Ideas for increasing calories/athlete

[Anonymous]

My 13 year old son seems to eat all the time but cannot gain any weight and has not yet had a growth spurt. He is a high level swimmer and swims at least 10 hours/week plus maybe 2-3 hours of dryland. He has a good and varied diet, plenty of meat, protein, fat, fruits and veggies, drinks several glasses of whole milk every day. Yet, he has stayed at the same weight (90-95 pounds) for the past 9 months or so, and has not yet had a height spurt either (about 5’3). He is a young 13 and doesn’t have any outward signs of puberty yet.

I am a little worried about the seeming inability to gain any weight and whether this might delay his growth. At his checkup, the pediatrician said he has a lot of growing to do/hasn’t really started, and to make sure he is getting plenty of calories since his activity level is so high.

I have a very naturally thin body type as does most of my family, while DH is more muscular. Based on genetics, DS should be above average to somewhat tall in height. I do think he tends more toward my family’s body type which is long-limbed/tall and thin. I was late to puberty and very skinny as a middle schooler.

Is there anything more we can do to make sure he is getting adequate calories and nutrition for growth?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 13 year old son seems to eat all the time but cannot gain any weight and has not yet had a growth spurt. He is a high level swimmer and swims at least 10 hours/week plus maybe 2-3 hours of dryland. He has a good and varied diet, plenty of meat, protein, fat, fruits and veggies, drinks several glasses of whole milk every day. Yet, he has stayed at the same weight (90-95 pounds) for the past 9 months or so, and has not yet had a height spurt either (about 5’3). He is a young 13 and doesn’t have any outward signs of puberty yet.

I am a little worried about the seeming inability to gain any weight and whether this might delay his growth. At his checkup, the pediatrician said he has a lot of growing to do/hasn’t really started, and to make sure he is getting plenty of calories since his activity level is so high.

I have a very naturally thin body type as does most of my family, while DH is more muscular. Based on genetics, DS should be above average to somewhat tall in height. I do think he tends more toward my family’s body type which is long-limbed/tall and thin. I was late to puberty and very skinny as a middle schooler.

Is there anything more we can do to make sure he is getting adequate calories and nutrition for growth?

Yes, you can talk to a registered dietitian, preferably a sports dietitian who will give you the facts. www.eatright.org Put in your zip code and you'll find some that specialize in pediatrics/ teens/ sports.

[Anonymous]

When my son went through this period, I added a Tbsp or two of hemp seeds to his meals, put out bowls of macadamia nuts for him to snack on, and packed a serving of dinner for him to eat before bed as a “second dinner”. I added cashews to stir fry and curry, walnuts to his oatmeal, etc.

[Anonymous]

I don't have diet advice, but I do have some anecdotal information that may help. This was my DS at 13 before his growth spurt, and at 17 he's 6'2" and 180 lbs. His chosen sport is baseball, and he is looking to play in college at the D3 level. I'm petite with a dancer's body, and DH is tall and solid. DS seems to have inherited DH's height but is long-limbed and lean like I am.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 13 year old son seems to eat all the time but cannot gain any weight and has not yet had a growth spurt. He is a high level swimmer and swims at least 10 hours/week plus maybe 2-3 hours of dryland. He has a good and varied diet, plenty of meat, protein, fat, fruits and veggies, drinks several glasses of whole milk every day. Yet, he has stayed at the same weight (90-95 pounds) for the past 9 months or so, and has not yet had a height spurt either (about 5’3). He is a young 13 and doesn’t have any outward signs of puberty yet.

I am a little worried about the seeming inability to gain any weight and whether this might delay his growth. At his checkup, the pediatrician said he has a lot of growing to do/hasn’t really started, and to make sure he is getting plenty of calories since his activity level is so high.

I have a very naturally thin body type as does most of my family, while DH is more muscular. Based on genetics, DS should be above average to somewhat tall in height. I do think he tends more toward my family’s body type which is long-limbed/tall and thin. I was late to puberty and very skinny as a middle schooler.

Is there anything more we can do to make sure he is getting adequate calories and nutrition for growth?

My 13 year old is a high level swimmer and he is also 5'3 at 95 lbs. I took him to see a dietician and she suggested that he should have at least 3800 calories per day, average is 2600 calories. I added three avocados to his daily diet, change whole milk to goat milk, and he also eats a lot of almond and sun flower seeds. This is on top of his daily healthy diet. After five months, he is now around 110 lbs. No sign of puberty yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He has a good and varied diet, plenty of meat, protein, fat, fruits and veggies, drinks several glasses of whole milk every day.

Make sure that there is an unlimited amount of carbs (pasta, rice, bread) available at every meal and encourage him to eat as much as he wants.

[Anonymous]

My DS is like this (and was actually the exact same height/weight at 13). In my experience- nothing truly works to gain weight for- some- skinny teen boys, and we have tried pretty much everything!

It is mostly down to genetics/puberty. Mine had a somewhat delayed puberty and is currently 16 and 6’1” 135. Our pediatrician is not concerned and is confident he will fill out a bit more in time. He is healthy, plays a sport, and eats plenty.

Don’t get me wrong- trying to add more healthy calories etc is great. You will get a lot of great suggestions. But just don’t push too hard…some boys are just like this. Most fill out eventually.

[Anonymous]

If he isn’t gaining, he isn’t eating enough. Perhaps always having ice cream and chocolate whole milk on hand will help increase calories.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He has a good and varied diet, plenty of meat, protein, fat, fruits and veggies, drinks several glasses of whole milk every day.

Make sure that there is an unlimited amount of carbs (pasta, rice, bread) available at every meal and encourage him to eat as much as he wants.

This. Also make sure he always has access to food, including an afternoon snack if he's hungry. That is, there shouldn't be an extended period when he's hungry but not eating.

See https://www.reddit.com/r/gainit/ for more suggestions.

[Anonymous]

Ground beef and more milk, perhaps milkshakes if likes.
More eggs also.
Real butter, not that fake garbage margarine.

Add some plain non-flavored yogurt to the shakes to help his digestion.

He is just not eating as much as you think. If you wrote it all down, he probably is only getting a couple thousand calories a day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He has a good and varied diet, plenty of meat, protein, fat, fruits and veggies, drinks several glasses of whole milk every day.

Make sure that there is an unlimited amount of carbs (pasta, rice, bread) available at every meal and encourage him to eat as much as he wants.

Not this. ^ Don't fatten him up and create bad eating habits.

Fats stimulate growth and hormones.
Cheap garbage carbs like pasta and bread stimulate cortisol and estrogen and weight gain of fat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS is like this (and was actually the exact same height/weight at 13). In my experience- nothing truly works to gain weight for- some- skinny teen boys, and we have tried pretty much everything!

It is mostly down to genetics/puberty. Mine had a somewhat delayed puberty and is currently 16 and 6’1” 135. Our pediatrician is not concerned and is confident he will fill out a bit more in time. He is healthy, plays a sport, and eats plenty.

Don’t get me wrong- trying to add more healthy calories etc is great. You will get a lot of great suggestions. But just don’t push too hard…some boys are just like this. Most fill out eventually.

6 foot 1 135 wut?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He has a good and varied diet, plenty of meat, protein, fat, fruits and veggies, drinks several glasses of whole milk every day.

Make sure that there is an unlimited amount of carbs (pasta, rice, bread) available at every meal and encourage him to eat as much as he wants.

Not this. ^ Don't fatten him up and create bad eating habits.

Fats stimulate growth and hormones.
Cheap garbage carbs like pasta and bread stimulate cortisol and estrogen and weight gain of fat.

Wives tail

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS is like this (and was actually the exact same height/weight at 13). In my experience- nothing truly works to gain weight for- some- skinny teen boys, and we have tried pretty much everything!

It is mostly down to genetics/puberty. Mine had a somewhat delayed puberty and is currently 16 and 6’1” 135. Our pediatrician is not concerned and is confident he will fill out a bit more in time. He is healthy, plays a sport, and eats plenty.

Don’t get me wrong- trying to add more healthy calories etc is great. You will get a lot of great suggestions. But just don’t push too hard…some boys are just like this. Most fill out eventually.

6 foot 1 135 wut?

Yes he is skinny…but has grown 4in/yr for the last 2 years. And gained 20lbs in the past 12 months. Some boys grow this way and will fill out once they stop growing in height (which was my point to the OP). At his stage of development it is not concerning. If he was 25, yes…

My other DS was a “gain weight first, then shoot up and thin out” type. Also normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He has a good and varied diet, plenty of meat, protein, fat, fruits and veggies, drinks several glasses of whole milk every day.

Make sure that there is an unlimited amount of carbs (pasta, rice, bread) available at every meal and encourage him to eat as much as he wants.

Not this. ^ Don't fatten him up and create bad eating habits.

Fats stimulate growth and hormones.
Cheap garbage carbs like pasta and bread stimulate cortisol and estrogen and weight gain of fat.

Wives tail

Of overweight wives?