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Unable to lose weight despite constant effort

sianelizabethr

Member
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6
I’m newly diagnosed (so newly diagnosed that they’ve not decided whether I’m prediabetic or type 2 yet, should know within a week). I had gestational diabetes twice so it wasn’t a shock to me at all. I started gaining weight FAST about 5 months ago & gained 1.5 stone. I am an active mother of two so I put this down to lockdown and being less active. My personal trainer reduced my calories down to 1400 a day and upped my exercise plan to 4 days a week & across 8 weeks I’ve lost only 4lbs. I found my doctor very understanding but he did say that quite often he is treating patients who are 18,19,20 stone and I should feel lucky that I “only weigh 12 stone”. I found this so depressing as my self worth and opinion of myself is through the floor. I cry in bed because I’m so frustrated at the way I look and feel about myself. I’m about to swap low cal diet for low carb Fast 800 diet. If this doesn’t help me lose weight I will be distraught. Is anyone else in the same boat and can offer advice about how to get my BMI looking better?! I’m not on Metformin or any medication yet. Thank you!!
 
You've gained weight because of the (pre?) diabetes. It's the carbs that are the problem, not the calories. https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html should help.

Good luck!
Jo
 
I agree with @JoKalsbeek , weight gain is caused by a combination of excess insulin and high blood sugars. T2 diabetics suffer from insulin resistance, so their bodies vainly produce more insulin in order to attempt to process the carbs that they can't cope with. The weight gain is a symptom not a cause.

Unfortunately many low calorie eating plans replace fat with carbs and are high carb - your body can't cope with the carbs. Cut them and you should find that the weight reduces along with your blood sugars....

Good luck.
 
Kudos on the exercise! I’m doing low carb, and about a 10% calorie deficit, plus exercise. Weight is coming off , blood sugars are normal. 1400 calories per day doesn’t seem too low, the danger is your metabolic rate will decrease if you drop too many calories. IMO, you should be at BMR - 10%. Try swapping anything carby with healthy fats, I.e avocados, macadamia nuts, ...

If you were to list the foods in your diet, the members here can point out the bad items, recommend substitutions.
 
Be careful of the amount of fruit you eat as well. I always though fruit was healthy and low cal. It may be for some, but not for me a diabetic.
My weight loss increased once I stopped eating fruit between meals. I eat bigger, fatter meals with only 1 small portion of berries a day, but with a meal.
If I eat fruit in between meals my bg rises instantly.
Do you have a monitor and test your bg? That would show you your problem foods virtually straightaway (or in 2-3 hours)
 
It is impossible for people who store carbs as fat (because they can't cope with then in any other way) to lose weight whilst eating carbs - it is like trying to climb a steep polished slope, all the effort possible will not go against gravity.
Just eat whatever you like, as long as it is meat, fish cheese eggs, have salads and stir fries, and include the fats which come naturally with those foods because that is your fuel in the absence of carbs. When I eat like that my weight is inclined to normalize. I will not see a 24 inch waist again, but 50 years of 'eat healthy carbs' advice takes a toll.
 
Thank you! I’m going to give low carb a real go this week and see what happens. It would be absolutely amazing to see results!
 

I have a blood monitor from when I was pregnant and I actually still have an active prescription for it so I reckon I could get some testing strips. I’ll try this! Thank you!
 

Thank you, this is actually really helpful. I think a 10% deficit is healthy, I’ll give the low carb a go!
 
bulkbiker said:
Hardly surprising as you are starving yourself yet demanding more of your body.
Please sack your personal trainer or send them on a nutrition course.
Click to expand...

To be fair she didn’t know I was diabetic so we’ve been struggling against a rising tide I think. I do want to educate her though- I’ve sent her loads of stuff to read!
 

Thank you Ellie. The positivity in this group is motivational itself! I’ve got so much to learn but your advice is so appreciated, thank you x
 
sianelizabethr said:
To be fair she didn’t know I was diabetic so we’ve been struggling against a rising tide I think. I do want to educate her though- I’ve sent her loads of stuff to read!
Click to expand...
Doesn't really matter.. eating less and moving more works long term for about 3% of people and they are probably starving most of the time.
 
bulkbiker said:
Doesn't really matter.. eating less and moving more works long term for about 3% of people and they are probably starving most of the time.
Click to expand...

yup. And 2 years later they are bigger than ever, usually with less muscle and a lower metabolism.
https://thefastingmethod.com/biggest-loser-diet-explained/

I completely understand that personal trainers need to justify their existence and keep their customers coming back for more, but sometimes their regimens do more harm than good.
 

Have you been tested for pcos as I find before menapause I couldn’t lose weight but now I have gone through it I find I’m losing weight without trying so please do t lose heart over this
 
My weight did exactly that before I was diagnosed. I was just under 11 stone and was up to nearly 13. I didnt realise it was a symptom. It was mainly round my tummy and just wouldn't shift.
I stopped feeling guilty about the weight gain after that. It was a symptom rather than a cause.

Once I'd done a couple of months of LC it literally melted off. Lockdown hasnt helped and carbs and weight have crept in again but less than I thought. I have to take responsibility for it this time though as i know what I'm doing!
 
bulkbiker said:
Doesn't really matter.. eating less and moving more works long term for about 3% of people and they are probably starving most of the time.
Click to expand...
Long term diets are doomed to fail, it lowers your metabolic rate and makes you feel hungry and miserable.
Consider intermittent fasting, it worked for me and many others. Intermittent fasting is what humans had to do involuntarily during evolution. If there was little food, the body had to burn excess fat. so it is the oldest fasting method.
 
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I am in same boat has you at the moment I was doing n.e.r.s. scheme at my local leisure centre before covid hit and was doing so well hba1c was in pre diabetic range 46 from 50 since this lockdown happend it has now shot back up to 68 I gained weight during this pandemic I have since gone low carb plenty of eggs fish nuts veg but still have not lost any weight I do exercise a lot of walking outside and cycling but can't seem to loose 1lb in weight. It do knock your confidence for 6 but I refuse to give up on my journey for a better quality of life or remission my diabetes.
 
I’m Type 2 my heaviest has been 16 stone and size 26 in the 1990’s. Two years ago, September 2018 I was diagnosed in Stage 3 Colon Cancer and weighed in at 80kg (just over 12 stone 7lbs). My operation was December 2019 and came out with no further treatment.
When I bought my Apple iPhone I went to learn how to use the health app and chose one of the diet apps, this was end of June 2019. Yesterday morning 12 Nov 2020I weighed 65.1kg.
 

Elizabeth understand you very well. Reconfiguring the body is very difficult for the process of losing weight. I remember how hard it was, but you set yourself a goal and a deadline. I did not adhere to any diet, I just did not eat anything 1-2 days a week, I only drank water. A day of fasting that the body was slowly getting used to.


after 2 month

at first it was hard and painful, but now I can easily skip eating 2 days a week and my sugar has dropped significantly. Good Luck! You will succeed, but you need to indicate your desires!
 
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