weight problem

[leveya]

Can anyone help iv been diagnosed type 2 for last 4 years when i went on insulin my weight balooned
is this normal as i keep trying to lose weight but to no avail is it caused by insulin. i use levemeir and novorapid. i suffer from what the doctor said is a frozen sholder im on pain killers if still suffer in two weeks i see doctor again for injection.
my colestrial tablet has just been changed. after results fasting levels

 

[janabelle]

Hi,
Many people do put on weight when they're put on analogue insulins. There's a lot of advice on this forum re-low carbing, which can also help with weight loss. I don't stick to a strict low carb diet, but I do eat a lot less carbohydrate than I used to. I also changed to pork insulin. Both have helped me lose weight.
As for the frozen shoulder, there was some recent postings on this forum on that subject. If you put "frozen shoulder" or "joint and muscle pain" int the 'search' box on the top right of the page, you might find some useful info.
You may also find it helpful to contact the IDDT (insulin dependent diabetes trust) http://www.iddtinternational.org/
Jus

 

[jopar]

Hi leveys

Before dashing off to demand an change to animal insulin, you need to establish whether this is the actual cause of your weight gain or not, as being a long standing diabetic of over 20 years I do know that even when animal insulin was the only insulin available that diaebtics still put weight on... And using animal insulin isn't like using human type, in animal insulin quick isn't quick but you actually need to inject 1/2 hour before you eat! Not very confinieant at times at all...

Biggest cause of weight gain with insulin, is that the user is unwhitingly feeding the insulin rather than the insulin dealing with the glucose...

Do you carb count, so that you adjust your novorapid to the amount of carbs you actually eaten, or have they given you a sliding scale which is dependant on the BG reading?

I would suggest that you learn to carb count (if you aren't aleady doing it) as know how many carbs you are going to eat, and what factors you need to calculate to determin the correct dose of insulin to cover the carbs... Has several advantages, helps prevent feeding insulin with carbs. But it should give you more flexibility so that you choose the amount of carbs you eat, so if you decided to reduce your carb intake for weight lose then you can do so safely, as you can match your insulin to your needs..

I would ask your diabetic team about carb counting courses available, or if your dietitian can provide the help and support concerning carb counting...

Otherwise there is the T1 forum, even though it's say T1 but anybody using insulin can ask a questions about insulin control, reasonably the same being T1 or T2 on insulin.. or there are two very good books on this subject, Think like a Pancreas or Using Insulin...

Another area to look into, is are your thyroids working probably, if they are underactive this will not only make weight lose very difficult, but could well be a reason why you gained weight.

 

[fergus]

Hi leveya,

You have hit the nail on the head. Insulin is the primary hormone responsible for building fat reserves, and maintaining them. It's commonplace for diabetics to gain weight once they begin injecting insulin because the body uses insulin to pull glucose out of your bloodstream and convert it to triglycerides (fat to you and me).
So the simple answer is to reduce the amount of insulin you use. However, you MUST also keep your blood sugar levels in a healthy range for all the reasons I'm sure you already know. The only way to achieve both of these things at the same time is to cut out the sugars and starches from your diet as much as possible.
This absolutely doesn't mean starving yourself or going hungry at all, it simply means eating a diet which won't demand high levels of insulin. Take a looksee at the low carb forum if this idea appeals.

All the best,

fergus