I'm having trouble losing weight and controlling blood sugars

[Ditsy daisy]

I'm so depressed over my weight. I've tried everything I'm 5"2 and 12 stone 5lb at the moment. I tried eating half portions at meal times. I eat 4 times a day because I do 4 injections a day. Novorapid and levemir. I've tried walking 20 minutes a day with less food that didn't work either. I've tried dancing some days in my room more vigorously that didn't work either. I'm at the end of my tether and diabetes burn out too. My blood sugars are hypo sometimes and sometimes high I can't control it properly. I can't do card counting that didn't work for me. What can I do?! I'm so depressed over my body shape and weight that I can't live my life. everyday looking in the mirror.

 

[Kaylz]

What is it that you can't do carb counting? I self taught less than a month into diagnosis and if I hadn't I wouldn't be where I am now

Why do you eat with your basal? You don't need to eat when you take Levemir as it takes care of your BG in the absence of food and keeps things ticking over

If your not carb counting and ending up hypo because of it then its because your feeding the insulin that your having trouble losing weight rather than adjusting

There are courses available for carb counting and I highly suggest you take another look into it as if you don't then you will struggle with lows and highs if you can't adjust
xx

 

[Vonny]

Hi @Ditsy daisy and sorry you're going through a bad patch. I was 5' 1" and 12st 10lb when I was diagnosed, but it's been easier for me to lose weight as being a T2 I can just cut out carbs which I don't think you can as a T1 without a lot of adjustments to your meds. It all seems terribly complicated for you type 1s. If there is a carb counting course, as @Kaylz says, I'd definitely go for that.

Have you tried walking further? Again, I realise it may be different with your T1, and more exercise may result in hypos. I walk several miles each day now, a quick mile in the morning before work and then around 3 miles after work. Between that and the v low carb diet I've managed to shed quite a bit.

Wishing you all the best, and hope you can find a way to lose your weight. I know how depressing it is to see yourself in shop windows and not recognise yourself. I felt like I'd been inhabiting a stranger's body for a decade x

 

[Ditsy daisy]

What is it that you can't do carb counting? I self taught less than a month into diagnosis and if I hadn't I wouldn't be where I am now

Why do you eat with your basal? You don't need to eat when you take Levemir as it takes care of your BG in the absence of food and keeps things ticking over

If your not carb counting and ending up hypo because of it then its because your feeding the insulin that your having trouble losing weight rather than adjusting

There are courses available for carb counting and I highly suggest you take another look into it as if you don't then you will struggle with lows and highs if you can't adjust
xx

Hi Kaylz I have several issues and on tablets and other medications for them. I have been told by my diabetes nurse to eat a small snack with the nighttime levemir as have hypo otherwise. I tried card counting but it gave me high sugar with a lower ratio and hypo when I did the other ratio. My nurse said that im less sensitive to the insulin in evening and more sensitive in the morning. Anyway it didn't work for me. I've been diabetic type 1 a long time since I was 12 and now I'm 30. I still can't lose weight either whole thing is frustrating

 

[Ditsy daisy]

Hi @Ditsy daisy and sorry you're going through a bad patch. I was 5' 1" and 12st 10lb when I was diagnosed, but it's been easier for me to lose weight as being a T2 I can just cut out carbs which I don't think you can as a T1 without a lot of adjustments to your meds. It all seems terribly complicated for you type 1s. If there is a carb counting course, as @Kaylz says, I'd definitely go for that.

Have you tried walking further? Again, I realise it may be different with your T1, and more exercise may result in hypos. I walk several miles each day now, a quick mile in the morning before work and then around 3 miles after work. Between that and the v low carb diet I've managed to shed quite a bit.

Wishing you all the best, and hope you can find a way to lose your weight. I know how depressing it is to see yourself in shop windows and not recognise yourself. I felt like I'd been inhabiting a stranger's body for a decade x

Glad you seem to understand how I feel. Its not fair I don't snack in between meals I eat a healthy vegetarian diet and I have to take a small snack before bed e.g. a piece of toast so that I don't go hypo night. I've been told I have a body image problem and a bad relationship with food but I don't think so I think I'm just seeing i'm over my bmi weight and want to be a healthy weight. Yeah I feel im not myself like i'm inhabiting some strangers body. The person who told me I have a problem didn't help me lose weight she told mI'm m ok this weight and said don't be afraid to eat but I want to lose it i'm depressed.

 

[Kaylz]

Then personally I'd work on finding your own ratio yourself, how many different ratios did you try? Everyone has their own individual ratios which yes can vary widely throughout the day for that person but without carb counting and adjusting you will never be in control

Have you asked about trying different insulins? Have you tried adjusting your Levemir so you don't need a snack? What are your thoughts on a pump? Oh no sorry I don't think you'd get a pump as I'm almost certain you need to be able to carb count to be considered for one so ignore that question

I honestly couldn't imagine where I'd be if I hadn't learned to carb count and adjust my insulin ratios and basal where needed
xx

 

[Ditsy daisy]

I think I'll have to go back to my nurse on phone in doctors get some more advice and speak to my diabetes nurse too coz I'm not getting anywhere with the person telling me my weight is fine

 

[Ditsy daisy]

I suffer with a mental health issue aswell

 

[Kaylz]

I suffer with a mental health issue aswell

That's not so good, I also suffer anxiety, OCD and am still in recovery from an eating disorder so I know how difficult it is to have many things on your plate xx

 

[Inka]

Hi Kaylz I have several issues and on tablets and other medications for them. I have been told by my diabetes nurse to eat a small snack with the nighttime levemir as have hypo otherwise. I tried card counting but it gave me high sugar with a lower ratio and hypo when I did the other ratio. My nurse said that im less sensitive to the insulin in evening and more sensitive in the morning. Anyway it didn't work for me. I've been diabetic type 1 a long time since I was 12 and now I'm 30. I still can't lose weight either whole thing is frustrating

Eating the small nighttime snack is sensible. Nighttime hypos are something to avoid.

A simple way of carb counting is to stick to the same carb amounts for meals. That way you’ll gradually learn what dose works for that carb amount for that meal, then you don’t have to think. A half-unit pen is useful so that you can get more accurate doses. It sounds like not received much support with things and that’s sad.

Sticking to a smaller daily carb amount should help you lose weight, along with reducing hypos so you don’t have to eat ‘extra’. It’s frustrating when you can’t lose weight, but once you get it moving, hopefully it will get easier as excess weight can make control harder too - doubly frustrating.

 

[Ditsy daisy]

thank you I didn't know you can get half unit pens! Wow! I'll ask my diabetes nurse thank you soo much I've been wondering do they do that for a very long time can't believe no one ever told me in my diabetes team

 

[Ditsy daisy]

Eating the small nighttime snack is sensible. Nighttime hypos are something to avoid.

A simple way of carb counting is to stick to the same carb amounts for meals. That way you’ll gradually learn what dose works for that carb amount for that meal, then you don’t have to think. A half-unit pen is useful so that you can get more accurate doses. It sounds like not received much support with things and that’s sad.

Sticking to a smaller daily carb amount should help you lose weight, along with reducing hypos so you don’t have to eat ‘extra’. It’s frustrating when you can’t lose weight, but once you get it moving, hopefully it will get easier as excess weight can make control harder too - doubly frustrating.

Thank you all your advice sounds helpful

 

[Ditsy daisy]

That's not so good, I also suffer anxiety, OCD and am still in recovery from an eating disorder so I know how difficult it is to have many things on your plate xx

Sorry to hear that and thank you for your understanding

 

[Ditsy daisy]

Then personally I'd work on finding your own ratio yourself, how many different ratios did you try? Everyone has their own individual ratios which yes can vary widely throughout the day for that person but without carb counting and adjusting you will never be in control

Have you asked about trying different insulins? Have you tried adjusting your Levemir so you don't need a snack? What are your thoughts on a pump? Oh no sorry I don't think you'd get a pump as I'm almost certain you need to be able to carb count to be considered for one so ignore that question

I honestly couldn't imagine where I'd be if I hadn't learned to carb count and adjust my insulin ratios and basal where needed
xx

I've tried trying to reduce my levemir so I don't need a snack but it hasn't worked I always gave a hypo in night that's why I was advised to eat a snack before bed. I think I Could try carb counting again but it will be hard with moving house aswell at the moment. I will try different things again see if it works

 

[Kaylz]

I've tried trying to reduce my levemir so I don't need a snack but it hasn't worked I always gave a hypo in night that's why I was advised to eat a snack before bed. I think I Could try carb counting again but it will be hard with moving house aswell at the moment. I will try different things again see if it works

Have you asked if you could try a different basal? Yes I know the next 2 weeks I'll struggle to control my BG even though I carb count etc as my anxiety will be through the roof as my OCD is predominantly hand washing and I'm going to be unable to wash my hands when I want to as our bathroom is being renewed and during any time it would've been stressful for me let alone during a pandemic xx

 

[Inka]

Do you just have the one injection of Levemir a day? If so, another option is splitting that. You don’t have to have two equal amounts. You could have less in the evening, which might help your hypo issue.

 

[grovesy]

Then personally I'd work on finding your own ratio yourself, how many different ratios did you try? Everyone has their own individual ratios which yes can vary widely throughout the day for that person but without carb counting and adjusting you will never be in control

Have you asked about trying different insulins? Have you tried adjusting your Levemir so you don't need a snack? What are your thoughts on a pump? Oh no sorry I don't think you'd get a pump as I'm almost certain you need to be able to carb count to be considered for one so ignore that question

I honestly couldn't imagine where I'd be if I hadn't learned to carb count and adjust my insulin ratios and basal where needed
xx

Partha Kar has been tweeting today, that though many say you have to do a Carb Counting Course to access Pump , he is saying that should not be the case!

 

[Ditsy daisy]

Have you asked if you could try a different basal? Yes I know the next 2 weeks I'll struggle to control my BG even though I carb count etc as my anxiety will be through the roof as my OCD is predominantly hand washing and I'm going to be unable to wash my hands when I want to as our bathroom is being renewed and during any time it would've been stressful for me let alone during a pandemic xx

Aww yeah I know I get anxious too with my schizophrenia I know what you mean. Blood sugars can go up with stress. I hope you will be ok all the best that must be really difficult x

 

[Ditsy daisy]

Have you asked if you could try a different basal? Yes I know the next 2 weeks I'll struggle to control my BG even though I carb count etc as my anxiety will be through the roof as my OCD is predominantly hand washing and I'm going to be unable to wash my hands when I want to as our bathroom is being renewed and during any time it would've been stressful for me let alone during a pandemic xx

I'll speak to my nurse on Thursday soon x

 

[Ditsy daisy]

Do you just have the one injection of Levemir a day? If so, another option is splitting that. You don’t have to have two equal amounts. You could have less in the evening, which might help your hypo issue.

Yes at night one injection. I've discussed this with my nurse before but I don't really want to do 5 injections a day 4 is bad enough lol. But thank you for the suggestion and your help x