Weight management with Insulin

I'm losing weight now my insulin is right. Annoyingly I'm being changed to another insulin routine to save the nhs the cost of my huge insulin resistant.
I've been told I can skip meals on my new insulin routine to aid my weight loss.

joanne75 said:

Hi @azure, I notice you say insulin does not make you fat and I kind of understand that we all need insulin and some ie: Type 1 need to inject it as we cannot naturally make it, but why is it so difficult for diabetics to loose weight? Is it anything to do with the insulin? are we saying the more insulin you take to cover your food the fatter you will become? Sorry if I seem ignorant but I struggle to understand why it is so difficult to loose weight for some diabetics thanks

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I take huge amounts of mixed Insulin (hopefully til wednesday, going seperates). I intially added 6lb then more over xmas. I've lost all that weight still on the huge amounts of insulin. I believe now my body has enough good insulin its happy to lose weight.
Only if your body is working right will you lose weight or do anything you need it to do healthily. Insulin is necessary, for even none diabetics.

azure said:

Hi @joanne75

It's a common myth that insulin makes you fat, and one that annoys me a lot. Obviously, if a Type 1 were to eat a poor diet and an excessive amount of food, they'd get fat just like anyone else would, but that would be because of the food not the insulin they took to cover that food.

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And that is why some type2s are overweight. Too much circulating insulin, mostly of the wrong quality. Good quality insulin and not wrong fat cells which block insulin is needed. Of course carb bingeing encourages liver dumping to excess, which never helps.

TheBigNewt said:

Some of the Type 2's in our clinic at the VA hospital where I work take 100U Lantus/d, and up to 30U Novolog with each meal. There are some real large dudes too.

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I take just under 300units of mixed insulin daily (humulin m3) Hoping to start tresiba 200 and novarapid wednesday.
Hoping 40ish tresiba and as little as possible novarapid, when I eat. We'll see.

catapillar said:

What are you basing this hope on? Have you recieved advice from your DSN on your tresiba dose? Assuming you are currently on a 70/30 mixed insulin your current basal dose is 210 units. I'm not sure how that translates to 40 units of Tresiba 200. Its normally advisable to reduce by 20% on switching insulin, then titrate up to avoid hypos. That would be 168 units. Or on Tresiba 200 half that, or 84 units of the double strength Tresiba. Do discuss your dosages with your nurse.

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I will, thankyou @catapillar . I had the 70/30 as 30/70. Good job I'm not doing it alone!
I'm awaiting dn to call me back (hopefully today, as running out of humulin m3). Specialist said I could have nurse to help me. They must have been hugely busy yesterday as I called twice, leaving messages but nothing back. I think we are short staffed.
I have a hospital appointment wednesday at same unit so if all fails I'll ask if can be done, if I wait. I don't like to do that thou as I feel unfair on staff but needs must as I onky have 3 days worth of humulin m3 left. To top it off kids are off for2wks and hubby off on holiday thursday for long weekend. It's all happening!
Oh and I'm hoping to get tresiba and novarapid bedded in 5weeks or less for coronary angiogram. I'll be ill if on high bgs.

Info leaflet is saying humulin m3 is 30/70 @catapillar . I assumed that to be 30% basal and 70% bolus?
When I was on novarapid and levemir in first pregnancy I was using huge amounts of novarapid, which increased with pregnancy hormones.(200units of novarapid in 8th month)
Mind you I'm not pregnant and 11yrs older now. It will be interesting how low I can get novarapid with techniques I've learnt from the forum. Liver blocks, maybe IF and definitely low carb with low to medium protein. I might through in r-ala supplement to put the cat amongst the pigeons! Ha ha
I'm excited about losing some of this 20stones too.
I have at least one year to lose some weight before surgery will be definitely pushed.
The only upset is I cannot walk properly so no real exercise plan, just walk when I can.
Otherwise I think I would bombard my insulin need into submission. I'm hoping I still produce my own insulin. I will double check when I go back for review.
Fingers crossed angiogram confirms no heart failure just mild heart disease.
I'm feeling optomistic. Tramadol does that to me!

I'm wondering why I'm losing weight at mo thou? All I've done is increase carbs and insulin. Reducing fatty calorie heavy foods out of my diet.
Is that where I've been going wrong? Too low carb and fatty foods?

Thanks Moderator for moving this.

Pauntiep said:

I still don't really understand the insulin/weight gain issue

nor 'eating to insulin'

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Loads I don't understand too.

I know I don't normally weight gain on enough insulin and I will pick nurse and dietitians brains in May about if I need to carb count.
12th of May is my new swop over day now.

I've normally always eaten sensibly and healthily in pregnancy.
I had some treats after births and hence normally had insulin stopped by then.

I'm looking forward to less fluid going into my abdomen, which should reduce water belly.
I'm looking forward to less injections and less repeat prescriptions.
In fact now all clear from cardiologist I'm hoping for lower back heavy pain to do one and weight will drop itself.