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Diet for gaining weight

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Steve1969

New Member
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Type 2
Hi,

I was diagnosed yesterday with type 2 and looking for some advice please.
I have read a few posts about diets but most of them are for losing weight. I have the opposite problem in that I have lost loads of weight after being around 10 1/2st for the last 30 years.
I am kind of getting the idea that is it is necessary to cut sugar and carbs from my diet but at the same time need to start gaining weight whilst maintaining my BG levels.
Can anyone recommend what I should be eating and also definite no no's please?
Many thanks

Steve
 
What is your weight now and how tall are you? Sounds like you are in that group who go by the delightful description of skinny diabetics and I like some others wonder whether the there should be a bit of rethinking rather than just classifying us as type 2 and put in the same box as those that could do with losing a few pounds.

The answer to your question is that fundamentally the carbs in your diet need to be replaced with fats and your body has to readjust itself to use them rather than carbohydrate to generate the blood glucose needed to keep your body functioning well.
 
I'm thinking along the same lines of Docb, what was your hba1c?

Have you been dieting/trying to lose weight? Type 2's don't generally lose weight before they are diagnosed so I'm interested to hear what tests they did to determine your Type

When I needed to gain weight I stuffed myself with eggs, cheese etc but then I needed no carb stuff as I didn't want to be injecting more
xx
 
I cannot imagine myself ever having that problem but I hope you get sorted.
 
Kaylz said:
I'm thinking along the same lines of Docb, what was your hba1c?

Have you been dieting/trying to lose weight? Type 2's don't generally lose weight before they are diagnosed so I'm interested to hear what tests they did to determine your Type

When I needed to gain weight I stuffed myself with eggs, cheese etc but then I needed no carb stuff as I didn't want to be injecting more
xx
Click to expand...

Hi Kaylz,

I was only diagnosed yesterday so don't actually know what my hba1c is yet. The doctor I saw inferred that it was type 2 but I guess I will find out for sure when I get my full set of tests.
I haven't been trying to lose weight at all. I've been pretty much the same weight for 30yrs (10 1/2st) and over a very short period of time lost nearly 2st which is what prompted me to see my GP.
It could just be that my body has been using what fat and muscle I had to survive. Hopefully once I can get my BG under control the weight will control itself.

I'll update once I have some info.


Steve
 
Steve1969 said:
Hi Kaylz,

I was only diagnosed yesterday so don't actually know what my hba1c is yet. The doctor I saw inferred that it was type 2 but I guess I will find out for sure when I get my full set of tests.
I haven't been trying to lose weight at all. I've been pretty much the same weight for 30yrs (10 1/2st) and over a very short period of time lost nearly 2st which is what prompted me to see my GP.
It could just be that my body has been using what fat and muscle I had to survive. Hopefully once I can get my BG under control the weight will control itself.

I'll update once I have some info.


Steve
Click to expand...
weight loss is generally a Type 1 symptom rather than how a Type 2 presents, I worry that (no offence) due to your age they have written you off as Type 2 end of story, there are many of the members on here diagnosed as Type 1 later in life so I would ask them what makes them deem you as Type 2 rather than investigating further, I myself was diagnosed a week before my 25th but there are people been diagnosed at 40+, please do enquire about that
xx
 
I agree with @Kaylz - it sounds very much as though you may be type 1 rather than type 2. Doctors often assume that anyone who develops diabetes as an adult is type 2 (because type 1 is thought of as juvenile diabetes), when in fact more than 40% of people who develop type 1 do so as adults. Unexpected rapid weight loss is a symptom of type 1, and it's important to get a correct diagnosis, because type 1 can get very serious very fast if untreated (but don't panic, because once it's treated it's fine, probably easier to manage than type 2, tbh). If your GP hasn't tested you for type 1 please ask them to do so as a matter of urgency - a positive GAD antibody test along with the weight loss should be enough to indicate type 1, or if they want to be absolutely sure they can also get a C-Peptide test done.

If you are type 2 you will need to cut carbs from your diet as much as is sustainable for you (not just sugary carbs, but starchy ones like pasta, rice, and potatoes too, and fruit/fruit juice, which people tend to think of as healthy, but which isn't healthy for diabetics). Instead eat plenty of healthy fats and proteins - meat, fish, full-fat dairy, eggs, nuts - along with veg and salads. If you're type 1 you won't necessarily need to do this in the long term (though it might help to cut down on carbs a bit), but in the short term it certainly won't hurt to cut carbs as much as you can as they won't be doing you any good at all at the moment.
 
PS I was 44 when I was diagnosed, and lots of people here were diagnosed type 1 in their 50s, and some even in their 60s. Several were misdiagnosed as having type 2 at first.
 
Hello @Steve1969 welcome to the forum. I lost 4 stone on diagnosis and like you was the only reason and moaning from family and friends🙄 I went to the Dr`s. Next thing I know in the back of an ambulance with DKA & T1 Diabetes a bit more complicated than that but you get the gist. I think the girls are correct you need too ask for clarification of diagnosis (DX) and make sure you get a print out of your results and if you don`t mind posting them on here with any medication you have been given would be a great help. I have regained the weight loss mostly due to eating the wrong food and learning about my condition (not a disease) plus staying close to my Diabetic team. Contact your surgery to see if your results are ready, mine are usually available the same day, I am 65 now but only DX two years ago this month and without this forum wouldn`t have reached 64. Not trying to frighten you Steve just hope you get the correct result, once DX is confirmed and you get the correct medication it becomes easier with the correct knowledge.

@Docb says carbs are a large influence on our BS`s so cutting down is the first stage, I think the majority of this forum will agree. Come back and let us know how you are doing and take care our friend.🙂
 
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