Losing weight

[Jade-1990]

Being diagnosed at the beginning of this year with type 1 seems to have messed with my plans to lose the weight I’d put on last year. I haven’t put any more on but I can’t seem to shift any either, I don’t know if it’s just me or whether being diabetic makes it that little bit harder? Anyone have any ideas? I used to follow slimming world before but I don’t think I can keep it up now! I’m just at a loss as to what’s going to be the best option, and it’s really starting to get me down

 

[Mbaker]

All diets can work, with caveats. A cabbage diet would not be very fulfilling for example but could achieve the objective in the short term. The best diet is the one you can stick with as a lifestyle and preferentially ticks boxes for practicality, health and enjoyment.

If you are in the high carb low fat mode of thinking you will need to obtain your basal metabolic rate and subtract 500 calories off of this to get good weight loss (provided you respond averagely). Weight loss is a usual by product.

If you low carb high fat or Keto, the food choices should naturally fill you up so calorie restriction becomes automatic (again provided you become fat adapted and respond averagely).

As a Type 1 you can do either or variants such as Vegan, Vegetarian or WFPB (whole food plant based). If you choose any of the low carb / Keto options, it is vital to do this with ultimate knowledge and understanding, don't just jump in as you insulin doses will definitely change downward and the risk of severe hypo's if not executed correctly rises exponentially.

 

[SueJB]

Hi, I'm having the same problem as you trying to lose weight. Since diagnosed in Aug 17, I've put on 7k. Today was my first major success.hahahaha!! In 4 weeks I've lost 1k, tiddly by tiddly bit. It is slow, it does get you and me down and I do think it is harder when you're diabetic. I have gone so low carb and started walking more, even if it's just around the house. I bought myself a cheap pedometer. I eat the colours of the rainbow, have zero rice, pasta, spuds or bread but I occasionally have a Ryvita. I don't miss the carbs at all really. 5 raspberries from time to time are my only fruit. It's hard but for a treat I have a little Chia pud or a small square of Montezuma's absolute black choc and a G&T. Stick at it and keep a food diary so you can't cheat. Good luck

 

[Juicyj]

Hi @Jade-1990 I will be honest I am no fan of diets at all, particularly as a type 1, the best way to lose weight and sensibly is to simply adopt healthy eating and exercise at least 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes a time. Don't feed your insulin, careful carb counting to stay in range and of course avoid hypos as much as you can. I also found losing weight hard, each year since diagnosis a couple of kg's have added up but since last August I run, cycle and swim and although I don't bother weighing myself I know from my belt the kg's are falling off, but feel much healthier too, I don't view it as a diet though this is a way of life so no feast or famine exercise as the body is adept to managing weight in line with diets making them hard to follow and futile over time. So healthy eating and regular bursts of exercise have helped me hugely in losing weight now.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Don't worry about SW but just keep those carbs down and you should lose weight.

 

[Ethanw57]

Being diagnosed at the beginning of this year with type 1 seems to have messed with my plans to lose the weight I’d put on last year. I haven’t put any more on but I can’t seem to shift any either, I don’t know if it’s just me or whether being diabetic makes it that little bit harder? Anyone have any ideas? I used to follow slimming world before but I don’t think I can keep it up now! I’m just at a loss as to what’s going to be the best option, and it’s really starting to get me down

Weight loss is all about calories in vs calories out, diabetes or not the equation will work.

Fat loss on the other hand is a different beast. Look for high protein and high fibre foods (that don't trade carbs for fats) and avoid unnecessary fats in general (skim milk over full fat, light cheese over regular etc). Fresh vegetables and lean meat, especially fresh fish, are best.

Ingesting the right amount of carbs and insulin to suit your energy needs is really the only trick specific to T1. Excess insulin generally raises the amount of carbs turned into fat instead of dispersed as energy. My endocrinologist has recommended me no more than 3 carbohydrate exchanges per meal which is easy enough with the right groceries, but you should talk to your specialist about what's right for you. I found it difficult to lose weight when I was constantly fighting low blood sugar with extra carbs.

Most importantly, weight loss should not be your only goal. While it can be a nice metric to measure your success, your should always aim for a healthy, balanced diet supplemented with an active lifestyle to keep your whole body healthy. There are many other health risks to T1 than just high blood sugar. Keep at it and you will make it there before you know it!