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How to lose weight prior to operation

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_vinny05/08/53

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Can some one help I need to lose weight, I have managed to get my HbA1c Result has just come it is 45 mmol/mol so Diebetes is under control, I need to lose two stones be for I have a knee Operation I have lost one stone but I cannot seem to lose more . I am with slimming world Thank's in advance
 
I have not tried Slimming World myself, so cannot make any concrete suggestions. Thee are many ketogenic diets decribed in the forum, for example Atkins, Paleo, Newcastle, LCIF, LCHF, 8 week diet. There are many here using one of these diets to succesfully lose weight but also keeping bgl at good levels. There is a Low Carb section of the forum, and it may help you to scan through to get the background info on why each works. The secret is to reduce carb intake so that the body is made to switch into fat burning mode (ketogenic) to reduce excess stored fat. Most of these diets are suitable for both T1D and T2D.
 
It of course does depend on what sort of time scale your looking at if you have plenty of time then the lchf diet may be a good option but if we are talking a few weeks then something a little more drastic in the way of caloric control may be needed as well and that may be a difficult option.
 
Have you asked your GP? I was once given the cabbage soup diet by my GP as it was the one recommended for heart patients who needed to lose weight quickly before an operation. I did it for a week and lost the 8 pounds I had put on on the previous diet my GP had given me (low GI) Disadvantage is it's boring. Advantage is quick weight loss and you can eat whenever you are hungry. I'm not saying I recommend it for you, just mentioning my own experience.
 
Hi. Have you looked at the SW food packs? Do they have too many carbs in them? The simple answer to losing weight is to drop the carbs way down. My wife and son who are not diabetic have both done this. My son went from 20st to 11st in 6 months that way! My wife has also reached the weight she was 40 years ago by losing 25% of her weight by low-carbing. It simply works as the body will go into ketosis and burn stored fat. Once you have re-trained the body you can decide what balance you wish to achieve long term.
 
My daughter managed to lose two inches around her top half in two weeks by cutting out carbs ( she needed to get in to a dress she had bought for a wedding) Not sure of the weight loss but cutting carbs can be quite a quick fix - nephew also did it for an op a few years back. cut out all bread, pasta, rice, potatoes etc (if you can stick with it for a couple of weeks and get through carb flu (if you get it not everyone does) then it's a good way to lose weight quite quickly. You can up the fats a little to stop you feeling hungry and then once weight is lost can look for a more balanced long term low carb higher fats diet to stick with. Son has lost two stone since christmas even while eating plenty of good fats (olive oil, butter, coconut oil, avocado, oily fish, cream etc. Do not eat anything described as 'low-fat' as it is probably full of sugar and it's not the fat but the sugar that makes you gain weight.
 
I have over the last 6 months or so lost over 5 stone I drastically cut down on carbohydrates and also controlled calorific intake as I do not have the option of exercise to any great degree.I also avoid like the plague any of the low fat high sugar options and I simply won't allow skimmed milk in the house.

Oh and where I live I under no circumstances drink tap water as it can raise Blood Sugar levels and also in some circumstances lead to weight gain and thyroid problems.

.
 
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How long is a piece of string?

Obviously weight loss will make recovery from a knee op easier as does knee strengthening exercises. The doctors want to be able to guarantee success. You may not be having knee replacements, but my experiences are based on 2 TKRs. A consultant at the London Knee Clinic took my money for x-rays, and a consultation before saying I was too heavy for him to operate (could have told me that the minute I saw him before the x-ray and consultation). Sorry, that's another story, although relevant.

I had been religiously following a low calorie diet for a long time and swimming a km 3 - 5 times a weeks and 1hr gym work 3 times a week and I lost nothing. I tried 500 calories less than BMR (Harris Benedict formula), I tried 1,000 less. Then I tried cutting out the carbs (against doctor's advice) which obviously meant a further decrease in calories, but I did replace some of the 700 calories of carb with things like eggs, yoghurt, fish and beef.

I lost 3 1/2 stone and although I needed to lose more I'd also found a prosthetic knee made by Smith and Nephew warranted for 35 years rather than the 10 years the NHS kept going on about. Better still I found a surgeon who believed that getting my mobility back was more important. Simple effective exercise like walking (very good for general health, as is swimming) are beyond your capabilities and being told to lose weight for an op isn't very helpful if they can't tell you how to do it.

Dieting just isn't as simple as eat less, exercise more. I'm pretty sure that obesity isn't all down to eating more and exercising less.

Somebody has already said it, cut the carbs. No pasta, bread, potato or rice. As for the HF bit of LCHF, it's up to you, I increased protein not fat. if LCHF isn't working, it's time for LCLF. All the best.

If all else fails, find a surgeon who will operate. Even on the NHS the views and opinions of surgeons varies. I wish they all sang from the same song book.
 
Depending on your personal body and hormonal situation, those Slimming World (and similar) diets can either be very good, or very bad. I am in the very bad camp. Far too many carby 'free foods'. Didn't lose a pound eating like that, hiked my insulin resistance even higher, and felt ill, cold and HUNGRY the whole time. Others thrive on it.

As said above, maybe a total rethink will shave off that stone you need. Heck, strictly cutting the carbs for a couple of weeks might get you half way there. After that, it will slow down, but all diets do that, don't they?
 
Why has no one mentioned exercise? I appreciate vinny05/08/03 is having a knee operation so running is probably out of the question. However, there are other options such as swimming.
I continue to believe that if you use more calories than you consume, you will lose weight.
 
Sadly you have to do a lot of exercise to lose even a few calories. It's still good to do it, however. I go to the gym and realise how much effort is needed to burn the calories.
 


First off well done on losing a stone, it can be very difficult. I lost 7.5 stone in a year with Slimming world but mainly followed their Red plan its now called SP. I majorally cut my carbs and thats what works for me. I also go to the gym 5 times a week and built up more lean muscle to help with the burning of calories. You will get there, I have no problems blood sugar wise following SP and my insulin levels have come way down.
 

Hi! Has your diabetes team offered the fairly new Dapagliflozin tablets. At 10mg a day they cost roundabout £1.50 each, But could save a lot more if successful. There are certain criteria that have to be followed, but well worth asking!!
They act by chucking out spare glucose. SO things to watch are that they arn't working too well! Much easier to use when actually using Insulin on a sliding scale (my insulin use dropped steadily at first).You will need advice on hypo attacks otherwise! They will reduce the apatite so eat slowly and only eat what you need. Try not to snack, Take a drink instead. As they are moving out water be aware of dehydration and constipation.. I drink as much water as I can so that there is a continuous flow of water to keep the irritating sugar in the bladder diluted.. Water can be made more interesting with the addition of lemon juice- NOT CORDIAL!!! They work best when you have loads of spare sugar, then slow down when there is nothing to chuck out.
I have the same reason for loosing weight! Hope you get your operation soon as exercise and bad knees don't mix!!
 
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