How to Gain Weight When You Have IBS

When you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and you are too thin, it is often difficult to gain weight due to the food limitations in your diet. However, it is not impossible to gain pounds when you know which foods you can include in your diet without suffering any adverse symptoms associated with IBS. Here are some tips.

Instructions

• 1

  Eat large quantities of carbohydrates in soluble fiber form to avoid any adverse effects such as pain, diarrhea, gas and bloating. Excess carbohydrates are converted to fat and will help add weight to your frame. Eat bread, pasta, oatmeal, bananas, applesauce, squash, corn meal, flour tortillas, soy and potatoes to gain weight quickly. Soluble fiber dissolves more easily and helps absorb excess liquid in the colon to help the bowels contract more efficiently. You should refrain from high fat and processed foods to avoid constipation and bloat.

• 2

  Consume excess calories. The average woman should eat about 2,000 to 2,500 calories per day. Because a pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories, if you add 500 calories per day, you will gain one pound per week. Monitor your calorie intake for a week, and then find your daily average by dividing the total number of calories by seven days. This will give you a baseline for your calorie intake. Increase as needed to gain weight. The Mayo Clinic recommends eating at regular times and several times throughout the day to encourage bowel health. In addition, this will contribute to weight gain if sufficient calories are ingested.

• 3

  Work out with heavy weights. Muscle weighs more than fat, so if you add muscle to your frame you are likely to gain weight without gaining too much excess fat. In addition, eliminate aerobic activity. Because aerobic activity burns calories and fat, it will encourage you to lose weight. In order to gain weight, decrease any running, jogging, biking, dancing, swimming or other aerobic activity until you have put on the weight. Gradually add exercise for the cardiovascular effects after you have attained your optimal weight.

• 4

  Try drinking weight gainer drinks. These are high in calories and are usually nutritionally balanced. They help add weight without adding too much fat into your diet. Mix with milk in order to help with lactose breakdown. The Mayo Clinic recommends substituting yogurt for milk if you suffer from lactose intolerance. You might also try soy if milk products cause stomach upset. If you are intolerant of milk, soy, rice milk and other milk substitutes, purchase a high fiber weight gainer that can be mixed with water. Weight gainer drinks can be purchased in health food stores and online.