up alcohol and sugar an invariably lose 5 lbs even if I don't change my caloric intake.

I wish I had your metabolism!!

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If you get desperate enough then fall back on Ensure Plus.  But don't look at the ingredients, just buy and give it to her  :mellow:

It is what I have to do with my son who has a chronic illness.  No, it isn't normally the kind of ingredients I would allow but desperate times call for desperate measures.

 

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