[anon125]

male age 76, had type 2 for decades.
3x500mg metformin and 12 units of evening insulin per day
Both can incease the waist!
on very low carb diet ( NO white flower, alcohol, potatoes,pasta, pastry or any sugars)
As per Jenny Ruhl
6ft tall, 170 pounds as usual.
walk every day.
but a waist of now 40 inches!
how do i shrink that? ( in 2015 it was 36 not 26 inches as i wrote earlier!)

 

[itissteve]

Hello, anon! Welcome back to the site!

Hard to know how to shrink a growing belly unless you know why it's growing and that could be for a number of reasons.

First, look at environmental factors. How quickly did this happen? The belly size is not from bloating, is it? Have you changed any medications or supplements besides the Metformin and insulin? Has your protein intake changed (insufficient levels of protein can push the body to apply consumed protein to the thorax to help preserve vital organs, not limbs)? Has life become more stressful? Cortisol, released during stress, can increase belly fat. Has your exercise regimen changed? Just as lack of exercise can cause poor posture and muscle tone, building muscle (especially targeting areas) can increase certain body dimensions.

Beyond that, it may just be older age. Abdominal muscles loosen up as we get older, and the elastin and collagen in our skin diminishes. And sometimes older people lose height as the discs between the vertebrae compress, making us shorter and expanding the belly because what's in the belly has to go somewhere, so it goes out (horizontally).

So which of these may apply to you?

 

[anon125]

Thank you Itissteve
Nothing has changed in years, except age of course!

 

[itissteve]

If that is the case, then I guess I'd be asking my doctor what gives, next time I see them!

 

[anon125]

If that is the case, then I guess I'd be asking my doctor what gives, next time I see them!

HAH! if only we had a good doctor!
thanks

 

[anon125]

( in 2015 it was 36 not 26 inches waist as i wrote earlier!)

 

[mbuster]

HI anon, welcome back.

Thank you so much for clarifying your waist size. I was hoping it was a typo because gaining 14" but not any weight would mean a lot of muscle loss. 170 pounds on a 6 foot frame is not a lot of muscle to loose to begin with.

How long have you been on the insulin and how do you determine how much to take? Insulin is also the hormone that also shuttles fat into storage. If you could find a way to reduce the insulin use, that might keep you having to buy larger pants (hopefully you saved some of your smaller ones.

 

[itissteve]

HAH! if only we had a good doctor!

Sadly, yeah, that's true. 😔

 

[anon125]

On insulin for about 12 years.
I adjust the evening insulin to get a morning blood sugar reading of between 5 and 6.
also apparantly, ones weight can be an indicator of how much insulin to take. there is a chart somewhere.
thanks all

 

[Zombi]

2 things. Apparently weight gain as we age can have to do with poor sleep. I remember reading something along the lines that we need to get a good 8 hour sleep as often as possible for a couple of reasons hence some issues (Alzheimers as well possibly) dont get dealt with effectively because these processes only take place in the later stages of sleep.

But what I really wanted to say was - Have you tried Dulaglutide or Trulicity. I am younger than you but have a similar problem and as insulin crept up so did weight. Anyway recently got prescribed Dulaglutide (horrid injection and undesirable side effects for a while) but very likely weight loss. I have heard of up to 20kgs on Trulicity, me I am tracking 1kg per month so far. I have lowered my insulin intake a little but have lowered my fasting morning reading from 11 to 9. Still high but after 17 years with diabetes I was becoming really insulin resistant and always had a high fasting reading.

 

[itissteve]

Zombi, welcome to the site and thanks for the info on your experience with dulaglutide.

I hope to see more posts from you. Would you consider telling us more about yourself and how you've been managing your diabetes in our New Member Introductions area?