Help with choice

[Mags52]

Hi Folks
I've just been for the results of my annual diabetic check and was congratulated that my HBa1c was 6.4 on diet alone. All other results were good except that I am overweight BMI 29.
The GP agreed that I am doing all the right things with low carb diet and exercise but my weight has gone up about 3 kg in a year which is disappointing. He agreed that it can be a real problem for people with Type 2.
Anyway to my surprise he offered me a choice of either Orlistat or Reductil and suggested I go on the net and make my decision.
I always choose low fat products anyway so thought Reductil might be better but he insisted I take time to consider.
Has anyone got any experience of these two drugs or any wisdom to impart?
All the best
Mags

 

[wiflib]

Hi Mags,
I've no experience in weight-loss drugs, so can't help there.

One thing I did notice from your post is that you choose low-fat products. These are often high in carbs so could that be the answer to your weight gain?

Do you carb count, or like me, just don t eat visible carbs? If you feel up to it, you could post a typical days diet and some of the more experienced on here may be able to help.

I'm off for a cup of tea and a home-baked low-carb chocolate brownie. The first Low-carb baking I've done since diagnosis. It smells devine.


wiflib

 

[Trinkwasser]

http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/NewlyDiagnosed.htm

Forget about the low fat for now, concentrate on the carbs. You may find you are eating too many at specific times of day, particularly for many of us in the morning.

Although fats contain more calories per gram they are also more satiating

http://mendosa.com/satiety.htm

also they reduce the impact of the carbs.

You're obviously heading in the right direction, use the above protocol to do some more fine tuning.

 

[hanadr]

I just received a book, The Atkins diabetes revolution, and have started to skim it. there's a bit about weight loss being slow while BGs and other blood chemistry is returning to normal and then reducing carbs a bit more to lose weight. I've only got i ththis morning, so haven't read thoroughly, but sounds like that could be a strategy for you. weightloss medicines can have horrid effects,

 

[Mags52]

Thanks for your replies folks. When I mentioned low fat I meant that I choose chicken and fish rather than red meats and use skimmed milk. We make our own skimmed milk natural yogurt and flavour it with berries etc. Obviously I don't eat chips and stuff and avoid high fat cheese so I reckon my diet must be relatively low in fat which is why I didn't think Orlistat would work for me.
I've found that eating very small portions of unrefined carbs works for me and I measure them carefully. Eating little or no carbs doesn't work for me because it makes my life miserable. I get cranky and miss the comfort of a little comfort food in my life! That's just my honest response to trying the Atkins type diet.
So, I have 30-40 grams of very rough porridge in the mornings made with water and flavoured with fruit (blueberries for instance) and natural yogurt. I add bran and seeds to this. Lunch is often very low carb with either an omelette or a heap of green veg with a homemade tomato and ham sauce poured over it. Sometimes if I'm really hungry I have a slice of homemade stoneground heavy duty bread. Dinner is a very small portion of basmati rice, brown pasta or a small sweet potato with chicken, home made sauce (not thickened) and loads of veg. Dessert is usually yogurt and fruit based. I snack on fruit a couple of times a day and eat a little 70% dark chocolate with my coffee.
I'm sure that cutting carbs further might reduce my weight a bit as would cutting my little bit of dark chocolate and the occasional red wine but frankly I need to get the balance right of life with diabetes.
Anyway, I've decided that the most obvious thing I can do is push up the amount of exercise I do and see if that works.
Thanks all for your kind advice.
Mags

 

[rosqho]

Hi Mags,

Have tried Reductil and made me very hyperactive and unable to sleep - stopped taking it after 2 weeks. I have lost 20 kgs in 6 months by walking - I walk for about 20 minutes three times a day and trying to eat smaller portions. Good luck

 

[Trinkwasser]

Try moving some of those carbs out of your breakfast to later parts of the day, and replace them with more protein. Breakfast is one of the carbiest meals but our carb intolerance is usually greatest then. If you start the day with a massive carb spike followed by an insulin spike this can set you off all wrong for the rest of the day, what we call "roller coastering"