# Need to gain 10lbs before Nov 1



## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

Winter is coming, and so is flu season.
I am 114lbs......not good, considering I am 5'7"
I look, horrible. I have aged 90 years in the last 12 months.

Is there a natural something or other out there that will stimulate my appetite? 

When I am stressed out, I don't eat. I drink water. 7,8,9 bottles a day.
Sunday, I was canning from 9am-7pm....and had 1 doughnut to eat all day.
I made dinner, and ate it around 7pm, but it was the only meal of the day.
Once I start eating, I am a human garbage disposal, and I eat until I am about to explode (probably my bodies way of getting what it needs).

I am trying to remember to eat, but some days I just get busy or in a zone and forget.....and I don't 'feel' hungry cause I am drinking gallons of water.
Any advice is appreciated.


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## bajiay (Apr 8, 2008)

Not good girl! You're going to end up VERY sick if you don't take care of yourself.

After my first divorce (I'm going through another) I quit eating and lived on gum and ice. Not intentionally, just too depressed to think. I ended up with a SEVERE case of mono which settled in the pericardium causing issues there and then ended up with leukemia, which was a rare result of the mono. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!!!!

That said.... If nothing else, can you make you some protein shakes if you don't feel like eating and replace some of the water with those? How long have you been not eating like this? You probably are majorly depleted in minerals, as well as vitamins. Your body has used up its fat reserves and is now eating on your muscle tissue. Nourish your body! It's the only one you get! I say all of this lovingly, ok? Please learn from my experience, because I am just now getting healthy again after 15 years all because I didn't eat back then. Don't do that to yourself. Eat, drink shakes, or something...please!


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## unregistered358895 (Jul 15, 2013)

My brother is constantly trying to gain weight and he does it by adding protein shakes between meals. Hope this helps.


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## NamasteMama (Jul 24, 2009)

Try keeping some trailmix in your pocket and munch during the day. Or set an alarm on you phone to remind you to stop and eat.


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## John_Canada (Aug 17, 2013)

Nuts are extremely high in fat and squirrels certainly bulk up eating them.

Btw, I am the same way with never eating breakfast and sometimes not lunch then eating like crazy rest of night. Really bad for my blood sugar levels. The only solution I have found to this cycle is to eat veggies/nuts/legumes only. Probably something to do with blood sugar levels and insulin levels...not sure but it works.


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## DEKE01 (Jul 17, 2013)

I recently had to gain about 15 lbs. If their is a Chic-fil-a near you, their choc shakes are the best and a large on is something like 900 calories.


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

Taking care of your self machine is a must right away. That much water may seem good but you could be washing out needed stuff too. Get back to basics. Food, rest, work, recreation. Keep them in balance. No excuses. In the summer, I have to work hard to keep weight on. Not bragging. It's a problem. I keep fuel near by and I have to stop and take care of the self machine just like I would grease and fuel the tractor. On Saturdays when I am too busy to go for lunch, I force feed me a banana, which I cannot hardly swallow because I don't like them, a V8, granola bar, and fluids. If you don't take care of the body, it will not perform well and you will not make good decisions for it.


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## bajiay (Apr 8, 2008)

Nuts are high in fat but they are the "GOOD" fats that our brain needs. It's not like people sit down and eat a gallon of them at one sitting. They are a great snack that nature gives us. Eat away!


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

The problem is adrenal fatigue from your prolonged stress.
When you are stressed your body goes through a set group of reactions.
One of them is to stop producing Gastrin, which is the hormone that controls the digestive system.

So.. you need to take adaptogens and nervines to control how your body handles the adrenal hormone. Think of the calming herbs..chamomile, hops, valerian. Do these before bed to calm you so you can get a healing sleep.

And what type of emotion are you feeling?
I am going to guess and say vunerability and fear and nervous exhaustion. 
Rose is the best for vunerability and fear. Take in small amounts over a period of time. (I do make a wonderful rose distillate(hydrosol from a still) that would be wonderful for that.
And sage is for nervous exhaustion and shaky/shaken. (I could make you a distillate of that too)
Lemon Balm is another good one. It is uplifting, brightening. It is my son's favorite.
You need to get these herbs into your life in some fashion.. either chamomile tea with hops before bed, a valerian capsule.. something. And you can find rosewater(distillate/hydrosol) at your local health food store or you can order that distillate adn the other ones on line or I can hook you up. Doesn't matter how you get them.

And for the Gastrin production.. that is what wil really make you get back to a healthy weight.
When you don't produce enough Gastrin, you have little appetite and the food that you do eat isn't absorbed into the body because the body puts a tichk mucous layer on the intestinal lining. Also, you aren't producing enough of nor the right types of stomach acid to break down the food. And you don't produce enough Pepsin( an enzyme in the stomach that is necessary for the uptake of B12... which makes us feel better/happy/good) See how it is all connected?

http://www.herbcraft.org/bitters.pdf This talks all about it.
Dandelion leaves, bitter salad greens like arugula (blech) etc.. to help.
You can buy bitter tinctures to take as well.

And I am fond of using peaches as a bitter, which it is.
I like peach water. Squish a peach in a jug of water and let it sit in the fridge over night. It makes my stomach start snarling within minutes of drinking it.
I have issues with low appetite and this fixes it.

My ultimate food for you to eat would be a peach crisp that is topped with loads of whole oats.
Oats are about the best nervine/adaptogen there is.
And they are nutritious.
Or yogurt topped with peaches adn whole oats.
You just can't eat too many oats at the moment.

And then a diet that is rich in nutrtion.. bone broth soups with kale and rice and garlic and a fresh loaf of rosemary bread, anything with nettles in it. Nettles are yummy! You can use dried. Add them to everything.. soups, pasta sauce etc..
You need nettles to rebuild your body.

You can do it. 
No worries.


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## Lilith (Dec 29, 2012)

When I got pregnant, I was severely underweight. My doc recommended slimfast or any type of diet shake in addition to regular meals. It sounds like upping your calorie intake would really help you out. Figure out haw many calories you are taking in right now, and add 500 (healthy) calories to your diet every week till you are at 2000 calories and reevaluate your weight. 
Of course I hear that smoking a certain controlled substance can give you the munchies j/k, but I don't recommend that route.


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## lonelytree (Feb 28, 2008)

chickenista said:


> The problem is adrenal fatigue from your prolonged stress.
> When you are stressed your body goes through a set group of reactions.
> One of them is to stop producing Gastrin, which is the hormone that controls the digestive system.
> 
> ...


I have a friend that is going through weight loss. Unfortunately, I believe that he is burning pure alcohol. What can I take to him that might help him?


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## Melissa (Apr 15, 2002)

What will you do if you get sick? Honestly think about that and then get yourself eating three nice meals a day- Breakfast, Lunch, and Supper- solid meals hitting all the basic food groups. Just do it...


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

Are you saying that he drinks too much?
If so.. well.. have him cut back. Slowly.
Any changes need to be made slowly if one doesn't know what is going on.
And then restoratives. 
The bitters would work to stimulate the disgestive hormones and then just, clean, healthy food.
Nutrient dense foods, real foods as fresh as possible.
We are big fans of stew around here.
Good stews made with a rich bone broth.
Bone broth is the bomb for packing in minerals and nutrients. Can't be beat.
Loads of fresh veggies and good spices.. black pepper, thyme, rosemary etc.. to really stimulate the body. And a good loaf of fresh bread with real butter.
And a dessert. Again with the peaches and oats.
And if within a month nothing has changed, then he needs to find out why he is dropping the weight.
The causes could be serious.


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## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

chickenista..........you are amazing.
thank you.


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## lonelytree (Feb 28, 2008)

chickenista said:


> Are you saying that he drinks too much?
> If so.. well.. have him cut back. Slowly.
> Any changes need to be made slowly if one doesn't know what is going on.
> And then restoratives.
> ...


I only get to see him every couple weeks. But I will try to have a couple dinners planned.


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

Oh... and no junk food or nutritionally devoid foods.
No chips or sodas or mac and cheese etc..
It's a man and I know that is an impossible dream, but I had to say it.


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## SageLady (Jun 10, 2008)

Eat more carbs along with protein. Don't eat junk food, but do add a milkshake a day. You can eat a little food every couple hours. Make a plan for the day and stick to it. Your health will really suffer if you don't. BTDT. Got so skinny and sick I wasn't any good for anything....don't live your life like that. No one is worth ruining your health over. Life will settle down and be good for you again, but you need to be healthy to enjoy it... You can do it!


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## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

chickenista said:


> The problem is adrenal fatigue from your prolonged stress.
> When you are stressed your body goes through a set group of reactions.
> One of them is to stop producing Gastrin, which is the hormone that controls the digestive system.
> 
> So.. you need to take adaptogens and nervines to control how your body handles the adrenal hormone. Think of the calming herbs..chamomile, hops, valerian. Do these before bed to calm you so you can get a healing sleep.


I am allergic to chamomile. I throw severe (sounds like) Men-Ear's disease symptoms. Vertigo, nausea, etc. 
I will seek out valerian.



> And what type of emotion are you feeling?


Wow. Anxiety, Fear, Anger, Hurt.
Then, Resolve, Head Strong, Determined.
Then, Loss, Disappointment, Anger, Hollowness
THEN, Digging for Positives, Hanging onto Good Thoughts....



> I am going to guess and say vunerability and fear and nervous exhaustion.
> *Rose* is the best for vunerability and fear. Take in small amounts over a period of time. (I do make a wonderful rose distillate(hydrosol from a still) that would be wonderful for that.
> And *sage* is for nervous exhaustion and shaky/shaken. (I could make you a distillate of that too)
> *Lemon Balm* is another good one. It is uplifting, brightening. It is my son's favorite.
> You need to get these herbs into your life in some fashion.. either chamomile tea with hops before bed, a *valerian* capsule.. something. And you can find *rosewater(distillate/hydrosol)* at your local health food store or you can order that distillate adn the other ones on line or I can hook you up. Doesn't matter how you get them.


I am going today with this printed to find the above bold.



> And for the Gastrin production.. that is what wil really make you get back to a healthy weight.
> When you don't produce enough Gastrin, you have little appetite and the food that you do eat isn't absorbed into the body because the body puts a tichk mucous layer on the intestinal lining. Also, you aren't producing enough of nor the right types of stomach acid to break down the food. And you don't produce enough Pepsin( an enzyme in the stomach that is necessary for the uptake of B12... which makes us feel better/happy/good) See how it is all connected?
> 
> http://www.herbcraft.org/bitters.pdf This talks all about it.
> ...


I like the peach idea. I will try that too!!



> My ultimate food for you to eat would be a peach crisp that is topped with loads of whole oats.
> Oats are about the best nervine/adaptogen there is.
> And they are nutritious.
> Or yogurt topped with peaches adn whole oats.
> ...


Where do I find nettles??


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## Grumpy old man (Aug 6, 2013)

You want a NATURAL appetite stimulant ? Try marijuana , Soon to be legalized in all 50 states . Already legal for recreational use in a few so it will be legal in all the states soon ,If it can be used for many medical illnesses legally should be fine to use for appetite stimulant . At least there are no side effects like many medications you see from the drug companies out there ! honest officer we only grow it for the cows to eat !


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

Hey Laura..
You can find dried nettles in the herb and spice section of your health food store.
But... if you cannot find any of the things above, tell me and I will get them to you.
I make distillate/hydrosols, I can hook you up with a valerian/passion flower pill that we take here often.
And I can send you a bag of dried nettles. Though I bet you could find them fresh. Check on LocalHarvest online in your area or ask an City-Data forum in your area etc..

But you let me know what you cannot access locally and I will make sure that you get it.

And perhaps a motherwort tincture would also help.
It allows emotions to flow freely.. to come to the surface and then dissipate. And it is a balancer. Beautiful plant to grow..in that tall, blooming, spreading all over everywhere, oh no I made a jungle kind of way. I have the tincture as well.


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## doingitmyself (Jul 30, 2013)

Laura you need to hang out with me for a month or two, i'll fix ya right up!!! Ribs, brisket, pork loin, stew, chicken soup, apple pie, preserved peaches, homemade stone oven pizza, pasta with red sauce, pasta with white sauce, a few brews here and there, and someone to enjoy it all with!!! :buds:

You also need massage and energy work to reboot your system. Chakras are all messed up, seriously you need to dump the stress and get on with the rest!!


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## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

Now that is the best offer I have seen in YEARS!!

What are Charkras?


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## Sparticle (Nov 1, 2004)

What amazing advice. Great job Chickenista!



chickenista said:


> The problem is adrenal fatigue from your prolonged stress.
> When you are stressed your body goes through a set group of reactions.
> One of them is to stop producing Gastrin, which is the hormone that controls the digestive system.
> 
> ...


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## Nate_in_IN (Apr 5, 2013)

Laura,

My father ran into severe problems eating one large meal a day due to diabetes. He said he really didn't think about food until the end of the day and then would eat a large meal. It was not healthy at all.

He has changed that habit and now eats small portions much more often throughout the day. Here are some ideas which our family brainstormed to help him.
After morning chores (still early) find 20 minutes to relax and contemplate about the rest of the day. Do this while having your favorite hot tea. Add a biscuit and some jam when you want.
Add eating snacks as part of the daily chores. For instance, if you go to feed the chickens take along some trail mix for yourself. Find a nice seat and eat while watching the birds.
Find a friend to have lunch with at least once a week.
With cold weather coming, find a nice warm spot to sit and enjoy a good book. Keep a container with some kind of snack within arms reach of this place. Make it a daily routine to spend 30 minutes a day there.

We felt it was important for Dad not to force himself to eat. Instead we focused on finding ways for him to have little "contemplative moments" throughout the day and the have feed on hand during those times. Whether he actually ate or not was up to how he felt at the time.

I agree with all the others posting here; make your health a priority.

Best of luck
Nate


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## doingitmyself (Jul 30, 2013)

Laura Zone 5 said:


> Now that is the best offer I have seen in YEARS!!
> 
> What are Charkras?


Spelled wrong but they are the seven major energy intersections that coincide with major organs. It is all mumbo jumbo here in the states however in the rest of the world it is the basis for natural healing and well being. Pm me if your seriously interested, i can walk you through it easily!


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

Processing 4 (or whatever) cords of woods will get ya to eat like a horse. At least throw in some brisk walks(at least an hour) in the weather/FRESH AIR. The stormier the better actually. Bundle up.

Throw out the Nov 1 deadline too, all that does is add another level of stress and expectation(unrealistic) that is unproductive.


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## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

6 lbs on so far!!!
My baby made me a 15lb (yes, POUNDS) coconut cake for my b-day.
I should be well on my way!!

I have taken a lot of the advice here, and the main thing that has helped is I have prayed that stress level down....and it's amazing how hungry I am when I am not wiggin out!!


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## housewife (Mar 16, 2006)

Laura Zone 5 said:


> 6 lbs on so far!!!
> My baby made me a 15lb (yes, POUNDS) coconut cake for my b-day.
> I should be well on my way!!
> 
> I have taken a lot of the advice here, and the main thing that has helped is I have prayed that stress level down....and it's amazing how hungry I am when I am not wiggin out!!


:goodjob: Congrats!!


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

Maltlevol liquid. It is not natural since it contains alcohol and caramel colouring but is rich in vitamins and everyone I know who has used this (including my Mom) has gained weight. Throw in some brewer's yeast and you will get a lot of vitamins.


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