Type 1 Diabetics?
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mynameisbirdy
Posts: 1 Member
Any other Type ones out there? Do you jave any tips or thoughts about losing weight with t1? My biggest struggle is balancing blood sugar, excersize and diet. It seems whenever I workout or try and stick to a meal plan, my bg will go low and in order to treat it, I have to throw my whoke plan out the window. It's really frustrating, and I'd really appreciate some help from anyone else who's struggled with this.
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Replies
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You may need to alter your insulin doses on days you exercise, you will need to discuss this with your endocrinologist and a dietician.0
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I've been diabetic all of my life. Are you on a sliding scale with your insulin or on a pump? If you aren't on a pump and aren't on a sliding scale you may want to discuss it with your practitioner. What does your A1c look like? If it's too low to start you may need to cut your insulin back slowly, particularly your long lasting insulin. It also may be beneficial to look at alternatives as well (on Tresiba now, was on Lantus for a long time.) Also don't try to make a major drop in carbs or switch to all protein or anything else silly. You are going to have to make slow adjustments. I find for myself being on the sliding scale that it usually takes 4-6 days for a change in insulin to really be effective. Also keep in mind that outside stressors (including weather) will affect your blood sugars. When were you diagnosed?
So TLDR version, cut back more slowly than an average person if you are having problems. A day over your goal isn't going to kill you either if you are having problems.
Edit: For your excercise issue the general recommendation is to only eat half of what you earn, in your case if it's problematic go for 75% of what you earn. Once you start leveling out you can cut a little more. It's like walking on a tight rope in a high wind with no safety net.
Edit part deux: Treating low blood glucose shouldn't throw your whole plan out the window unless your plan is wrong (IMO of course.) The MAX your loss goal should be is .5 lbs and if you are going to exercise look up your burn and eat something 30 minutes before you do so. Focus on fats and protein here. 2% milk is awesome to treat low blood sugars and it's what I generally use at home. If you like add me and we can talk in more detail.
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I completely sympathise! I have been T1 since I was 8. Are you on a pump, or injections?0
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Also look at your meal plan and how much insulin you are taking. If you are on injections and your blood sugars are going low, drop your dose by 2 units and try it for a couple of days. Also (and I've done this in the past) try not to go overboard to get your sugars back up. Depending on how low you are and how much insulin you have taken it may take more. Eat something or drink a cup of milk and check 15 minutes later. If you are still the same or dropping double and wait 30 minutes.
Keep in mind that talking to your doc is important but you have to learn how your body reacts. I've had doc's scoff at what I've told them with my 38 years of experience of being diabetic just to prove it to them. I don't know all but I know how my body reacts to certain foods in general. Back in the good ol' days we had to trust our bodies since we didn't have pumps and blood glucometers and all these fancy toys you kids have now'adays (though they do make life easier by far.) Also find your reactions, when my blood sugar is low I generally become very angry and even more mean than I am regularly. :P0 -
There is a type 1 group here, but it isn't very active. Still doesn't hurt to join. Will try to come back and edit with a link.
Otherwise, the whole thing about treating lows is definitely a struggle.
I have 2 suggestions:
1. If you are on a pump, take advantage of the temp. basal before / during / after exercise. It may take some trial and error. If you are on MDI, then it is more difficult to plan a lower basal rate... possible, but difficult. Work with your endocrinologist or CDE of course.
2. When treating a low, use glucose tablets. First, this is extremely calorie efficient. By that, I mean you get a lot of carbs for the calories. Second, it is harder to overtreat because they are clearly dosed and most of us find it less likely to give in to the intense hunger and panic (i.e. you don't eat the whole kitchen for a low).
There are ways to reduce how likely hypos will occur in the long-term, but what I have found to be most productive takes quite a bit of time and a lot of discipline to change. For now, work on the first 2.
ETA: link to type 1 group - http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/232-type-1-juvenile-diabetics0 -
Glucose tabs are good but they don't have much staying power (IE I eat them like candy.) If you can manage your consumption of them just keep in mind they are very quick and don't last long (at least not for me both physically and consumption wise.
And how low is "low" for you? I've been down to 19mg/dl before (I was unconscious at the time.) Not fun.0 -
I'm a new Type I, late onset adult. So far, I've only been walking for exercise. Reading your posts gives me a lot of things to consider as I start adding other types of exercise...0
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I'm a new Type I, late onset adult. So far, I've only been walking for exercise. Reading your posts gives me a lot of things to consider as I start adding other types of exercise...
The main thing to do is plan ahead. Being diabetic means you have to plan, you can't just go run a marathon on the spur of the moment. Can you run the marathon? Sure, but you better eat something first and have something to recover with you. Glucose tabs are great but like I said earlier I can't have them around because I eat them like candy (at least the orange ones, grape aren't as great.) 0 -
You can't do anything on the spur of the moment! I used to snack a lot and have all but cut that out. When you have to test your sugar, add up the carbs and give yourself insulin? Well, it's usually not worth the trouble!Being diabetic means you have to plan, you can't just go run a marathon on the spur of the moment.
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You can't do anything on the spur of the moment! I used to snack a lot and have all but cut that out. When you have to test your sugar, add up the carbs and give yourself insulin? Well, it's usually not worth the trouble!Being diabetic means you have to plan, you can't just go run a marathon on the spur of the moment.
Like most type 1's, I was diagnosed young and this is pretty much what I know. To me, doing anything without thinking about the BG effect is a foreign concept... so I'm not sure what it is like to be "normal" and just do those things without all the management. It is probably a huge transition for you, but work with your CDE to learn as much as possible. Management tools, techniques, and products are improving very quickly for type 1's compared to when I was first diagnosed in the '90's. I started out taking beef and pork insulin, glucometers took 45 seconds for a reading, and required so much blood that sometimes testing wasn't even possible (even with my dad helping to 'milk' blood out of my arm starting at the shoulder and squeezing/pushing blood down to the finger). Now, there are rapid acting synthetic formulations, CGM's, ketone blood meters, and even artificial amylin. Also, meters are faster and take much less blood.0 -
midwesterner85 wrote: »
You can't do anything on the spur of the moment! I used to snack a lot and have all but cut that out. When you have to test your sugar, add up the carbs and give yourself insulin? Well, it's usually not worth the trouble!Being diabetic means you have to plan, you can't just go run a marathon on the spur of the moment.
Like most type 1's, I was diagnosed young and this is pretty much what I know. To me, doing anything without thinking about the BG effect is a foreign concept... so I'm not sure what it is like to be "normal" and just do those things without all the management. It is probably a huge transition for you, but work with your CDE to learn as much as possible. Management tools, techniques, and products are improving very quickly for type 1's compared to when I was first diagnosed in the '90's. I started out taking beef and pork insulin, glucometers took 45 seconds for a reading, and required so much blood that sometimes testing wasn't even possible (even with my dad helping to 'milk' blood out of my arm starting at the shoulder and squeezing/pushing blood down to the finger). Now, there are rapid acting synthetic formulations, CGM's, ketone blood meters, and even artificial amylin. Also, meters are faster and take much less blood.
Heh, I still remember my first blood glucose monitor. I was 11 (I was diagnosed at 16 months in the late 70's.) The machine weighed about 2lbs and was about 6"x4" and grey. There was only one type of lancet using a swing arm. Two minutes may not seem like a long time but it was slow. I hated it. It wasn't till I got to college that they had gotten down to about postcard size. Started testing then regularly.
Everyone is trying to convince me life will be better on the pump but I don't trust them honestly. I remember going to diabetic camp when those first came out and the kids with them had all kinds of issues. Sure taking shots is a pain (literally and metaphorically) but I've yet to see a pump I like. That being said there are a lot of advantages to being on a pump if you aren't. There are also disadvantages.0 -
midwesterner85 wrote: »
You can't do anything on the spur of the moment! I used to snack a lot and have all but cut that out. When you have to test your sugar, add up the carbs and give yourself insulin? Well, it's usually not worth the trouble!Being diabetic means you have to plan, you can't just go run a marathon on the spur of the moment.
Like most type 1's, I was diagnosed young and this is pretty much what I know. To me, doing anything without thinking about the BG effect is a foreign concept... so I'm not sure what it is like to be "normal" and just do those things without all the management. It is probably a huge transition for you, but work with your CDE to learn as much as possible. Management tools, techniques, and products are improving very quickly for type 1's compared to when I was first diagnosed in the '90's. I started out taking beef and pork insulin, glucometers took 45 seconds for a reading, and required so much blood that sometimes testing wasn't even possible (even with my dad helping to 'milk' blood out of my arm starting at the shoulder and squeezing/pushing blood down to the finger). Now, there are rapid acting synthetic formulations, CGM's, ketone blood meters, and even artificial amylin. Also, meters are faster and take much less blood.
Heh, I still remember my first blood glucose monitor. I was 11 (I was diagnosed at 16 months in the late 70's.) The machine weighed about 2lbs and was about 6"x4" and grey. There was only one type of lancet using a swing arm. Two minutes may not seem like a long time but it was slow. I hated it. It wasn't till I got to college that they had gotten down to about postcard size. Started testing then regularly.
Everyone is trying to convince me life will be better on the pump but I don't trust them honestly. I remember going to diabetic camp when those first came out and the kids with them had all kinds of issues. Sure taking shots is a pain (literally and metaphorically) but I've yet to see a pump I like. That being said there are a lot of advantages to being on a pump if you aren't. There are also disadvantages.
Believe it or not, I was in the hospital in 1995 and used one of those machines... including the swing-arm lancet device you are talking about. That particular wing of the hospital still had the super old technology at the time apparently.
I was skeptical about pumps for awhile. When I was first diagnosed, one of the dr.'s in the hospital came by and showed me his pump. I wasn't excited about it at the time... but that was in the early days of pumps when they really were not as functional as they are today. I finally switched to pumping in 2003. Since then, I've used Medtronic, Smith's Medical (yes, really - the plus side was reservoir size since I was a "double diabetic" and had both type 1 and type 2 at that point), and Accu-Check pumps. I would not go back to MDI unless my life depended on it... pumps give me too much flexibility (especially with basals) that I'm not willing to give up. I haven't ever come across a perfect pump yet, but they are all comparatively better than shots now.0 -
That's why I like the sliding scale to be honest, I can adjust my insulin to what I need when I need it. I take a long lasting at night (works better for me) and then take my fast acting when I eat. Basically for every 5 carbs I take a unit unless I'm going to be active doing something. My A1c's are a little on the high side of acceptable (6.8 in the winter and 7.1 in the summer) but beyond that works pretty well most of the time. It is a lot more work to manage insulin and you have to be a lot more focused on what it's doing and when and how your body absorbs it. I tend to build a resistance to what I'm taking after a couple years and have to switch to something else.
The nice thing is insulin is now in pens rather than bottles and syringes so I don't get harassed by cops thinking they've caught their latest drug user. (Had that happen in college, after that could do no wrong, of course they had been looking for an excuse for years.)0 -
That's why I like the sliding scale to be honest, I can adjust my insulin to what I need when I need it. I take a long lasting at night (works better for me) and then take my fast acting when I eat. Basically for every 5 carbs I take a unit unless I'm going to be active doing something. My A1c's are a little on the high side of acceptable (6.8 in the winter and 7.1 in the summer) but beyond that works pretty well most of the time. It is a lot more work to manage insulin and you have to be a lot more focused on what it's doing and when and how your body absorbs it. I tend to build a resistance to what I'm taking after a couple years and have to switch to something else.
The nice thing is insulin is now in pens rather than bottles and syringes so I don't get harassed by cops thinking they've caught their latest drug user. (Had that happen in college, after that could do no wrong, of course they had been looking for an excuse for years.)
Mixing regular and NPH was never fun, if I didn't take it at dinner I'd have to take a unit of regular when I went to bed. The longer lasting insulins are nice too as NPH only lasted 8-9 hours. Had to take it twice a day growing up.0 -
That's why I like the sliding scale to be honest, I can adjust my insulin to what I need when I need it. I take a long lasting at night (works better for me) and then take my fast acting when I eat. Basically for every 5 carbs I take a unit unless I'm going to be active doing something. My A1c's are a little on the high side of acceptable (6.8 in the winter and 7.1 in the summer) but beyond that works pretty well most of the time. It is a lot more work to manage insulin and you have to be a lot more focused on what it's doing and when and how your body absorbs it. I tend to build a resistance to what I'm taking after a couple years and have to switch to something else.
The nice thing is insulin is now in pens rather than bottles and syringes so I don't get harassed by cops thinking they've caught their latest drug user. (Had that happen in college, after that could do no wrong, of course they had been looking for an excuse for years.)
Mixing regular and NPH was never fun, if I didn't take it at dinner I'd have to take a unit of regular when I went to bed. The longer lasting insulins are nice too as NPH only lasted 8-9 hours. Had to take it twice a day growing up.
Yes, I remember mixing clear and cloudy. One of the best parts of having a pump is basal flexibility. I can make a new basal rate every half hour, which can't be done with injected basal such as NPH, Lantus, Ultralente, etc. The other basal benefit is temp. basals. I don't need them as much now that I am fat adapted, but it used to be that I would run a temp. basal every time I exercised. Now, it is not as often.0 -
This is what I do, but it's one unit for every 15 carbs. My A1C was 12 when I was diagnosed (and in the hospital for three days,) and now it's around 6.5.That's why I like the sliding scale to be honest, I can adjust my insulin to what I need when I need it. I take a long lasting at night (works better for me) and then take my fast acting when I eat. Basically for every 5 carbs I take a unit unless I'm going to be active doing something.
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This is what I do, but it's one unit for every 15 carbs. My A1C was 12 when I was diagnosed (and in the hospital for three days,) and now it's around 6.5.That's why I like the sliding scale to be honest, I can adjust my insulin to what I need when I need it. I take a long lasting at night (works better for me) and then take my fast acting when I eat. Basically for every 5 carbs I take a unit unless I'm going to be active doing something.
I mentioned earlier that I had "double diabetes." I had type 2 in addition to type 1, and was quite insulin resistant. There was a time when some of my I:C ratios were 1:2 and my sensitivity factor was set at 10 only because the pump settings didn't go any lower (true sensitivity was about 7).0 -
I've had type 1 diabetes my whole life (and so did my dad). I didn't realize how hard losing weight AND being diabetic is! I've gained a lot of weight these last few years and then it became a problem. So now I've been using this site on and off for over a year now and I still haven't lost any weight. I've done everything I possibly could that I knew about (calorie counting, food scales, walking) except buying exercise equipment because of how expensive it is (but I do have my fitbit to help me move around more), and I've still had a hard time staying focused even though I'm determined to lose weight. But then I realized a few weeks ago why it's probably so hard for me... I'm constantly having ups and downs with my blood sugar, which affects me physically and emotionally. I was finally starting to get my blood sugars under control when my doctor increased my insulin dosages and now I'm back to having highs and lows again. It's hard for me to get out of bed or do anything because of what the highs and lows to do me. I have to depend on keeping at least one or two energy drinks at a time just so I can function like a normal person and not be a zombie. I want to lose this weight so bad and get back to the size I used to be when I first thought I was fat when I really wasn't until I did become fat. But with the diabetes it's become more challenging for me than I thought it would be. I only haven't given up trying to lose weight because I'm so out of shape that I run out of breath and I have back pain just from doing simple things, like doing things around the house or going shopping.0
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EllaLynn24 wrote: »I've had type 1 diabetes my whole life (and so did my dad). I didn't realize how hard losing weight AND being diabetic is! I've gained a lot of weight these last few years and then it became a problem. So now I've been using this site on and off for over a year now and I still haven't lost any weight. I've done everything I possibly could that I knew about (calorie counting, food scales, walking) except buying exercise equipment because of how expensive it is (but I do have my fitbit to help me move around more), and I've still had a hard time staying focused even though I'm determined to lose weight. But then I realized a few weeks ago why it's probably so hard for me... I'm constantly having ups and downs with my blood sugar, which affects me physically and emotionally. I was finally starting to get my blood sugars under control when my doctor increased my insulin dosages and now I'm back to having highs and lows again. It's hard for me to get out of bed or do anything because of what the highs and lows to do me. I have to depend on keeping at least one or two energy drinks at a time just so I can function like a normal person and not be a zombie. I want to lose this weight so bad and get back to the size I used to be when I first thought I was fat when I really wasn't until I did become fat. But with the diabetes it's become more challenging for me than I thought it would be. I only haven't given up trying to lose weight because I'm so out of shape that I run out of breath and I have back pain just from doing simple things, like doing things around the house or going shopping.
The original reason I switched to low carb was to stabilize BG. Surprisingly, it also resulted in much faster weight loss at the same calorie level.0 -
midwesterner85 wrote: »EllaLynn24 wrote: »I've had type 1 diabetes my whole life (and so did my dad). I didn't realize how hard losing weight AND being diabetic is! I've gained a lot of weight these last few years and then it became a problem. So now I've been using this site on and off for over a year now and I still haven't lost any weight. I've done everything I possibly could that I knew about (calorie counting, food scales, walking) except buying exercise equipment because of how expensive it is (but I do have my fitbit to help me move around more), and I've still had a hard time staying focused even though I'm determined to lose weight. But then I realized a few weeks ago why it's probably so hard for me... I'm constantly having ups and downs with my blood sugar, which affects me physically and emotionally. I was finally starting to get my blood sugars under control when my doctor increased my insulin dosages and now I'm back to having highs and lows again. It's hard for me to get out of bed or do anything because of what the highs and lows to do me. I have to depend on keeping at least one or two energy drinks at a time just so I can function like a normal person and not be a zombie. I want to lose this weight so bad and get back to the size I used to be when I first thought I was fat when I really wasn't until I did become fat. But with the diabetes it's become more challenging for me than I thought it would be. I only haven't given up trying to lose weight because I'm so out of shape that I run out of breath and I have back pain just from doing simple things, like doing things around the house or going shopping.
The original reason I switched to low carb was to stabilize BG. Surprisingly, it also resulted in much faster weight loss at the same calorie level.
That's awesome! I never really understood carbs, so I pretty much eat like a normal person. Everytime I ask my current doctor questions, especially about my diabetes, she never understands what I'm trying to ask her. My insurance just switched me to syringes a few weeks ago after being on the pens since I was 10, so I've really been re-thinking about going on the pump, and for me that's a HUGE decision to make but with a doctor that doesn't seem to know much I can't ask her about it. If I do switch to the pump I hope that will help out with my blood sugar problem.0
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