weight slowly rising.

nclemale

Member
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20
good morning.

I am fairly new here so this is my first post.
I am type 1 diabetic and have had it since i was 10 (now 42) . Since i have lived on my own after the split from my ex partner i have slowly gained weight over the 10 years. I had my annual check yesterday and i have gained another half a stone over the year.
I know where my problem is . its the fact i eat massive portions . I can eat dinners meant for 2 on my own . (bearing in mind am not huge ) as i work and on my feet all day .
My question to you guys is what foods do you suggest i eat . My current diet is very much a meat and potato diet i can have a full plate of roasties with the rest of my sunday dinner. I enjoy chips with lots of other things .
The problem i have if cutting down on the potatoes etc what do i fill my plate with so that i still feel full.
Also with the nicer weather coming in i will be trying to cycle to work once or twice a week so its not just food am willing to change.
I work in a very stressfull enviroment and fast paced which in turn can cause me low sugars regulary throughout the day .

Anyone else in the same situation and if so what did you do about it.
(i have zero motivation LOL ).

Dave
 

Daibell

Master
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Hi. I guess you possibly need to set a target to reduce your insulin a bit in parallel with some reduction in carbs. This should help with the weight gain being careful to avoid hypos as always. A big plate of potatoes or chips is not ideal (!). Green or other veg is the obvious alternative but if you're like me you may not enthuse over most veg. I have raw carrots which I love and are low-GI when raw. Beans and pulses are excellent. Sounds like portion sizes may need to come down which you may have to do slowly over a period of time. As you say motivation is the problem but I've managed to reduce my portion sizes over the years since diagnosis as my tablets weren't working so just had to keep the carbs down. Now I'm on insulin as well it's tempting to increase portions again which I've done a bit but still less than before. It does get easier at my age but not easy at 42. Good luck!
 

noblehead

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Hi Dave,

You've already mentioned where your problem lies and that's with your portion sizes, reduce the size of your meals and you will definitely see your weight reduce, obviously you will need to adjust your insulin to compensate for the reduced carbs.

When you do begin to cycle to work you may have to reduce your insulin again depending on the duration of the exercise, I eat potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, pulses and fruits but in them all in moderation as part of a healthy well balanced diet, remember if you burn more calories than you consume then the weight will eventually move.

If you haven't done a carb counting course already then I suggest you ask your DSN about DAFNE, it's aimed at type 1's and teaches you to match your insulin to the food you eat, how to adjust your insulin when ill or partaking in exercise as well as many other areas of diabetes management.

Good luck!
 

nclemale

Member
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20
yes thanks .
This week specifically i have been off work (holiday) And have already tried reducing my intake of carbs and adjusting insulin accordingly and i have seen a Significant reduction in my blood sugar .
But as i previously mentioned portion size a big problem .I reduced the carbs but have added low carb veg to compensate .
Going to be a long process i think .

I am waiting on an appt with a dietician in the next few weeks also to help me .

dave
 

noblehead

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nclemale said:
yes thanks .
This week specifically i have been off work (holiday) And have already tried reducing my intake of carbs and adjusting insulin accordingly and i have seen a Significant reduction in my blood sugar .
But as i previously mentioned portion size a big problem .I reduced the carbs but have added low carb veg to compensate .
Going to be a long process i think .

I am waiting on an appt with a dietician in the next few weeks also to help me .

dave


It all takes time Dave, like you I use to go for second portions or overfill my plate but not anymore, changing your ways slowly and seeing the weight reduce at a steady pace is the best way to get back on track and keep the weight off, I found the help of a dietitian immensely helpful when looking at my diet and pointing out where I could cut back on the calories.
 

hanadr

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One of the pimary functions of insulin is to help store fat. Thus if you use a lot of it, weight gain is invitable.
As has been written on this thread, the answer is to cut back on carbs, probably by portion reduction overrall andreduce insulin to match. exercise alone has little effect on weight, but when combined with a good eating plan can certainly help.
hana
 

nclemale

Member
Messages
20
i have since recently aquired a rowing machine also which i have used on daily basis since getting it last friday .have a appt with nutritionist so all is heading in the right direction .
 

nclemale

Member
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20
just a lil update .

i have cycled to work a couple of times since i posted this .cut down on my carb intake and started to eat more free food . ie salad and protein meat . i also cut out lager for the last 5 weeks. and in these last five weeks i have only lost 2 pounds. yes i know rome wasnt built in a day am heading in the right direction but when my colleague at work cycled to work the same days as me and told me she had lost 7 pounds in 5 days i beginning to think am doing something wrong. Is there a way of speeding up my metabolism ??
Am sure once i see my nutritionist in 2 weeks i will understand a bit more about what to do .