Weight Gain

Hey guys. 

Well, I have been through a lot since I stopped using this site.

In the past week, I got really super sick.  I landed myself in the hospital and was stuck in bed for a week.  There were/are (I'm still struggling with it) some problems with my intestines (don't know exactly what...tests aren't back yet!) and now I can't eat anything with fiber and I can't eat much protein, and absolutely NO VEGGIES.  This means I have been stuck on jello, Pedialyte (I've been dehydrated), saltine crackers, cream of rice, white bread, white pasta, etc.  That was a huge change for me.  Oh, and everything has to be 100% bland and hardly acidic if at all :( that means no sauce on my pasta or anything!

As if that wasn't bad enough, I got discharged from the hospital and had an appointment with my doctor today.  She said I need to gain about 10 pounds...That kind of upsets me because I am a healthy weight but she says my body type needs more weight than that (she wants me at 5'4" and 130). 

I got pretty depressed and I came home and BINGED!  Please don't say it's ok since I need to gain weight anyways...it is still very upsetting.  It is only 1 in the afternoon and I've already doubled my usual intake! AH!  And, it was all on ice cream, pasta, Cap'n Crunch cereal, Honey Bunches of Oats, and stuff like that :(  I feel sick to my stomach and just disgusting.

Anywho, I guess I thought I'd would post since I am an official weight gainer now.  My doctor is sending me to a dietitian at the hospital as well so she can help me gain .

I could really use some support and encouragement.  A binge was not a good start to this.

I won't say its okay to binge because your doctor told you to gain ten pounds. I will tell you that it is okay because it's not like its something you will do everyday. You probably craved something more substantial and tasty then jello and rice, and your body probably needed a greater variety of nutrients that you were lacking in your diet at the hospital. I don't think that this is a sign of new problem developing. Everyone binges once in a while, and nothing terrible happens to them. Don't believe me? My father is famous for eating half a jar of peanut butter, with about half a box of cookies and a liter of soda as his "weekend treat". The man is 60 and has maintained the same, healthy weight for at least the past 20 years (cuz he's looked the same as far ago I can remember). You don't need to be afraid. It will be okay. Tomarrow will be a new day. Just stick to your usual meal plan, don't restrict to "make up" for the binge. Because if you restrict one day, you know you'll probably want to the day after. And then it jsut makes everything progressively more difficult. Since you're probably a bit scared and nervous, its best to just stick to the usual plan and stay on track.

And 5'4" 130 is actually pretty normal. Are you getting a period? If not, then that would be why your doctor is telling you for your body type you need to weigh more. I know a lot of people think "5 feet, 100 pounds. 5 pounds per inch after that" but when taking frame size and body type into account, it can vary about 10-20 pounds in either direction.

It's not okay to binge just because you've been told to gain, as rebel has said. You need to keep yourself going and gaining with healthy eating habits.

If you happen to find out you have something called "ulcerative colitis", let me know. >> Lol. You're describing what sounds a lot like what my sister has - she's on restricted fibre, fat and no dairy when her UC flares and she lost a lot of weight recently. She got told she needed to eat to gain for a short while after but most of what she lost turned out to be water due to poor eating, so not so much any more. To make sure she got her fruit and veg we would blitz them in the blender and then strain it to remove the more fibrous bits. It meant she got the nutrition from them, but as little fibre as humanly possible.

Rebel has covered it all pretty well, though. Remember you ought to be eating at least 2500 to gain - but you don't have to binge to do that.

Lala - OMG! My older brother has ulcerative colitis too!!! He's been through hell with it. Restricted diet, steroids, etc. That's so ironic though. Tell me, is your sister older than you too? And do you have an alcoholic father? Cuz that would just be too much.

Thank you for  your replies!

I haven't had my period for the past 1.5 years, so that must be why she wants me to gain weight.  I want to do it because I just want to be healthy!

I am a little nervous though!  I have told myself (and my mom so she can help me) that I binged today but I WILL NOT DO IT TOMORROW!

I want to gain weight in a healthy way...not by binging.  Thanks again guys.  I am thinking about joining a support group on here..any recommendations?

There is a small support community in the "Weight Gainers: What did YOU eat today?" thread? I also suggest, perhaps, you find a group or support in your outside life too. Something like a volunteering group, or a hobby group for an activity you enjoy.

Rebel: Lol! Yes on both counts - dad's a serial drinker and Claire is two years older.

Wowee. That's a remarkable*  coincidence.

rebelchick1017--you meant to say "remarkable", not "unremarkable", right?  Good luck at the doctors tomorrow.  I wish you well.

whoops! Thinking two phrases at once will make from some grammatical errors, eh? Thanks for catching that.

Deflepan; I would have to agree that not getting your period in over a year means you probably aren't at the weight your body needs to be at. Everyone is different, that's why charts are really only guidelines. I know it will be hard, especially when your treatment center/team tells you that you should weigh X amount, but really no one can absolutely predict what a specific person needs to weigh to be healthy until they get there. And if you aren't getting a period, that means you aren't there quite yet. Its good that you are trusting your doctor and that you are so determined.