Topic: How to gain weight on lowcarb anti yeast diet????
AZURE WISH
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 804
posted
HI everyone,
I was wondering if anyone knows how to gain weight while maintaining an anti-yeast low carb diet.
I am allergic to eggs so they are out.
I am barely 105lbs now and I tried on a few pairs of juniors size 0 and they were too big. Since they do not make sizes in the minuses you see my problem...plus it really isn't good for me to be this thin as a grown up
I do supplement with protein (no sugar or artificial crud added).
I also have gastroparesis so I cant really eat super hard to digest foods like nuts.
Any suggestions????
Thank you all
edited to include that i am far too sick to exercise at all at this point betwen fatigue, shortness of breath, pain, lightheadded balance issues etc
JRWagner
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3229
posted
The only CORRECT and SAFE way to gain weight is to exercise...specifically weight training.
If you are supplementing with protein (preferrably WHEY protein) you will need approx. 1 Gram of protein to one lb. bodyweight.
Do not eat heavy directly before your workout...or, if you are hungry, try a banana, etc., for energy during your training.
Within 1/2 to 1 hr. AFTER the workout, you must take a serving of the protein to repair the muscles that have been "torn" during training, otherwise your body will scavange protein form other muscle...not a good thing if you are trying to gain.
You also need carbs after a workout, (as well as before for energy), to replenish muscle glycogen stores.
NEVER try to simply gain weight by eating more...this will add FAT not lean muscle.
Good luck!
Peace, Love and Wellness, JRW
Posts: 1414 | From Ny, Ny | Registered: Oct 2002
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Aniek
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5374
posted
You might want to consider adding some complex carbs to your diet. It's no use following a strict anti-yeast diet if you are undernourished. There is no way you can get healthy if you are not eating enough.
You would want to eat whole grains if you do this. Things that are low on the glycemic index.
-------------------- "When there is pain, there are no words." - Toni Morrison Posts: 4711 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
I wonder if you could eat nuts if you did what my Bio Cranial doc says to do?
It's supposed to make them easier to digest if you soak them for 24 hrs in water, then dry them in a low heat oven until dry.
I haven't had time to try it yet, since I'm in the middle of moving, but that's what he told me to do.
Can you eat avocados? Use coconut oil??
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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AZURE WISH
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 804
posted
I am eating... veg (not potatoes), meats, dairy
The amount I am eating I should not be malnourished but it just doesnt put weight on me. (I do have babs and I think this is what is causing this although I am not sure why exactly)
I'll try the nut thing.. seems like it shouldn't take that much energy
I might check out the whole grain and add a little but I am not sure I can right now.
Thank you for the ideas JRwagner and Aniek and Lymetoo
posted
I am gald you posted this, and I am hoping you get even more responses.
I am 5'10" and 113 lbs. right now and am having a hard time keeping weight on as well. I have had yeast probs and am on Nystatin/Diflucan so I am hoping that will give me a little wiggle room to eat more than meat and veggies. I feel so skinny and self conscious all the time, and am getting so sick of people saying "Oh I wish I had your problem, you're so lucky!" If they only know what my real life was like....
Do you ever go through periods where you are just not hungry, and you're just eating because you know you have too? Maybe I do because I am so tired of eating the same old things?
I miss ice-cream the very most. My LLMD's advice was to keep eating "good" oils, like flax seed oils, and almond butter. Sometimes I will even add olive oils or flax oil to water with lemon. I know it sounds gross but at least it's more easy calories going in. Would love to hear others advice to you! I know I just went down to wearing sz 3 in juniors, and they are already baggy now that they are stretched out, so I fell your pain!!!
Laura
Posts: 232 | From MN | Registered: Jul 2007
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AZURE WISH
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 804
posted
"Do you ever go through periods where you are just not hungry, and you're just eating because you know you have too?"
absolutely. I dont get hungry very often and actually i am quite used to this because it started when i first got sick (in 1987)..
so i am kinda used to not getting hungry... although lately I do once and a while so maybe whatever is causing it is improving. (lyme, babs)
Aniek
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5374
posted
If you are not getting enough calories, then you are undernourished. I'm not sure from your message if you are actually losing weight or just not gaining.
Are you trying to get rid of yeast or prevent yeast? Because if you are just trying to prevent yeast, then you really should be able to handle some whole, unprocessed grains and beans.
-------------------- "When there is pain, there are no words." - Toni Morrison Posts: 4711 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Mar 2004
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AZURE WISH
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 804
posted
I am holding my weight now. But it took me a little while to get it to hold. So if i could i would like to try to gein the 10lbs i lost back.
If i get the flu, or my gastroparesis flares I will loose alot of weight and their wont be anything I can do about it. 10 lbs heavier i feel a little safer with how fickle my digestive system is.
If i start eating the carbs i seem to develope yeast. so while i might not have a problem right now (or i might but just not enough to notice), if i dont really watch the carbs (even fruit) I end up with yeast.
I think my system is "tired" and risking yeast at this point is not a good idea. Also I did test neg for celiac but was wondering if maybe i have a gluten intolerance anyway. (i do have a close family member with celiac) so i was also trying to avoid gluten things for this reason as well.
I figured if maybe eating different could potentially help then I should at least try for a substantial amount of time to see if it seems like there is any improvement.
Aniek
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5374
posted
Fruit is much worse for yeast than a whole grain. Most fruit has a very high glycemic index.
I was never able to gain weight on a full yeast diet. The only way I was able to stabilize was with lots and lots of fat, including snacking on nuts all day long.
-------------------- "When there is pain, there are no words." - Toni Morrison Posts: 4711 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
At my sickest point I had this problem. I'm nearly 5'8" and was down to 108. I was staying on the diet you describe, but without dairy.
Adding in probiotics was the most important. You have to find one that is high quality, and that you can tolerate.
I had struggled with GI stuff/yeast for months and months. My ILADS LLMD told me not to worry about taking too much probiotics.
I started taking 2 Culturelle caps after every meal (recommended dose was 2/day if you're having problems). Bingo. Can't believe the difference it made. No more problems AT ALL.
Now if LYME were that easy to take care of!!
Culturelle is a high quality probiotic, recommended by my MD.
Homemade chicken soup w/veggies was a staple. I'd make a pot of either rice or quinoa and throw a cup into a bowl and mix in the soup. You could use pasta that way as well.
Fish can even be made into soups.
Yams worked well for snacks.
Once I used probiotics I didn't have to be so careful about the diet. I just avoided the foods I was sensitive to, and sugar.
It is now 4yrs later, and I'm much much better, and have gained back all my lost weight, and then some...oops. I finally have the energy to exercise again!!! A miracle.
BUT...gastroparesis is a difficult condition. I understand you have to limit fats and grains? And veggies must be cooked.
You have to eat smaller, more frequent meals and avoid fatty foods, fibrous foods, red meat and fresh vegetables. Meals that are rich in protein and starches are preferred because they are more easily mixed and emptied by the stomach. Many patients require medical therapy with anti-nausea and/or pro-motility drugs. (from a NYC specialist, Dr. Lambroza , Lambroza.com)
I suppose you take something like Protonix in AM There's a product called Glycolax which keeps things moving. I've used both and can recommend them.
You have a particularly challenging situation. Good luck to you. Never give up.
[ 17. February 2008, 03:35 AM: Message edited by: lymewarrior03 ]
Posts: 661 | From NY | Registered: May 2003
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AliG
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9734
posted
I'm NOT a medical professional, but I'm wondering if taking a good proteolytic enzyme supplement, along with probiotics, with meals would help. ???
I just did some reading and something that comes to mind is the Nutritional drinks that I've seen in the supermarket, formulated for diabetics. Perhaps adding in some of these, along with probiotics, might help. ????
excerpt: Importance of Nutrition as Treatment in Gastroparesis
Diet is one of the mainstays of treatment for those who suffer from gastroparesis. Some foods are more difficult than others for the stomach to digest.
Fatty foods take a longer time to digest, as do foods that are fibrous, like raw vegetables. People with gastroparesis should reduce their intake of fiber or avoid these foods.
Fiber when eaten should be chewed well and cooked until soft. Food that is poorly digested can collect in the stomach and form what is called a bezoar. This mass of undigested matter may cause a blockage, preventing the stomach from emptying and result in nausea and pain. In such a case, it may be necessary to use endoscopic tools to break the bezoar apart and remove it.
Fortunately, even when stomach emptying is significantly impaired, thick and thin liquids (e.g. pudding and nutrient drinks) are usually tolerated and can pass through the stomach.
Many people with gastroparesis can live a relatively normal life with the aid of supplemental nutritional drinks, soft foods the consistency of pudding and by pureeing solid food in a blender.
Feeding tubes placed in the small intestine (jejunostomy) may be required if gastric paralysis is severe and a person is unable to manage with a pureed or soft diet. These feeding tubes are usually placed endoscopically or surgically through the skin and directly into the small intestine (figure 1).
Before such a feeding tube is placed, a temporary nasal or oral jejunal feeding tube is usually tried for a few days to make sure the individual can tolerate this form of feeding into the small bowel. The temporary feeding tube is usually placed by guiding it through the nose or mouth, down the esophagus or `` food pipe'', through the stomach and finally into the small intestine with the aid of an endoscope (figure 2).
excerpt: Jean Fox, M.D., and Amy Foxx-Orenstein, D.O., FACG, Mayo Clinic Rochester
-------------------- Note: I'm NOT a medical professional. The information I share is from my own personal research and experience. Please do not construe anything I share as medical advice, which should only be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner. Posts: 4881 | From Middlesex County, NJ | Registered: Jul 2006
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Clarissa
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4715
posted
Aren't there protein shakes available that would have low sugar but some "good" carbs and calories?
I'd check out Jordin Rubin's Garden of Life products and maybe some others have tried these shakes, too. (just google Garden of Life).
posted
I was also considering the protein drinks with no sugar that I see in the super market. Then I read the ingredients. There is a lot of JUNK in them.
This is so hard because I try not to take in preservitives, chemicals, and junk in general but with the rest of the diet I'm on it leaves me with few choices.
I like almond butter and it has a good amount of fat, calories, and protein.
As far as protein goes for adding mass. I used to be into body building and would eat 1 to 1 1/2 grams of protein per lb of body wt. It worked if I kept the weight traing very intense and consistant.
That was before I was sick. I cannot do that kind of training now and don't think my body would absorb even half of the protein.
Also the only good whey protein mixes I've found are very expensive so that may not be an option for some.
Azure wish, Silly question but have you been tested for gluten intolerance?
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AliG
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9734
posted
I just realized that you said you were taking shakes. (DUH!)
Info from Cornell Medical College:
Nausea or Vomiting (Gastroparesis) Diet
Modified from Koch KL. Textbook of Gastroenterology, 1995
STEP 1. Gatorade and Bouillon
Diet: Small volume of salty liquids to avoid dehydration
Goal: 1000 to 1500 mL/day in multiple servings e.g. 1-2 oz at a time
Avoid: Citrus and highly sweetened drinks
STEP 2. Soup and Crackers
Diet: Soups with noodles or rice and crackers and peanut buffer in small amounts in at least six divided meals per day
Goal: 1500 calories per day; avoid dehydration and maintain weight
Avoid: Creamy, milk-based liquids
STEP 3. Solid Food: Starches Chickens and Fish
Diet: Starches such as noodles, pastas, potatoes, and rice are easily mixed and emptied by the stomach; chicken breast and fish are usually well tolerated in six divided meals per day; a one-a-day vitamin should be prescribed
Goal: To find common foods that evoke minimal nausea or vomiting
Avoid: Fatty foods which delay gastric emptying and red meats and fresh vegetables which require maximum trituration
How about mixing some nut butters into your shakes & taking with proteolytic enzymes to aid digestion?
I read on another GP link something about cheese & crackers. Maybe some cheese & crackers with probiotics would be helpful?
I would think that if you take probiotics with the starches it should be helpful.
Wait a minute! GP is a problem with slow gastric emptying. Would the probiotic capsules then digest in the stomach and be destroyed by the stomach acid, instead of releasing in the intestines?
How about Kefir, might that be helpful, if mixed in with the protein? I'm thinking that adding some healthy oil to the shake could be good
If you are starting to get hungry periodically & are Txing Lyme & Babs, I think that's a really good sign.
I really hope you are able to figure something out.
I'll keep you in my prayers, Ali
-------------------- Note: I'm NOT a medical professional. The information I share is from my own personal research and experience. Please do not construe anything I share as medical advice, which should only be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner. Posts: 4881 | From Middlesex County, NJ | Registered: Jul 2006
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tailz
Unregistered
posted
I dropped to 88 lbs, and I have an egg allergy and many food intolerances, including milk. The only way I was able to gain weight was by eliminating most fats (except grapeseed oil), all grains, all fruits, all meats and fish, and most other high protein foods (such as seeds and nuts).
I gained 20 lbs eating only veggies, and only certain ones at that. Canned peas were a miracle to me.
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posted
Azure...You know, I'm really thinking I may have gastroparesis. I noticed that tricyclic antidepressants make it worse.
I think my Trazodone is really making life miserable for me.....BUT...what would I take in order to get some sleep???
I don't think any of the SSRI's help with sleep. They may make it worse.
I just went off Diflucan as I found it was causing stomach pain for me. Kinda like gallbladder pain with NO gallbladder.
Is there a test for gastroparesis that won't cost me a million dollars, or should I just try a different antidep and see what happens?
Sorry to highjack this thread....I considered starting my own...if you want me to, I will!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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AZURE WISH
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 804
posted
Thank you everyone for your suggestions
Lymewarrior - I do have reglean (to move things along) for the gastroparesis and I think the only thing causing it at this point is one of the TBDS (lyme,babs). Actually the symptoms of gastroparesis started for me when I first got sick and I had lots of problems after that... but it didn't get diagnosed till it was really bad.
One of the probotics I take is Culturelle maybe I am just not taking enough.. I will see if increasing will help.
AliG - I take digestive enzymes already and I do feel that they help. Also in the past if I take care to space my probotics extra far away from my abx then I didn't have problems (and my stomach isn't reall bad now so it should not be getting more destroyed in the stomach then it was)maybe i just need more now
Clarissa and improver -
I use two proteins 1. Nature's Way organic hemp protein and fiber (it tastes awful though no matter what it is mixed in I try to cover it up with ciniamin) 2. Jay Robb's Whey protein - It contains stevia as the sweetner - it tastes good to me and I mix it in milk.
I was tested for celiac disease recently and it came out negative. I assume this tested me for gluten intolerance cuz that is the main problem of celiac disease - gluten intolerance I just don't know how reliable the tests are - Gee, why could I have a lack of faith in tests?
Tailz- How horrible to get so thin. I think I would die at 88 lbs. I can't cut out protein or meat though. For a long time I have known no meat = a sicker Azure. My stomach couldn't tolerate all veggies anyway. Glad you found a way to gain some weight back.
Lymetoo - thank you for the link on gluten. I am aware that it is put in stuff u would never think of cuz a close family member has celiac so I will show this to him too.
As for the gastroparesis - they diagnosed mine with an endoscopy. By the time they found it I had been living on ensure and water for awhile. I should have changed drs months earlier. It took the dr that diagnosed me (a gastro dr) probably less than 2 weeks. He said my stomach was very inflamed too and it did take awhile to calm down. It is much better than it was then but I still have to be careful not to make it to mad at me.
There is another test I had done but I do not know how accurate it is. They have you eat something sprinkled so it can be seen in the imaging and they watch how it empties. They said my test came out fine... but they usually give the person eggs. Since I am allergic to eggs they told me to bring in a sandwich I liked. So I brought in a turkey sandwich (bread and turkey) which are both things that you would be told to eat if you have gastroparesis cuz they are easier to digest.
I have reglean (a prescription) to help it empty faster. Maybe you could find a dr willing to prescribe it and see if it helps cuz neither of the tests I had are cheap if you have to pay for them. Generic reglean is cheap.
Amanda
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14107
posted
Have you tried the peanutbutter from the health food store? They make some with no sugar in it.
What about hummus? Be sure to avoid the kind low in fat.
Olives to snack on can be good. Also, salt can help curb nausea a little.
Chicken legs and thighs are high in fat, be sure to eat the skins
Can't remember if you said you couldn't have dairy. If you can aside from butter their is cream to add to tea or coffee or whatever.
Cream cheese is good too, any soft cheese is high in fat. And you can buy ice cream without sugar added.
And of course, there is always bacon...
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and I mix it in milk.
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