Struggling to keep weight on - what nutritionally-sound-but-fattening stuff can I eat?

[EdgyMcNervous]

I'm naturally pretty skinny: 5ft 6, usually just over 8st. We don't have weighing scales at home but felt recently that my face was looking a little more drawn and booked an appointment with the doctor (also had a breast lump I wanted to get checked).

Turns out I have lost three kilos since I registered with them in June and am now 7st 8. They're doing some bloods and I'm booked for a mammogram plus I've got to do a stool sample so they can rule out anything sinister.

Assuming all the above is ok though, I'd really like some nutritional advice because I would like to put on a bit of weight but I do want to keep exercising and don't just want to fill up on cakes and chocolate i.e. stuff that doesn't have any wider nutritional benefit. I eat a lot of nuts...

Can anyone suggest high calorie foods that will make me feel good rather than stuff that will make my blood sugar spike and then plummet?

Thanks in advance

Are you tending to eat a lot of steamed food?

Can you make some foods in the week and pop them in the fridge as well so it's less effort to eat them in the day

Ive been very thin at times in my life and realised that it was largely down to the really small portions I like. I feel so full so easily.
Other people are often quite surprised how little I eat

If your appetite isn't amazing you can try having some bitters before you eat to increase appetite. There's something called
Centurion which can help increasing appetites
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.healthyhildegard.com/bitter-herbs-for-appetite-control-and-digestion/amp/

See this link as it offers some balanced information on it

Take care and I hope the rest of the stuff with your health is ok.

I also wanted to say you could be subconsciously stressed, due to your health, your husbands health and living abroad

Xxx

Every time you think you can stand it, have a big spoonful of almond butter. Its crazy how many calories are in there! Carry a jar around in your handbag. I love the stuff but struggle with my weight so have to watch it...but the mount I would spread on one piece of toast, i.e. a big spoonful, has about 300 calories.

You can get “mass gainer” which is like a protein shake but more calories. It’s designed for people who want to bulk up with exercise.

If your DH is trying to lose weight, can you make your portion sizes the same? So a bit less for him but more for you.

Condensed milk in tea or coffee? I know it’s a Vietnamese thing, not sure how popular it is in HK.

Dim sum? Fried rather than steamed. I’m going to Hong Kong and Singapore next year and plan to be a dress size larger when I come home.

Thank you, folks. I really do appreciate all this.

jelly I do like beans and pulses. Have a lot of lentil dall, which is one of may favourite things ever

shouldi re the subconscious stress thing, I am a worrier (hence the name) and worrying and/or being excited (oddly enough) can affect my appetite, so there's undoubtedly some emotional stuff at play.

Whatsnew You've reminded me that a friend came to visit and brought me some of those pip & nut sachets and they were brilliant! Might stock up on those in the UK too...

So, my top takeaways from this thread:

• protein/fat/carb combos like bolognaise
• calories through drinks - milkshakes (with almond or oat milk if necessary), chia seeds, protein powders
• have extra courses (e.g. yoghurt & granola along with toast and fruit at breakfast)
• have oil on salads and vegetables etc

Have made some v nutritious overnight oats for breakfast tomorrow with lots of chia, greek yoghurt, flax seeds, oats, raisins etc so off to a good start.

You're all lovely. Thank you xx

takeachansey dim sum is good for calories. But again we overdid it in the early days and tend not to have it so often now! Feel free to PM me if you want a good dim sum recommendation. I'll have a rummage around Holland and Barrett when I'm back and see what I can find in the protein powder/mass gainer type sphere

DH and I probably do eat the same portions in the evening (but that tends to be my main meal whereas he will have eaten a massive lunch and there are always cakes and chocolates in the office and whatnot that are hard to resist when you're stuck at a desk for 10 hours). Also, he'll have a couple of GnTs in the evening so that's another 250 calories there I guess. I think maybe we need to have an evening meal that has optional carbs (i.e. ones that I eat and he doesn't)

@EdgyMcNervous
I wanted to say this is a lovely thread which a really good balance of support, advice and feedback and responses from you as the OP.

I hope you enjoy your breakfast xxx

Were you eating so many carby meals (eg pasta and bread) before the weight loss? Were you living in HK then?

Only ask because if you've increased wheat type foods and lost weight it's worth considering an intolerance to wheat or gluten. Coeliacs disease can cause you to be underweight.

Your exercise is pretty solid, you will be burning off a lot of calories doing those things. You are also clearly quite conscious of eating healthily so maybe avoiding some things that would gain you weight.

As a family we tend to be on the slim side and I never put weight on but I'm not under weight. I have a DS living at home who is struggling to gain weight. He can't snack at work and often misses lunch.
I suggested he look at why people are overweight and do the opposite. So, increased portion sizes, plenty of high calorie snacks such as flapjacks and cheese on toast. He is also buying protein shake powder which I'm not so sure about but is hugely calorific.

Thanks, both.

brook yes, I’d say I am a fairly healthy eater but very ‘pro fat’ in food IYSWIM. So, I think a lot of sugar really messes with your energy levels (and mine aren’t great anyway) so trying to look for high-calorie stuff that won’t make me lethargic after 20 mins. This thread has been amazing for ideas on that

youare I did wonder about the gluten thing (because I suppose I do eat quite a lot of it) but I’ve never felt I was particularly affected by it and didn’t want to lose another major food group by cutting it out. But I guess it could be that... Or alternatively, wondering if I have a bit of IBS. Certainly I’m realising now that I’m paying attention that my digestive system (at the risk of TMI) is rather more sensitive that most. So it may just be that I’m not absorbing enough of the calories I’m eating.

Mackeral. Healthy fats but calorific.

Are you trying to take responsibility for your DH's weight by offering fairly light and 'healthy' dinners in the evening. This means that your main meal of the day is doubling up to be his healthy low fat meal.
He has to take responsibility for himself, and you also have take responsibility for keeping yourself healthy. Your family is important to you, you want to keep yourself healthy so you can look after them.
Therefore you might need to have another main meal yourself at lunchtime if you are trying to keep carbohydrate meals away from your DH in the evening time.
If you are eating very little solid food during the day on an empty stomach, then nuts and fruit may be causing an explosive transit out of your body. This might mean not much is being absorbed along the way.
You could also look at reducing your exercise by 20% for the time being or for a certain number of weeks or months, in the interests of your health.

Sneak in little bits extra here and there - thicker butter or cream cheese on toast, extra slice of toast. Glass of juice with breakfast? Pudding after lunch/dinner

Could try to snack 3 times a day (ie one more after dinner)?

do some cooking ahead eg savoury muffins so you don't have to think too hard about what to have?

What about homemade protein/nut balls?

Hope your health turns out to be ok

Drown everything in olive oil. Massive health benefits, massive calories. You can even drink the stuff. I've had a similar problem to you, OP, and the above (plus, less healthily, extra chocolate) sorted me out.
Good luck!

Don't think anyone's mentioned coconut yet - anything coconut related is very nutritious and naturally high in calories. Those solid blocks of coconut cream taste amazing and clock in around 1400 cals for a 200g pack. You could slice chunks off those and chomp away.

I have a similar issue with my DH who is very slim (albeit muscly) and struggles to maintain his weight. I am the opposite...sigh.

Go and see Dr Sue Jamieson at Asia Standard Tower in Central. She diagnosed my coeliac disease after years of failure by the NHS. Expensive but worth every HKD. Good luck.