I know this might be a long shot in terms of getting an answer, but I thought I might as well give it a try. I'm 5'5" about 145 pounds and have been trying my best to stay fit and gain muscle for a few years. I know one of the main things to help with that is how much/the types of food you eat along with possibly supplements as well. However, I can't exactly follow that plan exactly because I am also a type 1 diabetic so I have to watch what I eat and when more than a lot of people and won't take anything that has things like creatine in it to protect my kidneys.

My control over my blood sugar has been really good so obviously I do not want to mess that up but I still want to do what I can to gain even a little bit of muscle mass while keeping it so having heard of this website, I decided to post here to see if anyone had any advice in terms of what I could eat that fits within my 'food schedule'. Thanks in advance.

Jordan,

I give you a lot of credit and respect for wanting to pump iron despite having diabetes :-)

The good news is the most important macro for building muscle has no affect on insulin and blood sugar and that is protein. Carbs are not even 100% required for energy as the body can run on fatty acids from fat metabolism in the liver which also has no affect on insulin or blood sugar levels. I would keep doing what you're doing but don't go too overboard with protein. Like creatine, protein can tax the kidneys in someone with your condition. Proper hydration and keeping your protein moderate will be the keys.

Most people recommend 1.2 - 1.5grams of protein per pound of lean mass. For you, I would probably keep it in the .8 - 1gram per pound range. Use healthy fats like olive oil, coconut oil, and fatty fish (tuna, salmon, sardines) to get your Omega3s and essential fats. Omega 3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory and will help with your diabetes management. Also, healthy oils like olive and coconut reduce your blood triglycerides which aides diabetes management as well. Keep the carbs complex and with fiber like brown rice, oats, etc as you probably know. As you build muscle mass, you will cause your blood sugar to be more stabilized despite your meds as muscle tissue is active and burns glucose even at rest. The good news is weightlifting will make your diabetes more manageable and help you live a long healthy life.

John

First off John, thank you for responding. I know that part of the reason my control is as good as it has been lately is because of what I have been doing which was the main reason I started to lift among other health reasons. What would be the best time for me to try to introduce the right amount of protein, complex carbs, etc into my system? Aside from my meals and an evening snack I have before bed, which I try to keep as healthy as I can, the only time I take any extra protein is after my workout when I have a protein shake that has 35 grams but only 2-4 grams of carbs with a granola bar.

Also, aside from possibly omega 3 supplements, would you recommend then that I stay away from supplements all together since you did not mention any? I was reading about L-Arginie and L-Carnitine but from what I read, a lot of it seems to say they have little to no effect