How On Earth Can I Gain Some Weight?

[no7ang]

Hi all, i know this is a problem that many people would love to have, but im sure there are many of you who will know how it feels to have lost a whole heap of weight---is really is no fun!!!

since being diagnosed 23 july this year i have probably lost more weight due to initially eating only a ton of very safe foods like fruit and veg with meat. i now have much more 'real' foods in my diet but still failing to gain weight. im not sure what else i can do, but am desperate to put on weight, my clothes (despite me buying smaller and smaller) continue to get loser. i cant keep buying smaller sizes and at this rate i will be wearing kids clothes. i eat loads and have found gluten free muffins and at 375 calories i eat 3 throughout the day. i add cream, full fat milk and peanut butter to smoothies twice a day---these are in addition to my main meals and nutritional drink supplements i get from the doctor.

any advise will be much appreciated---although am aware that some of us don't put the weight back on

 

Angela

 

 

[shadowicewolf]

Hi all, i know this is a problem that many people would love to have, but im sure there are many of you who will know how it feels to have lost a whole heap of weight---is really is no fun!!!

since being diagnosed 23 july this year i have probably lost more weight due to initially eating only a ton of very safe foods like fruit and veg with meat. i now have much more 'real' foods in my diet but still failing to gain weight. im not sure what else i can do, but am desperate to put on weight, my clothes (despite me buying smaller and smaller) continue to get loser. i cant keep buying smaller sizes and at this rate i will be wearing kids clothes. i eat loads and have found gluten free muffins and at 375 calories i eat 3 throughout the day. i add cream, full fat milk and peanut butter to smoothies twice a day---these are in addition to my main meals and nutritional drink supplements i get from the doctor.

any advise will be much appreciated---although am aware that some of us don't put the weight back on

 

Angela

Since you were dx'd in late july, I would guess that you still have quite a bit of healing to do. That could be the reason right there.

[no7ang]

i keep thinking that----and i know i have to give it time---

guess now that i know whats wrong with me i kinda figured it would be 'fixed' now--unrealistic perhaps

 

already feeling better which is the major plus

thank you

[bartfull]

Yeah, you're not absorbing all the nutrients from your food yet. It'll happen in time. In the meantime though, eat lots of protein and lots of ICE CREAM!!  Eventually the weight will come back on and as you heal, you may even have to cut back on treats so you don't go too far the other way.

[IrishHeart]

Hang out with me?   I can make you chubby. LOL

 

At Dx, I was emaciated (having lost 90 lbs. from celiac)

 

The first year, I was still "skinny"

 

then, bam!...10, 20, 30 lbs...packed on...40...wait, what the??? .hmm...no more malabsorption and now, weight gain.

Carbs do it to me.(bread, muffins, cupcakes...you know, all the yummy stuff!)

 

I am back at the gym as my once- atrophied muscles now respond and do not burn and scream at me and I am losing weight, slowly and gaining muscle and feeling better.

 

It took me nearly 3 years to get here, but that is not the same for every celiac. I am a lot older than you, I bet.. You may recover much faster.

 

Just hang in there.... healing happens.!

[nvsmom]

I tend to gain weight when I eat carb heavy... or even carb normal.  LOL  Toast, crackers, muffins... stuff made with a (gluten-free) flour and sugar will do it to me.  If I eat high fat, and whole foods, I tend to lose weight or maintain... But that's just me.

 

Good luck!

[eers03]

The good news is, this is to be expected and its not rare for this to happen.  You are not alone!  I did the same thing when diagnosed in October.  I'm a 5'11 male that weighed 137 and currently check in at 170.

 

So...  You are doing the right things but your results even under ideal circumstances won't come over night.  The smoothies, the shakes, the peanut butter, on top of your meals is great.  Sometimes I would stuff myself almost sick.  It took my body awhile just to adjust itself to handling the loads of food I was sending down the hatch.

 

If you have an iPhone I would download the FitnessPal app or an equivalent thereto.  It allows you to enter in every food you have eaten and fairly accurately tell you how many calories and the nutrients it contained over the course of a day.  I used it for a few reasons; 1. To set a calorie goal that matched my target weight.  2. So I could identify foods that give me more of what I needed.  3. Hold me accountable for my daily consumption.  It was like having a dietician with me everywhere I went.  I would be laying on the couch watching the Daily Show with Jon Stewart and realize per my app, dang--I still need 300 more calories....  Off to the kitchen I went...

 

I entered my target weight and then it put me on a program to gain 1 or 2 pounds per week.  So again, it takes time.  It takes work to maintain your weight if you are suffering malabsorption and then all the more if you are trying to gain but over time, I did.

 

I made a lot of pizza's too.  Pizza, steak, chicken, shakes, 3 eggs and 3 slices of bacon in the morning with coffee and creamer...  vanilla ice cream, peanut butter, hersheys, and a banana in my milk shakes.  I would eat breakfast and then make a shake to drink on my way to work.  I thought I was going to literally pop by 9a!  

 

Remember as you are eating all this to get some water.  Your body needs it to aid the digestion.  Don't fill up on it, don't go overboard with it, just throw in a bottle of water here or there where you ordinarily might not.

 

When I was eating like this I had some trouble falling asleep at night or waking up in the middle of the night because I was digesting all this food.  If you don't experience this, good for you.  If I woke up, I just embraced it by getting up and reading or watching TV or doing things that needed done around the house either way.

 

Hang in there!  It sounds like you have the basics down but give yourself more time--LOTS more time.  July is EARLY yet.

[Chrisz1000]

i keep thinking that----and i know i have to give it time---

guess now that i know whats wrong with me i kinda figured it would be 'fixed' now--unrealistic perhaps

 

already feeling better which is the major plus

thank you

 

A lot of us have been through the same thing at the begninng! Number one, remember you are barely even into the recovery period even though the early days seem like eternity. Trust me, its demoralising but you will not be putting much weight on for a long time yet... think months and accept that there is no quick fix. Better to accept and deal with it than stress out about not gaining weight.

 

I know there is a lot of encouragement to stuff as many calories into your body as possible, but I personally found that this didn't increase my weight all that much (it did give me a couple of pounds) and it pretty much overloaded my system and made me feel like crap... could work for you though but if you experience the same thing then go back to normal portions.

 

It took me 2 months to actually put on any weight. but then it stalled and I plateau'd. Better to plateau than lose weight though?!  I was helped by digestive enzymes which help to break down your food to give your damaged gut a helping hand. I made sure my nutrients were up to scratch - an effect of B12 deficiency is weight loss, so watch out for that one!

[no7ang]

Thanks all,

yes the over load on food is tough going---but will hang on in there

 

ahh didn't think to associate the B12 deficiency--- yes a factor

 

thanks again

[NateJ]

I have always struggled with this. I currently weight 117.5 and am 5'9". its getting down right embarrasing.  Been over two years since being dx'd and still haven't found an answer for it.

[bartfull]

I just saw an interesting article suggesting that the type of gut bacteria we have makes all the difference. Certain ones make you gain and others make you lose weight.

 

Open Original Shared Link

[NateJ]

hmmm, that seems like people wanting to loose weight.

and 5 more years of research. I'll be here on the board waiting.......................................................

[bartfull]

Yeah, I know it's not the remedy you need right now, but I would think if they know which bugs made the mice gain weight, they could also isolate them for folks who are too slim.

[NateJ]

I'd give anything for 5lbs. sounds dumb but this weight loss has me stressed out.

[gilligan]

Hi all, i know this is a problem that many people would love to have, but im sure there are many of you who will know how it feels to have lost a whole heap of weight---is really is no fun!!!

since being diagnosed 23 july this year i have probably lost more weight due to initially eating only a ton of very safe foods like fruit and veg with meat. i now have much more 'real' foods in my diet but still failing to gain weight. im not sure what else i can do, but am desperate to put on weight, my clothes (despite me buying smaller and smaller) continue to get loser. i cant keep buying smaller sizes and at this rate i will be wearing kids clothes. i eat loads and have found gluten free muffins and at 375 calories i eat 3 throughout the day. i add cream, full fat milk and peanut butter to smoothies twice a day---these are in addition to my main meals and nutritional drink supplements i get from the doctor.

any advise will be much appreciated---although am aware that some of us don't put the weight back on

 

Angela

I was just getting ready to post the same question.  I've always been slender, so losing 15 lbs. on me was a lot!  I've been consuming extra calories, and it doesn't seem to help.  I'm also severely lactose intolerant, so that makes it even harder to gain weight.  I found some protein drinks that are lactose/gluten free at CVS Pharmacy, and I've been drinking them daily for awhile to no avail.  I feel your pain!  I need to gain weight!

[answerseeker]

I'd give anything for 5lbs. sounds dumb but this weight loss has me stressed out.

me too! I'm so tired of people saying your so skinny, your tiny etc etc. I'm sure people who don't know me think I'm anorexic. I lost 4 pounds after being in the hospital 3 months ago and still can't gain it back. 4 pounds on a 109 5' 4" figure is very noticable. 109 is my highest I've ever been and I'd be happy just getting back to that!

 

I wonder if fat malabsorption has anything to do with some of us? I still have the oily floating stools so I'm still not absorbing fats. when I do eat healthy fats I get D. It literally goes right through me.

[eers03]

I'd give anything for 5lbs. sounds dumb but this weight loss has me stressed out.

I think this facet of being Celiac is really tough for us guys for the stereotypical reasons.  All I've ever heard is "must be great to have a fast metabolism, how do you stay so skinny, you are so thin, you look like a runner", etc..

 

Turns out I'm Celiac.  I have a previous post in this thread that details some things that helped my pack on a few lbs. over the course of several months.  Maybe you've tried all these things but it wasn't a phase for me.  I crammed those calories EVERY day.  Maybe something in that will help you.  Either way, my weight decreased significantly and affected me in a major way.

 

A lot of my anxiety subsided with some extra weight...  A lot of people say to eat protein, I agree but don't camp out on it.  IF YOU ARE NOT diabetic, I recommend cramming carbs.  All the carbs that your body can't immediately burn will go into storage as weight.  

 

When my weight decreased, I couldn't lay in any position comfortably for very long without pain.  My sleep suffered as a result.  Couldn't sleep at night, couldn't stay awake during the day.  I was anxious, nervous, worried, etc..  Cram the calories...  Throw everything you thought you knew about "healthy eating" out the window accept for that which you are allergic to such as gluten.  Down the food and hang in there.  

[JNBunnie1]

My personal experience with being underweight has been perhaps a bit

unorthodox. I have found that the more junk food I eat, the more I lose

weight. When I stick to 95% organic meats, veg, fruits, and dairy, I am able

to maintain, and even gain a bit when I'm working out. If I overload on grains,

sugar, things like ice cream, cookies and cake, I lose weight. It's weird but

hey, everyone's different. The biggest things that have helped me maintain

are coconut products of all kinds, using digestive enzymes and a probiotic

that agrees with me, and avoiding grains and sugar. Right now I'm 122 lbs

at 5'7". That drops dramatically whenever I go off diet. Also, sleep! I miss

sleep and I lose weight, go figure.... Pretty much I'm the opposite of all the

conventional wisdom about weight gain lol....

[IrishHeart]

me too! I'm so tired of people saying your so skinny, your tiny etc etc. I'm sure people who don't know me think I'm anorexic. I lost 4 pounds after being in the hospital 3 months ago and still can't gain it back. 4 pounds on a 109 5' 4" figure is very noticable. 109 is my highest I've ever been and I'd be happy just getting back to that!

 

I wonder if fat malabsorption has anything to do with some of us? I still have the oily floating stools so I'm still not absorbing fats. when I do eat healthy fats I get D. It literally goes right through me.

 

 

as I recall, you are still newly diagnosed? please, hon...give it time. 

[IrishHeart]

  IF YOU ARE NOT diabetic, I recommend cramming carbs.  All the carbs that your body can't immediately burn will go into storage as weight.  

 

When my weight decreased, I couldn't lay in any position comfortably for very long without pain.  My sleep suffered as a result.  Couldn't sleep at night, couldn't stay awake during the day.  I was anxious, nervous, worried, etc..  Cram the calories...  Throw everything you thought you knew about "healthy eating" out the window accept for that which you are allergic to such as gluten.  Down the food and hang in there.  

 

 

Agree about "cramming carbs and calories "  if you want to gain weight.

 

Do NOT agree about "throwing everything about healthy eating out the window" ....sorry, but not all carbs are "unhealthy"

 

Many carbs are nutritious and healthy --they are called "good carbs"

 

For example, green vegetables are the ‘ultimate’ good carb foods...most ‘leafy’ fibrous vegetables and many fruits are considered among the best carbs to eat.

 

Beans and legumes are also generally included on the ‘good carbs’ list

 

Also,  raw nuts and seeds.

 

and  whole-grain foods like brown rice, quinoa.

 

and being a celiac does not mean  we are "allergic"

 

Sorry to be picky, but celiac disease is not an "allergy to gluten".

 

often, people on this site confuse "weight gain and loss" with not eating healthy...and that is simply not true.

 

often, it is about absorption rates (with healing from celiac) and  sound nutrition. I was extremely "skinny" at DX (after losing 90 lbs.--see my post above) and believe me, now I am NOT. I look healthy and I am building muscle--but it took me 3 years.

 

best wishes to you!

[w8in4dave]

Agree about "cramming carbs and calories "  if you want to gain weight.

 

Do NOT agree about "throwing everything about healthy eating out the window" ....sorry, but not all carbs are "unhealthy"

 

Many carbs are nutritious and healthy --they are called "good carbs"

 

For example, green vegetables are the ‘ultimate’ good carb foods...most ‘leafy’ fibrous vegetables and many fruits are considered among the best carbs to eat.

 

Beans and legumes are also generally included on the ‘good carbs’ list

 

Also,  raw nuts and seeds.

 

and  whole-grain foods like brown rice, quinoa.

 

and being a celiac does not mean  we are "allergic"

 

Sorry to be picky, but celiac disease is not an "allergy to gluten".

 

often, people on this site confuse "weight gain and loss" with not eating healthy...and that is simply not true.

 

often, it is about absorption rates (with healing from celiac) and  sound nutrition. I was extremely "skinny" at DX (after losing 90 lbs.--see my post above) and believe me, now I am NOT. I look healthy and I am building muscle--but it took me 3 years.

 

best wishes to you!

Excellent explanation!! TY!! People always want to tell me that I am allergic to Gluten. I tell them it is not an allergy! 

[eers03]

Irish-

 

Great points regarding calories, many of which, I do adhere to contrary to how my last post may have sounded.  I should clarify, that often, much of what I have read and seen in news and on tv seems to paint carbs with the same bad brush.  Eat lean, eat natural, etc...  I used to stick with lean meats and veggies coupled with an active/running lifestyle and it was simply not enough, especially when coupled with my malabsorption issues.

 

Most of the dietary pointers I hear about in the mainstream media are healthy in that they are for losing or maintaining a healthy weight.  I listened to these things not wanting to become overweight and always wanting to stay healthy.  What I had to do was let go of most of what I thought I knew about healthy dieting because what most of America needs to hear vs. what I needed to do at 137 lbs was not matching up.  So, I went unhealthy by the standards of many by cramming calories and carbs with the thought that most people try to drastically limit them.  I didn't sit around eating gluten free cakes all day by any means.  However, two slices of Udi's bread with breakfast, I did make some shakes, I did have a few Angry Orchard Ciders on the weekend (carb packed), loaded baked potatoes galore, etc...

 

So overall, I'm with you and should have better clarified a few points...

 

I am a little lost on the comment regarding "we are not allergic to gluten".  I feel like I am.   I guess in simple terms, if its not an allergic response that causes my body to respond with antibodies that cause inflammation, then what is it?  Curious of your thoughts since I'm still very much a newbie and like to absorb as much as possible on this so I can help others.

 

All that aside...  How are you doing these days?  Always good to read your posts... :-)  

[jiggles]

Agree about "cramming carbs and calories " if you want to gain weight.

often, it is about absorption rates (with healing from celiac) and sound nutrition. I was extremely "skinny" at DX (after losing 90 lbs.--see my post above) and believe me, now I am NOT. I look healthy and I am building muscle--but it took me 3 years.

best wishes to you!

Hi no7ang

I too agree with IrishHeart and the above is so true, I have been eating whole foods and even adding extra slices of meat to meals and even eating all the fat too I still remained skinny,

I also got the skinny comments ,

but its only now after one full year I have just started to gain a couple of pounds

I think it is about absorption rates and healing too ,

I do think I may be starting to heal a little now as I used to be extremely dairy intolerant which gave me awful D cramping bloating and wind,

but now I can eat a little yoghurt and a little chocolate ,

although I still can't cope with drinking milk yet as I think there're is more healing to be done first ,

I too added a sublingual vitamin D and B vitamins a month ago which also could have made a difference

It is hard not to worry tho , and skinny remarks can make you feel very sad especially if your trying really hard

I did have to laugh tho when someone said I was like a bag of Antlers never heard that one before ,

but hang on in there too , because you will put weight on when you start healing, and like IrishHeart says , just give it time , hugs

[notme]

hey, eers  it's not an allergy but an autoimmune response to gluten - your immune system, normally the good guys who fight germs, are mistaking gluten for the enemy so they basically do a drive-by on gluten but they don't care that little susie <your intestinal walls, yeah, susie's a looker lolz) is sitting on the porch minding her own business.  so POW they attack the gluten but also your intestines because they are full on kill mode.  our autoimmune system is confused and on crack, so if we keep gluten off the streets, little susie will be just fine

 

i also do the star trek version  don't forget to tip your bartender 

[eers03]

hey, eers  it's not an allergy but an autoimmune response to gluten - your immune system, normally the good guys who fight germs, are mistaking gluten for the enemy so they basically do a drive-by on gluten but they don't care that little susie <your intestinal walls, yeah, susie's a looker lolz) is sitting on the porch minding her own business.  so POW they attack the gluten but also your intestines because they are full on kill mode.  our autoimmune system is confused and on crack, so if we keep gluten off the streets, little susie will be just fine

 

i also do the star trek version  don't forget to tip your bartender 

And THAT is an analogy that I can grasp!  Thanks for the follow-up.  You're funny!  I see what you're saying...