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Zebra1234

Member
Hello,

I have recently (6 weeks ago) been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Been prescribed metformin. I immediately went on a diet using really nice ideas from the various diabetic websites and have purchased several cookbooks. I am unable to do that much exercise at the moment due to bad feet ( which is what caused me to seek medical attention in the first place). I am seeing a podiatrist this week so that will hopefully change soon. I was a an unhealthy BMI of 32. By changing my diet to mainly fruit and vegetables and walking as much as I can I have been losing 3-5lbs a week ( 17 so far). Last week, despite continuing with the same food and exercise I didn’t lose any. Forgive what might be a silly question as I have never dieted before. Will there be weeks where, despite strictly sticking to a diet and routine, there will be no weight loss. I am a man and having approx 1800-1850 calories day and around 150 of carbs.
 
Hi and welcome!

Zebra1234 said:
Will there be weeks where, despite strictly sticking to a diet and routine, there will be no weight loss
Click to expand...
Almost certainly - don’t know of anyone who hasn’t experienced this during weight loss. However, a far more important measure for your progress will be what is happening to your blood sugars. Do you have a meter to test?

There are many here who have successfully lost a lot of weight (several stones) - I myself started with a BMI closer to 40 than 30 - by reducing carbs. For me personally 150g/day would be far too many to control my blood sugars - I dropped to 20g or less a day when diagnosed, but the only way to know how many, and what you can tolerate is to test before and after each meal.

If you don’t have a meter and are interested please shout and we can advise.
 
Thanks for the advice. The doctor had said that both my levels and other measures had dropped but it would be great to be able to check myself. If you could let me know what one you recommend that would be very kind.
 
Zebra1234 said:
Thanks for the advice. The doctor had said that both my levels and other measures had dropped but it would be great to be able to check myself. If you could let me know what one you recommend that would be very kind.
Click to expand...

No problem.

The meter with the cheapest strips is the Gluco Navii.

If you use this link and select the meter plus 5 packs of strips and then add the code dcuk (all lower case) at check-out, you’ll get the meter free.

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-produ...ose-meter-test-strips-choose-mmol-l-or-mg-dl/

Total for 5 packs + meter should be £31.76 - you can select free postage too. Their check out isn’t the most obvious so you need to look for the box and check the discount has been applied.

There are also discount codes for when you come to buy more strips - "navii5" and "navii10" will give you 20% off purchases of 5 packs of strips and 25% off 10 packs of strips. Buying a pack of 10 boxes of strips using the discount code works out at £5.68.

The SD Codefree from Home Health has similarly priced strips, but is rumoured to be being discontinued at some point.

The Tee2+ from Spirit Healthcare also has relatively cheap strips, (although they have recently gone up in price): https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/products/copy-of-copy-of-tee2-blood-glucose-meter
with the strips found here: https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/products/copy-of-tee2-test-strips

I got a free Tee2+ by phoning up to order the meter and 10 boxes of strips and they threw the meter in for free. Phone number 0800 8815423.

Also from Spirit Healthcare, with more expensive strips than the Tee2+ is their Caresens Dual. This can be used for testing ketones too (strips for that very expensive). https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/collections/caresens-dual

Don’t forget to check the box (or mention on the phone) to say you have diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for all meters and strips)
 
You might find that eating fruit and starchy veges will not do much to reduce your blood glucose, so checking before and after meals is a good idea.
I stick to low carb foods as I need to keep my carb intake down, below 40 gm per day to keep my glucose levels normal. I don't need to restrict calories as my appetite is quite small.
 
I think most everyone plateaus with weight loss. Unfortunately our body is good at adapting to less calories. Some people like rotation diets because it can help to trick the body into not adjusting. Unfortunately you had said exercise is hard for you, but that is one way to try to keep up your metabolism. Is there an exercise you can do that won't hurt your feet? I had problems with my feet in the past and swimming helps, but I also remember I found a machine that you do the walking motion but your feet are stationary on the pedals so it didn't bother my feet at the time. A glider?
 
Zebra1234 said:
Hello,

I have recently (6 weeks ago) been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Been prescribed metformin. I immediately went on a diet using really nice ideas from the various diabetic websites and have purchased several cookbooks. I am unable to do that much exercise at the moment due to bad feet ( which is what caused me to seek medical attention in the first place). I am seeing a podiatrist this week so that will hopefully change soon. I was a an unhealthy BMI of 32. By changing my diet to mainly fruit and vegetables and walking as much as I can I have been losing 3-5lbs a week ( 17 so far). Last week, despite continuing with the same food and exercise I didn’t lose any. Forgive what might be a silly question as I have never dieted before. Will there be weeks where, despite strictly sticking to a diet and routine, there will be no weight loss. I am a man and having approx 1800-1850 calories day and around 150 of carbs.
Click to expand...

Hi @Zebra1234

Welcome

Male here, never dieted either
And still haven't really

When I went low carb high(er) fat ....Ake LCHF it was to get blood glucose levels down ..but I ended up losing weight without even trying .

But I too stalled (surprising how exciting a weigh-in could be each morning )

Others told me, the first loss is water weight, which is the excess we carry around, which clearly is finite.

Then, as @Goonergal tightly points out, our bodies seem to adjust to less food and then refuses to lose weight for a while to save us from ourselves.

I see the body as a wily foe. Defending itself , once we change & restrict what we used to eat .

It can take a while but being consistent is the secret I think.

As once it realises you are not trying to kill it with less food or less sugar etc, it goes 'OK'.

And then adjusts itself once more & allows the weight loss to continue ..imho.

As to exercise
I heard & liked the idea that when we eat food (glucose) a small army is called out inside of us (Insulin) ready and waiting to transport the glucose/sugar/energy to where it is needed by the muscles calling out for glucose/sugar/energy.

Now while many see exercise as a session at the gym etc
Many get a good BG level after food by a walk after eating .

The principle being muscles calling out for 'energy' helps to use up the recent meal, thus hastening the lowering of our BG Levels after food (2 hours usually ).

In that vein I usually take a resistance band on holiday, and where possible use that, to make my arm muscles call out and use the glucose/energy/sugar after any meal .

Might something as simple as that help overcome the lack of exercise due to the feet ?

Oh, and a vote for the glucose navii, here

Good luck on your journey
 
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