No sugar/low carb for 8 weeks but no weight loss?

[Sunshine_Kisses]

Hi there,

Newbie to the site, diagnosed (with Type 2 they think, though still waiting on a couple of tests to confirm absolutely that not Type 1) about 8 weeks ago. Immediately cut out all sugar and followed Patrick Holfords low GL diet for first 6 weeks, then last week or so have altered slightly to follow the blood group diet (I'm an O - which means I'm meant to eat a lot of meat, but am pescatarian).

Anyhoo. I'm basically having pretty low carb and high protein w good fats, but my weight is literally no different than when I was eating lots of sugar/**** - anyone eles experienced something similar?

I've only had a meter for about a week so hard to tell if my blood sugars are getting better. My last HBa1C was 7.5 and my blood sugars are *usually* around 8 on waking, then can go down to 5ish or up to 14ish throughout the day.

I am not very overweight, but definitely have excess belly fat and would really like to shift it as I know it's considered the worst place to store fat. I am female, 36, and BMI of 23.

Any insights greatly appreciated - I'm feeling a bit disheartened/fed up of hearing people saying that they cut out sugar and crabs and the 'weight fell off'... :shock:

 

[LittleGreyCat]

Have you cut out all the the crabs? :lol:

Several things govern weight gain/loss, including variety of food (mix of carbs and protein), level of exercise, and the total number of calories consumed.

If you have changed your mix of foods but are still eating a lot of calories and/or not exercising more then you may well find that your blood glucose improves but your weight doesn't drop.

How about trying the 5:2 routine which may kick start some weight loss?

Better glucose control is more important than weight loss but the two often go together.

Cheers

LGC

 

[Sunshine_Kisses]

Hey LGC, thanks for the reply - and lol re crabs!

My sugar consumption, through refined sugar and *carbs* has definitely gone way down, though wouldn't know if calorie/fat levels lower.... would imagine they must be as previous eating patterns were terrible and now having lots of raw salads with fish etc...

What's the 5:2 routine...? Is it intermittent fasting? Have been reading *loads* about that but have some resistance round it still!

Would love to hear more...

 

[Sid Bonkers]

I personally believe that intermittent fasting is not good for a diabetic as eating regular meals is recommended for stable blood sugars. Re weight loss - low GI, low carb, high this that or the other is largely irrelevant to weight loss, calories on the other hand are the key to losing weight successfully.

Reduce calories to lose weight and reduce carbs to control blood glucose, therefore a LCHF diet is not a good diet IMHO if you are trying to lose weight.

However as your BMI is normal anyway high fat is probably not a problem for you unless you are desperate to lose weight but with an in range BMI I would guess that you will struggle to lose much weight anyway as its much easier to lose weight if you are obese than if you are normal weight as it is often very hard to get rid of those last few pounds anyway.

The normal BMI for a woman ranges between 18.5 and 24.9 so your BMI of 23 is normal.


ps. to avoid crabs, dont go to the sea side :wink:

 

[Sid Bonkers]

Just a thought but with you having a normal BMI it could be that you are T1 or T1.5 LADA (Latent Autoimmune Disease of Adults) which will mean a rethink for you anyway.

However if LADA and T1 are ruled out then it might be an idea for you to look at the quick fix Newcastle Study Diet which works at reducing the visceral fat that accumulates around the internal organs which causes insulin resistance, thin, normal weight and overweight people can all develop visceral fat and by removing it quickly the Newcastle Study Diet has proved to be quite successful to the few participants who finished the diet in the study.

I would say to make sure you are not T1 or LADA before embarking on the Newcastle Study Diet though and it should be undertaken under medical supervision so consult with your doctor first if you do consider this route.

 

[LittleGreyCat]

Just a quick note.

If I understand correctly the Newcastle Diet is constant 600 kcals per day.

5:2 diet is 600 kcals for two (non-consecutive) days in seven.

So to me it doesn't count as 'fasting'.
To me 'fasting' is zero calories - just water, black tea, black coffee.

I think the 5:2 method is a way of cutting back your weekly calorie intake without the mental pain of going on a long term low calorie diet.

Cheers

LGC

 

[Sunshine_Kisses]

Hmmm... Not heard of Type 1.5... any idea how I get tested for this? Dr's have been very vague about whether I'm type 1 or type 2; but have basically assumed I'm type 2 and don't seem terribly bothered which I am. I know they've tested for some antibodies but I don't know which ones and last time I went to the Dr's they hadn't come back - is there a definitive 'you're either type 1, 1.5 or 2' test?

Would I have certain symtoms/blood sugars readings depending what type I am?

Very interested in the Newcastle Study Diet - will go read up. Just for info I wouldn't describe myself as being on a high fat diet; I'm pescatarian so mostly have salads, fish, beans, eggs, quinoa etc... Very little dairy, no meat, very little carbs - no pasta, rice, potatoes etc etc, just an occasional slice of rye bread (max one slice a day) and the carbs in the beans is about it. I may have a drizzle of olive oil with lemon juice on salad but am careful to keep that low and not pour half a bottle on. Before diagnosis it wouldn't be unusual for me to have a packet of buscuits for lunch so that's why I don't get the lack of weight loss...

And I'll be sure to keep clear of the beach for now :lol:

 

[Sunshine_Kisses]

LGC, I saw the Horizon programme on it last year and was very keen to try - just have a bit of a mental block around it for some reason?! Don't know why as read SO many good things about it... maybe cos it's been so cold ;-)

 

[Sunshine_Kisses]

PS; just rang dr's to see if the antibodies are back and they are; all normal so is defo type 1 I have... so at least we know which beast (with a belly!) I'm trying to tame