HELP! I Can't Gain Wight!

[MrsKoehn]

Not sure where to put this, feel free to move it, Mods.

I am 5' tall and chesty. I carry all my weight in the middle.

I've had health problems - Crohns for 11 years (which is now in remission) and severe food allergies (which I've mostly overcome).

Well, I'm 18 1/2 weeks pregnant with our first. I was 113.5 lbs at conception. I was 110 at my first apt. at 10 weeks.

At 12 weeks, I got REALLY sick with the family flu and went to 102.  My next apt was at 15 weeks, and I was only 104.

She told me to eat avocados like crazy and get all the calories and fat I can, esp since I plan to breastfeed too.

I'm TRYING! I'm so sick of avocados, that was one of the (10) things I wasn't allergic to 2 yrs ago and got so burnt out on them.

I do mostly organic, and I feel like I'm always eating. My next apt is this Thurs, and I'm still 104. : { I don't look the least bit pregnant yet.

Things I CAN'T eat:

Wheat/ gluten

Almonds, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts

Too much dairy

Spicy, obviously

[Poddi]

Do you think your thyroid function is normal?  Every time I get pregnant my thyroid go crazy and become hyper and I lose weight in the first trimester.  If you're sure it's normal or had it checked recently, maybe you can take some of those digestive enzymes with dinners.  They'll help to break down protein, fats and carbs to make them more easily absorbed.  Most health food stores sell them. It doesn't sound like you're eating too little, instead your body's not utilizing the calories well.

[EnviroBecca]

Eat the nuts you CAN eat.  Keep a jar of nuts near you as much as possible and eat 8 nuts every half hour or whatever number and frequency you can handle.  Set a timer if necessary.

Can you have coconut oil?  It's supposed to be a very healthy fat, and I think it's delicious!  Try oatmeal with coconut oil, peanut or cashew butter, and dried fruit.  I like to sweeten mine with sorghum syrup, which is super-nutritious but tastes better than molasses IMO.

How about eggs?  They are a good source of protein and taste good scrambled or fried in fat.

Saute vegetables in plenty of olive oil.  One of my favorites this time of year is kale; with some onion or garlic (in an amount that works for you) and some herbs and salt, it is delicious with garbanzo beans over rice.  I often cook thinly sliced carrot or sweet potato with this too.

Good luck!!  I gained weight okay during pregnancy but got dangerously thin while breastfeeding and even thinner as I had a series of viruses around the time my son turned 1.  It can be really difficult to maintain your weight when a baby is draining your calories!
 

[MrsKoehn]

Originally Posted by Poddi 

Do you think your thyroid function is normal?  Every time I get pregnant my thyroid go crazy and become hyper and I lose weight in the first trimester.  If you're sure it's normal or had it checked recently, maybe you can take some of those digestive enzymes with dinners.  They'll help to break down protein, fats and carbs to make them more easily absorbed.  Most health food stores sell them. It doesn't sound like you're eating too little, instead your body's not utilizing the calories well.

Oh I wouldn't be pregnant if it wasn't doing better. I have to take thyroid, have for about 18 months now. It was almost 18. : { I had it tested in April, my dr (who really knows a lot about me and natural cures, and thyroids) said it was just perfect. My MW said it was a little off still (.58 or something). I haven't taken my probiotics lately. I have some great ones in the fridge, just swallow so many pills a day I get sick of it and don't take all I should. I ought to do that, thanks for reminding me! I'll pull them out as soon as I get this post up.

Originally Posted by EnviroBecca 

Eat the nuts you CAN eat.  Keep a jar of nuts near you as much as possible and eat 8 nuts every half hour or whatever number and frequency you can handle.  Set a timer if necessary.

Can you have coconut oil?  It's supposed to be a very healthy fat, and I think it's delicious!  Try oatmeal with coconut oil, peanut or cashew butter, and dried fruit.  I like to sweeten mine with sorghum syrup, which is super-nutritious but tastes better than molasses IMO.

How about eggs?  They are a good source of protein and taste good scrambled or fried in fat.

Saute vegetables in plenty of olive oil.  One of my favorites this time of year is kale; with some onion or garlic (in an amount that works for you) and some herbs and salt, it is delicious with garbanzo beans over rice.  I often cook thinly sliced carrot or sweet potato with this too.

Good luck!!  I gained weight okay during pregnancy but got dangerously thin while breastfeeding and even thinner as I had a series of viruses around the time my son turned 1.  It can be really difficult to maintain your weight when a baby is draining your calories!
 

I don't think I have nuts in the house right now. I used them all in the last batch of cookies for hubby and forgot to get them last shopping trip. I'll be in town Thurs for my MW apt so I can pick some up then. That'll go on the list when I post this.  I can have coconut oil. Sometimes I forget I can eat it bc I use it medicinally so much. Lol I have the stuff in the bathroom and the stuff in the cabinet in the kitchen. I do eat eggs, not quite daily, but most days. In fact, had about 1 1/2 for bfast just now. I've got some boiled in the fridge for quick snacks or meals.

Yes, EVOO is a staple here. I should start pouring it over my cooked foods like my dr had me doing back when that was one of the things I wasn't allergic to.  You know, I loved kale (chips) before I got pregnant. I keep throwing them out now. Just not hitting me right now. Rats, those are so good!

Oh I dread that. My MW was kinda warning me about breast feeding and my calories. Not going to be fun, but I'll do what I have to do. I didn't get full BF and have had health issues all my life. Nothing worse than the Crohns and allergies, but that's not something I'd wish on anyone. Read some things that that (and vax) can help to trigger those things so I want to nurse my babes.

Thanks for the tips ladies! Now to go pull out the pills for lunch and put nuts on the list! : )
 

[MrsGregory]

It's not the most healthful thing out there, but it's one of the most fattening meals I eat (happily, now that I am nursing!):

Pasta (your choice, I think spinach would be especially nice, and I believe it can be found gluten-free)

Olive oil

Garlic (to taste)

Pine nuts

Parmesan

Heat the oil gently with the garlic until fragrant, remove garlic and keep oil barely warm.  Once the pasta is ready, add the pine nuts and pasta to the oil and toast a scant minute until the pine nuts are just brown.  Pull off the heat, add the cheese, salt and pepper, nom nom nom.

(You could add some parsley too, or maybe some spinach leaves or something.)

 

[MrsKoehn]

That does sound good, MrsGregory. I'll have to look for some of that pasta. All the GF I have in the house is some rice spaghetti noodles. I do stuff like that with regular pasta and it is really good. : )
 

[1love4ever]

MrsKoehn, you should look into traditional foods.   Avocados are great lol, but so is steak, liver (and fermented cod liver oil), hamburger (undrained), fermented veggies, butter, etc, and avoiding processed and sugary foods.  Check out westonaprice.org,  and mercola.com has good info on lots of health topics, I subscribe to that newsletter and really love it, and search the site every time I have a specific health concern.  :)   It is something I really wish I would have known more about while I was pregnant last time, but I only discovered these things the last few weeks of my pregnancy and have been following this diet while nursing.  We feel better and healthier and I think my pregnancy would have been even easier had I followed this diet!  I didnt gain any weight until about 20 weeks, and I lost about 15lbs in my pregnancy.   Are you taking a whole foods based prenatal?  I like Garden of Life prenatal, i get it on amazon. 

[caiesmommy]

Are you vegetarian? Your post doesn't say.

I know your sick of avocados but what about hiding them? I make a pretty wicked dairy free pasta sauce using avocados,pine nuts, evoo and herbs. I serve it on gluten free noodles.

Hummus/guac/ with flax crackers and veggies

A stand by is a good old fashioned smoothie. Flax/avocado/hemp seeds ect

What about hemp and flax into whatever gluten free baking you do. Even top your salads with them and nuts. A typical salad for us is our veggies topped with leftover cooked sweet potatoes if we have them,olives,capers,avocado,sesame oil/evoo,trail mix,sesame seeds,hemp seeds,flax meal.