Calories

[shadowicewolf]

I think part of my always tired issue is that i'm not eating enough. I'll sleep from about 11pm-4am then be up till around 4pm where i'll crash until 8pm (or later ). Food has been a big issue at the moment because my throat is so irritated and raw from my indigestion that anything that coats it (like milk) or is acidy or spicy or anything besides sweet or a little salty, irritates the far out of it.

I have been trying to increase what i eat, but to no avail.

Normal day looks something like this:

dry rice chex (5am)

apple with peanut butter (8am)

a rice cake with either peanut butter & jelly or just plain honey on it (10 am)

lunch

corn tortilla with cheese lettice and some sort of meat

or

leftovers from the night before

Dinner:

whatever meat and veggie for dinner

snack

lettice with peanut butter

Outside of that i have been known to snack on prunes and such.

Any ideas on what i can do?

[domesticactivist]

Overall:

Are you getting enough fat?

What are your portion sizes like?

Do you eat or drink caffeine or alcohol?

Breakfast: does not look substantial enough to me. It looks like you are atrting the day with little but sugar. Try leftovers, soup, meat, eggs if you can have them, etc.

Lunch: are you eating enough? Lettuce is like eating water IMO. Maybe you could try adding veggies stir fried with coconut oil, or avacado?

Dinner: sounds good but again I wonder about portion size and fat

How soon after dinner are you going to bed? I recently discovered that if I eat something sugary (this would include rice or fruit or alcohol) before bed I mess with my blood sugar and wake up from hypoglycemia at about 3 am. Once the sleep pattern is screwed up it takes some doing to get back on track.

[GlutenFreeManna]

I think part of my always tired issue is that i'm not eating enough. I'll sleep from about 11pm-4am then be up till around 4pm where i'll crash until 8pm (or later ).

Is there any way you can get more sleep? Five hours is not very much. The average person needs 8 hours to function properly. Your diet looks fine to me as far as what you are eating. You have meat, fruit, veggies and carbs. If you're hungry eat more protein and good fats. The only thing I wonder about is your intake of cheese. Since your signature says you have Aspergers have you ever considered removing casein?

[shadowicewolf]

i try to eat meals that are porportioned. There are a few times when its not but, mostly it is. No idea with fat intake :/

[domesticactivist]

i try to eat meals that are porportioned. There are a few times when its not but, mostly it is. No idea with fat intake :/

What do you mean by meals that are proportioned? Are these frozen meals or something?

[swindlogg]

maybe throw in a tablespoon of cod liver oil?

[pricklypear1971]

Can you eat nut butters like almond, cashew, etc.? Those are great for protein and healthy fats. Also, sauces like apple, peach, pear.

My new favorite pick-me-up is cashew/macadamia butter with a drizzle of honey.

If you can eat potatoes make a double-stuff potato and mix in a pureed veggie and fat in there. My son loved yogurt, spinach, potato pureed together and I'd eat it too (just stuffed back in the potato).

Slow-cook tender meats like pork loin (be careful not to buy one with preservative solutions) and eat with your favorite veggie.

It's hard adding food back, and texture issues make it more so. Good luck.

[pricklypear1971]

I have a recipe for a carrot souffle/casserole you'd love. It has a touch of flour in it - I'm sure you could use gluten-free flour.

It's great when cooked in little ramekins so the top caramelizes like creme br

[Takala]

Can you put coconut milk on the cereal ? If you can't find boxed coconut milk, you can dilute the canned stuff - adding a tablespoon or two of coconut milk helps. (we are eating a variation of the same thing for breakfast, as I usually have fruit and nuts, but it's almonds that I have either just microwave roasted or made into something else, like an almond pancake or toast out of nut/seed bread. Then I add some sort of cooked egg thing for the protein and fat. I can't do rice cakes for breakfast, it puts me back to sleep. I can do fish and rice for breakfast, with some mayo dressing on the fish, but realize that might not appeal to many people. )

Almonds can be rinsed off with water and then cooked in the microwave for maybe 30 45 seconds for a half cup, and they then taste roasted when they cool. I like peanut butter, but by my age I just can't look at the stuff for breakfast anymore.

Maybe add some avocado there at lunch. And add some sort of little vegetable serving that is an excuse to put olive oil on it for dressing, like broccoli, or some cabbage slaw. I also like to have, as a special treat, half a small potato that has been baked and then pan fried to make home fries for lunch.

[ravenwoodglass]

I think part of my always tired issue is that i'm not eating enough. I'll sleep from about 11pm-4am then be up till around 4pm where i'll crash until 8pm (or later ).

You have gotten some good advice about food so I am going to address the sleep issue. Is there a reason why you are shift sleeping? You are getting 8 to 9 hours of sleep total but it is better if you get them all straight. It may be hard to do but keep yourself awake and don't allow yourself to go to sleep during that 4pm to 8pm time frame. If you have to go to work early then count back 8 hours from when you have to get up and go to sleep then and don't allow yourself to nap. It may be hard at first but at 4pm go do something outside the house if you need to. Go for a walk, sit on the porch, go shopping etc anything so you don't fall asleep. Once you are sleeping in one shot rather than breaking it up the tiredness may fade.

[shadowicewolf]

thanks for the ideas, and i'll try doing that with my sleeping. Its funny i've went from being almost fully unable to sleep (with a few hours at night, up all day) to this.

[Strawberry-Jam]

I agree about the sleep thing. I'm useless without 8 straight hours of sleep and I do my best with 9 or 10 a night. Also, I find that taking late, long naps (anything past 2 pm or longer than 40 min) just creates a vicious nap-taking cycle that is hard to break out of.

[pricklypear1971]

I was having a horrible time sleeping post gluten-free until I started sublingual b complex 2x a day. Worked like magic.

[MJ-S]

I recently discovered quinoa flakes for breakfast - I drizzle some maple syrup on it and really like it! It's porridgy in consistency, cooks fast, and it's a superfood. So I don't get sick of it, I rotate between this, a breakfast sandwich with egg, and smoked salmon on toast.

[anabananakins]

Hummus has quite a lot of calories for a small serve. It's great with cut up veges.

[maximoo]

If you can have milkshakes make one daily or at least 4/5 dys a week. gluten-free baked goods have a lot of calories. Make a gluten-free cake/brownies/cookies etc. Rice cakes are very low calorie--can you eat an udi's gluten-free bagel w p butter/jelly instead? Ae you taking vitamins of any kind? You can get fatigued from inadequate vitamin /nutrient intake. Make sure you take a good gluten-free multivitamin. You'll get better absorption if you cut the pill in 1/2 & take 2x a dy.

Have you broken that afternoon nap habit?

[Korwyn]

My first reaction is that a breakfast/lunch of that many carbs is going to cause insulin swings which will affect not only your metabolism but your adrenals as well. That will throw off your cortisol and other hormones and create sleep issues. . Can you get some eggs into your breakfast? Scrambled Eggs with spinach and Feta Cheese or something? Try no carbs for breakfast at all for three to five days and add more fat and protein and veggies to your lunch, removing the grains (corn, etc) at lunch.

[auzzi]

Adjusted Gluten-free version of '52 "Eats" for Weight Gain' from US Fitness and Freebies Weekly Newsletter.

Those who do have trouble gaining weight, these fifty-two tips will help you pack on pounds while maintaining healthy eating habits.

Note: Always check the labels of packaged foodstuffs ..

1. Dip gluten-free breadsticks gluten-free crackers or toasted corn chips in gluten-free hummus for a snack attack.

2. Toss your salads with plenty of gluten-free croutons [buttered and herbed - garlicked if you like].

3. gluten-free Cereal and gluten-free granola bars, as well as gluten-free muffins, are easy snacks.

4. Combine gluten-free pasta and rice with nuts, vegetables, and/or dried fruit for a salad at meals or as a snack.

5. add gluten-free yogurt to gluten-free granola for a Burcher-style breakfast .

6. Sandwich peanut butter between two toasted gluten-free waffles for a meal or snack.

7. Add whole grains like amaranth or quinoa to homemade baked goods such as muffins.

8. Have breakfast for dessert. Top a toasted gluten-free waffle with a scoop of low fat gluten-free ice cream and sliced strawberries.

9. High calorie legumes such as black beans, baked beans, and kidney beans also provide tons of fiber.

10. Saut

[Di2011]

OMG Auzzi you HAVE TO get this published!

I've gone super dooper strict (for DH control) but crave OH SO CRAVE some flavour. So many of these suggestions I can use! THANKYOU

[auzzi]

It already is: it is an Adjusted Gluten-free version of '52 "Eats" for Weight Gain' from US Fitness and Freebies Weekly Newsletter.