Forums: January 2011 Kickstart Forum: Needing to gain weight.......
Created on: 01/04/11 10:12 AM Views: 1853 Replies: 9
Checochinican Joined: 01/04/11 Posts: 148	Needing to gain weight....... Posted Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at 10:12 AM I started the vegan diet 11/23/10. It normalized my blood glucose but caused an unwanted weight loss. My "ideal" weight is about 104 lbs., but I am down to 95.5 lbs., in spite of eating all I can hold. Does anyone else have this problem?
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LaniMuelrath Joined: 12/30/09 Location: California Posts: 561	RE: Needing to gain weight....... Posted Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at 10:23 AM Checochinican wrote: I started the vegan diet 11/23/10. It normalized my blood glucose but caused an unwanted weight loss. My "ideal" weight is about 104 lbs., but I am down to 95.5 lbs., in spite of eating all I can hold. Does anyone else have this problem? Hi Checo, Indeed, you are probably in the minority here but that doesn't make your problem any less urgent! Here are some suggestions from Dr. McDougall regarding the underweight dilemna: Make the Following Changes in this Order to Regain Weight in a Healthful Manner Quote: 1) Eat more whole grain flour products like breads and bagels. Flour is more fattening than the whole grain because the change in physical properties that comes with milling causes faster and more complete absorption of the calories and a great rise in insulin response. 2) Eat more simple sugars in the form of fruits, dried fruits and fruit juices. This will cause a greater rise in insulin in your body. 3) Eat more high-fat plant foods, like nuts (and nut butters), seeds (and seed spreads), avocados, and olives. Fats are concentrated calories. 4) Add high-fat soy milks and tofu products. These are higher in fats. 5) Eat more high-fat soy foods. However, in general, these fake foods (like burgers, hot dogs, lunch meats, and cheeses) should be kept to a minimum because they are not very nutritious. 6) Eat more food – this is often difficult because most people already eat to the full satisfaction of their appetite. Making more delicious meals and taking more time to eat may help accomplish this. 7) Eat a greater variety of foods – new kinds of foods stimulate interest, which increases food intake. Add salt, sugar and favorite spices to the surface of your foods. If they taste better to you then you will eat more. Plus sugar adds calories (empty calories). 9) Use salad dressing, barbecue and steak sauces (made without oils and animal products) over your dishes to make them taste better so you eat more. Many sauces also contain simple sugars that provide calories and raise insulin levels. ~Dr. John McDougall You can read this article in its entirety here: How do I gain weight? Hope this helps! Lani Facebook Celebrity Tips Page Lani Muelrath, M.A. CGFI, CPBN the Plant-Based Fitness Expert McDougall Health & Medical Center Author of Fit Quickies: 5 Minute Workouts www
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Bugsmom Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2087	RE: Needing to gain weight....... Posted Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at 11:45 AM I'd go with the nuts, nut butters, seeds, avocadoes etc and keep it light on the first few items on the list (like dried fruits) so that you can keep your glucose in a good range. Also, if you take meds for managing your diabetes (I'm guessing that's why you mentioned glucose levels), you might need to talk with your doctor about adjusting them to fit with your new weight and style of eating. --Deb R
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Checochinican Joined: 01/04/11 Posts: 148	RE: Needing to gain weight....... Posted Wednesday, January 5, 2011 at 10:43 AM Thanks, Lani and Deb! I thought low fat was key to this diet, but I see the point of increasing fats to regain weight. I'll try that! No, I am not on any meds. I do test blood glucose frequently, at least 3-4 times a day: Morning fasting level, just before dinner, and two hours after dinner. As I modify the vegan diet as Dr. Barnard presents it, I test even more carefully. Sharon
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Bugsmom Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2087	RE: Needing to gain weight....... Posted Wednesday, January 5, 2011 at 10:53 AM Yeah low fat is a key item for two reasons (1) weight loss/management and (2) glycemic control (Dr. Barnard's information on reversing diabetes talks about fat inside the cells and the affect on insulin resistance/glucose control). If you're wanting to GAIN weight and your blood sugar levels are good, then adding a little extra fat (a bit of guacamole, nut butter on an apple, etc) should be fine. One thing you might also want to be careful about is that unwanted weight loss is a symptom of diabetes. If your daily tests are showing up good, but this is happening, you might want to check with your dr regarding getting an A1C sooner rather than later to make sure that things are as well controlled as it looks from the daily tests. Unwanted weight loss can also signal other things (hyperthyroid, for example) so it definitely needs to be checked to make sure that the ONLY reason for it is that you just flat can't eat enough calories to match what you expend in a day. --Deb R
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Checochinican Joined: 01/04/11 Posts: 148	RE: Needing to gain weight....... Posted Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 9:09 AM Thanks again, Deb. McDougall's chart of ideal weights reads a few pounds lower than the standard ones, and according to that, I am in the ballpark. I probably shouldn't be concerned.
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peasandrice Joined: 12/29/10 Posts: 77	RE: Needing to gain weight....... Posted Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 10:02 AM Is this the weight chart you are referring to? http://www.nealhendrickson.com/mcdougall/030700puhowdoIgainweight.htm Am I reading this correctly in that a 5'3" woman should weigh less than 104lbs? I strongly disagree with this. I have been very thin most of my life, but then gained a lot of weight when I quit smoking in order to try to conceive and have been having a very hard time losing it ever since. I look great anywhere from 112-120lbs (5'3") but if I drop below 112 the only place I seem to lose is in my chest. I went down to 106 and lost 2 cup sizes and no inches in my waist or hips. Then my periods stopped, which scared me and I let myself get back to the 112-120 range. Of course my periods are finicky, since they also stop if my weight goes over 140lbs. The old weight formula (80's) for modeling was 100 pounds for 5' and the 3lbs for each inch after that. So 109 would have been the modeling idea in 1980 and this chart considers that overweight? I agree that modern health guides are too accepting of excess weight (I can be up to 145lbs before being overweight by these charts, which is a lot of extra weight), I also agree that there are some women that would look perfect at these low weights, but they probably have a specific body type that can pull it off. I just feel like this is an unrealistic goal for a lot of people. I have several people close to me that struggle with anorexia and I hate to see it possibly encouraged. Of course obesity is a very serious issue as well, epidemic even in the US. I just don't want the flip side to be ignored. MY aunt has a lot of health issues from being chronically under weight. I will say she is much thinner than the chart though, about 85lbs and 5'6". I apologize if I am coming across as augmentative, this just concerned me. This is more a response to the chart being referenced and not to the OP's comments, so I also apologize for hijacking the thread.
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peasandrice Joined: 12/29/10 Posts: 77	RE: Needing to gain weight....... Posted Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 7:55 PM After doing a little more searching I found that Dr. McDougall does not advise using that chart as a goal weight, he just uses it to reassure people that are worried they are underweight. So he was never saying that 105 lbs is overweight for someone that is 5'3". So my long panicky post was over nothing.
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Checochinican Joined: 01/04/11 Posts: 148	RE: Needing to gain weight....... Posted Friday, January 7, 2011 at 12:46 PM Peasandrice, I appreciate your comments. When it comes to weight, some people really look better with a little extra - a slightly fuller face, for instance, is certainly better than a gaunt, starved look. Also, how we carry our pounds is also important, as you point out. Although I am at 96 lbs. presently, I still am substantial in the bust area, something I inherited from my mom. I may have to buy size 6 jeans, but my tops must be medium, not small. I am broad in the shoulders, narrow in the hips. I think my over-reaction to being this light was due to a lifetime of obesity. It was only 5 years ago that I was able to lose and keep it off. If I don't regain the weight I lost on vegan eating, I'll be okay with that. Surely don't want to lose any more.
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peasandrice Joined: 12/29/10 Posts: 77	RE: Needing to gain weight....... Posted Friday, January 7, 2011 at 2:19 PM I misread the recommendation and over reacted a bit, I apologize for that. You seem like you have a healthy attitude in regards to weight. When I first looked at the chart I thought it was saying all women should be below those weights and that freaked me out. But it was only saying some women do well at those weights, not all. I've always looked thinner than my weight would suggest. I looked really bad, very boyish at 106 lbs. It sounds like you have the body type that just tends to be thinner. Have you checked your waist hip ratio? Supposedly that is a better indicator of health than BMI. Ideal is to have a ratio of 0.7 for women and 0.9 for men for good health. It seems like it would be hard to get it exact though. w/h = ratio Mine is .84 which is bad, but I already new I needed to lose at least 30 lbs.
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