Ideas for Gaining Weighty in a Healthy Way?

[OSTC]

I knew that I'd lost weight while breastfeeding ( I weaned my son 3 months ago) and that I needed to gain some back especially before getting pregnant again.... I just didn't have any clue that I only weigh 100lb ( I weighed myself this morning) and for my height I should weigh 120-125 ... So here I am totally at a lose of how to gain 20-25lb in a healthy way... Any ideas?

Thanks

[MaerynPearl]

Increase calorie consumption without increasing calorie burning.

You do not have to eat junk food to do that... almost all foods have calories.

Good things to focus on -
Whole wheat foods (high in carbs, but not unhealthy ones persay)
Eggs
Dairy

There are certain veggies and fruits that are a bit higher in calories too.

Olive oil or cheese added to almost anything is a tasty way to increase calories.

I really REALLY wish I had this problem, but I actually have the opposite and have to avoid all of these things lol.

[OSTC]

Originally Posted by MaerynPearl

"Increase calorie consumption without increasing calorie burning.

You do not have to eat junk food to do that... almost all foods have calories.

Good things to focus on -
Whole wheat foods (high in carbs, but not unhealthy ones persay)
Eggs
Dairy"

I guess I should have added that I'm on a gluten-free diet and thinking that I maybe should be cutting out dairy as well

There are certain veggies and fruits that are a bit higher in calories too.

Do you know which ones?

"Olive oil or cheese added to almost anything is a tasty way to increase calories."

I just bought some organic avocado oil that I'm trying to remember to put on salads etc as well as feta cheese...

I really REALLY wish I had this problem, but I actually have the opposite and have to avoid all of these things lol.

I think it's really rare that anyone wants they're "problem" lol I was just wishing that I had a little more of a problem getting rid of weight as I have no boobs left lol first thing I said to my husband after weighing myself was that it's no wonder I have no boobs as they are fat and my body can't spare any

Thanks for your help

[MaerynPearl]

Soy milk and other non-cow products as such are also high in calories

Olive oil is around 90 calories per tablespoon...

Peanuts/peanut butter are also high in calories

Having a spinach salad with pretty much any dressing you can imagine will be high in calories... add in some avocados and dates and although its a very healthy and full of vitamins meal... it will also be packed with calories!

Salmon is tasty and full of calories (avoid eating too much too often if it is out of the ocean, as it can raise your mercury levels... but if it is farm raised or lake salmon it should be okay)

If you do not care about eating healthy there is a ton of junk food out there that will give you tons of calories per meal.

[Maurine]

Mae is spot on with all her suggestions. I would definitely use nuts (cashews, almonds, peanuts).

I would also switch all your dairy products over to full-fat (whole milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, etc). My RE suggested that, as full-fat dairy has been shown to increase fertility!

[jenger]

Soo, you are avoid cow dairy or all dairy?

'Cause goat and especially sheep dairy have a higher fat content. And I am from a liberal town in the West, but it seems pretty easy to find goat/sheep cheese directly from the farmers at farmers markets - then you can find out if the dairy has added hormones - something most conventional dairy has that I personally am concerned about...

Ummm, avacados and olive oil!

Pamela's baking mix - a gluten-free baking mix, which is unfortunately not organic... You can make biscuits. The recipe calls for "shortening" which in general means trans-fat/hydrogenated oil, but you could use organic butter, or what I use, organic coconut oil!

And speaking of coconut oil, it's a good source of fat - I use is like a butter or shortening often. I have friend that use it as a skin care product too!

Ohh, I just ate a mango! They are over 100 calories!

I love nuts, especially almonds.

Really though, I would concentrate on good fats. Make sure you have some good fat every time you eat... some olive oil, nuts, avocado, whatever high quality dairy you choose...

But really, it is a much more fun problem than trying to loose 20 lbs.

[jenger]

And why didn't I say eggs!!!

[BathrobeGoddess]

Moved to Nutrition

[cristeen]

I would stay away from soy - particularly if you want to TTC. But in general it's not something I recommend consuming at all, but particularly in large quantities.

Honestly, the first thing I would do is keep a food diary complete with amounts of what you're eating - count your calories (not because I believe in calorie counting, but because it's a good way to determine if you're just not eating enough). In which case, sure - you need to work on increasing volume - full fat dairy is one way, leaving the skin on the chicken, buying fattier cuts of meat, adding butter or olive oil or CO to all your food... But it's possible that you are eating "enough", and there is another problem going on - like your thyroid or any number of other things. That would be the first thing to determine.

But without knowing something about your eating habits now, it's hard to give advice... if you're gluten-free though, try checking out the Paleo/Primal thread in Traditional Foods - grain free and sometimes dairy free, lots of ideas in there.

If you want to post a sample menu of a typical day, that would give us a better idea of what to suggest.

[basje]

I would eat some of the high fat foods the other women are suggesting (switch to full fat dairy, coconut oil, avocados, nuts, butter/gee) for sure in your cooking for a few months. I would also suggest supplementing your snacks with a high fat/high protein shake as an easy way to get more calories down.

To compliment all this eating (yum!) I would suggest you consider hitting the weights a little too. Muscle weighs much more than fat, and going into a pregnancy strong has nothing but advantages. 30 minute full body workout every other day and you should be much stronger (and heavier) in two months. Good luck!