How to lose weight with Type 1 diabetes

[magkenmare]

My daughter has had diabetes for 10 years and has experienced significant weight gain.  She has tried over the years to lose with diet and exercise but to no avail.  She has recently done Weight Watchers for one month and followed it religiously.  She lost practically no weight.  She also exercise at least five times a week for an hour and a half.  She is very frustrated and I don't have any answers.  Unfortunately, her doctors over the years don't seem to be able to help.  Should we be looking at type of insulin?  She presently talkes Lantus and Humalog.  Does high protein help?  Her weight is in her back across her shoulders, in her middle and thighs.  She usually injects in her stomach and sometimes her thighs.  Does site matter?  Any suggestions would be so appreciated.  Thank you.

[ltanner]

I have been diabetic for 24 years and since being on the pump for 3 years have gained about 30 pounds.   I used to just keep my blood sugar high as weight control and now I am losing my eyesight because of it, so don't do it that way!  Recently, I have been working out and watching the biggest loser on netflix to help me stay motivated.  I've now lost 5 pounds in 2 months.  Doesn't sound great, but keep in mind that when I first started working out I had a lot of lows afterwards and had to eat and it was REALLY frustrating, but I stuck with it and began to see the results the second month.  A couple of things that haven't been mentioned yet... 1) drink lots of water.  Keeping your body hydrated will help get rid of the fat and help you use the insulin you take more efficiently. 2) Change your workout as you get more in shape.  Eventually your body gets used to what you are doing and won't shed the pounds as easily.  Try increasing the resistance on a machine, push how hard you are running or walking,  or try a new exercise.  

[diabeticgirl]

I a teenage girl with Type 1 diabetes as well, and I have, like your daughter, been trying for YEARS to lose some weight, but to no avail.  My one question would be, is she finding that she is never getting full, or is constantly hungry?  I ask because that is what happens to me.  I find it very hard to stop eating, and even after I finish my stomach does not "catch up" as people say.  I have no idea if this is related to diabetes in anyway.  I do know that insulin is responsible for increasing appetite and also slowing metabolism, something that we are "cursed" wtih.
I went to a dietitian to talk to her about my problem, and she gave me a meal plan.  The meal plan sort of worked, over a period of about 4 months I had lost about 4-5 pounds, however, the rest of my family (all non-diabetics), who stuck to the meal plan with me, lost about 10-11 pounds.  I was very frusterated about this, but was still happy that SOMETHING worked.  The key to this meal plan that made it different from other diets is that it didn't deal with carbs, fat, etc.  It did limit calories to about 1,500 a day, but that is beside the point.  The real difference was that all of the foods on the meal plan were low GI (Glycemic Index) foods.
Low GI foods are perfect for diabetics whose blood sugar is out of control.  They specifically eliminate blood sugar spikes, and keep the blood sugar in a normal range.  Blood sugar spiking is another theory as to why many type 1 diabetics gain weight, and these low GI foods reduce it.  Just a side note however, when I was on the diet, my blood sugar constantly went low and i had to compensate by eating multiple snacks throughout the day, something that probably offset my pound-shedding.  So, if you are looking to try a low GI diet (I use the word "diet" lightly because it doesn't change much about the amount that you eat), I suggest that you adjust your insulin ratios and lantus dose accordingly, by lowering them.  I hope this helps your daughter, and that she knows that this happens to many of us!
Also, one last thing, I have found that keeping a log of the foods you eat helps you to stay on track with a diet or eat better.  If you have a smart phone you can try the app Calorific, or you can just keep a small notepad or book as a log.  And a lot of the times when I found I was hungry it turned out to be that I was thirsty.  Try drinking lots of water or crystal light, or even chewing gum.  Sometimes these really help me.  
Hope some of this helps!

[hmmnbird]

Just a note for some people, I have had juvenile diabetes for 17 years and I am struggling with my weight more than ever. Although a lot of people talk about lowering carbs etc, please be careful, it is ok to cut out pastas and breads but ensure you are still eating fruits vegetables, dairy etc all of which contain carbs as your body needs them to function. My endroconoligist has warned that a diet that consists of less than 40-50% carbs could lead to many more complications down the road especially your kidneys and liver!
Also I recently started working out, like 2.5 weeks ago, cardio and weight lifting, and well it turns out I need more basal when i work out. I freaked out at first wondering what was going on as I would get really high sugar levels a few hours after working out. Turns out muscles use sugar to work so if there isnt enough sugar in your body (due to us trying to control with insulin) yoour muscles will pull it from everywhere else, kidneys, liver etc and increase your sugars. I now have to set my temp basal rate at 112% during my 1 hour workouts and for an extra 30 mins after. SO if taking  insulin makes me gain more wieght I'm screwed! Just some interesting things Ive experieinced lately, no changes in weight though but I'm hopeful!

[tigger0859]

My daughter is 16 and was diagnosed w/ type 1 diabetes a year and a half ago. She has put on weight and is very unhappy about it. She tried the Dukan diet for 2 months and only lost a pound!!! She does exercise. One problem she had on the diet is that even though she reduced the amount of insulin she was taking(she has an insulin pump) she would still crash and have to eat some carbs. Now she is thinking of stating the "17 Day Diet"  I suggested to her that she may wish to try a modified version of South Beach. I feel so bad for her as she is trying so hard to lose weight yet nothing is working. I have hypoglycemia so I too have to watch carb intake. I did tell my daughter that she should eat alot of veggies to keep her full(which Dukan did not allow!!!!), LEAN protein and then fruit and complex carbs in moderation
If anyone has any other suggestions please let me know

[jkk3682]

I've had type 1 since age 1 and am now 28.  I've always been just a little heavier than I wanted to be, but really gained weight during college.  No matter what I do, I can't seem to lose any of the weight.  A few years ago, I was also diagnosed with celiac (allergy to gluten).  Because of that, nearly all processed foods are off-limits, and I've also eliminated all refined sugars.  My diet consists of lean meat, fruit, vegetables, and small amounts of homemade soy-based bread made with Splenda.  That's it.  I've reduced calories (1800 max), carbs (maybe 90 on a high-carb day), fat, and work out at least an hour 4 days a week (used to be twice a day!).  I've stuck with this for the last 5 months without a single Valentine's chocolate or Easter jelly bean, and absolutely nothing has changed (the one bonus of this way of eating is that I have no cravings for sweets anymore!).  My thyroid tests perfectly normal and I've strictly followed my dietician/diabetes educator's advice.  I use a pump, and my control is decent, but pretty unpredictable--today's basal and correction rates may or may not work tomorrow, so I use the temporary basal feature a lot.  

Cardio exercise has the same impact--it might not effect my glucose levels at all, or it might send it crashing two hours later.  Therefore, I tend to stick with weight lifting instead since it's effects are much more consistent.  I realize that muscle weighs more than fat, but I'm not burning any fat either.  All of the fat is concentrated around my stomach and refuses to budge.  I don't use any other medications besides insulin, and am at a loss as to what to try next.

[Jenmark95]

Some of these posts have been so helpful.  Especially those talking about feeding lows, lowering your  A1C and lowering insuling dosages.  This makes so much sense.
I have been a diabetic since I was 4 and have always battled my weight. I am only 4'11, so any weight gain on me is significant.  I was very heavy in high school and college, and then lost abour 40 pounds after college, and have been able to maintain a healthy weight since.  Until recently.  It is April, and since August I have gained 10 pounds, without any reason. My endocrinologist could find nothing in my blood work suggesting a thyroid problem, and basically tole me to exercise more and eat less.  Which I thought I had already been trying to do.  I exercise at least 4 days a week for 45 minutes, and I watch every bite that goes into my mouth.  I eat very little food.  For the last three weeks, my husband and I have been eating healthy salads for dinner 3-4 nights a week.  And still, I cannot lose any of the 10 pounds. Zero, zilch, nothing!!  Very frustrating!  I was about to just give up.  I know that my A1C is higher than it should be, and I also have a lot of lows that I end up "feeding".  So, I am going to work diligantly on lowering A1C and using less insulin.  This is such practical advice and I am really hoping that it will work for me.  I feel so fat and "swollen", and am anxious to get back to the weight I was in August.    Thank you to each of you for your posts and advice!  I will let you know how it goes, and if successful, I will "give back" and try to post additional tips that helped me.