I Need To Gain Weight

[Rebecca92]

I recently went gluten free after being diagnosed and am rapidly losing weight. I used to eat a bunch of junk food before, but I was blessed with a fast metabolism so I was still pretty small 5'3 about 100-105lbs. I really cannot afford to lose weight I can see my ribs more and more. What are some safe foods I can eat that would help me put on some weight? Keep in mind I'm a very picky eater and don't really have a whole lot of time to cook and am at work for up to 10hrs 5 days a week. I'm not big on vegetables but like potatoes,corn,carrots and that's about as far as it goes. I used to eat a lot of fast food, is there any fast food that's safe to eat? I feel like I can't eat anything anymore!

[aedixon]

This is a familiar story! Though, I'm not quiiiite as tiny as your are. I was a junkfood junkie for sure.

I went gluten-free last October and quickly lost a lot of weight. I felt like most carbs were upsetting my system, so I went pretty much carb-free and lost even more weight. I seemed to plateau at -25lbs. And adding carbs back has added a couple of pounds, too. (Booooo.)

Anyway, I was so hungry for so long. Adding a lot of protein really helped me and I was never one to prepare fresh meats at home. So, I've been learning to cook steaks, pork ribs, chicken... Stuff that's fairly easy and not so expensive. Chicken seemed to be the easiest for me to buy, keep on hand in the freezer and cook without much fuss. Also, eggs. I boiled eggs to take to work to eat with my veggies.

Carbs, obviously are good filler, though gluten-free breads are pricey. A few cereals are naturally gluten-free, so that's a good snack/addition to your diet. A couple bowls of cereal at night will add calories. I hate celery, but I started using it as a vehicle for peanut butter which has lots of calories, too!

And as far as fast food, yeah there is some gluten-free. I can't name off many, but when in doubt, go to Google and search for "Wendy's gluten free" or "Pizza Hut gluten free"... whatever. And you'll pull up forum conversations, and sometimes info directly from the restaurant, about what's gluten-free on their menus. I think Chick-Fil-A has a few things. Jason's Deli has a some options... Five Guys is all gluten-free, except for the bun of course. But you won't miss it, I promise. Mellow Mushroom has a gluten-free pizza crust. I don't touch McDonald's, Taco Bell, Burger King... Too tempting and not enough at those kinds of places to make it worth the risk.

I hope this is helpful! I don't comment a lot here, but I felt a kindred spirit!

Oh, and Larabars. I buy those at Kroger when they're 10/$10. I keep them at work. They're not all sugary and delicious like a chocolate-dipped granola bar or something, but they're really pretty good. Some of them even have chocolate chips.

Good luck! It'll get easier.

[stephharjo]

I had trouble with my weight due to my symptoms while eating gluten and finally found it to be my problem. To help slow down my weight loss I drank ensure plus which is 350 calories every night when my symptoms were the worst. My latest gastro gave me a sample of Scandishake and I drink that with vanilla almon milk and it gives me 540 calories per 8 oz. I have just recently found out that I'm gluten intolerant and also react to eggs, so I haven't had much time for the shakes to make a huge impact but they give you a lot of calories. These would be great to add in your diet, but not replace real food. They are a bit pricey but for me they are a necessity until I can recoup. I am 5'8" and 108lbs. Up from 102lbs in mid June. good luck to you and best of health!

[Rebecca92]

Thanks for the advice I'll definitely look into those drinks.

and aedixon I noticed that your from nashville, I am too. Whats a good store around here to buy gluten free food?

[domesticactivist]

All those calories you were getting from sugar and hidden fat (the bad, processed kind) need to be replaced with sources from nutrient dense foods!

Go for foods that are naturally gluten free. Eat pasture raised meats with all the fat. You can get 20% fat ground beef and make really good hamburgers, meat loaf, and beef jerky. Meat loaf is great for hiding vegetables in.

Eat eggs if you tolerate them. I don't any more, but my kids and partner love our winter squash souffl

[aedixon]

Thanks for the advice I'll definitely look into those drinks.

and aedixon I noticed that your from nashville, I am too. Whats a good store around here to buy gluten free food?

Ha! I didn't even notice you were here in Nashville. Nice to meet you. You've come to the right, girl b/c I'm cheap!

Whole Foods is outrageously pricey and usually more expensive than other places. But, last I checked they were cheapest on Ancient Harvest gluten-free spaghetti noodles and pasta. Seriously, don't buy ANY OTHER brand of gluten-free pasta. You can also get AH at Publix though. I usually go to the one in Maryland Farms.

Publix also carries Udi's gluten-free white and whole grain sandwich breads and the whole Udi's line of muffins. They have a Green Valley (?) brand of frozen omelettes that are gluten-free. And CarbMaster gluten-free crackers I think, too. Sorry I'm not remembering all the brand names right now. I shop by sight now and I know where everything is! The folks at Publix are always super helpful and I'll bet if you asked a stocker or manager-type, somebody there would give you a tour and show you where most of the gluten-free items are shelved.

I haven't had much luck at Trader Joe's. I loved TJ before I went gluten-free. Now, it's just frustrating. Too hard to sort through their labeling system and too few options.

I shop at a one of the, shall we say "less affluent" Kroger stores. But I can get Rudi's gluten-free breads, Kinnikinnik frozen doughnuts (actually good!) and English muffins. Kroger has gluten-free scattered around in the health food section and the pharmacy section, so poke around in there! There are crackers, chips, baking mixes, soups, etc. Both Kroger and Publix have easy gluten-free labeling on their shelves. I used to by "Gluten Free and Fabulous" Sherri's gluten-free Frozen Pizzas at Kroger, but I think they just stopped carrying them. Seriously, best gluten-free pizza ever.

Remember, all of these gluten-free items that are "replacements" for regular processed food items get pricey, but they did sustain me at first because I was starving, it took me a long time to shop and they traveled well to work, shopping, or anywhere I needed food quickly. I eventually moved to a more whole-foods based diet, fruits, veggies (even frozen), meat, dairy that's not processed or has preservatives and fillers. I felt so much better then.

Let me know if you'd like links to gluten-free restaurants and bakeries here. Nashville is such a trendy town, we seem to be better stocked with gluten-free local eateries than other towns.

--Amy