Weight issue

[m786xxx]

Hi has anyone whose a type 1 diabetic on insulin tried metformin aswell with it to help maintain weight? Or anything else that can help loose or maintain the weight?

 

[catherinecherub]

Hi.

There are some Type 1s here who take Metformin so I will bump your post up for a reply.
If nobody answers over the next day then you can bump it up again.

 

[noblehead]

Not on Metformin, but to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you consume, if your under the care of your hospital diabetes clinic ask to see a dietitian, they will look at your diet with a view to reducing your calorie intake.

 

[jack412]

how many carbs do you eat, a lot of T2 and some T1 help their weight and BG this way,
less carb, less insulin, less weight and the lost carb energy is replaced with higher fats

http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf it’s a long page and a video
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbliving/a/Food-Cravings.htm For me, the more carbs we eat the more carbs we want. they don’t give up easy.

http://www.lowcarbdietitian.com/blog/carbohydrate-restriction-an-option-for-diabetes-management

http://diabeticmediterraneandiet.com/low-carb-mediterranean-diet/

American diabetic association ( http://www.professional.diabetes.org/)
http://www.professional.diabetes.or...=DP&s_src=vanity&s_subsrc=nutritionguidelines

Evidence is inconclusive for an ideal amount of total fat intake for people with diabetes;
therefore, goals should be individualized; fat quality appears to be far more important
than quantity.

In people with type 2 diabetes, a Mediterranean-style, MUFA-rich eating pattern may benefit
glycemic control and CVD risk factors and can therefore be recommended as an effective
alternative to a lower-fat, higher-carbohydrate eating pattern.

 

[m786xxx]

Hi everyone thanks for getting back to me... Problem is I have already gained 7kg in a year and I barely eat, I know it's not good for me but I have no choice due to the fact how quick my weight is going up... I'm scared if I start eating regularly than I will need more insulin and I mite end up gaining more weight... And ovb I can't excersize without eating properly either...,

 

[m786xxx]

Also my sugar levels r very high even with eating less and taking insulin I don't know what to do...

 

[jack412]

have a read how other diabetics are losing weight, I'd put a post there to have a chat and get some tips
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/how-much-weight-have-you-lost.45888/page-10

@noblehead will help with insulin, he may give some advice on basal testing, getting that right will be a big help for you.

what you are doing now isn't working for you, something needs to change, are you with a hospital diabetic team? if not I'd ask for a referral,

I would get off the grain, flour. pasta bread etc, cut the spuds and other starch, read the links above
fat and normal protein need a touch of insulin, 20 -30g carb of leafy veg a day, isn't going to use much insulin
this will help get your head in the right place when you see your weight not going up.
with a clear head you can then look at your diet.
you may take on some fluid if your BG has been high, maybe a couple of litres/kg, but this will adjust as LCHF loses fluid at first

 

[noblehead]

Also my sugar levels r very high even with eating less and taking insulin I don't know what to do...

If your not already under the care of a hospital diabetes team then I'd ask for a referral over, they are more use to dealing with complex issues to do with type 1 diabetes than your average gp.

 

[zand]

Any more type 1's around? Maybe you could share what you have done? @Heathenlass @Dillinger @Spiker @donnellysdogs

Sorry m786xxx I can't help myself as I'm type 2. It makes sense to me to cut down on carbs for weightloss though, but maybe one of the above can help you with this. Good luck, I am trying to lose weight myself and used to gain 7 lbs a year every year

 

[Micky25]

Metformin is not designed for weight loss. It helps with insulin resistance and has a very slight appetite suppressant quality but if you eat wrong or too much, you'll gain weight.
Before weight loss can really begin, I would concentrate on stabilizing erratic blood sugar levels. Begin with basal testing then look at your insulin to carb ratio. Try to reduce your carb intake as this will aid both weight loss and BG control. I don't know your current fitness levels but any increase in activity will help. No easy answers unfortunately but work in=results out.

 

[m786xxx]

I wasn't tested for about 2 years and just recently got referred to a hospital, my cholesterol is very high too and hb1ca is 80 but was 119 8 months ago , it's improving but very slowly... I think I require more insulin because sometimes I feel like even when I eat low carb stuff I still need insulin or more insulin.. I have told my GP and doctor about how unhappy I am with the weight gain but I have to wait till my next appointment so they can see how the test results are and help me get a better control of it.

 

[jack412]

you are going to stress yourself too much trying to tackle it all at once, also when you're upset, it's hard to think straight about it.
I promise the weight we can adjust in a couple of weeks time by tuning your diet, the first thing is to get you eating and your insulin right

first ....I would eat the same amount of carbs at each meal and get my insulin to BG in range. try 40-50g of carb per meal and 20g for snacks to start with
start with a basal check http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/info/?page_id=120

do you suffer from carb cravings, I know I did and a lot do
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbliving/a/Food-Cravings.htm because carbs don’t give up easy.
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarb101/a/firstweek.htm


let us all know how your basal testing goes, post here if you do your own adjusting and/or tell the nurse your results
do you mind if I ask what your BMI or weight is?

 

[Alice233]

Not on Metformin, but to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you consume, if your under the care of your hospital diabetes clinic ask to see a dietitian, they will look at your diet with a view to reducing your calorie intake.

It really depends on your metabolism and how many calories a day your body needs to "maintain" it's weight. Search on-line for "calories needed per day" and you'll find some calculators that will tell you generally that maintainance level is. Come in 500 calories below that, with regular cardio and some weight exercise, and the pounds will come off. If you've been starving yourself, or your metabolism is really slow, then the calories your body needs per day will be much lower to start with.