Howdy,
How is everyone doing? So since i was diagnosed in 05 i’ve been on MDI. Doctors always suggest a pump but i haven’t wanted to switch because i’m so used to shots. However lately my schedule has been changing a lot and some weeks i can’t follow my diet and exercise schedule and my sugars go high and i have to take a lot of corrections and up my lantus to compensate until i get back on schedule. However i feel like it isn’t realistic to always follow a strict schedule and i understand a pump would help with that.
But as the title says, i’m scared of weight gain- i hear most people get it on pumps…even my doctors told me it’s likely to occur. But i’m a personal trainer and well not to sound shallow I can’t exactly become the “fat” trainer.
I don’t know if this will help or not - but before I went on the pump I was a very active healthy person. I worked out 5 mornings a week and had a really healthy diet.
After starting on my pump 1 yr ago my weight is exactly the same.
My diet stayed the same, but sadly my exercise discipline has slipped and while I’m still a very active person I certainly don’t work out with the same intensity or frequency as I used to.
I guess my point is that I didn’t put on any weight at all.
My endo told me the weight gain is usually due to people indulging in their new found food freedom, so if you aren’t that way inclined in the first place then I guess there’s less of a chance of weight gain for you…?
There is absolutely no reason to attribute weight gain to using a pump; a pump is just a (highly sophisticated) delivery method. Now I’m not saying insulin doesn’t cause weight gain; I’m struggling with it myself. But there is generally no more reason you should gain weight on the pump than on MDI. If anything, you will take less insulin on the pump which is good to stave off weight gain.
Having said all that there could be a few reasons why people think they gained weight because of the pump. If someone’s blood sugar has been high a lot of the time and the pump allows them to gain control, then the body will be returning to normal and the insulin in the body can cause weight gain. If someone uses a pump as a reason why they can eat everything but the kitchen sink…well, yeah.
People can also gain weight on insulin for other reasons such as developing insulin resistance which can happen in type 1’s, or having a thyroid issue that is untreated, or the whole eat whatever you want thingie. I myself have gained weight (not a lot, about 10 pounds in 2 years, but that is 10 pounds too much imho) I think simply because I am a 62 year old relatively inactive woman. There’s probably other factors I can think of but I don’t think there is any reason to attribute them to the pump.
I think the pump would be great for what you are wanting it for: living your life more flexibly. I started in JUanuary and I love my pump.
I have to agree with NB. If you are not the type of person who indulges then you probably wont and therefore no weight gain. I started my omnipod in January and have not gained any weight. I take symlin, watch my diet and exercise 6 days a week.
The flexibility of the pump is amazing. No more carting around the insulin and all the needles. I love the tubeless feature.
Compare the pumps and see which one fits your needs. Everyone is different.
I wish you lots of luck with finding which works best for you.
Started pumping, have lost over 60 # without “starving” and gradually over 3 yr time period. Exercise most days min 30 min up to 1 hr, split am/pm, active during day. I pay attention to amount and what I eat, but am not crazy ridgid - never have been. I believe for me the biggest change is no longer getting the high/low swings that were so common with me and MDI’s, and if I am not hungry I do not have to eat. I am finally maintaining my weight and feel so much better! I wish I would have made the decision to pump a long time ago, now I wouldn’t change a thing!
Another verse to the song here!! There is no reason to gain weight. I lost weight when I got on the pump. Because the pump allows you to manage exact amounts of insulin better than MDI you use only the amount you need and often with a pump you will use less. I suspect the idea that pumps cause weight gain stems from the fact that it is much easier to bolus for a bite but that doesn’t mean you have to eat more because of the newfound freedom. Go for it, Tom.
#1 weight gain is most usually (i am not a doctor nor do i play one on TV) attributed to excess calories and therefore the excessive use of insulin. you may actually find that you use LESS insulin on a pump than on MDI too.
#2 i HIGHLY recommend the omnipod. i am a very active college student who has been on the omnipod (after about a year with mini med) for almost two years now. i love it and would never go back to tubed pumps or mdi. check out the omnipod group (and the other pump groups as well) and you read all about the pumps.
#3 i find the omnipod to be a godsend when dealing with exercise (or all-day exercise i suppose as a personal trainer).
keep us updated on what you decide/if you have any more questions.
I gaines about 4 pounds when I started pump therapy, but to be honest, I probably needed to gain the weight. I think my lower weight prior to restarting pump therapy was because I was running high way more than I should have been. I am very active and follow a lowish-carb diet.
What generally causes the weight gain is the lower BGs that some people experience on the pump (more hypos, which means you’re taking in more calories) and the greater freedom to eat whatever you want. If you can deal with those two things, I think you can avoid any weight gain.
Also, while I know weight gain is not a good thing if you’re a personal trainer, you’ve gotta think about your health in the longrun. Going high is not good for your long-term health.
I am 84 I take 4 shots of insulin a day. Insulin does cuse weight gain. I belong to TOPS (TAKE OFF POUNDS SENSIBLU_ and sometimes I go up and down. I stick to a diet of 1200 calories 35 fat grams 45-50 carbs and I do lose. Stress can cause weight gain I never change my routine by giving myself extra insulin. I keep a Foor Journal…you would be surprised the things we eat and forget about.
I have lost 56 pounds and have kept it off 16 years but it takes diligence.
Do you know…
STRESSED SPELLED BACKWARDS IS DESSERTS
The most fattening thing you can put in an apple pie is a FORK
Food eaten while standing up has no calories due to gravity (myth)
In 2006 or so I peaked at 275 lbs. I was maybe 225-235 or so in 2008 when I got my pump, although my A1C had drifted up a shade. Now I am about 180 from which I’d conclude that a pump doesn’t have to mean weight gain. I didn’t perceive it in the “marketing” or a lot of the dialogue but for me, a lot of the improvement (also in my A1C/ control/ standard deviation…) has been due to having data and being able to see how I can skip food where I used to feel like “I have to snack” because my imprecise dosing strategy led to wild fluctuations so I’d overshoot and eat to catch up. That worked ok but the pump has been much more useful both as a delivery system and a “scribe” to keep track of stuff so I don’t have to?
