Hello. Any advice on how to put on weight?

[Mandoula]

Dr's don't seem to know how to help. They keep suggesting high cal drinks that are full of carbs...Asking for a friend, a lady in her 70's experiencing sudden weight loss. Thank you.

 

[Inka]

Welcome @Mandoula 🙂 Presumably the lady has diabetes? Which type? Is she on medication for the diabetes? If so, what? What are her blood glucose results like - ie the numbers?

Good things to eat for weight gain are oily fish, nuts and seeds, avocado, etc, all of which are low in carbs.

Has she had investigations to try to find the cause of her weight loss?

 

[Sharron1]

I was advised by a dietician to inrease weight eat nuts and avocado, but as with everything in moderation.

 

[rebrascora]

Don't forget eggs are high in protein and fat but almost no carbs and so versatile. A 2 or 3 egg omelette with a bit of onion and mushrooms and cheese and perhaps some ham or chicken and serves with a side salad and some creamy coleslaw, should help put some meat on her bones. Cream is lower carb than milk, so having real double cream in her coffee on a morning can be a treat as well as a calorie booster. It is my daily luxury!

I do think the weight loss should be investigated though. How long has she been diagnosed with diabetes and what if any medication does she take? Unexpected weight loss can be a sign of Type 1 if her blood Glucose levels are very high or it could be an indication of pancreatic problems, where her pancreas is not producing enough digestive enzymes as well as insulin. Usually if people are low on digestive enzymes their bowl movements will be affected, so if she is having issues with that too, particularly diarrhoea or greasy stools that float, then she needs to get checked out. A Faecal Elastase test would be something to get done if she is experiencing those symptoms too.

 

[Nick Cliff]

Also, I understand that, as we get older, the body becomes less efficient at absorbing nutrients from food, so eating the same amount of food, spread over more meals and snacks, may be a way of an older person maintaining or increasing weight. I learnt this from the NHS website. But please see the previous comments above about obtaining medical advice.
I agree with the other comments regarding eating a high calorie but low carb diet, avoiding animal fats. Hope this helps. Nick (Type 2 Diabetic with low Body Mass Index who has to avoid losing weight).

 

[gillrogers]

Im on the understanding that low carb but high calories means weight loss as youre eating much more protien. Isnt that where a Keto diet comes in? Sometimes if ive had a very high day and dont want a high after dinber ill go low carb but high protien and fats. I get the calories in but im sure i read somewhere that it actually encourage s weightloss instead. So get a bit wary when i do it as i dont need the weight loss.

 

[DaveB]

The usual advice is to increase proteins and fats and not increase carbs beyond what your BS level can tolerate. Forget Calories and focus on the food groups. What is your diabetes diagnosis? Unexpected weight loss is often associated with LADA i.e. Type 1

 

[mhtyler]

Dr's don't seem to know how to help. They keep suggesting high cal drinks that are full of carbs...Asking for a friend, a lady in her 70's experiencing sudden weight loss. Thank you.

Here in the US the answer is simple: Oreo's

 

[mhtyler]

Dr's don't seem to know how to help. They keep suggesting high cal drinks that are full of carbs...Asking for a friend, a lady in her 70's experiencing sudden weight loss. Thank you.

If oreos aren't your cup of tea, you could go the protein route; ingest high protein shakes, and then hit the gym and build muscle. That's a lot harder than oreos, but it would be healthier.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I think nuts, seeds, and high calorie ‘good fat’ foods should help.

There are also those balanced ‘soup and shake’ preparations (not all of which are high in sugars and carbs) which may be able to add extra calorie intake on top of regular meals?