Weight loss can be a symptom of diabetes. Because your body can't convert the sugar in your blood, the calories that would normally be used are now lost. While you may be consuming a normal amount of food, the loss of sugar and calories that occurs due to diabetes can still cause you to lose weight. However, there are plenty of ways to maintain a healthy weight with diabetes.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Changing your eating habits
Step 1. Eat regularly
Some people with diabetes feel full after just a few bites of food. If you experience this as well, it may be that three meals a day are not enough. In this case, it is wise not to stick to the three meals, but to eat small amounts more often.
- Don't eat two or three, but five to six meals a day.
- Use toppings, sauces and other perks to give your food an extra calorie boost.
- Do your best to eat as much as possible at each meal.
Step 2. Eat foods that are full of nutrients
Try to eat food products that contain enough nutrients so that you get all the necessary nutrients. Simply eating more is not necessarily healthy. The following products contribute to your health in a good way and also contain a good dose of calories.
- Wholegrain cereals, pasta and bread. Rather not go for normal pasta or white bread.
- Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, nuts, seeds, and lean meats.
- Try making a shake or a smoothie.
- As always, make sure you consume a healthy amount of sugars.
Step 3. Make sure you don't drink too much just before a meal
Some people find that they are less hungry if they drink a lot shortly before a meal. Although a drink can make you feel full, you get few nutrients with it. Stop drinking half an hour before a meal.
If you still want to drink something before a meal, make sure you choose a drink that contains enough nutrients and calories
Step 4. Eat the right snacks
If you like to eat small snacks regularly during the day, make sure you go for snacks with enough nutrients. Snacks are meant to provide your body with extra nutrients and to make you feel full between meals. So it is not the intention that you use snacks as an excuse to eat badly. This is especially unwise as a diabetic. To gain weight, you will need to consume more calories and provide your body with the necessary nutrients. Good food items to use as snacks include:
- nuts
- Cheese
- peanut butter
- Avocados
- Dried fruits
Step 5. Eat the right kind of carbohydrates
Eating more carbohydrates can be a good way to gain weight and give your body enough energy. However, people with diabetes should be aware that carbohydrates can affect the amount of glucose in the blood. Try eating the following products to add carbohydrates to your diet without raising the level of glucose in your blood too much.
- Whole grains
- beans
- Milk
- Yogurt
Step 6. Try to gain weight by eating the right types of fat
Fatty products often contain a lot of calories. By eating a lot of fats, you can gain weight quickly and easily. However, not all fats are equally healthy. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are considered "good" fats, as long as they are used in moderation. However, it is better to avoid saturated and trans fats. Eat the following products to integrate more fat into your diet.
- Use olive or canola oil when cooking.
- Eat nuts, seeds and avocados.
- Try natural peanuts, cashews and almonds.
- As usual, keep an eye on the glucose in your blood to live as healthy as possible.
Method 2 of 2: Setting goals
Step 1. Determine your ideal weight
Everyone's body is different, so not everyone will have the same target weight. Many people do not know exactly what a healthy weight is and therefore pursue the wrong goals. Both underweight and overweight can affect your health, so it is wise to determine your ideal body weight.
- The most common way to determine your ideal body weight is by means of the BMI, or body mass index.
- Numerous calculators are available online to determine your BMI.
- The formula used to manually determine your BMI is your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters.
- In general, someone with a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered healthy.
Step 2. Learn how many calories you need
The general rule is that people gain weight by taking in more calories. The more calories you take in, the faster you will gain weight. Despite this rule, however, it is wise to calculate how many calories you need each day to gain weight.
- Count how many calories you are currently consuming per day.
- Eat 500 more calories per day for a week. Now check if you have arrived.
- If you haven't gained weight, you can add another 500 calories.
- Do this until you start to gain weight. Continue to eat the number of calories you need to gain weight until you reach a healthy weight.
- On average, you will need to eat about 3500 calories per day to gain half a kilo per week.
Step 3. Sports
By exercising you will create more muscle tissue, which leads to weight gain. You will also be more hungry after a workout. By eating more and exercising at the same time, you can ensure that the extra food is converted into muscle and not into fat.
- Weight lifting and strength training are the best ways to convert the extra calories into muscle.
- Exercise is the best way to achieve your goals in a healthy way.
Tips
- Always keep a close eye on your blood sugar level when you start eating differently.
- Take more than enough time to reach your goal. This way you will gradually find out which food products your body responds best to.
- Discuss with your doctor what is the best way for you to gain weight in a healthy way despite your diabetes.