Alarmingly underweight tween

[Anonymous]

OP my heart breaks for your child. I sincthope you find s solution.

[Anonymous]

There is some really bad advice on this thread.
OP your child has a serious problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here- for the 14:56 poster, you sound like my daughter. She gets nauseas when her stomach is empty. She is petite, 65 lbs, 13 years old, 4'7". She struggles to put on weight. She grows and gains weight very slowly. Been this was her entire life. Would you mind Sharing what you eat to get to 2000 calories a day? Looking for small, Calorie dense snacks. Thank you!

I'm not that poster, but I've been following this thread as I am the parent of a child recovering from anorexia. I had a great number of small "footprint" high calorie snacks and meals in my repertoire when we were "refeeding" my kid.

- nuts
- sunflower seeds
- Clif bars
- scrambled egg w/ cream and lots of butter mixed in
- full fat yogurt (trader joe's Greek, e.g. honey flavor, is quite high in calories)
- premium ice cream (Haagen Daaz, Ben & Jerry's, trader joe's)
- smoothies/milkshakes made with fruit, heavy cream, full fat yogurt or ice cream, plus a few tablespoons of canola oil blended well
- avocado (as guacamole with tortilla chips, or on avocado toast with butter spread underneath the avocado, or just on its own)
- rice, with canola oil drizzled on top after cooking.
- dried fruit (many more calories per serving than fresh fruit)
- trader joe's meatalls (beef, not turkey) have a lot of calories-- we microwave a few and serve with ketchup as a snack
- trader joe's belgian chocolate pudding (near the yogurts)-- decadent and high fat/cal
- mashed potatoes with lots of cream and butter mixed in

There is also an amazing product called "Benecalorie" that can be purchased on Amazon; it comes in little tubs of a few ounces each, and can be stirred into many foods (e.g. yogurt, soup, smoothie) for a caloric punch with little or no change in flavor or texture.

Good luck to all of you struggling to get weight on your children, whatever the cause. My anorexic child is now thriving 3.5 years after initial diagnosis, participating in sports, craving snacks and meals like a regular kid.

NP. This is such a fantastic list. I just ordered some Benecalorie!

----

20:47 again here. I remembered a few more high-cal options that were helpful for us (some more like meals than snacks, but smaller servings could work as snacks):

- a caloric beverage with EVERY meal. Preferably full-fat milk, but sometimes juice or lemonade. We also buy Naked Juice smoothies from Costco (small bottles) for DC's lunchbox.
- store-bought mega muffins (Costco, Giant)-- over 500 cal apiece
- peanut butter & jelly sandwiches-- spread PB on both sides of the bread (so it absorbs more) plus a thin smear of jam in the middle
- hot cocoa made w/ heavy whipping cream/half & half, or melted premium vanilla ice cream, plus chocolate syrup.
- Marie Callenders chicken pot pies (also @ Costco): nearly 600 cal/each
- Pesto on pasta with a little extra olive oil added.
- grilled cheese made with butter spread on both sides of both pieces of bread
- peanut butter on apple or celery (more PB, less fruit/veg)
- croissants (Costco/elsewhere)
- refried beans with melted cheese
- granola, either eaten dry as a snack, or mixed w/ cereal or on yogurt. Some brands much higher cal than others; I like Giant's store brand honey/nuts. Can pour a tablespoon of canola oil right on top and let it absorb before adding milk/yogurt.
- cheese.... DC discovered some interesting varieties at trader joe's and will eat slices for snacks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here- for the 14:56 poster, you sound like my daughter. She gets nauseas when her stomach is empty. She is petite, 65 lbs, 13 years old, 4'7". She struggles to put on weight. She grows and gains weight very slowly. Been this was her entire life. Would you mind Sharing what you eat to get to 2000 calories a day? Looking for small, Calorie dense snacks. Thank you!

I'm not that poster, but I've been following this thread as I am the parent of a child recovering from anorexia. I had a great number of small "footprint" high calorie snacks and meals in my repertoire when we were "refeeding" my kid.

- nuts
- sunflower seeds
- Clif bars
- scrambled egg w/ cream and lots of butter mixed in
- full fat yogurt (trader joe's Greek, e.g. honey flavor, is quite high in calories)
- premium ice cream (Haagen Daaz, Ben & Jerry's, trader joe's)
- smoothies/milkshakes made with fruit, heavy cream, full fat yogurt or ice cream, plus a few tablespoons of canola oil blended well
- avocado (as guacamole with tortilla chips, or on avocado toast with butter spread underneath the avocado, or just on its own)
- rice, with canola oil drizzled on top after cooking.
- dried fruit (many more calories per serving than fresh fruit)
- trader joe's meatalls (beef, not turkey) have a lot of calories-- we microwave a few and serve with ketchup as a snack
- trader joe's belgian chocolate pudding (near the yogurts)-- decadent and high fat/cal
- mashed potatoes with lots of cream and butter mixed in

There is also an amazing product called "Benecalorie" that can be purchased on Amazon; it comes in little tubs of a few ounces each, and can be stirred into many foods (e.g. yogurt, soup, smoothie) for a caloric punch with little or no change in flavor or texture.

Good luck to all of you struggling to get weight on your children, whatever the cause. My anorexic child is now thriving 3.5 years after initial diagnosis, participating in sports, craving snacks and meals like a regular kid.

NP. This is such a fantastic list. I just ordered some Benecalorie!

----

20:47 again here. I remembered a few more high-cal options that were helpful for us (some more like meals than snacks, but smaller servings could work as snacks):

- a caloric beverage with EVERY meal. Preferably full-fat milk, but sometimes juice or lemonade. We also buy Naked Juice smoothies from Costco (small bottles) for DC's lunchbox.
- store-bought mega muffins (Costco, Giant)-- over 500 cal apiece
- peanut butter & jelly sandwiches-- spread PB on both sides of the bread (so it absorbs more) plus a thin smear of jam in the middle
- hot cocoa made w/ heavy whipping cream/half & half, or melted premium vanilla ice cream, plus chocolate syrup.
- Marie Callenders chicken pot pies (also @ Costco): nearly 600 cal/each
- Pesto on pasta with a little extra olive oil added.
- grilled cheese made with butter spread on both sides of both pieces of bread
- peanut butter on apple or celery (more PB, less fruit/veg)
- croissants (Costco/elsewhere)
- refried beans with melted cheese
- granola, either eaten dry as a snack, or mixed w/ cereal or on yogurt. Some brands much higher cal than others; I like Giant's store brand honey/nuts. Can pour a tablespoon of canola oil right on top and let it absorb before adding milk/yogurt.
- cheese.... DC discovered some interesting varieties at trader joe's and will eat slices for snacks.

Thank you for these lists. I have a child who takes a medication that suppresses his appetite so I am always looking for high calorie snacks.

[Anonymous]

super helpful thread! I've gotten some great ideas on how to help my DS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PPs, your posts are incredibly helpful. Even as a baby, DD didn’t recognize when she was full. She spent a week in the NICU due to poor feeding. I nursed her and when she didn’t gain much, I pumped and bottle fed breast milk for the first three months. The most she ate was 3 oz at a time. I threw away a lot of milk.

Since upping the supplements a week ago, something unexpected has happened. I was worried that the supplements would take the place of food and that DD couldn’t manage both. But that hasn’t happened. In fact, she is eating MORE now that we are supplementing. She now gets a hearty breakfast, protein bar for snack, lunch, a supplement and snack after school, dinner, and a supplement before bed. It’s only been a week but so far so good.

I’m also happy to report that we have found an awesome pediatrician. She comes highly recommended by people here, she has helped two friends’ daughters with eating disorders, and she instantly bonded with DD, possibly because she is well under 5’ herself. She didn’t discount the feeding tube approach, but didn’t feel it’s right for DD right now. Given DD’s ability to manage the supplements on her own and her new found enthusiasm for food (or fear of the tube), she recommended reevaluating in one month. Meanwhile, she will study her chart, calculate her nutritional needs based on her activities, and we will discuss a new game plan for weight gain. I couldn’t be more relieved. Not that she said all is well, but that she promised to fix whatever is going on together.

Do you mind sharing the name of the pediatrician who understands eating disorders? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

NP here. My coworker has a daughter with an eating disorder and she loves Promise Ahlstrom at Chevy Chase Pediatrics. Dr. Ahlstrom was a critical member of her daughter’s team that also included a therapist, dietician, and GI.

[Anonymous]

Another previous poster here. When OP posted in Special Needs asking for pediatrician recommendations, I recommended Dr. Robbin Madden at Discovery Pediatrics. I have a feeling that's who she saw.

I'm bothered a little bit that OP is not confirming or sharing this recommendation if that's who she saw, or sharing the recommendation of the pediatrician she did see. As a special needs mom, I share wisdom and recommendations with others. Hoarding medical knowledge away from other parents with children in crisis is beyond cruel. How can a mother come to this board in crisis begging for help and then refuse to pay it forward?

[Anonymous]

OP here and I’m sorry for not sharing. I was feeling very exposed. I had shared a lot of personal information about DD and wanted to protect her privacy. It’s a small town and I feared outing her further by identifying her doctor. But you are right, all those who provided helpful advice deserve a recommendation: Promise Ahlstrom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here and I’m sorry for not sharing. I was feeling very exposed. I had shared a lot of personal information about DD and wanted to protect her privacy. It’s a small town and I feared outing her further by identifying her doctor. But you are right, all those who provided helpful advice deserve a recommendation: Promise Ahlstrom.

P.S. That NP above was me attempting to share without outing my daughter. Silly I guess. It is true that I learned of Dr. Ahlstrom from my coworker who had a wonderful experience with her. Her daughter is doing well and while she is a young adult now, she still checks in with Promise. She was also recommended on the Special Needs thread, along with Dr. Madden.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PPs, your posts are incredibly helpful. Even as a baby, DD didn’t recognize when she was full. She spent a week in the NICU due to poor feeding. I nursed her and when she didn’t gain much, I pumped and bottle fed breast milk for the first three months. The most she ate was 3 oz at a time. I threw away a lot of milk.

Since upping the supplements a week ago, something unexpected has happened. I was worried that the supplements would take the place of food and that DD couldn’t manage both. But that hasn’t happened. In fact, she is eating MORE now that we are supplementing. She now gets a hearty breakfast, protein bar for snack, lunch, a supplement and snack after school, dinner, and a supplement before bed. It’s only been a week but so far so good.

I’m also happy to report that we have found an awesome pediatrician. She comes highly recommended by people here, she has helped two friends’ daughters with eating disorders, and she instantly bonded with DD, possibly because she is well under 5’ herself. She didn’t discount the feeding tube approach, but didn’t feel it’s right for DD right now. Given DD’s ability to manage the supplements on her own and her new found enthusiasm for food (or fear of the tube), she recommended reevaluating in one month. Meanwhile, she will study her chart, calculate her nutritional needs based on her activities, and we will discuss a new game plan for weight gain. I couldn’t be more relieved. Not that she said all is well, but that she promised to fix whatever is going on together.

Do you mind sharing the name of the pediatrician who understands eating disorders? Thanks.

I'm not OP, but the PP whose kid is recovering from anorexia. We see Dr. Gitterman at Discovery Pediatrics (a colleague of Dr. Madden, who's mentioned elsewhere on this thread) and we adore him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here and I’m sorry for not sharing. I was feeling very exposed. I had shared a lot of personal information about DD and wanted to protect her privacy. It’s a small town and I feared outing her further by identifying her doctor. But you are right, all those who provided helpful advice deserve a recommendation: Promise Ahlstrom.

Thanks. Anybody have similar recommendations of pediatricians who understand eating disorders in Northern VA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here and I’m sorry for not sharing. I was feeling very exposed. I had shared a lot of personal information about DD and wanted to protect her privacy. It’s a small town and I feared outing her further by identifying her doctor. But you are right, all those who provided helpful advice deserve a recommendation: Promise Ahlstrom.

OP, this was a tough thread. I know that a lot of us have learned many things from it, but it had to be painful and hard to be the OP. You are trooper for sticking in here. This thread hit a sensitive nerve that I didn't even know was there, and yet we had so many posters with a lot of first hand experience share what they are doing/ have done here. I read a lot of the links that people shared and learned so much that I had not known before.

Good luck to you and your dd. I know there are a lot of us rooting for you guys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here and I’m sorry for not sharing. I was feeling very exposed. I had shared a lot of personal information about DD and wanted to protect her privacy. It’s a small town and I feared outing her further by identifying her doctor. But you are right, all those who provided helpful advice deserve a recommendation: Promise Ahlstrom.

OP, this was a tough thread. I know that a lot of us have learned many things from it, but it had to be painful and hard to be the OP. You are trooper for sticking in here. This thread hit a sensitive nerve that I didn't even know was there, and yet we had so many posters with a lot of first hand experience share what they are doing/ have done here. I read a lot of the links that people shared and learned so much that I had not known before.

Good luck to you and your dd. I know there are a lot of us rooting for you guys.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here and I’m sorry for not sharing. I was feeling very exposed. I had shared a lot of personal information about DD and wanted to protect her privacy. It’s a small town and I feared outing her further by identifying her doctor. But you are right, all those who provided helpful advice deserve a recommendation: Promise Ahlstrom.

OP, this was a tough thread. I know that a lot of us have learned many things from it, but it had to be painful and hard to be the OP. You are trooper for sticking in here. This thread hit a sensitive nerve that I didn't even know was there, and yet we had so many posters with a lot of first hand experience share what they are doing/ have done here. I read a lot of the links that people shared and learned so much that I had not known before.

Good luck to you and your dd. I know there are a lot of us rooting for you guys.

+1!!