How To Gain Weight/get Enough Calories On A Peat Diet?

[Francisco]

I am very underweight and malnourished after about two years of experimenting with restrictive diets. I frankly look like I’m barely hanging on to life. Not quite skeletal, but I guess that’s the best you could say. I didn’t even realize how bad I look until I saw myself in pictures. My older brother, who’s always been lighter than me, is now several pounds heavier. I’ve truly fallen from grace.
On the Peat diet I am getting more calories than I have been, but still not nearly enough. I used to be able to eat around 3000 or more calories per day without being overweight. For awhile I was getting only around half that, at most; often much less though. I find it very hard to get enough calories with just OJ. I don’t do milk either. Should I just say **** it and eat starches (been really craving some sourdough) and red meat? I know many people here would cringe at that but, frankly, I think what’s most important for me now is to get enough calories and all the necessary micronutrients. I’m a young guy (just turned the big 2-0), and I’ve never been diagnosed with any serious illness or disease, and I’d say my metabolism has always been pretty robust.
I want to get back to a better place after fooling around with crazy diets for so long and ******* up my health. I probably wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t such a hypochondriac.
Honestly, I’m more asking for encouragement than advice. I’m really prone to overthinking things so I don’t really want any naysayers in here telling me “Don’t eat this” or “don’t eat that”, because I will mull over that ***t for hours, days, or weeks even. I know all about PUFA, so I don’t need to be lectured on that either. As long as I keep the PUFA relatively low then I think I’ll be fine.
I hope I don’t sound like I’m being petty or too aggressive, I’m frankly just tired of all the bull****. I feel worn out and exasperated. I just want to be a happy young lad again.
Can anyone relate?

 

[olive]

Starches are fine if your gut health isn’t compromised. Sourdough isn’t a bad idea but it’s too filling and slow digesting in my experience to consume enough of to make a major calorie source in the diet. I recommend purple sweet potatoes, you can easily eat 3-5kg a day and are a major micronutrient dense food. I hit virtually all my RDA’s just with potato.

 

[Francisco]

Starches are fine if your gut health isn’t compromised. Sourdough isn’t a bad idea but it’s too filling and slow digesting in my experience to consume enough of to make a major calorie source in the diet. I recommend purple sweet potatoes, you can easily eat 3-5kg a day and are a major micronutrient dense food. I hit virtually all my RDA’s just with potato.

I got a couple Japanese sweet potatoes in the pantry. Those are my favorite tuber.

 

[somuch4food]

While looking up the forums, it can be easy to get cut up with Ray's main recommendations, but there aren't that many users following the milk and OJ diet.

The moderate approach you want to go for is reasonable. Find foods that will help you hit both micro and calories targets and start building on that by finding foods that you don't get tired of or help you feel better.

Getting enough calories even with higher PUFA still helped me recover. Since I try to listen to my body, I have started identifying some patterns with certain foods. For example, too much PUFA from oils usually trigger acne in the following days. Too much carotenoids bring on night sweats. Don't be afraid to experiment with different foods. You are young. A bit of PUFA is not as bad as not getting enough calories when trying to recover.

Once you are better fed, your brain should settle down too and you should start to worry less about health. That's what happened to me.

 

[GreekDemiGod]

Used to be skinny (underweight, but not quite anorexic) my whole life. Started lifting 2 years ago, gained up to 30 lbs (mostly muscle) on a mostly 'bodybuilding diet' (high carb, moderate-high protein, moderate fat).
I've went through a leaning phase this year, lost a bit of weight. Currently, I am lean with decent muscle mass, but I'd like to get back to my peak weight.
If I don't consistently eat > 3200 calories / day, I can't put on weigh (even lose a bit).
Been 'peating' for over a month, I'm yet to gain. I need to increase my intake.

 

[nbznj]

.
If I don't consistently eat > 3200 calories / day, I can't put on weigh (even lose a bit).
Been 'peating' for over a month, I'm yet to gain. I need to increase my intake.

Don’t rush it. All you’ll do is put on more fat and become insulin resistant. Muscle gain is a very slow process that doesn’t require force feeding.

 

[GreekDemiGod]

Don’t rush it. All you’ll do is put on more fat and become insulin resistant. Muscle gain is a very slow process that doesn’t require force feeding.

Definitely, I'm aware of that. I've always preferred a lean/slow bulk approach, I never dirty bulked.
The thing is I need a high caloric intake even for a slow bulk.

I added ripe bananas, dates and homemade butter croissants to my Peat diet to make it easier in getting enough calories in daily.

 

[ExCarniv]

Seems like you are very healthy and have good metabolism, despite the fact diet following in the past, just eat more.

Cover your micronutrients and fat soluble vitamins for optimal function then bulk up your calories.

 

[Motif]

I feel you man. I just can’t gain weight. I struggle with eating a lot. I‘m full very quick.