Help needed with diet

Silvercat

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I have been very successful on Byetta for a while and suddenly this has all gone wrong and now my doc is nagging me to lose weight. I really have no motivation whatsoever plus there are a lot of foods I just dont like. I dont like veg apart from potatoes, mushrooms andf onions. I dont like salad. By don't like I seriously mean they make me sick. I do love meat and cheese. Fruit gives me a constant bad stomach. So has anyone any suggestions how I diet and lose weight without feeling hungry all the time?
 

ebony321

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Hi,

i'm no expert dieter, but if you want to lose weight, you need to motivate yourself! it doesn't come for free.

Do you have a dog? walking your dog won't seem so much like exercise, so it wont feel so forced.

Or kids, if you have children or neices, nephews.. take them to the park and kick a ball about!

The more active you are, the more you can allow yourself to eat, so you won't be as hungry and also if your busy with things you won't notice hunger feelings either :)

If you can't stand veg, fruit, salad.. your obvious healthy foods, change your snacks to mixed nuts?, remember cheese contains alot of fat so i would watch how much you have of that!

Hopefully someone will come along who is more experienced than me can give some better tips, but i thought i'd start it off :)
 

Silvercat

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No I don't have a dog. Yes I have kids but she's 23 lol. Can't see her wanting to run around the park.
Cheese is good on a low carb diet but because I have nothing to snack on I am always hungry.
I have to admit I have no motivation whatsoever.
 

ebony321

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Silvercat said:
No I don't have a dog. Yes I have kids but she's 23 lol. Can't see her wanting to run around the park.
Cheese is good on a low carb diet but because I have nothing to snack on I am always hungry.
I have to admit I have no motivation whatsoever.

Awwwe, can you borrow one? a dog i mean, not a child! :lol:

I admit i find it hard getting motivated to do exercise.

Theres alot of people here with good tips and tricks with food thats tasty but good for you.

Maybe look around the low-carb forum and see if theres any good tips there? :)
 

Silvercat

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No chance of borrowing a dog nor do I want to. I work all day and go home feeling very tired. I haven't slept through the night totally for at least 4 years now but the docs just shrug their shoulders at me when I tell them. I have tried various sleeping tablets but I wake up through them all. So another reason not to exercise...I am far too tired. I also have a facet joint problem.
 

cugila

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Silvercat said:
I have been very successful on Byetta for a while and suddenly this has all gone wrong and now my doc is nagging me to lose weight.
We have had some Member's who found that Byetta didn't work for them......mainly it was narrowed down to the fact that they had gotten back into bad food choices, so I agree you may need to look at your diet closely and see where you might be able to tweak it a bit, help kickstart some weight loss.

I really have no motivation whatsoever plus there are a lot of foods I just dont like. I dont like veg apart from potatoes, mushrooms andf onions. I dont like salad. By don't like I seriously mean they make me sick. I do love meat and cheese. Fruit gives me a constant bad stomach. So has anyone any suggestions how I diet and lose weight without feeling hungry all the time?

As the others have said.....motivation ! It plays a big part, it's also a BIG challenge......

Personally my motivation is to keep myself healthy, not put back on the huge amount of weight I lost and do everything I need to to keep control of my Diabetes. Some of the things I now eat were totally alien to me some years back, but they are much more healthy and after a while you soon get used to new things.

You have to work out what YOU like and then adjust portion size maybe, avoid certain things, reduce the intake of carbs. I found that by doing that and with the aid of Byetta I soon found a healthier diet regime, a lifestyle that suits my likes and dislikes but still allows a margin for the occassional treats when Bg levels are low. I hardly ever snack between meals and certainly never feel hungry.

What sort of foods DO you like ? There may be some clues there as to why things aren't going to plan anymore ?
 

Silvercat

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I have had hbA1c readings of 5.9, 6.3 and 6.4 and now suddenly within a 9 month period I am up to 8.1. I was exactly the same weight 9 months ago. I did lose over 4 stone in the last 3 years but 2 stone has crept back on.
I have to admit I have a very sweet tooth and I am a chocoholic. I know they are wrong to eat.
I also like meat and cheese but not fish.I like onions and mushrooms.
I am ok with potatoes but never eat chips as I hate them. A few months ago I had to start using morphine patches for back pain (I have recently had steroid injections) and whilst on them I found I couldnt face food. Doc gave me tablets to counteract this but that didnt work. I am now off the patches but food just bores me. However I am constantly hungry.
 

sugarless sue

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Two things stand out there for me. First, the Steriod injections. These will probably have affected your blood sugar levels making them rise. Next, the potatoes. You say you are OK with them. Have you tried testing two, three and even four hours after a meal containing potatoes to check your levels ? You may be one of the lucky ones that can tolerate a very small portion of potatoes.

Because you have put on two stone again your Insulin resistance may have gone up again as well.

How much chocolate do you eat ? The darker it is the better carb-wise.

Also check with your doctor about the medication you currently take in respect of how they affect your Bg levels.
 

Silvercat

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I was at the hospital yesterday with the specialist diabetic doctor who has suggested putting my Metformin back up. He wasnt interested when I talked about the injections. He was more interested in forcing me to eat veg.
As for potatoes, whilst I said I like them, I didn't say that I ate many. I do occasionally.
I detest dark chocolate but do admit to eating too much of any other.
Today I feel at my wits end as to what to do. Not eating the same has made me incredibly bad tempered and tearful.
 

viviennem

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A number of suggestions . . . but first, two questions. Do you have a meter to do your own BG testing with? Do you know what potatoes do to your BG levels? they are not very good for mine.

Second question - do you drink water? I drink at least 2 litres every day, and it does stave off hunger pangs.

I see Sue has got in before me with some of this, but I'll leave it in anyway. I have read your reply to her. My only other suggestion, if you're not eating veg at all, is to take a good multi-vitamin and mineral every day.

Meat is fine, and you can eat lots of hot and cold meats, for any meal or just for snacks. Cheese - no more than 4 ounces daily. Eggs - I have two every day. Pity about the fish - I eat tinned tuna twice a week, but otherwise I'm not really a fish eater. Small amounts of nuts and seeds for snacks, as well as cold meat and cheese. I eat oatcakes and Ryvita for 'crunch' - get the ones that are 5g carb or less per biscuit, but only eat about 4 a day.

For fruit - well, it spikes my BGs but I do eat some - all berry fruits with cream and Splenda for sweetener; the cream might take the edge off them for your stomach.

Does 'onions' include leeks? Leeks and mushrooms cooked together are great; try adding some courgette and eating with grated cheese on top. I cook them in a casserole in a moderate oven with butter, black pepper and nutmeg. I'm having that tonight, with a pork chop - yummy!

A pity about the salads - which bit makes you sick? Try to get into the habit of eating a small portion of green veg each day, if you can. I know you say you hate all veg - I couldn't stand salad, but as I eat more of them I find them so delicious, and refreshing. They never made me sick, though. I have one a day.

Stop eating milk chocolate and try to get used to the highest cocoa-solid dark chocolate. Green & Black's do a 90% proof one that has only 15.4g carb per 100g - and if you eat a full 100g bar you'll probably be on the loo all next day :shock: . But a little doesn't hurt. You get much more chocolate bang for your buck :wink:

The diet I use is based on Atkins and is on the Low Carb Forum under 'Viv's Diet'. I'm afraid someone else will have to give you the link because I can't get them to work, but it's there if you search for it. Read it through carefully and see how you could make it work for you. You don't have to eat vast amounts of fat if you don't want to, but I don't make any effort to reduce fat when on it. You will lose weight, I promise, and there is no need to be hungry - just eat a bit more of the allowed foods! But you must drink the 2 litres of water with it, and do a bit of exercise.

Always read the labels!

Best of luck - dieting is hell, and I've been stuck for a couple of months. But we'll get there!

Let us know how you get on.

Viv 8)
 
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viviennem

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Thanks, Daisy. I love Silvercat's avatar too!

Viv 8)
 

Silvercat

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I understood that with Atkins one could eat as much cheese as was wanted.
Yes I do have a meter and no I havent tested particularly after potatoes but then as I explained although I like them I don't eat them all the time.
I do drink some water but in general I drink very little. I never have drunk much my whole life. If I do drink more than usual I am up all night going to the loo and its bad enough not sleeping anyway without extra disturbances.
Actually I forgot about tuna which I can eat but its pretty boring on its own.
I don't like oatcakes or Ryvita ...to me its like eating cardbaord and it just sticks in my mouth.
Sorry not going there with the fruit.....I spend all day on the loo when I eat it and as I do a lot of walking/birdwatching at weekends its very difficult when you are in an open field.
Leeks are passable but not courgettes.
I have tried for the past 50 years to eat veg and I just cannot do it. I put it on my plate, take one mouthful and feel sick. Spoils the rest of my food. The taste is disgusting. Same with salad and things like cucumber and peppers just leave me with indigestion for the day.
Considering that Byetta is supposed to leave you feeling full, in all the time I have been on it that has never happened to me once.
I am open to suggestions as to what to do with my restricted foods and how to motivate myself because so far nothing motivates me.
 

jaykay

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Joint facet problem has to be looked at too. You need to do the correct gentle exercises, which are usually based around core strengthening. You should ask your doctor for a referral to a physio who can give you the right things to do. If you can find the motivation to start then often the ensuing good results will give you the motivation to continue. How about looking forward to spending time with your daughter or seeing grandchildren in the future, or being able to look after yourself and not relying on others ( that's my motivation , big time! ). If you are feeling very low, have you considered talking to your GP about if you need some help with that too?
I think everybody gets to a point where they just want to give up. You have to look for the reasons to keep pushing on. Good luck!
 

Silvercat

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Now that one does nothing but annoy me./...my daughter is building a career for herself and does not live with me nor is she likely to. Why do people just assume people want children or grandchildren.
I had physio before I had my injections and it didn't do a thing. The consultant said there was no point in doing it again. At least after the injections I can now walk with much less pain and no morphine.
 

jaykay

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No assumptions but it's one that a lot of people use. That's why I said you have to find the thing that works for you, everybody is different. You like birdwatching and walking so presumably you find enjoyment in that? Could you walk a bit further every week perhaps? Upping your exercise level is not only good for helping weight reduction but has a positive affect on mood.
 

RussG

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I have to say Silvercat, that if you come and ask for advice, you're going to get it. If you don't like it or don't agree with it, that's fine but etiquette really would suggest you don't poohpooh everything that people say. Nobody is going to have the magic bullet for you and people on this forum are in general extraordinarily supportive. Nobody can help you if you're not prepared to help yourself. That's my $0.02.

I used to be a really picky eater, and also said that many vegetables 'made me sick'; I'm probably still a bit picky. In my case it was probably a psychological problem, and since diagnosis, my diet has improved enormously. Currently lowish carbing, I eat two salads a day. As a child I wouldn't eat anything with onion in it. People's attitudes to food can change, no matter how long they have been held. Caesar salads were the revelation for me and I'm now a salad convert. Still can't stand cauliflower or raw tomato though.

I've made a deal with myself that I still won't eat cauliflower but I will try most other things. It's not always fun, but I do push myself. Why not try it?
 

Silvercat

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Perhaps rglennon you don't realise that I have already tried it. I still don't like fruit and veg. As you obviously don't like my replies and think I am poopoohing as you put it I wont bother any more. i CAMR HERE AS A LAST RESORT AS NOBODY ELSE HAS BEEN ABLE TO SUGGEST ANYTHING...I WON'T BOTHER YOU ANY MORE. i WANTED HELP NOT TELLING OFF/ BYE
 

RussG

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Silvercat - that's not going to help either, is it? Advice freely given is a gift you can either accept or reject but it's good form to do so gracefully. People here have made plenty of reasonable suggestions.

Whether you stay or go is of no matter to me, as I am unimpressed by flouncing or shouting. If you think my post was a 'telling off' then you've never really been told off IMO.

I'll repeat my advice: why not keep trying things? You yourself admit your relationship with food changed after the morphine patches. Who's to say that you won't find that you now like things you previously didn't, particularly if you try different ways of cooking them? I hated cabbage for years, but shredded, braised in stock and cooked with some cream and lardons - lovely! Not really like cabbage as I remembered it. Frankly there are few things in life that don't benefit from being cooked in cream.

You say you lack motivation, well nobody is going to motivate you other than yourself and that's the sad truth.