Weight gain

Chillout

Anyone know of what the cheapest way to gain weight is? I mean buying a lot of food is expensive so there has to be a cheap meal that really packs a punch!

mrcow

Be careful, rapid weight gain can be very dangerous to your health. So don't eat any old muck.

If I were looking to help someone with a poor appetite, I'd probably start with somthing similar to Complan drinks (it's great for example elderley people).

In terms of expense, when my Grandad was taking these (he was terribly underweight), he got them free as the doctor prescribed them for him.

http://www.complanfoods.com/

Chillout

Thanks, I think I'll try and persuade my doctor to give them to me for free then. I seem to burn calories whilst breathing - so annoying

Ted_Hutchinson

In order to gain weight healthily you would need to ensure you ate more than 2700-3000 calories a day. But you still need to exercise as muscle is heavier than fat and simply putting on fat is unhealthy.

I think eating 3 snacks as well as main meals would be better than just eating larger/higher calorie main meals.
There is more good advice about healthy eating
at The World's Healthiest foods

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Investing in a pressure cooker (Lidl's have 6 litre stainless steel ones for £20 but you can often find them at Car boots) would enable you to prepare pulses very quickly. Chick peas/Soya Beans etc soaked overnight take only 20 mins in a pressure cooker and can be whizzed in a processor with tahini, lemon juice and olive oil to make Hummous very quickly or used to provide a cheaper source of protein than meat.

Brown(non-organic) Linseed can be bought in bulk cheaply (5kg just over a £5) and if a couple of tablespoons of ground linseed meal is added to your cereal/casseroles it would increase the calorie content in a healthy way.
Do check though that you are not worrying unnecessarily
Dietitian - Healthy Body Calculator

Squidgy

My friend had the same problem. I think she was encouraged to eat more often, and was also told to drink the build up drinks

HTH
Squidgy

elvis_bloggs

Live with me for a while and you would be fat as a in no time.

Chillout

Nice one elvis.. except I get hungry about an hour after eating a medium pizza!

Phonix

and simply putting on fat is unhealthy.

That's not strictly true.

Besides cases of underweights, increasing your bodyfat is necessary in particular climates during the winter.

Ted_Hutchinson

Phonix wrote:

That's not strictly true.

Besides cases of underweights, increasing your bodyfat is necessary in particular climates during the winter.

I would be pleased if you could substainiate your claim.

I have re-read my post and stand by it. In the context it was written, bearing in mind it is now summer in the UK, continuing to exercise while attempting to gain weight is better advice than attempting to gain weight without exercise. Until you produce some evidence to support your claim I will continue to believe it is unhealthy for someone to give up exercise while attempting to gain weight.

Phonix

I simply quoted you out of context for which I apologise. I was not suggesting people give up exercise only that putting on weight isn't necessarily unhealthy. You could argue we put it on and take it off regularly as our activity and intake fats and carbohydrates ertc, obviously doesn't remain constant throughout the month.

Savvy_Sue

I presume the OP has already talked to GP about the need to put on weight and how to go about it, and if not will now do so?

All sorts of problems could be the cause of underweight, and not a lot of point just stuffing one's face if, for example, a very over-active thyroid is putting the metabolism out of joint!