How to Safely Gain Weight on a Low-Carb Diet for Diabetes

Switching to a low-carbohydrate diet is one way you can help manage diabetes, the American Diabetes Association says. They cite health benefits from both low-carb diets and very low-carb diets, including improved blood sugar management, lower blood pressure, and better cholesterol levels. Low-carb diets are typically associated with weight loss, but it’s also possible to gain weight on a low-carb diet.

Planning Your Needs

To gain weight, you need to be in a calorie surplus — consuming more calories than you burn, according to Loyola University Chicago. To do so safely, you should aim to gain weight slowly, about half a pound to a pound per week — that’s 250 to 500 extra calories per day. Make sure you’re eating nutrient-dense foods, rather than “empty” calories. Increase the frequency of your meals and snacks, and wait until after a meal to drink beverages, so you have more room to consume solid foods.

First, make sure you’re eating enough calories to meet your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) needs, then slowly increase the number of daily calories from there. Your TDEE depends on several factors: sex, age, height, weight, and activity levels. You can calculate it using an online calculator, like this one from the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Make Friends With Healthy Fats

Increasing the amount of fat you eat will help bump up your calorie intake and take you into a surplus. The key is to pick healthy, unsaturated fats, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. You could add avocado to your salads, drizzle olive oil over green vegetables, munch on nuts, or dip celery sticks in peanut butter as a snack.

The Protein Switch

Increasing your protein intake is crucial when you want to gain weight in a healthy way, the National Health Service in England says. Changing from eating only lean proteins to slightly fattier proteins — especially those containing healthy unsaturated fats — is another way to get in more calories. Swap the occasional serving of extra-lean ground beef, chicken breast, and canned tuna out for oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines.

Play Your Carbs Right

Whether you’re following the American Diabetes Association’s recommendations for a low-carb diet, which consists of 26 to 45 percent of daily calories from carbs, or the very low-carb diet, which consists of less than 26 percent of calories from carbs (most often, 5 to 10 percent), you still need carbohydrates. Aim to get the carbs you do eat from nutrient-dense sources such as fruits and vegetables, whole-grain bread and pasta, quinoa, and potatoes. Spread carbs evenly throughout the day so you eat roughly the same amount at every meal, says Dietitians Australia, an organization representing nutrition and dietetic professionals.