Weight Worry - Losing Too Much

[Julie Jazz]

I was diagnosed with T2 mid January and since February have lost a load of weight – 2st 6lbs. It has started slowing down but I am still losing - 2lbs in the last 2 weeks. I am 5ft 3ins and started this new life at 10st 9lbs. This morning the scales screamed 8st 2 3/4lbs. I daren’t tell my husband as he is worried enough as it is.

I was really chuffed to be losing weight to begin with without any effort other than cutting out sugar, but this is getting silly now. Initially I did lose my appetite and was scared to eat anything with carbs in and found that I cannot eat cereals – how I loved a bowl of Crunchy Nut Cornflakes last thing at night. I have now gone back to eating the same size meals as I always used to but upping the veg, protein and fat and lowering the carbs.

I waited until the beginning of May before I started buying new summer clothes and, for the first time in years, really enjoyed clothes shopping. Unfortunately, some of the size 10’s that I bought are now getting baggy.

I have asked my DN two or three times if I am definitely T2 which she confirms. I am on 2 x 500g Metformin , 2 x gliclazide and 1 x something (new last Thursday).

What can I safely eat to put the weight back on. Half a stone would do nicely.

 

[lessci]

Hi Julie, the only thing I can suggest is that you increase your "good" fats some more. I assume you go for full fat yoghurts, cheese, nuts etc.
How does your DN know that you are definitely a T2? have you had the C-peptide and GAD antibodies blood tests? If you test you can check which carbs your body can tolerate, me pasta is out but 2 or 3 new potatoes are ok.

 

[Squire Fulwood]

You appear to be suffering from a conundrum in that eating lower carbs is causing a weight loss. Well yes, that is what happens when you eat less carbs. You can't eat more carbs because it raises your sugar so that is the conundrum.

When I think of why we eat fewer carbs it is so that we don't spike our sugar levels and that makes sense but maybe you need the carbs for sustaining your weight. I reckon you could get away with snacking every couple of hours (say). Eat your low carb meals but close the gap between them and just keep you sugar levels up enough not to lose weight. Eat little and often. It's the only thing I can think of.

Try it for a week and see if it helps. You can't do much harm in a week (I hope).

 

[AndBreathe]

Julie - we are the same height and weight, but I am content at just over 8st. But I have found that at this level I still lose easily if I don't eat enough.

I am not on any meds and thankfully I have found I can now tolerate a few more carbs, but if I am fighting off a drop in weight, I up my fat intake. I don't dollop butter on anything, I have, for example, added a few peanuts to the end of my lunch, or steal a piece of cheese from my OH's lunchtime cheese and box cues. Neither of which impact my blood scores.

So I would disagree with Squire that we need to up the carbs, but agree we need to find a way of taking in more fuel without adversely impacting our bloods.

With your meds, what are your bloods running at?

 

[Julie Jazz]

Hi all

Lessci -my DN just told me that I was definitey T2 to which I meekly replied "Oh, OK". Will ask for extra tests just in case.
Squire - grazing suits me better than meals at set times so I wll try that but up the fats as suggested by AndBreathe
AndBreathe - I am secretly qute pleased with the weight loss, it has just happened so fast which has left me a bit bagggy skinned. In fact this was what I weighed when I first met my husband 18 years ago. I will add in extras as you suggested

Thanks for the replies.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Your DN is only guessing at T2 like my Diabetes GP did and guessed wrongly. You need to ask the DN to do the two tests mentioned earlier i.e. GAD and c-peptide. She may refuse like my GP did as she 'knew' I wasn't T1 and therefore T2. I had a c-peptide and GAD done privately and the c-peptide showed virtually no insulin even though the GAD was negative. If you are slim or losing weight rapidly and possibly young then Late onset T1 becomes a possibility. The Gliclazide may help for a while if you are lacking insulin and the 3rd tablet may have been Sitaglitpin (Januvia) which also helps. I would not increase the carbs to avoid blood sugar increase, so increase the protein and fats. I'm afraid it's possible insulin may be needed in the future but don't panic as it makes blood sugar control easier whilst eating fairly freely

 

[AndBreathe]

Moisturise like mad. I have rubbed more Shea and coconut butter into my body in this last 7 months than in the last 7 years, and I have always moisturised every day anyway.

My skin is now getting back to great shape after a bit of a transitional stage where it seemed my loss seemed to go faster than my skin could shrink. Somebody said somewhere it takes about a year for the skin to recover (whatever it will) after weight loss, although age probably impacts on that. At 57, I think I've probably been lucky on the sag front. Ahem.

 

[Bluetit1802]

I will have a similar problem to you in the coming weeks as I am nearly at my target weight, and it is worrying me what I can do to halt the loss but maintain without adding carbs. All the suggestions I see on this forum include nuts and cheese, neither of which I eat (I can't abide either). I am looking to force feed myself some cheese and hope I get to like it, but I can't see it happening somehow. The only other thing I thought of was more red wine. Lol.

 

[Squire Fulwood]

So I would disagree with Squire that we need to up the carbs, ?

Where did I say that?

 

[Tweetypie]

Hi Julie Jazz, forgive me if I repeat the other posts but I haven't read them all yet.

I had the same problem when first diagnosed. It took a while for my weight to stabilise but then I put a bit back on.

Things that help me are, moderate amounts of peanut butter, good oils like rapeseed, coconut and hemp, avocados, nuts, full dairy, moderate amounts of 85% dark choc. Also important, good quality protein so you don't lose muscle - free range eggs, chicken, fish, cottage cheese etc

 

[AndBreathe]

Where did I say that?

Perhaps I missed your musing that the OP " ............ maybe you need the carbs for sustaining your weight........" as a suggestion.

 

[Squire Fulwood]

Perhaps I missed your musing that the OP " ............ maybe you need the carbs for sustaining your weight........" as a suggestion.

Therefore I tried to suggest a way whereby instead of having a couple of big spikes after meals during the day the OP might have more but smaller rises This might have the benefit of allowing OP to eat more food without spikes of a damaging nature. Any carb content of these meals would be decided after checking results using the meter.

It's something OP could try. The alternatives are to continue losing weight or to have bigger spikes neither of which are acceptable.

I would be interested in the results of someone trying this. (I only suggested a one weeks trial) since my nurse and I discussed this problem with reference to Type 1's who wish to low carb and use less insulin but are too thin to start with.

 

[Tweetypie]

Therefore I tried to suggest a way whereby instead of having a couple of big spikes after meals during the day the OP might have more but smaller rises This might have the benefit of allowing OP to eat more food without spikes of a damaging nature. Any carb content of these meals would be decided after checking results using the meter.

It's something OP could try. The alternatives are to continue losing weight or to have bigger spikes neither of which are acceptable.

I would be interested in the results of someone trying this. (I only suggested a one weeks trial) since my nurse and I discussed this problem with reference to Type 1's who wish to low carb and use less insulin but are too thin to start with.

I think little and often is a good idea too. I struggle with this though, as I'm a 3 meal a day person but if I had to , I could just nibble

 

[Tweetypie]

Forgot to say, sometimes I struggle with breakfast, so I'll have half first thing and half later in the morning - it's a pain but does help keep me level. I seem to be able to tolerate more carbs at my lunchtime meal over any other.

Also, would doing some resistance training help build muscle?

 

[Squire Fulwood]

Forgot to say, sometimes I struggle with breakfast, so I'll have half first thing and half later in the morning - it's a pain but does help keep me level.

Exactly, and it doesn't just have to be breakfast. Some meals might lend themselves to half now and half later to save keep preparing meals.

 

[Squire Fulwood]

Also, would doing some resistance training help build muscle?

I suppose any exercise would but I am not an expert on that. I just use Hilary Jones' exercises when in need.

 

[AnnieC]

oilJulie
I had the same problem when I cut out starchy carbs like bread rice pasta root vegetables and sugar and I lost nearly a stone in weight down from 9st 4lb to 8st 6lb which I did not really need to loose
My personal way of eating is low fat so my fat intake is not high animal fats like cream and butter or full fat dairy and I do not eat red meat I do however eat plenty of other carbs from vegetables and fruit. My fats are from eggs nuts avocado and good oils like coconut oil and olive oil and by upping these I managed to gain some weight and now weigh 8st 9lb and seem to have reached a plateau and stayed steady at that .. Hopefully you will reach a plateau to and not loose any more