Weighing in....

Long story short -

I've been diagnosed as a diabetic for 5 years - since July 2006.  Elliott was born after 7 months of heavy insulin use.  At my 6 week postpartum doctors appointment I'd lost 41 lbs.  It was the 40 I'd gained with him and 1 extra for good measure.  My A1C number was hovering at 5.9/6.0 and all was well.  I was a busy and fairly active new mom and for the first few weeks after that crazy monkey was born I didn't even need insulin.

The Chick was born in May 2009.  My weight in the summer of 2008, before Kid, Round 2 began was a few pounds more than my weight had been at the same stage with Elliott.  I gained 41 lbs. with Wyatt and at my 6 week postpartum doctors appointment I'd lost about 25 of those pounds.

Add two years.  My weight right now is 5-8 lbs (depending on the scale) heavier than I was 6 weeks post Wyatt (two years ago).  Since January I've decided to try and lose a few....like 20 or more.  I've started slowly - I try to exercise 40 minutes at least 4 times a week - I've even played four basketball games and not died.  I've cut out a lot of junk, a ton of fast food (kids meals are the death of me...), and have been using a "fad" diet to help me control my eating and to help me not feel hungry all the time.  Since January, I've gained 3 lbs.

Yesterday I had my quarterly visit to the Endocrinologist.  My A1C is 6.7 - the same it's been for about a year and consistently higher than it's been forever.  After a trip to the scale, a blood pressure check and a few other things, John, my PA, came into the office, sat down in his chair and said, "Let's talk about your weight!"

I said, "Yes, PLEASE!  Let's talk".

He told me that after going over my history and blood test results he fears that my body is becoming immune to my insulin regime....not immune in the sense that the insulin is no longer controlling my blood sugars, because it is.  But, immune in the sense that when my body is separating out the blood sugars, instead of getting rid of all of it (some quickly, some slowly) it is storing the slow sugar and I'm consistently gaining weight.

My meds making me fat?  At this point, I'll take any help I can get, especially if I don't have to blame myself 100% for the problem.

After our long talk about weight and medication we've decided to shake things up a bit.
New oral insulin with possible nasty side effects....Metformin
New 24 hour insulin called Levamir which my dock called, "Lantus without the weight gain."

More exercise.  More controlled eating.  More help (instead of hinderance) from my meds, I hope.

So last night when I got home I jumped on the computer and looked up the side effects of my two insulin's.  Why I never did this in the last 5 years I don't know.  Because I trust my doctors are doing what's best for me.

This is what I found....for both:
Intensive insulin therapy causes an increase in body fat as a result of the elimination of glycosuria and reduction in 24-hour energy expenditure.


Patients on intensive insulin therapy have been more likely to experience weight gain.


You think being a slave to insulin for the last five years, particularly during two pregnancies where my needs quadrupled counts as "intensive insulin therapy"?  I'm pretty sure it does.


Of the top 5 general side effects of Lantus and Novolog I've got two: weight gain and high blood pressure.  Thank heavens I don't have any eye problems, or high cholesterol or an irregular heart beat.


To end this super boring post...please wish me luck.  New medication is a bit scary, especially one that gives nearly everyone who takes it monster stomach aches.  But, if it helps me get back on track both as a "healthy" person and as a diabetic then I'm game.