• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

How to gain weight without spiking glucose

G

gav_red

Active Member
Messages
41
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi all

I'm currently 69kgs 5'7" and love running. I don't like the body shape of runners and with lchf this is exactly the shape I'm taking. I struggle to keep my glucose levels in range and any deviation from lchf sends them through the roof. I am probably not eating enough, although not calorie counting, as even eating lchf with a big portion is not good for glucose levels.

How can I gain weight safely?
 
The only way to gain weight through diet whilst keeping carbs low is to increase fats and protein. There is no need to calorie count, just increase these nutrients bit by bit and use your bathroom scales and glucose meter to keep you on track, alongside a food diary. Tweak things as you go along and keep records.

Is it fat you are losing, or muscles? I am not an expert in any way on exercise as all I do is walk, but there are exercise experts on the forum who may give you some muscle building advice.
 
The body shape of runners on LCHF? Forgive me, I too am not a runner, what is this shape? And why would your shape be more important than keeping your Diabetes well managed?

As Bluetit has said, raising the level of protein and healthy fats by degrees (and some resistance work) until you find your personal optimum levels is the way to go to gain healthy weight.
 
gav_red said:
I am probably not eating enough, although not calorie counting, as even eating lchf with a big portion is not good for glucose levels.
Click to expand...
Why do you think not? If it actually is still raising glucose levels either it is not as low carb as you think or not as low carb as you need. Make a meal bigger, more filling and able to enable weight gain by adding fats and to some extent protein. (Protein can vary in its effect person to person glucose wise.).

As others have said maybe resistance or weight training will help you bulk up. Maybe try the exercise sub forum.
 
So you don't want to look like this :
images

or this https://gyazo.com/f8460e2305add5bd0fb273a2e3d7dbec
 
Last edited:
Guzzler said:
The body shape of runners on LCHF? Forgive me, I too am not a runner, what is this shape? And why would your shape be more important than keeping your Diabetes well managed?

As Bluetit has said, raising the level of protein and healthy fats by degrees (and some resistance work) until you find your personal optimum levels is the way to go to gain healthy weight.
Click to expand...
Hi guzzler. I might be being pedantic but I didn't say 'the body shape of runners on lchf' I said 'I don't like the body shape of runners and with lchf this is exactly the shape I'm taking'. I basically don't want to lose any more weight, especially muscle mass, as I dont think it looks great.

My body shape is important to me as well as controlling my diabetes. I'm sure most people would agree with that. Is this not a forum for diabetes and weight management?
 
HSSS said:
Why do you think not? If it actually is still raising glucose levels either it is not as low carb as you think or not as low carb as you need. Make a meal bigger, more filling and able to enable weight gain by adding fats and to some extent protein. (Protein can vary in its effect person to person glucose wise.).

As others have said maybe resistance or weight training will help you bulk up. Maybe try the exercise sub forum.
Click to expand...
Hi HSSS. Probably because I burn alot of calories running and am losing muscle mass & small amount of weight. You might be correct about my meals not being as lchf as I think. Will have to start counting carbs at meal times to measure my tolerance more accurately
 
gav_red said:
Hi guzzler. I might be being pedantic but I didn't say 'the body shape of runners on lchf' I said 'I don't like the body shape of runners and with lchf this is exactly the shape I'm taking'. I basically don't want to lose any more weight, especially muscle mass, as I dont think it looks great.

My body shape is important to me as well as controlling my diabetes. I'm sure most people would agree with that. Is this not a forum for diabetes and weight management?
Click to expand...
I see, thank you. As I said, I'm not a runner (no excercise whatsoever in my life) so I was curious about the differences, sorry for the misunderstanding.
My advice, though, stands even though I know nowt about exercise because I am a TOFI and I struggled to regain weight after losing too much on LCHF. Obviously I did not build muscle mass which is I think the way for you to go but...

s'just my opinion.
 
Word of caution if you are extremely insulin resistant, upping protein significantly may also be problematic for you in terms of glucose, particularly fasting. If this is the case then raising fat intake should have the desired effect.
 
Jim Lahey said:
Word of caution if you are extremely insulin resistant, upping protein significantly may also be problematic for you in terms of glucose, particularly fasting. If this is the case then raising fat intake should have the desired effect.
Click to expand...
If the OP is actually losing muscle mass this is surely something he should address?

@gav_red are you sure you have lost muscle mass? Do you have one of those super dooper scales that can measure fat mass etc?
 
gav_red said:
Ha ha I doubt he's a runner
Click to expand...
I just posted that to show that not all Athletes on Ketogenic Diet have low muscle mass.

I can't find the video just now but I saw one by an American doctor who is a triathlete and has been on Ketogenic diet for years since he got metabolic syndrome on the usual HCLF and 'Carb loading' that triathletes usually do/did.
He has (imho) a great body shape - not skinny at all.
 
gav_red said:
Hi HSSS. Probably because I burn alot of calories running and am losing muscle mass & small amount of weight. You might be correct about my meals not being as lchf as I think. Will have to start counting carbs at meal times to measure my tolerance more accurately
Click to expand...
If you are losing muscle mass due to not eating enough than definitely consider upping protein to protect this and enable you to rebuild. There are some very knowledgeable people on the exercise forum that can help you far more than I on this front though.
 
gav_red said:
Hi all

I'm currently 69kgs 5'7" and love running. I don't like the body shape of runners and with lchf this is exactly the shape I'm taking. I struggle to keep my glucose levels in range and any deviation from lchf sends them through the roof. I am probably not eating enough, although not calorie counting, as even eating lchf with a big portion is not good for glucose levels.

How can I gain weight safely?
Click to expand...

I 've in quite a nice place, meaning we have several runners pass us by every day, and they are of every shape, size, colour, gender and ability. Could you explain what shape your consider runners to be, and what, or whom, you want to look like?

I'm very slight indeed. In fact a couple of years ago now, someone asked if Iwas an ultra-marathon runner,....... er. No. However, when I do need to pull back a couple of kilos, I up firstly my protein, then the fat in my diet.

It's definitely not a quick fix. I came back from travelling for a couple of months on 1st April. I had dropped, literally 2kg. I've only in the last week or so, comforted myself I've got it back. I'm back to 48.5kg at 160cm. As I say, not a quick fix, if you want to gain lean tissue as opposed to additional body fat.
 
DCUKMod said:
I 've in quite a nice place, meaning we have several runners pass us by every day, and they are of every shape, size, colour, gender and ability. Could you explain what shape your consider runners to be, and what, or whom, you want to look like?

I'm very slight indeed. In fact a couple of years ago now, someone asked if Iwas an ultra-marathon runner,....... er. No. However, when I do need to pull back a couple of kilos, I up firstly my protein, then the fat in my diet.

It's definitely not a quick fix. I came back from travelling for a couple of months on 1st April. I had dropped, literally 2kg. I've only in the last week or so, comforted myself I've got it back. I'm back to 48.5kg at 160cm. As I say, not a quick fix, if you want to gain lean tissue as opposed to additional body fat.
Click to expand...
Hi. Runners who do high mileage tend to lose their muscle mass and look slightly underweight. I just want to keep my weight but am struggling because it spikes my glucose levels when eating more than I currently do.

You're right of course I need to add more protein and fat but that's what is causing my high levels.
 
gav_red said:
Hi. Runners who do high mileage tend to lose their muscle mass and look slightly underweight. I just want to keep my weight but am struggling because it spikes my glucose levels when eating more than I currently do.

You're right of course I need to add more protein and fat but that's what is causing my high levels.
Click to expand...
Carbs are what causes high levels. Not fats. Proteins may have some effect but nothing like carbs

What do you typically eat? Maybe we can make suggestions of how to tweak it?
 
Protein has only roughly half the glycaemic effects of carbs. Healthy fats are pretty much flat line wrt glucose. Some people are super sensitive to protein which is why it is best to raise protein in increments and test, test, test. More fats will not raise your bg levels and will stop your body cannibalising your muscles for glucose if indeed that is what is happening to you.
 
HSSS said:
Carbs are what causes high levels. Not fats. Proteins may have some effect but nothing like carbs

What do you typically eat? Maybe we can make suggestions of how to tweak it?
Click to expand...
OOps! Typing at the same time.
 
Back
Top