Anyone have any good weight gaining suggestions

[KFld]

Not for me, I wish it was :smile:
My 17 year old easy child daughter has always been on the thin side, though she's pretty leggy. She has lost weight lately and it's bothering her. She only weighs 94 pounds and she has an appointment for her doctor next month, she's feeling fine so I don't feel any reason to push this closer, but she is looking for things to help her gain weight. I was thinking of buying her boost. I know people take it to help them gain weight when they are ill and I was just wondering if anyone has ever taken it and if it really works. Poor girl takes size 0 pants and those don't even fit her anymore.

She got mad when I asked her about it at first because she thought I was accusing her of purposely loosing weight. She eats like a horse and weighs herself daily now because she's upset over being so skinny. If anything, it may be just from not eating properly. She never eats breakfast, eats junk food at school during lunch and then usually eats a normal dinner and snacks a lot at night. I'm thinking maybe the boost will give her the vitamins she needs between the skipping meals and eating junk.

 

[DammitJanet]

I have heard that making smoothies with carnation breakfasts, fruit, and a scoop of ice cream are good for gaining weight. Also a bowl of cereal at nite would help.

Or she could come here and eat what I eat...lol. I seem to have no problem gaining weight.

 

[witzend]

I was that way most of my life. I found that turning 32 took care of being too thin. :wink:

Seriously, before I started to shrink from scoliosis, I was 5'9". Until I was in my 30's I weighed anywhere from 102 to 115. Some people are just thin. Cookies help.

 

[mom_in_training]

Hi Karen, My son has gained almost 10 pounds recently. He had lost some pounds due to a gum infection that took place after his dental care. I was adding corn oil along with butter to anything that I could get away with putting it in and supplemented his diet with Ensure liquid, Just one can has 250 calories. If your daughter can handle the taste it would not only increase her calorie intake daily but has all of the vitamins that are needed as well. They also have the Ensure pudding that comes in three different flavors, Homemade Vanilla, Chocolate and Butterscotch and each serving of 4 ounces has 170 calories. My son really likes them and I am able to get four to five a day down him to aid in the calories.

 

[KFld]

The boost I read has 360 calories, so I think I'll try it. I weighed 98 pounds until I got married and had kids. I used to do the same, drink shakes and eat stuff to gain weight because I hated my skinny legs. I wish I had that problem now :smile:

 

[skeeter]

yeah - I was going to say as an answer to the title:

get older!

I was voted "skinniest" my senior year of high school. I weighed 85lbs then, and only weighed over 100lbs when I was pregnant.

Until I hit age 40. Now at age 48 I weigh about 115, which doesn't sound like much, but seems huge to me. But there isn't a darn thing I can do about it - my body seems to hold onto this weight no matter what I do!!!!

Anyway, I'd look at the QUALITY of what she is eating vs. QUANTITY. Loading up on chips and soda to get calories is not a good thing (as I'm sure you already know). Try to make sure she's getting the vitamins she needs, and watch the junk food, and I'd then try to help her forget the rest (again, I know, easier said than done).

And tell her it's great when you can get away with getting jeans in the "preteen" department - or the boys - because they cost a lot less than juniors!

 

[SearchingForRainbows]

Hope the Boost works!!! Even though she is feeling fine, do you think there is any chance she has a thyroid disorder??? I used to work with a woman who used to eat junk food 24/7 and was extremely thin. She felt fine but decided to see her physician anyway. She was diagnosed with an over active thyroid. I would ask her doctor to check her thyroid. Just a thought... WFEN

 

[Sharon1974]

I weighed 98 pounds when I graduated high school. I was also 5'10". Now I am more like 170 pounds. My mother always told me the weight would sneek up on me someday - she was right!!!!!

I have been tested multiple times throughout my life for thyroid problems and the tests always come back fine. If you are really worried about it - ask the doctor. A simple blood test can be drawn.

 

[Marguerite]

What she needs is to eat a healthy, balanced diet. Junk will put on fat but not in a healthy way. She needs to put on muscle, mainly. Her body will put on its own fat from any excess calories, she doesn't have to eat fat to gain fat.

I recommend, to gain weight healthily - increase carbs (complex, not simple sugars). Eat more bread, potatoes, pasta etc. Eat more eggs in various forms (such as whole egg pasta - easy to make yourself, it's just egg and plain flour, no added liquid, until it's like stiff Play-Doh). Gnocchi is a fabulous recipe - cold mashed potato and egg (one egg to about a handful of mash) then flour to make small dumplings. Throw them into boiling water, then let them cook for about 30 seconds after they are floating, scoop them out and serve immediately with butter. This is a quick, easy recipe with carbs and protein. Tastes like junk food and is great comfort food.
Or risotto - great for the weight gain in a healthy way.

Breakfast is important, though. easy child 2/difficult child 2 makes a fruit smoothie or a banana smoothie. The fruit one - no milk at all, but lots of fruit and a raw egg. The banana smoothie - lots of milk, a banana and a raw egg. And a multi-B vitamin pill also works wonders.

She doesn't need to gain a lot of weight, just enough to look healthy. Exercise is also very good as it will build muscle, which is heavier than fat. She will also need more protein in her diet to build her working muscles, and carbs to feed them. Fibre and vitamins to help balance her and lots of water to keep everything working well. Don't overdo the salt or processed foods - they make you tired, sometimes too tired to eat properly. And then it all gets difficult again.

I hope you can help. We're working on this with difficult child 3 at the moment.

Marg

 

[1905]

I think you should take her to the pediatritian. She might be fine. My easy child was always too thin acording to me, but the Dr. said he is fine. This kid is the worlds skinniest football player- but he is fine. You can see a chart and a better perspective. You shouldn't compare her to anyone, because maybe she is growing etc... She does seem to have a healthy attitude like not dieting or thinking she is too fat. I offer easy child stuff to eat all day long, he never wants anything. Personally I weigh less than 100 at this moment and I feel fat.I'm 5"4 I know I have issues, so maybe you don't want advice from me. The Dr. will set your mind at ease.-Alyssa

 

[KFld]

I'm thinking this may be a result of her birth control pill that she was just put on 2 months ago. Her periods were so long and she was having such terrible cramps that I brought her for her first gynocologist visit in November and she put her on a 3 month trial. I know most birth control pills make you gain weight, but maybe this one isn't for her and it's doing the opposite. She goes next month for a recheck and blood pressure check, so we will discuss this with her doctor then.

In the meantime I bought the strawberry boost and she had one last night. She liked the taste of it, so I told her try drinking it for breakfast everyday and see if it helps. Even if she doesn't put on weight, it has a lot of good stuff in it for her. It's really good for your immune system, so she really can't lose anything, no pun intended, by trying it.

Oh to be 17 and worried about being too skinny again :smile:
I was telling her last night how I had her grandfathers legs growing up and she said if her legs looked like that she would kill herself, just kidding though!! They call my father and my brother bird legs!!! My sister still has his legs and she's in her 50's. My daughter maybe thin, but she has a body that any girl would want in a bikini :smile: