Hi all,
I will make this short and sweet. I am a type 1 for over 48 years. On dexcom and multiple daily injections. I need to lose a lot of weight. My problem is I need to keep my mouth shut. Any suggestions? Thank you.
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Hi! So I’m doing WW and have lost 50 pounds. It’s really retrained me to eat when I’m hungry only and to not use food for emotional support which I had done in the past. Be warned that as you start to lose, your basal insulin needs are going to change quickly and dramatically so just make sure you watch your numbers closely!
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Taylor,
Thank you for your suggestion. I appreciate it.
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Stewart @Hertz4319 , I’ve not had the problem of needing to loose weight; I did gain weight after moving to Florid 20+ years ago but got back where I wanted by resuming physical activity. Taylor @Tee25 offered what appears yo be good information.
What you need to be careful about is your insulin usage which should decrease significantly along with your weight. The body need for insulin dramatically increases for a T1 as weight drives him into T2 - known as “Double D”, a combination of the two. Your meal-time I:C Ratios will probably stay the same, but your rather high 57 units of background/basal insulin will decrease. I suggest, as you begin seeing any excess weight melt away, that you closely watch BGL and slowly cut back basal. Good luck!
I would suggest you cut back gradually - decreasing portion sizes a bit at a time might help your body adjust to feeling less full. And the sensation of hunger sometimes means you’re thirsty so if your numbers are OK see if drinking some water helps.
Hi Dorie,
Yes smaller portions. I have to watch my potassium. When I do that it is amazing how many foods have potassium.
Of course! One other thing I wish I would’ve done before doing it is let my endo in on the plan. I didn’t and it took a while for them to catch up which led to more frustration on my behalf. .You might find it helpful to check in with them more frequently as I’ve been diabetic for 17 years almost and with the weight loss felt like I had to relearn my diabetes. Having the support of my endo team has been huge! The other thing I would mention to anyone starting a weight loss journey and diabetes is start with food. Exercise is important too, but even eating healthier is going to start impacting your long acting insulin almost immediately and for me at least even going for walks was too much in the beginning which was beyond frustrating. I picked getting the nutrition part down first and then slowly started incorporating exercise back in. I’m still playing around with the exercise piece a bit, but I’m back to enjoying a 30 minute walk daily.
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Get with a diet program like WW or some others that meet the approval of your Endo. Having a plan laid out for you and the support of others will help with your self discipline. Good luck!
im 13 years old and have had diabetes for 5 years. ive let it take over me. one thing i did and regret doing was stress eating and create bad habits and i have problems sticking to plans or diets. No im not overweight but my weight where im at takes me down and im tired of looking at someone i dont recognize or want to be. Im a chef and which im a kid that loves anything carb. haha yeah. I need guidance. my dietician doesnt help much. ive been vegetarian. liked it, cleansed my body. then went off of it. you know…bacon. anyway, i dont know what to do. being the only diabetic in my family and them not knowing what to help me for food health wise, its all up to me.
Hi again @EvieFire . If things didn’t work out with your dietitian maybe you can find another who is more helpful. Since you’re 14 it might be challenging since you probably have to go through your parents but check it out. Have you checked out Mediterranean dining - it’s called “Mediterranean diet” but it’s really more a way of life than a diet you follow to lose some pounds. I tried it and really enjoyed it, but since it uses so much good fresh food it takes a bit of work. As someone who doesn’t really enjoy cooking and prefers to fix something fast I’m afraid I fell off the wagon - I need to claw my way back on because I really enjoyed it when I did it.
Morningstar Farms and Boca brand have vegetarian alternatives to meat products. Beyond brand is fairly new to the market and you could try those as well. They’re probably in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, not with the breakfast meats.
thank you for the advice! i’ll definitely use it!
Evelyn @EvieFire , the best advice I can offer here is that you “eat healthy”, yes as a girl in her teens, and enjoy what you eat; quantity of food - that is portion size is what you need to observe to best manage your diabetes. Health eating means that you select items from ALL the different food groupings - fruit, starches, green veggies, proteins, dairy, and sweets. Anything unless you are allergic. As far as being “the different one” at your family dinner table, let me share my experience.
My parents had eight kids and my mother prepared ONLY ONE supper every evening that went on the table about six PM when we were all supposed to eat. On the day in July when I was released from hospital after my two week stay I took my usual place at table and took some of everything - just as everyone else did; it may have been the only time since the war rationing that my mother didn’t serve pudding - a home-baked pie or cake. I did kind-a stick to the “diet” designed for me to match the insulin prescribed; that is, until September when school opened and I ate whatever the main-meal happened to be that day.
As you may have already read, like you I don’t need to lose any weight so just like I did 65 years ago I fill my plate - but don’t over eat except on special occasions, mentally count carbs I see and take insulin to balance. My method, although not “diabetes textbook”, has apparently worked for me. I’ve been able to “work and do” productively and with enjoyment and remain relatively healthy. Life is for living, know who you are, accept what you are, be accepting and kind.
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I’ve had luck with weight loss via the pump as it is able to reduce basal insulin usage when it’s not needed.
Some great comments here about working with your endo team to adjust insulin levels when reducing carbs and increasing exercise. It’s quite a challenge to continually rebalance and can be discouraging. Remember that weight loss itself will also probably reduce your insulin needs.
My weight loss tools (outcomes in process):
- Meetings with my endo team nutritionist to get lower calorie suggestions for correcting lows that you can keep in a bag or desk drawer (4 Oz 100% juice juice boxes - I like Juicy Juice apple - and glucose tabs which I hate but serve a purpose)
- setting a target calorie count and menu planning also with the nutritionist
- an app called LoseIt for easy calorie counting and tracking (there’s a free version); I started manually logging but find the app easier to use because it does the math for me and has a large database of user-added foods
- EatingWell magazine meal plans and recipes, food for the whole family - so far I’ve accessed it online without a subscription
I second the advice to try to find a nutritionist you really connect with. It’s totally possible to figure it out on your own, but a few conversations with a nutritionist who gets it makes it so much easier.
Hi @Guildk . Like you I hate glucose tablets - something about the texture just bugs me. I found Clif Bloks gels at a sporting goods store - they’re made for athletes. They’re soft gels (not gummy) and come in a variety of flavors. Easy to grab and go - they come in a pack with premeasured pieces you tear off. Several flavors but some have caffeine if that matters to you. I’ve seen a similar product at the grocery store but haven’t tried them yet.
Thanks, Dorie @wadawabbit. I’m a big fan of Gu brand packets for on-the-road corrections. In fact, they are the primary reason snorkeling is feasible for me. However, they weren’t something my nutritionist endorsed with weight loss goals in mind because they are higher in calories than 4 Oz juice or tabs.