How to increase weight without more carbs

[KERI]

Hi All, I was diagnosed type 2 last May with Hb1ac of 100. Was on Gliclazide and 1 500mg Metformin per day. Three weeks later reading was 75, 3 months later was 38 so could come off the Gliclazide, but last reading a month ago it was back up slightly to 43 - took a bit of adjusting diet without the Gliclazide. My weight has gone from nearly 10 1/2 stone ( I’m 5’4”) to 8st 3lb . I don’t want to lose any more weight but find it difficult to know what to eat to put weight on without eating carbs. My dietician has suggested eating more cheese, avacado and nuts etc, which I’ve started doing but wondered if anyone had any ideas what else I could eat to put a bit of weight on? My doctor said I could up my Metformin to 2 tablets per day but I would rather try other things first. I usually have 40g of porridge with Alpro no sugar milk and handful of berries and nuts for breakfast; 1 slice of whole meal bread with 1/2 avacado and poached egg for lunch; either chicken breast or fish with lots of veg and small potatoes; evening snack of celery and feta cheese and nuts or avacado. Walking about 12k steps a day. I’ll always walk half hour after a meal. Thank you

 

[AndBreathe]

Hi All, I was diagnosed type 2 last May with Hb1ac of 100. Was on Gliclazide and 1 500mg Metformin per day. Three weeks later reading was 75, 3 months later was 38 so could come off the Gliclazide, but last reading a month ago it was back up slightly to 43 - took a bit of adjusting diet without the Gliclazide. My weight has gone from nearly 10 1/2 stone ( I’m 5’4”) to 8st 3lb . I don’t want to lose any more weight but find it difficult to know what to eat to put weight on without eating carbs. My dietician has suggested eating more cheese, avacado and nuts etc, which I’ve started doing but wondered if anyone had any ideas what else I could eat to put a bit of weight on? My doctor said I could up my Metformin to 2 tablets per day but I would rather try other things first. I usually have 40g of porridge with Alpro no sugar milk and handful of berries and nuts for breakfast; 1 slice of whole meal bread with 1/2 avacado and poached egg for lunch; either chicken breast or fish with lots of veg and small potatoes; evening snack of celery and feta cheese and nuts or avacado. Walking about 12k steps a day. I’ll always walk half hour after a meal. Thank you

I'm a slight T2 (160cm/5'3") and 49kg, or just over 71/2 stones. I live a low carb lifestyle.

When my weight drops a bit, I focus on upping the protein, then if that's not enough, I'll add more fats, as your dietician suggests.

Looking at what you suggest you eat, personally I'd go for full fat Greek yoghurt, with berries and nuts (any reason you have Alpro milk?). I'm gluten-free but haven't eaten bread in several years, so at lunch, I'd swerve the bread, and just have more avocado, or an extra egg. Dinner plenty of protein - meat, eggs, fish and green veg.

Gaining weight without carbs is doable, and I don't eat snacks. I just never have. I was brought up to understand that if my meals filled me I didn't need to eat between. I'm very active.

 

[rebrascora]

I eat a lot of nice cheese and nuts and peanut butter by the spoonful, usually with a half a square of dark 85% chocolate as it smooths some of the bitterness and makes it more satisfying. I also have real double cream in my coffee every morning which is one of the little compensation luxuries for all the high carb foods which I have given up. Pork scratchings also feature as my guilty pleasure snack. Eggs are also really good for providing fat and protein without carbs. I used to boil a dozen and then eat one or two a day with a spoon of full fat mayonnaise to fill me up and keep me going as a lunchtime snack. I also eat lots of lovely olives with feta and grilled artichokes preserved in oil (and drained) and feta stuffed peppadew peppers. I make a big pan of ratatouille and add lots of olive oil (aubergines are great for soaking up oil/fat as are mushrooms) Oily fish, fatty meat like lamb and belly pork and rib-eye steak. Creamy/cheese coleslaw. Knob of butter in my green veg(cabbage leeks, kale) Full fat Greek style yoghurt for breakfast.....
.... As you can tell, I have fat intake off to a fine art.... Fitter and slimmer than I have been for years eating like this and so far cholesterol is still reducing since increasing my fat intake.

 

[KERI]

I eat a lot of nice cheese and nuts and peanut butter by the spoonful, usually with a half a square of dark 85% chocolate as it smooths some of the bitterness and makes it more satisfying. I also have real double cream in my coffee every morning which is one of the little compensation luxuries for all the high carb foods which I have given up. Pork scratchings also feature as my guilty pleasure snack. Eggs are also really good for providing fat and protein without carbs. I used to boil a dozen and then eat one or two a day with a spoon of full fat mayonnaise to fill me up and keep me going as a lunchtime snack. I also eat lots of lovely olives with feta and grilled artichokes preserved in oil (and drained) and feta stuffed peppadew peppers. I make a big pan of ratatouille and add lots of olive oil (aubergines are great for soaking up oil/fat as are mushrooms) Oily fish, fatty meat like lamb and belly pork and rib-eye steak. Creamy/cheese coleslaw. Knob of butter in my green veg(cabbage leeks, kale) Full fat Greek style yoghurt for breakfast.....
.... As you can tell, I have fat intake off to a fine art.... Fitter and slimmer than I have been for years eating like this and so far cholesterol is still reducing since increasing my fat intake.

Thank you! I feel really good health wise the best in a long time with exercising only walking at the moment because of a recent neck op but really enjoying it and it certainly helps keeping blood glucose down. I’ll try eating more cheese. I too have the odd bit of 85% dark chocolate. Love peanut butter but find that reacts with high reading for me . I’m going to try some of your other suggestions there or eat bigger portions of what I am re meat and fish. I have loads of different veg daily. I have Alpro no sugar milk as thought this was better than having normal milk which has sugar in? Is there a particular Greek full fat yoghurt? I’ll get the full fat mayonnaise! I was worried about eating more fat raising my cholesterol but at the moment this is fine (I’m on statins). Sounds like you have this sussed. I felt ok with the weight loss but some friends have said I look skinny! So it was worrying me. I know when you get older it may not look as good. I’m 62, but like you have never felt better.

 

[rebrascora]

I shop at Lidl and I buy their 1kg pots of creamy Greek style natural yoghurt and absolutely love it, so I would highly recommend that. A pot lasts me a week of breakfasts. I also love the fact that it is now made with British milk and to me tastes better since the change. I go through 2 pots of double cream in a week (cream is lower carb than milk) but I also buy a litre of blue top milk to last the week as well. I live alone so that is just for my use and probably not much milk consumption compared to the average person but lots more cream. 😎
You have to look at the ingredients with peanut butter as the carb content can vary quite a bit from one brand to another. I get the Meribel "Whole Nut" brand from Lidl which I seem to get away with unless I eat a third of the jar or more.... I try not to let that happen too often! 😱 Only when I am having a really, really bad day!! One spoonful with a half a square of 85% choc doesn't seem to have too much impact on my levels.

I am definitely getting better at low carb eating the longer I practice it and for me the fat intake is what makes it sustainable. I have listed a lot of things you can use to incorporate fat into your diet which may make it look like I eat a massive amount, but they are not all everyday items on my menu.... except for the cream and cheese.

 

[AndBreathe]

Thank you! I feel really good health wise the best in a long time with exercising only walking at the moment because of a recent neck op but really enjoying it and it certainly helps keeping blood glucose down. I’ll try eating more cheese. I too have the odd bit of 85% dark chocolate. Love peanut butter but find that reacts with high reading for me . I’m going to try some of your other suggestions there or eat bigger portions of what I am re meat and fish. I have loads of different veg daily. I have Alpro no sugar milk as thought this was better than having normal milk which has sugar in? Is there a particular Greek full fat yoghurt? I’ll get the full fat mayonnaise! I was worried about eating more fat raising my cholesterol but at the moment this is fine (I’m on statins). Sounds like you have this sussed. I felt ok with the weight loss but some friends have said I look skinny! So it was worrying me. I know when you get older it may not look as good. I’m 62, but like you have never felt better.

You seem to be doing well, and walking is very good exercise, so don't feel bad if it's "all you can manage".

I get through twice as much Lidl Greek yoghurt as @rebrascora , but maybe a little less cream, although there's usually a constant stream of home made clotted cream going on.

The only thing I might comment about the Alpro milk is to be careful if your thyroid is a bit wonky and you take any meds to help with that. Unfortunately, soya can affect how well thyroid meds work. As my thyroid is very errant I avoid anything containing soya.

 

[Jenny105]

Hi. Thanks for the ideas I have a similar issue I lost nearly 2 stone in 6m .13lbs before diagnosis and 13 after . First test HbA1c was 96. 4months later 38.
I'm wanting to put on a few pounds say to 8st 7 . I have the added issue of slightly high cholesterol which makes fat a problem as i cant take statins at the moment.... These are the tips Ive been given . Nuts , milled nuts mix (Linwoods) , advocado, eggs, Waitrose stock Hemp powder, Fortisip drink, or similar (watch carbs and fat) The occasional squeeze of squirty cream. I use Alpro No sugar yog to mix with all these and to lower carbs. Choccy - Nu + cao 1 , 2, 3 segments. I mentioned to our practice general nurse my issue and told her I was a member of the local Uni. Sports Club. She suggested seeing if they have a machine which can detect muscle from fat. And ask about some exercises to increase muscle . Muscle weighs more than fat.

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi. Thanks for the ideas I have a similar issue I lost nearly 2 stone in 6m .13lbs before diagnosis and 13 after . First test HbA1c was 96. 4months later 38.
I'm wanting to put on a few pounds say to 8st 7 . I have the added issue of slightly high cholesterol which makes fat a problem as i cant take statins at the moment.... These are the tips Ive been given . Nuts , milled nuts mix (Linwoods) , advocado, eggs, Waitrose stock Hemp powder, Fortisip drink, or similar (watch carbs and fat) The occasional squeeze of squirty cream. I use Alpro No sugar yog to mix with all these and to lower carbs. Choccy - Nu + cao 1 , 2, 3 segments. I mentioned to our practice general nurse my issue and told her I was a member of the local Uni. Sports Club. She suggested seeing if they have a machine which can detect muscle from fat. And ask about some exercises to increase muscle . Muscle weighs more than fat.

The machine is called a BODPOD which University sports science departments will often have and some hospitals.
If you google it you might find one near you where they are doing research or offer a service to the public.

 

[KERI]

I shop at Lidl and I buy their 1kg pots of creamy Greek style natural yoghurt and absolutely love it, so I would highly recommend that. A pot lasts me a week of breakfasts. I also love the fact that it is now made with British milk and to me tastes better since the change. I go through 2 pots of double cream in a week (cream is lower carb than milk) but I also buy a litre of blue top milk to last the week as well. I live alone so that is just for my use and probably not much milk consumption compared to the average person but lots more cream. 😎
You have to look at the ingredients with peanut butter as the carb content can vary quite a bit from one brand to another. I get the Meribel "Whole Nut" brand from Lidl which I seem to get away with unless I eat a third of the jar or more.... I try not to let that happen too often! 😱 Only when I am having a really, really bad day!! One spoonful with a half a square of 85% choc doesn't seem to have too much impact on my levels.

I am definitely getting better at low carb eating the longer I practice it and for me the fat intake is what makes it sustainable. I have listed a lot of things you can use to incorporate fat into your diet which may make it look like I eat a massive amount, but they are not all everyday items on my menu.... except for the cream and cheese.

Thank you for this I’ve bought some Greek style natural yoghurt, not from Lidl as wasn’t near one but I’ll look for one. Hopefully I’ll find a regime that works. Thank ms again

 

[KERI]

You seem to be doing well, and walking is very good exercise, so don't feel bad if it's "all you can manage".

I get through twice as much Lidl Greek yoghurt as @rebrascora , but maybe a little less cream, although there's usually a constant stream of home made clotted cream going on.

The only thing I might comment about the Alpro milk is to be careful if your thyroid is a bit wonky and you take any meds to help with that. Unfortunately, soya can affect how well thyroid meds work. As my thyroid is very errant I avoid anything containing soya.

Thank you. Oh yummy home made clotted cream! Sounds good! I’ll find a Lidle and try their yoghurt. I think my thyroid is ok. I checked with my doctor yesterday if there could be anything else that could cause the weight loss but she said all my blood tests were fine but maybe I’ll go back to normal milk or combo. Didn’t know soya can affect thyroid. Thank you and take care.

 

[KERI]

Hi. Thanks for the ideas I have a similar issue I lost nearly 2 stone in 6m .13lbs before diagnosis and 13 after . First test HbA1c was 96. 4months later 38.
I'm wanting to put on a few pounds say to 8st 7 . I have the added issue of slightly high cholesterol which makes fat a problem as i cant take statins at the moment.... These are the tips Ive been given . Nuts , milled nuts mix (Linwoods) , advocado, eggs, Waitrose stock Hemp powder, Fortisip drink, or similar (watch carbs and fat) The occasional squeeze of squirty cream. I use Alpro No sugar yog to mix with all these and to lower carbs. Choccy - Nu + cao 1 , 2, 3 segments. I mentioned to our practice general nurse my issue and told her I was a member of the local Uni. Sports Club. She suggested seeing if they have a machine which can detect muscle from fat. And ask about some exercises to increase muscle . Muscle weighs more than fat.

Hi, you’re very similar to me. Thank you for the suggestions I’ll try those as well and check out my sports centre for the machine. It’s just getting that happy medium isn’t it and finding what works for you. Sounds like you’re doing great.

 

[AndBreathe]

Hi, you’re very similar to me. Thank you for the suggestions I’ll try those as well and check out my sports centre for the machine. It’s just getting that happy medium isn’t it and finding what works for you. Sounds like you’re doing great.

I've had scales for some time that measure fat, muscle etc. I find them very useful. Rather than specifically looking to build muscle, I monitor to ensure I'm certainly not losing any.

These scales have 8 measuring points - 2 for each hand and each foot (they measure electrical impedence), and I specifically bought those as the more measuring points the better. Many just have feet, like ordinary weighing scales. They also have a memory, for up to 4 folks, plus "guests" meaning you don't have to input your gender, age and height each time you want to meaure.

I weigh myself every day. I know lots think this is a bad idea, but it works for me, as weight loss can be dramatic for me, and I have come to understand the perfectly healthy and normal fluctuations in my weight. That's just a straightforward step on/step off process, then once a week, I do a full scan, using the hand grasps.

Amazon have the scales I have (and probably lots more like them), and they're cheaper now than when I bought them. Thinking back, that would have been in 2014, so fair to say they've been reliable.

The link is just for your information really.: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Clinically...locphy=1006529&hvtargid=pla-540760357908&th=1

 

[chaoticcar]

I am a skinny type 2 I can manage 1 slice of low carb bread toasted with lots of cheese and marmite for my first breakfast then I have full fat yoghurt (Aldis Greek or Greek style ) double cream with a few berries or half a satsuma .Just a point about cholesterol levels when I was diagnosed with diabetes my cholesterol levels were over 7 but after lowering my carbs and upping the fats my levels came down to 5 which I am happy with as a older woman
Carol

 

[trophywench]

Milk - the daft thing about cow's milk is, the more cream you remove from it, the higher the lactose and therefore 'sugar' content goes - so skimmed has most, then semi skimmed and normal fat blue top milk, the least carb content.

 

[KERI]

I've had scales for some time that measure fat, muscle etc. I find them very useful. Rather than specifically looking to build muscle, I monitor to ensure I'm certainly not losing any.

These scales have 8 measuring points - 2 for each hand and each foot (they measure electrical impedence), and I specifically bought those as the more measuring points the better. Many just have feet, like ordinary weighing scales. They also have a memory, for up to 4 folks, plus "guests" meaning you don't have to input your gender, age and height each time you want to meaure.

I weigh myself every day. I know lots think this is a bad idea, but it works for me, as weight loss can be dramatic for me, and I have come to understand the perfectly healthy and normal fluctuations in my weight. That's just a straightforward step on/step off process, then once a week, I do a full scan, using the hand grasps.

Amazon have the scales I have (and probably lots more like them), and they're cheaper now than when I bought them. Thinking back, that would have been in 2014, so fair to say they've been reliable.

The link is just for your information really.: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Clinically...locphy=1006529&hvtargid=pla-540760357908&th=1

I didn’t know such scales existed they sound great I’ll have a look at the link, thank you very much

 

[KERI]

Milk - the daft thing about cow's milk is, the more cream you remove from it, the higher the lactose and therefore 'sugar' content goes - so skimmed has most, then semi skimmed and normal fat blue top milk, the least carb content.

I never knew that! Gosh it’s a minefield re sugars and carbs isn’t it! Back to blue top! Thanks

 

[KERI]

I am a skinny type 2 I can manage 1 slice of low carb bread toasted with lots of cheese and marmite for my first breakfast then I have full fat yoghurt (Aldis Greek or Greek style ) double cream with a few berries or half a satsuma .Just a point about cholesterol levels when I was diagnosed with diabetes my cholesterol levels were over 7 but after lowering my carbs and upping the fats my levels came down to 5 which I am happy with as a older woman
Carol

Never thought of putting cheese and marmite together I’ll give that a try I love marmite. Think I’m just a 1 slice of bread now. My cholesterol was high on diagnosis too but it’s ok now. Kay

 

[Leadinglights]

Never thought of putting cheese and marmite together I’ll give that a try I love marmite. Think I’m just a 1 slice of bread now. My cholesterol was high on diagnosis too but it’s ok now. Kay

Marmite and tomato is good, marmite and peanut butter I'm not so sure.

 

[KERI]

Marmite and tomato is good, marmite and peanut butter I'm not so sure.

Ooh I like the sound of marmite and tomato. And think I’ll have to try with peanut butter!

 

[AndBreathe]

I didn’t know such scales existed they sound great I’ll have a look at the link, thank you very much

Keri, one thing I didn't put in my last post was that those scales measure visceral fat too. My feeling is I wouldn't like to bet the farm on the readings - it's a scale of 0-30, but I do take note of it, as for those of us living with T2, visceral fat (around our organs) is considered to be the tricky stuff.