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low carbing weight loss and medication

B

banjo brunette

Well-Known Member
Messages
91
Hi All

I've just joined my husband on the Atkins diet - just finishing our fortnight's induction phase. I've lost a magnificent 1lb (which may be down to having lighter togs on than when I was weighed at the GP's 10 days ago).

My question is: Are the tablets I'm taking (Metformin MR, pioglitizone and glimepiride) "fighting" the weight loss benefits of the low carb diet? My GP cheerfully told me recently that my weight gain is proof that the tablets are working. Although my BMI is only 23 and a smidge, last winter's wardrobe is proving to be tighter that I remember it to have been and the weight has definitely been creeping up over time even though my diet hasn't changed.

To quote from Fergus's great beginners' guide to low carb diets:
"What about weight loss?

Insulin is often referred to by biochemists as the fat building hormone. In fact, the body cannot make body fat without insulin. It is very unusual to find an overweight individual who doesn’t also have elevated insulin levels. Type 2 diabetics, at diagnosis, will often be overproducing insulin.
Insulin also inhibits the body’s use of stored fat as a source of fuel. Lowering insulin levels is extremely important, perhaps essential, for weight loss to succeed. This is one reason why low carb diets are particularly successful in weight loss since the fewer the carbs, the less insulin is required. Some may also find that they consume fewer calories without feeling hungry because their fat metabolism begins to work properly once more, allowing the body access to energy reserves in fat stores which were previously inaccessible."

I'm thrilled that my BGs have levelled out at around 5 (previously yoyoing between 4ish and 15-18 during the average day) so I'm happy to stay on the regime from that point of view but I was hoping to lose a bit of weight as well . Will it just take a while for the weight to start coming off?

BTW my husband's losing weight slowly too so he's thrilled - and he's also found a secret community of blokes at work who are all on low carb diets and losing weight so that's a bonus. We've both got an incentive to carry on.

Thanks so much everyone for such a useful and supportive forum...

Cheers, Jane :D
 
Hi Jane, :)

Just found your post while trawling around and saw that no-one had answered you. How is the weight loss going? They do say that slow is good but it feels rubbish sometimes! :roll:

Can't help over the medications as I am managing to avoid them so far. 8)
 
Hi Synonym

How kind of you to drop a quick line.... My weightloss is non-existent (well, I dropped a bra size quite annoyingly at the start but that's it :shock: ). The husband's, on the other hand, is coming along nicely and everyone is complimenting him on his much trimmer figure. However, my blood sugar levels are great and that's what I was looking for really, so we're both doing nicely on our low-carb not-diet.

I'm still none the wiser on my weight/drugs question but I'll ask the diebetologist next time I'm due for an appointment.

Cheers, BB :D
 
The metformin tends to reduce your weight a little.
The Pioglitazone tends to increase body fluid (so you are heavier but it is not fat). A 5 pound gain is not unusual.
The glimipride tendst to increase body fat.
 
Dear BB,

It may also depend on how overweight you actually are - from your BMI, probably not very? My experience with low-carbing for weight loss is that it works great on the weight you really need to lose, but not on that extra half-stone or so that you would *like* to lose for vanity reasons - in other words, maybe our bodies settle naturally at a weight which is healthy but a bit above what we would like to see looking in a mirror with a modern fashion-critical eye. I zoomed down from about 10st 10 to about 9st 6lbs, (which on most tables has me on the border between OK and overweight) and I seem to potter up and down around that weight now. I'd love to get down to 8st 12, which is what I weighed in my teens, but actually I'm pretty content where I am.

Since low-carbing is relying on the body's natural systems to work, rather than on artificial calorie restriction, and since some evidence suggests that being slightly 'overweight' is actually protective in some ways, that would make sense to me. I can see it's frustrating for you to actually put on weight though!
 
You don't mention exercise, do you do any? Even just walking every day.
 
Hi Spinningwoman
Yes, I don't have very much to lose in comparison with others, that's true but since I've been on the extra medication beyond my metformin the weight has been creeping up kilo by kilo. At least it seems to have pretty much plateaued for now on the lo-carb diet.... :D
Cheers, BB :D
 
Hi Chris
I'm just back from my evening's one hour jaunt round the houses :D Not sure of exact speed but about three miles an hour and definitely "brisk" - my little Welsh legs are a a blur. I've persuaded the Hubby that this evening walk business is a VITAL part of his weight-loss process and we've managed to keep it up now since October (snow and ice permitting). I've been wearing my pedometer today and have done 19,129 steps altogether - feeling smug (and kn*ckered :roll: )
Cheers, BB :D
 
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