I have found out that trying to have tight control makes you eat because of low blood sugars and that makes you gain weight. It is a catch 22. You want lower blood sugars but that comes with having to eat. I have found that if I raise my basal rate I don’t get low as often but I get high more often. But I lose weight. During my workouts I don’t get low as often so I reduce my carb intake.
Is this true with you?
I’m not on a pump yet, but my endo told me, when I was complaining of unexplained weight gain even though working out consistently, that the pump would help me because it would reduce the amount of insulin that I take. I’d eat to overcome a low bs and then it would go too high and I’d end up having to take a unit or two! The larger amounts of insulin helps pack the pounds on due to my yoyoing after a low.
Dana, I hope that helps me to. I need to lose a good 25-30# I will no more on Jna 26, thats my next appointment
Hugs, debe
I need to drop 18 lb. You can see from my picture that I don’t look over weight but my BMI is too high.
Hello,
I of course have a few pounds that I need to lose, but increasing my Basal rates can cause a vicious cycle of “feeding” your insulin. Try to set a temporary basal for a few hours after eating and while exercising. I gained quite a few pounds by working out, bottoming out at night and then having to eat a snack to overcome it. The way I work around that is if I am low at night, instead of eating a snack I eat 4 glucose tabs and then I set a 4 hour temp basal with a 25% reduction (i.e instead of 1.0 unit every hour, I’ll take .75), this will prevent a low and prevent me from eating unnecessary calories to compesate for a low sugar. Also try suspending your pump during your workout and then recheck about 15-20 minutes after your workout. Another option is if you’re losing weight, then maybe your caloric needs are reduced which might reduce your overall insulin requirements. Hope that helps!
thanks TQ!!!
Now that I have lowered my basal rate and started to workout hard I have more lows and HAVE TO EAT. I think I have to workout twice as hard as non diabetes. I am up to working out for 1hr 1/2 and burning over 1200 cal. 3 years ago I lost 20lb while I was training for a 1/2 marathon. I was running 5 to 6 during the week and 10 to 12 on the weekend. I am so tried of this diabetes thing.
Hi There ;
I am not on a pump but Humalog & Lantus but now Levemir.
I am going to the gym since 9 months in hope to loose weight ( BMI 29 ! ). Since I am going to the gym my HBA1C increased to a shocking 8.5 ! I am desperate as I really dont know how to coop my BG with my exercise.
I am testing before workout and sometimes I am on 200 ; if I start workout it drops within only 20-30 min to 90 ; if I inject more to avoid the 200 ; I end up streight in Hypo or need to eat.
Does anyone know how to manage this ?
Currently I am injecting
Basal ( Levemir ) 10 units morning / 10 units evening
Humalog 1 Unit per 10 Carbs / or to correct 30
I wake up with +/- 120 since I am injecting Levemir ( with Lantus I always had high BG in the mornings 220-280 )
I am injecting Humalog for my food / correction but sometimes face high BG after food.
During gym ; I hardly can start a workout under 200 / or without eating when I am on 150 … as I end up in hypo.
My food is mainly based on Vegetables / Salad / Protein like chicken breast etc … not more than 110- 150 carbs per day with less than 1100 Kcals.
My current BMI is 29 ( 80 kg / 165 cm ) and 34 % Fat ! I am going 6 days per week to the gym for min. 2 hours ( 45 min cardio / rest light weights )
I dont know what might be the reason for not loosing weight. It is so frustrating!
Pls advise
Hayaa
I have lost 13 since Jan 1. I hope to lose 15 more. I am doing a hour of hard cardo 5 days a week. I am combining biking with running on a treadmill. I don’t want any over use injuries or I would be running 3 to 5 miles a day. I am also doing the wii fitness.
I’m not on a pump but I’ve been wondering if my trying to deal with lows is making me eat more than I normally would. Lately i’ve been having several lows during the week. I had 3 in a 24-hr period recently. I find sometimes I have to eat to prevent having a low. I’m feeling a bit frustrated by this. I’m on 5/500 Glucovance 2x a day and 75/25 Humalog 2x a day.
55 units seem a little high. What are your basal rates? What is your total basal amount per day? Your Dr. is right in getting your amount right before you diet. What is causing you to eat? Low BG?
I don’t know if it’s me but this doesn’t make sense. I’m doing the exact opposite. I too have a pump and I’ve lowered my basal rate in order to reduce food intake. I also work out without my pump attached. For every 30 minutes I work out, I eat 15g carbs (not adding g of sugars) without injecting for it. I feel better than at the beginning of the summer. I’m also drinking more water and eating more veggies and fruits. Don’t know how much weight I’ve lost but I have lost almost 2 pant sizes.
I’m 125-130 lbs. My BMI is like 22.4. Not too sure. Don’t have a scale. But I definitely feel better.
Yeah I hear ya. I have been pumping 4 months and have been gaining. I was taking about 200 units of insulin though in my pump. They had to switch me to u500 so that I was not taking so much. I know that sausage feeling well. The harder I try the more I gain. I feel like saying forget and just get plump. LOL OR plumper rather. hehe I am not to bad now but it does not take much does it?
I have lost weight on the pump before (I gained it back) but I lost quite a bit qith diet and exercise - eating mostly fiber, and some cardio , but a LOT of weight lifting - that is where your body burns sugar, and you turn your basal rate DOWN.
Don’t eat to make up for the lows - use the rule of 15 - 15 carbs raises your Bg 50 points in 15 minutes. Carry a liquid 15g glucose with you. If you’re truly low (Under 65-70) then 50 up won’t take you too high and you won’t have to bolus for it. Turn down your basal rate for tomorrow. Check your BG before, during and after your work out. Weight lifting will initially raise your BG because of the stress on the body, but burns more on the long run, so try doing some weight bearing exercise first to keep yourself stable during the cardio. One you have it dialed in - if your pump does it, have a basal setting for work out days and non work out days!
High blood sugar will make you hungry too - if you don’t keep tight control, then all the energy (sugar) your body’s cells need to function are flowing around in your blood teasing them and causing all sorts of damage in the process, so your cells send out signals “FEED ME! NOW!” and you start to crave carbs. (So, if any of you have a diabetic in your life that eats sugar too much, please understand that their body is starving, and it’s trying to save itself - and if it’s any of you that did that - let go of the guilt and move on)
A 2000 calorie diet should eat
3 good fats (olive oil, nuts, seeds) (1 fat is 5 grams)
2-3 veggie fiber (about 1 c raw is 1)
2-3 carbs (15 grams is 1 carb)
1-2 protien (7 grams is 1 protien)
per meal (3 times per day), and eat the carbs last if possible- Some things count as one of each like a glass of FF milk is a protein and a carb.
Per snack (3 times daily)
2-3 veggie fiber
1-2 fat
1-2 protein
1- 2 carb
To cut down calories - cut down the fats & proteins by one serving, and then drop a carb as you loose weight - keep the veggies, don’t go under 1200 K-cal per day. - always eat the fiber first if at all possible - it changes how your body assimilates the rest of what you eat, and the carbs won’t spike your sugar as much! make the best of your carbs with a couple fruits, and some whole grain breads, cereals (Kashi go lean has a very low glycemic index) and pastas.
The goal is to take less and less insulin and as you get your body in better muscular shape, and loose weight, you’ll use less and less. In my sedentary state with virtually no movement, I took 5 U per hour as my basal rate - ending up over 175 U per day. i load my pump with U500 insulin because I use so much. I did yoga yesterday and went on a bike ride, and had to turn my basal rate down already! YAY!
i got discourage after setting myself on a tight weight loss excersice program i lost two pounds the first week… then it seemed that i gained 4pounds more… i am confused i am doing healthy eating… my excersice… what to do? what to do?
Hi Hayaa,
I was the same with exercise (going low withing 10 minutes of starting to work out) when I was injecting. The only way to avoid lows without having to eat is to decrease your insulin before working out. Unfortunately, this is hard to do with injections. Since being on a pump, I can just turn my pump down (to 40% of my regular basal) and then I start my workout about a half hour later. I can exercise freely without having to take sugar or eat to keep from going low. I check my sugar every 10 minutes during my workout just to make sure. I can also turn my basal down over night to keep from going low after working out.
Perhaps while on injections you can eat, reduce your insulin for your meal and get to the gym right away. Maybe the exercise can cover your carbs and you won’t go low (?). Is the pump an option for you?
Good luck!
R