LCHF intermittent fasting for low weight diabetics type 2

[onnecar]

I'm seriously thinking about trying this. Been reading up on it a lot lately. However I'm worried about losing more than a few pounds. Do any other low weight type twos have any experience of this type of diet? Just wondering what the outcome was. Also I'm on medication for diabetes and taking thyroid tablets. I'm thinking of purchasing a continuous glucose monitor to improve the safety of the situation when I stop taking the meds as I live on my own.

 

[Guzzler]

When you say 'low weight Type 2s' how low are we talking?

 

[onnecar]

61k

 

[onnecar]

Most people say I am tiny

 

[Guzzler]

Most people say I am tiny

Are you male or female and your height?

 

[onnecar]

Are you male or female and your height?

Female 5' 3". I don't see what this has to do with my question though. I am asking about potential weight loss. I don't really need to lose weight. Not every diabetic problem is about external weight. I have the dreaded metabolic syndrome unfortunately. Everything thing I read is about weight loss. I just want to reverse my diabetes via reducing fatty liver and lipids etc. I don't want to end up looking like a skeleton. I'm 66. I think I'll need to do the fasting to reverse my diabetes as well as the HFLC diet

 

[bulkbiker]

Well reducing fatty liver by LCHF and fasting may well lead to a bit of weight loss but hopefully from the fatty liver so it ill be useful weight loss. If you are looking for assurance that you won't lose any weight then obviously we can't say. However there are no calorie restrictions on LCHF so make sure you eat enough when you do eat and maybe just go down to 2 meals per day. I think it will be an experiment for you just as it as for many of us and as we all react differently just because I lost a lot of weight doesn't mean that you will.
I have no idea what your medications do as I don;t take any myself so you will need to watch out for bloods going too low. Maybe discuss low carb with your HCP to see if they advise reducing or stopping meds when you start?

 

[Guzzler]

Female 5' 3". I don't see what this has to do with my question though. I am asking about potential weight loss. I don't really need to lose weight. Not every diabetic problem is about external weight. I have the dreaded metabolic syndrome unfortunately. Everything thing I read is about weight loss. I just want to reverse my diabetes via reducing fatty liver and lipids etc. I don't want to end up looking like a skeleton. I'm 66.

I asked the question so that I could get an idea, you are perfectly at liberty to keep your details private.

I was not overweight on diagnosis. Up to 20% of those diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes are of 'normal weight' and are generally described as TOFI (Thin on the Outside Fat on the Inside). So you are right, a minority of us are not focussed on weight loss per se. However, we still carry weight in and around our organs (especially the liver) and we should strive to lose this.

If you like, I can tell you of my own personal experience on a LCHF lifestyle but I must stress that this is my opinion based soley on my personal experience and you could see entirely different results.

 

[DCUKMod]

Female 5' 3". I don't see what this has to do with my question though. I am asking about potential weight loss. I don't really need to lose weight. Not every diabetic problem is about external weight. I have the dreaded metabolic syndrome unfortunately. Everything thing I read is about weight loss. I just want to reverse my diabetes via reducing fatty liver and lipids etc. I don't want to end up looking like a skeleton. I'm 66. I think I'll need to do the fasting to reverse my diabetes as well as the HFLC diet

I'm the same height as you, but 48kg, so I'm one slight old girl.

I reversed my diabetes, without fasting any more than ovenight, although I don't snack, so my overnight can be quite long in reality. I'm not suggesting your idea is daft, just pointing out it's not necessarily necessary.

If you give it a go and find your losing weight you don't want to, then tweak your fats up a bit to keep the weight stable, between fasts.

 

[Dexie1]

Read the blood sugar diet by Michael Mosley. He covers those who don’t have a lot of weight to lose. Your bmi comes in around 23 which is at the top end of the recommended 18.5-24.9 range so even if you lost a few pounds you’d still be well within the healthy / normal range

 

[onnecar]

Well reducing fatty liver by LCHF and fasting may well lead to a bit of weight loss but hopefully from the fatty liver so it ill be useful weight loss. If you are looking for assurance that you won't lose any weight then obviously we can't say. However there are no calorie restrictions on LCHF so make sure you eat enough when you do eat and maybe just go down to 2 meals per day. I think it will be an experiment for you just as it as for many of us and as we all react differently just because I lost a lot of weight doesn't mean that you will.
I have no idea what your medications do as I don;t take any myself so you will need to watch out for bloods going too low. Maybe discuss low carb with your HCP to see if they advise reducing or stopping meds when you start?

Thanks. I'm expecting to lose some weight but hopefully as you say it will be ftom the fatty organs more than just body weight. I would definiely be consulting with the diabetic nurse beforehand. I'm going to be sensible about it hence I'm looking into a continouse glucose monitor. There are probably other low weghts that have tried this and I wondered how much weight they lost. I will definitely be eating full quota on non fast days.

 

[Goonergal]

Hi @onnecar

I was very overweight when starting LCHF and intermittent fasting but am no longer so - same height as you and a couple of kilos lighter. Now that I’m at that weight it is MUCH harder to lose weight and all too easy to put it on so I don’t think it’s inevitable that you will lose a lot of weight. As others have said you’ll need to experiment.

For me it’s not just the weight - I reset my target after achieving my initial goal as the weight that I do still carry is around my middle and that is the danger area so far as diabetes/fatty liver etc. is concerned.

 

[onnecar]

Read the blood sugar diet by Michael Mosley. He covers those who don’t have a lot of weight to lose. Your bmi comes in around 23 which is at the top end of the recommended 18.5-24.9 range so even if you lost a few pounds you’d still be well within the healthy / normal range

Thank you. Yes I've read that book and the Kevin Fung one. Just wanted to ask if other tofis have tried it out. I don't mind losing a few kilos and obviously want to lose it around the danger area. I'm pretty well informed on all that. The biggest problem for me will be monitoring in order to come off medication. I'm on thyoid tablets and blood pressure tablets and cholestral tablets (not statins) too which could prove to be a further complication so I will need the advice of my surgery. Have made enquiries about a continuous glucose monitor too. I may have to go really low carb for a while first in order to try to reduce some medication.

 

[onnecar]

Read the blood sugar diet by Michael Mosley. He covers those who don’t have a lot of weight to lose. Your bmi comes in around 23 which is at the top end of the recommended 18.5-24.9 range so even if you lost a few pounds you’d still be well within the healthy / normal range

Thank you yes I've read that too.

 

[onnecar]

Hi @onnecar

I was very overweight when starting LCHF and intermittent fasting but am no longer so - same height as you and a couple of kilos lighter. Now that I’m at that weight it is MUCH harder to lose weight and all too easy to put it on so I don’t think it’s inevitable that you will lose a lot of weight. As others have said you’ll need to experiment.

For me it’s not just the weight - I reset my target after achieving my initial goal as the weight that I do still carry is around my middle and that is the danger area so far as diabetes/fatty liver etc. is concerned.

Yes I agree it' not about weight but about where the fat goes from. I do exercise quite a bit and I'm hoping that will help. Jimmy Moore recommends just fasting for longer if you reach a plateau. Does anyone know of any forums specifically related to all this?

 

[onnecar]

I'm the same height as you, but 48kg, so I'm one slight old girl.

I reversed my diabetes, without fasting any more than ovenight, although I don't snack, so my overnight can be quite long in reality. I'm not suggesting your idea is daft, just pointing out it's not necessarily necessary.

If you give it a go and find your losing weight you don't want to, then tweak your fats up a bit to keep the weight stable, between fasts.

Thank you very much. I will.

 

[onnecar]

I asked the question so that I could get an idea, you are perfectly at liberty to keep your details private.

I was not overweight on diagnosis. Up to 20% of those diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes are of 'normal weight' and are generally described as TOFI (Thin on the Outside Fat on the Inside). So you are right, a minority of us are not focussed on weight loss per se. However, we still carry weight in and around our organs (especially the liver) and we should strive to lose this.

If you like, I can tell you of my own personal experience on a LCHF lifestyle but I must stress that this is my opinion based soley on my personal experience and you could see entirely different results.

Thank you. Sorry if I sounded a bit pained on this point but I've asked tofi related questions on here some time back over a different matter and was greeted with disbelief that I was not overweight. A lot of people still seem to think that in order to be a type 2 diabetic you must be really overweight and I have found that to be annoying. Yes I would love to hear of your experiences.

 

[Guzzler]

I did not lose a huge amount of weight on LCHF. At first it was more a case of noticing slight changes in my bodyshape. I already had a waist but this became more defined and tops were no longer a little tight around the shoulders etc My problem has been maintaining. I continued to lose a pound or two for weeks so I raised my fat intake again and again. Still, I continued to either lose a couple of pounds or there was no change and then for a few weeks there would be times I gained a little weight but would lose it again. I am at the point now where I am trying to raise the protein levels in my diet.
As you know protein provokes a much gentler insulin response and for two weeks I have not lost anything but I have got to the point that I do not want to weigh myself at all. It is too stressful.

I was 'threatened' with insulin on diagnosis a year ago but have managed to lower my A1c and my bg levels are smashing (except for FBGs which are horrible). I am still on Metformin and would rather it stay that way by managing the Diabetes with diet, however, if I carry on with LCHF I may have to think again on the medication front.

We are all different. I have never experienced a weight problem before and I do not think I am coping well with it.

 

[Bluetit1802]

I started off overweight, am now slim but not thin, and have maintained my slim weight for 3 and a half years. This has all been done on a low carb/high fat diet with no fasting. I say no fasting, but I do skip breakfasts and eat 2 meals in a 6 or 7 hour window. A coffee with cream fills me up from getting out of bed to lunch time. (plus a cup of tea mid morning).

After losing all my weight (33% of my body weight) I found it challenging to stop losing, but I did find the right balance and it has continued to work for me. I increased my fats mainly from protein sources such as eggs and cheese, and actually reduced my carbs at the same time. I also started having the coffee and cream for breakfast and occasionally as a go-to comfort food, but not often, became very generous with the mayonnaise, and have a glass of red wine in the evenings.

It did require some effort at first. I kept a detailed food diary on a spread sheet that included portion sizes, used my bathroom scales and my glucose meter, and worked out what I needed to do. Despite the reduction in carbs, I upped my calories from 1200 to 1800+. Once my weight stabilised, I didn't need to be so meticulous in calorie counting. I now know instinctively what I can eat to maintain my weight and my non-diabetic glucose levels. If my weight starts to trend upwards, sadly I have to do without the wine for a while.

I am 5ft 4ins. BMI 21.

 

[onnecar]

Thanks. It's my lipid levels that i'm hoping to improve. I'll actually be pleased if I don't lose too much weight as long as my lipids and glucose levels improve enough to reduce or stop meds.