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Type 2 weight loss plateau

DiamondAsh

Well-Known Member
Messages
641
Location
Walsall
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Disregard for authority. Noise.
When I started my low carb diet 10lbs of weight fell off me in 3 weeks and since then I've not lost an ounce. For another 3 weeks no weight has come off. I'm very disappointed because I'm hardly eating anything. I eat home made soup and vegetable stews. My carb intake is low but I don't know what the figure is for it.
 
How do you know your carbs are low if you don't know what the figure is?

Soups and stews can be quite high in carbs but you don't say what ingredients you are using.

Better advice may be available if you can tell us something of what you typically eat in a normal day.
 
I suggest you keep a food diary, perhaps using myfitnesspal?

Log what you eat, and what it contains in terms of Fat,Protein, Carbs and Cals
 
Low Carb weight loss is just as fraught with plateaux, set back and depressing halts as any other kind of weight loss, I am afraid. Sad but true.

It seems to depend on a whole host of factors including (but not limited to) current weight, weight to lose, weight already lost, activity and exercise levels, carb intake, calorie intake, water intake, sleep levels, nutrition choices, fat intake, protein intake, and so on. Hormones and age seem to play a huge role as well.

@Indy51 posted a couple of great links recently showing how these plateaux are really very understandable and commonplace.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/dr-stephen-phinney-on-lchf-ketosis.114149/#post-1356624

and @kokhongw posted this excellent link
https://optimisingnutrition.com/2017/01/15/how-optimize-your-diet-for-your-insulin-resistance/

Please don't assume that going on a low carb diet is the answer to Everything. Sometimes it is, but the rest of us often have to learn the hard way that removing the obvious carbs is just the first layer of the onion.
 

Thank you for this info. It is most helpful.
 
I have a similar experience, losing about four pounds in the first week, and then much more slowly. I started a month ago. I have seen no change for the last three days despite keeping my carbs under 50g and my kcals under 800. Problem may be that I am not greatly overweight - age 76, BMI 26, weight 12st exactly. The advice I have received is to aim for 10st10lb, but at this rate it will take a hundred years! If the self-denial achieves nothing then I can't see what else I can do. Please continue to let us know how you are doing. We might be able to encourage each other.
 
What would you put in a soup or stew? I am always looking for new low carb foods.
 
DiamondAsh said:
Because I am eating hardly any carbs at all!!!
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I was the same but I have been more strict with counting and realise I was probably having closer to 40g carbs than 20g. It's easy done if you eat a lot of veg. I got the new Atkins new you and the Atkins carb counter and I am a lot clearer about how much I am having now. Although I don't eat 3 meals and 2 snacks as advocated on Atkins initial induction. I am also doing 18/24 fast meaning I eat within 6 hours to reduce insulin. I am also trying to stick to 20g carbs. Things that help me are lots of eggs, small portions protein like 3/4 oz or 100g fish/meat. Small portions veg/salad. Reasonable amount good fats. I also have flax crackers with Philadelphia or peanut butter or mackerel pate if feeling hungry. They are only 1 carb each. Recipe on gooddiabeticbaking.com. Best wishes it's not easy is it?
 
chalup said:
What would you put in a soup or stew? I am always looking for new low carb foods.
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Broccoli and Stilton. Sauté an onion in butter, add 2 large heads broccoli and chicken oxo cubes in boiling water, simmer then blitz in blender and add Stilton which will melt and that's it.
 

Hi there, I'm glad it's not just me then. I have plenty of weight to lose and was pleased to see 10lbs drop off me. At least I'm on a healthy diet now.
 
debbiedoodles said:
I was the same but I have been more strict with counting and realise I was probably having closer to 40g carbs than 20g. It's easy done if you eat a lot of veg.
Click to expand...

I think you're on to something there. As I've gone off meat just recently, and am intolerant to eggs, I've been eating copious amounts of veggies, mainly broccoli and carrots. Some days I am at a complete loss as to what to eat.
Thanks for your help.
 
chalup said:
What would you put in a soup or stew? I am always looking for new low carb foods.
Click to expand...
I make a broccoli and stilton soup . I put onion in it too and butter. I use an automatic soup maker. They are really quite delicious.

My stews are quite bland, as I'm still learning. But I put casserole veg in there and onion with oxo cubes and mixed herbs.
 
If you are not eating much at all then you'll have put your body into economy mode.
I eat according to Atkins, and so don't think about calories, use cream and oily salad dressings, I only restrict carbs, so nothing over 10 percent carbs, lots of green salads, low carb vegetable mixes, small portions of peas and green beans, but no other legumes. On this level before diagnosis I would have been losing more weight each week, but I spent too long on the so called cholesterol lowering diet and getting into ketosis is far harder now.
The amount of carbs you eat, and where it is sourced is important, and it isn't a fixed diet sheet way of eating. You need to establish your carb count for losing weight, and which foods you can and can't eat - as it varies person to person. That is the great thing about doing Atkins, you eliminate all but the lightest carb foods, then see what happens as you go through the process - some people find they can eat quite a lot of some foods and still lose weight, others discover which foods stop their weightloss. You do need to weigh and measure, and ensure that you are not doing low calorie as well as low carb.
 

Are you able to increase the amount of exercise you do? I find walking 20 minutes a day really helped me shift my excess.
 
Hi @smithjohns Surely 800 cals is far too low? I find if I go too low, my weight loss seizes up. I think the metabolism thinks it won't be getting any more, so it stops losing lbs.
 
Carb creep is very common. I can't eat broccoli in any amount worth making and carrots are way too carb rich for me.
Generally I stick to asparagus, mushrooms, bok choy, some celery and scallion onions. Other onions are very carb rich too if you're trying to stay under 20. Green beans and Brussels sprouts but in very small amounts.

I eat an avocado a day divided into 3 meals. Very filling, keeps bs steady and a great healthy fat.

I make a mushroom gravy that could easily be soup to put your protein in. Btw, excess protein can turn to bs and on a low carb diet can stall weight loss

Gravy/ soup is sauted mushrooms, garlic, olive oil, scallion onion, broth, oregano, Sage, salt and pepper all blended in a blender. Freezes well too.
 
You may want to add more fat, not a panacea but it may kick start you. Avocado with prawns and mayo, MCT oil or coconut oil in coffee. Grate some cheese on your soup, fry your diced veg in butter before making the soup.
I have lost precisely 1/4 pound yes a quarter of a pound in 2 weeks on less than 20 grams a day, no grain no wheat. You just have to persevere.
 
I've lost 50 pounds since March 2016. I would like to loose another 50. And it was by no means a straight line down.
You can be doing everything right and the scale does not move down it might even go up a pound or two. The key is not give up.
It was explained to me by my trainer. It is normal to loose in clusters. Meaning you go down a few pounds then your body has to get "comfortable" with that then it takes a while to drop the next few.
While you are on a plateau tweek your food and exercise. Maybe a bit more fat and Less carbs. And for women much more then men hormones play a large role.
 
I have lost 10kgs within one month which has given me such an amazing high and although my heart sank when I read that there is a low or no weight loss around the corner I am glad that I have found this out now so can be prepared and not to give up which I would have done before.
So glad to have been pre warned.
Thank you.
 
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