Apps for weight gain

[Bluemon75]

🤔💭I wonder if anyone has tried any app to help gaining weight? I've tried nutracheck free trial, and was good for calorie counting and all that but is there any good one specific for weight gain around there?

Thanks for reading x

[Luisa22]

I don't know about apps for this kind of thing. If there were any I'd not use them. All I'd do is pig out on nice high calorie food.

However...that doesn't always work . I am a naturally slim person and even if I was able to eat and eat to extreme, I wouldn't gain an ounce of weight. All I'd get would be indigestion.

When I had Covid in 2020 I lost so much weight rapidly (within a week I looked seriously anorexic, even though I'd been able to eat good nutritious foods through my illness.)

I was lucky then because IBS stood back and let me eat! So I enjoyed food and gained back the weight I'd lost, which brought me back to my usual slim weight, and then that stopped.

It seems I have a weight-dial-thing in my system which settles at a certain level and no matter what I do I can't go over it.

Do you think you might have that kind of thing going on?

Bearing in mind any intolerances you have, can you just basically eat as much good high calorie food as possible? Oily fish, whole eggs, carbs like rice, pasta, potatoes, cous cous, noodles, roasted meat, nice bread, avocados, dairy produce, especially cheeses and butter, nuts and nut butters? Oils like Olive oil, coconut oil etc. Cream is a good high calorie food.

Some of those may not suit you if you have IBS or food intolerances, I know. They are just suggestions for high calorie foods.

[Bluemon75 in reply to Luisa22]

Thank you for your reply Luisa. I wish I could pig out on nice high calorie foods! ! I always been 55-60 kg, never on the slim side. Then around 5 years ago starting losing weight, currently on 39 kg. And I am stuck there. Food and I don't agree, basically food is my first enemy! I have a combination of GORD, slow transit bowel and IBS-C. And my self-steem is not great as I hate my skinny wrinkly body. Just desperate to put calories on. And dietitians haven't been helpful.I thought to track the amount of calories I do on a day hence the idea of a weight gain app... Just an idea.

Thanks again

[Luisa22 in reply to Bluemon75]

Yes, I can imagine with slow transit your appetite won't be that great either. And many of those high calorie foods wouldn't be your best friend if you have reflux. I feel for you, as I went through a 3-4 month stint with reflux in late 2020/early 2021. Fortunately it hasn't come back since but it was unpleasant.

The first "do" I had with the reflux was after eating oily fish (one great healthy food which normally won't upset my IBS D!) so I had to watch what I ate even more than when the dreaded D hit me. I hope you find something easy as an app which can help you.

[Bluemon75 in reply to Luisa22]

Thank you Luisa 🤞🤞🤞

[alby54]

I bought protein shakes which worked well. Plenty of flavours, and even vegan variety if you are lactose intolerant.

[Bluemon75 in reply to alby54]

Can't tolerate them really well alby... Thanks for answering

[xjrs]

I've not heard about apps for weight gain, but in case of interest, here are my tips:

Try to eat more food, more often with less meal spacing. Ordinarily I would recommend spacing out meals to help the MMC (migratory motor complex) to run. This sweeps food from the small intestine to the large intestine during fasting. However, this could be counter productive if you are trying to gain weight.

Eat carbohydrates that you are more able to tolerate such as:

White jasmine rice. This is pure calories and very easily digested. It gets completely digested in the small intestine leaving no residue for the colon. Note that some types of rice (such as Basmati) contain resistant starch some of which would be undigested and end up in your colon.

Low FODMAP and/or gluten free grains (if you are intolerant to wheat). This can include buckwheat pasta, gluten free pastas, quinoa and buckwheat flakes. Some of these are more fibrous than others, so you will need to test for your own tolerance. Some sufferers are more tolerant to oats than wheat, so porridge made with full fat or dairy free milks are good for breakfast and even as extra snack meals. Oat amazake is a form of highly digestible fermented oats. I mix this with buckwheat flakes and add in tolerated fruits as a snack.

Squash and pumpkin. There are different types of squash and pumpkin products listed on the Monash University FODMAP app with their various low FODMAP serving sizes.

Beans and pulses (thoroughly rinsed when canned) – see Monash University FODMAP app for low FODMAP quantities if necessary.

High fat varieties of dairy (e.g. hard cheeses) or lactose free dairy if necessary. Note that some sufferers will be intolerant to cheese due to the whey or casein protein content rather than lactose.

Semi-skimmed or whole milk or lactose free varieties.

Nuts. These can be ground in a coffee grinder to make them more digestible. Nuts add fibre, so gradually increase the amount.

Eggs.

Protein shakes as snacks.

Berry fruits (strawberries, blueberries and raspberries).

Healthy fats such as extra virgin olive oil. This could make you more loose, so start with 1 teaspoon working up to 3 tablespoons (1 tablespoon with each meal) per day depending on tolerance. Note there are 3 teaspoons in 1 tablespoon.

[Bluemon75 in reply to xjrs]

Thank you for your response xjrs, as I said, trying different things. I sort of eat the type of foods you mention or at least try, I did not know about the difference between Jasmine Rice and basmati rice, thank you

[Ruby1]

I used the free version of MyFitnessPal to calorie count and lose weight a couple of years ago. It is also used by people who want to gain weight or add muscle bulk etc. They have a very good community forum, and one is dedicated to something along these lines, if I remember rightly.

The app is generally for tracking weight and nutrition, but I learnt such a lot from browsing the forums. It may prove helpful to you.

[Bluemon75 in reply to Ruby1]

Thanks Ruby, sounds good, I think I'll try that Thanks again

[fodder4me]

Gosh Bluemon 75 this is me. I have been losing weight for about the same time I was about 53k. Since having flares which have gone on for months, until I realized what the food was that was upsetting me. Then settling and repairing my gut. I now weigh 42kg. I have not had long flares now for about a year. I stick to the fodmap diet. I have tried protein shakes as well but I cannot tolerate them either. I do not know why. I am so skinny with wrinkly skin and my overweight friends tell me to eat cream cakes. You need to fatten up!! Wish I could! I have started seeing a fodmap trained dietician who told me to try A2 dairy full cream milk. It has a protein removed which can upset sensitive guts. This is the first full cream milk that I have been able to tolerate. However I am in Australia. You probably will not have it where you are. I am making custard pies etc. No gain as yet though. It is also very expensive. It is so frustrating. I have had so many tests to rule out other causes Nothing has come up. We just have to hang in there and hopefully we will have fuller figures one day. I will try to eat more as has been suggested. I have never thought about apps for weight gain but will look into them also.

[Bluemon75 in reply to fodder4me]

Thanks for your message fodder4me. I think I've seen that brand of milk in the UK, I'll have a search and might try. Dairy is not a problem for me although I try to have less for ethical reasons. Sometimes I see my colleagues eating lunch at work and don't understand how they can cope what those big amounts of food, at least big for me! Hopefully one day we will be able to put some kg in.... Thanks again

[fodder4me in reply to Bluemon75]

It would be lovely to just be able to eat anything and even eat a lot in one sitting without thinking how it will affect us. I also used to have reflux and was told to take Nexium. I did take for awhile but did not think they helped me. I think my reflux just settled as I got into the fod diet. I also have raised the head of my bed. I jacked the bed up with my car jack and placed bricks under the top. (my bed is heavy and have a heavy mattress as well). I sleep on a bit of a slope but it doesn't matter. Anything which will help me. Good luck

[ruskin10]

Good morning I too lost quite a lot of weight due to anxiety & cutting down to small meals. I now have a dietician NHS, who has put me on drinks Altrajuice. She specialises in IBS. it's taken quite a few months but I've gained 4lbs. Ask your doctor to refer you. Best wishes, Pat

[Bluemon75 in reply to ruskin10]

Thanks for your message Pat. I've seen a dietitian but wasn't really helpful... I'll keep trying

[Nothing_but_books]

Not an app, but maybe this may be useful?

reddit.com/r/gainit/

[Bluemon75 in reply to Nothing_but_books]

Thank you, I will have a look! x