weight gain and protein powders

[chargedformula]

my daughter is just a little over two years old and weighs 20 lbs. i was looking at high calorie smoothies and and some call for a protein powder. are there any body builders on here that can recommend a good weight gain powder or protein powder? she doesnt have to get buff, just fat.

[Car Guy]

How tall is she, and have you had a specialist look at her situation to make sure everything is OK medically...??? That seems extremely small but then again everybody is different.....

[chargedformula]

i think she is about 34 in tall, her height is well within the percentile range. we have been going to the doctor regularly and also seeing a nutritionist for her. she is healthy but needs to put on weight, they have done every blood test in the book and have not found anything

[Cryptic]

http://www.t-nation.com/img/photos/06-063-diet/image005.jpg

I think you might want to do more homework or consult a physician.

My family has history of diabetes, so I dont think pumping young kids full of sugars (carbs) is a great idea.


Another thing to consider is how much sugar is contained in the gainer. Excess amounts of sugar have been shown to give an insulin spike, as well as increase levels of seratonin. This has been shown to give most people a feeling of drowsiness, irritability, and headaches. This doesn't affect everyone, but some people are more sensitive than others. Plus, the insulin spike sets your body to storing fat. Look at the nutrition label on the gainer, and see how much sugar it contains, listed under the carbohydrates. Somewhere in the 30-60 gram range is pretty good.

This brings up the question of what you want in the carb/protein/fat ratio. You need carbs to help protein absorption, and you know you need the protein. Fats are definitely your friends in a gainer (though not saturated fat), as they seriously up the calorie content. A general rule of thumb is twice as much protein as fat, and twice as many carbs as protein.

[4eyedstang]

i would not give a child that young any of that weigh gainer or any other snake oil.
the best way to beef her up would be to give her 4 or 5 small healthy meals a day i.e meat and potatoes/pasta etc.and ice cream and milk and try to stay away from junk foods
your better off to have a health underweight child then a diabetic over wight one

just my .02

[Yooformula]

I dont want to sound like a **** but feed her! weight gainers for a child is a MISTAKE! Try feeding her every 3 hours and strive for real meals.

[Adam Brooks]

weight gainers in adults are a mistake, they're loaded w/ sugar. see a doctor

[Prince Valiant]

Given that she's in a normal height/weight percentile, I'd advise you do nothing exceptional, especially if she's under competent medical care.

Is she seeing either an MD or DO currently? (I know you said she's seeing a pediatrician, but some chiropractors practice "family medicine"--an illegal term for them--and call themselves "pedatricians"--I would not recommend their advice in general because of the wide variety of practice beliefs of chiropractors, with some being FAR less scientifically sound than others.)

I'd think the extent of all you need is to simply make sure she's eating enough, and eating regularly. Make sure the mix of food is all appropriate (like, not too many vegetables that may fill her up before she's gotten enough calorically) and don't worry too much.

What YOU need to realize is, is that we are more or less products of our genes...especially at that age. How much we grow, when we grow, our body types (whether we appear stocky or slinky, etc, are simply products of genetics). If she's a small, skinny girl, then she's a small skinny girl...nothing wrong with that.

Now, another question is: Are you seeing a "nutritionist" or a "registered dietician"? The distinction is not a small one, despite the similar sounding titles.

In general, it's best to avoid "nutritionist", especially in the state of Wisconsin where virtually anyone with little to no training can call themselves a "nutritionist". There is no legal definition of a "nutritionist" so anyone can call themselves that title if they desire. Look at me! I'm now a nutritionist! (actually, my training puts me far ahead of many self-professed "nutritionist")

A Registered dietician however, is different. Requirements include attending a University for formalized training and internships, formalized accreditation, and ongoing continuing education/practice/license fulfillments that's regulated by the state and a national board to ensure competency and safety. Now, many registereed dieticians may call themselves "nutritionist" as it's an easier term for the general public to understand, but you MUST see the "RD" credential behind their name.

If you are both seeing an MD or DO, AND an RD, then follow their prescriptions...their advice are FAR better than anything you'll get on a car-board.

if you still feel she's too skinny, then it's best to educate yourself (and NOT on the internet) about individual differences and accept that our bodies will do pretty much what it wants to do at that age. Sometimes there can be conditions that affect YOUR judgment/perception of your daughter, which YOU might need help for too...just as people can be struck with "body dysmorphic syndrome" in which they think they're fat-when they're dagerously underweight, others can have the same distortions in other individuals, particularly those close to them...and yes, some CAN see perfectly healthy individuals and think they need to add weight...either are harmful and treatable.

[chargedformula]

thanks for the help. we try to feed her plenty. she drinks whole milk with carnation instant breakfast mixed in, if she has green beans there is butter mixed in, has cottage cheese and anything we can think of that is fattening. it is just hard trying to find stuff for her to eat. everything is always "low fat." she is currently seeing a dietitian at childrens hospital who recently put her on a medication that is supposed to increase appetite. they have us on a feeding schedule for every 3 hours. her height is probably around the 20th precentile but her weight is below the zero percentile. while the family sees her as happy and healthy the doctors want her to gain the weight. they say if she doesnt gain some weight in the next few months they want her on a feeding tube which i definitly DO NOT want. i had searched high calorie smoothie which led me to the mayo clinics web site. they had protein powder in there and wanted to know if there was something i could give her.

Ingredients
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 cup 2 percent milk
1 medium banana, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons wheat germ
2 tablespoons protein powder

[Lash]

If she's healthy....whats the problem? So does eat regularly....right? Give it some time, every kid is different. Girls especially seems to weigh less. Pumping her full of fatty foods is not the right way to go about it either. Whole milk and real butter are not ideal for a 2 year old.

20% percentile for height is actually below average....so I'm not surprised by the weight.

[twirkin50]

weight gainers in adults are a mistake, they're loaded w/ sugar. see a doctor


Couldn't agree more!

I would highly recommend sticking to a doctor's or nutritionist's advice regarding your daughter. Supplements are just the way they sound, an addition to your daily diet. For someone that young, getting a healthy diet of solid foods and the correct calorie amount will be more beneficial than a sports supplement.

It is good to see that you are taking the appropriate steps and are concerned about your daughters health, but take a doctor's advice over anything someone tells you on the internet.

[Berettaspeed]

i would feed her regular things you would any child. Whole milk is great as is.

dont try and change too much of the eating habbits as the body will get thrown off just like anyone else. consistant food intake is the best overall. the body will save and get rid of what it needs to. if you change it too much the body may start to save more than it should and develop extra garbage, which is never good. you also have to remember our food here in the states have that growth shit in our food already.

i know myself i was a late bloomer. i was really small until like 10th grade. everyone thought i was too skinny, maybe i was i dunno. haha everyone develops different.

[Prince Valiant]

buy her some weed and make her drink beer...THAT'll lead to weight gain, lol.

[dr doom]

Just feed your kid healthy, wholesome food. Supplements arent wise to give kids at all.

[mr.gone1985]

Remember she is only two. My son was quite chubby at that age and my wife was so worried he would be over weight. Now she wishes he had alittle more weight on him. Sounds like you have done things the right way by asking the doctors and doing tests and are aware of what is going on. You seem like you want the best for her and thats great. Atleast she is still a healthy child. If nothing else works try sending her to college. That seems to help most people pack on weight.

[Feature Pony]

I would be giving her some eggs for breakfast with the whole milk like you do, make anything with noodles or rice for some carbs lots of fruits and veggies and she will come around. I think my son at age 2 was about 25-30lbs he never really had the babby fat he looked like a mini me only I go 280lbs my son who is 6 now is about 55-60lbs and in size 8 jeans.

[awsomeears]

Take her to a Dr. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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