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Help I Need To Get My Motivation Back!

princessleia29

Well-Known Member
Messages
130
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi I really need some help finding my motivation to lose weight again. My story is I am a type 2 diabetic, and I’m 44 years old.

I was only diagnosed by a routine blood test when I turned 40 as I had no symptoms at all. I was really shocked and my hba1c was 55. I decided to manage it through diet and exercise, and I lost weight (I was overweight) and got my hba1c down to 43. I lost nearly 40 pounds and felt great. Unfortunately over the last couple of years I’ve put the weight back on and my hba1c is 50 and my cholesterol is up.

So far I’ve managed to avoid medication and I would really like to keep that up. The one good thing I do is that I exercise three times a week, but I feel I have lost control of my diet. When I was diagnosed I was shocked into action and highly motivated, how can I recapture that feeling? I’m really worried about my health but keep failing to lose weight.


I originally lost my weight through Weight Watchers when they did Pro Points, but when it changed to Smartpoints I started to struggle and the weight went on. Now it’s Flex and it’s even harder to do. I have been considering doing the Cambridge diet due to all the information about diabetes reversal, but I am reluctant to give up my exercise to do it.

I think what I am looking for is a way to regain my motivation whatever diet I decide to do. Any help most welcome thank you.
 

Whilst it is important to be careful about physical exertion whilst in a significant calorie deficite situation, as living on shakes would be, many find after an initial period of adjustment, they actually have plenty energy.

A number of years ago, we ha d a member who continued with the Newcastle Diet, and her exercise regime, all through her treatment for breast cancer.

I only made that last commet to illustrate howdifferent everyone is.

Good luck with it all.
 

Thank you that is encouraging and an amazing achievement. I think I should stop being so scared of a bit of adjustment and get on with it!
 
dawnmc said:
Have a look at Michael Mosleys 8 week blood sugar diet, its a book, but there is also a website with a forum.
Click to expand...

Yes I've bought the book and not read it! I keep dipping my toe into things and then not trying them!
 
Hello, @princessleia29 .
Can you confirm you are not on diabetes medication, as your profile says you are 'Insulin dependent T2'.

I have used meal replacement very low calorie products before, and been able to continue intense water based exercise daily.
More recently I use eat the low carb way.
Have a look at the low carb programme info in my signature. Also, https://www.dietdoctor.com/
May be of use to you.
Best of luck
 
princessleia29 said:
Thank you that is encouraging and an amazing achievement. I think I should stop being so scared of a bit of adjustment and get on with it!
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The thing is Princessleia - If you try something, and you don't feel so hot, you jus stop immediately. Not everyone gets on with meal replacement shakes, but if they work for you, then give it a go, with care, ad ensure someone else is around, should you oend up feeling off..
 
Hi there, and welcome to the T2 motivation channel!
Actually there's thousands that wish it were, including me. And we all have individual stories, points of view etc.
I think many of us do fall into that same category though. Haven't been too careful of weight and health, and for one reason or another, bingo! T2

It was a surprise to me too. Overweight for years, blamed it on giving up smoking, but mainly I like food, beer, parties etc?
Then I have hypertension. No bother. Just take some pills -:carry on.
Then out of the blue T2.
The most immediate problem is diet. Most 'paid for' diets are short term and not really designed to work for all time. I'm a fan of Low Carb, High Fat - LCHF
It's easier to adopt as a 'lifestyle' choice. It may seem a bit weird for some but there's alot of T2 that really do think it's worth it. And it's free!

Motivation is also a bit 'short term'. The goal is to live as long and healthily as possible. I find breaking that down into shorter segments works.

Aim to do whatever you can to lose weight, but make it achievable. I have averaged 2kg per month. It doesn't sound huge. But it's sustainable.

Figure out which foods you really MUST avoid. Everyone has their Kryptonite

Exercise. If you can then do. As much as you can fit in. Long periods of exercise tire me out, I lose energy before I actually reach any other physical barrier. So I am using an old old exercise program called 5BX. It isn't designed for super heroes, it doesn't make anyone rich, it isn't online or DVD or you tube!

It takes no more than 12 minutes a day. No equipment, no special clothes or shoes. I think I have attached it here. (Ladies Version 5xbx, and Men's 5bx) main thing is it can and does work.

I have gradually worked my way through to the fitness level expected for my age (61) and no intention of stopping there. I like it because progress can be measured. Motivation of sorts?

I think the good news is - we are all here to support each other. Good luck.//cloud.tapatalk.com/s/5b538dcd624a7/5 xbx.pdf//cloud.tapatalk.com/s/5b538ed2bf963/5bx_plan.pdf
 

Hi yes I noticed that earlier I don’t know why it says that and I can’t seem to change it? Do you know how I can do that please? I am not on any medication and have never taken insulin.

Thank you for your help low carb sounds good.

 
If you click on your tiny avatar picture near top right of the page it will open a list. You then need to click on 'personal details' from the list and scroll down to 'diabetes type' where you will be able to make the change.
 
princessleia29 said:
. . . . . keep failing to lose weight.
Click to expand...

If you have identified eating more than your body requires as the cause, at least you know the problem. If you feel that you're not over eating, that's easy to prove by keeping a food diary, something I know WW encourage, at least my wife writes it all down. I have even weighed every morcel of food that I eat for prolonged periods of time, not currently because my calorie intake is so low anyway.

princessleia29 said:
. . . . . . . need some help finding my motivation to lose weight again
Click to expand...

I have persevered with doing all the right things to lose weight, without actually losing much weight for many, many years. My major weight losses came when I stopped taking Rosiglitazone and when I started low carb. My motivation is that if I gave up my weight problem would be even worse and I would be heavier and much further from my target. My health would also be significantly worse. Also, as both Rosiglitazone and Gliclazide have caused me weight gain in the past, I don't want to have to take a drug that makes me produce more insulin, the fat storing hormone. So, lots of incentive to keep doing the right thing really.

All the best. Keep up the good work.
 
Pipp said:
If you click on your tiny avatar picture near top right of the page it will open a list. You then need to click on 'personal details' from the list and scroll down to 'diabetes type' where you will be able to make the change.
Click to expand...

Thanks I will give it a go!
 

Thank you
 
Try googling William Banting 'Letter on Corpulence' - it was 100 years before Dr Atkins, but it had to be self published at threepence a copy because it was denigrated as a fad diet - little changed for over a century but maybe some glimmers of light are getting through now, thanks to the internet, I suspect.
I have normal blood sugar readings, and I eat roast dinners - but with low carb veges or I have cold meat or fish or shellfish with a salad, also berries and cream. I also put cream in my coffee. Carbs are the problem, so I just keep them low enough to no longer be a bother.
 
I live in the Med so thought that the Mediterranean diet should be suitable. My will power is non existent and I knew the LCHF diet would be impossible plus the HF part worries me. My chol is border line and my husband has had a by-pass and a few months ago a mini stroke and high BP. Any way it seems to have worked for me as my A1c went down from 7,5 to 5.8 and I lost a stone.
 
There’s lots of great practical advice above - I won’t crowd the space with more. However - how about channeling your inner-Leia
What would the Princess do? She’d fight, and not by herself, she’d get her friends and family to help. Be the Princess. May the force be with you.
 
I'm still quite new to all this, but I quit carbs and sugar the day I was diagnosed, initially I was really really strict weighing everything and logging it on My Fitness pal. After four weeks I'd got used to most changes and what they all meant and stopped bothering with the weighing and now just improvise. I'm only eight weeks in and 7kg down already. I've done this kind of diet before but given up after a couple of weeks This time I look at cake, bread, chocolate etc and think about how temporarily it'll be in my mouth versus how long it will take to leave my system! I've been told that it takes 8 days for sugar to fully leave your system and 12 weeks for the pancreas to change it's behaviour. I recommend watching The Truth About Carbs on iplayer and start with the small changes they discuss, such as freezing bread. Also, I've found 'diet plans' make me want to rebel, so I've been looking at this as me being powerful and doing what I want to do instead of have to (doesn't always feel that way!). Plan ahead before you shop, prep meals in advance, buy oppo ice cream for those desperate moments! You can do this!!
 
Good luck, I hope you rediscover your motivation! I'm in a similar plight at present - after losing a lot of weight, I am now putting it back on through overeating. Even though I'm still on Low Carb (probably not, actually, due to the quantities eaten, though I still avoid bread, pasta, spuds etc. but not as strictly as before). My HbA1c is still OK, but I'm half way back to my biggest size and I'm not happy with that! My excuse is breast cancer (no, I'm not the person referenced above!), specifically the hormone treatment (Tamoxifen) which has messed up my sleep, caused anxiety and induced comfort eating. Another motivation killer for me was the fact that I was in the best shape of my life, after 2 years of LC and gym, when diagnosed with cancer... so why bother? Of course, it's likely thanks to how healthy I was last year that the disease was fully curable - but I'm not feeling it.

Hope that both of us, and anyone else who needs motivation, find it soon!
 
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