Desperately need advice on how to SAFELY put on weight
#280658 - 09/01/06 02:14 PM
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Hey guys
I never post on here (never know where to start and am always too scared!) but like to dip in and out and get some info when I need it. As such, I'm going to try and summarise my 'issues' at the moment. Basically, I'm seeking advice on how to 'safely' put on weight.The guidelines I've been given by an eating disorders unit include eating LOADS of HIGH FAT DAIRY products and PROCESSED stuff which I avoid like the plague. (ready meals, chocolate bars and crisps? No thank you!) D'oh! The way I've been trying to remedy the problem is by eating lots of bread (I've avioded this for a while and had limited my portion sizes to control painful IBS, however, this resulted me in losing an awful lot of weight as I exercise a lot and its so hard to eat when you're IBS is so bad) I have increased my portion sizes threefold, (eg more sweet potato, rice noodles, rice, tons of soya milk) but i has been a slow process as kept getting 'acid reflux' as apparently my stomach couldn't handle the amount of food I was now putting in.
I've always had issues with food; been comfort eating ever since I was a child and didn't have a very good diet. Then I moved away to uni when I was 18 (I am now 22, nearly 23, living in Leeds, England) and had some teeth removed to wear braces. As such, I decided to kick myself into gear and would only eat 'healthy' foods and became exercise obsessed. Ironically, the 'healthy' food kicked off my IBS, (as did having teeth removed, stress etc) I ate masses of yoghurts, chewed lots of gum, ate copious amounts of lightly steamed veg and fruit (with no soluble fibre to cushion it) and only brown bread etc. As we all know, I was an 'IBS' nightmare but didn' know this at the time, although some things such as only eating low fat and avoiding processed foods and red meat were parts of Heather's diet that I incorporated into my life and still stick to today. .
Upon discovering Heather's website, my life turned around. I began eating soluble fibre (white rice, bread, pasta) to cushion my IF, cooked/pureed all fruits and veg (espesh love making fruit smoothies) and eliminated dairy completely. (i like soya products best, although i have a bit of oat/rice milk too) I discovered herbal teas and still drink peppermint, nettle, fennel and dandelion every day. I ordered Heather's acacia and have a teaspoon on my b/fast, lunch and dinner, including a teaspoon of flaxseed after my porridge on a morning.
Have been treated for depression for a while now, although my greatest problem has been my obsession with being healthy and being completely withdrawn socially as a result of this and IBS (I don't go out at night, never eat out, don't drink alcohol, like to get good sleep, wind etc doesnt make me want to socialize and thought I would never have a realtionship again)
Have been keeping a food diary since january this year (had a v bad attack and took me months to stabilise, I'm IBS-A but have more of a tendency towards IBS-D). I have been following Heather's diet since june 2003, but have only just recently been diagnosed with an eating disorder (alhough im not anorexic/bulimic, my life is dominated by food)
Ok, apologies if this is all a bit random and confusing: So, I lost a load of weight between January 2006-may 2006 and people were calling me anorexic. I went mad, as I was trying to explain to my dad, for example, that I could only eat certain things due to my IBS. (it's taken years to convince him I'm not just making it up!) and I thought I wasn't 'one of those' people with a problem as i eat regularly and would never make myself sick etc. Although, as we all know, DENIAL is a huge part of the problem, I couldn't see what I actually looked like (VERY thin and bones were sticking out, didn't realise I wasn't having 'proper' periods)
So, since Jan, for the first time in my life, I had greatly reduced my protion sizes (notably, the amount of carbs I usually pile onto my plate) because of my IBS attack. I WAS reducing the amount I ate, but wasn't intentionally trying to lose weight (I used to count calories etc when 18-21 obsessively, but don't do that anymore) I do spend a lot of time planning my meals and food shopping and reading up on things to do with health and helping my IBS so am FOOD OBSESSED and yes, as I eventually got referred for an EATING DISORDER (bless you dad) As a result, have been passed around between doctors and hospitals and have been offered a one-off appoitnment with an 'eating disorders' dietician in october who can help me.
I'm terrible, as once I find something that works I don't change what I eat and have the same thing every day (not rotating foods, I know it's bad but due to eating disorder I'm very 'ritual' and won't anything I'm 'not allowed) Sometimes I'll try and introduce something new, but do what a lot of people do and introduce/change a few thing at once and so never knew quite what caused my symptoms and as stress/life affects it too I never know what's happening! I try to be detailed in food diary, writing down what happened/ate/ bm's and emotional responses. I did get sent to a dietician who gave me the usual 'eat lots of fibre and IF' and turned me away as cudnt deal with an eating disorder, I needed more specialist help.
At the mo, its porridge/banana and soya milk for brekkie, lots of herbal tea thru day, rice noodles, seaweed, veg/chicken stock and mango, apple and soya milk for lunch. Either fish (salmon) and white bap, brown rice, root vegetables and spinach or something like sweet potato, root veg and grilled chicken breast (with apple sauce, dairy free cheese sauce or veg sauce) for dinner. Always followed by a bluberry/strawberry/apple/pear kinda mix with soya milk in a smoothie. Have been having some rye bread and sourdough bread with smoothie to try and put on weight. Before bed, I have a banana and toast with marmite (and some hummus If I'm feeling brave) but have built up slowly, was so hard at frst to even eat ONE piece of white bread (I wish I could eat brown!)Have been trying some high fat stuff, but things like avocados just kill my IBS. I know it's all a case of trial and error but I just think you guys know SOOO much more aobut this than the 'professionals' and was hoping for some advice before I see this lovely person who is going to tell me to have full fat milk and lots of cheese (as the doc keeps telling me to do) AAARRGGHH!"!!!!
PS, I've managed to put on a bit of weight, have reduced my exercise and stress levels greatly, but although I'm no longer 'underweight' I'm still veiny and thin. I do lots of weight training so that keeps me bulked up. I also suffer from Raynaud's syndrome (extreme cold in hands and feet) and am now feeling the stress building up from dreading the winter (my dad doesn't realy let us have heating on, I turn on computer to try and heat up room...)
Hrrm, i'd better take a breath now.......
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Hi
#280675 - 09/01/06 04:06 PM
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Nelly
Reged: 08/06/04
Posts: 4381
Loc: Within stray mortar fire of DC
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I can't do avacados either (they KILL my stomach). I was built like a skelleton for most of my life (think a pale, gangly spider) and I know how hard it is to put on weight, not having hit 100 lbs. until I was almost 20. 
When I started high school I was 14, 5'8", 74 pounds.  It was the IBS, but everybody thought I had an eating disorder. I know how that makes you feel, when no one will listen to you. {{{HUGS}}}} for being strong and getting through this!
I don't know if the eating disorder specialist will help. Your protests might just reinforce what they already believe (she wouldn't be here unless she had a problem). I do suggest that if you go, print out some of your posts from this site, and keep a running list in your purse of all your symptoms, meds, etc. regarding the IBS. I know this helps for a lot of us here who are visiting doctors for the first time.
{{{{{{{{BIG HUGS!}}}}}}}} and good luck to you!! I totally get where you're coming from.
Thanks for posting, too-- It really helps me to read your story because it reinforces that all the time I was growing u p dealing with the same things I wasn't as crazy as I thought at the time!! 
~nelly~ 
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you sound exactly like me, almost all is the same, i was ibs-a, and through diet and natural therapies progressed to mostly stable with some ibs-c. I have anxiety and ocd issues when it comes to food and germs and getting food poisoning as i have a fear of throwing up, and worse i used to get nauseous a lot with my ibs.
i have lost about 15 in the last year going from a healthy 115 lbs for 5'5" to 100 lbs and people started asking if i was anorexic even though they saw me constantly eating, but small amounts as i eat 6 times a day. I also do the very healthy careful food combining and only safe foods, and would not go out to eat for fear of eating anything different, it got so out of hand my bf and mom finally sat me down and we decided that i would go back on AD's as i used to be on them when i was younger for my ibs and anxiety , but was off of them for the last two years trying every natural approach in existance. since going back in the ad's my anxiety is better and i am slowly starting to increase the size of my portions and diversify my diet within guidelines. I have also added fish to my previous vegan diet.I do a few things different than the diet, i eat lots of seeds and beans, i chew them really well and lots of non gluten whole grains as they seem to digest best and lots of raw veggies but never lettuces, only spinach. certain veggies i can't handle like tomatoes and i can't handle spices. this is where i am at after a year pf basically only eating rice and steamed veggies. its hard to overide my mind when i go to restaurants or buy something new to try but i know to be healthy i have to make the effort. i just do it within my limits, like i know that spicy food is a killer for me, no dairy, no red meat, very little sugar or salt and veeery little not naturally occuring fats or oils (nuts ok, breaded fried fish, not)
gaining weight seems to be the hardest, especially with everyone not understanding since the rest of the world seems to be trying to lose weight. The best way i am finding is to eat more at each meal and snack, enough to slightly overfill me but not make me nauseous, and eventually my body will adapt. To add more protein at each meal, still working on that, nuts and seeds with every meal, i do fruit with almond butter or veggies with sunflower seed butter as snacks and sun, pumpkin and hemp seeds with all meals, the butters are easiest to digest as they are ground so finely. you can also try protein powders, hemp, rice or soy to add to your smoothie. Hope some of this helps, just know that you are not alone.
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You seem to be saying you're stable, am i correct? If thats true than i'd encourage you to start getting a bit more IF, But dont radically change your diet when you do. You seem to e dong a lot of things right, like wegiht training etc. I was similar to your case, in that i just bordered on being anorexic, cause i just didn't know how to stabalise properly (mostly a problem of over eating on my behalf, but also my body wasn't used to it) i still haven't completewly stabalised but i'm getting closer. I've gained 4kg (about 11 lb i think) in the last 6 weeks. I've been eating about as much protein as you, but perhaps a bit more, plus a multi vitamin/carbo/protein shake. I'm also doing weight training. Problem is that i'm a guy, and men bulk out easier than women, but i'm a lanky one, always have naturally been that way. i'd try a whey free protein drink if i were you.
But i must ask this question, y do you want to gain weight? I want to cause i can see my ribs in the mirror, and i just want a bit of weight and strength (6"4' and only 70 kg or something round 154 lbs) eek.
any further help i can give i will.
jez
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Who is Lord of this world? Jesus is. Now what will you do?
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