you have to be kidding me! i just found out from my doc (well yesterday found out) that insulin can make you gain weight???? like i dont have enough to worry about!
when i was diagnosed 2 weeks ago i had dropped 12 pounds in one week which brought me down to 174..today i go on the scale and i am 190! how the heck is that possible? i was always told that if i ate my 3 meals a day and ate properly that i would lose if not maintain my current weight...yesterday i gained 5lbs alone! can a change in insulin reverse this effect?
how are we suppose to maintain a healthy weight for diabetes when the meds they give us make us gain..sheesh.
The reason you lost weight was because your body was starving. Even though you were eating, there was no insulin to allow your body to utilize the nutrients in food - therefore it was like you weren't eating at all. Now that you have insulin in your body again, your body is efficiently breaking down and storing the food properly. Insulin is a fat-mediated hormone meaning it needs body fat to work properly.
You can still maintain your weight and even lose weight. Weighing yourself every day is not a good idea because everyone's weight fluctuates from day to day depending on the food ate, fluids consumed, and exercise. A lot of the weight gain you are seeing can also be water gains. You probably became extremely dehydrated in the days before your diagnosis, so now your body is also replenishing its water stores.
There are simple tips to remember for weight control: eat regularly and consistently throughout the day so you don't allow yourself an opportunity to feel super hungry then overindulge in foods, keep healthy snacks available, and rather than eating straight from the package - measure out single servings and put them into plastic baggies. Consume foods high in protein and fiber to help keep your belly feeling fuller for longer and drink plenty of fluids (no calorie ones like flavored water are great). When having to choose between multi-grain and whole-grain, choose whole grain.
And exercise regularly. Exercise is tricky because it also messes with your blood sugars and insulin needs, but with careful checking, as well as with practice, you can easily work exercise into your daily routine. Park in the back of the parking lot instead of at the front. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Walk around the house or do jumping jacks during TV commericals. Take a walk around the block during your lunch break. Exercise doesn't have to be difficult or make you incredibly sweaty. Just keeping your body moving is key.
A lot of people eat when they aren't hungry. Really pay attention to your body. It will tell you when you need food and when you've had enough. When you are feeling bored or sad or emotional, distract yourself with something other than food - going for a walk, watching a movie, or participating in some hobby you enjoy.
And also - don't focus on all these things at once! Adjusting to life with diabetes is difficult in itself - making one small change at a time will help you turn these changes into permanent lifestyle behavior. Instead of doing everything at once, set a small goal for yourself you know you can consistently accomplish. Once you have regularly worked it into your daily life, move on to adding something different. Changing your world doesn't have to be stressful or difficult. It needs to be manageable otherwise you will never stick with it - becoming completely overwhelmed and throwing it all away.
We are here to support you and help you! Keep coming to us and we will help you get through the rough patches :o)
While it's not exactly a myth that insulin makes you gain weight, it's not exactly true either. What happens to many folks with diabetes (T2 or slower onset T1) is that they get used to eating more than they should and getting away with it. Because of the lack of insulin, the nutrients do not get into the cells and the glucose is simply flushed out by the kidneys. Once insulin is introduced, this allows the body to utilize everything that is being eaten. Unfortunately, the weight issues then become pretty similar to everyone else, whether or not they have diabetes. The amount of calories going in needs to be less than what is being burned off through daily activity and exercise. It does get more difficult when you increase your exercise, go low, and then have to eat. So basically you need to adjust your insulin for your activities.
While it can be a bit more difficult, you can take off the weight you gained back if you want to. It just takes some planning. The one thing you really want to avoid is diabulimia. This is where folks on insulin simply lower their dose, eat whatever they want, run high sugar levels (complications here we come) and then lose the weight (basically how you did it in the first place). This is very dangerous and puts you at risk for DKA and future complications.
Make an appointment with a CDE or a nutritionist and work out a diet/exercise/insulin plan and you will be fine. Best of luck
I lost about 40 pounds in about 2 months. I thought it was normal because I was trying to lose weight because I'm a teenager and felt the need to and I was changing my eating habits, I also couldn't eat certain foods because they made me feel sick. So I thought you know this was all normal but it wasn't. About a month ago I got very dehydrated I couldn't even get out of bed so we went to the ER we thought it was like glad bladder or something like that but they found sugar in my urine and then from there we found out I had type 1 diabetes. But since I've been on insulin I've gained back 10-15 pounds which sucks but you just have to find the balance between eating right, taking care of your diabetes, and exercise.
Hi Proudma, I love C's suggestions. But, I also wanted to add to just get used to taking care of your diabetes now and take it easy on yourself! It's hard to adjust to this new disease, so if your weight fluctuates for a while, I hope you'll give yourself a break. Once you feel settled into a routine, you can start adding in exercise and lighter eating. In my opinion, it's harder to loose weight w/ T1, but it's definitely possible. I gained 22 lbs from a medication I was on this past year, not to mention my extra 5 lbs remaining from my pregnancy. I've so far lost 15 of the lbs in the last 3 months. Some days are just "lost" when I have to eat a lot to treat lows. But it's absolutely possible with hard work. Message me when you're ready if you have questions. (I hope by my birthday -- Nov 19th -- I'll be back to my pre-pregnancy weight!)
I was type 1 for almost 50 years without being more than 5 pounds above my ideal weight. Then, in the mid 1990s, I started using the modern day synthetic insulins. In a couple of years I gained 57 pounds. i was not doing anything different, and did not know what was causing the problem. In 1998 I was diagnosed with insulin resistance. A type 1 with insulin resistance is a "double diabetic". You can Google that term and learn more about it.
I started taking a type 2 med to handle the resistance and was taking 40% more insulin than before gaining the weight. The new med enabled me to reduce my insulin dosages to my previous normal level. Then I reduced my carb intake to 130g per day and increased my exercise. After a year I had lost 34 pounds. I am 8 pounds overweight, but 23 pounds above my ideal weight. I am comfortable at this weight, I lost 4 inches in my waist. People say I look good.
Now I eat 150 carbs per day, and walk for one hour on roads with hills. I have not gained weight for a long time now.
As others have said, it's really more that the insulin lets your body use and store the fuel that was previously unusable (and necessary!). Plus, there's the fact that you're probably better hydrated.
Man... I get it, though! I've gained a few since I was diagnosed three months ago. I felt horrible when I stepped on the scale and saw that, but people have actually been asking me if I've lost weight. I think that's because I simply look healthier, now that I am healthier, and that makes you look good!
I keep meaning to get exercising now that I'm not immune to weight gain, like it seemed I was for the past year (who'd have known it was for such a terrible reason?!). I've almost always had a few extra pounds I needed to lose, but this diagnosis has made me realize that I need to give myself every health advantage I possibly can. If I can get myself to exercise regularly for that much more significant reason, then the weight maintenance (or loss) will be a natural bonus.
And then I remember with dread how miserable I was trying to do the first day of couch-to-5K, a couple weeks before diagnosis. I could. Not. Do it. And I have to remind myself: Oh yeah, I probably had a blood sugar level of at least 400 at the time!!! Of course I was miserable! The physical experience of exercising should be better now, as long as BG levels are within acceptable ranges.