Ask the Expert: How can I gain weight while on insulin?

“I am 6' 2" and was always around 170 lbs. Then when I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2005, I went down to 150 lbs and have stayed around that area. I would like to be back around 170 but cannot get there for the life of me. I eat about 2-3 times more than the average person a day, and still cannot gain weight. I usually keep my blood sugar in a good area, except for the occasional slip, but fix it right away. Is there any advice you could give me?”

The best advice I can give for weight gain would be to continue what you are doing. Eat six small meals, add Choice DM or another supplemental drink in between meals, get plenty of protein and be sure to add fat choices, since fat will give you the most calories and will effect your blood sugar the least. It can be tricky to care for blood sugars when you are eating numerous small meals, I assume you are on insulin if you are eating 2-3 times more than everyone else? Do you exercise? If not, you should, as exercise is important for muscle building and cardiovascular health, but excessive exercise could lead to you burning too many calories. If you haven’t already done this, I would recommend seeing a physician as you may have another disease process going on that would be critical to find and fix. For example, have you had your thyroid levels checked? You could be losing weight if your thyroid is not working correctly. Good luck!