Weight Gain/Weight Loss

[hrtmom3]

Are there any type 1's here that are trying to loose weight?
Tim is really trying; lessening the calories, upping the exercise. It's really difficult to get it off. Any words of wisdom or advice?

[sarahspins]

Get your thyroid checked

Past that, it's HARD.. I have been trying since May and I've gained weight... it's very frustrating. I can rationalize to some degree that maybe some of it is added muscle (I'm cycling more) but the fact that none of my clothes fit right now (and NOT in a good way) is really distressing. I'm actually about ready to ask for either Metformin or Symlin to try to reduce my insulin usage to see if I can drop some weight that way. I am a good 40lbs over where I want to be, and 60lbs from my "ideal" weight

[ecs1516]

Originally Posted by sarahspins

Get your thyroid checked

Past that, it's HARD.. I have been trying since May and I've gained weight... it's very frustrating. I can rationalize to some degree that maybe some of it is added muscle (I'm cycling more) but the fact that none of my clothes fit right now (and NOT in a good way) is really distressing. I'm actually about ready to ask for either Metformin or Symlin to try to reduce my insulin usage to see if I can drop some weight that way. I am a good 40lbs over where I want to be, and 60lbs from my "ideal" weight

Is having too much insulin in your body cause you to hold or gain weight? If so, would being on Low GI foods help because of less of a spike? I notice when I grind my own wheat and make bread that the toast makes then spike less and require less insulin. The same for my pizza crust from ground wheat. I don't get all those spikes during the night after pizza at dinner. This is still using a combo bolus as I would a say, Pizza Hut. Those restaurant pizzas cause high BG's all night long. The homemade crust may be not as 'fluffy' and more 'wheat taste' but what a huge difference it makes on BG's . They don't like any other pizza now.

[Toni]

A lot of adults on Tudiabetes post on this topic. Lots of great advice there. There do seem to be a lot of low carbers on there, though. I thought the only way to lose weight is you have to reduce calories. I have gathered it is harder to lose weight if you are on insulin. Not sure how much role exercise plays in all this (you can reduce insulin by giving less insulin for food than you usually do at a meal and exercising directly afterwards).

[hrtmom3]

Originally Posted by Toni

A lot of adults on Tudiabetes post on this topic. Lots of great advice there. There do seem to be a lot of low carbers on there, though. I thought the only way to lose weight is you have to reduce calories. I have gathered it is harder to lose weight if you are on insulin. Not sure how much role exercise plays in all this (you can reduce insulin by giving less insulin for food than you usually do at a meal and exercising directly afterwards).

He's been doing all that....
less calories on most days
been doing pe/exercise after breakfast to cut out morning bolus, plus walking more
I've been feeding him lower carb meals (this we are doing pretty good at)

I guess you can only do so much, think it's going to be a long journey ahead. Just hope he doesn't get depressed with it.
I think I'll check over at Tudiabetes, thanks

[Toni]

Martha, you may have to search on Tu because I don't know if the posts are recent. But I was very surprised at the number of adult Type 1s who were low carbing it. Could he reduce carbs? I am not a believer in the very low carb diets, but if an adult could temporarily reduce carbs to 140 a day, less insulin would be given so that would take the insulin equation out of the picture. I know it is twice as hard. So unfair.

[SPICYSMOM]

Hi, I had gotten up to 191 - as I kept trying to lose weight I kept putting it on (and it was not due to muscle). Finally I told my endo that I have to get to a nutritionist/diabetic educator who can help me determine healthy weight loss diet - and help me adjust my basals, insulin to carb ratio and insulin sensitivity factor.

He wrote a script for me to see the CDE at the hospital as a pump follow-up. I see her every 2-3 weeks. I have created a one page daily form that I complete for all of my diabetic and food, exercise logging - documenting the amount taken for EZBG, number of CHO, what the Ping broke down for Carb, BG, IOB, CSN, CSE, %/% (breakdown between now and later for extended bolus that she has me use for breakfast) and how long the extended bolus is for.

The meal plan she put me on is: Oatmeal packet and large scoop of PB (I like chunky). 100 calorie snack mid morning, I usually drink the Walmart Equate Ulta Weight Loss Shake (170 calories, 24 cho) plus eat a piece of fruit. 100 cal snack mid day, then sensible dinner, and 100 cal snack for bed. Around a 1200 calorie diet.

The trick is to eat every 3-4 hours to SPEED UP THE METABOLISM which had slowed down as I got older (I am almost 50).

I love the 100 calorie snacks - much cheaper than the zone bars, slim fast bars, etc I used to buy. And I can have choc cookies (mini ones), etc. There is now a great selection of 100 calorie snacks you can get.

I do not get hungry - my sugars are better - I just hit my first ever 7.1 HA1c.

I am now down to 178.6, have lost 11.75 inches - this is since April!
This has been the FIRST TIME I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONSISTENTLY LOSE WEIGHT!!!!

Aim for a 300, 100, 300, 100, 300, 100 diet. I eat a little less in the morning and at lunch and a little more at dinner.

Good luck to you!!!!!!!!!!!
Sheryl

[actualreality86]

I am.. I'm on Symlin and I find that it works wonders, though I have to take a shot with each meal including changing my pump site every three days I never technically got off of shots because the symlin is in a vial form only I believe. I will not disclose my weight, but in one week I had dropped three pounds because of it and I'm on a high end dose. I'm actually almost out of it I need to get my new Endo to prescribe some more for me. I've been off and on it since May of 08. When I was diagnosed I went to Camp Sweeney and there you were put on meal plans. I was on a 1500 calorie diet and it was too much for me so I talked to the med staff to put me on a 1200 calorie diet and the whole month that I was there because I had done senior week as well as the regular session [Senior week is where the older campers are mentors to the smaller campers.] I was on the smallest diet that children were on at the age on 6 - 9 and I had lost a good 50 pounds in a healthy way because my activities during the day were 3 active, two passive and my three active were Water Aerobics, Tae Bo, Swimming. Then my passives were Arts & Crafts and Broadcasting. I had gotten away one week with having 4 passives and one active because Swimming was leisure and there were only two of us in the activity. If I could get back to doing 3 active things a day I'd be back down to where I want to be at. I hope to be back at my ideal weight by July of next year because I'm going on an Alaskan cruise and I want to be able to wear a dress comfortably for the first time in a long time.