ISO way to gain weight..

[Angie]

I just got an email from my 11 yr old step-daughter's mom...Cora has been on meds for ADHD for about 2 years now. She is doing GREAT on them...but she is now down to 57 pounds. The Dr's are very concerned. If she doesn't gain 3 pounds in 3 months, she's off the meds. The meds have helped her so much...she's gone from a D-F student to a A-B student and..well, that's just the start of her accomplishments.

She's a picky eater to begin with. We need more ways for her to gain weight, in a healthy manner.

Suggestions already given to us from her mom are...
"Some of the simple things to do is: if she has celery, add peanut butter to it, if she has vegetables, add cheese/butter. Whole milk, she has to eat bread, no more taking the hamburger off the bun. I bought carnation instant breakfast, so in the mornings when she has her cereal, she will start to drink a class of that also"

We only get her every other weekend...but she already drinks whole milk at our house. We only buy real butter...

Help? My 11 yr old should weigh more than 57 pounds. She is still in size 7 clothes.

Thanks.

 

[YT2095]

in a word, Pasta!

plenty plenty Pasta

(pref with lots of cheese and meatballs)

 

[sage™]

ice cream before bed..or any high calorie snack a little while before bedtime.

 

[Bilby]

Also how about protein shakes or even just indulgent smoothies with her choice of fruit - full cream milk, full cream yoghurt, some icecream, and also add some powdered milk to it as well. Grapes are a good weight gainer - trust me there!!!!! - and seem so innocuous.

 

[CharlieD]

I do not know about pasta. Look at Italians they eat plenty of pasta, but I haven't seen even one fat person there during my stay there.

To gain weight you need high protein and high carbs foods. Lots of carbs are not really good for a person, but combination might be ok.

 

[VeraBlue]

My boyfriend's nephew is having the same problem...same great results, but absolutely no appetite, especially at meal times.

The best suggestion is to let the child eat what they want, when they want. Don't insist on stringent meal times, and don't be overly concerned if all he wants to eat is junk food. Just give him a multi vitamin. Remember, though...let him eat whenever he actually is hungry. Don't get angry if he cannot finish what is put before him. It's the medicine, not his desire to fight with you.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

This is a tough problem, Angie. My 15 year old is 6 feet tall and weighs 112 pounds. The ice cream is a good suggestion - I always have some on hand for him and it's helped get him to the weight he's at. Also, kids on ADHD meds tend to become very focused on their tasks at hand (a blessing to finally be able to), but they often are so focused they don't notice hunger. You might try reminding her to have a snack throughout the day - even to the point of making it and setting it in front of her. I think after a while, the "lack of appetite" side effect subsides but until then, all the above suggestions will help. I'm so glad she's able to be successful at school now. It must have really boosted her self-esteem. Good luck with her weight.

 

[YT2095]

I do not know about pasta. Look at Italians they eat plenty of pasta, but I haven't seen even one fat person there during my stay there.

To gain weight you need high protein and high carbs foods. Lots of carbs are not really good for a person, but combination might be ok.

well I do know that Pasta (lots of) works and hence the Cheese and meatballs for the protein.
Pizza is great to.

btw, Charlie, [SIZE=-1]C Новым Годом

(S novim godom, for those without the Cyrillic font).

[/SIZE]

 

[CharlieD]

You too YT, you too. may it be a great one.

 

[Angie]

She LOVES broccoli and cheese. I'll have to add extra cheese sauce next time. Push the peanut butter..butter...etc. She loves pasta too, but not meat so much.

 

[Katie H]

Since it's wintertime, you could have an afternoon tea party of hot chocolate, complete with whipped cream, etc. and have some cookies with it.

At breakfast time, serve hot or cold cereal with fruit and half-and-half rather than milk. One of my all-time favorite breakfasts is Rice Krispies with half-and-half and raspberries, blueberries or sliced bananas. Make cream of wheat using milk or half-and-half instead of water. It makes a world of difference in taste.

Turn the Instant Breakfast into a milkshake by adding ice cream.

Yes, eating high-fat foods before bedtime will aid in weight gain, but it might establish a bad pattern for adulthood. She could end up with a weight challenge later on.

 

[jkath]

Yes, eating high-fat foods before bedtime will aid in weight gain, but it might establish a bad pattern for adulthood. She could end up with a weight challenge later on.

My thought exactly, Katie E!
57 pounds for an 11 year old isn't that odd, unless she's very very tall. My 12 year old boy is only 64 pounds. My guess is that when hormones set in, she'll gain. Until then, healthy snacks are the way I'd go for the weight gain.
I'd concentrate more on the applause for her grades.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

jkath, I think it's the doctors who are insisting that she gain weight or they will take her off the ADHD meds. I'm of the same mind as you - some kids are just super thin and that's normal for them and if they are healthy, don't mess with their diet.

 

[Clienta]

My son's pediatrician was concerned because he was always under the weight charts. He worried more if he was to get sick because he had no reserves. So we used Pediasure instead of milk, also great in a milkshake. It's full of vitamins, minerals & calories!! Cheese plates, hummus, babaganoush & guacamole for snacks. For breakfast french toast with peanut butter, bananas & syrup, peach & berry pancakes & eggs with chorizo & cheese. Lots of paninis & pbj sandwiches. Tamales. Pot roasts with gravy & mashed cheesy potatoes (made with butter, cream, cream cheese & your favorite cheese). As for high calorie desserts....cheesecake, creme brulee, icecream & anything chocolate. Our son is finally on the charts but still is considered skinny with a serious six pack. Best of luck, she's lucky to have a stepmom who cares so much.

 

[Barbara L]

When we told our doctor that we wanted to lose weight he gave us a diet plan and advice. Did Cora's doctor give any advice or just say that she needs to gain weight? He should be able to give some healthy weight gain ideas or at least recommend a good nutritionist.

Many of us who are overweight got that way by eating too much, eating the wrong foods, and not getting enough exercise. I wouldn't recommend any of these as a way to gain weight. In fact some outdoor activities like bike riding, running races with friends, etc. might help stimulate her appetite.

Barbara

 

[college_cook]

While it's important to eat healthy, also remember that some fat is needed in your diet. If you really want to pack on some pounds, start having more more high-fat pasta meals. Instead of spaghetti with meatballs and red sauce, go for maybe penne with shrimp (high in fat but good fat, plus omega-3 acids) in an alfredo sauce (fat+dairy). You can also toss in some blanched veggies to the final dish. That's something we used to do as line cooks to make our meals a little healthier. Toss in some zuchini, or broccolini, under a heavy sauce you don't even taste them.

Another good option would be rissotto. Fried mozzarella. Quesadillas for lunch/snacks.

Anything that adds a good deal of carbs plus fat will help you to gain weight quickly. The reason is that your body will metabolize the simple carbs (pasta, rice, potato) before it metabolizes the fat, which almost always results in the fat being stored in your body. For about 10% of the population, the body will metabolize the fat AND the carbs even if you don't need all of that energy. These are the people who can eat garbage all their lives and never gain a pound (they are also usually very active as a result).

Try to work in some extra empty calories, but in a smart way. Add high fat foods that are high in other nutritional benefits. Shellfish, like I mentioned, are fatty, but they are "healthy" fats. Cheese adds necessary calcium and protein to the body that kids may not get otherwise (apparently lots of kids hate milk? i never had this problem, I LOVE milk). Work vegetables in by making casseroles or lasagnas where they'll be unrecognizable. Avocados are high in fat, and most people love em.

 

[Aera]

Oils: Try to put olive oil or flaxseed oil in any and all meals. A lot of fat and the good kind and they contain the omega fatty acids.
Breads: Whole grains, they are healthy and have more fat and calories then the white breads.
Pasta: Like the breads, the whole grain kind or egg noodles, healthy and tasty with lots more fat and calories per serving.
Meats: Anything she will eat I know kids are picky with meat. But burgers will do the trick high protein, fat and calories there.

Pizza and ice cream although considered junky or junk food, I don't think they are especially for kids who are thin. They are delicious foods that do provide nutrients and all kids eat it. If you look at some of the so called healthy yogurts out there geared to kids, there is more sugar in them then in most ice creams and the calcium is the same per serving if not better in the ice cream.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

I think you should follow the doctor's advice and definitely try to help her gain some weight. Her weight and age put her under the 5th percentile for normal weight for a girl her age. Even my son, who looks scary thin without a shirt, stays between the 5th and the 10th percentile for weight (95th for height - thus the scary thinness). Here's a chart for girls:
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/growthcharts/girlstwoyears.gif

 

[Alix]

Angie, can you look at the timing of the med she is on? Also there are meds she can take that do not inhibit appetite. Perhaps a look at one of those might be in order.

First of all, I suspect that the med she is taking is an appetite inhibitor which likely peaks midday. Timing is critical. Stuff her when she actually HAS an appetite. If you can get a bigger breakfast into her that might help a lot. Try milkshakes or smoothies with breakfast.

You may need to supplement with Ensure or something like that too. Do look at a med that doesn't inhibit appetite. It can still help with the attention, but will allow her to have a more normal eating pattern.

(PS, my 11 year old is only 67lbs so I sympathize. Protein is not necessarily the way to put on the pounds, carbs are more likely to help in that respect. Lots of cereals, granola bars and things like that lying around for her to snack on will help too.)

 

[jeninga75]

Health food stores carry "weight gainer" powders. High in calories, but full of protein and vitamins. Maybe make some shakes and slip some of that in there with some whole milk and fresh fruits. I've heard they don't taste that great so you might have to disguise it a bit. I know those shakes like Ensure are high in calories. I agree with someone who earlier said if the doctor wants her to gain weight he should have given some healthy advice or at least referred you to a nutritionist.