Weight gain

Hi. How old is your friend? If he is quite young and lost a lot of weight just before diagnosis then there is a very small possibility that he may have late onset Type 1 diabetes not Type 2. This will become obvious if his blood sugar keeps going up. I would suggest your friend gets hold of a blood sugar meter either buying one at the chemist with the test strips or asking a manufacturer for a free meter (they make their money from selling the strips). If his blood sugar reading 2 hours after a meal is above what it should be then he may need to reduce his carb intake and/or ask his GP for some tablets. As long as your friend is having around 2000 Kcal per day he shouldn't worry about gaining weight but should worry if his blood sugar reading continues to rise above the NICE recommended levels. I wouldn't advise protein supplements as you don't know what's in them e.g. carbs!

Hi,

I saw my doctor last week about weight loss. He's not concerned about it (yet) - my bmi is now 22 from 26 at diagnosis. He said 22 is good, to keep following my diabetic diet, take the metformin and exercise. My blood sugars were sky high last year but are now very good and under control. I took the low carb route but i'm not sure in the long term that it's sustainable for me. I'm eating a similar amount of calories to your friend. I cant even think about putting weight on and I'm now comfortable with my new weight but I know it will go lower.

Take Daibell's advice and get a meter if you haven't got one already.

Nik

Hi Bluelotus,
Some tips for your friend to gain 5-8 kgs. Tell him to increase his number of meals and add smarter food more in your diet plans. Increase caloric intake and consume more proteins. Start workouts, take supplements and drink energy fluids. Eat lots of snacks and having 7 hours sleep is sufficient as medically it is proven to have 7/8 hours a day.