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Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners
I am underweight, what would be the best diet for me?
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I am appox 10kg underweight. -
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I'd suggest to follow a bodybuilders diet… high protein and high carbs together at every meal.
I'd also recommend that you lift weights..to give your body a reason to get bigger!!
enjoy
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Nicole Senior
Dietitian, Nutritionist
I'm an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Nutritionist, consultant, author, speaker and food and health enthusiast. I love talking and writing about food and health.(please note, … View Profile
In order to gain weight you need to eat more kilojoules than your body currently uses to stay the same weight. Doing some exercise can help boost lean body mass (muscle) however there's no need to go overboard. You need to eat more of everything - inlcuding protein foods like meat, eggs, chicken and fish and grain foods like bread, rice, pasta and noodles - and it helps to incorporate nutritious snacks between meals (morning, afternoon and evening) like milk, yoghurt, grain toast, nuts, cheese and crispbread, muesli bars. Adding a little more fat to your diet can also help, but ensure it's the good kind - oil, margarine, avocado, nuts and seeds. Always dress your salads with oil and vinegar, use margarine on your bread and toast and use oil in cooking. If you're having a drink, make it milk-based (eg a latte rather than flat white coffee), or a flavoured milk/smoothie rather than water. If you have trouble doing this, get some help from an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD). Find one near you here http://daa.asn.au/for-the-public/find-an-apd/
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The question left out the fact that I have PCOS
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Choose your carb carefully then. Don't have wheat go for these instead - legumes and sweet potato.
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thank you
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Nicole Senior
Dietitian, Nutritionist
I'm an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Nutritionist, consultant, author, speaker and food and health enthusiast. I love talking and writing about food and health.(please note, … View Profile
Eliminating wheat may be counterproductive because it limits food choice (unhelpful for someone who needs to eat more), and pasta and dense grainy breads have a low GI. Unless there is a diagnosed intolerance, there's no reason to exclude wheat. Sweet potato has variable GI depending on variety and cooking method -see http://www.glycemicindex.com/foodSearch.php
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Dr Rebecca Reynolds
Nutritionist
Rebecca Charlotte Reynolds, PhD (Dr Bec) Personable and ethical registered nutritionist (RNutr) and lecturer at UNSW Australia in lifestyle and health. Regular consultant to the … View Profile
Hi there!
Nicole Senior answered your question nicely. I agree that increasing your fat intake is a good idea, particularly olive oil - this will give you more kilojoules in a healthy, non-filling way!
Regarding your PCOS, this website may be of interest to you: http://www.pcoshealth.com.au/aboutPCOS/whatisPCOS.aspx
The interesting thing is that you are underweight, whereas lots of women with PCOS have a problem keeping their weight down due to insulin resistance. So, you're lucky in a way?! It's really important with your PCOS to keep your diet low GI (for your insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular health) and your fats healthy (for your cardiovascular health).
Read more here on GI and PCOS:
http://ginews.blogspot.com.au/2010/07/news-briefs_30.html
Cheers,
Dr Bec
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I have just been diagnosed with PCOS and have always been thin but in the past 7 years Iv struggled to gain weight,the lowest i got to was 47kg and it made me really self consious,it's really insensitive people saying you should be lucky as others have the opposite issue,its not lucky,its horrible.I have only gained weight since starting at the gym in the last 6 months,I did mostly low impact aerobic classes to start off with then gradually started weights and only recently using the treadmill,i was too scared to do alot of cardio as I thought it would make me lose weight but in fact the opposite happened!Its not only muscle iv gained either,my stomache is bigger and thighs too which helps with finally fitting into a lot more pants!I found having a fruit smoothie helped every morning too,if i dont eat breakfast i find i dont end up eating for the rest of the day til tea time.Im not eating any different kinds of food either,im just building up more of an appetite by going to to gym,hope this helps as i know theres stuff all info on gaining weight that actually helps,i still cant find any info on PCOS diet as its all directed at overweight women,if u find any please let me know!
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Lyn Christian
Nutritionist
As a Naturopath and Nutritionist I am passionate about the promotion of health using functional foods to correct nutrient imbalances.All health conditions need to be … View Profile
As Nicole and Rebecca have stated, ensure you enjoy a healthy diet of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean protein and essential fatty acids. This diet helps control the inflammation associated with PCOS and also helps regulate your hormones.
Stick to low Glycemic index foods e.g whole grains and steer clear of refined carbs- sugars, fruit juice, biscuits, white bread and pasta as even though you are underweight you may still have issues with insulin regulation. You need to maintain stable blood sugars throughout the day and that can be achieved with low Glycemic index foods and eating protein regularly throughout the day. Eating some good fats e.g. olive oil on your salad will also help stabilise blood sugars.
You’re doing the right thing with exercise. Regular low impact aerobic exercise (starting slowly and increasing intensity as your fitness improves) will stimulate glucose transport into the muscle cells helping with glucose/insulin regulation. Your muscle mass will increase and therefore your weight will increase as long as you don’t over exert yourself and end up burning more calories than what you’re consuming.
Always eat breakfast!! The smoothie is a great idea. Try adding an egg for extra protein and cinnamon to help clear pelvic congestion. Make up containers of nuts and seeds ( pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, almonds, walnuts) and take this to work or leave in the car as snacks. They contain lots of vitamins and minerals and good fats.
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