Diabetes

I am a diabetic and have been for many years.  I have never thought of myself as very overweight until now.  I am 5'9" and just over 200 lbs.  Does anyone know a safe way for diabetics to lose weight?  I know diet and exercise is the answer I will most commonly get.  My problem is I overeat.  When I realize that, I undereat or skip meals.  I am on an insulin pump so skipping meals is not the big issue I am concerned about.  I know that I asked many questions in this one topic, but I was on a roll. 

Definitely portion control is the key and hopefully Calorie Count can help you with that. Being that I am not diabetic I am hoping some other folks with experience will chime in. However, in the meantime, have you checked out the Diabetes Guide in the Calorie Count Plus Experts Library?

HI there

I also have diabetes. What i try to do is eat every 2 hours. Small portions. For breakfast Lunch and Dinner I aim for no more than 45 carbs then each snack 15 grams of carbs.

If you want add me as a friend. I can share some of the things I do.

My husband is Type I diabetic, and he is probably the most healthy diabetic you will ever meet.  About 5 years ago, however his weight had slowly crept up to 190 on a 5"11 frame.  What he did to get healthy was return to the gym, doing 30 minutes of aerobic 3-4 times a week, and weights also.  He has cut out all chips, most processed foods (save an occaisional chocolate chip cookie!) and eats lots of fruit, yogurt, fresh veggies and lean meats.  We still have our occaisional "fun nights" of cheese and crackers or a beer, but 95% of the time, heat eats really clean.

I know this might appear like vague advice, but what has been key for him is the exercise and balanced eating.  Everyone has different body compositions-what might work for one may not work for you, based on how your body is working with the insulin pump. Start slow, and find your balance.  Good luck.

Couple more things.

Make sure you are drinking tons of water. You said you tend to overeat. What i find to help me is each night I plain out my food for the next day. I find if i do this then i don't overeat. The days i dont have my meals planned are not good. I either don't eat enough or I wayyy overeat.

When i first found out i had diabetes i thought omg there is going to be so much i wont be able to eat. That is just not true. We can eat everthing we have always liked. We just have to have smaller portions. I was a chocolate junky. Now i eat chocolate fudgicles, brownies made with diet coke, and a ton of other things and its fine.

My bmr is 1565. That is a lot of calories. When i plan my meals out i feel like I am constantly eating! But i am losing 1-2 pounds a week.

Have you calculated your numbers? thats the first step to take. Then you'll know how many calories to eat, how many to burn and what your deficit will be.

 

Walk.  A lot.  2 hours a day if you can.

I was diagnosed Type II a year ago.  Relative to my BMR I overeat, so I walk so that I can keep eating.  If I quit walking I'd gain back the 50 lbs I lost.  I didn't enjoy running a deficit of 500-1000 calories/day to lose that weight, and I don't want to have to do it again.

I also have a insulin pump. Make sure your basal's are right and that your sugars are normal, that is the most important thing. Log your sugars for a week just for yourself and you will see a pattern on if you are low a certain time or high at a certain time, then you can change your basal.

for the overeating, make sure you are bolusing and not letting your sugars get high. but also using a lot of insulin isnt good for losing weight as it is a hormone. maybe your overeating is caused by you using more insulin then you need, insulin makes you feel like you need to eat and makes you feel hungry if you use too much.

if you see a endocrinologist they can refer you to a dietician that specializes in food and diabetes, every department of endochronology i have been to has a dietician they use.

if you have any other questions just message me and ill help you out. having diabetes makes it hard to lose weight but not impossible.

If you are serious about being healthy, the first step would be to seek advice from your Certified Diabetes Educator who knows your numbers and health.  You have to slow down and plan your meals each day.  I'm Type 2 and not on any type of meds.  It's all diet and exercise.  I do have the occasional treat and can because I follow my regiment!  The best part about the whole thing - I feel better than I ever have and can do more.  Good luck!

I would recommend a couple of books for you to explore.  The first being Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman.  He has helped many diabetics get off their meds or drastically reduce their medication by using strictly diet alone, not factoring in any exercise.

The second book is The China Study, by T. Colin Cambell.  He has dedicated his life to nutrition research and the impact of animal proteins on the body as it relates to cancer and autoimmune disease, such as diabetes and multiple sclerosis.

Because you mention an insulin pump, I assuming you are probably Type 1.  My brother is Type 1, but is also a triathlete.  He started running as a way to keep his sugar levels down and the running morphed into swimming and biking.  Exercise can be an easy addiction to develop due to the endorphins released and also because it's results oriented.  Feeling good because of your improved nutrition and looking good because of your weight loss, will go a long way to eliminating your issue with overeating.  You have taken a great step in wanting to improve your health and I wish you great success.  Keep us posted on your progress and any potential pitfalls along the way.  I think that you will find after reducing the amount of animal protein you consume, the increase in fresh fruits and vegetables will take care of those cravings.  I've been exploring all kinds of fruits and vegetables I would never had eaten had I stayed a meat-eater.  Cheese still tastes great, but it's not worth the cost it does to your body.