Low Calorie Diet Help

abseil12

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi, I have T2 which is diet controlled to the point that a low carb diet reversed my diabetes a year ago. Since then I have slipped off the low carb wagon and at my last review they wanted to put me on meds. I asked them to give me a chance to diet control again but, here I am, knowing from my symptoms and home-taken BG readings that I haven't got it under control. So I have embarked on the low calories diet just released from carbs and cals. It is meant to be approx 800 cals a day. I have two issues I could do with advice about... 1) I have a problem that I am not an avid eater (I just eat the naughty things and don't exercise) so that means I don't get hungry very often and miss meals. I have to make myself eat. I have only been on the diet a few days but I am really struggling to eat the amount it says, and that means that I am not even getting 800 cals. That can't be good, can it? ANy advice on how to tackle that problem please???
And 2) I do a walk/jog for just a few mins before breakfast then come back and eat the healthy breakfasts, get washed, dressed, and off to work. I drive to work on the motorway and find myself desperately trying to stay awake... so that is about an hour after breakfast. I am worried about why this is happening. If it continues, I will have to stop driving to work - or stop breakfast. I fear that going to the GP with this will automatically put me on meds which I am striving to avoid. My BG is still too high at 13-18 at the moment. I need to continue with the diet to get my BG back under control. Can anybody tell me what is happening and got any suggestions what I can do to stop it happening??
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
My first question is what do you have to eat for your healthy breakfasts?
It is normally high blood sugars that make you sleepy
Low calorie diets are not necessarily low in carbohydrate.

My second question is why the 800 calorie diet?
You say you "reversed" your diabetes before on a low carb regime so why not go back to that as it worked for you?
 

douglas99

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,572
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Have you tried the three shakes, and 200 calories of vegetables as per the Newcastle diet?

It worked well for me.
 
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abseil12

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
My first question is what do you have to eat for your healthy breakfasts?
It is normally high blood sugars that make you sleepy
Low calorie diets are not necessarily low in carbohydrate.

My second question is why the 800 calorie diet?
You say you "reversed" your diabetes before on a low carb regime so why not go back to that as it worked for you?


Hi Bluetit1802 - good questions :)

My answer to the first, 150g greek natural yogurt, 40g blueberries, tbsp of chopped pecans and mixed seed (dry fried). So I think that isn't too bad sugar wise (?). I used to have a cooked breakfast and it didn't happen - hmmm, I think I need to check the yogurt I am using! (der!)

Your second question has made me question myself - which is good. I think it was because I am looking for a "quick fix" - it is a 12 week programme and I don't think I can avoid a diabetic review any longer than that and I am desperate not to go to meds. Plus, trying to do very low carb myself seems to take so much research whereas a prescribed meal plan is easier. What your question has done is make me realise I am being foolish. There is no such thing as a quick fix and I SHOULD be thinking and learning about the foods I put in my mouth. Thank you for the shot of realism!
 
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abseil12

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Have you tried the three shakes, and 200 calories of vegetables as per the Newcastle diet?

It worked well for me.

Thanks Douglas99. No I haven't. I was trying to stick to the meal plans. I'll check back to see about shakes and veg. As I say though, I get overwhelmed by quantities of food. I love my veg but I think I would psychologically find it easier to have a shake. Thank you :)
 

bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Thanks Douglas99. No I haven't. I was trying to stick to the meal plans. I'll check back to see about shakes and veg. As I say though, I get overwhelmed by quantities of food. I love my veg but I think I would psychologically find it easier to have a shake. Thank you :)
If you don't feel like eating have you thought about fasting? Maybe just having one meal a day? Lots of people find it has helped them.
 
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Freema

Expert
Messages
7,346
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi, I have T2 which is diet controlled to the point that a low carb diet reversed my diabetes a year ago. Since then I have slipped off the low carb wagon and at my last review they wanted to put me on meds. I asked them to give me a chance to diet control again but, here I am, knowing from my symptoms and home-taken BG readings that I haven't got it under control. So I have embarked on the low calories diet just released from carbs and cals. It is meant to be approx 800 cals a day. I have two issues I could do with advice about... 1) I have a problem that I am not an avid eater (I just eat the naughty things and don't exercise) so that means I don't get hungry very often and miss meals. I have to make myself eat. I have only been on the diet a few days but I am really struggling to eat the amount it says, and that means that I am not even getting 800 cals. That can't be good, can it? ANy advice on how to tackle that problem please???
And 2) I do a walk/jog for just a few mins before breakfast then come back and eat the healthy breakfasts, get washed, dressed, and off to work. I drive to work on the motorway and find myself desperately trying to stay awake... so that is about an hour after breakfast. I am worried about why this is happening. If it continues, I will have to stop driving to work - or stop breakfast. I fear that going to the GP with this will automatically put me on meds which I am striving to avoid. My BG is still too high at 13-18 at the moment. I need to continue with the diet to get my BG back under control. Can anybody tell me what is happening and got any suggestions what I can do to stop it happening??

I would suggest you to eat a few brazil nuts to get the rest of the 800 calories... and also to take a mutivitamin pill as you don´t seem to have been eating the optimal foods before and therfor maybe very soon will lack a lot of nutrients
if you can eat fish oil pills that would be another way to get some more calories and fish oil is very benificial to your brain as well..
take care that the 800 calories are NOT mainly carbs.... but only has a few carbs because your blood glucose is so high right now and that can be the reason why you get so tired when you drive combined with too little sleep, maybe you need more sleep because your body is exhausted from your high blood glucose and need more sleep than you allow yourself to get... then maybe go earlier to bed and make sure you are NOT drinking too much with coffeine in because your quality of sleep will be low and it can be life threatening if you fall asleep in your car not only to you but to everybody else too.

I found that metformin helped me to loose weight..., it also lowers ones blood glucose some, you could maybe take it just foor a few month till you get a satifying control ... you decide if you wan´t to be on metformin or not and even for how long...

if your breakfast is a carby breakfast that can give you a much higher blood glucose and then even be the reason for you strugling to stay awake... so if your breakfast is without carbs at all that will maybe not happen ... good luck with your New Casttle diet-like cure..

I myself am on a 1000 calorie cure and if has helped me greatly also made my mind feel much better too..
 
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abseil12

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
If you don't feel like eating have you thought about fasting? Maybe just having one meal a day? Lots of people find it has helped them.


Hi Bulkbiker. Thanks for the suggestion. My problem is that I do that regularly when I am not being 'good'. I can easily go all day without eating (don't drink a lot either) then eat with the family at night. I don't seem to lose weight and my BG levels don't improve either. The medical people all say I shouldn't miss meals. I wished it worked for me :( - I would find that so much easier. Thanks for trying to help though. I need all the help I can get at the moment.
 

abseil12

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I would suggest you to eat a few brazil nuts to get the rest of the 800 calories... and also to take a mutivitamin pill as you don´t seem to have been eating the optimal foods before and therfor maybe very soon will lack a lot of nutrients
if you can eat fish oil pills that would be another way to get some more calories and fish oil is very benificial to your brain as well..
take care that the 800 calories are NOT mainly carbs.... but only has a few carbs because your blood glucose is so high tight now and that can be the reason why you get so tired when you drive combined with too little sleep, maybe you need more sleep because your body is exhausted from your high blood glucose and need more sleep than you allow yourself to get... then maybe go earlier to bed and make sure you are NOT drinking too much with coffeine in because your quality of sleep will be low and it can be life threatening if you fall asleep in your can not only to you but to everybody else too.

I found that metformin helped me to loose weight..., it also lowers ones blood glucose some, you could maybe take it just foor a few month till you get a satifying control ... you decide if you wan´t to be on metformin or not and even for how long...

if your breakfast is a carby breakfast that can give you a much higher blood glucose and then even be the reason for you strugling to stay awake... so if your breakfast is without carbs at all that will maybe not happen ... good luck with your New Casttle diet-like cure..

I myself am on a 1000 calorie cure and if has helped me greatly also made my mind feel much better too..


Wow Freema, well done for the success you have had for your journey. I didn't know metformin may help me lose the weight - that has made me rethink completely! May I should stop making life so hard for myself. Accept the metformin and take Bluetit1802 advice about going back on the low carb diet. I worry that once on meds, I would never come off. Do you think the medical people will let me come off it or should I just do it myself when I feel I am under control?
A few nuts may be manageable too. Sleep is always an issue. My husband (kindly) suggests I am an alien for the little sleep I tend to need or get. Maybe I should try and get more. Thank you for your support.
 

Freema

Expert
Messages
7,346
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Wow Freema, well done for the success you have had for your journey. I didn't know metformin may help me lose the weight - that has made me rethink completely! May I should stop making life so hard for myself. Accept the metformin and take Bluetit1802 advice about going back on the low carb diet. I worry that once on meds, I would never come off. Do you think the medical people will let me come off it or should I just do it myself when I feel I am under control?
A few nuts may be manageable too. Sleep is always an issue. My husband (kindly) suggests I am an alien for the little sleep I tend to need or get. Maybe I should try and get more. Thank you for your support.

you must be stubborn if they wan´t to keep forcing you on metformin... just don´t take if when you don´t wan´t it anymore...

my HbA1c is okay right now and I am still on metformin... when my morning blood glucose comes futher down like 4.5 most mornings, like it used to be before I got diabetes type 2, then I´ll stop metformin again... and I won´t ask them , I´ll just stop ..

it is my body.. !!! there is both good and bad to say about metformin, not everyone can actually take it without problems, but most only have a loose stomack the first 14 days then that goes away... I don´t have any sideeffects right now, but it worries me that on long term use it can actually prevent the body from uptaking b12 vitamin.... :bored: but then it also seems to lower peoples risk of some kind of cancer types...:)

it is your choice..

I take 2 x 850 mg metformin a day
 
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abseil12

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
you must be stubborn if they wan´t to keep forcing you on metformin... just don´t take if when you don´t wan´t it anymore...

my HbA1c is okay right now and I am still on metformin... when my morning blood glucose comes futher down like 4.5 most mornings, like it used to be before I got diabetes type 2, then I´ll stop metformin again... and I won´t ask them , I´ll just stop ..

it is my body.. !!! there is both good and bad to say about metformin, not everyone can actually take it without problems, but most only have a loose stomack the first 14 days then that goes away... I don´t have any sideeffects right now, but it worries me that on long term use it can actually prevent the body from uptaking b12 vitamin.... :bored: but then it also seems to lower peoples risk of some kind of cancer types...:)

it is your choice..

I take 2 x 850 mg metformin a day


Thanks Freema - that is food for thought.
 

CherryAA

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,171
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi Bluetit1802 - good questions :)

My answer to the first, 150g greek natural yogurt, 40g blueberries, tbsp of chopped pecans and mixed seed (dry fried). So I think that isn't too bad sugar wise (?). I used to have a cooked breakfast and it didn't happen - hmmm, I think I need to check the yogurt I am using! (der!)

Your second question has made me question myself - which is good. I think it was because I am looking for a "quick fix" - it is a 12 week programme and I don't think I can avoid a diabetic review any longer than that and I am desperate not to go to meds. Plus, trying to do very low carb myself seems to take so much research whereas a prescribed meal plan is easier. What your question has done is make me realise I am being foolish. There is no such thing as a quick fix and I SHOULD be thinking and learning about the foods I put in my mouth. Thank you for the shot of realism!


whilst there is no such thing as a quick fix, going very low carb for 12 weeks is plenty of time to make enough of a difference to be able to show your doctor you are in control. I took my Hba1C from 90 to 44 in about 4 months on a fairly straight line trajectory.

One low carb meal a day plus fasting sounds like it would be ideal for you.
 
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abseil12

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
whilst there is no such thing as a quick fix, going very low carb for 12 weeks is plenty of time to make enough of a difference to be able to show your doctor you are in control. I took my Hba1C from 90 to 44 in about 4 months on a fairly straight line trajectory.

One low carb meal a day plus fasting sounds like it would be ideal for you.


Thanks CherryAA. That does sound like a good compromise.Thank you for the support.
 

dunrena

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
im completely new to this , was given a number of 58 and told to aim for 50 and I don't even know what it means , I am on a low carb diet ,but don't know how much of my food has to be carbs , I also have thyroid and cholesterol issues , I am over weight too , im just soo tired all the time and worried . not on any medicine as they want me to diet first