Not gaining weight

[Mike3]

I lost a lot of weight before being diagnosed with diabetes (suspected type 1 pending GAD). I’ve been on insulin for 2 months now but I’m not gaining weight, despite trying to consume as many calories as I can.
I was expecting to see a steady increase in but it isn’t happening. I’m going to reach out to the diabetic team today but I thought I’d ask if this is something others have experienced.

 

[helli]

Hi @Mike3
It is certainly worth discussing this with your diabetes team.
My only diabetes related thought (and I have no medical training) is whether your BG is still running quite high. If this was the case, your body could still be breaking down protein/muscle to get the energy you need.
That said, I do not know how long others took to regain lost weight and maybe you are expecting to see an increase too soon - I think you have been on insulin coming up to 2 months?

 

[Inka]

I think it took 3+ months for me to gain the weight back @Mike3 Like @helli I’m wondering how your blood sugars are? Keep eating. I added extra fat to help put weight on, and also snacks.

 

[Mike3]

Hi @Mike3
It is certainly worth discussing this with your diabetes team.
My only diabetes related thought (and I have no medical training) is whether your BG is still running quite high. If this was the case, your body could still be breaking down protein/muscle to get the energy you need.
That said, I do not know how long others took to regain lost weight and maybe you are expecting to see an increase too soon - I think you have been on insulin coming up to 2 months?

Yes coming up to 2 months. Last week i was in range 90 % but this week something changed and I’ve had highs and lows so now it’s down to 80. My fasting BG was between 6.5 to 7.5 but now that’s increases. I know these are a little higher than recommended but better than before insulin where they were around 15mmol/l.

 

[rebrascora]

Not wishing to ask personal questions but wondering if you might be Type 3c instead of Type 1 or 2, so my question would be....How is your digestive system? Are you having any issues with loose or greasy stools? If your pancreas was damaged or diseased which is what causes Type 3c then you might not be able to digest all the food you are eating and that would prevent you from gaining weight. The pancreas produces digestive enzymes as well as insulin, so whilst the insulin injections might be balancing your BG the carbs and fat and protein you are eating might not all be being digested to release their nutrition.

Are you still losing weight or holding your own but not putting it back on yet? Are you exercising at the moment which might be preventing your body from having the energy to exercise as well as build muscle?

I really can't remember how long it took me to put mine back on. I do remember still feeling muscle fatigue probably about 5 months after starting insulin and it was so bad that holding my arms up to wash my hair or speak to someone on the phone was really hard work. I think muscle takes much longer to build back up than fat, so you are perhaps being a bit impatient.

 

[Skater P]

I think I lost about 7-8kg or so and got that back fairly fast. (As in a month or two) but I was trying to train before (that was likely to make me lose weight) and started sport again as soon as I was allowed (which I assume ment I put it back on) I also think much of the loss may have been basically dehydration.

That said I don't have a set of scales at home so havn't been tracking very closely.

 

[Mike3]

Not wishing to ask personal questions but wondering if you might be Type 3c instead of Type 1 or 2, so my question would be....How is your digestive system? Are you having any issues with loose or greasy stools? If your pancreas was damaged or diseased which is what causes Type 3c then you might not be able to digest all the food you are eating and that would prevent you from gaining weight. The pancreas produces digestive enzymes as well as insulin, so whilst the insulin injections might be balancing your BG the carbs and fat and protein you are eating might not all be being digested to release their nutrition.

Are you still losing weight or holding your own but not putting it back on yet? Are you exercising at the moment which might be preventing your body from having the energy to exercise as well as build muscle?

I really can't remember how long it took me to put mine back on. I do remember still feeling muscle fatigue probably about 5 months after starting insulin and it was so bad that holding my arms up to wash my hair or speak to someone on the phone was really hard work. I think muscle takes much longer to build back up than fat, so you are perhaps being a bit impatient.

My digestion isn’t great but it hasn’t been for quite some time (years) before developing diabetes.
I’m trying really hard to gain weight and am
just about holding on to it, but not gaining.
My exercise has crept up but I’d still say it’s modest amount.
I wasn’t getting anywhere with my GP so saw a private GP who did suggest an issue with enzymes and referred me to a consultant who didn’t seem concerned as I had had a CT scan that was clear and the digestive issues weren’t new.
I’ll get back in touch with them as it does make sense.

 

[rebrascora]

Good to hear that you had a scan and it appeared clear. A faecal elastase test would be the test to assess your pancreatic enzymes.
Might also be worth asking for screening for coeliac.

 

[JITR]

I’m not gaining weight, despite trying to consume as many calories as I can.

As a general comment, be wary of adding weight in the form of fat when you probably lost muscle mass when losing weight. Maybe focus on your diet and digestion first, then gradually rebuild lean tissue with a combination of protein and natural foods plus exercise.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a dietician!