Extremely difficult to gain weight

Hi, i've never found it easy to put on weight even though i do eat alot (way more than anybody i know) and the only time in the last 4 years i've been able to put on a single pound is by using weight gain supplements (Maximuscle progain extreme to be exact) whilst using this i put on a stone in a few weeks, i've tried others but only this one seems to work for some reason, and as this product is extremely expensive i only plan on using it until i've reached my desired weight but what i don't want to happen is when i do reach my desired weight and stop using the supplements i begin to lose weight again as i find it practically impossible to get the amount of calories i need with food alone.

So i was wondering if somebody could recommend a selection of high calorie foods that i could eat regularly to maintain my weight, i am aiming to put a little bit of fat on to plump up my cheeks but i mainly go to the gym to put my weight on.

Cheers, Scott

[Renee Radenberg]

Have you tried milkshakes (milk, ice cream and fruit blended)  or yogurt smoothies (yogurt, fruit, and ice cream blended) at every meal? Add dry milk to oatmeal, mashed potatoes, gravies, creamed vegetables, and creamed soups (add additional meats to soups). Add cheese sauces to vegetables, potatoes and meat as desired. This will give you additional calories and protein for weight gain.

[Numptyski]

Thanks for the reply Renee i'll give that a shot, i've just been having a glass of milk with every meal i haven't tried ice cream smoothies

Thanks again, Scott

[cdnskmom]

That's alot of dairy. Depending on the individual that can be hard on the system, causing the opposite effect (ie leaky gut, malabsorption, irritability, even difficulty reasoning, as with my son.) Before adding all that dairy maybe get a casein and gluten peptide test and check prealbumin levels to make sure your body is not having trouble breaking down or absorbing protein. If so, you will want to ask for tests for negative bacteria and parasites.

You want to fix the reason your body isn't using protein, instead of just loading up on protein to try and make up for it, which, as you say is only a temporary fix. Protein at every meal with a digestive enzyme supplement before eating will help your body to break down and use the protein you do eat better so that it doesn't just go through. Also suggest a good quality probiotic supplement to combat negative bacteria in the gut and facilitate absorption.

You could add hemp, sesame and sunflower seeds as well as raw chopped nuts to many things like pancake batter, rice, salads, cooked vegetables (after cooking them, not before) etc to increase the raw protein with "living" enzymes, rather most dairy which is typically highly processed, altering the state and usability of the protein and killing, well, everything in it that helps you digest it.

Highly recommend the cookbook Eat Away Illness for yummy recipie ideas.

My two cents! Good luck.

[Numptyski]

Thanks alot for your response also cdnskmom, i'll ask about those tests you suggested but to be fair i've been drinking alot of milk every day since i was young as i prefer it to pretty much anything else (including soft drinks) and haven't noticed any side effects if they are noticeable anyway but taking a simple test won't hurt me, i'll also give the probiotics a shot, is there a particular brand you'd recommend? i'm from the UK and there appears to be several different types and i'm clueless as to which is best, i've recently tried eating more peanuts i'm not sure if these fall into the same category as the seeds/nuts you suggested.

i'll also check out the cookbook, thanks alot for the info exactly what i was looking for

cheers, scott