how to loose weight when on insulin?

[townie 1962]

I have been a diabetic for 14 years now.I am type 2,I was told my pancreas failed when I went into heart failure after a virus attacked my heart when pregnant.I am on 4 x 500mg metaformin and 60 units of lantus and 3x16 units of norvorapid.
I am struggling with weight gain ever since I have been put on insulin 4 years ago.I haven't actually put on any weight for 2 years but have blown up 2 dress sizes.I am the heaviest now I have ever been,even when I was 9 months pregnant I didn't weight as much as this.I am 15 stone and only 5 foot 3.I have never felt so depressed and unatractive.Following a divorce this isnt how I expected to be, as I have always watched my weight.I also have cardiomyopathy which is under control, I am on beta blockers for that,and cannot exercise excessively.How much exercise should I be doing to help and what kind?I dont seem to have much appetite since being on metaformin.I just feel bloated.
I have bought the book Carbs and cals.
Is it possible for people to loose weight on insulin ,reduce their size and feel less tired?Ever since I have put on this weight I have felt tired, my blood sugars are usually about 1 above what they should be when testing.
Please help me sort this out, as my diabetic nurse is not much help.Every time I have gone to her she has increased my doses and I have said i am sure I should feel better when I am on the right doses, but I feel so sluggish and worn out and fat.Help!

[Paul_c]

do a web search on the "Scandinavian Diet"... basically you have to reduce your carb intake so that you can reduce your insulin dosages. The less insulin floating around in your blood, the less fat becomes stored as Insulin is the hormone responsible for fat storage.

I'm not actually taking insulin myself being T2 on diet & exercise control only, but my intention is to not degrade until I do need insulin. That's why I'm basically following a reduced carb diet myself and I'm losing weight and still feeling fine with plenty of energy and not hungry either.

[Mileana]

I manage to lose weight on insulin - I'm type 1.5.

What I do is make sure my basal keeps me pretty stable during the day.

Then I go for 3 short brisk walks a day as a minimum - this wakes up your muscles to better receive the insulin present.

Then I reduce my carbohydrates to no more than 100g day, and I prefer to have those from vegetables, and add a bit of basmati rice and lentils. I tend to eat more fat, mainly from nuts, coconut milk and oil, and to some degree from meat. As I don't eat too much grain, I find that a bit of psylium husk helps my stomach.

When I go for longer walks which I often do, I bring a piece of fruit. I love fruit and when moving around, it seems I can better deal with it.

If I go low, I have now learned roughly how much carbohydrate it will take to stop the downward trend - it depends largely on my time since last insulin dose. I try to not over-treat my hypos.

I learned to count carbohydrates and inject my insulin (I am on basal/bolus) to match pretty closely what I need. I want to return to where I was before the meal, when I measure 2-3 hours later.

Keeping check of how many, and what type of carbohydrates you eat (slower ones are better), allows you to pretty closely match what you actually need and avoid taking too much. Exercise helps you make better use of the insulin you do inject. The lower range of insulin dose when reducing the carbs somewhat, helps you avoid going low and then have to eat again to stop that and slightly or moderately lower carb of a slower release version helps you to curb hunger.

You have to do a bit of reading and talk to your nurse about exactly how your dose is worked out - how many carbohydrates does she factor into your dose and if you want to change your diet some, what can you do to slightly reduce your insulin dose when needed.

It's a bit of a maths and puzzle, but it's certainly possible.

If for a start you could go for a walk at lunch and after dinner if possible, you might find the insulin working better for you and at least avoid having your dose increased again.

Is this all nonsense, or makes some sort of sense?

[borderter]

Excellent advice from Mileana
Was told by the dietitian when I began insulin that I would put on weight so being the awkward cuss that I am thought no I wont and am actually lighter by apx a stone. Low carbing was the way i did it and also walk loads but then always have done
So sorry you are feeling so down but buy yourself a bathroom scales that measures in eigths of a pound and weigh every morning first thing and the small losses keep you motivated
This has worked for hubby too who has heart disease and till I got those scales ate all the wrong things but is now so keen he has a chart on the fridge which he updates each morning so its really motivated him
The scales I have are Salter Ultimate Accuracy which I got at Argos,bit dearer than some but love it
Best of luck and keep using the forum as we are all in this together (not like the government cause we really are lol)

[Mileana]

When doing daily measurements, you can be slightly more vulnerable also to the normal fluctuations.

If you are the least bit tech savvy though, keeping a spreadsheet with a trendline, and making the trendline exponential can help a lot with the visualisation of what really goes on and the general direction of your weight.

-M

[noblehead]

I recently lost two and a half stone (slowly over a 18 month period) by cutting back a bit on the calories whilst increasing my daily exercise, I have type 1 and been on insulin for the last 31 years.

[Mileana]

Hmm, reading your post again, townie...

Have you been checked whether you have any water-retention issues? I had a lot of that while I was sick with a tumor making me not able to move, and I felt sort of swollen - my feet would swell but also my tummy area quite a lot. I am thinking if you have had any damage to your heart, you may need to consult a GP or specialist to figure out whether you need some sort of check up on that.

Just thought I would mention it.