September 21, 2007
Weight and Weight Loss
Question from Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom:
I take Mixtard 30 twice a day. I want to lose weight, so how do I go about this? I read that a lot of people who are type 1 can’t lose weight. I’ve lost about 1 stone (14 pounds) over the past year with cutting my insulin and eating more healthy without any exercise. I want to exercise to tone myself up and lose around another stone and a half. I’ve been on a treadmill mostly for one hour and a half a few times per week. Should I lose anything by the end of the month? Before I exercise, I also reduce my insulin dose so I don’t go low and don’t need to snack as much. Most diets I’ve seen are based on calories. How can a person who is type 1, or any diabetic, work on calories, when we need carbohydrates? After an hour on the treadmill, I eat. So, am I wasting my time on the treadmill? I also sometimes skip my insulin so I don’t have to eat so much.
Answer:
Exercise has additional benefits, in addition to burning calories to help you lose weight. The exercise helps you actually move glucose into your cells without as much insulin. You have to be careful about how much insulin you decrease. I agree that reducing some is warranted. However, you do not want to cut it so low that you are high going into and after your meals. I agree that adding exercise to what you are already doing is a good idea. Make sure to get the most out of your exercise. Your duration is good. Your frequency may be increased some, as tolerated. You should lose some weight over time with the addition of exercise. Make sure not to overeat after the exercise. Work for gradual weight loss and not immediate weight loss. Most people put on weight over time. It should be taken off similarly.
JTL
