Losing weight with Type 1

Type 1 and LADA
21

If the people in your life really think or say that, you should probably get new friends! You are most definitely neither one!

I understand your frustration. I fought with the same 20 pounds all my life, then as I got older it became 40. When I got Type 1 I lost exactly those 40 pounds and couldn't have been happier. I would say, "it's a gift, but I'm not giving it back!" Then I've slowly gained back 10. I'd be ok with that (my brother said he thought I was too thin before), but I stress over gaining more and not being able to lose.

Please don't beat up on yourself; you are doing great!

22

SWAG is a combination of both "Stupid" AND "Scientific".. When I SWAG, it has about a 60% chance of resulting in a within range postprandial...I usually err on the overbolus side...Hate to run high..takes too long to safely correct.. I can fix a milder low( 60's -50;s) in 15 minutes....

God bless,
Brunetta

23

I'm surprised how opinionated everyone seems to be about carbohydrates. I'm trying to be as methodical and unbiased about my own diet as possible.

I do admire Dr. Bernstein, as I admire anyone living with T1 for 65 years. Also, I admire any T1 diabetic that can achieve and maintain nondiabetic A1Cs.

Sure his advice can be heavy-handed at times, But I think that is to be expected when taking advice from an 85 year old.

I cannot attest to carbs being evil, but in my experience, they are addictive. I have read and seen things making a damning argument against Fructose, but I cannot personally confirm them. I've tried unsuccessfully many times to limit, cut, and count carbs. My swag is that the body has a hard time switching fuel sources, so it craves carbs. I exercise, and have never been overweight.

I plan to stick to this diet for the rest of my life. Now that I have quit carbs, I don't miss them. Will there be negative long-term consequences? I hope not, but I have no idea. I am relatively sure that there will be long-term consequences of elevated BG, though. My own experience, so far, would probably be discouraging to anyone trying to lose weight, though. I have cut back on carb intake 70% and calories by at least 50%, but have lost very little weight.

I notice many people making contradictory claims about diet. Usually they have some sort of agenda. As with diabetes research, there always seem to be a lot of extenuating circumstances, so it is very difficult to prove or disprove anything. Try to be honest with yourselves and always remain skeptical. Good luck!

24

Hi i am only 18 but i have hhad T1 ffor 3 years. i cant find any way to lose weight anymore, i have given up. i am on several antidepressants/anti anxiety/ and adhd meds that all say side effects are decreassed appitite. I have noticed a drop in what I eat but still I have gained 10 lbs. I have no idea why anymore. I eat less, i rarely eat candys/ chocolate. i used to exercise 6x a week and i lost 5 lbs in a week, but that was it. I hit a plateau in the first week aand never have lost a lb since. (That was over aa year agoā€¦)
I have read that insulin can cause weight gain. I just have lost aany hope. f.

25

Correction, then. They aren't evil for everyone. Those of us who need to stay away from them know who we are. I'm reading Jenny Ruhl's new book, Diet 101: The Truth About Low Carb Diets, and it covers the problems as well as the benefits in a very straightforward manner.

26

That's more of a philosophical question. I would say that they can be pretty bad for us T1's, because:

It's very easy to eat a lot of them. (most of my favorite dishes are about 50 - 100g)

They drive up your BG very high, very fast.

It is very difficult to cover the time or amount of carbs with a large bolus.

Personally, I find life easier without them. I don't know how they affect your weight or health, overall. I'm very curious about Jenny Ruhl's book. Probably won't have the chance to read it, though. Anything surprising?

27

Congratulations on your steps. Way to go! You will drop. Keep doing the steps like you're doing. Keep cheering for yourself after each one! Yes 60 will do it, and don't be afraid to come back and tell us what's happening! Make up some menus for yourself of foods you like! Cheers! Cheers!

28

Thanks everyone so much!! I am motivated! Since Friday, I've started anew - went grocery shopping this weekend and read every label, didn't buy anything w/high fructose corn syrup in it, even for my daughter. Stocked up on veggies, fruits, low-carb wraps, low-carb bread, cheese, good PB, etc. I've been doing better since Fri but it's a slow process of cutting down the carbs. Probably still around 75 but aiming to lower it as I get the hang of this. I am going to try this for a few weeks, along with my 2x per week Zumba class and 3 other days of walks and I will be thrilled if I lose 2 lbs! I will keep everyone posted. Thanks for everyone's input, I hope I can stick to this diet when i go to cookouts and parties this weekend!

29

Good for you, Tikicristi! I will use you as inspiration as well!

Eating out is definitely harder, but when I go to potlucks, I make it a game, try and find the low carb alternatives!

30

Good luck. I understand that it can be very difficult to lose weight with T1, but I think it is very worthwhile for your health. It's kind of fun to buy groceries, too. Just be careful. I've found that a lot of processed low carb foods aren't really legit. They may contain things like sugar alcohols that will raise your BG.

In my own, ongoing experiment with low carb / tight control, I've found some unexpected benefits.

Despite being fairly thin, my back has been pretty fatty/meaty. I only noticed it, because when someone would walk on my back, they'd slide around a lot and have trouble balancing. I also had a lot of knots, pain and stiffness in my upper back. I had never associated this with D.

About 2 weeks into my new routine, my back got firm. My posture has improved, and the aches and pains disappeared. It has been a big improvement. I have no explaination. Maybe better circulation?

31

She does a good job of covering both sides of the issues about low carb. I enjoy her straight-forward writing. She goes into a lot of detail about why we hit plateaus on low carb, and all diets really, and why one size does not fit all. I got the book for my Kindle on Amazon, it was very reasonable.

The biggest thing I miss about carbs is the convenience. Making a sandwich is quick and easy. I can put the innards in a bowl and just eliminate the bread, but then it's hard to eat. If you don't eat French bread, you have nothing to suck up stew juice, you have to just drink it out of the bowl. I can get along without carbs, I just can't be as lazy about cooking.

32

Thanks for that post Sam.I really enjoy my low carb to no carb diet, so does my diabetes.

33

I should clarify that I really didn't buy too much "low carb" foods, the packaged kind that is. I got the low-carb whole wheat tortilla wraps and some good protein bars that are 8g carb. Other than that, regular food but good food, no more packaged junk for me! That is hard b/c we are big on convenience foods with a 6-year-old. But last night, hubby was working late so DD and I were on our own for dinner. I made us wraps on the low-carb tortillas and filled it with turkey, spinach, mushrooms and onions and a little cheese and it was so good and filled me up fast - just had a few strawberries for "dessert." Before I ate dinner my BS was 71 and I was starting to feel low, so I did not bolus at all, ate the above meal then checked BS 1 hour later and I was at 109! Yay! Success! And the wraps were a hit with hubby & daughter too. I am just glad to have found one "convenience" food that is lower carb that seems to work well and is yummy - between working from home and being a SAHM, I don't have a lot of time to cook sometimes so I am going to need to work on finding quick, easy recipes/meals for those times. So if anyone wants to share any low-carb quick, easy meals with me I would appreciate it! Thanks

34

U n me are very simialr. minus the baby lol I was diagnosed 5 yrs agao w type one at 32 yrs old. I was always nice n thin. now I struggle w my weight. n it kills me too. I do stick to low carbs pretty much n go to the gym but I put ten lbsā€¦then loose it then it comes back. I also just was diagnosed w hitchimotos thyroiditis so tht def makes u gain weight. but it sucks I know how u feel. I find cardio really helps n not eating after dinner. no snakes n stuff. carbs r awesome so yeh its so hard not to have them. carbs spike me terribly so I try to aviod carby stuff. but insulin can put on weight so w my blood sugars up n dwn Iā€™m sure tht doesnā€™t help. did u ever get ur thyroid check? zumba is awesome n def burns calories. keep it up n consistant evem if its 3 days a wk. lots of water helps too. I do understand how u feel. diabetes is a full time jobā€¦having children n making time to exersize n stuff is challenging Iā€™m sure. how was ur pregnancy? Iā€™ve always wonderd tht id love to have kids in the nxt few yrs. ur donā€™t have tht much to loose so keep up w the zumba sounds like ur doin a god job :wink:

35

Yes I agreeā€¦drs do not get the weight thing. n its very fustrating

36

FWIW, Here is my story. The only thing we have in common is T1D. I am male (so never pregnant) and I have never had a real significant weight problem. My one and only child hasn't been 6 for 29 years, and she is out of the house. My highest was 185 lbs and I wasn't fat, but didn't like the way I looked or felt. My 3-step plan has me down to 160 lbs, my energy level is up and I am using less insulin than ever. (BTW, It took two years!)

For me at least, carbs don't matter (pizza and white rice does)! The most important thing to realize is that diets won't work, but changing your eating and exercise habits will.

1 - Portion Size! Pay very close attention to how much you are eating at any one meal. Ease your way into eating smaller quantities. My sandwiches always had at least 4 slices of meat and 3 - 4 slices of cheese on them. I now have 2 slices of meat and 1 - 2 slices of cheese. Plus, I have loaded them up with lettuce, cucumber, sprouts, bell pepper slices, tomatoes, etc., depending on what's in season.

2 - Time-shift your Calories! Move your biggest meal to an earlier part of the day. IOW, don't eat a big dinner, go to bed and expect to lose weight. Another alternative is to have smaller and more frequent meals.

3 - Exercise, Exercise, Exercise! Exercise makes your body burn calories more efficiently, plus it can lower your Total Daily Insulin Dose (TDD) and make you more sensitive to insulin. Zumba is good, but not enough! Yoga and a muscle toning program like Body Pump are also important.

For recipes, there are a lot of good recipes on-line @ cooks.com, foodnetwork.com and allrecipes.com. I actually just type things into google like "chicken scaloppini" and adapt the recipes to what I have on hand.

Remember that you didn't put on extra weight all at once, and it won't come off all at once. Focus more on the steps above, throw away your scales and the weight will come off for NEXT summer and all the summers after that!

You can do it!

37

I recommend sprouted grain bread, you can buy it at Trader Joes or health food stores. It is naturally "low-carb" without added fillers to replace the carbs. Furthermore, your body processes the carbs easier, because they are whole sprouted grains in their purest form, and they do not spike your blood sugar. You can also get sprouted grain tortillas (which are ultimately healthier than most "low-carb" wraps). Also, almond milk is great-Blue Diamond Regular (lightly sweetened) is only 8 grams per cup. If you are looking for a sweetener that is natural but doesn't spike your blood sugar, both xylitol and coconut palm sugar are great options. They still have 4 grams of carbs per teaspoon, but the glycemic index is monumentally less and they taste yummy!

38

Actually, I did end up losing about 6lbs this month. I feel fine, and not hungry, though. If I drop another 10, I'll need to figure out how to add some calories. Also, found this very interesting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eREuZEdMAVo&feature=related

39

that is great advice, Mike. I was just diagnosed 6 months ago and dont have any weight problems, have kept 0ff the ten pounds or so i lost before diagnosis, but im basically doing what youve advised and it seems to be working.

0ne thing i do t0 keep myself from snacking on cheese and nuts ALL the time is keep all my veg cut up and washed in tupperware in the fridge. if i feel like snacking, i can take out something and its like crudites. it also makes it easier when im making work lunches in a rush, theres never the "ill just get something at a restaurant".

Zumba is great fun, isnt it?!?
g00d luck!!

40

I feel your pain! I've always battled weight, since I was a teen, tho usually less than 20 lbs. Now that I'm staring down 60, it seems even harder. However, in my late 40's a YMCA opened across the street & I started water aerobics 2x/week & walking with a short jogs 4x/week and often took casual walks the 7th day. I ate according to a 1000 calorie/day plan from a dietician. Took about 3 months to start losing but then it just dropped off. In a year I had lost 40 lbs and was happy with my figure but it had become a lifestyle so I kept it up and kept losing. I wondered when it would stop. Then I got a pump and could eat anything [almost] anytime. Some other life circumstances cut into exercise time and 10 years later I've put it all back on : ( I'm sure if I got back to exercising regularly and eating carefully I would lose it all again. I've been a Type 1 for 30+ years. I've always been able to lose when I really try. The challenge is to really try! For me cutting back a bit doesn't do a thing. I have to work like crazy and eat like a bird [super slow metabolism - runs in the family]. I'm sure you can do it, too.

Particulars as best I remember:

Breakfast: 7g protein/15g carbs [yogurt]
Lunch: 14g protein/30g carbs [cottage cheese & fruit]
Dinner: 21g protein/30g carbs [salads, grilled chicken low fat ranch]
Snack: 15g carbs x 2 per day [pretzels, fruit]
Fat: As little as possible

Exercise: 1 Hr shallow water aerobics - very challenging instructor [younger women & men would try it & not be able to keep up]
Walks/Run: 2 miles in 30 mins [jog 1-2 mins 2 or 3 times per mile]