Any t1d’s out there? Topic

Icla444 07/26/23
Hey there, I’m a t1d and I am in the process of trying to loose some weight while trying to keep my blood sugar and a1c below 6.5 where I have it right now. Does anyone have any advice?
I workout a couple times a week and I’m also working A LOT as I’m about to go study abroad for the fall semester. I’ve had problems in the past with motivation and follow through. This is going to be hard for me and want to know if anyone else is going through this too.

CookerMan 08/02/23
Howdy!

I'm a fellow type 1, on an insulin pump. Just had an A1c drawn at 6.2. I have Hashimoto's as well, which is well controlled (just had a TSH check). I'm also celiac & so must eat gluten free - not a choice.

I've been using MyNetDiary since January, 2023. Late last year, I got up to 250lbs & dropped a few lbs just by avoiding snacks. Decided it was time to get serious and weighed in at 244lbs on 1/10/2023 as I started.

In the past, I've dropped weight successfully on a low carb diet. However, that was unsustainable. It was not an easy diet. As soon as I stopped eating low carb, the weight came back rapidly.

This go-round, I'm doing old fashioned calorie counting & exercise. No forbidden foods, try to keep the carbs low-ish when able. I eat a lot of salads.

I take a 2.5 mile walk in my neighborhood on weekdays, unless I'm doing work around our property on a day & count that work as my exercise instead. I have a treadmill and an elliptical for too-hot and bad weather days if I need it, but I hate to use them. I'd rather be outside.

I also have a Garmin smart watch to help me log my walks. It integrates with my Dexcom CGM as a bonus, so I don't need to look at my pump to see my BG. I'm a techie, and having the data recorded seems to prod me along.

I've found that when the scale gets stuck, I can get it moving again if I go low carb for breakfast & lunch. I tried moving my bedtime snack to late afternoon, but that was unworkable for me both schedule-wise and for sleep, not to mention my overnight control is more dialed in to having that bedtime snack.

It also seems to make a difference if I have a few of my zero sugar lemonades (Countrytime mix). I upped the intake after reading that lemon water can help with weight loss. Electrolyte balance seems to matter, and I like to have a Powerade Zero daily, too.

This approach is working for me, albeit more slowly than I'd like. I'm at 224lbs as of 8/2/2023. Working to get to an initial goal of 190lbs, so another 34lbs to go. Was hoping that I'd reach the goal by EOY, but it looks like it will take a while longer at this rate. Maybe I'll be there by my April birthday - a nice present for me.

Motivationally, I am learning that my weight fluctuates a lot from one day to the next. So, I look at the 7-day average as my marker rather than any particular day's weight. It's too easy to get into a cycle of emotional ups & downs if you count on that daily reading for your motivation.

It also helps to hear my wife and her mother tell me that I'm looking thinner. You do need cheerleaders, or you can get frustrated by the numbers not moving as fast as you'd like.

Hope these things help you!

CookerMan 08/02/23 replied to CookerMan
BTW, I build in a weekly cheat day (usually Sunday) to keep myself on my diet, using the calorie cycling feature in MyNetDiary.

I can put up with dietary deprivation easier & get through telling myself no when I know that Sunday's coming!

I learned this from previous attempts to lose weight. Without some kind of break now & then, all you'll have is constant 'no, you cannot have that', and you'll eventually chuck the whole plan.

Build in breaks, and you can last a lot longer.

LucyGoose 08/26/23
Thank you CookerMan. Good advice!

U1196566558 08/27/23
Hello.

Any t1d’s out there?