# My wife needs to lose weight, any 'partners' with advice please ?



## rogertb (Jul 13, 2020)

Hi chaps, newbie here, probably a very old story but I hope you can help please ... my wife, early 70s type 1 for many year, is over weight, maybe 3 stone. I do the cooking and try and keep things right but she does tend to 'snack' and "i need something to eat" is a very regular remark that I feel I can't argue with. I could go on and on but maybe someone understands and has some advice/comments ? Many thanks Roger


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## ColinUK (Jul 13, 2020)

Water. Get her too drink a pint of water before each meal and if she’s hungry suggest she has a drink because what we think is hunger is often actually thirst.

Failing that, make a pact that neither of you will snack at all between meals.


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## trophywench (Jul 13, 2020)

Ask her to test her BG when she says she needs to snack - unless it's low she has no medical need anyway unless she's on some really old fashioned insulin regime and hasn't been taught to carb count and dose adjust properly - so let's start there shall we?  Which 2 brands of insulin does she use?  And what is her latest HbA1c result?


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## rogertb (Jul 13, 2020)

Good tip Colin ... and tw I'm not sure about the insulin, I know Novarapid ... her readings get to me via  librelinkup and were 8.6 an hour ago and 6.6 10 mins ago, let me please add I think the world of my wife but there's a little bit of a "leave me alone" syndrome going on, she doesn't like me to fuss, I totally understand this but it does make it a little difficult to try and help. I do ALL of the cooking and try but ....


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## Drummer (Jul 13, 2020)

I have been told that eating a low carb snack is not appropriate for type 1 - but I really can't see why if BG levels are not low - and being 69 years old myself I am glad to have sugar free jelly, frozen fruit, real custard (cream and eggs only) or just cream so I can eat something which is bulky but not cause a spike. It has calories, but they don't seem to matter all that much if it is low in carbohydrate. 
I add two level teaspoons of gelatine to the two pints of jelly - well it is actually the other way round, I put the gelatine into cold water for half an hour, then sprinkle on the sugar free jelly crystals and mix them, then pour on a pint of hot water, and when all is mixed, add cold water to make two pints and put in the fridge overnight. It makes it more solid and filling.
A low carb dessert is not appropriate if BG is low, but the jelly etc should not disrupt what is normal - I would think - but it needs checking.


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## rebrascora (Jul 13, 2020)

Firstly, does your wife acknowledge that she needs to lose weight? You are between a rock and a hard place if she doesn't want to lose weight or even more so if she doesn't think she needs to but in the current Covid climate, a more normal BMI makes her risk lower, so you might tentatively use that argument. 

I find that I want to snack more if I eat more carbohydrates. I mostly follow a low carb higher fat way of eating. Fat takes longer to digest and therefore keeps you feeling full for longer whereas glucose from carbs hit the blood stream pretty quickly and then you have a drop a couple of hours later which makes you feel hungry again, so the more carbs you eat, the more you want. Fat doesn't in itself make you fat. fat and carbohydrates make you fat, if you cut your carbs dramatically and eat more fat, most people lose weight. 
If she wants a snack perhaps encourage her to eat a low carb snack like a boiled egg with a dollop of mayonnaise or some olives or a cooked sausage or a chunk of cheese..... unless of course her BG is low (below 4) in which case she needs something sweet like a few jelly babies to bring her levels back up into a safe range. 
As Jenny (@trophywench ) says, make sure she is testing her blood when she says she *needs* a snack. 

I find that following a low carb, higher fat way of eating, I only need two meals a day and sometimes only one. I have cream in my coffee with breakfast and a cooked breakfast like an omelette with various fillings including mushrooms onion, cheese and ham and a salad with a good dollop of coleslaw but no bread or toast and then I can skip lunch and have something like good quality (high meat content) sausages with cauliflower cheese for dinner and maybe some creamy Greek Natural yoghurt with a few berries like rasps or strawberries and some chopped nuts for dessert.
Obviously she needs to adjust her insulin doses if she is eating less carbs so if she has not been taught to carb count then you need to be careful about reducing carbs.


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## rogertb (Jul 14, 2020)

Thanks rebrascora ... yes she sees the need for weight loss and I've mentioned the covid risk and of course she agrees (as does her diabetes consultant who she spoke to last week ... the low carb high fat suggestion sounds good, as I do the cooking I can make food that helps and that's probably the point of my original post, maybe I could have worded it better eg "what meals to cook for a type 1 to help them lose weight" ? Again your 'diet' is very similar to hers (and the foods I prepare) so I'm not far off, I'll have a chat with her and we can talk low carb high fat (no not fat around the waist ... that's a no go


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## rebrascora (Jul 14, 2020)

You can also help her to get more active by encouraging her to go for a daily walk with you.... after dinner is a good time as it helps to work off the carbs and calories from the meal. A 20 min walk every evening can make a huge difference. It might be difficult at first but making a habit of it and perhaps increasing the distance and/or the time you spend after a week or so, will all help to decrease her weight and improve her mobility.


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## rogertb (Jul 14, 2020)

Thanks again rebrascora, we do walk but my wife's back gives her grief and walking isn't her favourite  thing, we will work on it and thanks again for offering good advice ....


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## atoll (Jul 14, 2020)

cutting out alcohol will help lose weight,lots of calories in booze.


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## rogertb (Jul 14, 2020)

Good point atoll, though she's very abstemious, a half a glass of wine a day maybe ... unlike me !


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## Sharron1 (Jul 14, 2020)

ColinUK said:


> Water. Get her too drink a pint of water before each meal and if she’s hungry suggest she has a drink because what we think is hunger is often actually thirst.
> 
> Failing that, make a pact that neither of you will snack at all between meals.


Many thanks for the water idea. Working from home and so close the kitchen...


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## Drummer (Jul 16, 2020)

Your wife might find Nordic walking poles useful, as they are a real help with some pains when walking - not all, and if overdone aches and pains can result from that, but I found them a great help when I could not trust my balance on the irregular pavements around here. They really make it a lot easier to relax and take a proper stride, which makes walking far less tiring too.


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## Piglet (Aug 3, 2020)

Hi Roger B,

the only real answer to weight loss is to eat smaller portions and to be more physically active. before everyone shouts at me, I realise this is not possible or easy for everyone. I have been on crutches for nearly 2 years due to complications and have managed not to put any weight on due to monitoring my carb intake, not too closely, but sensibly. If you can get your wife's carb intake to approx 130 -140g per day you should see some weight loss. snacking can be included in the total carbs for the day so as not to deny the treat but to restrict them. You will need to be prepared for a few low blood sugar readings att the beginning but things will settle down. Get your wife on a carb counting course via your consultant as this will help sort out the insulin to carb ratio which will make life easier in the long run.

Good luck


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## Ditto (Sep 21, 2020)

I'd tread carefully, divorce is expensive.


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## grovesy (Sep 21, 2020)

Jusomso said:


> Talk with your wife, tell her that you want to help her get a beautiful figure and tell her the weight loss system that you have compiled for her. I think that after this conversation, she will start listening to you. My husband did similar .


Sorry but that would not work for me!
Also losing weight does not guarantee a good figure!


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## Annemarie (Sep 26, 2020)

rogertb said:


> Good tip Colin ... and tw I'm not sure about the insulin, I know Novarapid ... her readings get to me via  librelinkup and were 8.6 an hour ago and 6.6 10 mins ago, let me please add I think the world of my wife but there's a little bit of a "leave me alone" syndrome going on, she doesn't like me to fuss, I totally understand this but it does make it a little difficult to try and help. I do ALL of the cooking and try but ....


She has my sympathy, I was always a reasonable weight as long as I avoided cakes/biscuits etc which I wasn’t bothered about so found it very easy. However, since being diagnosed as Type 1 and using insulin (Novarapid &Lantus) I get desperate cravings for chocolate. What I never wanted is now a ‘must have’. I buy mini bags of chocolate buttons and try, sometimes successfully, to have just 1 after my evening meal. Occasionally it’s a whole packet but there’s only 6 or 7 in it. Often just knowing they’re in the house is enough
Good luck


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