Disheartened by lack of weight loss

[chocoholicnomore]

Hi

I just need a wee bit of advice and encouragement and to know if I am expecting too much too soon.

I was diagnosed 3 weeks ago today and changed my eating habits drastically. I basically lived off chocolate before being diagnosed. A typical day just prior to diagnosis would be 3 kit kats before breakfast, then toast, a chocolate bar for lunch, 1/4 -1/2 packet chocolate digestives, packet of chocolate raisins, a couple of yum yums, more kit kats or other chocolate biscuits, crisps oh and a dinner now and again (usually chicken or meat with chips) and another chocolate bar before going to bed. I am also suffering from depression and was comfort eating. No excuse, I know

In the 3 or 4 weeks prior to diagnosis I lost 8lbs while eating all the rubbish. I thought my scales had eventually knackered as they are quite old. I have since read that it is another symptom of diabetes.

In the last 3 weeks I have drastically cut down on carbs and rubbish in general. A typical day is now oat granola for breakfast, sandwich at lunch time (2 slice nimble bread @ 8g per slice and some cold meat), 4 tuc biscuits with philadelphia cheese when I come home from work and then meat and veg for dinner. I have been snacking on salted peanuts. I still have a little bit of dark chocolate every couple of days or a couple of jaffa cakes.

However, although my BG levels are alot better and I also feel alot better physically, I have not lost any weight!

I was expecting to have lost more weight by now. Is there a scientific reason why I am not losing any more weight, or am I expecting too much too soon or I am still doing it wrong???

I have more energy and am more active now. I do not feel hungry and my chocolate craving is gradually reducing. Prior to diagnosis I was constantly tired, lethargic and sleeping at every opportunity!

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[WhitbyJet]

Well done on adjusting your diet, you are already seeing benefits in better bg numbers.
To lose weight on a low carb diet you would need to cut your carb intake much further, you would need to voice into ketosis most people achieve that on around 50 carbs or less.
Have a look at the thread 'Why we get fat', some good posts in there.
You can also achieve good weightloss following low GI diets, I hope someone comes along who will share their experience of low GI eating. You could Google for further information.

All the best to you

 

[SparkJack]

Hi Chocoholicnomore
What a fantastic thing to have kicked the chocolate habit. I was like you and I eventually went lower carbing to approximately 60g of carb per day. I therefore don't eat oats, bread, bisuits or jaffa cakes because these are all high carb even if calorie controlled.
When I go out I will eat more so on Friday night I had Tapas.
I have continued to lose 1 lb a week since I started lower carbing and I too feel much better.
Find whatever works for you and makes you feel right.
Good Luck

 

[Grazer]

Hi chocoholicnomore! Takes a while for any diet to kick in I reckon. I reduced my carbs by about a half or more, and after about a month the weight started to fall off (even though I wasn't particularly overweight anyway!) What veg do you eat? You need to avoid the starchy stuff - jacket potatos, mashed and boiled "old" potatos are all bad. Boiled new potatos (a few!) are not so bad. White rice, pasta etc all not so good. I have a bit of them once a week. Watch things like "Nimble" and weight watchers stuff - all low in fat, but not in carbs. Don't help your sugars therefore, and lots of us believe carbs are more responsible for weight than fats (in limited quantities) anyway. Lots of us eat Burgen soya and linseed bread - low GI and lower in carbs. Quite nice too!
Jaffa cakes really not good - although we all need a treat now and again. Could you stick to a few squares of dark choccy now and again? The TUC biscuits before dinner not great either. Could you wait till dinner?
Good luck!

 

[chocoholicnomore]

Hi all

Thanks for your advice but am still confused.

Have a look at the thread 'Why we get fat', some good posts in there

This is my first ever forum and am still trying to figure it out. I can't find the thread you mentioned. I tried the search and it didn't work and I tried just looking through threads. Is there an easy way to find it?

you would need to voice into ketosis most people achieve that on around 50 carbs or less.

Is that not dangerous?[

What veg do you eat

I'm afraid I am not a veg person so it's just cauliflower (I can eat carrots too but have avoided them as I have read they are higb in carbs)

Lots of us eat Burgen soya and linseed bread - low GI and lower in carbs. Quite nice too!

I bought that today and it is really nice so that's me converted

The TUC biscuits before dinner not great either. Could you wait till dinner

I come home from work at 3pm and don't have dinner until rest of family come home at 6pm so TUC biscuits are just to tide me over. (Quick to make and eat and satisfy me.) Can you suggest a similar alternative? I bought apples and bananas then my carb booked arrived in the post and I discovered they are higher in carbs than my tuc biscuits :!:

Also, should I be counting cals as well as carbs?

Sorry to be a nuisance and ask so many questions. I feel I just want to find a diet that is not short term and is sustainable. I have tried every diet in the book but never seem to stick with them. I know this one has to be for life so I want to make sure it is based around food that I enjoy but also help to keep BG under control and lose weight. Hope this makes sense.

Any help/advice much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[viviennem]

'Ketosis', which is when the body burns its own fat for energy, is a perfectly natural process and is not the same thing as 'diabetic ketoacidosis' (DKA), which most commonly occurs in Type 1 diabetics but not exclusively. Type 2s can get it.

DKA is usually accompanied by very high blood glucose levels (15 and rising), nausea, vomiting and feeling horribly unwell. If you get these symptoms head straight for A&E.

There is a thread about DKA somewhere which will give you more info than I can. Sorry - I'm no good at links either! :lol:

I have low-carb-dieted for two separate periods of 18 months each, on a diet including less than 50g carb daily, and I have never had DKA although I have ketones in my urine most days.

Do try more veg - salads etc are so very good for you, and a little bit at a time won't hurt! Try some of the ones you cook for the family.

I find TUC crackers too salty now - I eat oatcakes or sesame Ryvita if I want a 'crunch' - 5g carb per biscuit. I usually snack on a few nuts or those little Babybel cheeses, or some cold meat. Beware too many peanuts - a few are okay, but a whole packet = carbs. Read the labels.

It is very difficult working out the diet that suits you, but it can be done, I promise! I take it that Viv's Modified Atkins Diet wouldn't suit you at all? A pity - it really works, on both weight and blood glucose levels.

Don't despair - you'll get there!

Viv 8)

 

[Sid Bonkers]

Hi all

Thanks for your advice but am still confused.

Have a look at the thread 'Why we get fat', some good posts in there

This is my first ever forum and am still trying to figure it out. I can't find the thread you mentioned. I tried the search and it didn't work and I tried just looking through threads. Is there an easy way to find it?

I just tried a search for the mentioned thread but it doesnt seem to exist, on this forum at least. I would guess that it is a reference to the writings of Gary Taubes who most people (other than extreme low carbers) view as a quack who makes money by selling books about 'his' diet, I say his diet although he just rehashes the same old low carb high fat message that has been around for years, his reasoning of why we get fat has no basis is fact whatsoever, so if you want to read his books I would do so with a very large pinch of salt if I were you.

 

[pianoman]

... Have a look at the thread 'Why we get fat', some good posts in there. ...

Here is a recent thread with that title http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=22019

In my opinion it is best to remain open-minded in these matters... do some reading around and make your own informed decisions