Thread: I'm on a diet

The most important thing is to change the way you eat. Getting in control of your glycemic index.by getting rid of the whites in your diet (white bread, white rice, white sugar) is usually the first step. The thing is though that if you have certain health conditions like diabetes or only one kidney you can't go by the general rules. That is why you should see your doctor. Since I have only one kidney I can't do keto because it will destroy my remaining one. You really shouldn't do keto anyway except for very short periods because it can damage them even if you have 2.

As a general rule you should eat more frequently, less at a time and drink lots of ice water and keep your activity level high. Keeping your body from going into starvation mode is the real key. Waking up at 7:00, having nothing but coffee for breakfast, skipping lunch, eating a big dinner, parking it on the couch and falling asleep there is the absolute worst thing you can do for weight control. This keeps your body in starvation mode all day until dinner when much of what you eat turns straight into fat at your period of lowest activity misuses an otherwise adequate amount of calories even if you are eating the right things.

The way they told me to eat is hard to do because it is eating smaller amounts but every 3 hours. If you look at how much food it is it is probably more than you normally eat but often different kinds of things. Once you start doing it though you find that you don't even want the high starch carbs and you don't feel as hungry in between. You know that, "I just ate but I still want something to eat even though I'm not hungry, or the, "Why am I looking in the fridge? I'm not even hungry."? That all goes away once you get your body's glycemic index correct. The hardest part for me was keeping beer under control because that spikes your index and throws it all out of whack. I traded for red wine but even that is not the best.

Of course, if you have vigorous exercise every day this becomes less important for weight control but is still good for overall health.

Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

The most important thing is to change the way you eat. Getting in control of your glycemic index.by getting rid of the whites in your diet (white bread, white rice, white sugar) is usually the first step. The thing is though that if you have certain health conditions like diabetes or only one kidney you can't go by the general rules. That is why you should see your doctor. Since I have only one kidney I can't do keto because it will destroy my remaining one. You really shouldn't do keto anyway except for very short periods because it can damage them even if you have 2.

As a general rule you should eat more frequently, less at a time and drink lots of ice water and keep your activity level high. Keeping your body from going into starvation mode is the real key. Waking up at 7:00, having nothing but coffee for breakfast, skipping lunch, eating a big dinner, parking it on the couch and falling asleep there is the absolute worst thing you can do for weight control. This keeps your body in starvation mode all day until dinner when much of what you eat turns straight into fat at your period of lowest activity misuses an otherwise adequate amount of calories even if you are eating the right things.

The way they told me to eat is hard to do because it is eating smaller amounts but every 3 hours. If you look at how much food it is it is probably more than you normally eat but often different kinds of things. Once you start doing it though you find that you don't even want the high starch carbs and you don't feel as hungry in between. You know that, "I just ate but I still want something to eat even though I'm not hungry, or the, "Why am I looking in the fridge? I'm not even hungry."? That all goes away once you get your body's glycemic index correct. The hardest part for me was keeping beer under control because that spikes your index and throws it all out of whack. I traded for red wine but even that is not the best.

Of course, if you have vigorous exercise every day this becomes less important for weight control but is still good for overall health.

Thanks Paul, I am diabetic and I can't do too much excercise because i use a cane and probably always will. I go up stairs by leading with my right foot on every stair and just pulling my left up behind, actually I have noticed that my right knee is starting to give me trouble by usinging it on evey stair to pull my whole weight up.

I do know what you mean about more but smaller meals and avoid white stuff.

I drink tea in a pint mug at breakfast with 3 spoons of white sugar and a pint and a half of coffee with 4 spoons of sugar while I veg out in front of the Telly in the evening. I'm not good at portion control either and anything my wife can't eat ends up on my plate too.

I have an appointment next month with the dietician but I don't have high hopes. The things she say's I should eat for my blood sugar makes it go out of site, what diabetic eats Oatmeal for Christsakes.

I will do what I always do and live on a chicken thigh and half a cup of salad, it makes my lose weight and I lost 70 pounds last time but as soon as I come off it and have a sensible meal, back it starts to come, so fast it's scary. I'm 5'8" and 170 pounds, just draw a circle with a head and you will have an idea what I look like.

Of course, I don't understand when people tell me I should get in shape, round is a shape.

I only got fat and diabetic since coming to Canada, in England I had a 34 inch waist.

Weight gain. High blood pressure and diabetes is usually affected by insulin. Jason Fung (YouTube as well as at least a few books) is a nephrologist and has a lot to say about food and nutrition. Make sure you don't have any undetected sleep apnea too. That can cause you to gain weight like crazy. There is no complete insulin index that I know of. But I think that will be something that will be available soon. Inject a normal weight person with insulin and they will gain weight even if they eat the same amount. No expert here but sharing some things I've read and seen.

Well then you need to get rid of 5he sugar, keep your carbs below 30 a day, eat more fat and protein and you’ll lose weight. It’s the carbs, the hidden sugar, it’s in so much of what we eat. I started 2 years ago, with what some call keto, I don’t do it any more I just do low carb, and I mean low, maybe 20-30 grams a day, if your body doesn’t have carbs to burn it will seek out the fat, my first 50 pounds just fell off. And let me tell you I didn’t eat less. I just stopped eating crap. No white stuff at all, no bread, no sugar , no sweets no potatoes, no pasta. But I eat eggs bacon, sausage hamburger steak dips pork shoulders and milk cheese and pretty much any thing besides carbs.after the first year they took me off cholesterol diabetes and high blood pressure pills. My A1C was at 7.2 it’s now 4.7, the man who got me going is a doctor, and he said I quote “ Alcohol, and Drugs are not the biggest addiction in the country, sugar is”

My last A1C was 6.9 which is better than I thought it would be but the doctor still wasn't very happy.
4.7, wow. Your'e not even diabetic anymore then!

I'm gonna try what your doing.

Originally Posted by Bill31521

Weight gain. High blood pressure and diabetes is usually affected by insulin. Jason Fung (YouTube as well as at least a few books) is a nephrologist and has a lot to say about food and nutrition. Make sure you don't have any undetected sleep apnea too. That can cause you to gain weight like crazy. There is no complete insulin index that I know of. But I think that will be something that will be available soon. Inject a normal weight person with insulin and they will gain weight even if they eat the same amount. No expert here but sharing some things I've read and seen.

I agree with everything you've said.

I took insulin for a while but I just take metformin now. I do have sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine.

Old, Fat, Diabetic, walks with a cane and uses a cpap machine at night. Real catch eh? I hope my wife lives longer than me.

That's the one that would work for me, Tc.

High protein and fiber, is what mainly works fo most guys.

Just getting rid of breads a starches ( potatoes, noodles, ect. ). Make meals sensible, and eat things in moderation.

As for eating more often, but smaller portions. It worked horrible for me, just made me want to go to sleep.

I'm a weird one. No breakfast, something for lunch, small, late dinner. I only eat twice a day, mostly. Been that way since Junior High School.

5'10". 225lbs. Was pushing 260 about a year ago

The last time I was serious about wanting to loose weight I found getting my heart rate up to be the answer. Burning off more calories that way. And keeping my hands busy so I couldnt grab munchies.

Now days that just wont work with my job. Having medical issues sure dont help but I believe if someone really wants to do something to better themself they can do it. You just have to want it badly enough. I quit smoking and vaping and drugs. Well the drugs were a long time ago. But it was still the fact I was serious about wanting to quit. 100% want it and it can be done. Its no way easy

Exercise is the only all around healthy way to lose weight. If you can't run or walk well perhaps you can swim. There's always a way as Jerry said. The getting off my fat lazy ass is the hardest part. Once I get going it feels good to exercise.
Keto is hard on most of your organs. Make sure you get blood tested frequently. Your heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas all suffer from it. Plus you can get kidney stones, keto acidosis, bone deficiency, dangerously low blood sugar, vitamin deficiencies, early death...other than that it's fine.

I started the Atkins diet a few years ago and less than 20 carbs a day to start, I had to get Keto sticks to pee on.
Probably would've tasted better with butter though