I NEED to lose weight

[Kristin251]

By cutting carbs and insulin you will probably drop weight faster than your scale can keep up. Haha

Be ready for carb flu. It can be nasty but when it's over you will feel great

Also beware do much lower insulin needs.

 

[Jennystokes82]

Hi all-new to all this. saw this thread on some LCHF info and just had a few questions as this is the approach im starting if you don't mind helping.

I'm T1 (diagnosed last December) and currently on levimir (14units am and PM) and carb count for novo rapid. If I have breakfast with no carbs (usually egg and spinach/asparagus) I don't inject? Is that right? I excercise 3/4 times a week but prior to starting low carb I put on weight and felt like I didn't have a clue and was just told to inject more and more. I want to have more control and feel LCHF is a good route for me.

My worry is that my BG readings still spike to sometimes 15 when I have no carb meal and therefore
No insulin? Any ideas or does it just take a while to settle? Any help appreciated

 

[Mrs Vimes]

Hi @Jennystokes this is where I did a shed load of testing. I'd test before the meal, then hourly. All veg has carbs, for example the likes of broccoli and cauli is about 5g of carbs per 100g.
My DSN told me broccoli was carb free.
A salad for me with low carb veg tends to be a bolus of 2 units straight away and 2 units about an hour later. The hour later is for the protein "blood sugar spike". When you go low carb protein can be converted to glucose. It is however much slower, longer and a lower spike. Different meats act like different carbs. Fat can also slow this process down
What I did was stick to a set meal for a couple of days so that I could nail the bolus.
Exercising - again lots of testing until you know how you react. I do correct lows with glucotablets or lucozade. But the swings are much less. The glucotablets are 4 g of sugar and I know now that it will raise my sugars by just over a point. I tend to exercise fasted, I use my dawn phenomenon (morning liver dump) to fuel spin classes. I have to bolus before weight lifting.
I have found that if I eat 30g of protein or less the protein spike sometimes does not happen.
It is a faff to begin with but its worth it. Just test loads and carry hypo stuff at all times. (Good practice anyway whether low or high carb).

 

[Brunneria]

@Mrs Vimes after reading your posts there is no doubt in my mind I need to choose lchf. I eat masses of carbs and bolus huge amounts. I went through menopause early in my 20s and am on hrt. I do zero exercise. This all equals my lovely insulin resistance. No more excuses for me!

Insulin resistance makes everything more difficult, and being post menopausal, and young, you will have incr. IR for longer than most. Add in needing to lose weight and injecting insulin, then you risk incr. IR further.

As a suggestion, have a good read up on metformin. It is usually prescribed as the first line of defence for T2s, and most people don't realise that the best, biggest and neatest thing it does is tackle insulin resistance.

I have seen posts by some T1s saying that it is now sometimes prescribed to them too, on the grounds of 'being prtective to the heart, long term'.

Definitely worth you checking it out, even if you decide not to go for it.

 

[samantha13]

@Brunneria I've been on Metformin 500mg twice daily since Jan. I've continued to binge and 'rage bolus' so don't feel it's had a chance to work when I've been 'abusing'. Working with a therapist now to deal with my issues and hoping a change to lchf will give me the boost I need to get better control of my health. Thanks for commenting

 

[Fayefaye1429]

Hi I'm type one since April have lost 2 and a half stone. I saw this and thought I'd share my experience but it isn't for all people.
Mine has been a diet like weight watchers. Instead of counting every calories I simple round up or down. To begin with I ate 1,900 calories and experimented with sport to see which one would work my diabetes. What I mean is when I swim I can only for 10 minutes without a hypo happening. However we I can walk on a treadmill for about 2 hours before anything happens. I would start with doing 100 cal lose at the gym 3 times a week. Then when I felt I could do more exercise increased and also rows decreased but I never went under 1,500 Cals day. I also found its about being kind to myself to. For example if I had hypos I would say it's OK I'll learn from this and find another way and I can loose another day. They recommend 1 pound a week. Good luck I'm more than sure you can do it

 

[mist]

@debrasue needs to lose weight on her toes! Yikes!

Yes reducing carb intake will help you lose weight.

 

[SWUSA_]

@Mrs Vimes after reading your posts there is no doubt in my mind I need to choose lchf. I eat masses of carbs and bolus huge amounts. I went through menopause early in my 20s and am on hrt. I do zero exercise. This all equals my lovely insulin resistance. No more excuses for me!

Start with just walking more on the exercise. Small changes add up and are more likely to be maintained over the long run. Study from New Zealand suggests walking 10 minutes after a meal especially the evening meal can have a big impact. I got pinged on this one but you are already getting wonderful support here. Also see thread for BMI chart to help set goals.

 

[Ali B]

Hi
I've loved reading these stories....I've been following the low carb programme for four weeks now.
I feel better about the hypo feelings as I felt just that...almost as if I was on some sort of cold turkey.
However my motivation is stalling as I haven't lost a n ounce in four weeks.
I've cut carbs right back, I'm really watching the hidden levels of sugar in things, begun gentle exercise as my BP is high and I've cut my portion sizes down yet I feel bloated . Is this normal?
I hold my hands up to the fact I was a lazy T2 diabetic...and in denial of my condition but have recently taken the bull by the horns and and desperately trying to get myself under control.
Does anyone have any other advice I can take on board that may help?

 

[Brunneria]

Hi
I've loved reading these stories....I've been following the low carb programme for four weeks now.
I feel better about the hypo feelings as I felt just that...almost as if I was on some sort of cold turkey.
However my motivation is stalling as I haven't lost a n ounce in four weeks.
I've cut carbs right back, I'm really watching the hidden levels of sugar in things, begun gentle exercise as my BP is high and I've cut my portion sizes down yet I feel bloated . Is this normal?
I hold my hands up to the fact I was a lazy T2 diabetic...and in denial of my condition but have recently taken the bull by the horns and and desperately trying to get myself under control.
Does anyone have any other advice I can take on board that may help?

What a lovely avatar pic!

The usual suspects for failed weight loss on LC are (seem no particular order)
- hormone stuff
- hormone stuff
- hormone stuff
- not low enough on the carbs

Sorry if that looks frivolous. It really isn't. My own hormone stuff is a testament to that.

If you are feeling bloated, then can you isolate it to a particular foodstuff, or food group, like dairy or gluten?

@Indy51 posted a fabulous video on Gluten Intolerance recently. Maybe have a watch, if only to rule it out as a possibility.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/your-skin-on-gluten.109985/#post-1285531

 

[Ali B]

Thank you for that...I understand the hormone stuff as I am woman of a certain age (ahem)
I'll look into isolating food groups in case that's part of it and look to see where I can cut the carbs down again.
Thank you for the reply and advice...I'll be having a good look at the video too.

 

[SWUSA_]

Hi
I've loved reading these stories....I've been following the low carb programme for four weeks now.
I feel better about the hypo feelings as I felt just that...almost as if I was on some sort of cold turkey.
However my motivation is stalling as I haven't lost a n ounce in four weeks.
I've cut carbs right back, I'm really watching the hidden levels of sugar in things, begun gentle exercise as my BP is high and I've cut my portion sizes down yet I feel bloated . Is this normal?
I hold my hands up to the fact I was a lazy T2 diabetic...and in denial of my condition but have recently taken the bull by the horns and and desperately trying to get myself under control.
Does anyone have any other advice I can take on board that may help?

Ultimately it comes down to this: Calories = (proteins + fat + carbohydrates)
Weight = calories - (exercise + metabolism)
You can reduce your weight by reducing calories below what your body is currently using to lose weight.
Reducing carbohydrates for people with diabetes also has the added benefit of helping to reduce blood sugar.
However if you replace the calories you are saving by cutting down on carbohydrates with extra calories from fats and proteins you are not going to lose much if any weight unless you increase exercise and/or metabolism. Fats slow down digestion of foods so that the blood sugar is affected more slowly. Hormones do cause changes in metabolism and fat storage. Women of my age have to eat less or exercise more than they did at a younger age to maintain the weight they had at the earlier age.

Any method that supplies the vitamins, minerals, fiber and calories you need and motivates you to reduce caloric intake will result in weight loss. You will get a lot of support on this forum for using the low carb diet.

 

[Kristin251]

Have you added new foods ? If dairy or seeded grains I would be suspect.

 

[Ali B]

Have you added new foods ? If dairy or seeded grains I would be suspect.

Thank you for replying . No I haven't added seeded grains I was drinking milk but i have decreased that intake now too.

 

[Ali B]

Ultimately it comes down to this: Calories = (proteins + fat + carbohydrates)
Weight = calories - (exercise + metabolism)
You can reduce your weight by reducing calories below what your body is currently using to lose weight.
Reducing carbohydrates for people with diabetes also has the added benefit of helping to reduce blood sugar.
However if you replace the calories you are saving by cutting down on carbohydrates with extra calories from fats and proteins you are not going to lose much if any weight unless you increase exercise and/or metabolism. Fats slow down digestion of foods so that the blood sugar is affected more slowly. Hormones do cause changes in metabolism and fat storage. Women of my age have to eat less or exercise more than they did at a younger age to maintain the weight they had at the earlier age.

Any method that supplies the vitamins, minerals, fiber and calories you need and motivates you to reduce caloric intake will result in weight loss. You will get a lot of support on this forum for using the low carb diet.

Thank you for replying.
I'm with you on the hormone page.
I do need to increase my physical activity more than I have. I drive a lot and my job has become more sedetary . Thank you for the advice and information. Its really appreciated. I guess I need to consider what is contained in the things I put into my body instead of just eating them.