How To Gain Weight In Diabetes?? Is It Healthy For A Diabetic To Gain Weight??

Living with diabetes, hypertension or any other chronic disease requires you to do multiple things – track vitals, take medicines & stay on top of your health at all times. If this overwhelms you, switch to Phable – India’s No. 1 BP & Sugar Management App to manage your condition better. Take charge of your health and stay connected with doctors, order medicines and do a whole lot more from the comfort of your home.

In diabetes, less insulin prevents the body’s cells from using the glucose from the bloodstream as energy. Instead, your body starts burning fat and muscle for energy, causing instant weight loss due to diabetes. So, How to Gain Weight With Diabetes? How to increase calorie intake? What kind of protein foods should diabetics eat? And what kind of exercise should diabetics do are questions we will answer.

Contents:

How Diabetes Affects Your Weight?

Intentional weight loss in diabetics is typically beneficial, while unintentional weight loss poses a potential risk. Diabetics with high blood sugar suffer from frequent urination, which causes dehydration. Additionally, excessively high sugar levels cause muscle breakdown too. Both result in unhealthy weight loss in diabetics.

Unexpected weight loss is common in people who haven’t yet been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. It is also a symptom of type 2 diabetes. If you’ve dropped more than 5% of your body weight or 4.5 kg in 6–12 months or less, you should see a doctor. 

Besides diabetes, you must get other possible alarming reasons for sudden weight loss checked, like thyroid disorders and malignancies. 

5 Ways A Diabetic Can Gain Healthy Weight

1. Daily Calories: 

Consume more unsaturated fat and protein to increase your caloric count. These foods include seafood (salmon, tuna, mackerel & sardine), chia seeds, walnuts, flaxseeds and canola oil.

2. Divided Meal Portions:

Eat six small meals a day instead of three bigger meals. If you have trouble eating larger meals, eat smaller ones more frequently. Try to have three modest extreme healthy meals accompanied by three healthy diabetes snacks daily.

3. More Dietary Protein:

Some meals can help increase weight without raising your blood glucose levels. Avocado, nut butter, rice bran oil and salad dressings are high in energy. Take protein-rich foods like meat, fish, poultry, beans, eggs, almonds and protein shakes with sugar-free weight gainers. 

4. Regular Exercise:

Get 30 to 60 minutes of moderate intensity exercises each day if possible. This includes aerobic exercises such as walking, jogging, running, skipping, dancing, swimming and cycling.

 5. Taking Insulin On Time:

Diabetes must not skip insulin shots if they want to lose weight. It might result in dangerously high blood sugar levels or diabetic ketoacidosis. Taking insulin shots at odd timings can worsen diabetes. 

Don’t Have Time To Read?

  • The insulin deficit in diabetes prevents cells from using glucose as energy and leaves it in the bloodstream. The body burns fat and muscle for energy, causing weight loss.
  • Type 1 and type 2 diabetics may experience this, possibly with blurry vision and tingling in the extremities. The warning sign is weight loss by 5% or 4.5kg in half a year or less.
  • High blood sugar causes muscle breakdown and frequent urination and thirst, leading to dehydration and weight loss.
  • Doctors help increase weight while controlling sugar levels by increasing daily calories, smaller but more frequent meals, and exercising daily.
  • Consume high-energy foods like avocado, nut butter, healthy oils; and high-protein meat, beans, eggs, dairy, almonds, etc.
  • Diabetics must take insulin on time to avoid dangerously high sugar levels or diabetic ketoacidosis.
  • Use Phable Care App to consult India’s leading diabetologists, order medicines, book lab tests, integrate Accu-Chek instant and other devices to get real-time remote care from the comfort of your home. Let’s treat diabetes together.

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Friendly Asked Questions

How Can A Diabetic Patient Gain Weight?

Diabetics must boost their daily calorie intake by at least 500 calories. Specialists or dietitians can suggest the best ways on how to gain weight with diabetes by establishing weight goals, diet plans, and a modified workout regimen.

What Foods Should A Diabetic Eat To Gain Weight?

Consume monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats through nuts, seeds, avocado, and healthy olive/sunflower/rapeseed oil. Have soups, pasta, mashed potatoes, porridge, spreads made with full-fat dairy products such as milk, cream, cheese and yoghurt.

Why Is It Hard For A Diabetic To Gain Weight?

With an insulin deficit, cells are unable to utilize glucose levels in the body. The body must burn fat and muscle for energy thus causing unintended weight loss. However, a diabetic can gain healthy weight by consuming protein-rich foods. Moreover, keeping a check over your blood sugar and insulin levels is vital for maintaining a healthy weight.