just back from the doctor and I need to drop 10 pounds!!!

I have been on the pump since November 2nd and I have gained two pounds.  I am now at 151!  My Endo said I have to lose ten pounds in order to be in my target weight range for my age and height.  Ahhhhh any tips for those that are on the pump?

I gained weight going on the pump, too.  To change that, I just made sure I watched my diet.  I think what made me gain weight in the first place was the fact that I had the freedom to eat ice cream, cake, pizza, and donuts anytime, so I did.  I just started lunch and dinner with a salad and it helped curb my appetite.

I'm not on a pump. I'm not diabetic, (my son has both though!) but the most important thing is calories. If you are eating less than you use in a day, then your body will turn to your fat stores to get what it needs and the result is you lose weight. Another trick is to drink a full glass of water before you eat. (This can be easier to do if it is cool vs ice cold water.) It helps you feel full sooner. Also, I wouldn't be too worried about the 2 lb difference from Nov 2 to Nov 16 - you have been making a LOT of changes in how you get insulin, you may have had more lows to treat until you got all the basal and bolus settings figured out and you might have been allowing yourself to eat more since you had the freedom too. Eat healthy, drink water, and get some exercise to help raise your overall metabolism and you should see the weight come off slowly. I wish it came off faster, I'm in the midst of my own 7lb weight loss goal right now. However, as a weight loss coach told me, it is way better to nip it in the bud now than really let your self go and be faced with losing 20, 30, 40 or more lbs! Good luck!

Yes, I have gained weight since I started on the pump too.  My doctor recommended Symlin to help lose weight.  I guess it's a protein or something that you inject when you eat.  I'm sure there are other forums on this site about it and you might want to ask your doctor!

Change your diet and up your exercise (if possible)

Nicole,

I'm 18 months on the pump and gained about 8-10 lbs.  Two things helped me drop those pounds over the past 4 months.  First, I ditched my old food scale (the one I had for 10 years) for a DIGITAL scale.  Now if the portion size is 1 oz (chips for instance), I can have 1.5 oz instead of always having 2 oz..  I was eating that extra amount just to get the carbs right on. It really adds up over a couple of weeks.   I would recommend a digital scale for anyone using an older scale.  That was the biggest change that helped.  The second was that I stopped eating bread for sandwiches.  I would just roll up the lunch meat w/ a piece of cheese or something and eat it without the bread.  It is just as good, unless you like a bunch of veggies or mayonaise on your sandwich. 

These were BIG changes for me.  Now I'm back to my pre-pump weight.  I was so set in my ways, plus 2 oz of potato chips was really too much. 

Jason

Thanks guys, It's frustrating but I have started to use the Sparkpeople website to track my calories and excercise.  I am going to restrict myself to 1200 and then add in 30 minutes of cardio for 5 of the 7 days.  Jason, great idea on cutting the bread.  I can do that.  I have heard great things about the digital scales. Where do you buy them and how much are they?

I used to use Symlin and it did help me get to my goal weight of 137, but then my body just got used to it and it didn't curb my appetite anymore.  I stayed in the 140-146 pound range until just recently.  Thanks for understanding and giving me some suggestions and motivation. 

Don't restrict yourself to 1200 calories. That's a really bad idea. I wouldn't go below 1500 calories. And just so you know weight for height charts are pretty much bull ***, and that's my expert opinion.

My scale came from Bed Bath & Beyond, it is has the logo from the "Biggest Loser" t.v. show so it is kinda funny.  It cost around $20.00.

I've never done well long term on restrictive diets... too hard to fit into real life. 

But I've recently heard the audiobook "Skinny Girl Rules" and liked the practical, real world advice.  The audiobook was really repetetive and author was a little annoying, but the book version is called "Naturally Thin."  See if your library has it so you can take a look and see if it would be useful. 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416597980/ref=cm_cr_asin_lnk#_

Are you doing the fasting tests to get your basal rates perfect?  That's some of the solution, too, I'd think -- you don't want to deal with the basal being out of whack, causing you to miscover your carbs....leading you then to need to eat to fix the low.

And of course, you need the willpower not to pig out after your fasting session's over! :)

brian in oxford

And of course, you need the willpower not to pig out after your fasting session's over! :)

willpower? schmillpower :o) hahaa

no but really, that's totally true....i just don't want to believe it.

No I am doing the basal testing tonight at 10pm then I won't test it until 9am tomorrow.  You are right I need to moderate what I eat especially after a low you get that overwhelming urge to consume everything (survival).  I will look at that book. Is it the same as the Skinny *** book?  I do work out everyday for about 1/2 hour but maybe I also need to work out for longer...I just don't know how to lower my basal/bolus so I don't defeat my purpose by having to consume more calories afterwards because of a lowl

One of the best low blood sugar tips I've heard is to use pre-packaged Rice Krispy Treats.  They have 15g carb so one package will cover a moderate low blood sugar.  But if you're STARVING and eat another one, it won't skyrocket blood sugar. 

Nicole2711

No I am doing the basal testing tonight at 10pm then I won't test it until 9am tomorrow.  You are right I need to moderate what I eat especially after a low you get that overwhelming urge to consume everything (survival).  I will look at that book. Is it the same as the Skinny *** book?  I do work out everyday for about 1/2 hour but maybe I also need to work out for longer...I just don't know how to lower my basal/bolus so I don't defeat my purpose by having to consume more calories afterwards because of a lowl

Nicole-

I'm in the same boat as you, as far as trying to drop some extra pounds.  Have you talked to you endo about avoiding lows when you work out?  Mine told me to drop my basal rate for an hour before the workout to let in work, and to keep it lowered during the workout.  However, getting the right percentage is trial and error.  If I'm going for a walk outside, I'll usually drop mine to 50%.  But if I'm doing the treadmill, elliptical, or something strenuous like that, I usually drop it to 20%.  This has really helped me avoid post workout lows. 

Also, I tend to exercise in the evening, so sometimes I skip my correction bolus at dinner if I'm not too high.