Healthy Foods?

UnknownDreamland · October 2010

Hey guys, Dreamy here. 8D Long time no see! Anyway, I was curious for you people who know all about health foods(or at least more than me. xD).. what are healthy foods(not french fries, deep fried foods, etc.) that are good to gain weight? Some of you know that I've been struggling with my weight for years. I'm nearly 6 feet and only within the last few months have I gone over 105 pounds. I'm underweight for my build, height, and age. These last few months I was doing really well! I topped at 119! But now I'm losing weight again and my ribs clearly show through my thinner shirts(which I rarely wear, it's more night-wear). I've been to a doctor about it and they just tell me to eat more, but I have the same issues: gain then lose. Rather than just eating more food, I thought this time I'd try to eat better food? I'm not very picky, although I'm ending up being vegetarian just because I like veggies and whatnot more than meat. And as the days go by meat is becoming more and more unappetizing. We have our own vegetable garden and if there were any foods we could grow there then that would be super neat as well! 8D Any suggestions for healthy foods that might help with my weight issue?

Mossflower · October 2010

First of all, even though I'm pretty sure I've already said it, I MISSED YOU! I've got a friend who has a similar issue. I think he said that the reason he has trouble is because he has a very fast metabolism and the fat burns up too quickly, or something like that. I've heard that steak is good for gaining, but I'm a vegetarian and don't really know much about how much to eat and how helpful it really is xD Tofu, kidney beans, lentils, nuts, cereals, eggs and milk are all tasty and fairly protein rich. I'm pretty obsessive with making sure I get enough protein and they all help me keep a healthy weight

I suppose potatoes and other carbohydrate rich foods would be great too. Apart from that, spinach is good. It worked pretty well for Popeye, so it might help you

When I stopped eating meat I made up a chart of all the vitamins and stuff I needed each day and what to eat to get enough of them. Maybe you could go to a nutritionist or something, so that they could figure out how much you need daily? I don't really know much about this stuff, so my 'advice' is probably pretty useless xD

UnknownDreamland · October 2010

No, this is very helpful! < 33 I also have a fast metabolism. I'm nearly always hungry.

I could eat food at a restaurant and be stuffed, and then by the time we get home(5-10 minutes later) I feel hungry enough to finish off the rest of the food and more. And more than that, obviously, but that's just an example that it's not that I'm not hungry or anything, but it's that no matter how much I eat(whether it's crap or semi-healthy) I still lose weight! I've never had tofu, but we normally have a few bags of beans laying around the pantry... Is rice any good for gaining? We have tons of that stuff. XDDD I'm not a big breakfast eater. I wish I liked eggs, but the flavor is gross to me. XD That and cereal. I'll end up eating stuff I don't like butttt.. I prefer to avoid it obviously. xDD Yeah, my doctor suggested spinach. :] We have that every so often, I wish it was more! I'll have to ask my mom to get some more for just me to cook and eat. =P Thank you! (and I missed you too!!)

Mossflower · October 2010

Hehe

I would definitely recommend eating a bowl of cereal (and some toast, because toast is lovely) in the morning. I'm actually not sure what sort of difference eating breakfast makes, but I always feel infinitely better when I eat in the morning. I keep a bag of almonds next to my computer, because they're a really good source of protein and make a great snack. Baked beans (kidney beans) are always a good lunch food too, and they come out of a tin so there's no effort involved xD My friends generally have pretty unhealthy diets, so whenever I stay at their places I tend to cook xD I've got a few friends who really dislike eggs, and the best way I have found to get them to eat some is to scramble the eggs and then cover them in tomato sauce. I don't know if that would work for you, but it's always worth a shot :P Actually, if there are any healthy foods you don't like eating, tomato sauce is wonderful to use XD Well, as long as you like tomato sauce. I have no idea whether rice helps weight gain, but it's yummy and healthy, so I'd eat it anyway xD

RoyalRaccoon · October 2010

Off the top of my head beans, grains(pasta, bread, rice), dairy products(milk, yogurt, cheese, butter), peanut butter(fresh is the best for you), potatoes, nuts(try cashews), meat, olives, avocados, and oatmeal are all things you can eat in normal proportions, and they will help you gain weight. Try adding a cup of milk, some nuts, beans, or a slice of bread to each meal, or snack on them. There are all kinds of recipes for the above items. I recommend chili, which had meat, beans, vegetables, and cheese(optional). You could even add some sour cream, which will also help with boost up your calorie intake. Are you just very thin, or muscular? You might want to try avoiding cardio, but do lots of weight training. Muscle weighs more than fat, and it is better for your body.

UnknownDreamland · October 2010

XD I normally skip breakfast, which could be a lot of the problem. It's a habit I've been trying to break. I just prefer lunch and dinner foods to breakfast food so much!

Ahaha, see, the only nuts on my desk are for my bird. xDD I should keep some of my own though. Cashew are delicious! I love rice. xDD Sushi! (my post is now officially cool or something, right?) Thank you so much! =D I'm a huge avocado lover. XDD I'd eat one(or more) every day if they weren't so expensive! XD Glad to hear it's also a good thing for me! I'm not muscular at all. I'm just thin. I've always been on the thinner, leaner side. But last time I went to the doctor even at my height I was around 20% lower than the average weight for my age. And like I said, that's not including the weight from the height. It's not a problem being thinner, I just don't want to get too thin, you know? People around here have asked my siblings if I was anorexic... I just don't like that.

It's not the case(and I'm not THAT thin). The only exercising I really do is walking my dog. I don't know if WiiFit would work in place of weight training if I used the strength exercises? When I did sports I was known as noodle arms because I couldn't do a push up. XDD

RoyalRaccoon · October 2010

Sushi! (my post is now officially cool or something, right?)

lol, VP's unsaid laws. You are officially cool! Nuts are great. My mom bought a ton of cashews at the farmers market...unfortunately I'm doing the opposite of you(trying to loose weight), so dared not touch them. I think there are 8-9 calories in ONE cashew nut. You can quickly add up calories my snacking on them, or mixing them into your food(they are so good in salad), and they are actually good for you. I hate when people just assume a thin person has an eating disorder. Anorexia is not a body type, it's a mental illness. Unfortunately, the majority of the world remains ignorant about mental illnesses, so the stereotypes about all thin girls having eating disorders gets passed around like fact. Telling or assuming a thin person has an eating disorder is like telling an overweight person to stop eating. Assuming you did have an eating disorder(I don't think you do, this is just for the sake of the point), what would it even matter to them? They most likely don't care, they probably just want drama to talk about. lol, I don't think WiiFit counts, but when I did do the canoe game from Wii resort my arms were aching for 2 days!! Yoga, and pilates can be good for building some muscle, and are extremely relaxing. I recommend yoga, because you don't need anything to do it other than an instruction book or video. You won't get a lot of muscle, but it will definitely tone you up, and give you more strength. Crunches and squats are also easy things that can be done at home.

Alabama · October 2010

I had the same problem through junior high and high school, people thought I was anorexic, even reported to the school counselor and I had to have a meeting with her and my parents about it. When I signed up to join the military, I almost didn't get to go because I was underweight at my first physical. Like PrinceSushi says, carbs and weight lifting. For two weeks, I forced myself to have something for breakfast, even it if was just some buttered toast, loaded baked potatoes (butter, sour cream, bacon, cheddar cheese and chives or broccoli and cheese) for lunch and pasta (spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, pasta salad) for supper and went to the recruiters' gym every night and managed to squeak by the second physical. I think I gained 10 lbs in 2 weeks. Of course, once I went off to basic training, weight problem was taken care of because of all the exercise and huge food proportions. I wouldn't suggest this drastic of change in eating habits, I was looking at just 2 weeks while you're looking at a possible lifetime, or at least until your metabolism starts slowing down. Definitely try to eat something for breakfast. My problem with breakfast was and still is, it makes me feel bloated and tired. But even if it's something small, toast, a poptart, a small bowl of cereal or an apple, those few calories are a few more than what you normally would have and what your body would have to burn off your reserves after hours of not eating. And who says you can't eat supper type meals for breakfast? May look a little weird, but if that's what you want and what you need to do to gain weight, go for it. Carrying snacks with you can be good or bad when trying to gain weight. If you eat too many snacks, you won't be as hungry for a regular meal. And while snacks have the calories, they may not have the other nutrients and vitamins you need from a regular meal. Of course, if you don't have the problem of not being hungry, munch down on them

When you eat a meal, whatever you eat, try to include potatoes or pasta as a side. Can microwave a baked potato in about 10 minutes and can cook pasta until it's almost done, then refrigerate it to heat up smaller portions later with a little jarred spaghetti, marinara or cheese sauce.

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Healthy Foods?

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