Hi all,
I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes almost 2 years ago.
Before that I had no issues with my weight, but since being diagnosed/starting to take insulin I have serious issues controlling my weight. It’s so frustrating because I eat healthy foods and exercise a LOT! Are there any insulins that are worse for weight gain? I’m on humalin mix25 & novorapid. Just changed from lantus.
Any other words of wisdom on the subject would be greatly appreciated!!
I am surprised that no one else has replied to this. I think it used to be more of a problem than now but it may still be common. The insulin intake leads to hunger which leads to eating which leads to the need for more insulin. It is tricky to get the right balance of insulin to meet the body’s needs and try not to “eat to the insulin.” I don’t think it has anything to do with the type of insulin.
I was never a fan of pre-mixed insulins because it seems to me each person has a need for a different mix of proportions. I used to, in earlier days, mix Ultralente and Regular but I did the mixing according to what I thought I needed for each.
I have often wondered how well the premix insulin works for the person using it. In terms of BG levels and A1c.
Oh, and I am still overweight from those days of chasing insulin with food but I have not gained in 4 years and am trying to gradually go the other direction with weight.
You might look at your mix and see if that is the proper mix for you or take them separately so you can tailor each type of insulin to your needs.
we’ve had many discussions on this. I clicked on “Forum” and then searched for “losing weight” and I think over 1000 discussions resulted. here’s one with 38 replies, many good ideas
https://forum.tudiabetes.org/topics/583967:Topic:108128?id=583967%3ATopic%3A108128
I googled Humalin Mix 25 and it say Humalog mix 25? It looks like a “mixed” insulin with both novolog and some sort of longer acting stuff mixed in? I think this might cause more challenges than it’s worth. I always did the shots separately, although I was using R and N instead of the “fancier” new insulins. I think that it’s pretty challenging to balance food and activity with the mixed insulins and that might might the case with the mix 25.
I have lost weight since maybe 2006 pretty much watching carbs. For me, I get my insulin set to where the BG is flat, then sort of review the carbs and cut out what I can and see what happens. So far, at each stage, I’ve done stuff like going from sandwich + chips@ lunch to sandwich to 1/2 sandwich and, each time I’ve cut out carbs, it seems as if some weight comes off. It’s important to me to try to keep the BG relatively flat.
Hi Rebecca,
Its funny you said you were on Lantus because I had the extact same issue when I was on Lantus. For 3 years I was gaining weight and I tried everything to lose it. But it wasnt until a few months ago where I thought about changing my Lantus to Levemir. I heard so many people on hear speaking positive about the switch so I decided to do the same and I noticed a change instantly. Although the weight loss is still very slow, I do not retain water and get bloated like I use to. That was the worst, I felt like the Michelin Man. I told 4 different doctors about the water retention and weight gain and they had nothing to tell me, I literally mean nothing. Doctors make it seem like gaining weight is not a side effect of insulin mainly because some people do not gain. Or they will say its what your eating and yet some people can eat more, no gain. Or your taking too much insulin but you just take enough to cover regular low carb meals so how is it too much? They say all these things as if all insulin is created equally and no one could possibly have different reaction to it. You have to listen to your body to figure out whats working best for you…Thats all I have to offer 
Hi Rebecca,
You don’t look heavy in any of your pictures and you seem to maintain remarkable A1c. One approach to your weight issues might be to worry less about them
I had a different problem when I was first diagnosed as I couldn’t keep weight on despite having good A1cs. Going on a pump helped a lot. Just having a more flexible insulin solution might help you as well.
Maurie
My opinion, insulin choices can make a difference. The best way to lost fat? Walk around all day with a fasting number that is normal (80-90 mg/dl) and have low levels of insulin. That is really, really hard with a mix.
But let me also say that lots of people struggle with self perceptions about weight. It has nothing to do with diabetes. To me, you look like a healthy young woman at an normal weight.
I am constantly fussing at myself about my weight! It’s a hobby in itself…