LOSING WEIGHT!!!

[sammysam950]

Hi All!
My name is Sam, i'm 21, female and have had type 1 Diabetes for about 5 years now.
Before my diagnosis, I was a really healthy, fit and active 16yr old! I weighed on the average to low side of the scale. Ever since my diagnosis however, I have gained about 10 kilos and have struggled constantly with trying to lose it!! I have to admit, I am not the most controlled diabetic, but i guess i get so frustrated with it and cant seem to shed the majority of it!! I was on the pump for about a year last year, but i found it irritating so I am back on the pens now.
I exercise pretty often, but its so disheartening when i cant seem to get any results. (compared to my non-diabetic friends!) Can anyone help out at all..? I dont know any other diabetics who are around my age! They are either young kids or a lot older than me!
thanks heaps! :)
Sam

[old1]

I have been a type 1 for almost 40 years.  When I was first put on insulin I gained an immense amount of weight (35 lbs in 1 month). Before I talk about weight loss, I want to say don't do anything that will hurt yourself just to be thinner...look better...fit in.  There are so many great parts of my life that just wouldn't be if I had not taken care of myself for all these years. And there is so much available to you that wasn't there for me, so smile and enjoy living.
Insulin is a growth hormone. When you gain weight, it often means that you are on too much.  But, the re are many factors to look at, so the best thing to do is spend a week really keeping an amazing record of food, exercise, mood, and as many blood sugars as you can do (at least 50).  Soo what you are in the morning, before meals, after meals, before exercise, after exercise, when you are in a really bad mood (sometimes irritation means low or high), at bedtime, and any other time.  Then make an excel so you can enter: 1) blood glucose 2)  insulin (and devide it, so it shows the long acting and short acting separately, and for the short acting the amount to cover a meal and the amount to cover a high separately) 3)carbs (on a separate sheet list the food by type...so a meal might be 55 carbs, but the separate sheet might say for example: roast chicken, salad, salsa and chips, ice cream..so you can get an idea of calories) 4) exercise 5)anything else if you think it important.  I do this by a wide column on the left, the 24 coloms, one for every hour.  I do a row for each type of info, so there will be a row for blood glucose, another for carbs, one for long acting insulin, one for the short acting to cover meals, etc.  Put a few blank rows between days.
This will help you answer questions such as: Is the basal insulin too high?  Too low so that I am correcting before every mean? Is the insulin to carb too high or low?  How much do I have to correct? To eat between meals? Do I have to eat as many calories as I burned in exercise to maintain my BG? Am I eating too many calories? Depending on what you find, you might want to go back on the pump, where you can turn it down to ecercise, and it is easier to not need snacks.  Then, watch your fats, do reasonable carbs (maybe limit yourself to 60 per meal), and do some consistent exercise, even if it isn't athelete quality.  Then, stay on top of your weight.  It is against the diet philosophy of today, but weight yourself daily if you can.  One of the traps to loosing is to loose some weight, spend a few days having to eat snacks because ...gosh today my BG is a bit low, just like yesterday.  A few of those days and the small weight loss is gone. Sometimes a 1 unit cut is enough, but work with the doctor.  In the days before meters, I probably lost 50 or more pounds to weigh the same as I started by loosing 2 or 3 pounds and snacking them back on.  Now, I can loose weight by watching for just 2 days of lower BG, too many snacks, too much basal.  But, sometimes it is easy to give too much basal to compensate for too low of an insulin:carb ratio.  So you have to work with the doctor/nurse.
But let me end with, I will never weigh the 117lbs I was when they put me on insulin, but I have a wonderful family, including a son born when diabetics had an almost impossible time having children.  Eat to be healthy, eat to enjoy meals with friends and family,

[aaku]

im 21 yrs old nw..i ws diagnsd wid diabts n 7th grade..nw im on pump f lsat 2 years ..bt t neva improvd d cntrl...durn m lst chckup docs found dt m cholestrl levels are too high..nw m takn med fr dt als...bt nt reglr...n i hate carryn dis thg evrywhr...n i feel lyk **** when m sugars r high....thkn bt usn pen again..hrd dyr l b sm kind f gene transplantn n future...s dt rly posbl.>???..i dn wana ls m organs t diabts...

[bapetnut]

I found out the secret to Pizza. My ENDO told me that 2 hrs after eating the Fat in the pizza makes your blood sugars go up. SO I take 1/2 the Insulin when I eat the pizza and 1 hr later take more Insulin so by the time they catch eachother I don't go as high. I only eat 2 pieces and my sugars go to 400+ also..So try Insulin 10 mints before your meal with Pizza then 1 hr later take another Bolus and then you won't go as nearly high!!

[bloodsugarbaby]

I love pizza!!!But the same thing always happens to me 400 sugars and up even after only one slice!I try so many different startegies with bolus and excercise still sugars always high.:(

[bapetnut]

I agree as I told teenagediabetic..GOING off Insulin is a BAD way to loose wt and YOU will end up in the Hospital with DKA..Eating right and taking less Insulin such as eating protein that will NOT raise your blood sugars and some vegs is the best way to loose wt and take less Insulin. The more carbs or sugar a person eats the more Insulin they need and the more wt they will gain. I am type 1 on a pump from sugars running high and not on purpose. I had 2 pieces of pizza loaded the other day and 3 hrs later felt really really sick. My blood sugar was 489 NOT GOOD..YOU are what you eat..We learn the hard way, so I suppose I did not take enough Insulin and the next 2 days I felt like crap.. SO ANYONE trying to NOT take Insulin to loose wt is asking for trouble!!!

[bloodsugarbaby]

Definately not worth not taking the insulin to lose weight.It will catch up to you(I'm 5/5)and at one point was 81 pounds(yuck) I lookwd gross and felt worse.but in answer to losing weight the healthy way and not only am I a type 1 I also am a personal trainer.Timing meals ,excercise and insulin are important.Cutting out carb stotally is not a good idea because your body does need the enrgy especially when you are workinh out.Not sure what dose you are on but once you start a workout plan you will see your needs decrease .Working out (45 MINS) AT LEAST 2 hours after a meal including 30 grams of carb is ideal .Listene to your body,track your bloodsugars and always keep fast sugar.Hope it helps-Good luck!!

[sammysam950]

heyyy,

uhh that doesn't sound too good hun! I feel like absolute shiiiite when I dont have my insulin! I've also ended up in hospital with DKA before and i can tell you, it was one of the worst experiences of my life!! I honestly thought i was dying and it was incredibly painful. I do want to lose weight, but It's not worth risking our lives for.. Please, pleeeease try to do something less extreme to lose weight and dont skip your insulin- its really not worth it. I know Diabetes *****, but its managable.

If you ever want to have a chat or anything, just msg me! :) I'm not the most controlled diabetic in the world and i HATE having it- but i'm trying now.

This really worries me and I just want you to know that I understand where your coming from, so i'm all ears if you need anything ok? :)

[teenagediabetic]

I'm type 1 diabetic and 16 years old . I have had diabetes for 4 years . This sounds reaallli bad but when I want to lose some weight I just stop my ins
ulin for a day or two if I can handle it

[teenagediabetic]

Hi sam , I'm tpye 1 diabetic and I'm 16 and have has diabetes for 4 years . I just skip my insulin when I want to lose weight this is bad I know but sometimes its the only way

[sammysam950]

thank you! :)

[jakesmom41]

Hi Sam...Ohh noooo ...dont cut out all carbs..they are essential for your body, especially your brain..not a good idea !!! you can lower them but dont count them all out..im not sure how much an adult needs but id ask your doctor and just stay active..that would be your best bet..Good luck !!!

[sammysam950]

Hey Riss!
wow its actually so comforting to know that its not just me going through this!? it completely *****- but I guess maybe its just how it is! I just hate it when my friends are like "oh, i think I'll lose about 4kg's in the next few weeks.." and i'm like ahhh- yeah that will probably take me months to lose! If then!? lol! We're around the same age too yeah? I lost a few kilos last year when i cut out nearly ALL carbs- but I found I became really tired. I suppose I could, but I find it hard not eating carbs at all! It's a good idea though- think i might just give that a go. :)
Hope it all goes well for you! Keep in touch and let me know how you go! :)

[riss89]

HI Sam! Everything you just mentioned sounds exactly what i am going through!! I have tried so hard to lose just ten pounds for almost two years and nothing works! I do know that taking less insulin and having steady glucose numbers do help. I have been thinking about taking sugar and most carbs out of my diet as much as possible and doing an hour of cardio at least every other day. ( We will see how well this goes..) Anyway its cool knowing someone else has the same issues as me. Good luck!

[ronniegeistel]

i know the dilemma, i have been a type one diabetic for close to twenty years. the docs dont know it all they keepo increasing your insulin dosage and you do put on the weight just from the added insulin. then they say something about your weight. just dont be like me i gave up on it all and now my eyes are all messed up and have nerve problems and this last doc visit i learned my potassium levels were elevated. so im assuming its the kidneys turn now rofl

[Zoelula]

Your blood sugar doesn't tell you what Type you are. If your Type is unclear you can have antibody testing which is definitive as Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition and Type 2 is not. Talk to an endocrinologist.

[moby182]

i'm a new diabatic range from 12- 130 is taht make type 1 or 2 how i know

[sammysam950]

Thank you so much for that! I think i actually might do that! Funnily enough, my mum has a thyroid problem and her and i see the same endo! lol! I think I will bring it up with her the next time I see her..

Thats definitely true about eating whatever, whenever and just saying "oh its ok, i'll just have some insulin". So basically, insulin makes you hold onto weight yeah? I know it does, but I dont actually know "why"? I know i need to take insluin to live and what it does 'diabetes wise', but i dont know much about what it actually does to the rest of the body.. Maybe i should investigate more.. its better 5 years late than never i guess!? :)

thanks again, its been a great help!

[Zoelula]

A couple thoughts, Sam. Have you been checked for thyroid? Thyroid disease is more common with us type 1's and that could make it very hard to lose weight. Do get a simple blood test for your thyroid fuction.

One sure way that type 1's gain weight is to go by the philosophy of "eat whatever I want and bolus for it". That means more carbs, more insulin, more weight and possible development of insulin resistance which you do not want! I would suggest lowering your carb intake as much as you can. When you do so be sure and  lower your insulin dose as well or you will be hypo. Also, there is a medication some type 1's take that helps keep weight down. I can't remember which one, one of the typical type 2 oral meds; ask your doctor. Good luck!