# Starting out



## Ophipity (Aug 10, 2013)

Hi everyone!
I am really embarrassed about my weight so feel very scared confessing all to you but I have to. I was diagnosed with Type 2 last September and was told, quite frankly, by my GP the other week that I had to lose weight. Disgustingly I weight 19 stone 13 pounds and feel awful about my body. I have started exercising which is not too bad and have changed my diet and managed to lose five pounds over the past few weeks. Any tips would be most gratefully received. Let's support each other.


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## LeeLee (Aug 10, 2013)

Dont panic!  You can do it.  I spent most of my life being fat - there's no other word for it.  My worst BMI was 53, I'm 5 ft 1, and weighed over 20 stone.  My T2 diagnosis gave me a nasty shock, and I joined Slimming World and the local gym on referral from my GP.

In my first week, I lost an amazing 12 lbs!  Within the following 6 months, I reached a total loss of 5 stone ? and then I let life get in the way.  Let?s just say going through a divorce and moving house are not conducive to a regular eating regime.  However, the weight loss I?d already achieved had a beneficial effect on my diabetes, and I remained on diet/exercise control without drugs.

Seven years slipped by, and I lost the plot diet-wise.  Two and a half of the original five stone lost crept back on.  In March 2012, my blood glucose level reached a point where I had to start taking metformin.  That was my second diabetes scare.  I had become complacent, and was paying the price with my health.

On 10th April 2012, I rejoined SW.  In 60 weeks, I lost 6 stone.  I am now at Target, and plan to never go back to where I was weight-wise.  In a few months time I may decide to reset my target a little lower, but meanwhile I am enjoying the new size 14 me (I was never any smaller than a 14, even pre-baby 30 years ago!).  As a Target member, I don't have to pay the fiver a week unless I stray more than 3 lbs off target for 2 consecutive weeks.

Something that I?ve learned from a lot of reading on the subject of diabetes is that carbohydrates are the Type 2?s enemy.  The Original (Red) plan is MUCH more healthy for us.  The current SW focus on the relatively carb-heavy Extra Easy is not great for us, so if you do join look in the pack of booklets for the Original plan.


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## Ophipity (Aug 10, 2013)

Thanks for sharing your story LeeLee. You have done so well to lose so much weight. Mine is coming off slowly and I am getting a little frustrated that I am not seeing bigger losses. I am sticking to a healthy diet but maybe need to exercise more.


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## LeeLee (Aug 10, 2013)

The trouble with the 'healthy diet' recommended by the NHS website is that it is relatively high in carbs.  That means overloading your system with stuff that you can't deal with effectively.  

These days I only have two slices of bread (usually wholemeal or wholegrain) from a SMALL loaf per day, and only 35g dry weight of rice/pasta/couscous or a small jacket spud with my evening meal.  Most of my diet is fruit, veg, ultra lean meat, fat free yogurt and eggs.  Apart from a Weds evening, when I let myself off the leash and go a bit mad.  The weekly madness is what keeps me sane!


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## pav (Aug 10, 2013)

Its better to loose the weight slowly on the lines of  2lbs a week, if you loose weight to rapidly you stand a greater chance of putting it back on.

I was around 20 stone a few years ago (6' 2") I am now down to around 115 kg and the docs want me to loose another 15 kgs. I the last 12 months I have lost a grand total of 2 kgs 

I am now on meds that the nurse says attracts weight gain, yet need to loose weight. 

Though do get fed up, with some docs that keep nagging me to loose weight, I know I need to its just the struggling to do it. One doc says get out and walk and another doc says don't walk as it will aggravate the arthritis.

As LeeLee says carbs are a problem, I am still trying to balance my carbs to meds and weight gain / loss. If your health area supports it try asking about their support for weight loss, like mine used to do gym / swimming pool membership on prescription. Its a case of asking if they do it and finding if you feel if they offer anything you would consider to be helpful.

They also offered a group meeting based initially over 12 weeks where like people could offer support / ideas how to loose weight and the organisers brought in dieticians etc to advise on food (this never really got off the ground when I was there), after 12 weeks some will let you stay on unless there's to  many on the course.


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## LeeLee (Aug 10, 2013)

In some areas, you can get vouchers for the first 12 weeks at Slimming World or Weightwatchers (that's how I joined SW and lost 5 stone in 6 months the first time).  In other areas (Herts being one), you can only get one-to-one support from someone at the surgery - which was pretty useless for me because between the fortnightly visits there was no support.  The diet sheets were useless and far less healthy than SW's long list of 'free' unrestricted food.  That's why I forked out the fiver a week for SW for the 60 weeks it took to get where I am now.  Worth every penny IMHO.


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## Ophipity (Aug 11, 2013)

*Getting started*

I am seeing a dietician in ten days time so I am hoping they will give me some useful advice on what I can eat and what to avoid because at the minute I am just doing what I think is 'healthy'. Getting the motivation to exercise is also really hard but I so so want to be slim and well.


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## Northerner (Aug 11, 2013)

Ophipity said:


> I am seeing a dietician in ten days time so I am hoping they will give me some useful advice on what I can eat and what to avoid because at the minute I am just doing what I think is 'healthy'. Getting the motivation to exercise is also really hard but I so so want to be slim and well.



With diabetes, it is important to follow a diet that will release its energy slowly and steadily. Many seemingly 'healthy' foods can be unsuitable for people with diabetes as the carbohydrate in them will convert too readily to glucose and raise blood sugar levels quickly - fruit juice and many cereals are good examples. It's a good idea to limit carbohydrates where possible, and choose the variety wisely e.g. granary/seeded bread instead of white, or even ordinary wholemeal (Burgen Soya and Linseed is a forum favourite )

I would recommend reading up on the low GI/GL diet - The GL Diet for Dummies is a good example. This explains how to combine different types of food so that it has a lower impact on your blood sugar levels. It's also a good idea to make a food diary, writing down the amount of carbs in everything you eat and drink, so that you can then review it and look for areas where things may be improved, by substituting more diabetes-friendly items or reducing portion size.

Don't pin all your hopes on the advice of a dietician. There are some excellent ones out there, but there are also many whose advice is now seen as outdated and misleading. If you are told to 'eat plenty of starchy carbs with every meal', then unfortunately you will have encountered one of the latter - hope you get one of the good ones!


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## Susicue (Aug 12, 2013)

Hi, Thanks for the advice on carbs, as you say many people are told to eat lots of carbs with every meal, I have also found this to be true, but it is not the case. I am on a GI diet and the receipts are great, really tasty. 

I make a list of meals for the week, when I do the weekly shop I get all the ingredients I need. Then you don't have to go the cupboard of a evening and wonder "what shall I have tonight". If the receipt is for more than one I freeze the other portions.

I have started to lose weight 4k so far, have started to walk everyday, and I have decided to go swimming again. (not done that for years) wish me luck


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