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Is weight Loss a 'must' for reversing Metabolic Syndrome?

Hello
Sorry my first post I don’t know how this works
I am struggling with weight loss and have done for years ! First they say cut out sugar then they say cut out brea and cake then they say don’t eat too much fruit 2 a day ! Eat lots of veg and fibre I have I.b.s and other issues !!
now your eating way too much veg and meat ! Then now I am fat 5ft 2 . And weight 12.3 stone now they saying I am not eating enough and need to eat more foods !!!
I am so confused and don’t know anything anymore
 
Hi Fireyeyes,
I'm not surprised that you are confused there is so much contradiction about diets and health.
Since you are a Type 2, the first thing to be aware of is that potentially all carbohydrates may spike your Blood Glucose - so until you have tested them you don't know which ones you may need to cut down or to cut out completely. - So many of us use a Blood Glucose meter to find out.

Another revelation: Calories are NOT equal! It is completely possible to gain weight by reducing your overall calories, just as it is possible to lose weight while increasing your overall calories. And this is without any change in exercise. I went on a LCHF 'Way Of Eating' to reduce my BG without losing weight. I actually increased my overall calorie intake due to replacing carbs with fats - but I still lost weight!
How is this possible? - Because Carbs raise Blood Glucose and high Blood Glucose makes the body (try) to produce Insulin to remove it. A drop from a high BG spike stimulates hunger- so can is a tendency to eat more Carbs. The Insulin not only removes glucose out from the blood stream into muscles (for energy), but it also pushes it into fat cells - growing them as an energy store (making the person fatter - like a bear preparing for winter hibernation). And since it is mean to increase fat stores, it also inhibits the burning of existing fat stores as fuel. So with high Insulin it is almost impossible to lose weight. Dietary fat doesn't increase Blood Glucose, so it is possible to burn body fat while on a high(er) fat 'way of eating'.
 
This is a really interesting post. I’m a type 2 with insulin resistance, my GP has referred to it as metabolic disorder. It’s my weight that’s the problem - I carry it all around on my tummy. I’ve lost 3 stone in the last year. Blood sugars haven’t improved at all. Glad I’m not the only one struggling though. X
 
I’m assuming you’ve double checked that you really are low carb? It’s not at all unusual that someone comes in here believing they are low carb and there’s still lots of room to improve or there’s carbs sneaking in unawares.
 
HSSS said:
I’m assuming you’ve double checked that you really are low carb? It’s not at all unusual that someone comes in here believing they are low carb and there’s still lots of room to improve or there’s carbs sneaking in unawares.
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I try to stick to less than 30g per day. I’m the naughty one in the hospitals eyes as they always try to get me to eat more carbs.
 

Strange that you say your Blood Glucose numbers haven't improved at all when only eating 30gms of carbs per day.
I presume that you are testing before and the 2hrs after first bite of meals.
Why is it that you aren't able to control the BG spike from a meal to under 2 mmol/l ? Perhaps I'm missing something, but I found that to be relatively easy to do.
Or are you saying that you still spike after consuming zero carbs?
 
Well for me, yes, weight loss was a must. While BG came in line while I was still overweight, weight/waist measurement took weight loss (obviously), but so did BP and cholesterol. Only at a “normal” weight did BP become healthy with no meds and cholesterol become something that makes my doctor smile.
 
Is high blood pressure and/or high total cholesterol considered to be part of metabolic syndrome?
 
lucylocket61 said:
Thank you. As I only had high blood sugar and fat round my abdomen, it would seem that I haven't had metabolic syndrome ever. This is good to know.
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I know, weird, eh? I'm the same.

have flirted with it (massive insulin resistance for a number of reasons) but even at morbidly obese, my chest, waist and hips are still textbook proportions for dress sizes (could be a fit model, which makes me snigger at the thought), my cholesterol has never been 'abnormal', my bp was only high due to a reaction to coffee. So no, no metabolic syndrome for me, either.

It is just another pigeon hole people like to use...
 
lucylocket61 said:
Thank you. As I only had high blood sugar and fat round my abdomen, it would seem that I haven't had metabolic syndrome ever. This is good to know.
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I only had fat round the abdomen. Blood pressure and cholesterol always normal. I also never had high fasting BG. Just goes to show how different we all are, yet get lumped in with everyone else.
 
@lucylocket61

There does appear to be an "official version" of Met Syndrome





Kind of multiple choice diagnostic..

Edit to add this is from the supplementary tables of Virta's 2 years results that I happened to be looking at for something else.. spooky eh?
 
ianf0ster said:
Probably not. What matters more is what is eaten rather than how much.
https://twitter.com/JPMcCarter/status/1214149974818205697/photo/1​
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what is metabolic syndrome? is this a term for insulin resistance? in my short but so far successful experience intense exercise [running and weights] and a modest carb and relatively high protein and fat intake to get some calories to do the exercise is the best solution. I sympathise with some folk who say they are unable to exercise and can't lose weight but they can substitute unneeded calorific carbs and fat with vegetables and high fibre pulses as lower calorie food stuffs. It would help build up good gut flora and immune system again too and help with ME or any other conditions and just generally makes you feel good/better in my experience..
 
marzak said:
but they can substitute unneeded calorific carbs and fat with vegetables and high fibre pulses as lower calorie food stuffs.
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Low calorie makes no difference to me, either blood glucose wise or weight wise. Low carb does. Nothing wrong with fat as it’s bgl neutral, or fibre, but pulse are higher carb than I can deal with.

Two years ago I’d have thought very differently. My glucose meter, scales, tape measure, cholesterol levels and hb1ac have taught me differently
 
my goodness you sound like you may need more rest between exercise [a serious point] - no mention of eggs, nuts and seeds [chia seed, linseed, sunflower, pumpkin etc and nuts and nut butters] are the only things you haven't mentioned in your diet - everything else seems to be a perfect reversal/remission route - I was diagnosed last April and took drastic action on diet immediately and took up running again - HbA1C started 108, 81 and now in 30s. I joined a running club to keep me going but I don't run every day and do little weights but I walk dog at least 5 miles a day in 2 sessions [much more gentle carb burning than the running] before and after work. We all have different metabolisms and I am not a doctor but maybe a little change would be a good experiment. Best of luck.
 
ok it is so different for each of us and things may not be same for me a few months or years later, best of luck.
 
thank you for definition as I have not been in the category I should butt out of this thread and for the people who only eat animal products they might add a bit of rainbow veg to brighten up their life! just for a new experience - shortens life in the loo for a start - good luck
 
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