Type 1 Diabetes and Weight Loss

nicoleben

hi!

I am 25 yo type 1 diabetic for 10 years now.. I have a calorie goal of 1200.. I always make it under, but I have a feeling that I am actually losing more calories because when my sugars run high I lose calories and become dehydrated. I dont know if i am the only person with this problem but i have a feeling i am consuming too little calories because of these extra calories not being absorbed in my blood. This isnt an everyday thing, but it is NOT a healthy way of losing weight.. I am trying my hardest to be on top of my blood sugars and eat right, but being busy all of the time I admit i am not the best with it. Just making sure I am not alone This is my first week on the diet.. i already feel like i lost quite a bunch.. Thanks

Nicole

HEATHERB500

Hello
Being a type one diabetic means that your body does not produce any insulin. This is what drives the glucose into your cells to use as fuel. When your muscle cells are out of glucose they can break down fat for energy, however this is not how your body was made to run. Also although your muscles can use fat your brain cannot which is why you get the dizzy out of it feeling when your blood glucose is high and there is no insulin on board. Also the reason you feel as if you are dehydrated is that your body naaturally wants to dilute the sugar in your blood stream it is trying to maintain balance. I have seen this so many times with younger type one diabetics who want to lose weight purposely stopping there insulin injections. I know that you have probably been told how important it is to keep your blood glucose leveled out by your doctor, but its hard to understand it fully unless you see it day in and day out. Letting your BG get high to lose weight and then when it hits real high you give yourself a few units to bring it down. This yoyoing is what destroys your kidneys, heart muscles, nerves, and lowers your immune system permanently. The best thing you can do for your body is to balance your diet and insulin to keep your BG
levels as even as possible throughout the day. Remember that when you exercise you will need to take a complex carb snack before your workout and check you BG immediately after. You can lose weight safely without having to put all your organs in jepardy. Best of luck to you on your track to healthy weight loss.

nicoleben

Yes i know all about how blood sugar and high sugars work. I know it is important to stay on target with it, but i do admit some days arent the best for me and they run higher than other days. I do admit that since I have been watching what I put into my body, my blood sugars are so much more stable! So yayyyy for that! I do know the complications, its scary. But if you were to put myself in 2008 against me now in 2011, there is a major improvement. I have gained weight, which I know is naturally from my body utilizing insulin the way it should. This is the main reason i started to try to lose weight in the first place. To lose it the healthy way and not by ommitting insulin!

HEATHERB500

Ok I'm sorry I misunderstood.I work in the health industry and see that quit frequently in teenage girls and it is so sad. I'm happy that you are going about it the right way. Keep at it and you'll be successful!. Best of luck to you.

amccrazgrl

I found my 1st week of MFP I had a some low blood sugars. I was 48 twice, ugh not fun. I find it hard to lose weight as I'm only down 3-5lbs since startin Oct 2010. I work out and stay under but haven't had much luck compared to my friends who are on here too. I think it has to do with 2 things, 1st working out the last 5 years at Curves I have more muscle and 2nd being type one since 1996. I'm thinking of joining a different gym next month and changing up everything. I may only be 5'3 and 166 but at 34% body fat I'd like to get that down. If you need to chat about being type 1 send me a message it does suck but I try to keep a positive attitude about it and think it could be worse.

atomiclauren

As a type 1 I think I may also have some insulin resistance which could explain difficulty in my weight loss. I have a calorie goal of 1400 but I'm doing the 30 Day Shred right now and averaging ~1200 or so.

I also try to aim on the lowish side which, since using MFP to track calories, has really opened my eyes to the extra calorie load from treating lows...blah!

lilmissy2

This may be an obvious suggestion, but have you talked to your diabetes specialist nurse (or equivalent) about your plans to lose weight and how it has been affecting your blood sugars? It may be that (if you adjust short acting insulin) you are not taking as much insulin at meal times because you are not eating as much, then you might need some extra long-acting insulin to help keep you in range. Of course, this is only something that somebody with all of your medical info could assess. Just something to consider. Good luck!

amccrazgrl

I also try to aim on the lowish side which, since using MFP to track calories, has really opened my eyes to the extra calorie load from treating lows...blah!

This is so true!!!! I have been using those nasty glucose tabs to treat my lows b/c they are low calorie and do the job just as good as candy/cookies/etc.