Weight loss less insulin

If you've changed your eating then it's usual for your insulin requirements to change. Also, the less insulin you use the more easily you will lose weight.

Good luck with it!

Hi,

While on insulin, I have lost about 3 stone. That is about 20 percent of my weight, I'd say.

I have reduced my insulin by around 20 percent also. I was on around 42 units of premixed insulin at the start. My insulin now for a day of 'normal healthy, carb rich diet' would be around the 32-34 units total. As I am low carbing, though, I need less of my rapid insulin and often land around 20 units with 16 of those being basal.

When they set up insulin regimes to begin with, they calculate it based on weight and then adjust.

For a type 1, the starting point is 0.1 units per total body weight in kilo's, then half of that as basal. That goes up to around 0.3 units per kilo.

For type 2s, the starting point is more like 0.3 going up to around 0.5 units/kilo. That is generally because type 2s tend to be more insulin resistant.

So yes, that observation makes perfect sense. And in any event, your meter results and your hbA1c are the things you should trust. So as long as they are good, all is really well.

-M

Often a loss of weight results in greater insulin sensitivity and hence less insulin.


Slightly off topic but I have a different understanding to Mileana on the amounts normally needed.

For a normal weight T1 adult most sources I have found say that the average amount is 0.5 units per kilo. For an obese adult this may be 0.7u or more.
Someone who is very active may need very much less, in puberty adolescents may need 1.5 u per kilo.
http://tt-diabetes-guide.s3-website-us- ... eId=528247
http://bestpractice.bmj.com/best-practi ... -step.html

The amount taken varies immensly according to activity levels , amount of insulin still produced ( many T1s and especially latent onset T1s may produce some of their own insulin for a long time)

T2s vary considerably from requiring a very little background insulin to people who needvery large doses, sometimes many hundreds of units a day.

mattpenn said:

Having started to lose weight by eating a lot more sensibly (meals loosely based on the slimming world plan which my wife uses) it is now quite normal for me to be able to go through a working day with a lot less insulin.

My sugar-levels are still safe, but I wanted to check other people recognised this as 'normal'.

Any experienced comments would help put my mind at rest. Thanks

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Hi Matt, I'm using around a third less insulin than I was using only a few years ago, losing weight is great for increasing insulin sensitivity and exercising is also useful too.

Keep it going :thumbup:

I have looked at my sources again, and Phoenix is probably right

I was trying to explain the starting doses and also managed to make an error in that, heh. Sorry about that.

-M