I HAD TYPE 1 DIABETES FOR ABOUT 13 YEARS AND IM KIND OF GETTING TIRED OF IF. WHEN I FIRST STARTED HIGH SCHOOL I WAS LIKE 130 POUNDS IWASNT REALLY IN ANY ACTIVITIES BUT THROUGH THE YEARS ITS WAS LIKE I WAS GAINING 20 POUNDS WITHIN EACH YEAR. THE END OF 12TH GRADE YEAR I WAS 150 POUNDS. AND NOW THT IM IN COLLEGE I AM NOW 167 POUNDS ITS LIKE I GAIN WEIGHT EVERY YEAR AND ITS REALLY HARD FOR ME TO LOSE WEIGHT AND WHEN I LOST WEIGHT I ONLY LOSE ABOUT 5 POUNDS NOT SO GREAT. I TRY TO WATCH MY CARBS AND I GO WALKING EVERY SO OFTEN. THE MORE WEIGHT I PUT ON THE MORE I FEEL DEPRESSED AND MY BLOOD SUGARS ARE LIKE 150 TO 200 AND SOMETIMES 60 AND 80 I JUST DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO I CAN LOSE WEIGHT I FEEL VERY DEPRESSED AND MY SUGAR IS GOING CRAZY LIKE A ROLLERCOASTER... CAN ANY ONE GIVE ME ADVICE OR TIPS THAT THEY USED TO KEEP YOUR WEIGHT AND SUGAR IN CHECK PLZZZ.... IM TRYING TO LOSE AT LEAST 60 POUNDS AND I DONT KNOW IF ITS GOING TO BE POSSIBLE BECAUSE WHATEVER I DO DOES NOT HELP CAN ANYBODY HELP ME PLZ
I am in a similar boat as you. In high school and early college I played competetive sports the majority of the year, but didn't really pay attention to what I ate. Now I am trying to lose 40lbs because of the weight I slowly gained over the last 4 years. It is very hard and frustrating, I KNOW! The weight will come off slowly, but I recommend exercising at least 30mins a day 3 days a week, but the more the better, especially cardio (get your heart rate up). Try to eat more fruits and veggies and as little fast food as possible. Most importantly, don't get discouraged and give up. When you start excercising more watch your blood sugar a little more closely until you find out how it's effected, personally I can decrease my lantus by 4 units on days I work out for an hour or more. Most Endo offices have nutritionists in them too, so maybe next time you have an appointment you could ask to talk to them to see what they recommend. Good luck!
Rosemary has some excellent suggestions. I also just wanted to point out that the more you can decrease your insulin intake, the better b/c insulin is a fat storage. It has been studied that people who use higher insulin intakes or more frequent insulin intakes gain weight faster. So, the more exercise you can get (without over doing it) and the better you can balance your meals, your doctor may be able to suggest lower dosages of your insulin intake.
My sister and I are both Type 1. She's had it since she was 5 (she's 21 now) and I've had it since I was 19 (23 now). I think I got it at an age where I could handle it etc. from seeing my sister grow up with it. She went through the depression stuff too though. What helped her a lot was seeing a Psychotherapist whose specialty was Diabetes. Check around wherever you're in school and see if something like that is available.
As far as the weight loss. When I was diagnosed, I weighed 270lbs and was in shape if you consider "round" a shape. Granted the ketoacidosis helped with a little of the weight loss, but that is definitely not recommended. I've taken to playing rugby and find that the running that provides, mixed with a decent amount of gym time helps keep everything in balance. Diet is always important too. Different things work for different people, but if you can find someone to run/walk with and someone to talk to when you feel down, you'll be ok.
I am struggling with this as well. It is really hard to lose weight with having diabetes. The past week I've cut carbs, added more fruits and veggies, and increased time working out, but it's really hard to stick with it when the pounds come off so slowly. But I'm not sure of any alternatives that would be wise or healthy, so, that's all I'm doing for now!
Just be patient, if you stick with what you're doing by maintaining a diet and staying active with exercise/sports the pounds will come off. Set small goals and meet those. When you set a huge goal and after a month or two you aren't there, it gets frustrating and you want to give up. Just set small goals that way you have little victories along the way. :)
Depression and stress will affect your blood sugars.
A good way of explaining the balance of diabetes that I use on a regular basis is this:
Blood Sugar Change = Food - Activity - Insulin
You want to keep your blood sugar change as close to a small amount as you can, adjusting as necessary.
For your needs, you want to decrease the amount of food intake (of course), which means you'll have to balance the amount of activity and insulin you do as well. So long as you keep this balance in check, you can reduce food and diet just like a normal person looking to reduce their weight. The smaller parts of the calculation are up to you, but this is a good baseline to start from.
theres nothing more easier than : exercise n control what you're eating,
exercise can b as easy as, tune-up the music n dance for 30', or stand while you're surfing the net (how long have u been sitting ?)
eating, well this is the harder part, but try to stock up fruits or frozen veggies (than having cookies/ chocs ) in the fridge, and drink green tea (+sugar) is even better than drinking coke/ carbonated drink.
n dont forget to get a good night sleep ( it helps!), 7-8hours/day.
I have been trying to lose weight for the past 2 years. I go to the gym regularly always 3 times a week sometimes more like 4-5. I never lose. But, I have heard even if you do not lose it may be because you are gaining muscle and it weighs more so you can end up staying at the same weight but lose inches. So you can always go by how your clothes are fitting you.
I have gotten really depressed about the weight gain myself but I have been trying not to get down about it because I would rather have a few extra pounds and be health then skinny and sick!
In my experience, the best way to control blood sugar AND drop weight is by eating a lower carb diet. I don' t mean going all out atkins style, but just drop sugary fruits and bread.
In my experience if you are gaining weight for no apparent reason you may want to have you thyroid checked when you see your endocrinologist. The thyroid controls your metabolism and may have a lot to do with your feeling depressed too. You may have trouble losing weight if your thyroid is the problem, but once you get it under control, you will feel better and be able to control your blood sugars better too. I hope that it isn't your thyroid, but you should consider having bloodwork done at your next endo appt.
Wow I have had diabeties also for about 13 years. I have also had weight issue but not until I had my little boy. I had always been around 130 which is good for me. Now I am like 180. I cannot even get 5bls off. They said I do have a thyroid issue and have been on med. for like 9 months now. I also have pcos. This is sooo wierd. People have told me I should have atleast lost 5lbs. Especially since I am walking 4 -5 miles a week. Which is 4-5 times a week. Also I drink lots of water and I am on a diet pill. I just don't know why the pounds are not coming off. Please any suggestions.
It's such a struggle, especially when dealing with depression. Walking is great, try to walk as much as possible. I would make an appointment with a dietitian for guidance. Also, make your goals realistic. This helps with your depression as well. I struggle with the exact same issues as you, but it boils down to your health and quality of life. Don't try to lose weight to fast, you have to allow your body to adjust.
I also ran into a problem a few years ago where I started to lose weight, but my blood sugars didn't regulate, and I got sick and gained back most of the weight I had lost. That's why I take a much safer approach at it now.
Keep your head up girl!! You are not alone in this struggle.
Recently I was talking to someone about this very subject and they introduced me to a new CDE who I am working with right as we speak. She went over my data and said that my insulin to body weight is off which is probably causing the weight gain because I am on too much basal during the day.
She said because my basals are off it affects the rest of the day. She said that I am always feeding my high or low blood sugars because I will go low and have to eat and then go high and have to take more insulin instead of staying steady all day long. Result: weight Gain!
She said that if my basals were correct that I would be able to go all day without eating and my blood sugars should stay at around the same level all day.
Meaning if my last blood sugar check was 140 at 3pm the rest of the day should be a pretty steady line but for me I drop and I am adding extra calories and then later on my blood sugar goes up then take insulin it goes down etc..
So the moral of the story is if you get your basals right for your body weight you will start to lose. Well hopefully! I will let you all know how it goes!
Gina's theory is the basis for the method used to check that one's basal rates are correct. On a day when your BG is within target in the morning, try eating only protein at breakfast, no carbs, as protein should not affect your levels. Avoid any strenuous activity that morning. At mid-morning, check BG again; it should be roughly the same as it was when you first got up. Then, at lunchtime, check again; should, again, be about the same result.
On another day, do the same routine, but for your lunchtime meal. Then on another day, do the same for dinner. Of course, you should determine your patterns for each time frame by repeating the process 2 or 3 times before changing any basals.
Also, I would advise to make very tiny changes, one at a time, to see the effect of a change before doing it again. My pump, the Animas 2020 allows to make changes in increments as small as 0.025u, which I find great!
First, like everyone else has said, you're not alone struggling with weight loss. It seems so unfair to have diabetes interfere with weight loss efforts, especially when I see friends go on diets whenever they want, exercise as much as they want, etc and we can't exactly do that. It's the worst when you exercise then end up going real low and having to replace all the calories you've just worked off. I've been trying to lose the same 10-15 pounds for almost 8 years now, I've struggled too with depression, bingeing, even insulin omission (NEVER do that- absolute worst year of my life) but I'm working on acceptance now instead of wasting time with self-pity. Also, like other posters have said, don't expect to lose too much too fast. I've heard a couple of pounds per week is a healthy, attainable rate. I'm currently working on balancing food and exercise, and adding some significant weight training at the gym instead of just cardio (I seem to have fewer after-workout lows). I've been considering going to a diabetes nutrition specialist too- I just want to learn exactly what I need to do to maintain a healthy weight that I'm happy with.
But the first step is to remove from your head that it's not possible to lose the weight you want, because you absolutely can. Then I'd get some professional advice so you're not doing counterproductive activities (whether they be your food intake, insulin doses or exercise). There's no need in working hard if you're doing the wrong things! Good luck, you can do it, and you're not alone!!!