• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

Hello

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
L

LynnB

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hello,

I am not new to diabetes (Type 1 for 8 years now) but new to the form 🙂 Generally just looking to speak to other diabetics and read through posts to help my motivation. I am trying very hard to bring down my hba1c but struggle more emotionally with the frustration and also stress/binge eating and fear of gaining weight. I have an incredible dietician and diabetes nurse, but I'm hoping these forms can help keep me on track in between appointments.

Lynn
 
Welcome to the forum @LynnB
Glad that you have found the forum, and look forward to hearing more from you.

If you are happy to do so, let us know what insulin(s) you are on and how you manage your Diabetes: MDI, pump, Libre, ... This will help people give informed replies to any questions that you have. There is plenty of experience to tap into and no questions are considered silly on here, just ask.

T1 is relentless and it can be very frustrating, but I have picked up plenty of tips from others on here who ‘get it’. So reassuring, and it helped me to set myself much more realistic targets. Keep in touch and fire away with any questions, or a good rant which can help at times too.
 
Hi and welcome from me too.

I am only 2 years down the line with it but can relate to a lot of what you have mentioned. Being a member of the forum has helped me enormously with support and tips and tricks to deal with things and just somewhere to offload when the frustrations of it get me down to people who understand. I hope that you find being an active member of the forum benefits you to the same extent.
 
Welcome @LynnB 🙂 Type 1 can be extremely frustrating! It’s hard work. For diet, I find the easiest thing is to eat pretty normally, like I would if I didn’t have Type 1. So, I think of healthy meals and just count the carbs and inject for them. I still have treat items too, just when appropriate rather than whenever I want.

You say you’re worried about putting on weight. Is that because you’re having to treat lots of hypos or for another reason? I’ve had Type 1 almost 30 years and I’m slim and no different from the weight I’d have been without it.
 
Thank you all!

@SB2015 I am on a medtronic pump and the freestyle libre (just changed to the 2 and loving the alarms!). I definitely relate to the relentless part. I don't understand how everyone copes with diabetes on top of everything else to do in a day! I am a mum and have just started my PhD in plant sciences - I feel like trying to make sure I eat healthy, exercise and manage my blood sugars on top of that so emotionally and physically draining.

Hi @Inka, I put on around 3st gradually after having my daughter, my insulin requirements doubled during pregnancy and stayed quite high after. In the last year I have dropped 2st but this has been due to very bad management and high hba1c. I am working hard to bring my blood sugars back down but can already see the pounds slowly creeping up in the last few months. I am petrified of going back to where I started.

I don't tend to eat carb heavy meals, I try to have <100g/day although I do now and again fall victim to binge eating on sugary foods which obviously doesn't help. I'm awaiting phycology to help with the binge eating episodes.
 
It’s hard with children to think about too @LynnB I have three, and I find simple things like pre-bolusing for a meal sometimes tricky because I’m just so busy. It’s hard to fit everything in, for sure. I suppose I just try to do the best I can.

Have you had your thyroid checked recently? That can cause weight issues. Also, could it be related to female hormones or contraceptive hormones at all? I find those can cause weight to increase for no reason.

Do you think it’s simply eating differently? I’m a single mum and I find I eat fishfingers and chips like the children just because it’s easier. I also have more snack-type things in the house than I would otherwise. I haven’t put on weight but at the start of lockdown I was aware I was starting to. I was eating more biscuits and crisps through stress really.

Well done on starting your PhD by the way - that sounds fascinating. I hope it goes well.
 
Hi @LynnB

I too am on a Medtronic pump. Having alarms for highs and lows is really helpful.
Certainly a pump helps to give us more control, but also comes with some extra work.
Managing T1 is indeed a full time job on top of all the other things you are managing. So well done.
Like all of us we adjust our management at times and it is not always ideal, but we can only do our best.

I am pleased to hear that you have already asked for help, and I hope that you are able to get your appointment soon. If there are any questions you have that we can help with just ask.
 
Inka said:
It’s hard with children to think about too @LynnB I have three, and I find simple things like pre-bolusing for a meal sometimes tricky because I’m just so busy. It’s hard to fit everything in, for sure. I suppose I just try to do the best I can.

Have you had your thyroid checked recently? That can cause weight issues. Also, could it be related to female hormones or contraceptive hormones at all? I find those can cause weight to increase for no reason.

Do you think it’s simply eating differently? I’m a single mum and I find I eat fishfingers and chips like the children just because it’s easier. I also have more snack-type things in the house than I would otherwise. I haven’t put on weight but at the start of lockdown I was aware I was starting to. I was eating more biscuits and crisps through stress really.

Well done on starting your PhD by the way - that sounds fascinating. I hope it goes well.
Click to expand...

I don't know when they last checked that, my last proper appointment was well over a year ago now with covid. I will mention that when I see the nurse again. I did also get the coil straight after I had my daughter so maybe it was a factor. It is due to be changed so I may ask to have it removed for a while and see if it makes any difference.

My eating habits definitely changed, and when my daughter was one I started my undergraduate which meant lots of time in the library and at lectures and not quite so much exercise, although I've definitely built that back up.

I am in awe you manage your diabetes around three kids by yourself!

Thanks,
Lynn
 
SB2015 said:
Hi @LynnB

I too am on a Medtronic pump. Having alarms for highs and lows is really helpful.
Certainly a pump helps to give us more control, but also comes with some extra work.
Managing T1 is indeed a full time job on top of all the other things you are managing. So well done.
Like all of us we adjust our management at times and it is not always ideal, but we can only do our best.

I am pleased to hear that you have already asked for help, and I hope that you are able to get your appointment soon. If there are any questions you have that we can help with just ask.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much
 
The coil would be high on my list of suspects, I think. I know it’s not quite the same but when I was on the Pill my insulin needs increased and I put on weight almost overnight, like I just inflated. It was really noticeable even though I knew it might happen. I hadn’t realised how quickly it would affect me.
 
Hi LynnB, welcome to the forum.

I'm type 2 but can relate to the stress eating. It sounds as though you have a lot on your plate in general. I know it sounds counter-intuitive but focusing on learning ways to enhance your emotional wellbeing can really have a positive impact on your physical health and can put you in a better place to cope when the emotional queues come up.

Exercise, 5 min meditations, a long soak and a book may seem unnecessary but count towards filling up your wellbeing tank so you can tackle the day ahead.

There have been some great suggestions above so have a look around the site and let us know how you're getting on.
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top