Weight loss since diagnosed

[Dudette1]

Hi everyone, I just wondered what sort of things people have done to lose weight and what has worked and not worked for them.
I’m 37 and was diagnosed in October 2018 weighing 17 stone 7lbs. I knew I had to do something about my weight and had a good think to what I wanted to do..as let’s face it, most women have tried every diet known to mankind and fall off and on.
So I found an app called “lose it” it’s been my saving grace. You put your hight, weight and the goal you are wanting to reach. It adjusts your calories each time you put your weight loss in. You get little badges to spur you on and can add friends, I’ve got my 2 sisters hooked and now we have a little WhatsApp group and message each other every evening at 7pm showing how many steps and what we have eaten. Willing each other on and supporting on our bad days.I knew I could never go to the supermarket and count how many calories are in foods. So this has been great. It really opens your eyes how much you actually eat. I added the health on my I phone to it so it tracks my steps and I aim for 7 thousand a day, park the car further away at the supermarket, walk the longer way to the shop, things like that.. I am now 13 stone 11 lbs and still going. My goal is 11stone which is an ideal weight for my height. Just want you to know you can do it without living on lettuce leaves or chicken and getting bored. Diabetes has been a real struggle for me as I am sure it has been for many of you. The lose it app was a starting point for me as I still would eat bread and pasta, I’ve cut pasta and rice out completely but I still have a sandwich and I eat whatever I want.i just limit this and test 2 hours after and adjust as needed. I’ve put a picture in with this to show you. Just in case anyone feels they can’t. Just know you can.

 

[Rachox]

Well done on your weight loss so far and explaining how you are achieving this. I’m just wondering how your blood sugars are still eating bread and crackers? I can’t tolerate that amount of carbs without spiking. I lost a shed load of weight and achieved non diabetic levels, following diagnosis by just carb counting, I haven’t a clue how many calories I was eating!

 

[Goonergal]

Similar to @Rachox my weight loss (details in signature) and achievement of non-diabetic levels has been through carb counting. In my case down below 20g a day (and now much less than that).

I exercise too, but it’s what I eat that has the biggest impact on my blood sugar levels.

 

[Dudette1]

Well done on your weight loss so far and explaining how you are achieving this. I’m just wondering how your blood sugars are still eating bread and crackers? I can’t tolerate that amount of carbs without spiking. I lost a shed load of weight and achieved non diabetic levels, following diagnosis by just carb counting, I haven’t a clue how many calories I was eating!

I can’t go to low carb as I’m on a tablet called jardiance and it has my blood sugar levels so low even after eating bread they can be 4.2 then drop to 3.8 the whole grain cracker breads are much better than bread and I try to stick to those rather than bread as they have less carbs in them. That was just an example of one day. It’s the quitting smoking I’m having the problem with. Bother my 13 yr old self for thinking it’s cool

Edited by mode to replace profanity

 

[Rachox]

I can’t go to low carb as I’m on a tablet called jardiance and it has my blood sugar levels so low even after eating bread they can be 4.2 then drop to 3.8 the whole grain cracker breads are much better than bread and I try to stick to those rather than bread as they have less carbs in them. That was just an example of one day. It’s the quitting smoking I’m having the problem with. Bother my 13 yr old self for thinking it’s cool

Oh ok, a case of eating carbs to counter the effect of meds. Have you ever considered eating lower carbs to enable reducing meds instead? Just a thought

Edited by mod to remove profanity in quote box.

 

[Dudette1]

Oh ok, a case of eating carbs to counter the effect of meds. Have you ever considered eating lower carbs to enable reducing meds instead? Just a thought

Edited by mod to remove profanity in quote box.

I was originally on gliclazide one in a morning and 2 metformin, then 1 gliclazide at night and 2 metformin, my hba1c was coming down from 81 to 74 to 64 to 61 then my diabetes nurse upped my gliclazide to 2 in a morning and 2 and night and my hba1c went up to 76 on my next test.i tried eating low carb and still my blood sugar levels would not come down. Since this tablet they are much more under control, I’m hoping my next test it will have improved significantly and hope I can manage to just get to a diet control eventually so I can come off tablets all together so I’m sure by then I will likely take the lower carb into my life. It’s all about adjusting till we get it right..one step at a time and we will all get where we need to be

 

[~Noodles~]

I was originally on gliclazide one in a morning and 2 metformin, then 1 gliclazide at night and 2 metformin, my hba1c was coming down from 81 to 74 to 64 to 61 then my diabetes nurse upped my gliclazide to 2 in a morning and 2 and night and my hba1c went up to 76 on my next test.i tried eating low carb and still my blood sugar levels would not come down. Since this tablet they are much more under control, I’m hoping my next test it will have improved significantly and hope I can manage to just get to a diet control eventually so I can come off tablets all together so I’m sure by then I will likely take the lower carb into my life. It’s all about adjusting till we get it right..one step at a time and we will all get where we need to be

Congrats on getting a handle on your diabetes! Just be aware that wringing the last drop of insulin out of your pancreas by way of sulfonylureas like gliclazide may not do your struggling beta cells any favours, especially since alternatives that give your pancreas some relief instead of clubbing it with a hammer are readily available.

I think your history clearly points out how great sulfonylureas really work, in the end they might have knocked your pancreas out for good and no matter how many you take will have an effect any longer while low-dose insulin would have given your pancreas a break. IMHO I consider it criminal to put people on sulfonylureas just because they're pennies a piece and they don't have to take on the medical responsibility that comes with prescribing insulin. When the time comes and the last beta cell has been clubbed to death they get away with calling it a "natural progression". You couldn't make this up.

Jardiance can be a great tool but as has been said before, you don't need to pee out sugar if you can avoid putting it into your system in the first place.

Please note that I'm not a medical professional, but maybe that is something you could bring up during your next appointment.

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

I’m on a tablet called jardiance and it has my blood sugar levels so low even after eating bread they can be 4.2 then drop to 3.8

I used to take Gliclazide and Januvia, both increasing the amount of insulin. Instead of eating carbs to keep my BG up, I threw away the Gliclazide and Januvia.

 

[ianf0ster]

Oh ok, a case of eating carbs to counter the effect of meds. Have you ever considered eating lower carbs to enable reducing meds instead? Just a thought

Edited by mod to remove profanity in quote box.

Hi Dudette1,
I too think that if at all possible it is better to have an appropriate diet and control T2D with diet alone if possible. Then only medicate to match that Blood Glucose levels on that diett, rather than eating more carbs than is good for you just so as to be able to take the dose of medication.
It is just completely backwards and crazy.

P.S. It is nice to see that even @Rachox gets so frustrated by this that she uses language not allowed in here!
Good for you Rachox !

 

[Rachox]

P.S. It is nice to see that even @Rachox gets so frustrated by this that she uses language not allowed in here!
Good for you Rachox !

Me use profanities?!
I answered the OP then realised there was a profanity in it so in addition to editing the OP I had to edit the quote box in my post too! However frustrating a situation is I have to uphold the forum rules!

 

[Resurgam]

You are rather young - I really do advise trying to get off the medication and using low carb rather than hammering your pancreas to get lower levels - you could have many decades ahead of you, and achieving normality would be such a good idea.

 

[ianf0ster]

This Video says it all, if you have the patience to watch it all since it is much longer than most:

Thanks to @Cocosilk for posting it in another thread.

 

[Cocosilk]

This Video says it all, if you have the patience to watch it all since it is much longer than most:

Thanks to @Cocosilk for posting it in another thread.

This may interesting some too! They talk about weightloss stalling on Low Carb when people are eating a lot of dairy.

 

[Daibell]

I can’t go to low carb as I’m on a tablet called jardiance and it has my blood sugar levels so low even after eating bread they can be 4.2 then drop to 3.8 the whole grain cracker breads are much better than bread and I try to stick to those rather than bread as they have less carbs in them. That was just an example of one day. It’s the quitting smoking I’m having the problem with. Bother my 13 yr old self for thinking it’s cool

Edited by mode to replace profanity

Hi. It may be that your dose of Jardiance is too high - do discuss with the GP.

 

[Daibell]

Congrats on getting a handle on your diabetes! Just be aware that wringing the last drop of insulin out of your pancreas by way of sulfonylureas like gliclazide may not do your struggling beta cells any favours, especially since alternatives that give your pancreas some relief instead of clubbing it with a hammer are readily available.

I think your history clearly points out how great sulfonylureas really work, in the end they might have knocked your pancreas out for good and no matter how many you take will have an effect any longer while low-dose insulin would have given your pancreas a break. IMHO I consider it criminal to put people on sulfonylureas just because they're pennies a piece and they don't have to take on the medical responsibility that comes with prescribing insulin. When the time comes and the last beta cell has been clubbed to death they get away with calling it a "natural progression". You couldn't make this up.

Jardiance can be a great tool but as has been said before, you don't need to pee out sugar if you can avoid putting it into your system in the first place.

Please note that I'm not a medical professional, but maybe that is something you could bring up during your next appointment.

Worth saying that I was on max dose (320mg) Gliclazide for several years and was refused insulin until my pancreas was killed to the extent I was then offered insulin. I agree that meds should always be kept to a useful minimum with diet being key and in this case lowering the carbs (not calories)

 

[Dudette1]

Hi. It may be that your dose of Jardiance is too high - do discuss with the GP.

I am on the lowest dose, 10mg..it can be upped to around 30mg I think.which is something I definitely don’t need ha! I am going to ask to be taken off gliclazide on my next visit in November once I have my hba1c results back.

 

[Dudette1]

You are rather young - I really do advise trying to get off the medication and using low carb rather than hammering your pancreas to get lower levels - you could have many decades ahead of you, and achieving normality would be such a good idea.

staying under my calories and exercise is more important for me at the moment and to lose the weight first..while maintaining lower blood sugar..i do not eat constant high carb foods”,I am trying to do one thing at a time.i don’t want to become overwhelmed and sink back into depression.my main goal is to get the weight off first the way I’m doing it to hopefully get this fat around me reduced, Which is working, the app shows me my carb intake, cholesterol intake, sodium intake.and much more. I will then move to reducing my meds and finding a balance that is right for me. We all do things differently, I tried low carb and my blood sugars still escalated so it is not the only answer at the start for some.which is why I needed the meds..then I needed to lose weight. people need to find what is right for them to make a start and stick with it while still maintaining low blood sugar.I have lost a lot of weight this past year and I’ve a 118 days to go till my goal.once I have got to that I will take the next step. For overweight people I don’t think telling them to eat low carb or 30mg of carbs straight away is any good at all.I'm sure there is many who see this advice And think I CANT do that..yes it will be more beneficial I don’t doubt that, I think the starting point is exercise, starting to move around more, eating less, 3 meals a day, checking levels after eating, cutting out certain foods, and slowly decrease your carbs so you aren’t binging for the ones you usually have is much more sound advice. And likely to help people who see no end at the tunnel like i did.its all a learning curve.and the struggle is real..It’s like feeding a dog meat n biscuits then suddenly shoving lettuce in its bowl, it will be miserable and look to eating anything it see’s. safely and efficiently and seeing what is working for you and not working is the best start.getting to your goal and making changes as you go. Hope I don’t sound rude, I just think people going on about 30g of carbs is not going to get an overweight person to make a start. It didn’t help me..It’s much more than just low blood sugar, its losing weight, feeling better, knowing you can help yourself and others. now I feel as if I am doing something wrong because I’m on meds.not everyone can do that at the start and not always works for some, as I well know.i don’t want to be on medication, nobody does...I hope we all get into remission and kick diabetes ass. I’m doing my best with the best that I have.

 

[ianf0ster]

now I feel as if I am doing something wrong because I’m on meds.not everyone can do that at the start and not always works for some, as I well know.i don’t want to be on medication, nobody does...I hope we all get into remission and kick diabetes ass. I’m doing my best with the best that I have.

Hi Dudette,
Being on medication for Type 2 diabetes rather than diet alone is not in itself a failure in any way.
Just as people need medication for other diseases, some/most need medication for diabetes.

As a TOFI myself, I know that common perceptions, such as Type 2 diabetes is caused by being overweight is just plain wrong.
Even where the T2D is overweight, they may be that way due to hereditary causes such as a time of feast or famine affecting their Mother, Grandmother, or even earlier generations. This is mentioned briefly in the Ivor Cummins video that Cocosilk posted above. This has been shown by a Swedish study (over 150years of data) which I remember being featured on TV in the UK several years ago.
The only failure is when someone who has access to the best knowledge is completely passive about it and doesn't attempt to themselves do something to improve their condition (obviously not you).

 

[TriciaWs]

That is a lot of weight to lost. Congratulations.
And I am glad it worked for you, although I suspect newly diagnosed T2s could often avoid the increasing drug load people used to get by trying low carb or very low calorie first? (Although very/ultra low calorie needs medical supervision, the trials were in hospital, so low carb might be easier and it is sustainable long term.)

I choose to for low carb first, and I weighed a lot more than you at the start. I'd 'failed' so many diets while the weight went up, and taken drugs that caused massive weight gain, for other conditions. But low carb below 130g at first and then down some more really seems to shift it for most people.
Although many medics still focus on weight loss for new T2a, I choose to get my blood sugar down quickly first as I wanted to avoid diabetic complications, and I knew from past attempts to loose weight I can do that while eating loads of sugar and high carb foods.
So this time I was strict about carb counting, no more than 30 in one meal (including any coffee,etc) and no more than 100g a day, soon cut to 85g.
I was lucky as this was enough to get my blood sugar into the normal range, and for me to lose weight without counting calories or going hungry. I now aim to keep my blood sugar fairly low (mid 4s or a little lower before meals) with only a minor increase after meals because spikes can cause nerve damage.
On the way I lost over 5.5st, in a year.
It's plateaued at the moment but I will kick start the weight loss after my current work schedule evens out - this last 2 months were hectic and while staying low carb throughout, overall meals and my longer fasting periods have been erratic.

 

[Resurgam]

I think you have the wrong end of the stick there - going low carb is stopping the biscuits and feeding the dog on meat - I used to have a black Labrador who was the envy of many - and a waistline similarly so. High carbs soon got rid of my 24 inch waist - but they are considered a healthy diet by many.
These days (after I used the printouts from my doctor to light the barbecue the day after diagnosis), I eat meat, fish and seafood, eggs and cheese, and up to 40 gm of carbs a day - I do eat some lettuce, but you'd need to search for it under all the other foods. I have stir fries, salads, small amounts of berries, coffee with cream - it is the least boring way of eating I have ever come across. There is no struggle about it - I eat twice a day as I don't need more, the only problem is replacing clothes which no longer fit or stay up around my waist.
I doubt that I'll ever have a 24 inch waist again, but at least I no longer have the equator I developed on low fat low calorie diets with lots of those healthy carbs.
I don't need any medication to be at the top end of the normal range, though I expect all those years with low glucose tolerance have had an effect I can't easily reverse.