Type 1 Diabetes and Losing Weight

MegRenzelmann

Hello to all of the My Fitness Pal users!

I am new to this site and have only been using it for a few days, but so far I love it! Anyways, I was wondering if there was anyone else out there who has Type 1 (a.k.a. Juvenille) Diabetes and is trying to lose some weight? I am looking to others for support, success stories, weight loss strategies, healthy recipes, or just some people to team up with on this journey!

I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes over 10 years ago in the 3rd grade. I have been an athlete all of my life, I have run 3 half marathons, still play (and coach) volleyball and softball, and love being active. I don't ever want to let Type 1 Diabetes hold me back, but it seems to make it more difficult sometimes to lose weight - which is so frustrating! It takes extra work to balance food, meds, and working out without experiencing low or high blood sugars.

My goal is to get into the 150's - I currently am at 172 (and am 5'7"). I was challenged by my doctor to get to 165 by May - I know I can do it as this is where I was about 2 years ago when I got married! I am hoping joining the MFP community will help me get to this goal and stick with my workouts/eating/etc.!

stephaniep12345mfp

Hi and welcome! There are a bunch of us T1s on here, and it's so great that we can support each other and offer support and advice given the additional challenges of maintaining good blood sugars while adjusting to a healthier lifestyle. I was diagnosed with T1 18 years ago and have been on a pump for about 9 years now. I'll send you a friend request...

Good luck on your journey!!! :flowerforyou:

Diana0924

Butterfly0702 was right there are a lot of us T1's out here. I've been T1 for 25 yrs. I too am trying to get to 150 lbs, in the last 8 weeks I've lost 11 lbs. This site has helped me a lot giving me a tool to track my calories, etc and have friends support helps a lot.

MegRenzelmann

It is helpful to know there are lots of us out there! Thanks for the responses!

Butterfly0702 I just switched to an insulin pump about a year ago and I love it - I don't know why I waited so long.

Looking forward to meeting more T1's :flowerforyou:

tarakay84

Hey there!! I'm T1 ALSO!! There is a lot of us here and everyone is wonderful!

I've had T1 for 13 years now, just got the pump last wk!! Y did I wait so long?? ;-)
I'll add u as well.GL.

pinkita

Another T1 here (since I was 9). The newer insulins make it easier to lose weight I think. Back when I had to use Regular, I had to snack all day long. Novolog gives me more freedom in that I don't have to snack anymore. A nice plus is my insulin dose has dropped dramatically since losing weight. I'd like to lose 40 more lbs.

I don't have the pump but I'm working with an endocrinologist to see if I can manage with a new regimen. He has me splitting my Lantus dose (I was taking it at bedtime only before). There's a lot of trial and error with this so he has me doing "homework" to see if I'll still want the pump, and/or if he thinks it'd be good for me to have one. He told me about 50% of his patients end up not liking the pump.

By the way, one of my coworkers is also a T1, on a pump, and she uses Simlin to control her appetite. She loves it. Years ago she was going to Overeaters Anonymous but she's slim now and has suggested I check it out. One change at a time though

We should have a group--or maybe there already is one, I never checked

type1foodie

Pinkita, I've taken Symlin (still do, sometimes). Let me know if you have questions about it. I do like it.

pinkita

Pinkita, I've taken Symlin (still do, sometimes). Let me know if you have questions about it. I do like it.

Hi, and thanks. It didn't occur to me that you could take Symlin on an as-needed basis. My coworker said the only downsides she's experienced was some nausea (only when she first started it), and that if you treat a hypoglycemic episode, it takes longer to recover because Symlin slows down digestion.

How about you? Any downsides for you? I get horrible PMS cravings, do you think it'd be helpful for those times?

wannabthin65

Hi Meg,
My name is Diane & I've been a T1 for 39 years. I'm not on a pump but take Novolog 3-6 times/day & Levemir @ bedtime. Since joining MFP & have had my dose reduced 3 times. I have lost 26 lbs but it has taken a year. It is slow but its happening!

Feel free to add me if you like. That goes for any other T1's also. I love giving & recieving support & encouragement & sharing knowledge about diabetes from those who really understand where you are coming from.

God bless you on your journey,
Diane

atomiclauren

Type 1 here (22 years), Novolog as needed and Levemir in the evening. For me it definitely feels like an uphill battle and I have to work twice as hard but it's doable! I am taking less insulin than I ever have, too. I've lost about 27 pounds over the course of a year and a half or so.

jamja72

My child is type 1...struggling with weight. Any tips are helpful. I would like hear from folks who use or used Symlin

type1foodie

I messaged jamja72 about Symlin, if others would like the info I'd be glad to share!

The downsides for me are coming up from "Symlin lows", and the hassle of setting a watch reminder to take the other 1/4 of my insulin in 30-90min since I've switched from a pump to shots. Not impossible at all, though. And it does cut your insulin in half, can help you come down from highs fast (if you take all the insulin at once instead of waiting 30-90min), and can make you feel full faster. I found, unfortunately, that once I was taking it a while the full feeling went away and I was eating the same amount. I was lucky and never had nausea with Symlin (with Victoza, yes, so likely would with Byetta or Byurdeon which are more potent forms of Victoza).

Erin

pinkita

I messaged jamja72 about Symlin, if others would like the info I'd be glad to share!

The downsides for me are coming up from "Symlin lows", and the hassle of setting a watch reminder to take the other 1/4 of my insulin in 30-90min since I've switched from a pump to shots. Not impossible at all, though. And it does cut your insulin in half, can help you come down from highs fast (if you take all the insulin at once instead of waiting 30-90min), and can make you feel full faster. I found, unfortunately, that once I was taking it a while the full feeling went away and I was eating the same amount. I was lucky and never had nausea with Symlin (with Victoza, yes, so likely would with Byetta or Byurdeon which are more potent forms of Victoza).

Erin

Hi Erin,

Thanks for the info. You mentioned that you switched from the pump to shots--did you not like the pump, and if so, what didn't you like about it? I've been thinking about going on one so any info is appreciated

MegRenzelmann

Hi Everyone! So nice to see the posts and support out there!

Pinkita - While I love being on the pump, there are a few minor downsides that I have found - but for me my blood sugars have never been better since switching! Since I play a lot of sports (volleyball, softball) I find that I have to take the pump off during these times (I have a Medtronic, but I know there are others that you can leave on during activities like swimming, the OmniPod is one of them I believe). Sometimes the tubing does get caught on things as well (I saw someone mention this on another board) and if you are wearing a dress or something where you can't clip it on a belt loop, etc. it gets kind of tricky (although I just usually hide it in my bra haha). The other thing that I found is that sometimes my skin gets a little irratated from the adhesive on the site, especially if I go for a long run. These things are minor for me though, and the positives of the pump far outweigh them!

Do what works for you though - that is what is most important! As long as your healthy and have good blood sugars I don't think it matters if you are on the pump or not :flowerforyou:

I've never heard of Symilin - I am going to have to check this out!

pinkita

Hi Everyone! So nice to see the posts and support out there!

Pinkita - While I love being on the pump, there are a few minor downsides that I have found - but for me my blood sugars have never been better since switching! Since I play a lot of sports (volleyball, softball) I find that I have to take the pump off during these times (I have a Medtronic, but I know there are others that you can leave on during activities like swimming, the OmniPod is one of them I believe). Sometimes the tubing does get caught on things as well (I saw someone mention this on another board) and if you are wearing a dress or something where you can't clip it on a belt loop, etc. it gets kind of tricky (although I just usually hide it in my bra haha). The other thing that I found is that sometimes my skin gets a little irratated from the adhesive on the site, especially if I go for a long run. These things are minor for me though, and the positives of the pump far outweigh them!

Do what works for you though - that is what is most important! As long as your healthy and have good blood sugars I don't think it matters if you are on the pump or not :flowerforyou:

I've never heard of Symilin - I am going to have to check this out!

Hi Meg,

I guess nothing's perfect My insurance is with Kaiser and they only have Animas and the MiniMed (made by MedTronic I believe). I've heard that one is waterproof but otherwise they're the same.

I'm finding that my sugars are improving with the new regimen of splitting the Lantus to 2 injections; however, I sleep in on the weekends so my sugars are high on those days--I'm guessing the pump would make that easier? The other issue I'm noticing is many lows during the day, so I bolus very very low doses of Novolog for meals, and even with those low doses I may still have lows, which I really want to avoid, not just for safety but also because when my sugar's low I just want to eat and eat and eat!

I didn't bolus for lunch today because I calculated I'd need 3 units, but I'm going to workout in a little while and don't want to risk a low. The other reason is that I forgot to take my Lantus when I woke up, and didn't inject it until 3hrs after! So I don't want the Lantus overlapping with my Novolog.

I'm currently doing 8units of Lantus AM and bedtime, and I tried 7 units, but my sugars were high all day. I'm often in the position wishing I could inject 1/2 units (another reason I want to try the pump).

Thanks for the info!

type1foodie

Hi Everyone but especially Pinkita--

So I loved my pump and I hated it. Loved correcting in small increments, loved the easy boluses/corrections, loved how it taught me to take better control of my diabetes and make wiser food choices...

...hated the site scarring (even with changing every 2-3 days), hated the "site issues" when my blood sugar would be high for no apparent reason all of the time [maybe a problem with absorption particular to me], hated being "attached"...

and I really don't mind the shots at all. It's just like brushing my teeth.

Who knows, though, maybe I'll go back to pumping at some point. Just not today. :-)

Erin

pinkita

Thanks for the info, Erin!

baynight

HI Everyone! My name is Leslie and Im T1 for 33yrs, wearing an insulin pump since 8 months ago. Im trying to lose 100 pounds and these first pounds have been a journey doing corrections on basals, carb ratios and sensitivity. Feel free to add me as you wish.

k_pattie

Hi everyone! My name is Kendall, I am 21 years old, and I have been t1 for 18 years this april -- planning on celebrating my 18th diabetes birthday by doing all the right things like smoking cigs & injecting, watching porn & injecting, getting a tattoo & injecting.... JUST KIDDING. :laugh:

I used to have the pump during high school. I was a big athlete and found that it was too cumbersome to get through 3 hour long practices with & I'm allergic to latex but the steel needle sites were a little too rough for my skin. :sad: I am not opposed to going back on the pump later in my life but for right now, I am happy with my lantus and humalog! I am currently training for a half-marathon and while I haven't lost substantial weight, I have gained muscle which helped me drop a couple units off my lantus dosage and nighttime carb:insulin ratio -- very exciting. I am considering splitting my lantus in half for morning and night but will wait until I am no longer training because I don't want to shock my body too much as well.

I would love to get in touch with some other type 1's. I don't know really anybody with type 1 and it would be nice to have a friend who understands my frustrations with lows and highs, exercise & weightloss efforts while managing type1. I had a brief spout with diabulimia a few years ago and generally had very poor control [though I think it is hard not to during the teenage years] but now I am really proud to say that I track all of my blood sugars and insulin amounts, and test 7-10 times a day. I can relate to a lot of people on the diabetes control spectrum, I guess is what I am trying to say

Good luck everyone on your weightloss and diabetes management! I hope to add you as friends [though I have no idea how as I just got MFP today] and to help one another out! :flowerforyou:

pinkita

Hi everyone! My name is Kendall, I am 21 years old, and I have been t1 for 18 years this april -- planning on celebrating my 18th diabetes birthday by doing all the right things like smoking cigs & injecting, watching porn & injecting, getting a tattoo & injecting.... JUST KIDDING. :laugh:

I used to have the pump during high school. I was a big athlete and found that it was too cumbersome to get through 3 hour long practices with & I'm allergic to latex but the steel needle sites were a little too rough for my skin. :sad: I am not opposed to going back on the pump later in my life but for right now, I am happy with my lantus and humalog! I am currently training for a half-marathon and while I haven't lost substantial weight, I have gained muscle which helped me drop a couple units off my lantus dosage and nighttime carb:insulin ratio -- very exciting. I am considering splitting my lantus in half for morning and night but will wait until I am no longer training because I don't want to shock my body too much as well.

I would love to get in touch with some other type 1's. I don't know really anybody with type 1 and it would be nice to have a friend who understands my frustrations with lows and highs, exercise & weightloss efforts while managing type1. I had a brief spout with diabulimia a few years ago and generally had very poor control [though I think it is hard not to during the teenage years] but now I am really proud to say that I track all of my blood sugars and insulin amounts, and test 7-10 times a day. I can relate to a lot of people on the diabetes control spectrum, I guess is what I am trying to say

Good luck everyone on your weightloss and diabetes management! I hope to add you as friends [though I have no idea how as I just got MFP today] and to help one another out! :flowerforyou:

Welcome to MFP! I think you'll really like it, lots of friendly and supportive people here

keeponkickin

<---Type 1 here, since age 12. I use a MiniMed pump. I've lost 112 pounds in one year :-) You're welcome to add me.