Looking for Calories
Saturday, September 8, 2012 at 1:02PM
I’ve been battling to get Nic to eat enough for years, and it’s already started with Baby Z. However, this time, it’s more my fault than his. My little man doesn’t shy away from the boob, in fact, he’s voracious. The problem is, I’m just not giving him enough.
Pancakes, bacon, egss, OJ. If this isn't a high enough calorie breakfast, I don't know what is!
I know this because his weight gain has been paltry. Between our last doctor appointments, he should have gained about a pound. Instead, he gained 5 ounces. At our first visit, our pediatrician told me to beef up the calories (he had gained a little less than expected between being released from the hospital and his first visit). I complied and took second helpings at dinner and added in more snacks, but it’s just not enough.
I should also note that I'm an eater. I'm not one of those girls who picks at a salad. I order a burger and fries, and I finish it. To tell me to eat more calories is to tell me to eat like a 250 pound man. It's actually kind of hard.
The way I see it, I have three complicating factors that are making it really difficult to get enough calories:
- Baby Z has a milk protein sensitivity. This means I can’t eat cheese, milk or other dairy products. Dairy products have traditionally been a huge calorie source for me. Cutting these out has left me scrambling for ways to beef up my food intake. (You have no idea how bad I just want to drink milkshakes all day.)
- We’ve been moving. With Nic, I sat on the couch with My Breastfriend strapped around me for hours on end. I just can’t do that this time—I’m always on the go (and burning calories).
- I’m chasing a toddler. To echo, point #2, I’m always up and about. Plus, just making time to eat a hearty meal is hard. I make myself a sandwich, sit down to eat it, and someone cries!
Sure, it feels nice to fit into a pair of jeans (note: not quite my regular jeans) or to have someone tell me that I look great. But when that happens, I also feel this pang of guilt that I’m cheating my baby. I’m really not trying to lose the baby weight quickly, I just can’t keep up. And I feel like my little man is suffering in the process.
So, if you have tips for high calorie snacks/meals that are easy to prepare and dairy-free, I’m happy to hear them in the comments!
Reader Comments (10)
I'm actually having the same problem. I'm too busy to eat! I'm caring for two little ones who will never again be this needy or little again! I would love to wolf down a plate of nachos but unless I've made that for everyone for dinner, I'm stuck with the healthy food I've prepared! Then I have to eat cookies after I put the little ones down. I was lamenting this to my mom the other day. I told her, "It's not as much fun as you would think it is." I would have loved this problem in my 20s!!
My savior is peanut butter and the almond and dark chocolate trail mix you can find at Trader Joes. That's non-dairy. Does that help?
I'm not an expert by any means but I had a thought. Is he getting enough of the calorie rich hind milk? Maybe he needs to nurse on one side for longer?
I feel can sympathize with your concerns. My daughter (who's now 2) was a slow weight gainer whie we were exclusively breastfeeding. Most times I would make sure to feed her right before he dr's visit just to get her tummy full before they weighed her! But as I'm sure you know there is a wide range of normal in all stages of development. As long as little Z is making progress and not regressing I wouldn't let the dr's stress you out too much. As soon as we started introducing solids she gradually filled out a bit, but is still a petite healthy little girl. We enjoyed breastfeeding for about 21 months and I remember how quickly my baby weight melted off in those first few months and I was starving! I second the comment about nuts/nut butters. I also cut dairy out of my diet for at least 9-10 months because DD had a milk sensitivity (man I missed my yogurt and cheese!). Also try granola (homemade or store bought) we like the "bare naked" brand. Maybe whole grain pasta dishes with tomato or a pesto sause and meat! I'm sure it's challenging to make the time, but maybe even consider making some energy bars/snack bites, there are lots of recipes floating around Pinterest. (Here's my board if you want some ideas: http://pinterest.com/navymom10/baking-decorating-desserts/) Hang in there Mama, keep doing your best, at the end of the day that's all we really can do! : )
Almonds! Almonds are not only high in good fats, protein, but high in calories, too!
You could probably drink almond milk, too (I love the Vanilla kind! Yum!)
I also eat a lot of dried fruit, which is high in calories - but its natural sugar, so it's better for you.
A lot of carbs are high in calories - brown rice, potatoes, whole wheat pasta. Plus they're good for your heart.
I love to eat - and keep track of my calories - and I find myfitnesspal.com (and the free myfitnesspal ap!) really help me eat enough (I struggle when I'm pregnant to eat enough calories as I'm very sick) or when I'm not pregnant keep my calories in check. Either way, it's a great FREE tool!
My daughter gained a ton of weight after she was born, but had sensitivities to almost everything and we had to strip my diet bare to help her GI distress! I lost tons of weight very quickly because she was nursing so much and my diet was restricted, but in the beginning I lived off of a simple shake made of avocados, bananas, flax seed, and "rice dream" ice cream substitute. It was very yummy, and I had about 2 a day to keep myself going. I'm expecting my second in a few months and will be happy to add this back into the rotation!
Oatmeal, not the instant kind though. It has to be the steel cut or the grains. You can mix in fruits to add more calories too.
My first also had an awful dairy protien sensitivity, and since soy protien isolates aren't good for you either, I filled the calorie meter by eating Earth Balance soy and dairy free spread, drinking almond milk, steel cut oatmeal - add in some ground flaxseed to up the calories and nutrition, bananas, and tons of homemade granola (just oats honey and a little oil), and peanut butter and honey sandwiches. Try vegan foods (just check for soy) as well - they're guaranteed dairy free!
I can't thank you all enough for these great suggestions! My weight loss has been reversed (I've actually put on a few pounds) thanks to your suggestions! We particularly love the milkshake (Nic calls them Monster Milkshakes) and we've been eating a ton of trail mix. You gals RULE.
I can't thank you all enough for these great suggestions! My weight loss has been reversed (I've actually put on a few pounds) thanks to your suggestions! We particularly love the milkshake (Nic calls them Monster Milkshakes) and we've been eating a ton of granola and trail mix. You gals RULE.
Thank you all so much for these awesome suggestions! We love the green shake and have been eating TONS of granola and trail mix. And it's worked! I'm actually gaining weight now, so I guess I need to find a the right balance of intake/output! :)