Mom is still sooo thin... :-(

**Catty1** · 09-13-2011, 08:43 PM

I guess it will take a while for her to gain after her surgery (to remove adhesions on her bowel causing an obstruction), but she is really really thin.

She is eating 5 - 6 small meals a day, which includes two Ensure Plus.

Are there any foods that are high in calories but not too filling? She gets full quite easily.

Thanks.

**Queen of Poop** · 09-13-2011, 09:10 PM

Please ensure she is getting enough protein. It's fine to be thin, but she needs to be healthy thin. The weight will come with time, be patient. Just ensure she keeps eating and enjoying what she's having.

**dab_20** · 09-13-2011, 11:38 PM

Ensure or Boost is a great way to get nutrition in a small amount. We use these for my residents who are losing weight and won't eat much. Meats are important. Breads and rice's will make her feel full very fast.
Hope the weight comes on for her. The most important thing- she needs a balanced diet. Plenty of fruits, veggies, carbohydrates, dairy products, and proteins.

**pomtzu** · 09-14-2011, 06:42 AM

Unfortunately, she may always be thin. After having several surgeries to remove part of my intestine and all of my stomach, it is just impossible to gain weight. My normal weight used to be about 125, but now if I can stay at 100, then that's an accomplishment. I've been on Ensure and other similar products, but they really don't put any weight on, they just make sure that you are getting the nutrition that you need, and of course take a good multi-vitamin too. I don't eat at any given time or a specific amount of times per day - I just eat when I crave something, since I never feel hungry in the true sense of the word, and most of the time I just eat because I have to. As long as your Mom is getting the nutrition that she needs, then her weight really doesn't made a whole big difference.

**Catty1** · 09-14-2011, 09:17 AM

Thanks, all. Pom, she didn't have any intestine removed - but the adhesions she had from past surgeries (ruptured appendix at age 9, hyst at 38, first blockage from adhesions at 55 or so) had really twisted her bowel out of shape. She takes two Ensure per day as per dr's orders - the Plus, which has more calories and actually 1g more protein than the high protein version! - and there are certain foods she needs to avoid to prevent a further blockage - nuts, any berries/fruits with seeds, etc.

She does write down everything she eats, so I am going to do a calorie and protein count one of these days.

Thanks again so much. I am the only immediate family left here, and I really really appreciate being able to 'lean' a little bit for support. Thanks, PT Peeps.

**phesina** · 09-14-2011, 09:21 AM

Oh, Candace, prayers and good wishes and healing energies and warm thoughts are being sent to your mother and you both. So good that she has you there giving her such good care and love.

to you both,
Pat and cats

**lvpets2002** · 09-14-2011, 12:36 PM

Same here.. Many Prayers & Blessings for your Mother..

Originally Posted by phesina

Oh, Candace, prayers and good wishes and healing energies and warm thoughts are being sent to your mother and you both. So good that she has you there giving her such good care and love.

to you both,
Pat and cats

**cassiesmom** · 09-14-2011, 08:30 PM

Originally Posted by phesina

Oh, Candace, prayers and good wishes and healing energies and warm thoughts are being sent to your mother and you both. So good that she has you there giving her such good care and love.

to you both,
Pat and cats

Same for me here,
Elyse

**Catty1** · 09-14-2011, 10:02 PM

Hi, everyone.

I had dinner at Mom's tonight. I printed off a document I had that showed the protein content of various foods - dairy products are not the best, surprisingly!

Also, I will pick up a calorie count booklet tomorrow. I couldn't find one online that wasn't 22 pages long!

Mom thought she was getting a lot of protein from the Ensure Plus - she has two per day. Only 26g of protein, but about 700 calories. She was astounded at how low the protein was.

After seeing a Dairy Queen commercial on TV, I suggested we go out some time for a fast food burger for her. We can do drive through and eat in the car. She loved that idea!

Moving forward....

Progress...

**sana** · 09-15-2011, 12:35 AM

Prayers and hugs for you and your mom

**mrspunkysmom** · 09-15-2011, 07:22 PM

Prayers for you and your mom.

**gini** · 09-15-2011, 08:31 PM

Let me add my prayers for you and your Mom as well. You aren't alone
but surrounded by the Pet Talk family with love

**Catty1** · 09-15-2011, 09:32 PM

Thanks again.

Mom gave me a list - I found some frozen meat lasagna, which has a good whack of calories and protein per serving, and some frozen meatballs which have a good protein count. They come with their own sauce, but I picked up a large can of Hunt's thick tomato pasta sauce and a package of spaghetti for her. She also asked for two cans of tuna and agreed to salmon as well.

Hopefully the weight will start back up, slowly and carefully, in a healthy way.

You guys are great!

**Karen** · 09-16-2011, 12:58 AM

My sister had gastric band surgery, and so has to carefully keep track of what she eats, and make sure she gets her protein basically first. She will have pork cut into small, thin pieces, they cook quickly and are packed with protein. Also slice up chicken breasts, and the same thing applies, and either will take on spices or other flavors easily.