Why Can't I Do It Again

[mistyb33]

I'm 61 and was first diagnosed with T2 about 3 years ago. I was put on Metformin immediately and it had little or no effect apart from an upset tummy!. Last year I decided to try low carb and succeeded in losing two stone and getting my numbers down from 12 to 6's and 7's and I stopped Metformin. In January this year I stopped smoking and seriously fell off the low carb wagon and put the weight back on and numbers went up again. Decided to get a grip again so since 12th June, I have been sticking to 800 calories and under 50g sometimes under 20g of carbs per day. First week, I lost 7lb and nothing since and my numbers are sticking stubbornly at 9, 10, sometimes 11. I found it reasonably easy last year, I'm sticking to the same way of eating - I'm not cheating - if anything I'm being stricter. I'm starting to despair, which isn't like me! Why can't I do it again? Please, any ideas welcome!

 

[ert]

Can you increase your exercise?

 

[mistyb33]

I'm doing exercises with a kettlebell. I like walking but I have pains in my legs from peripheral artery disease - I'm hoping this will improve after stopping smoking - so walking is a stop start affair.

 

[Fenn]

Hi, why can’t you do it again? You are doing it again and that’s sooooo hard, and giving up smoking, ridiculously hard, will you give yourself a break, your amazing! Don’t think of it as not losing weight, think of it as maintaining this weight for a bit, while waiting for the shedding to continue. It will happen, you just gotta wait for the results to catch up to the effort. I’ll be looking forward to reading this thread when you post the next pound lost. This isn’t a diet, it’s a different way of living, the slower you lose it, the less likely it’ll go back on I reckon.

Best of luck, post progress.

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi @mistyb33 Sometimes people do find it harder to lose weight again after falling off the wagon, unless they got straight back on again. However I have no personal experience of it.

It may help if you give us an indication of a typical day's meals with the pre and post meal BG readings. I assume that you are measuring the BG effect of every meal at 2hrs after 1st bite and rooting out those which cause too big a spike (also known as 'eating to your meter').

I see that you are going low Calorie as well as Low Carb - is this what you did the first time?
Personally I don't like the Low calorie approach - it's something I didn't do for the following reasons:
1. In my case I only needed to lose 1 1/2 stone (though I actually lost 2stone without any calorie restriction).
2. A low calorie diet causes the body to go into starvation mode (unlike fasting for several days). This reduces the 'resting Metabolic Rate' which means that you will now gain weight by eating the same calories that would have merely maintained your weight before the low calorie diet. So it continually gets harder to both lose weight and to maintain that loss.
3. It is difficult (or expensive) to get adequate nutrients on such a low calorie diet.
4. I don't like being hungry - especially if I don't need to. In fact due to me adding protein and fat to compensate for the reduced carbs. I was actually eating more calories on my Low Carb 'way of eating' than I was when I was before it.

So far as exercise is concerned, although cardio exercise such as a brisk 30 min walk is good, if doing further exercise to lower Blood Glucose then it is best to make that strength training (such as weights) because this builds muscle and muscle absorbs Blood Glucose!

 

[bulkbiker]

I have been sticking to 800 calories and under 50g sometimes under 20g of carbs per day.

Why are you starving yourself?.. you'll cause metabolic harm and will put the weight back on as soon as you go back to eatig normally.
Try to stick to sub 20g of carbs per day but eat more please.

 

[mistyb33]

I don't eat breakfast so my first meal is lunch. An example of my readings would be pre lunch 8.5 after measured protein and green salad 10.5. I lost the weight last year by following low carb, low calorie - it came off very quickly. It is beginning to dawn on me that my body knows what I'm up to and is hanging on to every ounce this time! I think I may be a scientific miracle in that I can consume only 800 calories and not lose weight!! Thank you for your advice - I will add more protein and fat to up the calories but still keep the carbs low. I work from home at our dog grooming business and had noticed my energy levels were lower. It is a simple equation, but I just wanted some objective back up. Thank you very much.

 

[bulkbiker]

I lost the weight last year by following low carb, low calorie - it came off very quickly. It is beginning to dawn on me that my body knows what I'm up to and is hanging on to every ounce this time!

That is exactly what is happening..
You might need to regain a bit of weight before your metabolism speeds up a bit..

Your fasting regime might help as might a 2 or 3 day water/coffee/tea fast to give the metabolism a bit of a booster.

 

[jenfoolery]

So... I'm not a doctor, but then again most folks on here are also not doctors. It sounds TO ME that possibly your diabetes has progressed to the point where diet alone just isn't going to work. Your pancreas may be out of gas, or your insulin resistance is just stuck in place... We're not all at the same point, and we're not even all on the same inevitable journey. It may just be your rotten luck that you need more / different medication, or insulin. I'd encourage you to ask your doctor for some more advanced tests of your insulin response.

 

[mistyb33]

The thought had crossed my mind. On my last consult with DN, I said that this was just a blip after giving up smoking - I was so confident I could do it in the 3 months between consults like I did last year. But it's not happening.

 

[Ronancastled]

We're all plumbed differently, firstly how overweight are you ?
Your diet seems good from a carb point of view.
Remember when your body detects starvation it protects further weight loss best it can, that 7lbs in one week may have kicked off that process.
Body can reduce it's metabolic rate when under that severe an attack.

I lost 5st post diagnosis but none of it was slow & linear, it was marked stepped decreases over weeks/ months.
My only advice is to keep at it if weight loss is your real goal.
Other processes could be at play when it comes to glucose control.

 

[TriciaWs]

Looks like you aren't eating enough - there is no need to count calories if you are counting carbs, and ironically studies show that eating more can help with losing weight.
I found falling off the wagon set me back more than expected and it did take longer the second time.

 

[mistyb33]

Two stone overweight now. I had it within my grasp.... bmi, blood sugar etc and then decided to go for stopping smoking. Ironically, I don't feel any better for stopping. It's like juggling a bag of frogs.

 

[Resurgam]

If I were to eat only 800 calories a day, I would just shut down and it would be impossible for me to rush around being busy.
I strongly suspect that you need to increase calories from nutritious foods to get your wheels turning again.