Type 1 who just cant lose weight

[Atalay]

Thanks Atalay, to be honest I dont actually lack motivation as I have to eat low carb to control my BG, if I don't then I suffer highs and lows which affect my moods, so am constantly low carb, food wise I have no problem. This is why the whole matter completely baffles me. I can only put it down to 2 things, metabolism and insulin doses. I do cardio exercise so this should improve the metabolism but I cannot alter what I currently take insulin wise as otherwise I will unbalance what is currently good control, unless I increase my daily exercise which means I will need to decrease my basal dosage, I am trying this as an experiment this week, so have dropped my basal by 4 units and am cycling for an hour minimum each evening, this combined with the warm weather should still keep my bg steady. I will post updates to let you know progress..

Cycling for an hour is great for accelerating metabolism, I hope you keep exercising. Lets see how things will go with the imsulin dosage, surely you will need to decrease the amount.

 

[Natalie1974]

Thanks Atalay, to be honest I dont actually lack motivation as I have to eat low carb to control my BG, if I don't then I suffer highs and lows which affect my moods, so am constantly low carb, food wise I have no problem. This is why the whole matter completely baffles me. I can only put it down to 2 things, metabolism and insulin doses. I do cardio exercise so this should improve the metabolism but I cannot alter what I currently take insulin wise as otherwise I will unbalance what is currently good control, unless I increase my daily exercise which means I will need to decrease my basal dosage, I am trying this as an experiment this week, so have dropped my basal by 4 units and am cycling for an hour minimum each evening, this combined with the warm weather should still keep my bg steady. I will post updates to let you know progress..

Hey @Juicyj
I'm having a similar problem...be interested to see how your experiment went

 

[Juicyj]

Hey @Juicyj
I'm having a similar problem...be interested to see how your experiment went

Hi Natalie, so far i've reduced my Tresiba dose from 24 units down to 20 a day and kept good control, i'm riding every other day at the moment I am not seeing any weight loss yet, but that would be difficult to determine due to any muscle development. I am still concerned after posting on type 1 about Tresiba doses and what other people take, as it looks like others take far less than me. I have also decided to give metformin another go too, I really havent been getting on with it as it gives me a very poorly tummy, tried twice before, but am still going to see if I can help reduce my basal by using this too.

Are you doing much exercise ? and what insulin are you and how much weight do you need to lose ?

 

[Natalie1974]

I wouldn't worry about the Trisiba thing too much, especially if you're maintaining good control with that dosage, although it will be interesting to see if you can reduce the dosage through exercise. As said many times before...we are all different and what works for one doesn't necessarily work for another. What bolus insulin are you using? Is the Metformin to increase your insulin sensitivity?

I've upped my exercise a fair bit...I bought a Jawbone UP thingie...being quite a competitive person I've found it's pushed me to try harder everyday to beat the day before's record. My exercise is mostly restricted to dog walking at the moment but hoping to get back into swimming soon too. I am currently walking between 6-10 miles a day.

Currently on Levemir and Novorapid but although I had tight control in the first month or two of low carbing it seems to have slipped...most especially my morning readings which seem to jump up considerably over night...though wondering if this could be more hormonal due to a few ladies troubles I've been having for the last month.

I really only have a stone to lose, current weight is somewhere between 9.9 and 9.11...so not much at all, while that probably sounds like a reasonably healthy weight...it's worth mentioning that I'm only 5ft...so gives me BMI of 26.4. I seem to have plateaued over the last month or two and regardless of all my best efforts I seem to keep returning to 9.11...it's becoming a bit of a joke now.

I've been following a thread posted on fat fasting...wondering whether to give this a go...but sounds a little bit too hardcore for me.

 

[Atalay]

I don't know if you mean "high fat very low carbs" by fat fasting, but It may seem hard to handle for a long time in the beginning. I started three weeks ago thinking nothing to lose trying, well, hoping to lose weight, seems going fine. Today, even though I'm on vacation at this mountain, a place hard to find food that you like, I had eggs, cheese, salami, and olives at breakfast, and that was it. I looked at the salty muffins on the table, had a bite at the end of my meal, and did not want more.

As a food muncher for 24/7, I did it. I will eat meatballs at dinner - so hot and humid here, so my body needed no lunch. So, I can eat even more protein and fat tonight.

Just give it a go for a few days, try a week if you can. See how that feels.

I remember the days having my tea with triple sugarcubes, My stomach turns if I add sugar since 2 years. So, things can change, If you find a way to motivate yourself.

Good luck, if you go for it.

 

[Brit90]

As you know to lose weight you need to eat fewer calories and do more exercise.

EXCEPT that that doesn't work

Dillinger

It's actually nice to see someone on here who actually understands what Insulin does to your body. No insulin = no weight gain, only weight loss.

I have done many experiments on myself to know what and how things affect weight loss/gain and my recommendation is a complete vegan diet.

Most people can't handle it though, but if you want to lose weight and be healthier and take less insulin.

I love the taste of meat, but you know, its only the taste, there is nothing really in it that your body wants or needs that you can't get from vegetables. B12 can be lacking though.

Personally, I am not a vegan, but my diet consists of avoiding 95% of all dairy as that is what I found to be the worst thing for my body. Meat (thinking about it gets me drooling) but I have cut this down significantly and my meals really do revolve around lots of fresh vegetables everyday.

By doing this, I cut down my insulin from 50/day to 20-30/day depends if I eat meat.

 

[Atalay]

Everybody has their own way dealing keeping losing weight. I eat eggs, cheese, poultry, fish, and red meat mostly in meatballs form. But, I exercise six days a week, feel fine.

 

[PmR]

I have had diabetes for 25 years and always been told to eat a healthy diet consisting of mainly carbs protein and fat. My diabetes has been fairly well controlled but I have always noticed my mood and state of mind changes due to my blood sugars. I have tried varied diets and exercises over the last couple years and have been having a lot of success with the ketogenic diet. Essentially burning fat for fuel instead of carbs.
If your eating carbs and taking insulin your storing a lot of the energy in your body as glycogen, and the fat you ingest never gets burnt off it just adds to it because your body is burning carbs not fat and carbs hit the bloodstream rapidly. I would suggest having 80% of your calorie intake from fat, 15% from protein and 5% from slow releasing complex carbs. I used to take four injections a day and now taking two. No brain fog or mood swings anymore just feeling more balanced also stress releases cortisol, raising blood sugars so try to meditate or just deep breathing and slow stretching can relax the body. Hope this info helps.
All the best

 

[kevvmacc7]

I completely understand where you're coming from with that post. As a type 1 diabetic for years now it only recently started to really affect my weight and the TOUGHEST thing as a type 1 hands down is weight loss. I've often found that maintaining a certain weight for a bit of time is easy but as soon as I lose 5 pounds, it's almost as if one bad diabetic day where I'm constantly going low can really set me off kilter. My advice is that you cannot just cut carbs completely out of your diet. They will always find a way of creeping back in somehow. I think the best way to do it would be set aside certain time everyday when you will eat carbs, maybe then don't bolus for them and go exercise immediately after going off of that high. But then comes the rise and fall of diabetics, which is my main problem/frustration with exercise as a type 1. I've also found that lower rates of a basal are seriously the best way to do it. I've gone modes where I'll cut out all carbs/butter/oils/even fruits and coffee, and literally just focus in on vegetables and meats and juice/glucose tabs for lows (which is where to get vitamin C) and tea, and this works wonders for weight loss for a certain amount of time. I also wouldn't really exercise during this time but I also walk a lot so that helps. My difficulty comes with drinking alcohol as that can really throw everything off. So I've decided to stop for that period of time. However there will still be that one day that's super terrible everything is off kilter. I go up and down constantly and it's as if my entire body wants to **** up the diabetic progress it's made for going back to where I used to be at. This is always the most difficult part and wondering if anyone else has a similar difficulty here? Once you can crack this you're good to go I believe.

 

[Dianegrace]

I am very overweight too. Type 1 53 year old lady. I have started slimming world I can't recommend it enough. In 2 weeks I have lost 11lb it's so easy and I'm never hungry

 

[alicia.sanchez]

Hello all!

I've been recently diagnosed with diabetes (6 months ago). I was in the ICU for 8 days since I almost had a diabetic coma. I lost 8 kgs in almost two weeks due to that, however, I gained 12kgs once I started with the insulin. I've had so many troubles on loosing weight that I was almost about to give up, until a friend introduce me to a new diet. The name of it is "Sirtfood diet" it really works.. I managed to loose 3kgs during the first week and even though during the day I was a bit hungry, it was worth it cause I knew i would have a delicious dinner. In terms of the glucose levels, I have never experience such a good results.

If someone is interested let me know, I would love to start it with you so we can motivate each other.

Alicia xxxx

 

[christydb]

Hi all
I am in real need of some serious help.Let me tell you a bit about myself in the hope that someone out there can help and understand my dilema! I have been Type 1 for nearly 25 years, I am a woman aged 50 and am currently on Humulin s pre meal and Insulatard pre bed,was previously on novorapid and lantus but got it changed as sugar levels were awful!My last HBA1C was 8.The last 2 years have been very difficult to cope with controling high blood sugars and continous weight gain despite trying every diet under the sun,that includes low carb,slim fast,atkins you name it ive tried it but i have never been able to achieve more than a few pounds loss and then my enthuisiasm wanes and then my love of food takes over and beats me every time as I have very little willpower and a family who are diet sabatours.hehe.My problem is I have the knowledge and know exactly what i should and shouldnt be eating and what exercise i should be doing and I try to do it all but I just cant maintain it for long enough to achieve the 3stone loss I dream of.I am reaching the point now where I feel it is becoming an impossible dream and that diabetes is finaly after all these years beating me as I dont feel in control anymore,its just getting harder and harder.I am generaly a positive happy person but am feeling so tired of it all,and despair of ever feeling fit and healthy and motivated again.Would welcome any thoughts or inspiration from anyone who understands how ime feeling
Many thanks
Binney x

Binney, I feel like I could put MY names under what you've written. I have the exact same things going on. I noticed your post was a few years ago. Have you found anything to have success with weight loss?

 

[nickm]

Sedate cycling does not have the same health benefits as more intense exercise. Look at the CDC references on the subject. What are your weekly mileages and vertical?

 

[MollyLarkins]

You need to do more exercise and eat fewer calories

 

[azure]

You need to do more exercise and eat fewer calories

Are you Type 1 @MollyLarkins ?

Do you count carbs?

 

[RAPS_od]

You need to do more exercise and eat fewer calories

Not to be insensitive to your suggestion, but many of us on this post have reduced our calories and are exercising. I hope that this issue never affects you, because it's very easy to feel hopeless when you're doing everything right with zero effect.

 

[marrt60]

Hi all
I am in real need of some serious help.Let me tell you a bit about myself in the hope that someone out there can help and understand my dilema! I have been Type 1 for nearly 25 years, I am a woman aged 50 and am currently on Humulin s pre meal and Insulatard pre bed,was previously on novorapid and lantus but got it changed as sugar levels were awful!My last HBA1C was 8.The last 2 years have been very difficult to cope with controling high blood sugars and continous weight gain despite trying every diet under the sun,that includes low carb,slim fast,atkins you name it ive tried it but i have never been able to achieve more than a few pounds loss and then my enthuisiasm wanes and then my love of food takes over and beats me every time as I have very little willpower and a family who are diet sabatours.hehe.My problem is I have the knowledge and know exactly what i should and shouldnt be eating and what exercise i should be doing and I try to do it all but I just cant maintain it for long enough to achieve the 3stone loss I dream of.I am reaching the point now where I feel it is becoming an impossible dream and that diabetes is finaly after all these years beating me as I dont feel in control anymore,its just getting harder and harder.I am generaly a positive happy person but am feeling so tired of it all,and despair of ever feeling fit and healthy and motivated again.Would welcome any thoughts or inspiration from anyone who understands how ime feeling
Many thanks
Binney x

I am older than you and a man but throughout my life For over 60 years of being a type1 I have very gradually put on weight. I am 74 yrs old and 6ft tall and weigh 15.5 stone. From what I can remember of my Biology GCE the human body uses body fat as a thermal insulator and a store for excess carbohydrate which the body converts to fat. In non-diabetics it seems that the conversion of this fat back into carbohydrate for use in a burn up is comparatively quick, smooth and easy but it seems to be very slow in type 1 diabetics and hence we experience a hypo before the body can convert the fat. I'm afraid I can not provide a more positive answer but it does seem that there is no quick way to lose weight, you have to be very patient. Maybe someone in research will solve this problem of making the use of fat for use as a carbohydrate more easily accessible by type 1 diabetics?
Terry M