WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAU & LOSS OF ENERGY

[KennyA]

I'm another who lost a load of weight and brought my blood glucose into the normal range without any calorie control, just cutting out carbs and sugars. Prior to this I lived most of my adult life on calorie control until I just couldn't deal with the hunger any more. We are all different, so this may or may not help, but with carb control I only ever feel hungry when I haven't eaten for around 20 hours. From choice, I do intermittent fasting, but that's simply because I only ever eat when I'm hungry.

Agree. Calorie control has never worked for me as a means of losing weight/fat. No calorie control, but strict carb control, has removed around 90lbs in the last 4.5 years. As a bonus I had lower than average BG levels (HbA1c) within four months of starting.

There are people who can lose weight on calorie control, but it seems there are comparatively few. The NHS still recommends people to lose weight by calorie deficit, but recognises that this rarely works in practice. If some of these would post their weight loss and reduction in current BG levels, it might help you choose something that will work for you.

 

[Skyrider]

Have you experimented with removing gluten and/or dairy?

Also, if you're aiming for 500kcal less and then exercising on top of that it could easily just be a question of taking in too little energy. From what you're eating, plus the fact you're neither experiencing cravings or hunger, it might seem fine to keep at that level, but perhaps not.

You seem to be in a no-man's land, currently. You're not low-carb enough to leverage the advantages of keto, and perhaps not high-kcal/carb enough to leverage those benefits. But the closer you can get to zero deficit, while still mainting a small amount, the less symptoms you should feel. Of course, that's a little more difficult to manage. It also means being more patient for the end goal to arrive. There are other benefits to be had for the slower approach.

I have to get on a plan within the next few days. Finally under doctors' care and have been threatened with Metformin unless I can get myself to remission. So I'm going to be right there with ya

I went gluten-free & dairy-free for a while, whilst I was on the low-FODMAP diet & for some time thereafter. I gradually reintroduced them as I became more confident that my gut issues had resolved. As far as I can tell, I don't have any obvious issues after reintroducing them, but I suppose that there may be things going on which I'm unaware of!

My current calorie intake, i.e. the 500 calorie deficit, supposedly takes into account my current activity level. As it happens, my intake has been slightly lower than target for the last few days, a natural consequence of what I have been eating recently, rather than a deliberate attempt to go lower.

I plan to lower my carb intake further, but gently, over time. Following my recent episode of heart disturbances, I'm not rushing into low carb/very low carb any time soon. I'm happy to take things more gradually, accepting that it will take somewhat longer to achieve the desired results.

On the more extreme dieting front, I have recently read about the 'Newcastle' diet, invented by Professor Roy Taylor who apparently discovered the cause of T2D & how to reverse it. Way too extreme for me, but his book makes for interesting reading.

I hope you can improve your own condition & avoid the Metformin.

 

[Resurgam]

How many calories did you used to eat and how many do you eat now?

Oh gosh - all my notebooks and records are long gone - I think some were used to light barbecues in the first year after diagnosis along with the diet sheets from the GP.
As a rough guess I think my calorie intake must have gone up around 25% back in 2017

 

[Outlier]

I had to exist on between 500 and 800 calories per 24 hours to maintain what was then considered the "right" weight for my height. Back in the day, the ideal weight charts were based on pre-WW2 averages, when people were generally smaller and had poor nutrition unless either wealthy or in certain professions where they could access enough food. Nowadays the benchmark is set much higher.

I don't count calories at all now, but as an average on low-carb I probably have between 1500 and 2000 per day, usually the former. That's one helluva difference.

Edited to add - when I was younger I was taking part in extreme sports and had to be very fit. So that wasn't a case of not enough exercise. Nowadays I just walk between 1-2 hours per day.

 

[Skyrider]

I had to exist on between 500 and 800 calories per 24 hours to maintain what was then considered the "right" weight for my height. Back in the day, the ideal weight charts were based on pre-WW2 averages, when people were generally smaller and had poor nutrition unless either wealthy or in certain professions where they could access enough food. Nowadays the benchmark is set much higher.

I don't count calories at all now, but as an average on low-carb I probably have between 1500 and 2000 per day, usually the former. That's one helluva difference.

Edited to add - when I was younger I was taking part in extreme sports and had to be very fit. So that wasn't a case of not enough exercise. Nowadays I just walk between 1-2 hours per day.

Do you mean 500 - 800 calories/day was to maintain weight, rather than lose weight? OMG!

 

[Outlier]

Yeah - I thought I was a body type that made the most of any food, but now I know that carbs and sugars weren't for me. I ate very healthily for a non-insulin-challenged person, but in those days we were encouraged to eat "healthy" carbs. Not healthy for some of us.

 

[Dave1975]

I had to exist on between 500 and 800 calories per 24 hours to maintain what was then considered the "right" weight for my height. Back in the day, the ideal weight charts were based on pre-WW2 averages, when people were generally smaller and had poor nutrition unless either wealthy or in certain professions where they could access enough food. Nowadays the benchmark is set much higher.

I don't count calories at all now, but as an average on low-carb I probably have between 1500 and 2000 per day, usually the former. That's one helluva difference.

Edited to add - when I was younger I was taking part in extreme sports and had to be very fit. So that wasn't a case of not enough exercise. Nowadays I just walk between 1-2 hours per day.

500-800 calories is way too low. Unhealthy low.

 

[Outlier]

It was the only way I could keep my weight to a "healthy" level.

 

[Art Of Flowers]

If you are tired while fasting, take a look at this video ...

Basically - you need to keep your carbs low and need vitamins and minerals to help you burn fat ...

I found that taking Benfotiamine (Vitamin B1) helped me get over the weight loss plateau. B1 also helps you increase your energy.

 

[Skyrider]

If you are tired while fasting, take a look at this video ...

Basically - you need to keep your carbs low and need vitamins and minerals to help you burn fat ...

I found that taking Benfotiamine (Vitamin B1) helped me get over the weight loss plateau. B1 also helps you increase your energy.

That was interesting, thank you.

My carbs are nowhere near that low & probably never will be, although I can certainly reduce them somewhat.

I take all the vitamins & minerals mentioned. I did take MCT oil for a while, but have recently stopped it. I will try reintroducing it...

 

[zand]

It was the only way I could keep my weight to a "healthy" level.

Me too

 

[AloeSvea]

I began a reduced carb/reduced calorie diet approximately 5 weeks ago.

I was initially losing approximately 0.5kg per week, but seemed to have reached a plateau, with no further weight loss during the last week. Calorie deficit for the weight loss is approximately 500 calories.

Also, I have noticed a significant loss of energy since commencing the diet, leaving me unable to complete my usual number of daily steps & other activities.

I’m wondering if all this is normal & where to go from here?

I don’t want to drop calories too much & feel unable to increase activity due to the aforementioned loss of energy which is requiring me to pace myself.

I'm always happy to add my peasant-pov on these topics. I find it very helpful to look at food as fuel. (Wonderful fabulous enjoyable fuel, when it goes right.)

So, of course it's normal to have less energy when your fuel is low! 500 calories is a teeny tiny amount of food. To just keep our motor running you need about three times that, or, of course - you are getting the fuel from that back up fuel tank? Your body fat stores. But that comes at a price, as the switch between glucose fuel and fat fuel if not fat adapted can be a tricky one. Worth it of course, if your aim is to use up your body fat fuel stores! And help your blood glucose regulation system function more normally or better, or not as bad! (Depending on how your type two diabetes plays out. Or in your case - mild blood glucose dysregulation in that you're getting yours back to normal before hitting type two, hopefully which will not happen.)

As mentioned above, one of the problems with switching to fat burning fuel is the electrolyte balance thing. So, upping your salt, after years of fearing salt, can be strange. I know it was for me. 'Keto flu' apparently is hugely about electrolyte balance at the beginning of the fuel switch.

 

[Resurgam]

500-800 calories is way too low. Unhealthy low.

When I lived in the Midlands I was pressured to keep on reducing calories and eating 'healthy' carbs, and got down to 550calories a day and was still not losing any significant amount of weight. I was being told I needed to go down further when I moved house. I was so feeble I had to get the movers to pack my belongings as I could not do it myself.

 

[Outlier]

I didn't suffer from energy loss - I was younger then! but I was very hungry and on rather a short fuse from the constant pain. Some folks don't get hungry, or it passes, but I'm not one of them. Swapping low-calorie for low-carb, I have a sufficiency of energy for an old person, and am only hungry at a sensible level after long spells of intermittent fasting.

 

[Skyrider]

I'm always happy to add my peasant-pov on these topics. I find it very helpful to look at food as fuel. (Wonderful fabulous enjoyable fuel, when it goes right.)

So, of course it's normal to have less energy when your fuel is low! 500 calories is a teeny tiny amount of food. To just keep our motor running you need about three times that, or, of course - you are getting the fuel from that back up fuel tank? Your body fat stores. But that comes at a price, as the switch between glucose fuel and fat fuel if not fat adapted can be a tricky one. Worth it of course, if your aim is to use up your body fat fuel stores! And help your blood glucose regulation system function more normally or better, or not as bad! (Depending on how your type two diabetes plays out. Or in your case - mild blood glucose dysregulation in that you're getting yours back to normal before hitting type two, hopefully which will not happen.)

As mentioned above, one of the problems with switching to fat burning fuel is the electrolyte balance thing. So, upping your salt, after years of fearing salt, can be strange. I know it was for me. 'Keto flu' apparently is hugely about electrolyte balance at the beginning of the fuel switch.

Thank you for your pov, which is helpful.

Just to clarify: the 500 calories is the deficit, i.e. the reduction from my usual number. It is not the amount I am actually consuming.

Hopefully my glucose/insulin control is improving, but I won't know until my next A1c check happens, whenever that may be. Anyway, I need to give it sufficient time to make a difference, it's early days for me.

Yes, the electrolyte issue was a new one on me & one which caught me out, as previously mentioned. Hopefully no more problems in that area.

 

[Skyrider]

When I lived in the Midlands I was pressured to keep on reducing calories and eating 'healthy' carbs, and got down to 550calories a day and was still not losing any significant amount of weight. I was being told I needed to go down further when I moved house. I was so feeble I had to get the movers to pack my belongings as I could not do it myself.

I'm led to believe that the metabolic rate can adjust by up to 40% of its original value. That is, if you reduce from, say, 2000 calories/day down to 1200 calories/day, your metabolic rate will eventually slow to maintain weight on those 1200 calories. I suppose that a further reduction in calories is required for further weight loss, although this sounds pretty severe, as in your own case. I think that this point is also where hunger becomes a real issue.

 

[Dave1975]

When I lived in the Midlands I was pressured to keep on reducing calories and eating 'healthy' carbs, and got down to 550calories a day and was still not losing any significant amount of weight. I was being told I needed to go down further when I moved house. I was so feeble I had to get the movers to pack my belongings as I could not do it myself.

Thats Crazy!

Your metabolism would have been shot to pieces.
Are you eating more now?

 

[Resurgam]

Thats Crazy!

Your metabolism would have been shot to pieces.
Are you eating more now?

Yes - but my metabolism did slow down - the rate my hair and nails grow, for instance, is lower than average. I usually cut my hair on or around my birthday and take off about three inches.
My weight has reduced significantly since I was diagnosed type 2, as I now no longer restrict anything other than carbs, but I do avoid foods containing seed oils and grain in particular.
I can happily go 12 hours without eating, so I eat twice a day, morning and evening.

 

[Dave1975]

Yes - but my metabolism did slow down - the rate my hair and nails grow, for instance, is lower than average. I usually cut my hair on or around my birthday and take off about three inches.
My weight has reduced significantly since I was diagnosed type 2, as I now no longer restrict anything other than carbs, but I do avoid foods containing seed oils and grain in particular.
I can happily go 12 hours without eating, so I eat twice a day, morning and evening.

Good to hear you are doing better mate!