I am on insulin for type 1 diabetes. Will regular insulin intake cause weight gain?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a type 1 diabetic and have been injecting insulin every day for years already. With this current quarantine going on, I gained some weight which made me worry. Although my BMI says that I am on the normal side, it still made me upset because the belly, arms, and legs have gotten bigger. So I started doing minimal resistance training and changed my eating habits for three weeks already. I noticed that my legs look leaner but my upper body is still the same. This made me anxious because it might have something to do with my insulin medications and I cannot go to an actual dietician since they were still on quarantine so I thought someone might be able to help me online. I am hoping to hear from you. This would really be a big help to my overall health for the rest of my life.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Yes, insulin might result in some weight gain, but if you are keeping a check on your calories and include a good amount of non-starchy food including whole grain, fresh whole fruits, and vegetables will help you to shed some fat.

Keep a check on your exercise minutes, you can easily do 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week which includes walking, bicycling, and other forms of moderate muscle strengthening exercises.

Just keep in mind that your blood sugar level must not go down, do not reduce your insulin dosage. Also never skip a meal, if you skip a meal you will tend to indulge more calories in the next meal. Include more protein rich food, protein, and fiber rich meals will bring early satiety and will easily help build in more muscles than fat.

I hope this helps.