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I need help losing weight

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Rach79

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It sounds easy but really at the moment I'm trying to lose weight and I can't. I can't get motivated because usually after work I'm too exhausted to do anything let alone exercise. I'm currently 5 foot 6 inches and 11 and a half stone. I used to be so slim but often I have to snack at night to prevent hypos and this has led to me having a large appetite now and I eat everything. I have cut down my tea time portions and cut out biscuits and occasionally go swimming say once or twice every two to three weeks but it's not enough and I need a regular routine and some weight loss tips. Also I think my blood sugars would stabalise if I shed a few pounds. My aim is to lose one and a half stones in 6 months but I don't know where to start. Is there anyone out there that can help me out :!:
 
Hi Rach, I have lost 1stone in 2 months on a low carb diet called go lower, you can buy ready meals off them via the intranet and it's all carb controlled. Although I am not eating the meals so much now, but still cut out the carbs and the weight is falling off. There's a lot of advice in the low carb forum. I also managed to massively reduce my insulin dose which helped loads. PM me if you need any further info!

Good luck

Gina

 
Hi there,

I really relate to feeling too exhausted after work to do exercise!! I've only just started my working life, and I've had to cut out a lot of activities I used to enjoy & helped to keep my diabetes in check... Some things that have helped me:

1) Kill two birds with one stone- for example biking to work, the shops... Try and fit the exercise into your daily life.
2) Find an activity you actually enjoy, or something social like a dance class, or an exercise "buddy"!
3) If you're not feeling motivated because you're tired, try going for a short jog or walk... A friend once told me "If you don't feel like going for a run, go for 10mins and then see how you feel". 9 times out of 10, I'd keep going for longer! I find the hardest part is starting, but then I always feel so much better!! (Cliche, I know...)
4) What about going for a walk at lunchtime?

With respect to preventing the night hypo's, I had the same problem and fought to change my insulin regime with my GP for 2 years- and started taking my long acting in the morning rather than the evening... Are you type 1 or 2? Another thing to try might be more starch in your evening meal to keep you going through the night...

Good luck with the exercise, concentrate on how much better you'll feel! And in my experience, my blood sugars are so so so so much better when I've been exercising

Em
 
Hi the_anticarb and emma_jo. Thanks for your advice... I'm a type 1 however sometimes I just fancy a salad in the evenings especially in hot weather like today... I've also considered taking my night insulin in the morning. I meant to do it today actually but discovered I have taken an empty pen with me so need to keep a very close eye on my sugars :shock:

I've considered cycling but bikes are £200 plus where I am. Maybe I'll get something over the internet. The gym doesn't work because I used to pay monthly and then lose motivation or get bored to death so yes an exercise I enjoy might be an option. I was looking for a rambling club in my area or a badminton buddy but nobody I'm afraid. The Isle of Man boasts about sports facilities but if you 18 years or above where do you find a buddy to use them with.

Anyway a second hand bike might be a plan and cycling to / from work. Just when it rains and I've done overtime and want to get home it can be tiring. Also at the moment we have the TT here and bikers ride like nutters, overtake on the left etc. etc. A few cyclists have been run over as people just drive into them, don't provide enough room etc. etc. If you have an accident it's unlikely anyone will help because I had a car accident a few years back and nearly went over a cliff. My car was written off but as I sat there 3 cars drove past and the person driving on the opposite side of the road who caused me to swerve just kept driving..... luckily I wasn't half dead with internal bleeding or anything because most people couldn't care less about me at that time. Eventually someone stopped though and I had an ambulance take me to hospital to get the broken glass out of my neck and check for further injuries. Maybe cycling won't be an option for me, also no rambling clubs, and nobody wants to play badminton / tennis so should I move off the rock? My partner just has yesterday... I'm actually a bit depressed admittedly
 
I can tell you what worked for me Rach.
I lost 4 stones in 12 months and they never came back, but the crucial thing is lowering insulin intake. As you know, it's the hormone which controls your fat metabolism and most people find that the less insulin you use or produce, the easier weight loss becomes.
Excercise will help you feel better, but there's surprisingly little evidence that it has a significant effect on weight.
Sorry Emma, but I don't believe increasing the intake of starch is beneficial at all, it's counterproductive in terms of weight loss. If Rach is having problems with regular hypo's, that's another very good reason to lower the insulin doses.

fergus
 
Actually I didn't know it controlled the fat mechanism Every day is a school day huh? I think although the carbs at night don't help me lose weight, Emma was referring to how to reduce the night hypos, which would stop me scoffing snacks in the night. It isn't a bad idea, and sometimes I've found a meal with brown rice has been more beneficial for reducing the hypos than say a stew or salad. I think I will take the long acting in the morning though first to see what effect this has with regards to my hypos. The every day exercise is going to be tough... and I'm still not sure what to do there but I'll try and think of something.

Is a personal trainer a good idea do you think?
 
I realise that Emma was suggesting a way to avoid hypo's and there's no doubt eating starchy foods would do that. My point was simply that eating starch won't help the weight loss, and that the other way to look at the hypo problem is that there is too much insulin, not insufficient starch.
Insulin is by far the most important hormone in the body when it comes to making and storing body fat. Essentially, when levels are low, the body accesses stored fat for fuel. When levels are high, the body cannot access those stores and preferentially stores fat instead.

All the best,

fergus
 
ive lost over 5 stone since going lower carb, for other reasons i cannot do certain exercise so i would just walk up and down the house stairs, ive managed to get my insulin to a lower level and my hba1c down too,
it seems to have stuck now at 9stone 10lb and im happy with that (hoping i dont put any back on while im immobile with my foot)
 

Thanks might do the low carb thing then. I've only just found out about ratios, counting carbs etc. so I now know I don't have to always eat loads of carbs. Going to give it a whirl and try rambling up hills etc. at weekends see how I go.
 
its just about trying and seeing what works for you,keep testing and learning how the foods affect you, when i say lower carb, i still do eat upto 80g carb a day, under that doesnt agree with me
we are all different and just need to find what works for us
 
True enough :wink:
 
Hi again

Another massive benefit for me of going the low carb route is that I just don't feel hungry anymore! After being the world's hungriest person for many years (ok, a lot was also habit/comfort eating) i now just don't need the same volumes of food as before. (And have you ever tried to comfort eat low carb foods? It just doesn't work. It's like trying to get ****** on kaliber.) I haven't done a lot of exercise, but I have reduced a lot of fat from especially my tummy and thighs. Oh, and I have eaten more sausages and more cheese in the past few weeks than ever before in my life and still lost loads of weight! I think when you eat fat, that fills you up a lot and stops you being hungry, but however it works, it works so I'm gonna keep on doing it!
 
Hi, yes I've often just had soup for lunch now with a slice of bread instead of a whole baguette or sandwich because often in the day I'm just sitting at my desk so don't need all those carbs to keep me going because I'm not using energy. I am thinking of doing a meal plan at the start of the week for the following week and this may train me to eat more sensibly.
 
I saw a great programme on BBC the other night called '10 things you need to know about losing weight'. I thought it was very interesting and informative. Michael Moseley presents it and goes through the latest scientific breakthroughs in the world of dieting. Pardon the pun, but it certainly gave me food for thought (sorry!) Whilst it isn't directly relevant to diabetes, it is to those of us who need to lose weight. Its available to watch on BBC iplayer until 03.06.09
 
Wow just watched the diet programme on i player and very interesting...I am off for some low fat cheese now and a dance while I am in the kitchen
 
I think this programme is VERY relevant to us T2 people. It sure gave me a lot of information about "where" my T2 came from - yes I was obese in my 30s and early 40s but knew nothing about the fats around my organs etc. A real eye opener!!

I recommend all new T2 to watch this if they can - it sure explains a thing or two about diet, weight loss and to me that is very relevant as a T2, especially if you need to loose weight.


Alice
 
Rambling sounds like a great idea- especially if the weather is nice with you at the moment- It's been glorious here! Sorry to hear you've had a rough time with the cycling- that would certainly put me off it!! Thankfully I've only had a few near misses it's a shame your partner has moved too, doesn't make anything any easier

Good luck with the weight loss & exercise, I hope you find something that works for you,

All the best,

Ema
 
Weight Watchers works a treat. My mum and sister both go and they have lost massive amounts of weight. You should defoo give it a try.
 
Viking .......... I saw the prog too and was a little impressed. Am expecting a backlash from the dietry profession over the revelation that protien keeps you fuller longer.... that must be pure heresy to some.

Dave P
 

I do this too! Just commit to ten mins minimum, anything over that then is a bonus!
 
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