Here is what I eat

[MissT]

Hello everyone, I'm new to the site. Can anyone shed some light on a.) why I am not gaining any weight? I'm 5'6 and weigh 90lbs and still loosing. This is what I eat in a day. 4 sweet potatoes with cooked veggies for breakfast. 4 sweet potatoes with cooked veggies for supper. Snacks a cucumber or an apple. Drinks: water. The potatoes and veggies are nutrient dense and the former aid weight gain. This has been my diet for about 3 weeks but I am still loosing weight and fast. I also keep getting crazy heart palpitations. What could I be doing wrong? b.) Does anyone know if Celiacs can consume potatoes? I heard Celiac's should avoid potatoes because they can feed the overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut but I find them so soothing to my stomach. c.) Also my haemoglobin is at 7.3. Range is 12-14. I have been taking iron tonic but I am getting chest pains and heart palpitations. I had a dream that something was applying a lot of pressure on my chest this night. Don't know if that was taking place in real life while I was asleep and then came up in my dream. Should I be concerned? I recently did a PET Scan of my heart and ultrasound and both results came back fine. So I don't know what's going on with the heart. d.) Lastly I am so weak despite going off gluten and playing it very safe with my foods as you can see from my diet above. What am I doing wrong? Should I go for drips? Is there a particular weight where I would need to be hospitalized? Your advise/tips on how to stop further weight loss and weakness would be welcome. Thank you.

[cyclinglady]

14 minutes ago, MissT said:

Hello everyone, I'm new to the site. Can anyone shed some light on a.) why I am not gaining any weight? I'm 5'6 and weigh 90lbs and still loosing. This is what I eat in a day. 4 sweet potatoes with cooked veggies for breakfast. 4 sweet potatoes with cooked veggies for supper. Snacks a cucumber or an apple. Drinks: water. The potatoes and veggies are nutrient dense and the former aid weight gain. This has been my diet for about 3 weeks but I am still loosing weight and fast. I also keep getting crazy heart palpitations. What could I be doing wrong? b.) Does anyone know if Celiacs can consume potatoes? I heard Celiac's should avoid potatoes because they can feed the overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut but I find them so soothing to my stomach. c.) Also my haemoglobin is at 7.3. Range is 12-14. I have been taking iron tonic but I am getting chest pains and heart palpitations. I had a dream that something was applying a lot of pressure on my chest this night. Don't know if that was taking place in real life while I was asleep and then came up in my dream. Should I be concerned? I recently did a PET Scan of my heart and ultrasound and both results came back fine. So I don't know what's going on with the heart. d.) Lastly I am so weak despite going off gluten and playing it very safe with my foods as you can see from my diet above. What am I doing wrong? Should I go for drips? Is there a particular weight where I would need to be hospitalized? Your advise/tips on how to stop further weight loss and weakness would be welcome. Thank you.

Welcome!  

You do seem to be anemic.  That will take a few months to resolve with supplements and iron-rich foods.  

Are you vegan?  I see no meats, fish, eggs, dairy (if not lactose intolerant), nuts and fruit listed.    More importantly, what about fats like olive oil, avocados, butter, coconut oil, etc?

A celiac just needs to avoid gluten.  That is it.   However, damaged guts can develop concurrent intolerances (e.g. lactose) which often resolve. 

Read the Newbie 101 thread pinned at the top of the “Coping” section.  That should help!  

[Jmg]

2 hours ago, MissT said:

Hello everyone, I'm new to the site. Can anyone shed some light on a.) why I am not gaining any weight? I'm 5'6 and weigh 90lbs and still loosing. This is what I eat in a day. 4 sweet potatoes with cooked veggies for breakfast. 4 sweet potatoes with cooked veggies for supper. Snacks a cucumber or an apple. Drinks: water. The potatoes and veggies are nutrient dense and the former aid weight gain. This has been my diet for about 3 weeks but I am still loosing weight and fast. I also keep getting crazy heart palpitations. What could I be doing wrong? b.) Does anyone know if Celiacs can consume potatoes? I heard Celiac's should avoid potatoes because they can feed the overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut but I find them so soothing to my stomach. c.) Also my haemoglobin is at 7.3. Range is 12-14. I have been taking iron tonic but I am getting chest pains and heart palpitations. I had a dream that something was applying a lot of pressure on my chest this night. Don't know if that was taking place in real life while I was asleep and then came up in my dream. Should I be concerned? I recently did a PET Scan of my heart and ultrasound and both results came back fine. So I don't know what's going on with the heart. d.) Lastly I am so weak despite going off gluten and playing it very safe with my foods as you can see from my diet above. What am I doing wrong? Should I go for drips? Is there a particular weight where I would need to be hospitalized? Your advise/tips on how to stop further weight loss and weakness would be welcome. Thank you.

You need to eat some protein and asOpen Original Shared Link

The cucumber and apple are mostly water. So really at the moment you're limited to the carbs in the sweet potato and veggies. 

Open Original Shared Link 

• Fish: Fish offers heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and, in general, less fat than meat.

• Poultry: You can eliminate most of the saturated fat by removing the skin.

• Beans: Beans contain more protein than any other vegetable protein. Plus, they're loaded with fiber that helps you feel full for hours.

• Nuts: One ounce of almonds gives you 6 grams of protein, nearly as much protein as one ounce of broiled ribeye steak.

• Whole grains: A slice of whole wheat bread gives you 3 grams of protein, plus valuable fiber

[MissT]

Thanks cyclinglady and jmg for getting back. I have an intolerance to eggs, milk, nuts (I throw up if I eat eggs, I have severe stomach ache and diarrhea if I drink milk and eat nuts). Im staying off red meats because I have huge fibroids and the symptoms get worse when I eat red meat. Plus I tend to get protein in my urine when I eat meats. So I very rarely eat red meats maybe once or twice a week. I also cook my veggies with lots of oil. I thought most green veggies have more or less all the nutrients, vitamins are minerals we need. I do mostly kale, broccoli, spinach, sparsely and cilantro. And then I get my carbs from a nutritious source like potatoes. The only thing I can see that I may not be getting enough of is protein. Please is there anything that I am missing or not including? I'm thinking of drinking coconut milk and eating avocados daily too to see if that will help. Any other tips are welcome. I will read document 101 too. P.S. I also cannot do beans. I have Thalassaemia and beans cause a destruction of my red blood cells really fast.

[Jmg]

32 minutes ago, MissT said:

Thanks cyclinglady and jmg for getting back. I have an intolerance to eggs, milk, nuts (I throw up if I eat eggs, I have severe stomach ache and diarrhea if I drink milk and eat nuts). Im staying off red meats because I have huge fibroid and the symptoms get worse when I eat red meat. Plus I tend to get protein in my urine when I eat meats. So I very rarely eat red meats maybe once or twice a week. I also cook my veggies with lots of oil. I thought most green veggies have more or less all the nutrients, vitamins are minerals we need. I do mostly kale, broccoli, spinach, sparsely and cilantro. And then I get my carbs from a nutritious source like potatoes. The only thing I can see that I may not be getting enough of is protein. Please is there anything that I am missing or not including? I'm thinking of drinking coconut milk and eating avocados daily too to see if that will help. Any other tips are welcome. I will read document 101 too. P.S. I also cannot do beans. I have Thalassaemia and beans cause a destruction of my red blood cells really fast.

Hi  MissT 

I'm sorry you have so many restrictions on what you can eat. I struggle enough with removing gluten and dairy! I got protein in my urine prior to going gluten free. Seems ok now though. 

The sweet potatoes are a better source of carbs than regular ones. Green veggies are great, although you have to be careful not to overdo any part of your diet. Balanced is better as I understand it. 

I take it from your red meat answer that your not vegan? How about fish? Great source of protein. Oily fish is good, mackerel, or anchovies maybe on a salad drizzzled in olive oil and cider vinegar? I have that once a week or so, but I have lots of meat too. Would white meat be ok for you? Chicken or turkey? 

You definitely sound like your not getting enough fats. So check the link for the other good sources. 

I quickly googled fibroids and diet and found Open Original Shared Link which suggests diet won't impact large fibroids but its written by a clinic that may have a bias against dietary treatments.

Could you maybe see a dietician?   A professional who can look at each of your conditions and come up with a balanced diet that's giving you all the nutrition you need? It's very difficult doing these things on your own if you have other stuff going on as well. 

best wishes,

Matt 

[Ennis-TX]

1 hour ago, MissT said:

Thanks cyclinglady and jmg for getting back. I have an intolerance to eggs, milk, nuts (I throw up if I eat eggs, I have severe stomach ache and diarrhea if I drink milk and eat nuts). Im staying off red meats because I have huge fibroids and the symptoms get worse when I eat red meat. Plus I tend to get protein in my urine when I eat meats. So I very rarely eat red meats maybe once or twice a week. I also cook my veggies with lots of oil. I thought most green veggies have more or less all the nutrients, vitamins are minerals we need. I do mostly kale, broccoli, spinach, sparsely and cilantro. And then I get my carbs from a nutritious source like potatoes. The only thing I can see that I may not be getting enough of is protein. Please is there anything that I am missing or not including? I'm thinking of drinking coconut milk and eating avocados daily too to see if that will help. Any other tips are welcome. I will read document 101 too. P.S. I also cannot do beans. I have Thalassaemia and beans cause a destruction of my red blood cells really fast.

Look to seed/seed butters, seeds are hypo allergenic, butters and meals are easier to digest. Open Original Shared Link sells some check amazon for butters or make your own,  I would load on the health fats with avocados. pumpkin seeds, chia, flax, etc. Try to eat some vegan protein powder. MY biggest thing for putting on weight is pumpkin seed protein powder. It is high in many vitamins and minerals like zinc, iron, magnesium. Perfect for muscle recovery, also to prevent muscle loss look at taking BCAAs Supplementing Branch Chained Amino Acids can prevent your body from breaking down fat for energy.
Since you do not eat meats your going to have a big problem compound soon, especially since the vegan sources are very limited. Try taking KAL Nutritional Yeast in some foods. Most vegans use it for supplementing B-vitmains and other nutrients. Sprinkle some over your veggies, works like Parmesan in many cases, I make sauces with it often.
Have you tried just egg whites? I have a intolerance to the yolks and most animal fats, Used to not be able to have any, now I can stomach some without vomiting them up.

Have you been tested for digestive enzymes issues? We found out recently my issue with fats, for years has been related to me not having enough pancreatic enzymes. so if I am to eat more whole nuts, small amounts of meat, and yolks I have to take supplemental pancreatic enzymes. https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/119919-digestive-enzymes/

Other common defenices are magnesium, and B-vitamins I take Natural Vitality Calm or Doctors Best, Doctors best is easier on the gut. I use Liquid Health Stress & Energy and Neurological Support for most of my B-vitmains.

Please look up LuckyVitamin or Amazon for the items mentioned
Jarrow Makes Pumpkin Seed Protein Open Original Shared Link
Jarrow Makes BCAAs Open Original Shared Link
KAL makes Nutrional YeastOpen Original Shared Link
Jarrow makes pancreatic enzymes to help break down hard to digest foods like fats and protein Open Original Shared Link
Liquid Health Open Original Shared Link
Open Original Shared Link

[tessa25]

I survived two years on mostly mashed potato soup (with dairy), ice cream and gummy vitamins. GI laughed when she saw that my nutrient levels were fine except for white blood count. I got the WBC up with one month of eating chicken.

Now the mashed potato soup has no dairy in it (sigh). I'd try adding in chicken broth with a little olive oil added. And see if you can eat one chicken meatball every few hours without ill effect.

Ennis is the pro on how to get nutrition from innovative places.

Not a doc, not a nutritionist.

 

[MissT]

Thanks Matt, Ennis_Tx and Tessa25. I'll try and incorporate these changes. I used to eat fish, chicken and red meats but it came with killer periods. But I will try and incorporate them back into my diet and see how that goes. I'm also thinking my gut probably just needs a little more time to heal and then I'll start seeing some weight gain. But my diet as Matt and Ennis mentioned is a little out of balance as it does not include proteins and enough fat and I do need to get this from somewhere. So I'll try a little protein and fat with each meal for balance and see how that goes. I'll also be making my butters and adding in some supplements too. I just wish I could get my energy and a decent weight back as people stare at me when I go out as I look so unhealthy.?

[tessa25]

Forgot to mention I had fibroids, had a partial hysterectomy to get them and other stuff removed. No regrets here. But I wasn't interested in having children so it was no big deal. Listened to docs instructions without cheating and zero side effects.

If by killer periods you mean cramping I believe magnesium helps with that. Never had cramping after I started taking magnesium.

 

[lilo]

     For breakfast , eat one avocado with loads of olive oil , mix three different types of fruit in a blender and top it with shredded coconut and coconut oil.

   For snacks , drink dairy free milk of your choice ( full fat coconut milk for example ) and add bananas and coconut oil into it.And eat some citrus fruits such as oranges and tangerines while drinking your milk.

  Before dinner and lunch, drink a homemade soup.We used to make our soups gluten free even when i wasnt following a gluten free diet. Sauted onions,potatoes,and vegetables are the only ingredients you need use.(For additional calories,make butternut squash soup.Yummy ) 

   For lunch and dinner , choose a type of vegetable.Sautee onions with olive oil , add tomato paste or tomato sauce  . Then add veggies and cook them together.  Boil or oven roast potatoes of course with olive oil again.

After dinner make a dessert like avocado mousse ( carob extract or molasses,avocado,banana,oil)

  Another good way to add calories to your diet is gluten free dried fruits

 If you are not able to tolerate cacao, substitute it with carob powder or molasses.

 Plantain chips are also good for snacking ( My favorite is  samai chips ) and more than 300 cals per pack!

 If you are able to digest rice , i found rice milk very helpful for gaining weight.

 Raw vegetables are more nutritious but if you are not able to digesting them then cooking will be better.

 Note: I followed a plan like this and gained a lot of weight. Hope it helps

 

 

[MissT]

@ Tessa25 and lilo. Thanks a mil. I've ordered my coconuts, avocados, flax, chia and hemp seeds. Bought my sweet potatoes and going to get my bananas tomorrow. Looking forward to some weight gain?