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Why no weight loss?

francesk

Well-Known Member
Messages
182
Type of diabetes
Type 2
I've been seriously adhering to the low carb diet for a fortnight now, have kept my carbs to 60 or under, and lost a measly 0.6 of a kilo! I'm being as active as I can, walking or exercising each day but now feel rather despairing! I'm having a keto egg muffin in the morning, some cheese and a bit of Parma ham around lunchtime, and fish or chicken with either salad or courgette and brocolli with a spoonful of mashed celeriac in the evening! Drinking mostly green tea and one or occasionally two coffees - black.
No sugar, biscuit or cake has passed my lips since New Year. My only indulgence has been a bacon roll, which I've counted in my carbs.
I've been using the Carb manager app to log everything so I know the value of what I've eaten. Any ideas please anyone?
 
At my "fastest" weight loss, I lost half a kilo per week. That became half a kilo per month, now I'm pretty much stalled, either due to too much protein in my diet or because of peri-menopause. Either way, my belly's not budging any further. We're all different... And for some it takes a few weeks or even months to start noticing significant loss. Some don't see it on the scales, but do actually notice their belt needs tightening to keep their pants up. It's not an overnight thing, and weight loss is the secondary goal: the main aim is to get your blood sugars under control, to avoid complications that can lead to amputations, kidneyfaillure, heartfaillure and what have you. When your body gets used to the new normal, you will, seeing what you're eating, lose weight. But a fortnight is a bit short, and you did lose some weight... Maybe not as much as you would've liked, but it's a start. And we all have to start somewhere. I started at well over 100 kilo's. I don't even know how heavy I'd gotten because I stopped weighing myself after I hit 102. I'm 83 now. And if I have to stay that way, fine, but believe me... It took a while to get to this point. It wasn't done in a couple of weeks. Patience. Keep at it. Don't give up. If you're not seeing a difference on the scales, do you notice one in your blood glucose? Then maybe focus on that for a bit, because that IS an achievement thought impossible by a lot of the medical professionals...
 
Hi francesk, I agree with JoKalsbeek, a fortnight is a very short time. It has been said that most people notice a difference in their Blood Glucose (if measuring regularly) before they see much weight come off. In my case I started cutting carbs before I bought my BG meter, so I can't comment.

You call it a 'Low Carb diet'- now the word 'diet' is often taken to mean a calorie restriction of some sort. Are you eating less Calories? When I went onto a LCHF 'Way Of Eating' I probably increased my total Calories overall since I substituted fatty food full fat dairy, eggs and fattier meat for the carbs that I was cutting out. It was only after I became 'fat adapted' that I was able to cut portions and skip meals without feeling hungry.
I'm a Type 2 TOFI, so I (wrongly) assumed that I didn't need to lose weight.
My weight is currently stabilizing at about 147lbs down from 170lbs - so I lost around 12% of total body weight, and that was over a 4 month period. But I was 'eating to my meter' so far as carbs were concerned and found myself down at the almost Keto end of the Low Carb scale 20gms to 50gms per day.

However we are all different: in genetics, metabolism ( have you reduced yours by a crash diet?), gut biome, personal tastes and preferences etc.
 
I did LCHF very seriously just over 2 years ago and lost 4.5 stone. Unfortunately things happened last year and my diet went to pieces and I've put 1.5 stone back on. I still need to lose another 2 to 3 stone to be happy about my weight. My blood sugars are good, but in the 24 years I've been diabetic I've already done the damage - diabetic retinopathy, CKD - next step is dialysis and a long list of other illnesses. So I know that I can do it, and will keep trying, but it gets so depressing when I'm not seeing much difference!
 
Do you have a BG meter and test strips? If you do and can afford to spend on them, then I suggest you just eat to satiety, but only eat carbs such as to keep your BG low. By that I mean it should ideally be below 8mmol/L 2hrs after first bite of each meal. Tis is a shock to many who have been led to believe that much higher BG levels are OK!
Once you know how much a certain meal affects you (and are happy with it) you don't need to test so often.

If you so this, and only eat when you are hungry then you are controlling the thing you have control over. Then (God willing) your Diabetic Retinopathy and other conditions may improve - several members have reported this, though I got into 'remission' before I was in danger of complications.
 
Yes, although T2 I'm on insulin and have been for about 12 years. My retinopathy has had a lot of laser work and I've had cataracts taken out of both eyes. Fortunately the condition is stable, and regularly checked.
I've been retesting about 2 hrs after supper, and my sugars are very seldom more than about 2.5 up, and are normal the next morning. It's just the lack of weight loss that's bothering me, but I suppose that a fortnight isn't very long.
 
Insulin is the 'fat regulating hormone'. In my opinion its almost impossible to lose weight while Insulin is high because since it safely stores away Blood Glucose in fat cells, it also inhibits the re-use as energy of the fat in those cells - so you tend to keep putting weight on unless you are restricting calories severely.

This makes it much more understandable that all you have 'only' lost 0.6 kg this time on Low Carb.

My recollection is that in general Low Carb is 'safe', or even beneficial for the Kidneys. - Perhaps somebody will confirm or refute this.

The following suggestion assumes that your Beta Cells in your pancreas are still working OK (producing 'enough insulin) and that you are only prescribed Insulin because of Insulin Resistance:
If you want to achieve remission from T2D and the associated Retinopathy (and an Neuropathy), then unfortunately you will almost certainly need cooperation from your GP or DN in reducing your Insulin dose (or coming off it altogether).
Various members have achieved this, but the Insulin prescription makes it much more tricky since you need to avoid Hypos.

Edited to add:
There are NHS Guidelines for reducing medication for patients following a Low Carb diet.
Here is the link: https://bjgp.org/content/69/684/360
 
Best tip for low-carb dieting. Buy a tape measure.
You tend to still see movement there rather than on the scales.
Use at least 4 measurement sites and add the results. Far more motivating.
 
Just to echo what everyone else is saying here, it does sometimes take a while. I suspect that you'll suddenly see a drop if you stick to it. After a binge period (we travel a lot), it takes me weeks to get out of the addiction and back to the good food, even though I know that I'm going to feel better as a result. Give yourself a bit more time. A few suggestions - (1) try to do a bit of fasting - there's a lot of work being done on this subject (Dr Jason Fung) and I've managed to stick to that even when I'm being absolutely, revoltingly awful! Don't eat before 11h00 and don't eat after 19h00 (2) try to cut down on the preservatives - parma ham is processed (3) cut out the dairy completely until you see the weight dropping - it causes inflammation (4) increase the variation in your diet - diversify on the veggies, eat some avos, nuts, seeds as a snack. Over the Xmas and my "cheating" period, I managed to put on 8kg (heart broken, disgusted and disappointed) but after 4 days, I've lost 2+kgs. Just keep it up and without a doubt, you'll see the weight drop off. Good luck!
 
Three years on Low carb. My neuropathy has gone away, my retinopathy has gone away, my atrial fibrillation has almost stopped and my HB A1 C has gone down by 50% or more. As for weight loss I will not go near the scales, I cannot cope with the depression that it causes me, but I never had a waistline, before I did this I did not see a waistline for over 30 years. I am 67 years old now and guess what, I have a waistline now! The fat seems to have vanished from my back, from my belly and from my arms and hips. I don’t know what I weigh now, but I do know that I have a lot less fat on my body. Have patience, keep your carbs below 30 g a day, preferably below 20 g a day, and enjoy healthy fats and protein. It may take time, it took a long time for you to get as fat as you are now, but if you persevere you will get there in the end. I’m not yet skinny, but I am in no competition with anybody else, I just want to be well.
 
Hi in nov 2015 my weight was 107 k today I am 72 k I have not dieted as such Iread some where the best way to lose weight is watch what u put in your mouth just cut back on things like portion size try not to eat between meals dieting for every one takes time no quick fix be patient best of luck to all we each do it diffrent but this worked for me good luck to all
 
I’m currently doing Michael Mosley’s Fast 800 diet and the weight is dropping off. If I’m strict I can lose around a pound a day on it. It’s not easy as you are restricted to 800 calories. I bought both his book, which explains the science behind it, and the recipe book which is more useful. Basically, have a 200 calorie breakfast, 200 calorie lunch and a 400 calorie evening meal. Drink plenty of water. If you get peckish, buy some Hartleys 10 calorie jelly pots and have one of them, or an apple.

It’s working for me. You can only do it for 12 weeks at a time, but the recipe book gives you a maintenance plan for afterwards. I did it in the autumn and lost 3 stone in 12 weeks. Put a bit on over Christmas but now I’m back on it again and have already lost 8lbs in 10 days.

Recipes are mainly chicken in tomato based sauces, though you can have vege, fish or red meat on the diet. Or grilled chicken or fish and salad. Had a lovely Chicken Tagine for tea tonight. Just have it with steamed veg.
 
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Yeah, my understanding is that weight loss is harder if you are on insulin, in fact, it helps put weight on, and is considered one of the unfortunate side effects of those with insulin resistance based type 2 diabetes? When on insulin... I thought....

How insulin resistance with high levels of internally produced insulin affects weight loss in individuals does seem to differ wildly between individuals - which makes sense with a metabolic disease, which type two is - as it's about how the organs producing hormones and the fat cells which also produce hormones communicate with each other, the state of your cells, and then you have the digestive system functioning playing a major role with incretins (also hormones I guess? yes), and the gut biome with microorganisms having a say so in what happens inside you too, and are part of that blood glucose regulation system... there is a lot to form a dysfunction. Lots of areas for quite different individual responses.
 
Same here - it doesn't matter what I do it just doesn't work for me, depressing. I am so jealous when people report the weight falling off them. I can offer no help just sympathy.
 
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(insulin) resistance is futile but very persistent isn't it!
Its frustrating but try to re-position your goal to having better blood sugars and thinking of fat loss not what''s on the scales e.g. waist size and the slowing down of diabetic complications.
If you are being treated with steroids and/or are stressed your body will cling onto its fat. You are going to need to be very patient with it and keep feeding it this high quality in food in faith that things will come right. Fasting can be another way to signal to the body that its time to give up some 'supplies' but only do if you are not taking meds that need to be eaten with food etc. and do eat enough during your meals to keep you full.
 
I seem to remember posting similar when I started LC. Then it fell off, now its stopped again.

Patience and measuring.. I found I could fit into my 'thin' clothes again but it didn't show on the scales.
 
Thank you all so much - it's been really helpful reading all your answers, and I'm very please to say that the weight is starting to move! Nearly 2kg off in 10 days!
I now have something to aim for - apart from good health! I went to see my Renal consultant yesterday and he is going to put me on the Organ Transplant register! So I may possibly get a new kidney at some stage in the future, and may possibly be able to avoid dialysis, which is the best news ever for me. But I have to have a BMI of under 30.
I worked out that my BMI is 32.5 at present.

DAMTOV8 - I'm very interested in you saying your retinopathy has disappeared? Had you had surgery on your eyes? I've had quite a lot of surgery on both eyes and my night sight has reduced considerably - did you have these problems?

I'll be trying lots of the ideas posted, I've actually just read Michael Mosley's Fast 800 book, it's not much different to how I eat in any case, I always have a later breakfast and eat quite early in the evening so am doing all my food within 11 - 12 hours. So I think that mostly perseverance and up the exercise a bit will help.

Thank you all again x
 
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