159

How to gain weight from eating almost exclusively bread and potatoes? (lemmy.nz)

submitted 2 days ago by Young_Gilgamesh@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

203 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I don't know where to post this, so I'm posting it here.

I need to gain some weight because I'm borderline anorexic. But I can't afford much more than bread, potatoes, eggs and cheese, That is my diet. And I hate eating it. It's the only thing I can stomach that is cheap, but I hate it. I don't want to eat eggs and potatoes for the rest of my life. I would rather die of malnutrition, like I am currently doing.

I have no appetite, but that is a symptom of something else. Ideally, there is a way to gain weight while eating less mass. Something calorie dense.

I might be slightly exaggerating. But for the last couple of years I've been eating potatoes and eggs for almost every single meal of the day. And yes, I eat one warm meal a day. Sometimes I suppliment with some bread to stop the hunger pains. Sometimes I also eat a piece of vegetable.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[-] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 9 points 1 day ago

Because fiber is still important regardless of one's weight goals. It also aids in digestion meaning OP will absorb nutrients more efficiently, instead of pooping most of it out. They said they're on a budget, so why would they want the food they eat to go right through them without nourishing?

Besides, more full = eat less = groceries stretch further. So fiber is important for someone on a budget, even without counting the nutritional benefits.

[-] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 0 points 1 day ago

Look, for just about every other case, I'd recommend eating a bunch of fiber, however:

It also aids in digestion meaning OP will absorb nutrients more efficiently, instead of pooping most of it out

I assure you, people can easily get most of the nutrients from food without fibers. In fact, overweight people don't usually eat much fiber at all.

Besides, more full = eat less = groceries stretch further

Again, talking about a person who already has zero appetite and is at an unhealthy low weight, at least according to themselves. Eat less = die of malnutrition at this rate.

[-] wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz 4 points 20 hours ago

Overweight doesn't necessarily equate to over-nourished. Someone can be overweight and still have malnutrition. Fiber is important for everyone, regardless of body type.

Also, eating a fiber-rich diet isn't going to kill anyone, even if they are recovering from anorexia and need to put on weight. Feeling satisfied sooner because of the fiber content in a meal isn't the same thing as eating nothing. And it's more nourishing than low-fiber options.

Plus, in terms of gastrointestinal health, fiber can significantly improve appetite over time. So using no appetite as a reason to avoid fiber is a bit counter-intuitive.

Regardless, ideally OP will consult with their doctor and follow their advice. Lemmy isn't the place to get critical medical guidance. But when it comes to tips on simple, easy-to-digest foods to eat on a budget, which is what was asked for, I've offered my input. Beyond that, I'm not here to defend a thesis.

this post was submitted on 24 Oct 2026

159 points (92.5% liked)

Ask Lemmy

42006 readers

1298 users here now

A Fediverse community for open-ended, thought provoking questions

Rules: (interactive)

1) Be nice and; have fun

Doxxing, trolling, sealioning, racism, toxicity and dog-whistling are not welcomed in AskLemmy. Remember what your mother said: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. In addition, the site-wide Lemmy.world terms of service also apply here. Please familiarize yourself with them

2) All posts must end with a '?'

This is sort of like Jeopardy. Please phrase all post titles in the form of a proper question ending with ?

3) No spam

Please do not flood the community with nonsense. Actual suspected spammers will be banned on site. No astroturfing.

4) NSFW is okay, within reason

Just remember to tag posts with either a content warning or a [NSFW] tag. Overtly sexual posts are not allowed, please direct them to either !asklemmyafterdark@lemmy.world or !asklemmynsfw@lemmynsfw.com. NSFW comments should be restricted to posts tagged [NSFW].

5) This is not a support community.

It is not a place for 'how do I?', type questions. If you have any questions regarding the site itself or would like to report a community, please direct them to Lemmy.world Support or email info@lemmy.world. For other questions check our partnered communities list, or use the search function.

6) No US Politics.

Please don't post about current US Politics. If you need to do this, try !politicaldiscussion@lemmy.world or !uspolitics@lemmy.world

7) No Hit-and-Run questions.

Please don't delete your post for no apparent reason. If you plan on deleting a question later, say so in the post, or if you feel that you have a good reason to remove it, message a mod beforehand. It's not fair to the ones who took their time to answer, and it's not in the spirit of the community.

8) No Bots.

Posts or comments from bots, LLM's, AIs, Neural Networks, Transformers, or Marvin the Paranoid Android are not welcome in AskLemmy. Real humans only please.

Reminder: The terms of service apply here too.