Putting weight on

HI and welcome.. just a bit of admin first.. Are you Type 1 or Type 2?
You have posted in the Type 2 with insulin forum but your profile says Type 1.
Advice may vary depending on that classification.

I know how hard it is to lose weight and you really have to be in the right frame of mind it could be your rebelling against the diabetes the trouble is you've got to find healthier options to stop you feeling like your being deprived which is hard try and stop the snacking and bring in more protein and less carbs find something healthy that you like Perhaps a handful of nuts or homemade popcorn and gradually cut down I know it's not easy but you'll probably even out and not have so many hypos good luck

Hello and welcome @ry1

If you can confirm what type of diabetes you have and I can then move your post if required, in the meantime I am tagging @daisy1 for our new members information which is a good starting point.

Regardless of type, eating a healthy balanced diet is vital, easiest way to start is by cleaning out your cupboards and removing temptation, then it's a case of planning meals ahead and stocking accordingly. As you've mentioned you are on insulin do you carb count and take quick acting insulin ? or are you on fixed insulin doses ?

Hello @ry1 You can change your type in profile settings, let me know if that's ok ?

In regards to changing your diet it's a good idea to speak to your diabetic nurse and advise them that you need to adjust your diet and insulin doses before making any changes, if you are comfortable in matching insulin to carbs eaten then this would be the best way to avoid hypos.

ry1 said:

I'm type 2 with insulin I'm on 16 unit's of Lantus in the morning then 3 units of novo rapid for breakfast 4 unit's for dinner then tea time I have 14 unit's novo rapid

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Firstly, novorapid is a fast acting insulin and its dose will vary depending on what is eaten. A set amount of 3,4 & 12 may not be working effectively if you eat different food. You need to check the basal insulin is correct first with a fasting test. If it is I would then monitor food and novo rapid requirements. Aim to keep glucose levels around 6.5/7 for now so that hypos are minimized, I would also try cut carbs down, the more carbs you have the more room for error in dosage and the more potential for spikes in glucose levels post meal.

For many years my attitude was "I can eat that as I take medication (mainly metformin) to stop bad things happening." I was put on insulin last Feb. then in July I was in hospital and gad to eat what they gave me. They reduced my carb intake and my insulin from 68 to 25 inits per day. When I was released I stayed on low carbs and I am now down to 11 units a day. My weight, that went high fast on insulin earlier this year, has now dropped by over 20lbs in the last months. It really is worth the effort.

@ry1

Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
  
  
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
  

ry1 said:

I'm not in control of my diabetes am the moment my blood sugar levels are always hi unless I have lots of insulin then I go into a hypo and then just eat more I've put on 2 stone I'm eating everything unhealthy crisps chocolate bread you name it.. my cholesterol levels have gone up by 6% and my hb1c has gone up aswell.. I just don't know what food to eat as I'm always comfert eating due to my metal health issues.. need a list of things I can start eating health again

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I'm still currently still classed as prediabetic, but I have the same problems as you. It's hard to give advice as everyone is different in the way they deal with their mental health condition. Depression in particular can cause havoc with people's eating habits.
You don't say if you have discussed your mental health issues with your doctor or are receiving treatment.If you haven't done so I would strongly advise it. I'm on anti depressants which have lifted my mood, they take a while to work but I'm now starting to regain control over my binge eating - though not quite there yet.
Cognitive behavioural therapy seems to have worked for a lot of people, it didn't for me.
There is a tendency to panic and think you have to lose weight quickly - this will make you more discouraged and fuel your cravings for unhealthy food.
Keeping a food diary is useful as it can show you at what points in the day you have binged, and you can try and pinpoint what you were feeling at the time. Then you can work out some activity to distract you from eating. If you manage to cut out just one unhealthy snack in the day, that is a major step forward. This was a helpful strategy given to me by our local health trainer.
Trying out an activity that you think you might enjoy can also help. I've joined a community choir and I find that singing puts me in a more positive mood. It was hard going to the first choir practice as I suffer from social anxiety, but I persevered and it really has improved my mood. Some people find walking beneficial, or doing something practical such as painting,drawing or craft activities.
Above all, try not to be angry with yourself when you give in to temptation. It just makes the craving to binge even worse and does nothing for your state of mind.
After being secretive for many years about my mental health issues, I have started being open about them with close friends and have found them to be very supportive and not at all judgemental.
I really hope and believe that you will find a way through that works for you.