Type 1 - Losing weight on Insulin

[Lollilong]

Please can anyone tell.me how they' lost weight on insulin? I have put on so much weight. Unless I switch to diet shakes or keto I just pile on the weight. Noth of which are not sustainable longterm or are v family friendly. Calorie counting makes no difference. I wish there was a programme like slimmingcworld that is focused on diabetics as all they suggestions/ switches just require mountains if insulin. I'm tearing my hair out.

 

[Dudette1]

I’m in the same boat, starting weight 17 st 7lb got my weight down to 11st 3lb now I’m 12st 8lb since starting insulin.
I walk up to 10 miles a day and that is every single day, I don’t eat much but I do have 3 meals a day, no snacking whatsoever and still gaining weight.
Spoke to specialist diabetic nurse and she is going to have a chat with me about what can be done if anything on my next appointment.
I will let you know what she suggests and hopefully we can find the happy medium
I won’t do low carb as I went into DKA with normal blood sugars, I do have an app on my phone called “lose it” and i log everything I eat.
It helped me last time so I’m hoping it will help again until I see the nurse.
Would highly recommend the lose it app though. Good luck

 

[Daibell]

First, insulin can't cause weight gain but if you have too many carbs with insulin you may gain weight as insulin enables the body to metabolise those carbs. Don't rely on some people saying you can eat what you like when LADA/T1. I certainly can't and keep my carbs down to 150gm/day when I can otherwise my BS sky-rockets regardless of injection amount

 

[Juicyj]

Couple of points to help - stable levels help, going low we are inclined to consume more than needed to raise glucose levels, and also count the calories rather than the carbs, it's easy to eat too many calories when trying to keep levels stable, personally I cook mostly everything from scratch, I do tend to avoid eating high carbs, but that's mainly because I am trying to keep levels stable, if your basal level is right then you shouldn't be going low if reducing carbs, and finally exercise, it's vital for keeping healthy anyway but will help drop the pounds too.

 

[Circuspony]

I avoid too many carbs. It means you inject less fast acting so that risk of going low and needing to eat is less. If you're finding you're getting hypos on low carb then you're taking too much insulin

I also try and make sure I've got sweets nearby for hypos so I can bring myself up quickly and avoid wanting to binge on chocolate bars.

 

[megan]

I had gained a lot of weight and diets, which I tried loads including atkins ( yes closely supervised) and never lost weight. My big problem has been that I still need a lot of insulin when eating just a green salad! I wasn't believed by a particular diabetic dr for years, I saw lots of dieticians and they ran out of ideas to help years ago! I was down to analysing how chicken breast and salad translates into any kind of sugar in the body I was that desperate. And no I didn't just make that up.
Then earlier this year I moved and so had a new diabetic team. I had written some notes before I went in and when the dr saw them she said I'm happy to try you on the newer version of that drug ( pointing to my notes) ... and so my journey with ozempic began. In over 30 years of having type 1 diabetes this drug has made the biggest most positive difference I've had! Yes it has side effects but they weren't as bad as ozempics predecessor over 10 years ago! I started losing weight and my blood sugars improved. Since then Ive gone on to Dexcom and t slim hybrid system and my hba1c has improved loads! After years of struggling and micro managing something is finally making a difference...... for me. It may not for others but if my diabetes had stuck to its own text book rules then things may have been different before now. But this is just my story, we are all different