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Desperate to lose weight!

jodie_2012

Member
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum and I'm looking for some advise. I have been a type 1 diabetic for just over a year now and since being diagnosed I have gained around a stone and a half. I am overweight and desperately need to shift a few pounds. Since being diagnosed I have only seen my diabetic nurse twice and my consultant once which was almost a year ago now since I've seen either, It's a nightmare trying to get an appointment at my clinic, I'm awaiting a letter to attend the carb counting course. But right now I just feel like I need some help and guidance as I'm really struggling. What diets would you recommend? I've heard about slimming world, is there any of you that have a success story? I am looking to lose around 5 stone which feels impossible at the moment. I'm sorry for rambling on but I feel like I have no management at the moment! Thank you
 
I would say that cutting the carbs down would help you a lot........easier said than done....

if would be even more effective if you could translate that reduction in carbs to your insulin doses as no doubt your insulin is having a weight gaining effect on some level...

as your currently not carb counting that might be difficult.......

what doses of insulin are you taking?

what is your background insulin?

whats a typical days meals........?

 
I'm currently trying to adjust my insulin levels to my diet as I'm forever having hypos!
It's been a long year and only now it's hit me that I need to control my diabetes after bad management. I just feel so annoyed with the lack of support I've had I need to do this for myself!

I usually take around 20 units but I've now dropped this to around 16.

A typical day would be either porridge or if I'm at work I'll have some belvita for breakfast. Lunch would be either a sandwich or rice (uncle bens microwave) and some chicken with some fruit. Then dinner is usually jacket potato, or spag bol.

It usually depends as my job requires me to work a lot of hours so sometimes I won't have breakfast/ dinner
so I'll just grab something on the go!
 
so are you on novorapid or humalog then for your meals?

what about your background insulin? whats that?

the first thing I would do is look at the background as this may be too much for you.....
 
Hi and welcome,

I'm Type 2 and med free, so have no idea about insulin. However, from your typical diet I can say there are far too many carbs there if you want to lose weight. Loads of carbs in porridge, bread, rice, potatoes and pasta, and none of these is doing your blood sugars any good either! Too many carbs = weight gain.
 
Sorry I'm on novorapid, I take around 30 units of levemir.

Bluetit1802 do you have any suggestions on what I can eat? I was told by my DSN that I need to include carbs in every meal. I'll take on board any help given to me. when I'm at work I need carbs on my lunch as I know it'll be around 7-8 hours until I'll have something to eat again. so I want to keep my bloods stable.
What would you recommend?
 

The "carbs with every meal" advice is given out by the NHS to us all. It is outdated advice and quite likely the reason so many Type 2's see their disease progressing instead of improving.

I'm loathe to recommend anything to an insulin dependent type 1 in case it interferes with medication, but with low carb you should find your insulin requirements reduce. There are many Type 1's on this forum that follow the same diet that I do. A sustainable diet of low carb with increased fats. You can have any sort of meat or fish, cold meats, green veg, salads, cheese, bacon, high meat content sausages, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, butter, low carb bread in small quantities (available in supermarkets), full fat yogurts with a few berries added for sweetness. The list is endless as long as you severely limit rice, pasta, potatoes, cereals, flour and most breads.

Have a browse round these forum threads and see what other folks are eating, bearing in mind you have a lot of weight to lose. I lost 4st. 7lbs eating this way and then struggled for ages to stop losing!
 
Okay thanks for the advise! I have another two months wait until I see my DSN so I will have a look around and see if I can find anyone in my position. I have the will power but just not the knowledge but I'm sure I'll get there. thank you for taking the time to reply!
 
the more you try to lose weight the harder it becomes i lost just under 3stone since march the 9th but i dont see the difference of feel any different as been sleeping a lot more these days with a sugar crash and yet i stopped eating sugary stuff and takeaways and been on sugar free juice and only have the odd cup of tea or coffee as with having type 2 mellitus i drink more than eat as i go for fruit and keep of the coleslaw no matter which one its is a was told as long as your eating pasta potatoes or rice and fish and chicken and other things like that it was ok by an nhs dietitian and the best thing i found to have when thirsty is sf lemonade by schweppes and sugar free juice added to it to mix it as i mix them both to taste like tango is orange and mango juice from tesco and its even better when chilled and loads of pasta salad if any of this helps hope so and all you can do it try always go for sugar free it helps every day in one way or another
 
Hi I have always struggled weight wise and I have been a type 1 diabetic for 43 years now and I have lost nearly 3 stone with slimmingworld In around a year and a half .... As I am on a sliding scale during the day I adjust it myself and my long acting insulin before I go to bed I have had to drop gradually too. I still need my carbohydrates such as potatoes, rice ect but I hardly eat bread but that is my choice.
I was very apprehensive when I first joined slimming world I didn't think I would get on with it but now I find it adequate for my needs, but you must remember everyone is different!
Like I say now I am on hardly ant insulin during the day and less at night too.
If you need any more info or advice if I can help you I will. Take care x
 
What kind of work do you where you are unable to eat for 7-8 hours? I don't think fasting that long while working every day is healthy for anyone and it might be contributing to the problems you are having. If it's necessary to eat every 4-5 hours for the management of your T1 then as far as I know you should be legally entitled to a meal break?

I'm tagging @noblehead and @Spiker as they are T1s and may be able to make suggestions on what you can do with your insulin regime while you wait for the carb counting course.

I think it's a shame that your diabetes service makes T1s wait for so long to see someone. I thought T1s should be able to get help whenever they need it.
 

Hello there.

I don't want to come in and bring a whole new stream of advice to your thread, as the others are pretty much suggesting as I would.

However, I would like to comment on your long time between meals and your stated need to eat carbs. Like many others on this forum, I've reduced my carbs to control my diabetes (albeit T2, on no meds, so diet only), and have lived that way, very happily for the 22 months since diagnosis. I made the change after 2-3 weeks, if I recall. But, my personal findings are if I don't want to feel hungry (who does?), and I think my day might go a bit pear shaped, regarding feeding times, I make sure I have some protein, and a bit of fat. That tends to keep my numbers solid, and I rarely feel the need to eat the table leg! For me, if I eat carbs, I get hungrier that if I don't. Like many people, I find carbs are a habit and can be a roller-coaster.

You'll get there. This is such a steep learning curve, don't expect yourself to get everything right first time.

Good luck.
 
I think it would be wrong to address the diet in isolation, as you say you are having hypos.
As a type 2 I know nothing about balancing insulin to carbs, so I would say you should address that with your medical team before making any change that may increase your chance of a hypo.
 
Hi there.

I should probably write a Sticky thread on this question to save time!

As a newly diagnosed T1 you were probably put on a slightly high total insulin dose in order to regain weight loss from pre diagnosis and to clear up the damage from chronic high blood sugar pre diagnosis.

Unfortunately after you have stabilised and corrected your pre diagnosis weight loss, this prescribed total daily dose will cause you to steadily gain weight, beyond your healthy weight.

Like a lot of people you have not been contacted for follow up, and not taught carb counting. Like 100.0% of T1s you have not been taught how to control your weight.

As a T1 your weight will rise, fall or stay constant based on one thing only, regardless of diet: your total insulin dose. So if you want to control your weight you need to adjust your food intake (like non diabetics do) but also adjust your insulin in direct proportion. To learn how to adjust insulin to food, you need a carb counting dose adjustment course like DAFNE or BDEC Online. Or read a book on it - it's really not that hard.

If you adjust your food (like a non diabetic on a diet would) without making the correct adjustments to your insulin, you will go high or low. Neither is good.
 
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thank you and hope fully we all will lose the weight we want and need to bless you all
 
19roddas70 said:
thank you and hope fully we all will lose the weight we want and need to bless you all
Click to expand...
Roddas you might want to cut down on all the fruit juices as, sugar free or not, they are full of fruit sugars and full of carbs. Same with the pasta and rice. For losing weight and for the T2 diabetes you really would be better off swapping some of the rice, pasta and fruit drinks for coleslaw.
 
Hey @jodie_2012. Carb counting and lots of testing is really the key to getting both your BG and weight under control. As Spiker said...check out the carb counting course..there can be a long wait for DAFNE course but the BDEC course will give you a good idea of how it works...it really isn't that hard. You can work out through a little trial and error and a lot of testing what your carb/insulin ratio is and tailor your insulin dose to what you eat rather than feeding the insulin as is currently the case. Any questions just ask...there are plenty of insulin users who should be able to answer any questions you might have.
 
Thank you so much for your help everyone! I actually managed to get a space on a carb counting course and attended my first session on Thursday! I'm hoping it will clear up a lot of things and really help me to shift this weight! thank you for all your advice everyone. it's nice to know I'm not alone
 
I've lost over 115 lbs and kept it off for over three years. I'm off medication for diabetes. At last draw all of my blood work was within the normal range.
 
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For jodi_2012

I'm Type 2 and on medication.

At work you come under the Disability Discrimination Act as I was when I was diagnosed, which you already may know. you are entitled to break times to be able to do your work - eat little but often. Also you are allowed time off for visits to doctor or hospital without using your annual leave or time off in lieu (TOIL) - have a look at the Disability Discrimination Act.

Allow yourself breakfast before you leave home - it's the important meal of the day.

Porridge is high in carbs but very low in sugar. Rice, pasta, bread are high in carbs but again low in sugar. Meat and fish has no carbs or sugar. I've only been with the Health Trainer for 11 days and in that time I've been on the Internet and found what's high in sugar and carbs. Go into Google and type in "How much sugar in ..." or "How much carbs in ...", and make a list of all the foods in your fridge and cupboard- look at the labels in the cupboards and Internet the fridge and freezer

Ask your diabetic nurse to refer you to a NHS Trust Health Trainer or Nutritionist. I've lost 5lb in 11 days.
 
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