Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for gaining weight (besides getting better!). I
know I'm sopose to have a strict diet and just would really love to gain about 5 pounds.
Thank you so much:)
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
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Have you had your thyroid checked to be sure you are not hyperthyroid?
You want to gain muscle weight, not fat weight, so I'd say eat more protein and maybe good quality root vegetables for strength. Macadamia nuts might be very helpful, too. They have a mix of protein and the fat is of good quality.
Coconut milk or whole milk yogurt will pack on the pounds fast, but that is just fat weight.
It's best to be 5 pounds underweight unless what you add is in muscle with maybe just a little fat if you need more.
Can you lift weights? Strengthening your muscles will add weight and that would be toned mass, too.
I've only seen this is passing, but L-Carnitine or Creatine may be used for weight gain. If you take any supplements your LLMD should first approve the type, brand and dose.
THE REQUIREMENTS OF PROTEIN & AMINO ACID DURING ACUTE & CHRONIC INFECTION . . .
Anura V. Kurpad - Institute of Population Health & Clinical Research, Bangalore, India
129. Indian J Med Res 124, August 2006, pp 129-148. Review Article.
Excerpt: " . . . In general, the amount of EXTRA protein that would appear to be needed is of the order of 20-25 per cent of the recommended intake, for most infections. . . ."
- Full article at link (or google the title if it does not go through).
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Posted by Ocean (Member # 3496) on :
Keebler,
If one doesn't exercise though, won't any extra calories go to fat? I am kind of in the same situation, not at my lowest, but enough that my grandma called my mom this morning telling her she was really worried for me.
Lyme is so screwy, I couldn't lose weight and gained when I was first sick and now it's the opposite.
Eating extra nuts and avocados doesn't seem to be helping me gain, but at least I'm not losing (I don't think anyhow).
Good luck, to you abby!
Ocean
Posted by Parisa (Member # 10526) on :
Look into eating cottage cheese with flax seed oil.
I'm in the same boat too and in fact was searching on this topic on here earlier today. It always seems someone is going thru the samething I am...which helps to feel not so alone.
Thanks Keebler for that advice- I wonder if that is why when I stopped going to physical therapy, which was putting on muscle that I lost weight and havent been able to gain again.
Ocean- I can relate i had someone comment to my mom yesterday about my weight :-(
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
I drank whey protein shakes twice per day. Three scoops whey, water, and frozen fruit, blended.
I also would eat low sugar fruit like berries with whipped cream. You can buy the whipping cream and whip it yourself with no sugar. It's high calorie.
My basic plan was to eat as concentrated of calories as possible.
Look into parasites. Once I started treating them I had no trouble with weight.
Posted by abbyjo (Member # 16073) on :
Thank you everyone! I have a lot to go on!! Yes,
I definately am ready to to some strength
training too!
Posted by lemonsnotlymes (Member # 19926) on :
I definitely think focusing on protein is important.
I have started adding a quality protein powder to a yogurt smoothy that I make with frozen berries. That is helping me maintain.
I will say that I will dink an Ensure at least once a day to add more calories.
At one time, before Lyme when I needed to gain weight I ate cream cheese all the time.
One trick I had for my son when he wasn't gaining enough was to add safflower oil to things I cooked for him. If you can throw in some of that or Olive Oil, it would also be good.
Posted by pryorka (Member # 13649) on :
I've been getting my own flax seeds and grinding them up in a coffee bean grinder. They have a good number of calories. I'm also eating a lot of peanut butter, just make sure you get the kind without trans-fat. I seem to keep a little more weight on too after I started taking digestive enzymes with my meals. I had one test done showing I had malabsorption so maybe I probably wasn't digesting everything I ate, so that's a though too.