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Need help to lose weight, really confused

livitridge

livitridge

Active Member
Messages
30
Location
Seaford
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
So I've been diabetic for 9 years, and have had pretty bad control from time to time. I was recently admitted into hospital because I was in such poor control and had a fear of hypos (which I have overcome) and now my control is perfect. But I seemed to have gained weight, gone from size 6 to size 8. I'm worried I will continue getting bigger. My total daily basal is 28 units, and I today i have started a new diet where I only eat 30-40g carb and stick to 1,200 calories. I'm hoping this will get my weight back down, as I am so unhappy right now. Is it true that type 1 diabetics on insulin WILL gain weight no matter what purely because they are on insulin... ??? I also do a run on the treadmill every day for as long as I can, usually 20-30 mins straight running.
 
Some T1 diabetics experience weight gain on synthetic insulin, although some folks refute that this is factually correct. I base that on my own and other folks experience, has been discussed on here before. I weigh more than my pre diabetes self, but I haven't continued to add on weight, it's just my normal weight is more, probably about half a stone more than I'd like.
 
If your control was poor, it's possible you weighed less before than your natural weight would be if you didn't have diabetes. Then good control (well done for that) would mean your body was able to get back to its natural weight.

Size 8 is still tiny. Do you know your BMI? That's a good way for most people to see if they're a reasonable weight.

I weigh the same now as before I got diabetes. If you eat normally then theres no reason why you can't be a normal weight for you :)
 
livitridge said:
So I've been diabetic for 9 years, and have had pretty bad control from time to time. I was recently admitted into hospital because I was in such poor control and had a fear of hypos (which I have overcome) and now my control is perfect. But I seemed to have gained weight, gone from size 6 to size 8. I'm worried I will continue getting bigger. My total daily basal is 28 units, and I today i have started a new diet where I only eat 30-40g carb and stick to 1,200 calories. I'm hoping this will get my weight back down, as I am so unhappy right now. Is it true that type 1 diabetics on insulin WILL gain weight no matter what purely because they are on insulin... ??? I also do a run on the treadmill every day for as long as I can, usually 20-30 mins straight running.
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I have been T1 for 43 years and have never put on any weight. That could just be down to genetics though. If you do cut back on the carbs then you'll probably need less insulin, which could help.
 
Everything that @azure has said.

if starting on insulin meant weight gain then every type 1 would be overweight......which we know isn't true, its about getting the balance right between calories in/calories out.
 
livitridge said:
So I've been diabetic for 9 years, and have had pretty bad control from time to time. I was recently admitted into hospital because I was in such poor control and had a fear of hypos (which I have overcome) and now my control is perfect. But I seemed to have gained weight, gone from size 6 to size 8. I'm worried I will continue getting bigger. My total daily basal is 28 units, and I today i have started a new diet where I only eat 30-40g carb and stick to 1,200 calories. I'm hoping this will get my weight back down, as I am so unhappy right now. Is it true that type 1 diabetics on insulin WILL gain weight no matter what purely because they are on insulin... ??? I also do a run on the treadmill every day for as long as I can, usually 20-30 mins straight running.
Click to expand...
You need to learn to manage you insulin while exercising. Otherwise you exercise, raise the number of hypos you have, eat to cover the hypos, and put on weight. So you're fitter but fatter. Having said that size 8 is not big unless you are about 4' tall, so you only need to maintain your weight, as you say. But still, if you have been uncontrolled, you fear hypos and you want to be fit and slim, you probably need to get some education about how to manage things. Have you done the DAFNE course? Then after that there Re lots of things you can read that would really help you. There is a book called Think Like a Pancreas by Gary Scheiner. You can get it from Amazon.
 
RuthW said:
You need to learn to manage you insulin while exercising. Otherwise you exercise, raise the number of hypos you have, eat to cover the hypos, and put on weight. So you're fitter but fatter. Having said that size 8 is not big unless you are about 4' tall, so you only need to maintain your weight, as you say. But still, if you have been uncontrolled, you fear hypos and you want to be fit and slim, you probably need to get some education about how to manage things. Have you done the DAFNE course? Then after that there Re lots of things you can read that would really help you. There is a book called Think Like a Pancreas by Gary Scheiner. You can get it from Amazon.
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Hey, I have been managing my hypos well, I don't go low after exercise I turn down my basal on my pump to avoid. My blood sugars are near enough perfect, but because I have been so bad before I think I read somewhere that when you get your control back, you gain loads of water weight etc.. I'm not sure. I'm trying my best not to over eat. I have about 28 units of basal every day do you think that contributes to weight gain? Or is is just what you eat that makes you gain?
 
OK, so you already know that stuff! That's just the trap I always used to fall into then! I must say, though, that your basal insulin does seem very high to me for someone who is as slim and active as you. I was a bit surprised. But obviously if your blood sugars are good, your basal rate must be right for now.

I am much older than you, and a couple of sizes larger but I have been exercising regularly for six months now to improve my fat:muscle ratio, and one of the things that has happened is that that my insulin sensitivity has risen, which means that I am gradually reducing my basal, and my insulin:carb ratio has gone down a bit. But initially I did put on quite a lot of weight, as I did what I described to you above!

I don't think "water weight" stays with you to be honest. When I was younger I used to find that an hour's swimming, for example, could make me drop 5-7lb sometimes. So exercise in itself can make you drop that water, I reckon.

I think, though, that you should probably also discuss it with your DN or diabetes specialist. I would hate to give any advice that would mess up your good record on the blood sugars!
 
Hi


I am also really struggling with weight loss. I have been eating a low carb diet and exercising at the gym 4 times a week but no luck. I have ended up actually gaining weight :(
 
livitridge said:
So I've been diabetic for 9 years, and have had pretty bad control from time to time. I was recently admitted into hospital because I was in such poor control and had a fear of hypos (which I have overcome) and now my control is perfect. But I seemed to have gained weight, gone from size 6 to size 8. I'm worried I will continue getting bigger. My total daily basal is 28 units, and I today i have started a new diet where I only eat 30-40g carb and stick to 1,200 calories. I'm hoping this will get my weight back down, as I am so unhappy right now. Is it true that type 1 diabetics on insulin WILL gain weight no matter what purely because they are on insulin... ??? I also do a run on the treadmill every day for as long as I can, usually 20-30 mins straight running.
Click to expand...
Low Carb, even for a while. i lost about 5/6 stone while strictly low carbing now i stick to around 130 carbs a day and im sustaining my weight
 
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