Type 2 lifters on LFHC or Keto need your guidance.

[fendertele]

Hey sorry for the upcoming long post but need some help from any experienced lifters with similar diet.

I've always been an Easy Gainer and ate like a Horse, Problem was when lockdown kicked in I continued to eat like a horse but wasn't burning it off. This along with my Genetic Disposition led to me getting Type 2 Diabetes.

I was diagnosed in the January and by the time I got my next blood test which was a few months later I had reversed my Diabetes all down to the LCHF diet it's very restrictive but it really agrees with me.

Anyways in the this time I also cut a lot of fat and with hard workouts have managed to retain quite a decent amount of Muscle which I'm surprised about due to the lack of Carbs and drastic diet change.

Anyways very shortly when I reach my Bodyfat% I'll be looking to go back to bulking/gaining and have no idea how to approach it now that I'm diabetic.

My two biggest issues or concerns are Low Carb can I still make massive gains and How can I gain without gaining too much fat... not from a vanity POV but purely because Fat gain is almost as bad for diabetics as eating the wrong foods.

Do I just bulk for a month then cut for 2 months ? this way I limit how Fat I get or is this going to be pointless in terms of gains ? how much can be gained in a month ?

Do I long bulk and just increase my current eating a tiny bit this way its very slow gains and very slow fat gain ?

I'm completely stumped on how to approach this... I dont lift to get nice and tones I lift to get bigger so the idea of just lifting and never making any gains would greatly get to me.

Any advice would be great and sorry again for the long post but needed to be clear on what I'm wanting to achieve and the obstacles.

Thanks.

[Heisman2]

In your situation I'd recommend keeping added sugar low, bulking slowly, setting a cap for yourself such that if your waist circumference gets too high or fasting blood sugar gets too high then you'll stop bulking, and make sure to do cardiovascular exercise as well. The "long bulk" you propose is probably ideal to decrease the odds of developing diabetes again.

You can definitely bulk successfully while doing a low carb diet.

[fendertele]

Hi thanks for the reply

I dont plan on going above 60g carbs per day whether cutting or bulking and I dont eat anything with added sugar.

My diet consists of

Steaks
Eggs
Chicken
Tune
Mayo
90% dark Choc
Greek Yoghurt full fat
Cheese
double Cream
Coffee
Water

Pretty basic my main concern is the bulking fat gain as this can have as much problems as sugar for diabetics.

So can you describe to me what slow bulking is and for how long does this last ?

For example if I eat 3500 cals currently and neither gain or lose I would need to then increase to 3750 cals a day to start bulking...

will I not continue to put weight on with each month I'm in a surplus ? My worry is anything over a month and I may be putting onto to much fat... So can monthly bulks work ? to limit fat gain but still make decent gains?

My other issue is if im only doing small calorie increases to bulk with these extra calories and energy im most likely going to be able to lift heavier and more will I not possibly end up just burning off those extra calories through the extra intensity and weight in the workouts ? how does one find the balance of eating enough extra calories to bulk but not so little that the extra weight and intensity negates it.

Thanks.

[faithbrah]

Hi thanks for the reply

I dont plan on going above 60g carbs per day whether cutting or bulking and I dont eat anything with added sugar.

My diet consists of

Steaks
Eggs
Chicken
Tune
Mayo
90% dark Choc
Greek Yoghurt full fat
Cheese
double Cream
Coffee
Water

Pretty basic my main concern is the bulking fat gain as this can have as much problems as sugar for diabetics.

So can you describe to me what slow bulking is and for how long does this last ?

For example if I eat 3500 cals currently and neither gain or lose I would need to then increase to 3750 cals a day to start bulking...

will I not continue to put weight on with each month I'm in a surplus ? My worry is anything over a month and I may be putting onto to much fat... So can monthly bulks work ? to limit fat gain but still make decent gains?

My other issue is if im only doing small calorie increases to bulk with these extra calories and energy im most likely going to be able to lift heavier and more will I not possibly end up just burning off those extra calories through the extra intensity and weight in the workouts ? how does one find the balance of eating enough extra calories to bulk but not so little that the extra weight and intensity negates it.

Thanks.

slow/lean bulking is exactly what you said. you will put on some weight but it's not a lot, and a lot of it will be muscle if you train hard

you will be able to lift heavier and burn slightly more calories, but not so much that you have to keep increasing calories weekly or something... you increase calories when your lifts stall and your weight hasn't moved in two weeks