Getting Fat !

[TURTLE]

I have been a diabetic for many years now but the last 18 months has been a real struggle to keep my weight down.
My calorie intake is generally below 2000 per day and I eat healthily and take some exercise (not too much though?).
My weight has increased by about a stone over the last 12 months but can't understand why ?
Any advice would be welcome.

 

[uart]

Can you tell us roughly how many grams of carbs you eat per day, and your approximate total daily insulin dosage.

 

[TURTLE]

Can you tell us roughly how many grams of carbs you eat per day, and your approximate total daily insulin dosage.

Average 180 gr Carbs
56 units humalog
34 units lantis

 

[Daibell]

Hi. You need to be thinking carbs not calories as a diabetic. 180 gms is a bit on the high side and reducing a bit would help. When you say you have a healthy diet is that the NHS one or the sort this forum suggests?

 

[TURTLE]

Typical day is
Bran flakes & skimmed milk breakfast
Tuna salad box or bowl of soup or maybe occasional sandwich, fruit for lunch
Chicken & pasta or pork chop and jacket spud a couple of biscuits after for evening meal.

I don't snack during the day and have about 6 or7 cups of tea a day.

According to myfitnesspal it usually comes in at 1500-2000 cals a day.

 

[noblehead]

Average 180 gr Carbs
56 units humalog
34 units lantis

Try lowering your carb intake to 120-130g a day, I lost weight at this level and then increased my carb intake slightly as my weight stabilised, just be mindful to reduce your insulin accordingly.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. I think you have reinforced the point that your are thinking calories not carbs. Bran flakes contain quite a bit of added sugar as well as being a natural carb. Pasta, jackets and biscuits are all carbs. I'm not suggesting you give up carbs but some tweaking might help. Go for a cereal with no added sugar or have egg and bacon etc. Have a look at the total carbs in two biscuits; I think it may be high but I don't know.

 

[uart]

Average 180 gr Carbs
56 units humalog
34 units lantis

That's a reasonable high insulin dose for 180g carb, so there's a definite possibility that you could be a bit insulin resistant (as well as T1). Just wondering, have your insulin requirements increased over recent years?

Typical day is
Bran flakes & skimmed milk breakfast
Tuna salad box or bowl of soup or maybe occasional sandwich, fruit for lunch
Chicken & pasta or pork chop and jacket spud a couple of biscuits after for evening meal.

That sounds like a really good diet by the usual dietary guidelines. If however you are somewhat insulin resistant then you may actually do better with a bit more fat and a bit less carbs. I know it sounds counter intuitive, but avoiding low fat foods really seems to help with weight loss when insulin resistance is present. Take a look over at the LCHF (low carb high fat) sub forum, you might be surprised. The basic idea is that if a diet can keep your calories the same but reduce your insulin requirements, then it does makes it easier to lose weight.

I'd be looking at cutting around 80 to 100 grams of carbs from that diet and introducing an extra 30 to 50 grams of fat. Look at replacing the pasta with low carb vegetables for example, but make sure to introduce more fat to account for the missing calories.

 

[Diamattic]

It never hurts to get more exercise!

Others have said to think in terms of carb as opposed to calories, but is it really that much extra work to track both?

Everyones body burns calories at different rates, 2000cal for a man who is 6'-2" 200lbs is probably low, but for a girl who is 5'-3", 115lb, its probably high.

Would you mind giving us some more details on your stats?
As an example, when I am trying to lose weight, i try to eat 1600 cal per day at 5'11", 175lbs, i find this amount allows me to lose about 1 lb per week.

 

[dancer]

Exercise is good, as well as lowering carbs and bolus insulin.

You'll probably find that you go hypo with exercise. Obviously you take quick acting carbs for hypos, so you want to prevent that by lowering any bolus if exercising after eating. By how much? - That's trial and error.

Some people find they should also lower their basal to prevent hypos later (I did.)

When you start losing weight, you'll find your bolus/basal amounts will need reduced even when not exercising.

 

[ann34+]

I have been a diabetic for many years now but the last 18 months has been a real struggle to keep my weight down.
My calorie intake is generally below 2000 per day and I eat healthily and take some exercise (not too much though?).
My weight has increased by about a stone over the last 12 months but can't understand why ?
Any advice would be welcome.

Hi, Turtle, if you are eating the same as before, and have gained so much in such a short time, your metabolic rate must have changed , maybe it has just slowed a bit as you get a bit older, and you just need to cut back, as others have said this would mean less CHO, as you do not eat a great deal. But, as another post says, you appear to be a bit insulin resistant. Have you always been? Are have you recently stared using more insulin? Or have you noticed your control worsening? Is the weight a general gain or round your waist? If so, have you had your thyroid hormone levels, lipid levels, and thyroid autoantibodies checked? Even small changes in thyroid hormone levels can alter metabolic rate. and lipid levels. 10 years ago I began gaining a few pounds, i just could not lose them , whatever i did, then my LDL levels started creeping up, as did my HbA1c, and then i was diagnosed with hypothyroid disease. I discovered that in some cases these are connected. This may not apply to you but if needed there is more detail about this on the American Endocrinologists Assoc website . Ann

 

[TURTLE]

Many thanks for all your comments.
Having monitored my food intake over the last few days i am fairly comfortable with my results, avg 1700 cals , 170 carbs, not a lot of salt and not too much sugars and reasonable blood results 5 to 8.
Ann34 you are correct with the weight around the middle is where it seems to be most and after a little more research it does point to being a bit resistant so possibly that is where i need to concentrate.
Any further advice would be great.... Many thanks again.

 

[TURTLE]

For got to say i do have a thyroid issue and take a pill for under active thyroid but my last clinic results showed good results but i did read that not everyone gets on with Levothyroxine ? Is this correct.

 

[ann34+]

For got to say i do have a thyroid issue and take a pill for under active thyroid but my last clinic results showed good results but i did read that not everyone gets on with Levothyroxine ? Is this correct.

If your numbers are ok, and you feel ok, and your pulse rate is not lower than what it used to be I would assume that things re the thyroid are fine. the thing is that thyroid hormones, whether synthetic or natural, are not a cure, they are like insulin for a Type one, not perfect. Re my weight gain, my clinic was no help, as i was ok BMI, but i had gained round the waist , and cutting cals did not work, eventually i found that cutting CHO worked better, and would now consider 170 impossibly high. Some years ago i was on 220 or more , that suited then, not now, i think metabolic rate changes with age as well as with thyroid disease. Ann

 

[rosscortb]

Cereal and milk is the worst thing anyone can have for breakfast. Milk in that quantity pushes the sugar level up, up, up and awaaaaayyyyy!!!!!

 

[TURTLE]

I only use skimmed milk and there is little sugar in it, not sure how 125ml of skimmed milk can raise blood sugar that much ?