Any other UNDERWEIGHT T2s out there??

add19

Well-Known Member
Messages
47
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Most, in fact the vast majority of discussion and assistance for T2s is directed towards losing weight, and given that 90% of T2s need to do this, this is how it should be. However I do feel a bit left out in the cold as far as advice for weight gain goes. There's very,very little advice anywhere about a LCHF diet that incorporates dietary components to aid weight gain for the 10% who need it.
At diagnosis my BMI was 18, at my last review in July it was 17.5, though I suspect it actually hadn't changed. I'm currently about 8 stone 12 lbs, 56 kg and about 5foot 9 inches. I never bothered about weighing myself as I was never overweight, and the only times I stepped on the scales was to weigh myself and then myself plus holiday suitcases. I first became aware that I may have had lost weight due to some comments from friends we only see on holiday who commented to my wife. I think I lost about 10kg from my 'normal' weight over about 2 years.
So, any suggestions about foods to help weight gain without increasing blood glucose would be welcome as would any other helpful hints. I have found that a LCHF diet has worked wonders for my BG, but it hasn't done much for my BMI.
I feel the same way here. I am too skinny. I shed over 30% of my body weight within months after my diagnosis. My diabetes is effectively managed since then. Initially I used to take tabs twice a day but my doctor told me to stop. waited another 3 months to check the impact but the result remained the same at 5.2. Am still struggling to gain weight but not successful. Avocados got calories and they are diabetes friendly so are nuts but you may need to be moderate when you snack on them. Unfortunately the Low carb diet doesn't help much to gain weight. I am mildly anemic now how about you? Sometimes diabetic patients have a gastrointestinal complications and delayed digestive absorption problems. I don't know if that could be a problem to gain weight or not yet.
 

Sue 571

Member
Messages
16
I am a skinny type 2 and I can fully agree that it is hard work trying to gain weight or even maintain the weight that you have ! I make sure that I eat plenty of good fats for example I have an avocado every morning ,cheese and nuts as mid. meal.snacks and full fat yoghurt with Jersey double cream for pudding most days .I put lots of butter on my veg I am 6 stone 9 and just 5 foot but it is onward and upwards !! I have started to post on the weekly weigh in on Fridays thread so if you join in we could encourage one another
CAROL
There's no such condition as "underweight type 2". You are insulin deficient, not insulin resistant. The classification is ********. Tests for c-peptide & GAD are expensive and the NHS tends to sidestep them. Insulin is needed to recover muscle bulk and strength.
 

Redrav

Active Member
Messages
37
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Negative people
I am also underweight - lost 6 kgs in 6 months with the LCHF diet. People always assume you have a dreaded disease when they notice you have lost weight. My wife forced me to eat some rice with my meals - obviously spiked my BGL.
Will try to eat more cheese and nuts as suggested. Thanks.
 
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Sue 571

Member
Messages
16
Hi, not to sure how to reply on these threads, see my name has just been posted and not my reply, so trying again :). I read with interest your letters about being thin, I have the same problem! Before I was told I was type 2 in 2012 I was happy with my size of 12-14 , I looked healthy felt healthy and looked younger than my years, then I cut out carbs and all sugar and rapidly lost weight, I ended up being a size 8 and I felt and looked terrible and at my age then 58 going on 59 my face took the blunt of my weight loss and I gained wrinkles!! I looked gaunt and very unhealthy and people told me how ill I looked!!! Although I was able to lower my sugar levels, my weight loss has been more of a struggle to deal with than my diabetes! Today I am a size 10 but my face is still skinny and wrinkly and I now look 10 years older!!! So I feel for all of you who feel "skinny" and cannot eat carbs to gain weight, it is a struggle!!!
But as my son tells me... be grateful at least we God Willing, won't suffer from all the dreaded side effects of diabetes!!
 

AndBreathe

Master
Retired Moderator
Messages
11,320
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi, not to sure how to reply on these threads, see my name has just been posted and not my reply, so trying again :). I read with interest your letters about being thin, I have the same problem! Before I was told I was type 2 in 2012 I was happy with my size of 12-14 , I looked healthy felt healthy and looked younger than my years, then I cut out carbs and all sugar and rapidly lost weight, I ended up being a size 8 and I felt and looked terrible and at my age then 58 going on 59 my face took the blunt of my weight loss and I gained wrinkles!! I looked gaunt and very unhealthy and people told me how ill I looked!!! Although I was able to lower my sugar levels, my weight loss has been more of a struggle to deal with than my diabetes! Today I am a size 10 but my face is still skinny and wrinkly and I now look 10 years older!!! So I feel for all of you who feel "skinny" and cannot eat carbs to gain weight, it is a struggle!!!
But as my son tells me... be grateful at least we God Willing, won't suffer from all the dreaded side effects of diabetes!!

I'm happy enough now in my little body. I just can't afford for it to be any littler!

I've always used moisturiser all over, but when losing and beyond, I am sure I have kept the shea/cocoa/palm butter manufacturers in business. The sad reality is that we humans tend to find our skins lose their elasticity over time, and we women have the double whammy of dwindling hormones influencing that too.

I'll just keep lathering on the creams and butters. I'm sure that as well as feeling lovely, the act of massaging the oils in stimulates the circulation which is all good.
 
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 3
Treatment type
Insulin
There's no such condition as "underweight type 2". You are insulin deficient, not insulin resistant. The classification is ********. Tests for c-peptide & GAD are expensive and the NHS tends to sidestep them. Insulin is needed to recover muscle bulk and strength.
I was diagnosed with T2 16 years ago and no amount of tablets would bring my sugar levels down. The diabetic nurse knew I think that my diabetes wasn't type 2 but type 1 and I was put in insulin. At this point I had lost a lot of weight and was about 7st. 10 lbs. I have a twin sister and we are part of trials at St. Bart's in London where one twin has (diabetes) and the other hasn't. We had the tests c-peptide and GAD and others too. It was confirmed that yes I did have Type 1 and that my (twin) sister would eventually get T1. Years went by and 12 years later my sister got diabetes. Her GP said she had type 2 and would not budge from that diagnosis. I kept telling my sister "go back to your GP, tell him you have an identical twin with T1 and therefore your diabetes must be Type1." He still wouldn't budge and it was only when she was admitted to hospital with a BS reading of 32 that he took notice. I tell you this story because .... could you be type 1?
 

DeejayR

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,375
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
This is a useful thread and I wonder if it could be pinned with its own heading. I think it's important to focus on low weight (if you don't want to call it underweight) and to embrace all shades of diabetes so people can weigh up (sorry) the options.
 

miahara

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,019
Type of diabetes
Type 3c
Treatment type
Insulin
Maybe a good idea @DeejayR would there be enough of us to keep it going ?
CAROL
I'd half hoped the thread might be pinned when I started it. Given than about 10% of diabetics are underweight and that there are 200,000 members of DCUK, in theory at least, that would mean about 20,000 members wanting to maintain or increase weight.
It's very hard finding resources on the www that are not primarily aimed at Ds seeking to lose weight and a dedicated forum on here could become a major resource.
 

miahara

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,019
Type of diabetes
Type 3c
Treatment type
Insulin
@himtoo What's the chance of this thread or something similar being pinned or at least made more readily accessible?
 
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himtoo

Well-Known Member
Retired Moderator
Messages
4,805
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
mean people , gardening , dishonest people , and war.
why can't everyone get on........
@miahara thanks for the tag -- I shall do my best !!:)

edit by himtoo -- have made a report to our admin team to request this -- thanks all !!!!
 

Keesha

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,261
Type of diabetes
Type 2
I am afraid to weigh myself because I am too skinny and have been all my life. My T2 is hereditary and every member of my family has it. I will jump with joy if I can put on five pounds.
 
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jenrose

Well-Known Member
Messages
290
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
very cold and very hot weather
I have the same problem, of how to increase weight without spiking blood sugar. I lost 1/2 a stone just recently which puts me underweight as I was on the borderline before the tablets caused me to have digestion and IBS problems so that I could not eat much. I have a good appetite now I am taking slow release Metformin but last time I lost 1/2 stone it took months to go back to my normal 7 stones (I am only 5ft tall - actually a tad less as I have shrunk a bit with age). I am eating protein and fat. I do walk the dogs daily too and would like to eat salad veg but can't eat raw vegetables except for tomatoes which I eat daily. I did read an article that wrote about 'skinny fat' people, that is people who are skinny but in this article it said that some of us eat very badly and although look healthy are actually unhealthy and who often develope diabetes and heart disease as they don't realize they are not healthy so at least we know we have diabetes.
 

DeejayR

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,375
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I did read an article that wrote about 'skinny fat' people, that is people who are skinny but in this article it said that some of us eat very badly and although look healthy are actually unhealthy and who often develope diabetes and heart disease as they don't realize they are not healthy so at least we know we have diabetes.
I decided after reading a newspaper article (not the best source of info I admit) that I might be a toffee or TOFI (thin outside, fat inside), meaning that despite being thin I might have impacted fat restricting my internal organs.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2006/dec/10/medicineandhealth.health
Also
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/low-weight-diabetic-type-2-people.97800/#post-1102147
 
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miahara

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,019
Type of diabetes
Type 3c
Treatment type
Insulin
I decided after reading a newspaper article (not the best source of info I admit) that I might be a toffee or TOFI (thin outside, fat inside), meaning that despite being thin I might have impacted fat restricting my internal organs.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2006/dec/10/medicineandhealth.health
Also
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/low-weight-diabetic-type-2-people.97800/#post-1102147
Thanks for the Guardian link - a fascinating and informative article.
I'll pop out to the shed tomorrow and see if I got the bits to construct an MRI scanner :bookworm:
 
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Daibell

Master
Messages
12,642
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi. I suspect you are a Late onset T1 and not T2. Many skinny T2s are in fact mis-diagnosed T1s. Being skinny can result from the body burning fat to make up for lack of insulin to burn carbs. Do insist on a c-peptide test or get it done privately as I did. My GP wouldn't budge from her T2 diagnosis but she was wrong.
 
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DeejayR

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,375
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Do insist on a c-peptide test or get it done privately as I did. My GP wouldn't budge from her T2 diagnosis but she was wrong.
Interesting comment, @Daibell . The GP who first diagnosed me was in two minds about her diagnosis and sent me for a C-peptide test which she said was inconclusive. She also recommended this forum! Needless to say alas she left the practice shortly afterwards and I heard the managers were not pleased with her revolutionary methods. I like to think she jumped before she was pushed because she saved me from years of struggle on the NHS programme.
EDIT Having said my weight is stable no matter what, I find I've gained 3 kilo since October. I'm putting it down to hibernation fat.