T1D need help with weight gain

FawX

Member
Messages
13
hi everyone ...

im a type 1 diabetic on insulin and currently i decided to make a healthy lifestyle change with a decision to transform my body , i started lifting weights and im having a trouble with calories , as im currently studying abroad in a country where a dietitian is a buried treasure and not much food options for a diabetic , im trying to go on a surplus to gain weight currently im 67 kgs with a hba1c of 7.6 i know its high , ive got rid of all bad habits ( smoking , drinking , junk foods ) im currently getting all my carbs from oats and lentil pasta no white bread or flour at all sometimes brown bread , im kinda confused on how a lot goes around and i dont know if i should start a caloric surplus as im struggling with my skinny body
anyone can help ?
 

MarkMunday

Well-Known Member
Messages
421
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Replacing calories from carbs with calories from fat should help improve blood glucose control and increase weight at the same time. Eggs, cheese, avocados, nuts etc.
 
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Goonergal

Master
Retired Moderator
Messages
13,466
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Replacing calories from carbs with calories from fat should help improve blood glucose control and increase weight at the same time. Eggs, cheese, avocados, nuts etc.

That’s exactly how I lost a lot of weight (whilst improving BG control).

@FawX if you’re looking to add weight via lifting my view would be that increasing protein and fat will help with a) energy for your workouts and b) building muscle and therefore adding weight.
 

Marie 2

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,394
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Pump
If you're trying to build muscle, you usually benefit with some protein within 30 minutes before you work out or while you work out in combination with some carbs for fuel. But the most important is protein within 30-120 minutes of finishing. Basically your muscle will break down as you work out and needs protein to build and rebuild. You don't necessarily need huge amounts of protein, your body has a tendency to only be able to use a certain amount at a time anyway. You just need to make sure you supply some. Amounts you need really vary in opinions.

If you are really intensively working out, you might outright need more calories, the longer your workout the more calories you burn (and protein) and it will make it difficult to build muscle if you don't have enough calories in the first place,
 
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M

Member34835

Guest
hi everyone ...

im a type 1 diabetic on insulin and currently i decided to make a healthy lifestyle change with a decision to transform my body , i started lifting weights and im having a trouble with calories , as im currently studying abroad in a country where a dietitian is a buried treasure and not much food options for a diabetic , im trying to go on a surplus to gain weight currently im 67 kgs with a hba1c of 7.6 i know its high , ive got rid of all bad habits ( smoking , drinking , junk foods ) im currently getting all my carbs from oats and lentil pasta no white bread or flour at all sometimes brown bread , im kinda confused on how a lot goes around and i dont know if i should start a caloric surplus as im struggling with my skinny body
anyone can help ?
If you are trying to add muscle and improve blood glucose then eating more high quality whole proteins will help you e.g. chicken, fish, eggs, meat, nuts. I do not know where you are or how available these foods are to you?
You could add in a couple of snacks post work out and before bed which are a mix of protein and carb without raising your blood glucose provided you bolus for it correctly e.g. a banana with nut butter or (for convenience a protein shake/bar ideally home made or low carb. Or some boiled eggs on a slice of rye bread. Proteins from animal sources are more complete but lentils and oats work well provided you can add some protein to them e.g. porridge with nut butter and lentils with eggs or cheese....
Good luck with your plan!
Insulin is an anabolic hormone so you can use a little alongside the snack to help you gain muscle provided you have trained.
 
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Jaylee

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
18,213
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi @FawX ,

Welcome to,the forum.

I'm no gym goer myself. I'm certainly no "man mountain" to start with, but my meteabolism does allow me to "wire up" pending on certain repetitive daily routine job duties involving weight in the past with pleasing results. (For me.)
If I was to mention what I naturally chose diet wise, protein.

Congrats on the healthier you..

I appreciate you are looking to bulk up, the reason I posted was to tag in @johnpol , who I believe has a little history with that sorta thing.?
 
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Daibell

Master
Messages
12,642
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi. Think Carbs, Fats & Proteins and not Calories. It sounds like you need to tweak your insulin up a bit to get the HBA1C down a little. Increase the Fats and Protein together with some increase in your insulin shots should enable better weight and BS management?
 
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FawX

Member
Messages
13
Replacing calories from carbs with calories from fat should help improve blood glucose control and increase weight at the same time. Eggs, cheese, avocados, nuts etc.

im doing so , relying on natural unsweetned peanut butter and healthy fats
 

FawX

Member
Messages
13
Im getting a good protein i
That’s exactly how I lost a lot of weight (whilst improving BG control).

@FawX if you’re looking to add weight via lifting my view would be that increasing protein and fat will help with a) energy for your workouts and b) building muscle and therefore adding weight.
intake daily and supplementing after workout with some carbs
 

FawX

Member
Messages
13
If you're trying to build muscle, you usually benefit with some protein within 30 minutes before you work out or while you work out in combination with some carbs for fuel. But the most important is protein within 30-120 minutes of finishing. Basically your muscle will break down as you work out and needs protein to build and rebuild. You don't necessarily need huge amounts of protein, your body has a tendency to only be able to use a certain amount at a time anyway. You just need to make sure you supply some. Amounts you need really vary in opinions.

If you are really intensively working out, you might outright need more calories, the longer your workout the more calories you burn (and protein) and it will make it difficult to build muscle if you don't have enough calories in the first place,

i read about this that the body can maximum use 30g of protein per meal and more than that isnt useful
 
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FawX

Member
Messages
13
If you are trying to add muscle and improve blood glucose then eating more high quality whole proteins will help you e.g. chicken, fish, eggs, meat, nuts. I do not know where you are or how available these foods are to you?
You could add in a couple of snacks post work out and before bed which are a mix of protein and carb without raising your blood glucose provided you bolus for it correctly e.g. a banana with nut butter or (for convenience a protein shake/bar ideally home made or low carb. Or some boiled eggs on a slice of rye bread. Proteins from animal sources are more complete but lentils and oats work well provided you can add some protein to them e.g. porridge with nut butter and lentils with eggs or cheese....
Good luck with your plan!
Insulin is an anabolic hormone so you can use a little alongside the snack to help you gain muscle provided you have trained.

you just reminded me of peanut butter but i think im overdosing on it lol
 
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FawX

Member
Messages
13
Hi @FawX ,

Welcome to,the forum.

I'm no gym goer myself. I'm certainly no "man mountain" to start with, but my meteabolism does allow me to "wire up" pending on certain repetitive daily routine job duties involving weight in the past with pleasing results. (For me.)
If I was to mention what I naturally chose diet wise, protein.

Congrats on the healthier you..

I appreciate you are looking to bulk up, the reason I posted was to tag in @johnpol , who I believe has a little history with that sorta thing.?
thanks for your warm welcome :)
 

FawX

Member
Messages
13
Hi. Think Carbs, Fats & Proteins and not Calories. It sounds like you need to tweak your insulin up a bit to get the HBA1C down a little. Increase the Fats and Protein together with some increase in your insulin shots should enable better weight and BS management?
i did so today by increasing my insulin and my bs is way better
 

FawX

Member
Messages
13
update on today
today was the first day that i counted my calories and i checked that a t1d needs 35 calories per kg that means 35 calories x 67 kgs = 2345 calories
i ate around 2700 calories today
made 2 smoothies with 50 g oats , 20 g milk powder , 2 tbsps peanut butter ( 60 g ) thats combined a 609 kcal
a protein shake after workout 30 g oats , 30 g flax seed , 30 g chia seeds , and whey protein = 604 kcal
then for dinner 100 g lentils pasta - 348 kcal and 200 g fresh red meat = 441 kcal
snacked on a banana and yogurt aroung 130 kcals
so i guess first day was good
i know im overdosing on peanut butter i found this brand where it has 0 added sugar and totally natural and its addictive way better then nutella which gave me hyperglycemia a lot and keeps you full
and didnt have time for prepping meals so its smoothie time !!
 

Daibell

Master
Messages
12,642
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
update on today
today was the first day that i counted my calories and i checked that a t1d needs 35 calories per kg that means 35 calories x 67 kgs = 2345 calories
i ate around 2700 calories today
made 2 smoothies with 50 g oats , 20 g milk powder , 2 tbsps peanut butter ( 60 g ) thats combined a 609 kcal
a protein shake after workout 30 g oats , 30 g flax seed , 30 g chia seeds , and whey protein = 604 kcal
then for dinner 100 g lentils pasta - 348 kcal and 200 g fresh red meat = 441 kcal
snacked on a banana and yogurt aroung 130 kcals
so i guess first day was good
i know im overdosing on peanut butter i found this brand where it has 0 added sugar and totally natural and its addictive way better then nutella which gave me hyperglycemia a lot and keeps you full
and didnt have time for prepping meals so its smoothie time !!
As I said in my earlier post just forget Calories. There is no valid target number. The figures are just plucked from thin air and have no scientific basis. Calories were used during World War 2 to ensure people had a minimum of food intake when we had rationing. Since then slimming companies use them for a simple marketing proposition and PHE/NHS uses them thru ignorance. The public have been duped; just follow the genuine food groups :)
 
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FawX

Member
Messages
13
As I said in my earlier post just forget Calories. There is no valid target number. The figures are just plucked from thin air and have no scientific basis. Calories were used during World War 2 to ensure people had a minimum of food intake when we had rationing. Since then slimming companies use them for a simple marketing proposition and PHE/NHS uses them thru ignorance. The public have been duped; just follow the genuine food groups :)

will read more about it . do you have some info from your side you can share that may help me ?
 

johnpol

Well-Known Member
Messages
919
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
if you want to put on weight for training or changing your body eat 4-6 meals a day. high protein and fats with some carbs. in principle it sounds easy to do is difficult. if you cant eat vast amounts of food, then get yourself a protein/carb powder to add in between your food intake. 30g of protein per meal is the ideal, but if you are eating a lot then 20-25g per sitting is fine. you can add peanut butter or flax seed oil to any shakes you are eating to further boost good calories that you are consuming. the advice I was given to add bulk for my chosen sport was to just eat, and eat, and then eat some more and when you're full eat again, not the best advice I was given, but it highlights just how difficult it is to actually consume the amount of food required to actually put on muscle. Good luck, and remember eat a minimum of 4-6 meals a day and also have protein shakes too. believe it or not you will need some carbs to help the protein get to where it needs to be, just don't go overboard. Check your bloods after each meal (which will be just before you eat if you are following a 2hourly eating plan) . Hope this is of use to you,
 
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Daibell

Master
Messages
12,642
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
will read more about it . do you have some info from your side you can share that may help me ?
Hi. If you Google the subject you come up with many discussions of Calories and here are just a few:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-reasons-why-a-calorie-is-not-a-calorie#section4

https://experiencelife.com/article/the-calorie-myth/

https://www.health.com/weight-loss/why-calorie-counts-are-wrong-6-diet-myths-busted

Now most of these will have some bias so you need to gradually form your own view. To me the important point is that we don't eat Calories which are a measure of energy and not a food. The articles I have linked and others make the point that not all Calories are equal due to the way the body metabolises different foods, so measuring calorie input has no meaning unless you define the mix of the three food groups that go with the number of calories and no one does that. You can't define the 'right' number of Calories to have per day as we are all very different and expend widely varying amounts of energy each day. As diabetics we each need to control Carb input to control BS and weight gain and that will vary from person to person. It is generally accepted that fats and proteins only have a small effect on BS and also on weight gain; they also reduce hunger. I would suggest that each of us needs to determine the right mix of the three food groups plus veg etc to control BS and weight and note that I have not mentioned Calories in making that point. There are many myths that we have been fed as a society such as '2 litres of water per day', 'Five-a-day' of fruit and veg etc. Sadly Calories are another one.
 
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FawX

Member
Messages
13
if you want to put on weight for training or changing your body eat 4-6 meals a day. high protein and fats with some carbs. in principle it sounds easy to do is difficult. if you cant eat vast amounts of food, then get yourself a protein/carb powder to add in between your food intake. 30g of protein per meal is the ideal, but if you are eating a lot then 20-25g per sitting is fine. you can add peanut butter or flax seed oil to any shakes you are eating to further boost good calories that you are consuming. the advice I was given to add bulk for my chosen sport was to just eat, and eat, and then eat some more and when you're full eat again, not the best advice I was given, but it highlights just how difficult it is to actually consume the amount of food required to actually put on muscle. Good luck, and remember eat a minimum of 4-6 meals a day and also have protein shakes too. believe it or not you will need some carbs to help the protein get to where it needs to be, just don't go overboard. Check your bloods after each meal (which will be just before you eat if you are following a 2hourly eating plan) . Hope this is of use to you,

thats the point , doing so is the hard thing , so mostly im going to smoothies due to limited time and easiness of preparing , im using a protein powder called nitro tech if you heard about it , once after my workout , i was gonna get a carb powder or the so called 'mass gainer' then ive read that its full maltodextrine and elements thats for people with working pancreas to promote more insulin release and therefore gain weight for us as diabetics the math is different thats why i steered clear from carb powders , my bs has never been better as i increased my insulin a bit and mostly now its under control
 

FawX

Member
Messages
13
Hi. If you Google the subject you come up with many discussions of Calories and here are just a few:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-reasons-why-a-calorie-is-not-a-calorie#section4

https://experiencelife.com/article/the-calorie-myth/

https://www.health.com/weight-loss/why-calorie-counts-are-wrong-6-diet-myths-busted

Now most of these will have some bias so you need to gradually form your own view. To me the important point is that we don't eat Calories which are a measure of energy and not a food. The articles I have linked and others make the point that not all Calories are equal due to the way the body metabolises different foods, so measuring calorie input has no meaning unless you define the mix of the three food groups that go with the number of calories and no one does that. You can't define the 'right' number of Calories to have per day as we are all very different and expend widely varying amounts of energy each day. As diabetics we each need to control Carb input to control BS and weight gain and that will vary from person to person. It is generally accepted that fats and proteins only have a small effect on BS and also on weight gain; they also reduce hunger. I would suggest that each of us needs to determine the right mix of the three food groups plus veg etc to control BS and weight and note that I have not mentioned Calories in making that point. There are many myths that we have been fed as a society such as '2 litres of water per day', 'Five-a-day' of fruit and veg etc. Sadly Calories are another one.

Thanks alot !!