Newly diagnosed and weight gain

Hervin

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
I am newly diagnosed with type 1 and am putting on a lot of weight. I lost a lot before my diagnosis so wanted to get back to my original healthy weight but i seem to be putting on more and more. I am injecting pre meal times. I have a healthy appetite but eat good things but do eat sourdough and a small bit of my homemade cakes here and there. Any suggestions on why or how I can manage my weight.
 

noblehead

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
23,618
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
Disrespectful people
It's quite normal to put on weight post diagnosis, I was the same, lost a lot of weight before diagnosis then regained it after getting my diabetes under control.

The best way to lose weight is to eat less so you consume less calories, but as your newly diagnosed you need to run this by your diabetes team and get guidance from them on how to adjust your insulin doses.
 

Daibell

Master
Messages
12,642
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi. Have you set yourself some sort of daily carb total to aim for? For example although sourdough bread is a bit lower carb than ordinary bread it's still high carb.
 

TorqPenderloin

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,599
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I had the same concerns three months ago after I was diagnosed.

Keep in mind that a great deal of the weight you lost probably wasn't healthy weight. Prior to my diagnosis, I lost about 35-40lbs but most of it was muscle. I've gained all of that back in four months, but it's been very healthy weight (my body fat percentage is even lower than it was before).

Realistically, you're almost certainly going to have to change your eating habits. I was eating as much as 5000 calories a day prior to my diagnosis and still losing weight. Without insulin, my body couldn't use those calories which meant they were being pushed out of my body by my kidneys. That sounds like a great way to diet until you realize that that can lead to significant kidney damage over time. Of course, maintaining proper blood glucose levels will keep that risk to a minimum.

I also found that my body is more "Efficient" with artificial insulin. I've found that I need about 10-15% fewer calories per day compared to before I developed T1D.

Long story short, just like before diabetes, you can't eat everything you want. Insulin will help you regain your muscle mass and keep your blood sugars healthy, but you can't use as much of it as you want and not expect to gain weight.
 

novoguy

Active Member
Messages
40
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
smoking
I did the same and it upset me so much but when Mr Dr changed me to victoza it helps me lose weight so maybe ask your Dr about trying this drug, good luck as I understand how you feel,
 

Bluemarine Josephine

Well-Known Member
Messages
259
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
The only way to handle weight gain when you are on a basal/bolus insulin scheme is to consider very well the food combinations.
This is what I do:
Before getting into a basal/bolus scheme, I was following an extra-low carbs and high fat diet.
Following my nutritionist's advise, as soon as I entered the basal/bolus scheme, I introduced 30 grams of carbs per meal which means 90 grams overall per day.

For whichever additional carb I introduced in my diet, I was cutting down the equivallent of fat.
For example, in order to have an apple (pear, fruit of choice) every day, I quit butter completely.
Likewise, for 2 slices of rye bread I quit ham/bacon completely.
For a banana I reduced cheese.
If I want to have 200 grams of greek yogurt for dinner, I reduce cheese even further during the day.
I also stopped nuts as I find them very calorific.

So, for whatever carbohydrate choice I introduced in my diet, I cut down another fatty choice.
I also make sure that all the carbs come from fruits, unprocessed bread, yogurt and milk. I dont even touch pasta, rice, potatoes, sweets, desserts, cakes. I only indulge in a digestive biscuit maybe once every 4 days (as a treat).
Additionally, I reduced my protein intake. Meat/fish/poultry etc do not exceed 140 - 150 grams for lunch.

I hope this helps.
Regards
Josephine
 

azure

Expert
Messages
9,780
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
I am newly diagnosed with type 1 and am putting on a lot of weight. I lost a lot before my diagnosis so wanted to get back to my original healthy weight but i seem to be putting on more and more. I am injecting pre meal times. I have a healthy appetite but eat good things but do eat sourdough and a small bit of my homemade cakes here and there. Any suggestions on why or how I can manage my weight.

I lost a lot of weight before diagnosis and then put on more weight than I'd weighed originally. For me, this was caused by a kind of compensation for the hunger I felt when I had undiagnosed Type 1. My body had been starving for weeks, so I think it stocked up on food once I was stabilised on insulin to get back to a healthy weight, but just put on a little extra in addition.

I didn't bother about it for the first few months really as I felt it was more important to get my blood sugar ok, but once I felt more confident, I stopped and thought about what I was eating a little more in respect of calories and health aswell as carbs/insulin. A few adjustments and my weight gradually went back to normal.

My weight is stable now and I'm slim like I was before diabetes. I do think insulin subtly affects the way you put on weight and I do think you need to give it extra thought, but I find it not too difficult to control my weight if I make sure I'm not eating to feed the insulin or to counteract hypos.

I have 150-180g of carbs a day, probably a bit more at the moment. I eat things like pasta, bread, fruit, potatoes, cake, etc but I don't eat huge portions.

Obviously watch what you're eating, but do give it time. it takes a while to get back to normal - in all ways, I think.
 
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