Weight gain with the pump

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Katjamo

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Type 1
Hello,
I have been using the pump since the middle of April. I have been on a big diet recently and trying really hard to minimise my carbohydrate amounts a day. I am averaging at about 80 > 120g of carbs a day which is half what i used to have! However i am constantly putting on weight! Not massive amounts but enough that i notice and feel uncomfortable.
Does anyone know if this is a common side effect of having the pump and if so what i can do about it? I do exercise by playing badminton and squash once or twice a week?
Or are there any supplements to take to sped up metabolism or something?!

i would appreciate help before i become an elephant!
Thanks,
Kat
 
Hiya. I've actually found the opposite to be true - it was only after going on to a pump that I started getting my weight under control, mainly because my control is better & I'm not so often having to consume extra carbs for hypos etc. do you go hypo often?? I guess factors to consider are not just carbs but fats - do you eat a lot of calories in the non carb part of your diet (cheese, wine...all my favourite naughties lol). How do you cook stuff (ie grilling not frying?). If you can't account for things that way then I guess it's time to chat to your doc & if it's not been checked already get your thyroid function checked - underactive thyroid often goes hand in hand with diabetes & is associated with weight gain- can be easily treated with tablets though! One other thing off the top of my head is to check whether it's genuine weight gain or water retention - again your doc will be able to help on that one.
 
Hi Kat, can't comment on the pump, but you are doing the right thing by trying to moderate your carb intake. You might need to increase your exercise though as this will make you more sensitive to the insulin so you need less, as well as burning calories of course! 🙂 If energy isn't used by activity then it will be stored as fat, using insulin to help achieve this. Have you been really strict with your daily carb recording, including everything you eat or drink? Might also be a good idea to record calories too so you know where you stand with them. What sort of daily doses of insulin are you using?
 
i am hypoing a little but the idea of the pump is to get my HbA1c down as i was running at 9.7!! Therefore i know how to treat a hypo and am not spiking afterwards so i just think the lower the better! I have a blood test at the beginning of July to get my first resuly since the pump so fingers crossed it is better then!
I have been living on the following rough diet plan: breakfast fruit e.g grapefruit or banana, lunch a tin of soup and a yogurt, dinner a salad with lots of vegetables and either chicken, tuna or fish so i don't think my fat content is that high and i don't snack in between. I've never been fat or large but used to eat whatever i wanted and never gain weight but had no control of my diabetes. My control is now loads better but despite my diet i am gaining weight. Hopefully the bloodtest due soon will test for thyroid function as well as i know i've been borderline in the past.
i will try and increase my exercise and combat it that way!
Thanks guys 🙂
 
From what you're saying your diet is fab (making me feel guilty lol) & I really don't think it will be the pump, as if anything you'll be getting a more tailored & efficient delivery of insulin, rather than perhaps having to 'eat up' to th insulin on injections (which was the only way I could get really tight control in pregnancy & I put on pounds!!!). My money's on the thyroid... 😉
 
Hi Kat,
my guess is thyroid could be a possibility, plus before a pump you were running high blood sugars so this would keep your weight off.

Sounds to me as if things are going well for you now and hopefully you will find everything will settle down once your true weight and stable blood sugars sort themselves out.

Hope your A1c has improved for you 🙂
 
Hi Kat,

I have found I've put weight on since pumping, I'm not sure it is just the pump that has caused my weight gain. Being 46 and my metabolism changing is more to do with it! I used to be able to eat what I want, when I wanted to....those were the days! 🙂
 
Katjamo said:
I've never been fat or large but used to eat whatever i wanted and never gain weight but had no control of my diabetes. My control is now loads better but despite my diet i am gaining weight./QUOTE]

Hi Kat,

Your post is very interesting and one that I have a common interest in.
The fact you state your HBA was 9.7% was similar to mine, I used to range between 10-12%, eat what I want, was a nice size and stayed slim, I used to eat sugary foods on purpose to raise my bgs for the weight reason. I decided enough was enough and the damage I was doing. Now that I am on a pump, reined in my HBA to 6% I feel amazing, eye complications are now at bay BUT I have put on 3 stone...not good for someone who has gotten used to be slim for many years. But I constantly fight this demon to go back to that dark place...I have to weigh up the benefits of being healthy to being slim.

Now I maybe off the mark here to the reasons why your putting on weight and it may have a logical reason such as the thyroid and hopefully you can come to a conclusion and possibly some meds to get yourself back to normal, however, if there is no reason for it, then it could be likely due to reasons similar to mine, that you have been used to running high, body breaks down the fat stores for energy and now your controlled the fat stores are not being used.

Hope it all workso ut for you and that your HBA is reduced and ultimately that you feel much more healthy for it all!!🙂
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