A healthy weight with diabetes: expert tips on how to lose (and gain) weight

Whether you battle to lose weight, or struggle to gain it, maintaining a healthy weight with diabetes is a constant battle for many people. Joanne Lillie explains how to make lasting changes.

How to gain weight with diabetes

Controlling blood sugar levels is the starting place for achieving your target weight with Type 1 diabetes, as high blood sugar levels will cause glucose to be lost in the urine and result in weight loss, says dietician Genevieve Jardine. Many people find that once their glucose levels are under control, weight management becomes much easier. Here are some top tips for gaining weight with diabetes:

Go for low GI

To balance your glucose levels, lower-GI carbs such as wholegrains, beans, sweet potatoes and some fruit (like plums and apricots) are great choices, as they are less likely to spike your blood glucose. Milk and yoghurt also have a low GI. Just remember that low GI food still has to be eaten in the right portion. Here’s a simple explanation of low GI.

Eat more often

Rather than three meals a day, eat six smaller meals a day. Check your blood sugar more often and inject accordingly if you decide to try eating this way. Don’t skip meals as you will miss opportunities to increase your calorie intake. Here are some healthy ideas for meals in our free Diabetes Cookbook.

Include good fat in your diet

Fat has more calories than carbohydrates or protein: fat contains 9 calories per gram, while carbs and proteins contain 4 calories. So it makes sense to eat more fat when you’re aiming to put on a few pounds. Just be aware that you need to choose healthy fats. Cook with more olive or canola oil, get plenty of nuts and seeds, and add avocado and olives to salads.

Think about protein powder

As long as your kidneys are in good shape, you can add protein powder to yoghurt or smoothies. This helps you gain weight as lean muscle mass rather than fat.

How to lose weight with diabetes

A normal body mass index (BMI) is vital for people with diabetes. Do you know what your BMI is? Here’s an easy-to-use calculator.

“As your BMI increases, the amount of insulin required to maintain a normal glucose level also increases because you become more insulin resistant. A high BMI is also associated with high blood pressure (hypertension) and high cholesterol (dyslipidemia).”

Prof Joel Dave, Endocrinologist

Healthy eating, regular physical activity, and medicine (if prescribed), are the key elements of Type 2 diabetes management. Here’s how to manage Type 2 diabetes in more detail. For many people with diabetes, the most challenging part of the treatment plan is working out what to eat. Here are some meal plan ideas for you to try, and check out these top tips below.

Choose lots of vegetables

Aim to reduce your energy intake while sticking to a healthy eating pattern. This means getting all the nutrients you need, in as few calories as possible. How? By focusing on nutrient-dense foods such as green vegetables, some fruits (especially berries) and beans.

Choose the right carbs

Carbohydrates from vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, legumes and dairy products are better than from other sources, especially those with added fats, salt and sugar. The most carb-dense foods include those with refined white flour: breads, biscuits, pastries, cakes, as well as white rice and potatoes. Limit these as much as possible! Here’s a guide to carb counting that might help.

Choose a diet that works for you

A Mediterranean-style diet may boost weight loss and benefit blood sugar control. This means:

• Eating mostly plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts
• Keeping carbohydrate levels as low as possible
• Using healthy fats, such as olive oil
• Using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavour foods
• Limiting red meat to no more than a few times a month
• Eating fish and poultry at least twice a week

“Learn to respond to hunger and not appetite. Often a high carbohydrate diet makes people hungry whereas enough protein and healthy fats helps make people feel fuller for longer.”

Genevieve Jardine, Dietician

Whether you’re trying to gain or lose weight with diabetes, we know it can be tough. You’re not alone! Join Diabetic South Africans to meet other people with diabetes in South Africa doing the same thing.

What to read next?

Our Meal Plans: Free meal plans for you to download – vegetarian, low carb, budget and more.

Managing Type 2 diabetes: How to take control of your diabetes, step-by-step, with all the advice you need about weight and diet.

Fat loss and diabetes: A series of helpful articles on how to lose weight, in a healthy way, with diabetes.