Diabetic trying to lose weight and keep blood sugar in a good range

ryanebling08
ryanebling08 Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello all , I'm a 29 yr old overweight diabetic , I'm trying to get everything in order lose a little weight to help myself feel better and my joints and back not to hurt all the time. Right now I'm 285 290 I would like to get down to a healthy weight 210 220ish .... mainly just so my joints and back don't hurt anymore . But I've found if I drop my calories down to 1800 or so per day and try and bump my protein up so I'm not starving all the time .... my blood sugar goes through the roof and stays high for a long time ..... any helpful hints would be great Thanks in advance

Replies

  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    My advice would be not to bump up protein, but to increase healthy fat instead. A low carb high fat diet can work wonders for many diabetics.

    I follow Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution, in which he explains how any diabetic can normalize his BG. That's normalize, and not just settling for high normals. I was prediabetic and followed his plan. I cut carbs to the point of being in nutritional ketosis for the last 4 months, and I have never felt better. I lost 35 lbs so I have a normal BMI, my energy increased, my mental clarity increased (which was a bit disturbing-i didn't realize how much I'd slipped), my arthritis improved, my skin cleared up, and my BG is normal.

    If it interests you, look into a LCHF ketogenic diet. It cuts all added sugars, grains and flours, and limits starchy foods and fruits. Ideal foods are meats, eggs, seafood, fats, cheese, cream, coconut, olives, veggies, avocado, nuts.

    Good luck.
  • AspenDan
    AspenDan Posts: 703 Member
    edited November 2015
    Hey there! I was in a very similar situation to yours! I'm 28, was pre diabetic, had high blood pressure and weighed 337lbs..but through keeping my calorie goals, without even exercising, I've been able to get down to 265, normal blood sugar, and normal blood pressure..

    My advice is to try a certain calorie goal and keep to it for a solid 4 weeks, then see if you lost weight and reassess. Veggies, are probably the biggest help to me maintaining calorie goals..I eat 1-2 entire bags of microwave veggies every day, with ranch dressing of course. Aside from that I strongly recommend lean proteins like chicken/turkey/fish/shrimp every single day, and healthy fats like nuts/avocado to keep your healthy cholesterol up and for nutrition.

    If you have any other questions hit me up, and good luck!
  • Sarahlascelles
    Sarahlascelles Posts: 41 Member
    Type 1 or type 2?
    Either way, you should probably consult a dietician
  • midge_m
    midge_m Posts: 1,085 Member
    I second to talking to a dietitian, they can give you tons of advice. To start though, assuming you are type 2, just be mindful of carbs (try to not have more than 30 per meal and 15 per snack) and general portion control. Don't try to be perfect and experiment with what works for you. While "traditional carb" foods - sweets, bread, potatoes, rice, etc. - may be the main items to spike blood sugar, it's not the same for everyone. It is curios that protein would be a trigger, are you testing right after meals or just before? What types of proteins are you eating? It can take a while to sess everything out. Don;t worry if it takes a few tries to get it.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Try increasing your fat and oils a little and reducing carbs more.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    There are diabetics here who will be able to share from experience, so im sure they'll pop in. Im tagging @earlnabby.
  • purpleflux
    purpleflux Posts: 22 Member
    Lower carbs, and exercise does wonders for my sugar levels. Dropping just 10lb also reduced the amount of insulin I needed, and it's been dropping since - I've just had to drop my basal insulin again at 24lb lost.
  • Optimistical1
    Optimistical1 Posts: 210 Member
    Have you had your vitamin D levels checked? A large percentage of the population is Vitamin D deficient and don't even know it. Being on MFP is a great starting point, get those D levels checked if you haven't already!
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    edited November 2015
    Optimistical1 wrote: »
    Have you had your vitamin D levels checked? A large percentage of the population is Vitamin D deficient and don't even know it. Being on MFP is a great starting point, get those D levels checked if you haven't already!

    Can you please clarify this in the context of the original post? I am not sure what Vitamin D levels have to do with weight loss. :)

    Weight loss is calories in/calories out.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    Have you been exercising hard? I did my daily sprints without eating before them (I'm not on insulin) and it turns out they raise my BG if I do that! They are too vigorous to do without a high enough BG.

    Walking for me doesn't require a snack and does the opposite, because it's gentle enough. Live and learn :grin:

    I don't know what that's called, but I've read articles about it, so it's Googleable. The type of exercise matters as to whether the levels will go up or down after it.
  • kvansteen
    kvansteen Posts: 82 Member
    I am currently in school to become a nurse and there are a lot of things that affect your blood sugar. I agree with a lot of previous posters that you should consult your primary physician (or endocrinologist) and a dietitian before you decide to go on a weight loss journey. I would encourage this not only so you can stay safe but also so you can be successful. Good luck!
  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
    kvansteen wrote: »
    I am currently in school to become a nurse and there are a lot of things that affect your blood sugar. I agree with a lot of previous posters that you should consult your primary physician (or endocrinologist) and a dietitian before you decide to go on a weight loss journey. I would encourage this not only so you can stay safe but also so you can be successful. Good luck!

    Agree with this. Your doctor and dietician will be very happy to help you with your weight loss. Because so many things can affect your blood glucose and insulin requirements they may want you to come in more frequently for monitoring. The dietician can also help adjust your diet as you go.
  • melcren
    melcren Posts: 2 Member
    Cut out all of the refined carbs. If sugar is one of the first 5 ingredients, don't touch it. Been there. Good luck!
  • brightsideofpink
    brightsideofpink Posts: 1,018 Member
    I agree- set up an appointment with a dietitian to make a plan that is tailored to you.
    In the meantime, I recommend keeping a detailed food diary with times associated with each entry. The timing of your meals is going to be as important as what you consume. It will be important to spread your calories through the day and not go through long fasts. And each diabetic can be different- finding different trigger foods. I was able to eat pasta with up to 30 carbs, for example, but found that any amount of pizza crust consistently caused my bgl to spike. I also found that eating a half cup of ice cream before bed (per my dietitian) was the key to maintaining a good fasting result. Something about the way insulin is processed.

    Anyway, it is possible. You just need some professional help to set up a plan, careful logging, and dedication.
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
    ryanebling08 wrote: »
    Hello all , I'm a 29 yr old overweight diabetic , I'm trying to get everything in order lose a little weight to help myself feel better and my joints and back not to hurt all the time. Right now I'm 285 290 I would like to get down to a healthy weight 210 220ish .... mainly just so my joints and back don't hurt anymore . But I've found if I drop my calories down to 1800 or so per day and try and bump my protein up so I'm not starving all the time .... my blood sugar goes through the roof and stays high for a long time ..... any helpful hints would be great Thanks in advance

    What you using to "bump" your protein up? Protein shakes probably aren't the best choice if you have unstable blood sugar. Solid protein is more filling anyway.

  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    kvansteen wrote: »
    I am currently in school to become a nurse and there are a lot of things that affect your blood sugar. I agree with a lot of previous posters that you should consult your primary physician (or endocrinologist) and a dietitian before you decide to go on a weight loss journey. I would encourage this not only so you can stay safe but also so you can be successful. Good luck!

    That can work as long as you get a dietician and GP who is current with treating diabetics. My endicrinologist told me to eat more fruits and veggies and leaner cuts of meat - all of which would not help my BG. I was never told to cut back on sugars. It was pretty weak advice.
  • ryanebling08
    ryanebling08 Posts: 2 Member
    Hey all thanks for advice and help I'm a type 1 insulin dependant on a pump ..... Ive tried like two turkey sausage patties and a hardboiled egg with some fruit and maybe a piece of wheat toast in am ... and found that eggs make my sugar go up and stay up ... also tried things like Greek yogurt in the am with some fruit and spinach and a small amount of honey (like two or three drops not a whole lot ) a fruit smoothie ,yogurt cause sugar up ..... but I'm trying to limit my calories to under 1800 a day to loose some weight and I work outside so I'm walking and don't have a sitting type job .... I also cut out diet soda .... I'm down to one semi large but not unreasonable cup of coffee per day the rest of the time water ..... any natural remedies for keeping blood sugar regulated... I've heard cinnamon is good?
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Hi, I'm in my fifties and my type 2 diabetes is in remission from significant weight loss.

    I think the added protein is keeping your numbers up because it is providing you sustained energy; in diabetic-world, a double-edged sword. I'm going to give you a few ideas to try; test your sugars and see what effect they have. Test one at a time so you can narrow down their effects. Cinnamon, fiber, and vinegar can slow down the release of sugar, but the most natural remedy of all is to regulate your food intake and your exercise.
    • Switch to egg whites.
    • Try peanut butter on the wheat toast.
    • Exercise after eating, but you might be doing this already with your outdoors job.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    ryanebling08 wrote: »
    Hey all thanks for advice and help I'm a type 1 insulin dependant on a pump ..... Ive tried like two turkey sausage patties and a hardboiled egg with some fruit and maybe a piece of wheat toast in am ... and found that eggs make my sugar go up and stay up ... also tried things like Greek yogurt in the am with some fruit and spinach and a small amount of honey (like two or three drops not a whole lot ) a fruit smoothie ,yogurt cause sugar up ..... but I'm trying to limit my calories to under 1800 a day to loose some weight and I work outside so I'm walking and don't have a sitting type job .... I also cut out diet soda .... I'm down to one semi large but not unreasonable cup of coffee per day the rest of the time water ..... any natural remedies for keeping blood sugar regulated... I've heard cinnamon is good?

    You say you are type 1... that means you do not make any of your own insulin. Generally type 1's have a significant amount of training. Many of us are diagnosed as a child, so that may have been training for parents at first and you should have received your own training later on. Some of the things you are saying greatly concern me when it comes to basic type 1 education. You really need to see a CDE right away.

    OK, now to identify specific issues:
    1. What kind of insulin are you using in your pump?
    2. Are you bolusing at the time you eat, right before, right after? How much time before or after?
    3. When was the last time you did basal testing?
    4. Do you find that your correction factors are accurate? How about your insulin half-life setting in the pump?
    5. What is your insulin:carb ratio and how are you calculating net carbs?
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    ryanebling08 wrote: »
    Hey all thanks for advice and help I'm a type 1 insulin dependant on a pump ..... Ive tried like two turkey sausage patties and a hardboiled egg with some fruit and maybe a piece of wheat toast in am ... and found that eggs make my sugar go up and stay up ... also tried things like Greek yogurt in the am with some fruit and spinach and a small amount of honey (like two or three drops not a whole lot ) a fruit smoothie ,yogurt cause sugar up ..... but I'm trying to limit my calories to under 1800 a day to loose some weight and I work outside so I'm walking and don't have a sitting type job .... I also cut out diet soda .... I'm down to one semi large but not unreasonable cup of coffee per day the rest of the time water ..... any natural remedies for keeping blood sugar regulated... I've heard cinnamon is good?

    Cinnamon doesn't do much. It's a pretty minor effect.

    Dietary management with frequent testing and small insulin doses are probably your best bet. Try Bernstein's Diabetes Solutions. It's written by a doctor who has T1D for T1Ds (but can be applied to T2D too). Eating low carb reduces the need for large insulin corrections so you won't have the BG roller coaster.

    Best wishes.

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