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Low carb isn't working?

  • Thread starter Thread starter MrsA20
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MrsA20

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Hi, am new so please treat me gently
My eldest sister was diagnosed late last year so just after Xmas I did one of those are you at risk tests and was told yes, see doctor immediately.
So I read up on it, put hubby, adult son and me on 800 diet for 6 weeks. Hubby lost a lot about 20lbs, son and me about 12lbs. Then went for tests.
Then had long holiday in Asia which was basically a healthy low sugar diet but white rice once a day. Came back a couple of lbs lighter.
Then had tummy bug for 10 days and lost another couple of lbs, so in total I am down about 17lbs since Xmas and my blood tests were done end February.
I thought that having no carbs ( except for beans twice a week) the weight would fall off but it isn't.
I don't drink or smoke, now weigh just under 12 st, and fit and active doing over 5 hours exercise classes a week plus walking, which has been normal for me for over 3 years.
Why am I not seeing a bigger weight loss? I have been on my low carb eating for 3 months now and was so disappointed to find I was diagnosed with 53 and 7. I eat very little but don't feel very hungry either.
Any advice gratefully received
 
Hi and welcome!

just to clarify,
You have lost 17 pounds overall? Including a holiday eating rice regularly? I think that is quite an achievement!

having said that, weight loss is great, but the important thing to remember is that blood glucose control is FAR more important than weight loss

do you know what your blood glucose reading was before you made the dietary changes? It may have been much higher.

I would be interested to find out what happens to your blood glucose levels after 3-4 solid months of consistent low carbing.
 
Your weight loss is a step in the right direction. You are doing a self defined version of the protocol, as rice and beans for example I have not had for around 4.5 years. This is not a judgment of your choices, just an observation. I love exercise but know even professional athletes can and do get pre-diabetes / diabetes, so diet is much more important for metabolic health. Exercise I call the icing on the cake

I would wager that if you did a "traditional" lchf or keto lifestyle eating pattern, you would see further improvement. Keep in mind that fat loss is better than weight loss. You may have recomposed your body with additional muscle and or bone mass.
 
Yes - people like me are a good example of how weight loss does not always equal resolution or vast (enough !) improvement of type two.

I lost lots of weight very early on, have kept it off, lowered my HBA1c to prediabetic (in my countries) levels, but I am not able to get to non-diabetic levels, even on very low-carb diet for many years since diagnosis. (I have gotten pretty slender too, and just inched in to non-diabetic HBA1c a couple of times, but unable to maintain that, whilst actually eating, so normal weighted with prediabetic levels I remain.) I am also very active and even muscley for an old broad, and was throughout getting insulin resistant and type two.

And there are type twos who don't lose the weight to the same extent, and go low carb, and are able to resolve their type two/get to non-diabetic levels through changing eating habits, without becoming normal or slender weighted. It's a way more complex disease than many give it credit for, is my own understanding. (And that's without taking the autoimmune diabetes into account!)

Also something to keep in mind, as painful as it is, apparently, weight loss is harder post menopause? I don't know why, but it's the usual - hormones and how they interact etc.

I would also say @MrsA20, that you are a moderate carb eater perhaps? Not a low-carb eater - with the rice! And beans? And as many Asian cuisines have a LOT of sugar in them (in the meat and seafood, and in the veges with sugary sauces and marinades), I wonder how low-sugar your diet was? This is where developing a keen taste for sugar comes in, and testing your blood sugar after eating to catch out the food and drink culprits that are raising your blood sugar - I now it's a bore, but we have not been able to find a better method to tightly control our carb and sugar intake to help us get better.

I would say with an HBA1c of 53, if you go low-carb, you have a very good chance of lowering your HBA!c significantly. Or the way I see it biologically speaking - getting the fat cells you have that are sick, up to a healthy state where they are the ones dominating your fat cell store (is one particular theory behind type two). Test that theory out at least?

And good luck on your journey, and I hope to see you more in here? And read how your journey goes.

 
Have had to change user name as batteries ran out and cant log back in under original, sorry.
Thanks all for the support and info. I didn't know I was diabetic when on holiday. I was just trying to eat sensibly for a holiday! Got results when I came back
.
Because of the virus situation I cant get another blood test for at least 2 weeks as surgery is insisting on self isolation for 2 weeks beforehand . I've also looked for a monitor online but everywhere seems sold out, and I cant traipse round the shops as surgery insists I'm quarantined . Feel like I'm in a bit of a hole really.
 
Unfortunately no I didn't have a test at the start. The next one will be 6 weeks after the first
 
Have you actually been diagnosed as type 2, or pre-diabetic or anything? I ask because your first post reads to me like you thought you might be diabetic, and acted quickly, but havent had input from a GP yet to confirm this?
 
Hello and welcome,

I agree with @Brunneria that for us diabetics that the important t things is our blood sugar levels. For some like me weight loss is also important but levels is the top priority.

That said without a meter it can be tough. As @lucylocket61 said it appears that you haven't actually been diagnosed as a diabetic or prediabetic yet but are being cautious? If that is right I certainly don't think it would hurt to try to go really low carb. I've lost weight that way- not as fast as perhaps I would like but still losing.

If you are on any medication at all this advice might change so can you just confirm that you are not on medication.

Also I think if you log everything you eat and the carbs in that food- yes everything it may be that you are not as low carb as you think. When I started I just assumed cucumbers and tomatoes had no carbs- boy was I wrong. So if you log everything it can help identify the sneaky carbs.

Also something you need to eb careful of is making sure you drink enough water.

Good luck
 
Just curious as to what meals look like for you? Can you describe them?

There may be a few things that can be suggested to help you out if interested. Congrats on the weight loss BTW
 
From what I understand, it can be a bit harder for women after a certain age. Not enough hormones to go around, so an estrogen supplement might help. First and foremost though, I think it'd be good to go over your current diet. There might be a few pitfalls there that are holding you back. But still... You have been doing really well.
 
Irrespective of carbohydrate, in my opinion you would help yourself more by doing time restricted eating or 24-48h fasting than you would calorie restriction. The former speeds up the basal metabolism and promotes good health, whereas the latter slows it down and doesn't.
 
Hi. Overall you have done well. I suspect you are gradually still losing weight but not as fast as you would like. As long as you are losing, albeit slowly, that's fine. As other have said the important thing is BS level. Note that you no doubt still have some insulin resistance which will slowly fade. What sort of foods do you now eat?
 
Sorry for any confusion. I had been trying to lose weight and cut carbs for about 6 weeks before I had the tests. Then there was a gap of about 4 weeks before I could get the results, and the results said diabetic. 53 and 7
It was a telephone consult with the GP and she wasn't very helpful. She sounded cross that I didn't know I was diabetic before. .. duh!
I have now ordered a monitor and will start testing as soon as it arrives
I eat:
Whole oats as either unsweetened porridge or overnight oats with grated apple or scrambled eggs for breakfast.
Lunch is veg soup or salad. Sometimes a piece of fruit too.
Evening is protein with 3/4 plate being vegetables (no potatoes)
Snack if any is nuts or falafel
I drink herbal tea or water, no coffee or alcohol

I've just had 10 days of 24 hours on off fasting as had tummy bug and still only lost a lb or 2 in that time.

Thanks for all the support. Learning so much!
 
The porridge is likely a poor choice to start the day. Make that a priority to check with the meter. Fruit isn’t the best either. High in glucose and fructose (which won’t show on the meter but contributes silently to insulin resistance). Try sticking to a few berries instead. Falafel would be an issue for me too.

I suspect you are going in the right direction and there’s some impatience for it to show as weight loss more quickly. Metabolic healing and blood sugars are and should be the first places changes will show. The weight loss will come once your body is working more efficiently. Keep going. Don’t be tempted to reduce calories too much or all you’ll do is slow your metabolism. If you are hungry increase fats and perhaps protein

weight loss during illness is always erratic.
 
Hi again @MrsA2 (or @MrsA20 ? Whichever is working..), and @JoKalsbeek,

I just want to make this clear, about perimenopausal women and postmenopausal women finding it harder to lose weight. And yes, it is from my own health and medical perspective -

1. Harder to do does not mean you can't do it! There are plenty of slender or normal weighted older women, and I am one, since going low-carb. (I also have perfectly good muscle, which is also supposed to drop post menopause. Dropping does not mean you can no longer be strong! Just that maybe you can't compete in weight lifting competitions with younger women - obviously perhaps...)

2. Menopause - shifting to being infertile - is perfectly normal and healthy! It is part of being the human animal. It is not a state of lack and ill-health that needs to be medicated for with synthetic hormones or otherwise.
 
That depends on the severity of the experience. Some women need hormonal support through menopause. Just as some women need hormonal support at other times in their lives. Menopause can be very debilitating for some.

Likewise, for some menopausal weight gain or difficulty with weigh loss is a reality and for some, regardless of their age, weight loss is impossible.

As you know, from reading the posts if several on here over the years.

I am glad you have not had weight loss or hormonal issues. Many are not in your position.
 
Weight loss is good, but what is better is achieving good labs: fasting plasma glucose, hba1c, BP, lipids and inflammation markers. Just make sure there are no hidden carbs in your diet. Bear in mind the fact you might have a slow metabolism. And if going low carb doesn't yield satisfying results you might try restricted eating or intermittent fasting. You can go OMAD (one meal a day), TMAD (two meals a day). A restricted eating plan might be, for example, 12 - 5 - 5; i.e., 12 hours between dinner and breakfast, 5 hours between breakfast and lunch and 5 hours between lunch and dinner. You might, as well, adapt the schedule according to your needs and requirements. Good luck.
 
I have PCOS, so my hormones are a mess and have been since I first started ovulating. Just mentioned it because I know some have trouble, (and not just with weight either) and sometimes, a little HRT helps. *shrug*
 
That's.... Not especially low carb. Porridge, oats, apples and other fruits... If you mention a "piece of fruit", I'm assuming it's not a hand full of berries, which actually would be okay, especially with heavy cream or full fat greek yoghurt. Falafel's not exactly low carb either... (at about 35% carbs depending on the brand/recipe, that's... Carby.). So yeah... Lots you can still change to nudge your diet along then, so that's pretty much good news!
 
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