Insulin resistance

[AaronR]

Hi everyone.

I wanted to ask about insulin resistance, this is a quick summary:
- 38 years old
- Type 1, stated 3 years ago
- The amount of insulin I have to take has increased 2.5 times in the last year (now, around 62 levemir a day, 2/3 units of novorapid per 10 carbs)
- Weight: 88 kg, Height: 5'9 / 1.75

I know the obvious answer is I have to lose weight and exercise. Also since the start of the pandemic I started to work remotely and I had a child, there should be no excuses that's true, but it is really hard for me to find time.

Before this year I used to have a very good control but lately... I had around h1abc 6.2 and now I have 7.9. And I don't eat worse...

Apart from the exercise, are there additional things I could do to decrease my insulin resistance? Should I be even more worry for the amount of insulin I'm taking?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Inka]

@AaronR It does sound like the increased weight is a big part of your insulin resistance. Don’t necessarily set up some highly ambitious diet and gym regime - even moderate sustained changes can help. Try to fit walking into your day, for example. Use an app to monitor your calorie intake. Cut down on fat in your diet. It’s keeping that up day after day that will help you gradually see results.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @AaronR

Sorry to hear you have been having a bit of a tough time recently.

It’s not all that unusual for your doses to climb in the early years of a T1 diagnosis. It is sometimes referred to as the ‘honeymoon period’ and can last just a few months, or a year or more.

A diagnosis with T1 comes when the body is no longer self sufficient with insulin, but that doesnt necessarily mean that all insulin-producing cells have been splatted by the immune system. In fact some people still retain a degree of insulin production decades later - just not much!

So some of the rises you have seen may have happened anyway. But yes, additional weight can certainly give rise to insulin resistance.

What are your levels like on average? Trying to keep them as in-range as possible will help. As will avoiding hypos (so you don’t have to treat them!)

Have you ever tried any weight loss strategies before? Which did you find worked for you?