Hello @smartinly
Before starting treatment for DBLC, I lost over 20 pounds and was quite thin. I attended a pre-chemo workshop with the hospital's nutritionist. She mentioned that some of the weight loss is due to loss of muscle along with fat. She recommended a loaded smoothie and nutritious but vegan-friendly options for me. I want to share some easy and tasty ways I picked up 12 pounds a couple of months before chemo.

Before I go into details, have you spoken to the nutritionist at your oncology center? Also, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society offers a free one-on-one session with a licensed nutritionist—lls.org.

Nutrition
I couldn't keep much solid food down, so I started drinking a "loaded" smoothie, which was about 400 to 500 calories, but I made it taste good. Smoothy Recipe: One scoop of chocolate protein powder (I'm not pushing a brand, but I used Vega One's all-in-one meal replacement 140 calories), one serving of almonds (170 calories), and one serving of mangoes (80 calories). Sometimes, I added another serving of my high-calorie fruit of the day to increase my calorie count or 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice.

Note: I own a Vitamix, which can churn up these ingredients.

The nutritionists recommended eating things like premade, jarred artichoke salad and olives, which are packed with calories and fiber.

Exercise:
I also walked and bounced on a rebounder (mini-trampoline) to build muscle. The mini-trampoline is fun, gentle on the joints, moves lymphatic fluid, and can be made safer with a handlebar. I already owned one. So, it was a matter of getting on and bouncing.