Weight Gaining Help for Son

Are they healthy? Have you spoken to their doctor and does he/she think they're ok?

If you answered "yes" to both questions, then I'd leave it alone!

I was "stick thin" as a child and teen and my mother and doctor never had a problem with it. I was always healthy and ate when I was hungry! I'm still very thin, eat when I'm hungry and am very healthy. Thank heavens, my children are the same way!!

I'm a firm believer of the saying... "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

Good luck!!

Honestly, I was a twig and my boys are both twigs. As long as they are getting proper nutrition and still growing, you don't need to "make them gain weight." My boys have ALWAYS been on the 10th percentile on the growth charts....but they stay on trend, which means they're growing. That's what matters.

If they stop growing, then be concerned and start feeding them extra supplements. But on trend...it's not to be concerned with. Don't waste your money. Just feed them real food.

My son hated white milk. We added 1/2 packet of Carnation Instant Breakfast vanilla powder to his milk, and that did the trick. Lots of protein there too.

You really have your hands full with 5 including triplets!

With nutrition, it's not so much what they take in, but what they actually absorb. So just adding calories to the diet doesn't mean those nutrients are going to be absorbed. That's why most There is a way to get nutrition in at the cellular level, but most supplements either are pills and only abosrbed around 20% (talk about a waste of money), or are pre-mixed (and therefore break down over time on the shelf and also contain a lot of emulsifiers to prevent separation but which are hard to digest and add nothing of nutritive value). In addition, most don't contain the full complement of needed elements (vitamins, minerals, trace elements, phytonutrients), etc. so they really aren't usable by the body and just get eliminated. Mixing & matching vitamins in individual bottles is a huge business in the US (look at any supermarket vitamin aisle or any health food store - hundreds of items separated by nutrient, which is great for profits and bad for bodily utilization).

Powdered milk isn't going to give him much. It gives him what's in milk, but that's not enough. There is a vanilla (or chocolate, but you said you don't want that) supplement that is comprehensive and patented (so it's proven safe, effective and unique) and it's made here in the US with no genetically modified foods or ingredients. You can add it to milk or even to water (which means there's some economy involved). It's also used in hundreds of feeding stations set up by humanitarian and medical groups to feed really compromised kids - you should see the before & after pictures. You can also get it at a discount if you want to pay a $25 annual fee (like a BJs or Costco membership but no minimums per month or obligation). You need a referral (not a medical referral - just a tie-in so you have a contact consultant for any questions) but then you can buy it on line and have it shipped directly. Is this the sort of thing that might work for you?

Perhaps a really good undenatured, whey protein, nutrition shake. When my "stick thin" daughter needed to gain some weight for her glider pilot's license, we started making this for her for breakfast. http://dywayne.isagenix.com/ca/en/isaleanpro.dhtml

It made a HUGE difference, gave her the protein that she needed and helped her build lean muscle too!

Is he unhealthy or malnourished? If not, I'd just leave him be. He's thin. So what? Why does he HAVE to be of average weight? My youngest is tiny, both in weight and height (she's 8 and hasn't hit 50 pounds yet), but she has lots of energy, and bright eyes, pink cheeks, and shiny hair. She doesn't have a big appetite, but clearly she gets what she needs - enough to have lots of energy and look healthy! I spoke with our pediatrician about how to get her to eat more, and he pointed out that kids are actually VERY good at eating the right amount for themselves. They eat more when they're growing, and less when they're not. They stop eating when they're not hungry. That's great - why mess with it? You know? Just let your son be the size he is, unless he is malnourished (in which case, you may want to discuss with your pedi the best way to address that).

What does your pediatrician think?

How about a protein powder? Something from GMC, like a Whey protein.
It'll give him lots of vitamins.
You can add a scoop to anything...oatmeal, cereal, milk. There's very little sugar in it, so you're not loading him up with junk.
And it's not overly expensive.
Just a thought.

All kids and adults, have varying physiques.
Your son is 8. And is a picky eater etc.
Well, my son is 6, and is a picky eater and has always been this way since he was a baby. And my friend's sons, are the SAME way.
My son and those other boys, are lanky. But tall.
They are fine and perfectly healthy.
My son though a picky eater, eats healthy. And he is a GRAZER. And is very active. Like most boys. But he is, lanky. Grandma, would even say in front of him "he's so scrawny... I can see his ribs.... my brother was bigger than he was at that age...." etc. And boy did I get mad. I told Grandma, in front of my son, that she is NOT to talk about him that way... he is healthy, and he is fine. In fact, I took him for his check-up, with Grandma once, and told the Pediatrician that she thinks my son is too skinny and too lanky etc. WELL, the Pediatrician said, to us that my son "is PERFECT. His growth and proportions and weight and BMI, is PERFECT. And he eats well too, because he goes according to his body's cues, and eats when hungry and stops when full. THAT is how it should be." The Pediatrician, NEVER said, that my son has a problem per his physique or size or health or his eating. Because, he doesn't.
So now, Grandma has stopped nagging about my son's size.
The Pediatrician said that he does NOT need Pediasure or anything.
He is healthy.
He is fine.
He is just a lanky tall boy. And one day he will be taller/bigger than us.

I really don't fret over my son's physique.
Because, he is fine.
And although he is a "picky" eater... he eats healthy. He knows his body and eats when hungry and stops when full, and does not eat out of dysfunctional emotional eating or boredom. So he is fine.
And on his own, over the years, he does now eat more things and more varied things. And all without a battle.

Boys... do not have to be all thick and bulky and big.
MANY professional Athletes, are lanky and "thin."
And they are perfectly, fine.
Many boys, are thin and lanky.
My son's friend, is a STICK thin boy. But he is so great and SO athletic and plays football. And he is lightning fast and so well adjusted. Even if other boys are thicker than he is.