[christie]

i am having a really hard time trying to lose 20 lbs from when my daughter was born, i've tried everything that they say to lose,i walk and do nautilus at the ymca,but i've hard a hard time, i know its harder for people who have hypothyroid to lose weight but is it possible i know quite a few diabetics do have hypothyroid, my dad struggled with trying to lose weight his whole life and he was'nt a diabetic or have thyroid,so i guess hereditity works against me too.

[Spirit]

Christie, if you go to the dieting thread in the healthy living forum, I asked the same question.... Help! I can't lose weight. A number of people listed some great ideas. I can give a few off the top of my head, but you need to go read them all....

1. It's reallllly tough on insulin, but doable
2. get your doc onboard because it requires changes in your regimen
3. ask the doc about similin in addition to insulin - it helps lose weight
4. reduce your insulin (careful here, you need to decrease in relation to the increase in activity so you don't get highs). The more insulin the more difficulty.
5 Make sure you get your heart rate up to the target level and stay there (I think the minimum is 20 minutes - I try for 1/2 hour at least).

Good luck. I'm still struggling. I have decreased a dress size, gone off of many meds, halved my insulin while bringing my average readings down 20+ points by working out and being very careful about diet... but after initially losing six pounds I'm still stuck - not complaining because of all of the great things that are happening - but still stuck.

Spirit

[Spirit]

Christie - There were so many wonderful responses to my thread, I wanted to make sure I included everyone... I don't know if I got them all, but here is the main premise

1. the more insulin, the harder it is. You need to reduce insulin either by adding similin, halving your insulin (obviously be really careful here - this is happening naturally as I work out more, eat less, and watch what I eat), or going on the pump

2. because you have to change your regimen, make sure your doc knows what you are doing

3. diet - NO junk food or 'sneaks', smaller portions, basically a low glycemic index diet of four to five small meals that include a protein and complex carb, count calories as well as carbs, but make sure you eat enough to cover all of the additional activity. One person mentioned "Go Lean" by Kashi as a good source of nutrients at a reasonable carb level for a cereal.

4. - expend more calories than you take in - one person mentioned getting to your target working out heart rate and maintaining that level of work out for 90 minutes to lose weight (60 to maintain). Cardio will lower and stablize sugars so do it (almost) daily and add weights 4 to 5 times per week (helping me tone and reduce dress size, not to mention health benefits). I add - vary your workout to avoid tedium and so your metabolism does not "reset" at the one level/type of workout

5. - be realistic - it is realllllllly hard, but doable on insulin. Don't look at the scale to frequently and expect plateaus. do it for your health and the long run.

I got a really good book on how to lose weight available on alternativemedicine.com (Alternative Medicine Guide to Weight Loss by Burton Goldberg) that goes into a host of reasons people cannot lose weight such as underlying yeast infections, hormone imbalances, toxins, etc. I am just now completing it. If you try all of the above and still cannot lose, you may want to try that book.

Spirit

[am1977]

Well, I thought losing weight on insulin was hard...I can't imagine what it must be like also having to deal with hypothyroidism. That must be tough. However, saying that, I don't think anything is impossible . I think if you work very hard, are dedicated, and want it bad enough, you can change things and see results .

Spirit gave you a lot of good and useful information :dito: . I think that advice can help you if this is your goal. I do have some further advice. It being to really take a good, long, hard look at your diet...really examine it under a microscope. It means being honest with yourself about what you are eating . From my own experience, I know I tend to overlook some things which really do impact my diet and can stall the weight loss process a bit. For example, like forgetting that i nibbled or grazed on this or that during the day, or forgetting I put that extra pat of butter on something or that extra bit of mayo on my sandwhich. These things don't sound like any big deal, but those are extra empty calories that I don't really need. Which brings me to my next point...keeping a food diary or journal . This helps to keep you honest about everything you are eating, b/c you have to write down every bite. Lastly, have you spoke to a dietician or nutritionist lately? Getting into the habit of following a healthy meal plan might be helpful to you or at least getting some suggestions or ideas.

Before I end this...just a couple questions . How long and how often do you work out? Do you feel like you have exerted yourself afterwards? Are you eating regular meals and snacks (eating too little can also halt up your progress btw)? When was the last time they adjusted your thyroid meds? Perhaps, they need to be readjusted.

Believe me when I tell you, I know how tough it is . I'm sure many here can relate. But do not think that this is a hopeless situation. You can do it if you set your mind to it.


Good luck and keep us posted!

[christie]

i will do a journal this week to see how if i can cut some more corners,i have'nt seen a dietrician in about 20 years, when i first got t1 there was'nt such a thing as carbs to watch just exchanges. my thyroid was increased but that was about 3 1/2 years ago ,i had it checked last fall and my dose then was ok. i have 2 bad discs in my back so there are some exercises that i cannot do. i have started a new routine to where i work out at the ymca for 1 hour everyday,i start on the bike,then i do the nautilus machines,leg,abdominal and arms. then when i get home i take the kids and i go for an hour walk which has some hills and pushing my 2 year old in the stroller is a work out at times. i figure as i get more into the working out i will stay longer at the ymca i just want to slowly build myself up so i don't do too much with my back. with my son who's 6 i lost all the pregnancy weight 22 lbs and an additional 20 lbs,with my daughter i was on bed rest and i gained over 34 lbs and i lost about 14 of it but the rest is hanging on. thanks everyone for all the info..ps i don't think symlin would be good with me i always run on the low sugar side my last a1c was 4.9. but if i could lose these 20 lbs i'd have some hypo's.