For individuals managing diabetes, maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for overall well-being. While many people with type 2 diabetes are advised to lose weight, there are instances where gaining weight becomes necessary. This article explores how individuals with diabetes can gain weight safely and without causing health complications.
Understanding the Need for Weight Gain in Diabetes
Many people with type 2 diabetes receive advice to lose weight because a high body mass index (BMI) can increase the risk of diabetes and its complications. Sometimes, however, a person with diabetes may need to gain weight. For example, a person might lose their appetite due to stress or other reasons, be unable to buy food, or have a health condition that causes weight loss, such as an overactive thyroid. Unintentional weight loss can also be a symptom of diabetes.
Key Considerations for Weight Gain
- Blood Sugar Control: Adding highly processed, high-carb foods to the diet can cause blood sugar levels to spike, which can be hazardous for people with diabetes.
- Insulin Management: If a person uses insulin, they need to ensure that the amount of insulin they use is suitable for their dietary habits and current weight.
- Nutritional Balance: A diet high in calories but low in other nutrients can lead to nutritional deficiencies with related health issues.
- Fat Intake: If a person uses fats to increase their calorie intake, they should favor unsaturated fats.
Anyone with diabetes who is considering making significant changes to their diet should speak with a doctor, a certified diabetes educator, or a dietitian who can suggest dietary adjustments that result in weight gain but do not damage health.
Foods to Help Gain Weight Safely
Here, we look at some foods that can help a person with diabetes gain weight safely. However, anyone with diabetes should talk with their healthcare team before making any dietary changes. It is essential to make a plan that will keep blood sugar levels within the individual’s target range.
Full-Fat Dairy Products
Full-fat dairy products can help a person gain weight and also provide nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D. Examples include:
Read also: Vegan Diet for Diabetes Management
- Whole milk
- Unsweetened full-fat yogurt
- Cheese
However, dairy products contain saturated fat, which may increase a person’s cholesterol levels and risk of cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association recommends consuming only 5-6% of calories as saturated fat to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. If a person has a high risk of cardiovascular disease, their doctor may recommend limiting saturated fat intake.
Limiting Caffeine, Alcohol, and Low Calorie Beverages
Diet sodas and caffeine can suppress the appetite and leave a person feeling full. However, sodas that contain sugar can lead to a glucose spike. Recommended beverages include:
- Water or sparkling water
- Pressed or squeezed fruit juice with the pulp
- Milk
- Smoothies
Water provides no calories, but it is essential for overall health. Alcoholic drinks can lead to weight gain, but they do not usually provide other nutrients and may have other harmful effects on health.
Chocolate and Other Snacks
Chocolate bars, cookies, and other sweetened snacks are high in calories, but they do not provide balanced nutrition. Certain other snacks are high in calories as well as nutrient dense. Examples of suitable snacks include:
- Full-fat Greek yogurt with granola
- Apple with peanut butter
- Half a banana and walnuts
- Whole grain toast with avocado and chia seeds
Foods that are high in sugar and other carbs can lead to a glucose spike. People should discuss how to incorporate these items safely into their diet plan with a member of their healthcare team.
Read also: Foods for Pre-Diabetes
Healthy Oils
Various oils are available that can add both flavor and calories to food. Examples include:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Avocado oil
- Sesame oil
Other ideas for salad dressings include:
- Homemade mayonnaise
- A vinaigrette of olive oil, herbs, and vinegar
- Tahini mixed with lemon juice, olive oil, and a little water to thin the sauce for pouring
Sprinkling vegetables, greens, and salads with healthy oil or an oil-based dressing can add calories and enhance flavor, which may help people with a low appetite.
Nutritious Higher-Calorie Foods
Processed foods that are high in sugar and saturated fats can lead to weight gain, but they do not provide balanced nutrition. Foods containing whole grains and healthy fats provide calories and may reduce the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular problems, and other health complications. Nutritious high calorie foods include:
- Nuts
- Seeds, such as pumpkin or flax
- Avocado
- Nut butter
- Brown rice
- Quinoa
- Wholemeal bread
- Beans
- Granola
- Sugar-free nut butters, such as peanut, cashew, and almond
- Oily fish, such as mackerel, tuna, or sardines
- Olive paste
Protein
Protein is essential for all body functions, including muscle building. Protein in the diet can help with balanced weight gain. Here are some examples of high protein foods:
Read also: Manage Diabetes with This Indian Diet
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Fish
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Eggs
Plant-based sources of protein include:
- Legumes and pulses, such as lentils, beans, and peas
- Quinoa
- Soy products
However, pulses and other plant-based proteins also contain carbohydrates. Be mindful of total carb intake when incorporating these foods into the diet.
Remember to speak with a healthcare professional before making any changes. Some research suggests that a high intake of animal protein can increase the risk of diabetes in some people, whereas consuming plant-based proteins may reduce the risk. However, more research is needed to confirm this.
Calorie Intake for Weight Gain
To gain weight, people must consume more calories than they use. According to current dietary guidelines, adult males in the United States should aim to consume 2,000-2,400 calories per day to maintain a stable weight, while adult females need 1,600-2,000 calories. Adding calories can help a person gain weight, but how many calories a person needs to add will vary among individuals. Factors include a person’s activity level, age, health status, and reason for needing to gain weight.
Foods that provide calories and nutrition include:
- Legumes and pulses
- Whole wheat products
- Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes
- Fruit
- Foods containing healthy fat, such as avocados, nuts, and seeds
A dietitian can help a person with diabetes create a meal plan that increases calories and considers their overall nutritional needs and personal dietary requirements.
Eating Habits for Weight Gain
Eat Smaller Portions More Frequently
People with a low appetite might find it easier to eat small portions more frequently. If they have an additional health condition that involves abdominal discomfort, this might reduce the symptoms. Eating little and often could help:
- Older people
- People who are pregnant
- Those undergoing chemotherapy
- People with inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn’s or colitis
For example, a person can eat six small meals during the day rather than three large meals.
Tips for Healthy Snacking
Healthy snacks can be part of your meal plan and help with hunger management between meals. Before you reach for a snack, figure out if you are hungry or thirsty (sometimes being thirsty can make your body think it’s hungry). If thirsty, drink water or a zero-calorie beverage. This can help prevent adding more calories to your day. When you do select a snack, choose healthy options that offer a combination of protein, healthy fats, and fiber, with or without carbohydrates.
The Diabetes Plate Method
The Diabetes Plate is the easiest way to create healthy meals that can help manage blood glucose. You can create perfectly portioned meals with a healthy balance of non-starchy vegetables, protein, and quality carbohydrates-without any counting, calculating, weighing, or measuring. All you need is a nine-inch plate! The Diabetes Plate can be used with any of the seven recognized meal patterns.
Exercise for Weight Gain
Try Resistance Training
Combined with increased calorie intake, exercise can add muscle to the body, leading to weight gain. Strength training is the best way to transform calories into muscle. Use hand weights, resistance bands, kettlebells, and weight machines at the gym to build lean muscle. This is a more balanced way to increase weight than storing excess fat.
Exercise can also increase appetite and reduce the risk of glucose spikes. People who use supplementary insulin should check with a doctor before starting a new exercise plan, as the additional activity may affect their insulin needs.
Supplements for Weight Gain
Some people use food or beverage supplements such as casein and whey protein to:
- Increase appetite
- Build muscle
- Gain weight
Tests on animals have suggested that, combined with exercise, whey protein may muscle mass. Some research also suggests that ingredients in whey and casein supplements could stimulate insulin production in the body. These products are available as powders. A person can add them to milk, hot beverages, yogurt, muffins, or puddings.
All supplements are different, so it is best to ask a doctor or dietitian for specific recommendations.
Managing Diabetes and Weight
People with diabetes may need to gain weight if they have other medical conditions or life circumstances that lead to weight loss, such as a low appetite, cancer or cancer treatment, or chronic gastrointestinal issues. A doctor may adjust the person’s treatment plan to help manage weight loss. This will involve managing high blood sugar, usually with insulin.
A diabetes diet is a healthy-eating plan that helps control blood sugar. A diabetes diet simply means eating the healthiest foods in moderate amounts and sticking to regular mealtimes. It's a healthy-eating plan that's naturally rich in nutrients and low in fat and calories. Key elements are fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Meal Planning for Diabetes
If you have diabetes or prediabetes, your health care provider will likely recommend that you see a dietitian to help you develop a healthy-eating plan. The plan helps you control your blood sugar, also called blood glucose, manage your weight and control heart disease risk factors.
When you eat extra calories and carbohydrates, your blood sugar levels rise. If blood sugar isn't controlled, it can lead to serious problems. These problems include a high blood sugar level, called hyperglycemia. You can help keep your blood sugar level in a safe range. For most people with type 2 diabetes, weight loss also can make it easier to control blood sugar. Weight loss offers a host of other health benefits.
A diet for people living with diabetes is based on eating healthy meals at regular times. A registered dietitian can help you put together a diet based on your health goals, tastes and lifestyle. The dietitian also can talk with you about how to improve your eating habits. Make your calories count with nutritious foods.
Understanding Carbohydrates
During digestion, sugars and starches break down into blood glucose. Sugars also are known as simple carbohydrates, and starches also are known as complex carbohydrates. Dietary fiber includes all parts of plant foods that your body can't digest or absorb. Fiber moderates how your body digests food and helps control blood sugar levels.
Incorporating Healthy Foods
- Fruits: Eat fruits in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
- Fish: Eat heart-healthy fish at least twice a week. Fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These omega-3s may prevent heart disease. If you are pregnant, are planning to get pregnant or are breastfeeding, do not eat fish that's typically high in mercury.
- Fats: Foods containing monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help lower your cholesterol levels. Diabetes raises your risk of heart disease and stroke by raising the rate at which you develop clogged and hardened arteries. Avoid high-fat dairy products and animal proteins such as butter, beef, hot dogs, sausage and bacon. Limit trans fats and cholesterol sources including high-fat dairy products and high-fat animal proteins, egg yolks, liver, and other organ meats.
- Sodium: Aim for no more than 2,300 mg of sodium a day.
Meal Planning Approaches
You may use a few different approaches to create a healthy diet to help you keep your blood sugar level within a typical range. The American Diabetes Association offers a simple method of meal planning. It focuses on eating more vegetables.
Because carbohydrates break down into sugar, they have the greatest effect on your blood sugar level. To help control your blood sugar, you may need to learn to figure out the amount of carbohydrates you are eating with the help of a dietitian. You can then adjust the dose of insulin accordingly. A dietitian can teach you how to measure food portions and become an educated reader of food labels.
A dietitian may recommend you choose specific foods to help plan meals and snacks. One serving in a category is called a choice. A food choice has about the same amount of carbohydrates, protein, fat and calories - and the same effect on your blood sugar - as a serving of every other food in that same category.
Some people who live with diabetes use the glycemic index to select foods, especially carbohydrates. This method ranks carbohydrate-containing foods based on their effect on blood sugar levels.
When planning meals, take into account your size and activity level. Consider your needs for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.
Benefits of a Healthy Diet
Embracing a healthy-eating plan is the best way to keep your blood sugar level under control and prevent diabetes complications. Aside from managing your diabetes, a healthy diet offers other benefits too. Because this diet recommends generous amounts of fruits, vegetables and fiber, following it is likely to lower your risk of cardiovascular diseases and certain types of cancer.
Working with Your Healthcare Team
If you live with diabetes, it's important that you partner with your health care provider and dietitian to create an eating plan that works for you. Use healthy foods, portion control and a schedule to manage your blood sugar level.
Monitoring Progress
The only way to know you’re gaining weight is to weigh yourself. A weekly weigh-in can track your progress and help you modify your current eating routine as needed. If you’re taking in enough calories, you should start to see an increase of about 1 pound in 1 week’s time. Target a 1- to 2-pound weekly increase until you reach your goal weight.
The Importance of Planning
When you have type 2 diabetes, taking time to plan your meals goes a long way toward controlling your blood sugar (glucose) and weight. Your main focus is on keeping your blood sugar level in your target range. To help manage your blood sugar, follow a meal plan that has:
- Food from all the food groups
- Fewer calories
- About the same amount of carbohydrates at each meal and snack
- Healthy fats
Along with healthy eating, you can help keep your blood sugar in target range by maintaining a healthy weight. People with type 2 diabetes are often overweight or obese. Losing even 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) can help you manage your diabetes better. Eating healthy foods and staying active (for example, 150 total minutes of walking or other activity per week) can help you meet and maintain your weight loss goal. Activity lets your muscles use sugar from the blood without needing insulin to move the sugar into the muscle cells.
Carbohydrates and Blood Sugar
Carbohydrates in food give your body energy. You need to eat carbohydrates to maintain your energy. But carbohydrates also raise your blood sugar higher and faster than other kinds of food. The main kinds of carbohydrates are starches, sugars, and fiber. Learn which foods have carbohydrates. This will help with meal planning so that you can keep your blood sugar in your target range.
Not all carbohydrates can be broken down and absorbed by your body. Foods with more non-digestible carbohydrates, or fiber, are less likely to increase your blood sugar out of your goal range. These include foods such as beans and whole grains.
Meal Planning for Children with Type 2 Diabetes
Meal plans should consider the amount of calories children need to grow. In general, three small meals and three snacks a day can help meet calorie needs. Many children with type 2 diabetes are overweight. The goal should be able to reach a healthy weight by eating healthy foods and getting more activity (60 minutes per day). Work with a registered dietitian to design a meal plan for your child. A registered dietitian is an expert in food and nutrition.
The following tips can help your child stay on track:
- No food is off-limits. Knowing how different foods affect your child's blood sugar helps you and your child keep blood sugar in target range.
- Help your child learn how much food is a healthy amount. This is called portion control.
- Have your family gradually switch from drinking soda and other sugary drinks, such as sports drinks and juices, to plain water or low-fat milk.
General Meal Planning Tips
Everyone has individual needs. Work with your health care provider, registered dietitian, or diabetes educator to develop a meal plan that works for you. When shopping, read food labels to make better food choices.