Eating healthy to gain weight

I have a wierd post viral thing, like ME, when it started I lost my appetite and lost too much weight, now I can't even wear a strappy top because my arms are so thin, my legs are also now too skinny.  Anyway, my eating habits are still no better and I will eat a big meal at night which makes my heart rate race, (I have sinus tachy anyway with this illness) and take beta blockers for it, but if I've eaten, regardles of the medication, my heart rate takes hours to calm down after eating and I feel hot.  Once I've eated a meal, I bloat quite badly so I tend to look like i have a beer belly (which is not good for a woman in her 20's)

Anyway, last week I was feeling a little anxious for no reason, got the butterflies in my belly, and afterwards I felt sickly all day.  Since then I have had something wrong with my stomach.  

I have been getting a lot of bloating after eating meals, my abdomen bloats out quite a lot.  More than it did previously, I also get a lot of painful trapped wind and feeling sickly, especially if I have not eaten yet.  And I burp a lot.

I am also getting strange toilet habits - the other night I could feel my bowel spasming, a was my lower stomach, I go to the bathroom once a day but when I feel the need it is urgent and sometimes it is like I've not been for a couple of days and hard to pass and some days it is loose, I've even had mucus which is clear. (Sorry, TMI)

To top it off, I have just been put on a weight gain programme of eating every three hours and I can't start it yet, I have found a personal trainer to do this as I'm in the UK and I am waiting to see a dietician but it will take a few months for the referral.  This guy told me that he will be on my back weekly, we're aiming to get my weight back on and to get me fit again.  But, I am on a major budget scenario and don't know how to go about this diet on a low budget.

I have my own business, but it is pretty much failing, I have had no income for two weeks and am relying on one meal a day.  I have a baby too so money goes on him mainly.  I am not yet well enough to go out to work but cannot afford to live on welfare either.  So with what little I do get from my business, I have to try and eat on a budget, get fit, look after my son and regain the 2 stone that I lost (I was slim anyway, I did not need to lose that weight).

So any advice for someone on a budget, on eating the right foods 5 times a day and coping with IBS?  Would this programme make my IBS worse?  What natural foods would be useful in solving this bloating and gas problem?

[Jaybay]

Protein, protein, and more protein - particularly if you are on a fitness plan.  Are you working out with weights with your trainer?  In order to gain muscle weight, you'll need to hold way back on the cardio activities for a while.  No running, or exercises that really raise your heart rate and burn calories.  

While working out, keep a bottle of a carb sports drink handy and sip on it frequently.  That will help keep you from losing calories while building muscle.  To build muscle weight, you need lots of protein, in small amounts throughout the day.  Lean chicken for lunch is good, a small can of tuna for a snack in the afternoon - that sort of thing.  Hit the sweet potatoes for carbs instead of white potatoes.  Dried lentils and beans are a good source of protein, and cheap as well.  Rice is another cheap source of carbs, and use brown instead of white for more fiber.  Don't totally remove fat from your diet, because your body needs a certain amount to function properly.  Experiment with smoothies for breakfast using a scoop of protein powder with your favorite yogurt, fruits, juices, etc.

Remember, eating 5 times a day does not mean eating huge meals.  Like I said, half a can of tuna is sufficient as a snack for what you're trying to achieve.  Look at speading your food requirements over the course of the day instead of at one big sitting.

One thing that concerns me with the rapid weight loss is that you may have developed gallstones.  When people crash diet, or become ill and suddenly can't eat normally, the bile tends to thicken and sludge up in the gallbladder, and result in gallstones.  Eating one large meal a day would certainly get your symptoms going.  I know you're on a budget, but you need to ask your doctor about your symptoms.