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Can't gain weight at all. Help?

Annoyed

By Annoyed
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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Annoyed Newbie
Annoyed
Posted

Hey all so I've been strictly gluten free since 2010. I've always had trouble with malnourishment and being very very underweight. Before starting the diet I was only 86 pounds, I literally was only skin and bones and was in the hospital too weak to do anything. After diagnosis and starting the diet I was able to get up to 112 which was a miracle for me. I'm 5'7" by the way. Well I got pregnant and was able to get to 140 I was so thrilled! After having my baby though, the stress and lack of sleep made my weight plummet to 97 pounds. I've been desperately trying to gain weight and both my dr and my GI are at a loss. I had my bloodwork and an endoscopy because they wondered if maybe I was somehow ingesting gluten but they both came back totally clear. 

I was eating over 500 calories in olive oil alone every day in addition to everything else. Have tried tons of peanut butter, cheese, meats, butter. I was able to after several months get up to 101 and now I'm hovering around 99. It doesn't seem to matter what I eat. I gorge myself and nothing happens. I can't find a safe protein shake or anything since I can't have soy. I can have dairy but only in certain forms (cheese, butter, sour cream) can't have milk it makes me really sick. And I can't have avocado, it makes me extremely sick every time. But I eat massive amounts of fats otherwise and have no issue so I'm not sure what it is about them since it's not the fat content. 

Im not sure what else to do, I'm just in desperate need of help. My dr is scratching her head and I look so skeletal. I've always had a really high metabolism but if I've been able to gain weight before why can't I gain any now? I eat as many calories as I can every day and idk what else to do? Are there any foods safe for us that are ridiculously high in calories that may help? Maybe something I'm missing? 

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ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

What I did to get back to a good weight was I ate a bag of Wylde pretzels a day in addition to my meals and snacks. The bag was about 1100 calories for a not real big bag. I munched constantly all day long.  The pretzels are dairy and soy free which was something I needed also. Maybe you could find something like that to add to what you are now eating with the aim of gaining an extra 1000 calories a day. 

It can be hard to gain weight and I hope you find something that works for you.

LookingforAnswers15 Enthusiast
LookingforAnswers15
Posted

Hi Annoyed,

sorry to hear that you are having trouble gaining weight. It seems like you have tried a lot of things. 

You may have already tried this but I would also recommend using bone broth to make your soups and eat it daily. It is super healthy for us. 

Also peanut butter and bananas sandwiches (bananas helped me gain weight)

Various smoothies (it can be made of only fruits and veggies)so that it is not to heavy for your stomach especially since you said you eat a lot of fat and you are getting more vitamins in.

Put a teaspoon of coconut oil in your tea, coffee or cook with it. It is also healthy.

Eat a lot of smaller meals throughout the day.

keep track of your food so that you can hopefully figure out what helps you gain weight and eat more of that.

Good luck! 

squirmingitch Veteran
squirmingitch
Posted

Great suggestions above.

Nuts! Eat nuts. Whatever nuts you like. Macadamia contain a lot of fat -- maybe more than any of the others. Eat before you go to bed so you don't burn off calories but instead sleep on them. 

Annoyed Newbie
Annoyed
Posted
  • Author
4 hours ago, ravenwoodglass said:

What I did to get back to a good weight was I ate a bag of Wylde pretzels a day in addition to my meals and snacks. The bag was about 1100 calories for a not real big bag. I munched constantly all day long.  The pretzels are dairy and soy free which was something I needed also. Maybe you could find something like that to add to what you are now eating with the aim of gaining an extra 1000 calories a day. 

It can be hard to gain weight and I hope you find something that works for you.

OMG that is amazing!! I need to find some of those! I'll eat 3 bags a day haha. Thank you so much that's seriously amazing I'm excited! :D

Annoyed Newbie
Annoyed
Posted
  • Author
4 hours ago, LookingforAnswers15 said:

Hi Annoyed,

sorry to hear that you are having trouble gaining weight. It seems like you have tried a lot of things. 

You may have already tried this but I would also recommend using bone broth to make your soups and eat it daily. It is super healthy for us. 

Also peanut butter and bananas sandwiches (bananas helped me gain weight)

Various smoothies (it can be made of only fruits and veggies)so that it is not to heavy for your stomach especially since you said you eat a lot of fat and you are getting more vitamins in.

Put a teaspoon of coconut oil in your tea, coffee or cook with it. It is also healthy.

Eat a lot of smaller meals throughout the day.

keep track of your food so that you can hopefully figure out what helps you gain weight and eat more of that.

Good luck! 

Thank you! I'm gonna try those out for sure. These are awesome ideas! 

Annoyed Newbie
Annoyed
Posted
  • Author
8 minutes ago, squirmingitch said:

Great suggestions above.

Nuts! Eat nuts. Whatever nuts you like. Macadamia contain a lot of fat -- maybe more than any of the others. Eat before you go to bed so you don't burn off calories but instead sleep on them. 

Thank you! I actually haven't eaten plain nuts in years so that's a great thing to try out. Which ones are really safe for us? I've looked at planters but got nervous and couldn't get them I was too scared of getting sick. I'll have a meal right before bed hopefully all these things together will have me gaining fast. :)

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squirmingitch Veteran
squirmingitch
Posted

Planters is a Kraft company and a trusted company. They will always disclose gluten or any allergens. If you pick up a can of them & read after the ingredients it will say something like, "Manufactured on equipment that processes peanut, other tree nuts." That's what my can of cashews says. I'm a cashew freak.:D Kraft & therefore Planters always gives full disclosure. So eat up & enjoy!

squirmingitch Veteran
squirmingitch
Posted

I just thought of something. Grits & cornbread with lots & lots of butter. I found this awesome company that is completely gluten free from farm to packaging. Palmetto Farms. Just Google them. They grow it, harvest it, truck it, mill it and package it. They even sew their own bags! It's a family affair. There is no wheat, barley or rye anywhere near their place. Great products too! They are in the process of revamping their website so the gluten free information isn't on there just yet but it is on the info. for the individual items and on the packaging.

If you get the cornbread mix just be aware when you mix it up according to directions; it will be a soup like consistency. Do not worry, it will bake up perfect - just follow the recipe on the bag. 

bartfull Rising Star
bartfull
Posted

Most gluten-free substitutes are full of calories. Find a few good tasting gluten-free cookies, crackers, and pastries. And of course even the gluten-free breads are high in calories. It's too bad you can't eat much ice cream but maybe you can find one of those non-dairy ice creams. There is one whose name I can't remember which is made of coconut milk. You might be able to find it online. (Not to have it shipped of course, but if you find a brand that looks good to you maybe your local health food store can order some for you.)

 

cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

Fat bombs.  Google them.  I make using cream cheese, heavy cream, coconut oil or butter, lemon juice and freeze them in silicon molds.  There are lots of flavors and you can sub out those things that make you sick.  I make them without sugar 'cause I am diabetic but you can add honey or cane sugar or whatever!  

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