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Type 1 and weight gain/loss
by Hawkfeathers, Jan 04, 2005 12:00AM
Hi, I have had Type 1 for a few years now. I was diagnosed when I was 16. Shortly after beginning insulin therapy I noticed that I had gained a couple of pounds of excess fat. I am still struggling to keep a lean, toned figure.
Before my diabetes I had always been very lean and healthy, and had a very fast metabolism. My question is how does diabetes affect the way your body gains weight? Do you have any suggestions for losing fat? I have cut out a lot of the junk food I ate pre-diabetes and also make it a point to do aerobic exercise at least three times a week. I also keep my blood sugars pretty close to average, but occasionally they run high. For a reference I am a 5'2 female and I weight about 117. Thanks in advance.
Before my diabetes I had always been very lean and healthy, and had a very fast metabolism. My question is how does diabetes affect the way your body gains weight? Do you have any suggestions for losing fat? I have cut out a lot of the junk food I ate pre-diabetes and also make it a point to do aerobic exercise at least three times a week. I also keep my blood sugars pretty close to average, but occasionally they run high. For a reference I am a 5'2 female and I weight about 117. Thanks in advance.
Doctor's Answer
by JDRF-Team-SS, Jan 04, 2005 12:00AM
Hello magkenmare,
First I want to tell you that I am not a medical professional, so the input that I give you is not to be taken in place of medical advice.
I am a mother of a 9 1/2 yr. old boy who was diagnosed with Type I diabetes at the age of 3. Also, my sister was diagnosed (2 yrs. prior to my son) at the age of 24. She is now 32.
My sis takes lantus and humalog and my son recently atarted on the pump.
I do not have diabetes, however, I do understand that the weight issue is frustrating and sometimes even depressing.
My sister had some unwanted pounds and tried everything and it wasn't until recently that she found something that worked for her. She does a modified version of the South Beach diet.
Here is what she did and is still doing:
She limits white flour and modifies her carb intake. She chooses foods that are low in fat.
For example, she might eat lowfat cottage cheese with fruit or sliced tomatoes in the a.m. depending on her BG.
For lunch, she might have a salad with cashews or some type of protein in it and pita bread with some avocado or tuna in it.
Throughout the day she primarily drinks water, limits morning coffee to 2 cups. She avoids eating pasta, pizza, bagels - anything that is high fat and too much white flour.
Instead of eggs, she has egg beaters, turkey bacon instead of regular bacon.
My sister also suffers from fibramyalga (sp?) and hasn't been able to stay on a regular exercise routine,so the recent weight los has not been due to exercise, but has to be due to her change in eating.
There are 2 books on the South Beach Diet 2 choose from. One tells how it works, food choices, etc. and is only around $5-$7.
The other one has recipes and my sis and my Mom did not buy that one at the beginning. This one is approx. $12-$15. Neither of us are saying your daughter should follow this meal plan, but the changes my sis has made have helped.
She dropped approx. 2 sizes in clothing in 2 months, so she knows the food ahcnges have helped.
Please see an eariler post that might help you.
Copy and paste this (below) into your browser and it will take you to an earlier post about diabetes and weight loss.
http://www.medhelp.org/mhli/cgi/MessageCTL2.exe?mode=DisplayComment&;forum=Diabetes&message=361&commentfile=C361-9.html&login=JDRF-Team-SS&Ignore=
First I want to tell you that I am not a medical professional, so the input that I give you is not to be taken in place of medical advice.
I am a mother of a 9 1/2 yr. old boy who was diagnosed with Type I diabetes at the age of 3. Also, my sister was diagnosed (2 yrs. prior to my son) at the age of 24. She is now 32.
My sis takes lantus and humalog and my son recently atarted on the pump.
I do not have diabetes, however, I do understand that the weight issue is frustrating and sometimes even depressing.
My sister had some unwanted pounds and tried everything and it wasn't until recently that she found something that worked for her. She does a modified version of the South Beach diet.
Here is what she did and is still doing:
She limits white flour and modifies her carb intake. She chooses foods that are low in fat.
For example, she might eat lowfat cottage cheese with fruit or sliced tomatoes in the a.m. depending on her BG.
For lunch, she might have a salad with cashews or some type of protein in it and pita bread with some avocado or tuna in it.
Throughout the day she primarily drinks water, limits morning coffee to 2 cups. She avoids eating pasta, pizza, bagels - anything that is high fat and too much white flour.
Instead of eggs, she has egg beaters, turkey bacon instead of regular bacon.
My sister also suffers from fibramyalga (sp?) and hasn't been able to stay on a regular exercise routine,so the recent weight los has not been due to exercise, but has to be due to her change in eating.
There are 2 books on the South Beach Diet 2 choose from. One tells how it works, food choices, etc. and is only around $5-$7.
The other one has recipes and my sis and my Mom did not buy that one at the beginning. This one is approx. $12-$15. Neither of us are saying your daughter should follow this meal plan, but the changes my sis has made have helped.
She dropped approx. 2 sizes in clothing in 2 months, so she knows the food ahcnges have helped.
Please see an eariler post that might help you.
Copy and paste this (below) into your browser and it will take you to an earlier post about diabetes and weight loss.
http://www.medhelp.org/mhli/cgi/MessageCTL2.exe?mode=DisplayComment&;forum=Diabetes&message=361&commentfile=C361-9.html&login=JDRF-Team-SS&Ignore=
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If you are able to add a weight routine to your activities, be alert to a "lag effect" in BG. Unlike aerobic exercise which often lowers our BGs as we're doing it, weight work may not lower it initially, but after an hour or two, we'll see a drop as the liver re-uptakes glucose that it dumped to help us thru the stress of a weighted workout.
Like our docs tell us ... test test test and keep taking good care of you. From your post, it's clear you're a wise soul!