Any thin people with Diabetes or pre diabetes out there? (buy, blood)
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Pre diabetic and my doctor wants me to cut back on carbs and salt. I can/did cut back on carbs, but, three weeks ago I was 5'6" and 114 lbs. My weight has dropped to 110 lbs.
I need to consume about 2300 calories a day to gain a 1/2 lb a month! I am trying to figure out how to increase my calories while reducing carbs and salt in my meal planning. I had been using foods like bagels and crackers to keep my daily calorie intake up. (I don't consume obviously high sugar foods like soda, candy, donuts.) I need to replace with foods that are high calorie, but, low carb and low salt.
To complicate things - I have allergies. I can't eat nuts, seeds, beans, hummus, Avocado, watermelon, celery and a few other things that are "good fats". Some of these foods I can't eat due to very bad tree pollen allergies. It seems that many high calorie plant based proteins mimic tree pollen and I get a cross reactive response. Tree nuts can cause anaphylactic response -so I need to avoid at all cost. One bright spot is that I can eat peanut butter and dry roasted unsalted peanuts as it seems that the processing of this one particular nut does something to change the makeup of the protein and it is safe for me to consume.
I have started replacing simple carbs with some foods that are complex carbs to lower spikes in glucose - but, I need to get back up to 114 pounds minimum ASAP. I am having real difficulty finding foods I can eat to gain weight.
It seems all of the meal planning for diabetics/pre diabetics is based upon losing weight and exercising. (I walk 5 miles a day - so I get plenty of exercise.) How do thin diabetics go about gaining weight on a low carb diet?
You need to see an endocrinologist. Us fat folks have it easier when it comes to diabetes...stop eating the bad stuff and our bodies start to go back to normal. The endocrinologist is the diabetes doctor and they'll be able to figure out what's going on with you.
As far as foods to eat...Greek yogurt is a good one. I saw this recipe today: https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/reci...?recipe=662771 which might work for you. Also, cream or butter in your coffee, olive oil on your veggies...fats have a lot of calories in a fairly small amount.
Until you can get to the right doctor and find the right foods, you can eat dairy products, can't you? Full fat cream? Good cheddar cheese? Use the cream on your cereal instead of eating bagels or crackers. If you need a ton of calories, you can drink the cream, even put chocolate in it. Buy a block of good cheese and use that as a snack. Can you eat meat? Roast beef with gravy? (Some carbs in the gravy but it's really fattening.) If you can get pasteurized eggs, I think it's safe to use them in a blender to make eggnog--with cream, of course! Eat eggs too, scrambled with cream, and make deviled eggs using mayonnaise. Tuna with mayonnaise. Try bacon once in a while.
The dairy and meat will keep your protein up besides adding calories. This may be too high fat for long term but it will should get your weight up to a maintenance level.
When I needed to gain weight (a LONG time ago) I wrote down everything I ate and did not go to bed until I had eaten enough calories. It was my doctor back then who told me about making eggnog--just add stevia, not sugar.
Make an appointment with a dietician and look for the book on amazon: Carb counting and meal planning
I am curious why you specified "thin people" though, diabetes is a disease that can affect anyone, it is not discriminatory.
Because most adult-onset diabetes is Type 2 and it most commonly affects people who are overweight or obese. OP has different needs than I do...I can cut carbs and take in less calories and the weight loss is good for me, but she's already underweight and cutting carbs has made her lose weight that she couldn't afford to lose.
FYI, I do already consume a great deal of dairy ( due to osteoporosis) in the way of low fat milk, low fat cheese and yogurt every day.
I did work with a dietician 5 years ago to insure I was getting adequate calcium and fiber in my food rather than from supplements. She is the one who did a metabolism test and calculated that due to my high metabolism I need to consume more calories than the average person. Some of her suggestions to increase my calorie intake did not work for me because the foods suggested were often things I can't eat. It was only very recently that I have discovered the common thread of all the foods I have to avoid - it has to do with a particular plant protein contained in these foods.
Now that I have to reduce salt and reduce carbs (in addition to maintaining high fiber and calcium in my meal planning) it is getting harder to plan meals. I have added eggs, peanut butter, virgin olive oil, spinach, tuna, salmon to my meals. For a quick 190 calories I am also using Glucerna shakes (which have 23 carbs- but, they are complex carbs that do not spike the blood sugar).
I am checking each food to see if it contains a complex carb or a simple carb. For example instead of eating grapes I am substituting bananas; instead of eating rye bread I am now using a bread high in fiber that is also made with whole wheat as the first item listed under the ingredients.
Most meal planning for Diabetics is centered around losing weight (even though 20% of diabetics are not overweight). If you want to qualify to take free classes on diet offered to diabetics you must have a BMI of 25+. This is why I am looking for suggestions from "thin" diabetics because maybe they can make some suggestions based upon personal experience and what worked for them.
I did come across an article that said consuming dark chocolate is good - can anyone confirm that? Would not mind adding dark chocolate as a snack!
If you want calories and fuel stay away from low fat products. They are generally unhealthy for low carb eaters. ALWAYS go for full fat. It may seem counter-intuitive but that is what the body needs. You will get the calories seek and fuel as well. Unfortunately, bananas (as well as grapes) have way too much sugar to be in any diabetics' diet. You are still a pre-diabetic but if you take the right precautions you can avoid future problems.
As for whole-wheat over rye bread, they are all considered carbs. The body does not know the difference. Just get used to counting carbs. There are many resources on the internet. It get easy after a while. While whole wheat may have a lower GI than rye or white bread the carbs are what really counts.
I am a full blown diabetic so I only speak from my perspective but from my experience.
If you really want to know (and not guess) how different foods affect you buy yourself a meter. You may be very wrong about what you think will not cause spikes. All diabetics should eat to their meter (and very few do). You should test yourself fasting to see just how far along you are. To see how different foods affect you, test yourself about 1.5 hours after a meal to see your actual numbers. I'm not saying you should do this after every meal but at least to get a general idea of what is happening.
70 to 100 is considered normal
You should try to keep you BG at or below 140 after meals. This is to prevent complications such as organ damage to kidneys, eyes, nerve damage to your feet etc. This usually happens over period of years so most people don't realize it till the damage is done.
The meter is a good idea. Your insurance probably won't cover one at this point and your doctor probably wouldn't prescribe one, but you can buy one at Walmart for $14 and strips for $9. Start testing after you eat a particular food and you'll be able to build up a list of foods that don't spike your BG.
Unless your cholesterol is high, swap out your low fat dairy for full fat. It will give you the calories you need, help you feel full longer, and even slow the digestion of carbs that are eaten in the same meal, meaning your BG is less likely to spike.
The other thing that really helps control blood sugar is some weight lifting exercise several times a week. Check with your doctor first.
Pre diabetic and my doctor wants me to cut back on carbs and salt. I can/did cut back on carbs, but, three weeks ago I was 5'6" and 114 lbs. My weight has dropped to 110 lbs.
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I need to consume about 2300 calories a day to gain a 1/2 lb a month! I am trying to figure out how to increase my calories while reducing carbs and salt in my meal planning. I had been using foods like bagels and crackers
....
It seems all of the meal planning for diabetics/pre diabetics is based upon losing weight and exercising. (I walk 5 miles a day - so I get plenty of exercise.) How do thin diabetics go about gaining weight on a low carb diet?
Mary2014,
At 5'6" and 110lbs, your BMI is 17.8. My BMI is 17.7 (5'2" and 97lbs). My doctor wanted me to gain more weight but my two physician brothers told me not to worry because I am very healthy and strong.
I was diagnosed in the early stage of diabetic over two years ago (A1C at 6.8). I upped my exercise level (from 30-45min a day to 1-2 hrs aday), cut my carb intake down to 1/3 to 1/2, double protein (meat, cheese, fish, nuts) and fruits/vegetables consumptions and got back to prediabetic condition (A1C 5.6 to 6.1) in the last 4 6-months checkups.
Bagels and crackers are not good for diabetic. I do eat them but always whole wheat and small amounts (1/4 bagel or 2-3 crackers).
I have done quite a bit of reading on diabetic diet and totally agree with other posters' recommendation of replacing low-fat dairy products with full fat version. Eating full-fat dairy products and lots of eggs have not any bad effect on my cholesterol level.
I'd think that by consuming a lot of protein and full fat product, you should be able to gain weight. I'd recommend adding weight training to walking and aerobic exercise. I am very comfortable with my low BMI because most of my weight is in strong muscles and not fat.
At 5'6" and 110lbs, your BMI is 17.8. My BMI is 17.7 (5'2" and 97lbs). My doctor wanted me to gain more weight but my two physician brothers told me not to worry because I am very healthy and strong.
I was diagnosed in the early stage of diabetic over two years ago (A1C at 6.8). I upped my exercise level (from 30-45min a day to 1-2 hrs aday), cut my carb intake down to 1/3 to 1/2, double protein (meat, cheese, fish, nuts) and fruits/vegetables consumptions and got back to prediabetic condition (A1C 5.6 to 6.1) in the last 4 6-months checkups.
Bagels and crackers are not good for diabetic. I do eat them but always whole wheat and small amounts (1/4 bagel or 2-3 crackers).
I have done quite a bit of reading on diabetic diet and totally agree with other posters' recommendation of replacing low-fat dairy products with full fat version. Eating full-fat dairy products and lots of eggs have not any bad effect on my cholesterol level.
I'd think that by consuming a lot of protein and full fat product, you should be able to gain weight. I'd recommend adding weight training to walking and aerobic exercise. I am very comfortable with my low BMI because most of my weight is in strong muscles and not fat.
BellaDL,
Thanks for responding. It helps to know you are also thin and understand about the difficulty getting enough calories. I have a fasting BG for the past 8 years in the 98 - 105 range. Most recent checkup was 104. A1C 3 years ago was 5.9. I will have another A1C done in May 2016.
My HDL is now up to 72 (probably due to walking 5 miles a day) so I think I can safely switch from low fat to regular full fat dairy products and eggs without worrying about my cholesterol levels.
I am starting weight training at the beginning of the year to address osteoporosis issues and it sounds like it should address the BG as well. I will be using a personal trainer for a few months to insure that the exercises are specific to individuals with scoliosis/ osteoporosis and that the exercises are done properly. The wrong exercises could do more harm than good and I have seen many people who do exercises incorrectly and do not realize it - but, another set of eyes can spot a potential problem.
I think getting a meter and monitoring my BG is also a good idea as well.
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