Calories/fat question
#154624 - 02/27/05 07:59 AM
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abby82
Reged: 03/08/04
Posts: 335
Loc: Nevada
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Hello - as most of you probably already know Im trying to gain weight so Ive been trying to add up a days worth of eating for me when it comes to calories and fat. I really dont have any idea what Im doing but if my calculations are right Im eating about:
-1750-1800 calories a day
-this only added up to about 25 grams of fat
-Which is about 188 calories from fat (I think)
Anyways what do these numbers tell you - Im guessing its very low when it comes to fat grams and calories from fat because I eat very low fat or fat free foods all day.
So how many fat grams and calories from fat should I be getting a day when staying around this many calories and still staying IBS safe? I tried to do a seach on this sort of topic but didnt find what Im looking for. I think I read that Heather says to stay at about 20-25% calories from fat so I think Im way below that since 20% of 1750 is is 320 and Im only at about 188. Does anyone have any sugguestions, food ideas (must be GF also) or links to good websites that may help me? Basically I need to know how many fat grams I should be eating a day and how to get there! Thanks!
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Hi Abby!
According to my calculations... (lol) if you're eating 25g of fat each day then that's 225 calories from fat (there are 9 cals in each g of fat - 25x9=225). That's about 12.5% of your calories (on an 1800 calorie/day diet) from fat, which, when you have IBS, isn't bad. I don't know how well you tolerate fat, but you COULD probably safely have a little more than that, around 30-40 g/day. Just be careful to make sure that EACH MEAL is no more than 20% calories from fat (If you think about it, you could eat a hamburger and then eat basically no fat the rest of the day and still get 30g of fat that day - but it wouldn't be IBS safe!!!  )
Also, I'm not sure what your height/age/activity level is, but if you're trying to gain weight then 1800 calories really isn't that much...
If you're having trouble adding all this up, I'd highly recommend FITDAY.COM - it's a website where you can just enter in all your foods and it tells you how many calories you're getting, how much carbs/fat/protein (and what percentage of your calories are coming from each), as well as a daily tally of nutrients etc. It will also tell you your BMR (basal metabolic rate - basically how many calories your body burns if you do nothing all day) and will let you add in your lifestyle (i.e. if you're sedentary all day you burn a lot fewer calories than if you have a job that requires you to walk around a lot etc.) and any extra activities you do that day, like exercise. This will all add up to how many calories your body burns each day.
I'm sure you already know this, but if you want to GAIN weight, you must be eating MORE calories than you're burning - so if you're burning more than 1800 cals a day (and my guess is that your probably are, but again, not sure about your age/height/activity level) then you'll need to start eating more than that.
For example, I'm a 20yo female, 5' 3.5" and 122 lbs; my activity level is "seated work, some movement" - and before I even add in an exercise each day I burn 2288 calories!
On fitday you can also enter in weight goals (weight/date you want to reach that goal) and it will estimate how many calories you need to start eating each day to reach it. It will also tell you what is a healthy weight for your body.
Anyway, give fitday a try and let us know how it goes! Good luck! 
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You're right
#154644 - 02/27/05 08:59 AM
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Kandee
Reged: 05/22/03
Posts: 3206
Loc: USA, Southern California
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Heather does say a total max of 25%, so on your 1750 cals that's 438 cals from fats. (We're talking percentage, not total fat grams..unless I'm all wrong on this.) You're not even getting 10% now, so no wonder you're not gaining anything.....Inch up your fats a little at a time. To much, to soon can trigger you or make you ill. Also, space them out over the day without to much being in any one meal or food. Over time, you could bump those calories up too, since you're desperately trying to gain weight, and this seems mighty low.
Add some canola or olive oils in your cooking and baking. Eat some nut butters when you can. They add calories, good fats, and a ton of nutrition. You can add ground or chopped nuts to lots of things, even fruits and veggies. Add one whole egg to egg whites in baking or omelets. Drink lots of non-dairy milks, and high caloried smoothies........and if you can handle them, a safe miniature candy bar now and then won't hurt...and frost your cakes and quick breads, adding a little oil into the glazes or frostings. Oh, and don't always make the low fat version of GF mixes and breads. If you're scared to at first replace 1/2 of the fats with applesauce, keeping the total fats to about 25%.
Or if none of that works, I'll gladly send you 25 of my extra pounds!!! 
Or, come visit...I'll have you a little "rollie-pollie" in no time!
Kandee
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Hey guys - thanks so much for your replies! I guess I definitely need to UP my fats. Im going to go to Fitday.com too and get started there. I REALLY want to gain at least 10-15 pounds in the next 6-7 months - does this sound unrealistic? As for my height/weight/activity level Im about 5'4 and around 103-105 pounds ( I know I know way too skinny) but I really cant help it - I just cannot gain weight! Ive never had an eating disorder or anything like that - I have pretty much just been like that my whole life. Right before I got IBS I finally started to gain weight in college (had Wendy's EVERY NIGHT for dinner) and I was up to about 115 and I LOVED IT. Then when I got sick I lost about 15-20 pounds and was like 97 lbs!! =( Then after about a year I got back up to around 100-103 where I have been stuck at for months now! Anyways hopefully I'll add on some more very soon! Im going to try to add some peanut butter, and thanks to Kandee some more wonderful GF baked foods! Cant wait to make the GF donuts if my donut pan would ever come in the mail! Thanks again and hopefully Ill have some good news in the next couple of months!
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You need to be eating more calories per day, especially if you're active *at all*. I eat 2100-2300 and am losing so quickly that my poor ribs are showing. I need to be eating more than that to maintain, but then again, I'm super active (at the gym or pool 6 days a week).
I would suggest aiming for 2000 calories a day for the next two weeks and then gradually upping your calories til you start gaining. If you eat nutritious, whole foods you won't gain fat, so stay away from anything processed. Make sure you're getting enough protein (I aim for 130g a day, but like I said, I'm very active).
Email me if you'd like more info: elizabeth@dopple.net
(I'm recovering from an ED, so I have found some tricks to "up" my calories since I used to eat less than 400 a day)
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Elizabeth
all those years it wasn't IBS - it was celiac!
send me an email: liz@dopple.net
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as a mom- I worry about it when you talk such a low caloric intake and yet are trying to gain weight.. try upping that number... good luck! you need to count exercise done as calories burned and then eat more the more exercise you get to- I'm trying to maintain my weight so that is spoken from experience!
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Dietetics Student (anticipating RD exam in Aug 2010)
IBS - A
Dairy Allergic
Fructose and MSG intollerant
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I've been trying madly to gain weight as well. I'm eager to hear if you have success, and if so, let me know what you did!
Good luck.
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Wow -Im so glad theres someone out there the same size as me!! That makes me feel so much better! Ill let you know how I do - if you gain any weight let me know how you did it!
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Abby- I am the same way as you- I am 35 years old, 5'6" and 105 pounds. I would love to gain about 25 pounds. But with what I eat- It is soooo hard to gain a pound. I hate how I look sometimes. I look sick.
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Melissa
Pain predominant w/occasional C.
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Hello There,
I'm new at this but I'm trying to learn about my IBS and I really need to gain weight. My doctor just told me that I have IBS about a month ago, and I have no clue about the things I can eat to help me gain weight. I was already under weight before my IBS and now I look sick. Please I need advise and help !!! Thank You ! My email is aft98@bellsouth.net . 
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The joy of the Lord is my strength !
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