Weight Loss Type 2 Daibetic

[Petecoom]

Hi all
I guess I have been diabetic for a year now. I seem to have managed my sugar levels according to my last consultation and I am on week 49 since I smoked a ciggi. :lol: However, I'm finding the weight loss bit very hard. Anybody help please. :?:

 

[daisy1]

Hi Pete First of all congratulations on giving up smoking. I did it too so know how extremely difficult it is :shock: Unfortunately people frequently put on weight when they give up smoking. I see from when you joined the forum that you didn't get a copy of the basic information given to new members by the forum monitors. This might help with your weight. Someone else will probably be along soon to give you more information about losing weight. There is a fairly recent forum on weight loss which might contain information that will be useful for you:

viewforum.php?f=27

Here is the advice that Ken and I, as Forum Monitors, usually give to newly diagnosed Diabetics. We hope that these few ideas gained through experience help you to gain control and give you some understanding of Diabetes. This forum doesn't always follow the recommended dietary advice, you have to work out what works for you as we are all different.

It's not just 'sugars' you need to avoid, diabetes is an inability to process glucose properly. Carbohydrate converts, in the body, to glucose. So it makes sense to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat which includes sugars.

For more information on CARBOHYDRATE see here:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20306

This is NOT a low carb diet suggestion, just a reduction in your intake of carbohydrate. You have to decide yourself how much of a reduction will keep your blood glucose levels in control.

The main carbs to avoid OR reduce are the complex or starchy carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, starchy root veg and also any flour based products. The starchy carbs all convert 100% to glucose in the body and raise the blood sugar levels significantly.

If you are on Insulin you may find that reducing the carb intake also means that you can reduce your dose of insulin. This can help you to keep weight gain down as Insulin tends to make you put on weight and eventually cause insulin resistance. This should be done slowly so as not to cause hypos.

The way to find out how different foods affect you is to do regular daily testing and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks. If you test just before eating, then two hours after eating, you will see the effect of certain foods on your blood glucose levels. Some foods, which are slow acting carbohydrates, are absorbed more slowly so you may need to test three or even four hours later to see the effect that these have on your blood glucose levels.

Buy yourself a carb counter book (you can get these on-line) and you will be able to work out how much carbs you are eating, when you test, the reading two hours after should be roughly the same as the before eating reading, if it is then that meal was fine, if it isn’t then you need to check what you have eaten and think about reducing the portion size of carbs.

When you are buying products check the total carbohydrate content, this includes the sugar content. Do not just go by the amount of sugar on the packaging as this is misleading to a diabetic.


As for a tester, try asking the nurse/doctor and explain that you want to be proactive in managing your own diabetes and therefore need to test so that you can see just how foods affect your blood sugar levels. Hopefully this will work ! Sometimes they are not keen to give Type 2’s the strips on prescription, (in the UK) but you can but try!!

For TIPS FOR STRIPS see here:

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=19002#p173253

If you are an Insulin user in theory you should have no problem getting test strips.

The latest 2011 NICE guidelines for Bg levels are as follows:
Fasting (waking and before meals).......between 4 - 7 mmol/l...(Type 1 & 2)
2 hrs after meals........................no more than 8.5 mmol/l.....( Type 2)

2hrs after meals......................... no more than 9 mmol/l ......(Type 1)

If you are able to keep the post meal numbers lower, so much the better.

It also helps if you can do at least 30 minutes moderate exercise a day, it can be split into 10 min sessions to start with. It doesn't have to be strenuous.

The above is just general advice and it is recommended that you discuss with your HCP before making any changes. You can also ask questions on the forum on anything that is not clear.

Finally a few QUESTIONS TO ASK AT DIABETES CLINIC.

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=17091



Sue/Ken.

 

[Petecoom]

Thanks that's very helpful.

 

[Gappy]

Oh dear! I'm finding weight loss fairly easy! I had a weakness for bread so I cut that out a lot, I find I don't miss toast with breakfast just cereals and a cuppa is fine. And I have a wrist injury so don't wear a watch so often don't feel hungry just coz my watch says it's dinner time.

 

[spendercat]

Are you taking one or more of the diabetes drugs? Some of them have the effect of weight gain.

I am using diet alone, and as I do not allow myself to eat between meals (puts BG up), or eat large portions (puts BG up) I am inevitably losing weight at a slow rate. It seems natural that with less insulin in the system, more body fat will be mobilised, as insulin is the fat storage hormone.

If you ARE using diet to control your BG, perhaps you should look at another type of diet. Although that might seem risky if you have established good control. the GI or GL diet looks a good one for slimmers.

If all else fails, you could try exercise, (ach, wash my mouth out). Or, maybe, you are already at your fighting weight?

Good luck with the problem, from ANGELA

 

[robertconroy]

Lucky thing is the best way to lose weight also lowers your glucose and your insulin at the same time. Reason weight loss is hard for type 2 diabetics is because we usually have high insulin levels. The other is most drugs given for type 2 raise your insulin levels. Some of the other types like Avandia and Actos help pack on a few stones as well.

All you have to do is lower your insulin levels.

When your inslin levels go down, so will your fat and so will your blood sugar. All you have to do is go buy a book on the glycemic index and loads. This will tell you what to eat and what not to eat.

See, insulin is the fat storage hormone. Raise it and fat goes up, lower it and fat goes down. The other thing is exercise. Just do a 30 minute walk every day with some friends or join a dancing group. If it's fun, you'll keep doing it. A little exercise will lower your insulin, your glucose, and reduce your insulin resistance. So eat low glycemic and exercise = weight loss (and helps type 2 diabetes). Remember - high insulin levels is what causes type 2 in the first place. :shock:

 

[Dougie22]

You don't say how heavy you are or what your weight history is which makes it harder as everybody is different.

In my case, I have been 18 to 19 stones for maybe five or six years and really struggled to make much impact on it. I knew what a healthy diet was and ate it......but I also had frequent meals out, McDonalds, curries, dinner parties (with lots of wine), holidays (they don't count - do they?), binge nights with drink and crisps (lots of them), etc.

The result was that I'd frequently get near the bottom of the range, then move back up. I was a member of a gym but last year I went 40 times (less than once a week), again in spurts.

Since being diagnosed, and desperately wanting to avoid a lot of meds, I've more or less stuck to the healthy stuff, cut carbs (after joining this forum), drastically reduced my wine intake and gone to the gym three times a week, every week (I'm now semi-retired or I couldn't manage that).

The weight is finally going (now 17 stones).

So I think it's a combination of cut the rubbish (and some carbs if you are T2), reduce the calories you eat and increase the calories you burn.

I think most people in middle age who are diagnosed with T2 already know what a healthy diet is. They're just not sticking to it (if not your Dr should get you an appointment with a dietician once you've been diagnosed T2).

For me, so far, the T2 has been a wake up call and I'm already lighter and fitter than I've been in years, although I still have a long way to go.

Hope this helps and good luck.