# I feel like giving up :-(



## Carina1962 (Feb 17, 2012)

I feel like giving up.  I go to the gym 3 times a week and eat small portions (have even resorted to eating soup for my evening meal) and got on the scales at the gym on Wed and........have put weight on!  I really don't know what else i can do to lose weight apart from going on a liquid diet (like Lighter Life) but can't afford the huge cost of it.  I just cannot understand why i'm not losing weight.  Have made an appointment to see my GP next week to discuss this as it's really getting me down now


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## trophywench (Feb 17, 2012)

Carina

But are you 'fatter' - are your waistbands tighter, or looser?

I ask because muscle is heavier than flab!


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## rhall92380 (Feb 17, 2012)

Can you get an instructor at the gym to give you an an exercise programme to help achieve your goals or review your existing programme?

Richard


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## margie (Feb 17, 2012)

Don't give up Carina - as Trophywench said muscle weighs more than fat.

A couple of years back a DSN said that they tend to look at measurements now rather than weight - as someone like a rugby player would show up as obese if you just went on BMI.

Hope that you start to feel better about things soon.


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## cherrypie (Feb 17, 2012)

Hi Carina,
Don't give up.  As others have said, it could be muscle that is causing the scales to say differently..  It could also be that you are not eating enough and your body has gone into starvation mode.  
Perhaps we could help by you giving us a typical day's menu and we might be able to spot something that you are not aware of.  We could also find that your diet is ideal.  Let us know of any other meds or supplements that you are taking as sometimes these can cause weight gain.


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## Carina1962 (Feb 17, 2012)

thanks for your replies.  Well, I have been trying to follow the WW plan myselft without going to the meetings as i cannot afford to go to the gym and WW but i have all the literature so know how to follow the Propoints Plan.  Anyway, for example last week, this was what i ate in a typical day

Breakfast
slice toast with a spread of marmite

mid-morning
1 small pear

Lunch
2 ryvitas with 50g of cottage cheese

mid-pm
12g of mixed nuts (brazil, almond, walnuts)

Eve meal
soup with one small part-baked petit pain

Before bedtime
small snack like a pepperami or about 25g of cheese

What do you think?  hardly eating a lot is it?


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## Carina1962 (Feb 17, 2012)

Also, can someone explain what this 'starvation mode' is all about as i don't really understand.  It seems that these 'liquid' diets like Lighter Life prove you get weight loss results (ie Pauline Quirke has lost 8 stones on it).  Although I read that Dawn French has lost a lot of weight she has just put this down to walking more and eating less but that is what i am doing and don't get any results


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## trophywench (Feb 17, 2012)

No - in fact I'd say the opposite mate - that you ain't eating enough.  Of anything by the looks.

Trouble with doing that is, the body thinks it's entered a period of starvation and so, it just hangs onto the fat.  

Not analysed the day but at a glance I'd hazard there is not enough protein for starters and nowhere near enough fruit and veg.  Sorry!

Could try having some protein at breakfast time to give yourself a kick start to begin with.  Should enable you to cut out the mid morning snack - Lunch is OK but add the fruit then.  Depends what was in the soup at teatime as to whether that's OK or not.

OK have added the calories up, roughly, 950.

NOT ENOUGH.


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## trophywench (Feb 17, 2012)

Just seen your other post.

It is said that the metabolic rate drops if you cut the calorie intake down too far.  Hence the non-loss of body fat.  Some people pooh-pooh this and say it doesn't happen - but you have to remember that we aren't exactly 100% healthy specimens to begin with, are we?  So how do you know whether your metabolism works 100% right in the first place?

Keep the carbs low as much as you like - but eat more protein, fat etc.


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## ypauly (Feb 17, 2012)

Am I the only one that think I could eat all that in one sitting?

Sorry carina I don't have real advice but I would say that you are not over eating by any stretch of the imagination.


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## Robster65 (Feb 17, 2012)

I agree with trophywench. You'll be burning almost as many calories some days as you're eating, if you're having gym sessions.

I would get some advice from a dietician and ask your gym instructor how many calories they think you're burning each time. Then you have some facts and figures to work with so you won't starve yourself. I'm guessing you feel tired a lot of the time and have to force yourself to get up and 'do'.

Rob


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## sally43 (Feb 17, 2012)

Hi Carina,

Please don't give up! I would agree with trophywench - you aren't eating enough! I appreciate you have extra challenges as a diabetic but as a green parent member here, and having done WW years back, I would also suggest you need more or the body goes into starvation mode.

No wonder you feel like you've been through the wringer!


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## RSVP (Feb 17, 2012)

Do you drink alcohol Carina ? T'is the only other thing I can think of.
Apart from that I totally agree with TW 


Sarah


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## rhall92380 (Feb 17, 2012)

Sometimes despite training regularly a person temporarily stops losing weight but then weight loss restarts - so keep going! 

When my weight levelled off I was advised to include weight training as well as cardio training. When I did this my weight started to go down again.

Richard


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## Katieb (Feb 17, 2012)

Hi Carina. Agree with everything that's been said on here. I think you need to 'up' your proteins and veggies and increase your meal size that way. A typical day for me would be:- 

Porridge or other low GI cereal plus handful of berries

A small banana or other piece of fruit at 11 am (I can tolerate bananas)

Chicken or fish plus loads of salad with low fat dressing or a large bowl of homemade soup. Either of those followed by a low fat yogurt.

Fish or meat with loads of veg and a few small, new potatoes or a stir fry with loads of veg and a small portion of noodles

If I feel hungry later, ryvitas and cottage cheese (but don't always do this)

I eat loads of veg and plenty of fruit to bulk up my meals. I have steadily managed to lose 1-2 pounds a week and have now lost 3 stones. Admittedly it's getting tough as I near my target, but I never go hungry. Also drink loads of water as this helps to keep things moving. I also indulge in the odd glass of wine

Not saying this is perfect by any means, but it seems to work for me.

The best of luck and please don't get disheartened - we are all here to help one another. Katiexx


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## Tezzz (Feb 17, 2012)

Hi Carina,

Please don't feel down.

Have you spoken to your diabetes team about this?

Look on the bright side - my last HbA1c was 7.9 and I'm also eating carefully (virtually no carbs) and doing the exercise.  You're doing better than I am!

I found when I went on Metformin it helped me lose weight.

I was also put on anti depressants which help.


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## Ellie Jones (Feb 18, 2012)

If you haven't had your thyroid checked recently it's worth asking your doctor to check it when you see him/her..

One  of the symptoms of an under active thyroid is difficulty in losing weight or weight increasing..

So may be worth ruling this in or out...


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## Carina1962 (Feb 18, 2012)

thanks for all your replies and words of encouragement.  I will be going to the gym tomorrow afternoon and will try and speak to one of tehe instructors there.  I will also discuss my dilemma with my GP next time i see her and ask to make an appointment with a dietician.  I sometimes get confused which sort of 'plan' to follow ie the WW points, slimming world or plain old calorie counting as in the past i've tried a combination of all (i don't mind weighing my food portions at all, i'm used to that).  The only time i can remember losing weight consistently each week was when i tried the Cambridge diet but it just got too expensive for me so couldn't continue.  With that particular diet, i used to have one of their porridge sachets for breakfast and then one of their soup sachets for lunch and a proper meal in the evening and that seemed to get me results.  I suppose it's no different to the Slim Fast plans or Biggest Loser or Optislim or Lighter Life plans.


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## AJLang (Feb 18, 2012)

hi Carina you're doing really well with everything.  I'm sure that you will start to lose the weight again soon


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## cherrypie (Feb 18, 2012)

Hi carina
I think all these weight loss ideas are not solving the problem for a lifestyle change.
Once you understand the basics of nutrition you will be able to devise something that control your blood sugar levels and helps you to lose weight at a steady pace.  I am sure a dietitian is going to be more helpful than some overpriced shakes that leave you feeling hungry.
I was looking at the WW plan and it seems to rely on your not exceeding a specific number of points, regardless of what you decide to eat.  It is not really educational as you could live on chocolate and wine as long as you did not go over your daily allowance of points.
Hope your Dr. can be supportive of you wanting to enlist the help of a dietitian.


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