Trying to lose weight?

Hi DD,
What are you thinking of adding to help your weight loss and what other meds are you on?
You need to list them and use a drug checker to see the possible contra-indications.
Check with your GP and Pharmacist, they will be able to help you.

You may be able to get them on prescription if you have diabetes and are overweight, rather than having to pay for them yourself.

I asked my doc about those over the counter pills for weight loss and they are over priced and useless if you are not doing everything else to lose weight i.e exercise, reducing fat in your diet and low carbs..... I have a friend who made the big jump and started using one of the newer pills and she said it was a waste of time and money too.... So my advice is, do it the "hard way" and work up a bit of sweat for an hour each day and make your diet low carb and as fat free as you can ( make sure you watch out for the sugar content in low fat food tho, I found the lower they make the fat content, the higher the suger content).

You'll see your weight slowly reduce as you go along.... I have lost 3 stone on doing this....

Hi DD!

Different things work for different people. I've just posted 'Viv's Diet' on the low carb forum. It works for me, though not for everyone. See what you think.

V

As Catherine says, we would need to know each and every drug you take before anybody could answer the question.

The regular Pharmacist should know all your drugs and is best placed to advise in a professional capacity.

Hi,
I'm trying to drink 2 litres of water a day on top of my usual 5 or 6 teas a day. The glass before a meal trick is I find a useful hunger suppressant as it fills you up. But you do spend a lot of time in the loo!

My main problem is reducing the carbs to an effective level to suit my lifestyle e.g. I find 30grams of porridge (uncooked weight) for breakfast is great as I'm not wanting anything else (also good for the bowels). Salads for lunch are real fillers and low carb but I also like fruit during the day which adds carbs back in. I've tried nuts but they don't seam to help either. Dinner is a nightmare trying to control the pasta, rice or potato portions, especially if I am not cooking. Sauces I'm trying to avoid.

Where can I find more self control!

Has anyone heard of cinnamon being an advantage? A friend says her family of 2 diabetics (T1 & T2) swear by it for controlling thier BG & have a teaspoon a day on their porridge but not seen anything to say if it is or not?

Hi there are threads about cinamon here try searching the site. I have tried it but doesn't do anything for me at all!

Sailorj, have you tried just not having pasta, rice or potatoes at dinner and eating more low-carb veg instead? Cauliflower makes a surprisingly good substitute for rice or potatoes. Also swede and turnip. You soon get used to not eating the so-called 'staple' foods.

Cheese, eggs and cold meat are good snack foods.

Berry fruits seem to be lower carb than some others (though grapes are high); plums and apricots aren't too bad. Bananas are a no-no, which is a pity as they're very good for stress. Get a carb counter book and have a look through.

By the sound of your post you can cook, so there are a lot of things you could try.

Thanks everyone,
I do cook everything including lots more veg and fruit, often well over the 5 a day, but just not used to it all yet ... and cooking = dipping in! And not making the rest of the family change too much as well.
Oh well, portion control will get easier I guess - I have the carbs and cal book already!

Cheese - I thought that was a no no as it's dairy, but just at the comments by other and Brill, I'll get that back in again!!!

Using cheese depends on how well you tolerate fat. If you don't have a problem, it's okay, though high-calorie if you're counting.

I use a version of the Atkin's Induction Phase diet, which I posted on the Low-carb forum a week or so ago. It's called Viv's DIet - sorry I'm not clever enough to give you the link!

It's a good basic diet which I have no problem with, and allows you good portions of protein and fat while you're getting used to it. These fill you up so you don't feel hungry. The Induction phase doesn't use fruit, but you can add some - it just gives you a higher daily carb total and a slower weight loss.

It doesn't suit everyone, of course, but if you are otherwise healthy and can tolerate the fat, it works. Maybe check with your GP (if you have an open-minded one) if in doubt.

Last time I pretty well stuck to it for 18 months, monitored by my doctor, have never felt better, and lost over 5 stone. Sadly, I then lapsed - so it's all to do again plus diabetes this time!

I have battled my weight all my adult life[I'm now almost 64!] and no OTC medicine has ever been any help. Alli is a medication that is proven, but the OTC formulation has a very low dose.[and expensive!]
The only thing that has ever helped me has been to reduce my food intake, specially my carbs. I've lost about 3 stones and am now stuck again. I'm cutting back even more.
Your profile lists "oral" medication.
If any of that is potentially hypo causing, you'll need to discuss it with your healthcare team. If it's Metformin alone, you can probably cut back safely yourself. A bit of Bg monitoring will be necessary.
I manage on 2 x 500mg Metformin per day. I used to use Gliclazide, but no longer need it.
I maintain a pretty much non-diabetic blood glucose level. That's nearly 8 years past diagnosis.
Hana

Hi Foxglove

I don't know about Hana, but your breakfasts are just about my daily carb allowance, and would send my bg skywards! I stop losing weight at about 60g of carb a day, and start gaining again on about 80 - 100g. We are all so different, aren't we?

I have heard about giving your system a shock when it gets accustomed to some type of food, but I don't know whether it works. There is also the problem that if you eat too little, particularly when restricting calories, your body goes into famine mode and stores everything that it possibly can. I had that problem for many years, until I found low carb.

All I need now is a little self-discipline - and patience! :lol:

Viv

Just to let people know. I am maintaining my lowish carb diet and still losing weight . Must admit I have slowed down and thought I would plateau but my goal was always to find a way of eating that would suit my diabetes and my lifestyle without being a weight reducing diet that makes me hungry all the time because I knew I couldn't keep that up. I have lost another 2 kg's since Christmas and 30kg's over all since the middle of last year. My average bg's after meals have come down from the mid 8's to the low 6's. The kind of thing I eat is, well let me give you today's menu as an example:Breakfast was Greek yoghurt with blueberries, lunch was a big salad with chicken and low fat caesar dressing and a banana and my evening meal will be a vegetable hotpot with celeriac as the base and a cheese sauce and probably some jelly. If I snack it tends to be either light babybel or peanut butter on celery sticks. I don't feel deprived of food ( although I refused chocolate cake last night...so virtuous :lol: ) and am sitting here full up to bursting from my salad. So there you go fellow T2's, just wanted to let people know that if I can do it, anyone can!

viviennem said:

Hi Foxglove

I don't know about Hana, but your breakfasts are just about my daily carb allowance, and would send my bg skywards! I stop losing weight at about 60g of carb a day, and start gaining again on about 80 - 100g. We are all so different, aren't we?

I have heard about giving your system a shock when it gets accustomed to some type of food, but I don't know whether it works. There is also the problem that if you eat too little, particularly when restricting calories, your body goes into famine mode and stores everything that it possibly can. I had that problem for many years, until I found low carb.

All I need now is a little self-discipline - and patience! :lol:

Viv

Click to expand...

A lot late returning to forum - been busy packing etc. as am now on hols staying with my daughter.
About the carbs - only have one ounce of branflakes for my breakfast so it's not a huge amount, is it?
Keep a daily tallie of carbs, calories and - as far as poss - salt intake, latter for high Bp.
As for self discipline - DON'T WE ALL?!!...lol!

Hi

I went weight watchers and to be honest it was great even having to stick to a pro points plan each day it works ,i lost 24lb in 5 months i'm now at my target weight and i did'nt have to miss out i just stocked up on plenty of fruit cos these have no pro points so you can eat these inbetween meals and not get hungry, ITS GREAT.

tracey167