Insulin resistance - what can I do?

[the_anticarb]

After going through 2 pregnancies and a weight gain of apx 4 stones :shock: my insulin resistance has gone through the roof. I'm desperate to get it down as I know that it will make losing weight that much harder.

Its kind of a vicious circle isn't it - what can I do to get out of it?

Obviously I am trying to lose weight adopting a moderate carb (but not low carb/ketogenic) diet.

What else can I do to reduce my insulin resistance? What will hinder/help?

I became very insulin resistant in late pregnancy and it went away briefly after the birth but has now returned with a vengeance.

We're talking 40u lantus per day and then a 1u per 5g ratio with meals (more in the morning) and still struggling. (It was half that before)

 

[carraway]

hi

If you were type 2 I would suggest the Newcastle Diet as a kick-start.

I suspect that increasing exercise will help. Especially weights.

I'm interested to see what other suggestions you get


Cara

 

[ewelina]

Reducing carbs, eating green vegies and the most important sport/excercise. Im not sure if there is anything else that you can do. Good luck

 

[phoenix]

As above : exercise is I think the best thing to improve insulin sensitivity (hard with 2 young children).
Some people find that metformin also helps.
Personally, and I know that this isn't going to be applicable to everyone, my insulin needs started going up and I started gaining weight and also stopped wanting to exercise. My cholesterol levels also went up. I thought it was age but it turns out that I was hypothyroid and had thyroid antibodies. Since going onto thyroxine things have improved somewhat.

edit: I was going to suggest replacing sat fat with other fats but copped out of being controversial but then I spotted this thread where someone has reduced their insulin needs by doing this.
viewtopic.php?f=19&t=48599

 

[Rockape671]

Sorry for stating the obvious..... healthy diet ( which I'm sure you already are), healthy portion sizes and exercise , exercise and some more exercise and with 2 young kids it should be no problem at all with all the running after them, housework and play. If you can take them out on walks or escape for a run, even better. The hardest part of a run is getting from the chair to the front door! Good luck.

 

[Daibell]

I'm afraid apart from exercise, a low carb diet is going to be the only way to get weight and insulin resistance down. Also it needs to be low enough carb to achieve the right result. My wife who is not diabetic has been very low-carbing now for periods of a week or so at a time for the last year and has lost 2 stone from 11 stone and is very pleased. It does work but requires a lot of discipline. She now finds she can have a more normal diet and not really put any weight back on i.e. the very low-carb diet has re-trained the body to burn fat and protein.

 

[s230787]

I'm in the same boat at the min, 22 weeks pregnant 3 stone weight gain and 100 units rapid and 40units lantus a day! Docs want me to try metformin in the next few weeks but NHS website says pregnant women shouldn't take it.

Can't wait to get back on low carb after the birth!!


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[the_anticarb]

Thanks all

As I had a c section I've not been able to do much exercise yet as only just really stopped feeling pain in my scar area whenever I do anything, it's only been 5 and a half weeks since the birth.

But have bought a double pram specifically for the purpose of daily walks with the kids!
To the previous poster, metformin is safe to take in pregnancy I took it without issue in both mine.

I'm aghast at how much weight I've put on but this can be common in diabetic pregnancies as a) insulin resistance goes through the roof and b) you end up injecting insulin like it's going out of fashion, then eating to stave off hypos, which I wouldn't normally recommend but in pregnancy the baby's needs come first and everything is about avoiding the highs which can harm the baby.

I have ruined my body for these pregnancy but the end result, two beautiful children, is more than worth it!

Hopefully I can get my body back now, I can't go around this fat forever.

Will try the advice suggested, I'm also hoping that the weight will come off a bit easier than normally as it's pregnancy weight (but that could be wishful thinking). I'm doing the herbalife diet which is lowish carb shakes and low/mod carb meals/snacks. I did proper low carb in order to conceive and don't really want to go back to that as it's so restrictive/expensive/bored of it.