Type 1 Why am I losing weight so frustratingly slowly?

[Catsymoo]

Hiya. All my life I have struggled with my weight. I feel like my entire life has been one big diet and depressing. I was a size 22 at age 17 and lost a ton of weight when I switched to healthy food. Then even more when I developed type 1. Even then I wasn't slim. During the honeymoon period (2012) of type 1 I got down to a size 12-14. I felt good but since then I'm back up to 16-18. I'm about 5'5" and I weigh 14.5 stone. I look lighter than I am. I've tried everything and I think about how fat I am on a daily basis to almost obsession. I hate myself. The worst part is, I've eaten pretty healthy the last 10 years.

Since Christmas I bought myself a Nutribullet and I've been living off of lentil vegetable soup for main meals. And I drink my smoothies slowly. (I make 750ml of mostly green smoothie and it lasts 3 days). For some odd reason I need about 10-12 units of Novorapid to cover a bowl of my soup even though it only consists of red lentils, carrots, onion and celery and some stock. Now, I have had a cold the last 2 weeks and it's winter which doesn't help. I feel really healthy and my skin is glowing. My work clothes (which have no give whatsoever) feel a little baggier but the scales say the EXACT same! I've barely eaten any bread, rice, pasta or anything. I've been freezing banana slices and eating Alpro soya desserts for a sweet fix and sometimes those Nakd fruit and nut bites but never more than a handful at a time. I'm still on 24-27 units of Lantus and if I'll be honest, my sugars haven't been great. Not super high or anything, but I've seen a lot of 8-11 readings. I have had way less hypos though. Overall I am eating way less carbs than I was last year.

I just want to lose weight and I don't know how much more "clean" I can eat. It's frustrating seeing my friends drop a stone simply by giving up takeaways for 3 weeks or whatever. And here I am struggling. I'm pretty active, my job is 5-6 hours of non stop walking 5 times a week. I seem to gain weight super easy and it's 1000x harder to shift it. I know I should learn to love myself in my own skin, because I am very attractive despite having huge hips, but I just can't like my body at all, especially with the bruises from injections. I should be grateful that I've lost a little weight at least, it's just so slow, and going on the hardcore low carbing cost me so much money last time, and I felt really miserable. I also gained weight. So please don't suggest that.

 

[BooJewels]

Others are much more nutritionally aware than me, so hopefully will give you some advice about the weight loss.

But if you were my daughter, I'd be worrying about what you were eating - it doesn't sound very enjoyable, sustainable or nutritious to me. Where is your protein and fat - the eggs, olive oil, cheese, milk, butter, yogurt, fish and meat? Whilst vegetables are valuable for fibre (do you reduce that if you blitz them smooth?), minerals and vitamins, there's not much in them to fuel you, they should supplement other foods, not replace them. And a smooth veggie soup isn't going to make you feel full for long. Fat and protein will help even out your BG too.

If your post is honest about all that you do eat, then my gut feeling is that you're not eating enough to lose weight, your body is perhaps reluctant to give up any of its reserves and your metabolism slows if you don't eat enough, or of the right things. I think you need more fat and protein. Think of it as a way of life, not a short-fix diet - your current eating plan doesn't sound sustainable long-term. You need to settle on a way of life you can stick with, keeps your weight steady and evens out your BG.

 

[urbanracer]

Hi @Catsymoo

The issues of activity levels can be misleading. My partner works in the care sector and is pretty much on her feet for a 12hr shift. She is knackered at the end of the day but she still puts on weight.

I can burn fat by going for regular brisk walks but some people do not burn fat easily and you may be the kind of person who has to acheive an elevated heart rate for 20mins or more before you even get into the fat burning cycle (TALK TO YOUR DOC BEFORE DOING THIS).

Why did hardcore low carbing cost you a lot of money? What were you buying?

 

[Catsymoo]

Others are much more nutritionally aware than me, so hopefully will give you some advice about the weight loss.

But if you were my daughter, I'd be worrying about what you were eating - it doesn't sound very enjoyable, sustainable or nutritious to me. Where is your protein and fat - the eggs, olive oil, cheese, milk, butter, yogurt, fish and meat? Whilst vegetables are valuable for fibre (do you reduce that if you blitz them smooth?), minerals and vitamins, there's not much in them to fuel you, they should supplement other foods, not replace them. And a smooth veggie soup isn't going to make you feel full for long. Fat and protein will help even out your BG too.

If your post is honest about all that you do eat, then my gut feeling is that you're not eating enough to lose weight, your body is perhaps reluctant to give up any of its reserves and your metabolism slows if you don't eat enough, or of the right things. I think you need more fat and protein. Think of it as a way of life, not a short-fix diet - your current eating plan doesn't sound sustainable long-term. You need to settle on a way of life you can stick with, keeps your weight steady and evens out your BG.

Thanks for your input, I really appreciate it since my post was such a rant lol. I don't blend my soup. It's not smooth. It's made in a pan. I add flax seeds to my smoothies for extra fat, and if we have it I the house I'll add chicken to my soup. Lentils have quite a lot of protein, I was worried I wasn't getting enough so I try to add little things to it to help. I've been having almond milk too. I was eating a lot of protein before Christmas and I gained weight, so I cut it down. 2 days a week I'm not home and I'll eat a little differently. Not unhealthy, just differently. (I'll buy Naked smoothie/juice, eat bananas and might have the odd tuna sandwich and store bought soup for dinner).

 

[BooJewels]

There was something else I wanted to post and couldn't bring it to mind - and just remembered. Try putting your numbers into this calculator and see what it recommends for your nutritional balance:

http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/DietMakeupCalc.php

 

[Catsymoo]

Hi @Catsymoo

The issues of activity levels can be misleading. My partner works in the care sector and is pretty much on her feet for a 12hr shift. She is knackered at the end of the day but she still puts on weight.

I can burn fat by going for regular brisk walks but some people do not burn fat easily and you may be the kind of person who has to acheive an elevated heart rate for 20mins or more before you even get into the fat burning cycle (TALK TO YOUR DOC BEFORE DOING THIS).

Why did hardcore low carbing cost you a lot of money? What were you buying?

To feel full I had to have some kind of bulk with my meal, so I bought zero carb pastas, ate a lot of eggs and meat. I know you can do it cheap, but I was miserable and hungry. And honestly I felt like **** and my skin looked awful. I don't believe low carbing is natural considering normal people eat carbs and maintain healthy weight as long as they aren't gorging on white carbs. I think everything in moderation is key to happiness and health. My job is personal shopper and our speed targets are almost impossible unless you walk really fast. It's literally non stop and my heart rate does go up for sure. I like my job for that exact reason. I also walk home which takes an hour or so. I think my weird work hours are contributing. I start at 4am and I don't sleep properly. I nap during the day.

 

[Indy51]

If you haven't already done so, have your Vitamin D3 levels checked as it is almost impossible to lose weight if you're deficient.

 

[Finsky]

Hi...I can only offer my sympathies....sitting on that same boat and I always have been. Though...I have lost some weight and that has been permanent weight loss, but it took me years...yes, that slow!
I wonder too if you are not eating enough...I certainly haven't put any weight on since giving out all that low fat and gimmicky food...just box standard stuff for me..slightly less carbs and bit more protein. Oh and some 'real' fats.
I've been told many times that I should correct my sleeping patterns before I can see any big improvements to my situation, but what can you do, changing life time habit of being night owl...even harder than dieting!
Maybe you need to concentrate more of your blood sugars and keeping that healthy look on your face...if you can achieve those, at least you are doing something right that you body with agree with. Weight..well, if it doesn't go up anymore..staying same is good..and maybe it will sloooooooooowly come down when you don't expect it.
Sorry...can't be much help...but at least you know others struggle with it too...

 

[Daphne917]

@Catsymoo do you know how many calories you are eating and have you had your Thyroid levels checked? I have always has weight issues and found it impossible to lose weight to the extent that if I didn't eat enough I would get ill as my metabolism would go into starvation mode and start shutting down my body. I was also told by a consultant that I was one of his few patients who could truly blame their metabolism for their weight and that I would find it impossible to lose weight until my Thyroid decided what it was going to do ie under or over active. Fast forward approx 30 years and I finally started treatment for an under-active Thyroid 2 years ago, switched to a low carb ful fat diet and I have lost about 2.5 stone so far and, whilst my weight loss has slowed, I'm still losing about 1-2lb per month.