feeling down re being on a diet for 5 weeks and .....

Hi Pup and welcome to the forum,

What is your typical day's diet ? For a diabetic it is more important to look at the carbohydrates rather than just calories.

It's not just 'sugars' you need to avoid, diabetes is an inability to process glucose properly. Carbohydrate converts, in the body, to glucose. So it makes sense to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat which includes sugars.

The main carbs to avoid or reduce drastically are the complex or starchy carbohydrates such a bread, potatoes, pasta and rice also any flour based products. The starchy carbs all convert 100% to glucose in the body and raise the blood sugar levels significantly.

The way to find out how different foods affect you is to do regular daily testing and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks. If you test just before eating then two hours after eating you will see the effect of certain foods on your blood glucose levels.

Buy yourself a carb counter book (you can get these on-line) and you will be able to work out how much carbs you are eating, when you test, the reading two hours after should be roughly the same as the before eating reading, if it is then that meal was fine, if it isn’t then you need to check what you have eaten and think about reducing the portion size of carbs.

When you are buying products check the total carbohydrate content, this includes the sugar content. Do not just go by the amount of sugar on the packaging as this is misleading to a diabetic.

pup,
I've been on a constabt diet for about 3 years. Of course in that time I've strayed occasionally. I try to keep my carbs down to below 30 per day, which is Very low. I started on slightly more. I lost 2 1/2 stones fairly easily and then stopped losing. Recently, I've reduced my carbs even more and SLOWLY lost an0ther 2.5 kg.( in 5 weeks)
All diets stop working and for some people, it's worse than for others.
Did you say what medications you use? they can make a lot of difference. Sorry, I just looked back. Some diabetic medications are particularly bad for this.
Look through the low carb threads and see if there's something there that might suit you.
Hana

pup,
those carb counts are MUCH more than I could handle.From the BG point of view as well as weight.
My latest attempt at shifting a few pounds began with an Atkins "Fat Fast" 3 days of 1000 calories made up of 4 meals and almost all from fats. eg. Aocado and tuna mayo,grilled brie, devilled egg. And NO visible carbs at all. It was hard, but the only thing after a lot of failure, which actually worked. I lost a kilo that week. I can't keep up that kind of strictness for long and since I slacked off to about 30 carbs per day, It's taken 5 weeks to lose about another 1.5 kilos.
I am very weight loss resistant. You may be too.
Hana

Whilst the Actos (Pioglitazone) may be a contributory factor, you are eating a lot of carbohydrates, despite you saying that you are not eating many ?

One of the simplest and best ways to lose weight and control Bg levels is by restricting the carbohydrates. By restricting my carbohydrate intake, I have lost almost 5 stone since January, and I was on Pioglitazone during some of that time. Concentrate on your diet, it is far more productive and more likely to achieve your goals.

Hi pup,
As I understand it this diet chef sends you ready prepared microwavable meals. Is that correct?
This diet is not specifically aimed at diabetics and there are pitfalls for you. You need to find the right amount of carbs in your meals that will not spike your blood sugars and it has to be what is right for you as we all vary.
I think your best bet would be to ditch this method and work out your own plan by cutting portion sizes of starchy carbs and seeing what results you get. It may be that three small meals and three snacks will keep you satisfied.
I would certainly express your concerns to the Dr. about the weight gain you are experiencing on the medication and see if he will sort this out for you.

Hope this helps.

Catherine.

I agree with Catherine. I wish I could lose as much weight as she has, however, It won't work as well for me, still the doctors do have options otherthan Actos. Nevertheless, carb control is the way forward. You have to decide on the appropriate level for your own lifestyle. I believe Catherine uses GI/GL with great success. I HAVE to use Low Carb, because for me nothing else works.
Hana

To clarify my weight loss as mentioned in the last post.

I put on 4 stone within six months and managed to lose it within 6 months. As soon as I started the low G.I. approach it fell of. About 7lb. within the first week and a steady, less dramatic 1 -3lb each week after that. I have maintained my weight of 9st. 4lb for the last 6yrs. I can put on 2lb. quite easily and the beauty of it is that I can take it off just as easily.
Nobody should despair about losing weight as it is possible but equally no one should think that there is a quick fix for this. It takes time and effort to achieve your goals. Once your blood sugars are at acceptable levels then the weight loss is easier.

Whether diabetic or not, one of the best ways to lose weight is to cut down on carbs.

I would recommend getting this little book, which is currently £2.95 from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/GL-Glycaemic-Lo ... 0007222149

It gives many many tips on how to cut down on the wrong sort of carbs, and to limit the right sort.

Some regular exercise helps too.

6 weeks is a bit soon to hit a plateau - do keep trying -and don't weigh yourself too often, as fluid fluctuates so much - I find once a month is enough.

Good luck

Romola said:

Whether diabetic or not, one of the best ways to lose weight is to cut down on carbs.

Click to expand...

This is true. I didnt really cut down on my carbs immediately, gradually though. It showing progress.
You can also try fruit diet. I have put up some tips and researches made about fruit diet. You should read it