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Type 2 & Weight Watchers

Kayla

Kayla

Member
Messages
15
Location
Runcorn, UK
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi everyone.

I'm type 2 diabetic have been for about 4 years or so now, I would like to join Weight Watchers as I need to lose weight and get healthy.
I was wondering if anyone with type 2 has tried weight watchers or has any advice? I have researched it quite a bit but wanted some personal experiences rather than just medical facts if you get me.
Any help would be greatly appreciated! :)

Many thanks,
Love Kayla x
 
Going to a weight watchers group will probably help you because you will be in a support group of like-minded people - but whatever you do don't eat weight watchers foods. Just cut right down on processed foods, carbs, fats, don't eat things with sugar in (cake, biscuits, sweets etc) drop fizzy drinks and drink no added sugar squash instead and take up some form of exercise for at least half an hour, three times a week that gets you sweating.

To be brutally frank, the best diet is a low-carb vegetarian one or as close to that as you can get yourself.

Be interesting to see what others say
 
Thank you for your reply, thankfully I don't plan on buying the actual weight watchers range due to price as well as what you have said.
I'm an extremely fussy eater and mostly will be following a vegetarian diet anyway as the only meat I like is chicken breast which I have on occasion.
I have just joined the gym and am hoping to get a lot more active and be very strict with myself.
 
My wife did the Slimming World diet a few years ago and there was man on the course who had type 2 diabetes, he lost something like 5 stone following the SW plan, apparently they adapt the diets for people with diabetes but how this works and what kind of foods they suggest to eat I have no idea.

Why not ring WW up and ask about how they work with people who have type 2 diabetes, if your not happy give SW a ring, I'm sure both will discuss things with you beforehand without you enrolling on the course.
 
I am not type 2 but I did weight watchers a few years ago and hated it! Sorry to put a dampener on things but I believe in telling someone the truth rather than what they want to hear. With weightwatchers I did loose some weight but I was constantly hungry and paying for the privilege! My mother was the same when she used weight watchers she was also absolutely starving, plus you are cohered into buying the scales, books, magazines etc you don't realise it at the time but they bang on and on about if you use our product this and that and the next thing. The weight watchers mentors are very well trained in sales and their sales pitches are convincing call me gullible but I was caught out a few times over the years. That's my personal experience with it and no doubt others will have great success stories but remember once you deviate from the system all the weight piles back on and more :(

I have friends that use and have used slimming world and they swear by it, more of changing lifestyle habits rather than just over concentrating on the pounds you may or may not have lost.

After all that I really do wish you all the best on whichever structured diet group you choose, keep us updated on your choice and progress x
 
Hi Kayla,
I am Type 2 for 17 years, I joined WW and lost 3 stones over a period of 19 months. I am not able to exercise and am pretty immobile so if you are able to exercise the weight should come off faster. I found that their programme had changed a lot in the 30+ years since I was last there, no foods were banned and yes they do point you towards using their own products, but they also encourage you to make your own meals, using the "healthy and filling" lists they issue. I found that with the way the "ProPoints" system worked it was, for me quite low carb. I didn't eat much bread (using Nimble when I did), pasta, or rice and only potatoes once in a while. My meals were made up mainly of veg and protein, with yogurt and a lot of fruit.

Yes I did buy their kitchen scales which were expensive, but in my mind very worthwhile. My BG levels were running pretty high when I started WW, and within 2 weeks they were down in single figures. I went from using 110 units of insulin twice a day, to 10 units in the morning and 16 at night... I became discouraged when after 22 months, my weightloss had come to a standstill, there was also a lot of stress in my life at that time and I started to skip meals and then wondered why I wasn't losing any more, I got into the usual vicious cycle of eating the wrong things and eventually I was back eating chips and chocolate etc., and my insulin usage went higher and higher.

But, I am back with WW again, :) I started back on the 2nd of January and have lost 16 pounds so far. I am eating healthy again and my BG is again between 4 and 5.5. I know there will come a time again when my weight loss plateau's, but this time I have this site, the information I have picked up about carbs will help me and at the end of the day the way I feel now and the way my diabetes is behaving is much more preferable than what I was experiencing when I was eating everything in sight.

The choice is yours, but if you go for it, I think you will enjoy it. Don't think of it as a diet, it's a chance to change your eating habits for the better and your way to get the Diabetes under control.
Good Luck
Chris :D
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi Kayla

I am Type 2 diabetic on Metformin, Novorapid and Glargine insulins. I joined WW 2 weeks ago and have lost 6.5lbs so far. I am doing the Simple Start "filling & healthy" where you can eat as much as you want from a list of foods which are very diabetic friendly! I am finding the difference between eating "white" pasta and rice and "brown" pasta and rice has had an enormous affect on my blood sugars for the better ! The lady leading the meeting is very inspirational and the support is fantastic. She has a closed group on Facebook which is full of support and advice. I think due to the increase in type 2 diagnosis, WW have adapted their diet for diabetics. You can also get your doc to give you a referral to WW and join for free!

The only problem I have been facing is hypos waking me up during the night as my blood sugar keeps dropping. 2 weeks ago I was taking 34 units of Novorapid with my evening meal and I'm now taking 22 units and keep decreasing it which is fantastic. I'm also doing the same with Glargine. My diabetes nurse advised I eat a long lasting carb snack if my blood sugars are less than 6 before I go to bed. Last night they were 8.1 so I didn't eat anything and I had a hypo at 5 am! So I think I am going to have an oat cake if it is less than 9 before bed!


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Thank you for all the nice comments and advice, I have decided I am going to start WW this Tuesday and see how it goes. Need to lose weight and get healthy but I'm a super fussy eater which makes things difficult sometimes.
I wish everyone success in their journeys I have been diabetic for 4 years now and am still trying to control it without it controlling me and becoming something that rules my life.
 
chris9996 said:
Hi Kayla,
I am Type 2 for 17 years, I joined WW and lost 3 stones over a period of 19 months. I am not able to exercise and am pretty immobile so if you are able to exercise the weight should come off faster. I found that their programme had changed a lot in the 30+ years since I was last there, no foods were banned and yes they do point you towards using their own products, but they also encourage you to make your own meals, using the "healthy and filling" lists they issue. I found that with the way the "ProPoints" system worked it was, for me quite low carb. I didn't eat much bread (using Nimble when I did), pasta, or rice and only potatoes once in a while. My meals were made up mainly of veg and protein, with yogurt and a lot of fruit.

Yes I did buy their kitchen scales which were expensive, but in my mind very worthwhile. My BG levels were running pretty high when I started WW, and within 2 weeks they were down in single figures. I went from using 110 units of insulin twice a day, to 10 units in the morning and 16 at night... I became discouraged when after 22 months, my weightloss had come to a standstill, there was also a lot of stress in my life at that time and I started to skip meals and then wondered why I wasn't losing any more, I got into the usual vicious cycle of eating the wrong things and eventually I was back eating chips and chocolate etc., and my insulin usage went higher and higher.

But, I am back with WW again, :) I started back on the 2nd of January and have lost 16 pounds so far. I am eating healthy again and my BG is again between 4 and 5.5. I know there will come a time again when my weight loss plateau's, but this time I have this site, the information I have picked up about carbs will help me and at the end of the day the way I feel now and the way my diabetes is behaving is much more preferable than what I was experiencing when I was eating everything in sight.

The choice is yours, but if you go for it, I think you will enjoy it. Don't think of it as a diet, it's a chance to change your eating habits for the better and your way to get the Diabetes under control.
Good Luck
Chris :D
Click to expand...


Well done Chris, keep up the hard work!
Hopefully we can both be successful with WW as I have a fair bit of weight to lose :) x
 
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