I know I’m wingeing on about weight gain AGAIN but ....... has anyone joined a Slimmers World group and found it helpful? I’m down to 4 mg - weight just not shifting! I’m on a low carb diet but do cheat with occasional wine or g&t ( that makes life bearable!!) I’m at my wits end! High cholesterol and admitted to A&E with chest pains recently which are still under investigation.( NHS have been incredible!!!!Any help or encouragement gratefully received. Thank you so much.
Weight gain/loss: I know I’m wingeing on about... - PMRGCAuk
Weight gain/loss
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Bubble56
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PMRproAmbassador
Are you as low carb as you think you are? Do you eat fruit? G&dietT is pretty much zero carb!
SW may work - but they do tend to be carb-heavy. I think one or two used them. And a few have done well with their GP referrals for the NHS pre-diabetes approach.
I’d say do a food diary for a couple of typical weeks and then look hard at the carb count. It’s surprising how easily it clocks up. What do you call “occasional” exactly? Also, how long have you been at it?
Thank you, I have tried hard for at least a year but if I’m being honest with myself I “cheat “ more than I think I do! Gin and Schweppes slimline is zero carbs and I have developed a taste for it! I will log my intake of carbs- I bury my head in the sand a bit- that’s very good, realistic advice thank you. Watching I’m a celebrity get me out of here———- not a celebrity but need to go in the castle with them I think 😂
Oh I hadn’t realised it has started. I always tell myself it’s rubbish then get hooked.I think with reducing diets most of it is being honest with oneself and getting wise to the mental tricks and dialogues we engage in to justify and then forget bits and pieces that all add up.
How not to lose weight
Some advice.
Oh Bubble, it’s so easy to cheat, isn’t it? Chocolate is my downfall 😟 I keep a small (honest!) supply of chocolate buttons as treats for grandchildren - leave six or seven in a Tupperware so they think that’s all I have - and I do find myself dipping in from time to time 😳 x
Seriously though, I find protein is my saviour. A good chunk of salmon, cod, chicken, steak, omelette or even hard boiled egg or corned beef with veggies or salad is very satisfying and keeps me going for hours 🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️
PS Cheese and nuts in moderation too….
PPS I love food…..
Oh and tray bakes are good too, easy and satisfying (try chicken thighs with olives and Mediterranean veg, for example)
I agree with the protein bit. I know I have been drinking more wine lately and sweet stuff, which I don't really like and some weight is going back on. I did lose an awful lot without really trying but putting it on with the wrong stuff is self defeating, I guess. Smaller plates for meals and watching out for nibble times helps. If there is a pattern you may be able to have veg nibbles around instead. Exercise, too. You wont necessarily lose weight from exercise but it's all part of the routine.
I definitely find smaller plates helpful 😊 And whatever I eat, I try to make sure it has good stuff in it, eg when I eat carbs, I try to make it pears, raspberries, dates, etc so at least I get some nutrition as well as enjoyment. Apart from chocolate buttons (!) I don’t actually like much food that I can’t feel doing me good.
My favourite cookbook: The Doctor’s Kitchen by Dr Rupy Aujla (currently £9.50 from A.co.uk)
Hi, Nextone please , i like the sound of your diet, straightforward , I need something like this , did you lose weight on it ? I am having a hard time atm, put on over 2 stone whilst on pred . Would be great to know .Best wishes Viv🌷
Hi VivSorry about delay in replying. Yes, I lost weight on diet similar to my post above, in fact I’ve lost about 2 stone at least five times in my life and then gradually put it back on! I really do find straightforward protein, veg, limited fruit, nuts and cheese the way to go.
Favourite cook book mentioned above (The Doctor’s Kitchen by Rupy Aujla) but it wouldn’t be to everyone’s taste - lots of spices and vegetables…..😋x
Thanks for your reply , going to have a bash at this after Christmas 😊🌹
All the best with it - a good project for the new year 😊x
Salted caramel m&m’s are the only sweets I cannot resist........probably too many - must stop buying them!!!!
Hi I feel your pain as I've put on a, stone since beimg on Pred. I did Slimming World a few years ago and lost 1 stone in 8 weeks. I so need to go again (would need to lose 2 stone to get to weight I'd got to before) but it's the motivation to go thars the hardest 🤣🤣It was easy to follow and the one I did cut carbs out (I say did as not sure if they change over the years). Worth a try?
Xx
I feel your pain. Trying to lose weight and eat fewer carbs but I love carbs. You feel full. Slow going.
I've kept a food diary for many many years. Everything that goes into my mouth is recorded. My daughter thinks I'm OTT, but I've now got into a habit of logging everything. I have also weighed myself every morning before breakfast for years too....when I've over indulged I rein back in the next day. Dr Micheal Mosely recommended weighing daily too. I like carbs and only cut down a little. Next month I'll have been on Pred just 2 years, and luckily for me have only put on 6 lbs. I also enjoy my daily chocolate fix. Never drunk alcohol or smoked, so that's a plus I guess, although sometimes when life becomes stressful (as it is at the mo) I wish I did enjoy a vino...tastes like medicine to me haha. Lots of worry re hubby at the mo. Going this morning in the hope he will be given steroid injections into both of his hips to relieve some of the pain he's in......can no longer walk now. He has to get his HbA1C down for the next three months to allow surgery. He is now doing extremely well, just have to keep a very close eye on him now in case he hypos. I tripped and fell in my kitchen the other evening hurting my neck and shoulder, that's all I need right now.
Best of luck Bubbles
Anne
Sandradsn• in reply to
I weigh myself every day too!If I didn't I would go completely off track and put on 5lbs in a week!My husband is waiting for both hips to be replaced,he is in a lot of pain and really struggling.He was referred urgently in August but it will still be spring.🤔
• in reply toSandradsn
Thanks for your info Sandra, Well, happy to say he was given the steroid injections this morning. Must keep off his feet for two days. Even bought him a proper wee bottle so he doesn't have to keep getting up to go to the loo. He should know within a week if the jabs have worked, I pray they do. My husband should have been having surgery this Saturday, but due to his type 1 diabetes (HbA1C) being too high they refused until he manages to get it down....he is doing the right thing now with his diabetes, the pain is so bad from both hips he wants the surgery asap. But having steroid injections surgeons won't operated for at least 3 to 6 months when the steroids are out of the body as it can cause serious infection. I have bought everything to try and help him. Seat for shower cubicle, frame to go around the loo, walking frame with wheels at the front and a walker for when we go out (but no longer use that as pain is so great) he's now in a wheelchair. Oh, and our daughter bought him the pillow that tucks between his legs for when he is in bed to take the pressure from his hips. He also has chronic kidney disease from years of having diabetes and not doing the right thing from the get go....but that's some men for you eh !!As for me, I'm well and truly shattered from fetching and carrying all day long and helping him to dress and undress etc. Really surprised from the stress I haven't experienced a 'Flare Up' fingers crossed I don't. But like I've said before, 'In sickness and Health' and I would do anything for him. He was great with me before PMR was diagnosed, and we all know how bad the pain is with that, before starting Pred.
Anne
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Bubble56• in reply to
Thank you for taking the time to reply Anne- I wish you and your husband well. You have done so well to only put on 6lbs. Fantastic will power👏
• in reply toBubble56
Defo No Willpower. I'm terrible and refuse to give up the things I enjoy. Life is too short, but everything in moderation, as the saying goes. Then my friend said, 'well expect your health to be moderate then' No answer to that haha !!
Definitely smaller portions. Here are a couple of suggestions: make a list of what you typically eat over a few days and cross of anything that you know is 'naughty'. Plan a week's meals ahead and try to stick to that. Allow yourself a small treat and savour it slowly. I can munch down several squares of dark chocolate and can't remember eating it! When you reach for the biscuit tin wait five minutes and the craving will have gone 🤞🏼.Good luck!
Yes, that’s a good one too. If I find myself having had that extra piece of choc, I think back shortly afterwards and think, “do I remember that?”. Usually it’s no. If I can remember every single bit of eating it, then it was possibly worth it.
I’ ve been thinking of putting a sticker with NO on the fridge for those idle “I’ll just see what’s available for instant eating” moments
Great advice, especially the meal planning. I usually plan two weeks in advance (used to be four weeks when we had student lodgers). I find it stops me thinking about food every day, I know what I’ve got planned and more or less stick to it x
It does work 🙂. Any veggies left over make good soup and that's a couple of lunches sorted too.
I have found that cutting carbs and doing time-restricted eating (intermittent fasting - I know that name seems to scare some people. No need - it is easy once you get the hang of it.) has helped me to lose 1.5 stone of the 2.5 stone I put on with Pred. If you are interested you could take a look at the easy to read book Delay Don’t Deny. 😊
I’ve never been able to do that, especially on high doses of Pred. We’re all different though! 🙂
Intermittent fasting is the thing that has really helped me. It is now a way of life for me and my husband rather than a short term “diet”. We find it really works for us and fits into our lifestyle easily. 😊
I’ll take a look at the Delay Don’t Deny book (nice title!) but have so far never been able to fast at all. I do eat too many times a day I think (the little and often plan 😉) so I need to rethink this aspect x
It is an interesting book. The science behind this is basically that your body needs a break from digesting all the time, so for example snacking or eating little and often all day is not good for it. Those of us on steroids need to add in cutting carbs (that is not addressed in book). If you eat protein with some healthy fat when you do eat then it makes you feel full and you might not feel the need to snack. A 16 hour break from food is what is recommended but if you really can’t manage that then you could start with 12 - you may find after a while you can adjust to 16. Good luck - I really hope it helps. ❤️ X
I’d been doing fasting ( a bit) for a few months before getting GCA. Unfortunately I have to take something with the drugs around breakfast time, so it breaks up the supper to lunch gap
Just a thought 🤔 - maybe it would be possible for you to take the pills slightly later in the morning with something and/or finish supper earlier. Then you could still manage to do 16:8 IF. But I understand - everyone’s day is different and it needs to fit in with your own. ❤️
Is that the same principle as Michael Mosley’s book SuzyTe?
I haven’t read his book so not sure what protocol it recommends. I go from the Delay Don’t Deny book. I started with 16:8, opening my 8 hr eating window around 10 am and closing it at 6 pm so having 16 hrs fasting overnight. But I now move the start around to suit what I am doing that day. The key thing is to have 16 hrs of fasting after the eating window. It is easier than it sounds. It was recommended to me by the Head Nutritionist at Grayshott Health Spa, and both my doctor and dentist approve of it as a healthy regime. I don’t count calories but I do keep my sugar/carb intake low - my rheumatologist recommended that when I started on Pred - wish I had taken more notice then. 🙄 I guess it might not so easy if you have to take your pills early with something as then you would need to close your window earlier in the evening.
Might 12:12 work do you think? I can more easily imagine that 🤔
I don’t know - but it is worth a try. 👍 x
PMRproAmbassador
It doesn't really matter WHAT diet you choose - it must be one you can sustain indefinitely because if you crash diet and lose a lot of weight and then go back to your old eating habits, you will just gain it back again, and because life isn't fair, all too often you gain more than you have lost. It is a change of habit you are aiming for. Either you change the types of foods you eat or you need to reduce the amount of food you eat.
In the case of being on pred, cutting carbs achieves a reduction in risk of two things: weight gain and developing steroid-induced diabetes. In many ways the first is merely cosmetic although excess weight is also a health risk, but the second is a serious risk to your long term health. Many people find their minds become more concentrated when they get the pre-diabetes warning from their doctor - but it is much better to preempt the situation and avoid both.
I have tried weight watchers, and several other slimming clubs, none of them have worked for me, l stuck rigid to them, lwould lose a pound one week and put it back on the next week, it was so depressing, however l used them to stay steady with my weight and it helped me not to put any more weight on.
Hello Bubble56
Yes - I did (and still do) Slimming Word. It was recommended by my GP and actually funded by the practice for a 12 week period. I know it absolutely doesn't fit with the prevailing views of most people on this forum that we we should follow a low carb diet, but I found it really helpful and have lost 3.5 stone. Perhaps my greatest achievement though has been the reduction in Hb A1c from 44 to 37.
It all went a bit wrong when I had a major crisis in my life - a family member descending into dementia very quickly with allied paranoia, hallucinations etc. and I had to look after her, thus making following it difficult to follow any sort of diet. But, I was able to continue some of the good practice and am now back on track and losing some more.
If you decide to go for it and want any tips, please do not hesitate to PM me.
Good Luck!
Thank you rosie_jones- great advice ( my granddaughter is called Rosie so it must be good advice!)😂
I had been overweight for years, but just over a year ago got up to 13.5 stone which put me into the obese category and gave me a big scare. I was watching carbs though maybe less rigorously than I thought. At the same time I was developing a new distaste for cheese and eggs and suddenly couldn't bear getting shreds of meat between my teeth - I've never used so much dental floss in my life. This, together with increasing concern about the future of the planet, made me go vegan in November 2020. As a plant based low carb diet isn't very enticing, my carb intake has inevitably gone up with all the grains, pulses and nuts. However I quickly lost 2 stone without any real effort. I'm still overweight but not a really dangerous amount and I actually feel better in myself. As I mentioned in another post, although I'm still very easily fatigued, I've lost the feeling of general unwellness or "malaise" as the doctors call it.
I should add that I've known for a long time that a plant based diet can be beneficial for health, as my daughter (who will be 50 tomorrow) was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when she was 14. Around the same time she went vegetarian, then about a year later she became vegan for ethical rather than health reasons, but it seems to have paid off personally as well. She was in such pain at 14, I was picturing her being wheelchair-bound by now, but her symptoms, although never in complete remission, have been relatively mild throughout her life, almost certainly because of her diet. Anyway far from needing a wheelchair, she's going to celebrate her 50th birthday by climbing her favourite hill in the Lake District and eating some vegan cake at the top.
We are farmers so I think I would be divorced if I became vegan! 😂It’s interesting that even eating grains and pulses you have lost weight, I have given them up completely and I think my cholesterol level has increased because of that.
Really interesting
I lost 2 stone in weight and it was nothing to do with lower carbs, I ate plenty of potatoes and rice, I also kept eating fruit. Cutting out refined sugar had an instant impact and then not eating any processed foods especially breakfast foods. Reduced dairy intake to a minimum amount of milk in tea.
I think the message is that you have to find out what works for you, all our bodies are different.
Like me - see my reply above about going vegan. I forgot to mention that I also eat fruit every day. I too avoid refined sugar and most processed food.
I have been on SW programme and lost weight (about 14lbs) but that was pre-GCA/PMR. I wouldn't go back to SW now as here are plenty of carbs allowed -jacket potatoes, rice, 35g cereal (unsweetened) per day plus you can't lose much weight on that diet without an exercise programme, and PMR has pretty well abolished all hope of that. TBH I haven't actually gained much weight since diagnosis in 2019 but suffered horrible hunger when at high Pred dose and also craved Marmite!!
I sympathise with you Bubble.I have put on a stone with pred and can't stop the pred so have to diet to avoid diabetes and it is really hard to lose weight.
Don't think I could eat much less and the odd glass of wine keeps me sane so can't stop that!
Beethovenite
It isn;t how LITTLE you eat - it is WHAT you eat when you are on pred.
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