T1: What Happens If I Don't Take My Insulin?

[donnellysdogs]

Some people lose a lot before diagnosis and to me this is our bodies gaining back its nutrients and health again.

Nowadays I honestly do not know one single person happy with weight or size, diabetic or not.

There are other factors besides insulin to consider for weight gain. Doctors or nurses in their 10 minute appts do not have time or kmowledge to be honest to look or listen to your whole factors of your lives to gain the answers. The persons responsible for that is the patient.

My first suggestion would be to write every ounce or mg down of food and weight it all for a week. Work out the calories, carbs, fats and proteins etc. Don't forget any alcholoic drinks.
There's a good website http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1843/2 that you can find all fruits and veg values etc..

There is a good chance that there is an imbalance somewhere in foods ate and lifestyle.

You need only do this once and record the data down.. Then its always there as a quick referral when eating foods.

Ie if you cook butternut squash. Cook, cut off skins, weigh it and if having for two days put the 2nd weighed amount on a plate for tomorrow. Weigh out
And see what 50g or 100g looks like.
Cereal packets say that 30g of gluten rice crispies are 32g with 125ml of milk. Measure out once and do a truly accurate bolus and that will 100% say whether your bolus ratio is correct etc.

For me, I have such limited eating I have to add up calories and now look at iron too and the vitamins.

Most of us do stick to pretty much the same foods over a period of weeks...

We have to balance in our minds that insulin is an aid to our body and we need to balance the rest to get it right.

It may be one or two weeks of intense weighing and measuring but honestly it pays dividends.

It gives confidence to you long term to look after yourself and best of all if you get it right, lose weight (or in my case, put some on, get the right vitamin tablets etc) you can really smile and educate the professionals!

 

[azure]

It may very well be that you don't need to lose weight @Alex_B Let us know how tall you are.

If you do a lot of exercise, lots of your weight may be muscle, which weighs more than fat.

If you can do as suggested, and write down a day's meals here, then you'll get more useful input about your diet : )

Please do speak to your GP about how low you're feeling. There's plenty of help available but you need to emphasise how bad you're feeling.

It's really great that you've posted more here. Every Type 1 here can understand how **** it can be sometimes, so please keep posting : )

 

[Xina W]

Alex, I don't know you, or your details, but you really aren't alone.

I am so so sorry to hear that you are feeling like this. Hopefully your suicidal thoughts are just passing. You really do have so much to live for, even if it doesn't feel like it right now. I think you do need to tell your medical professionals and family how you are feeling. It is ok to tell Drs and nurses that you are feeling depressed or low. It is ok (politely and non-aggressively) to tell them you feel like they aren't helping you. They'll want to understand that is how you feel. And if there is no-one to talk to, then organisations like Young Minds (http://www.youngminds.org.uk/for_children_young_people) and Mind (http://www.mind.org.uk) are there to help too.

It is ok to admit that you are at a low, and hopefully you will start to believe there are people who can and want to help. As someone who has lost two dear friends to suicide (very different circumstances than yours) I can tell you that the hole that someone leaves behind is so gaping and awful for everyone who knows them. Please please take care of yourself, emotionally and physically.

I have only recently been diagnosed with Diabetes myself. I was diagnosed about 3 weeks ago. I am older than you (quite a bit older - 45, though I tell my kids I am still 21. I'm waiting for them to figure out that a few birthdays have passed and my age doesn't change. . And I had diabetes when pregnant and then not again till now. I am in the position of wanting to lose some weight. Although, again, I have much more weight to lose than you.

I feel like I have only myself to blame (despite a strong family history of Diabetes) I let myself gain weight and now have this disease to live with. I am worried I won't be able to lose the weight and of losing it and then putting it all back on. I worry about this now being a lifelong commitment. BUT I also know that feeling all that and allowing that to define my future is really futile and won't make things any better.

Instead, I am trying to focus on the things I can control. I am using an app to track my blood sugars and track my diet - I am using My Fitness Pal, but there are loads of free apps. I am trying, after reading a bit around this to follow a version of the Low Carb plan that Diabetes UK has recently recommended. I also find that doing even just a bit of exercise (preferably after breakfast) really helps my sugars, and means I get a bit more flexibility on calories. I am trying a (hopefully) sensible plan to really reduce carbs, eat more fish and less red meat, and aim to eat more vegetables. I am also finding if I up my water intake (and make sure I drink between 1.5-2L of water) that I feel less hungry.

Take care of yourself, Alex.

 

[leah2283]

Are you eating? You really need to get into a pattern of eating and injecting. Your body slows down with diabetes so you have to push it a little harder. A stone weight gain isn't worth risking your health for. The condition is a real one I just can't remember what they call it. If your eating and not injecting during the day your blood sugars will get really high and that could be fatal. I lost 2 stone 2 years ago by joining the gym I changed nothing bit exercising 4 times I week. I've been injured most of this year so only exercised once or twice a week eaten as normal and only but half a stone on. Be right to your body and it'll be right to you, insulin is the life saver here respect it and do things properly.

 

[Horsewithoutaname]

I do eat healthy and I do go for walks every night with my mum. I have spoken to my diabetes nurse and they told me the same thing and I am getting sick of hearing about exercising and eating healthy, I am already doing that. I can't lose weight because I have been doing this since I got diagnosed.

I don't think it is a form about abuse, or self harm. They don't care about me that's all. They don't want hear about my suicidal thoughts or anything else because they can't be bothered to deal with it.

I had also put some weight on after diagnosis, which is normal I think, but don't worry things will settle after a while. It took me one year and a half year to get back to my normal weight again by eating healthy and walking. Don't be encouraged that you don't see results immediately. Your body has experienced a huge loss of energy and fat before diagnosis. It is a normal response of your body that once it gets the energy it badly needed that you put on weight, as it needs to find a normal balance again. Skipping insuline won't do the trick and put your body even further into the survival mode.

Have you ever asked your diabetes nurse to be referred to a psychologist ?

 

[Gary Thom]

Hi Alex

Consider cutting out the potatoes and pasta from your diet as these are very high in carbohydrates. By reducing your carb intake you can cut down on the amount of insulin you need to take and may improve your blood sugar levels.

I know your nurse said they were OK but if you want to take less insulin but not risk your health then reducing carbs is the way to do it.

For sweets have you tried things like full fat greek yoghurt and berries or dark chocolate. Again these are lower carb so better for your blood sugar and require less insulin.

Edited by a mod

 

[Lucas Sampaio]

Hey, I was reading your story about you don't taking your insulin... That's not the right thing to do! If you wanna lose some weight you can practice exercise. You need to take your insulin every time that you eat!
At least are you checking you glycemia?