A little bit of advice please

[Sarbi]

Hi

Never been part of a community before - a total newbie. Basically I have just found out I am diabetic and have started eating really healthy and exercising more. Haven't lost a pound or even half an inch. Something is going wrong and am so frustrated and I hope I can get some advice............

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

Hi and welcome Sarbi

I'm sorry to hear that you've been diagnosed diabetic, let's hope you can do something about that by making the correct changes to your lifestyle

It is possible to eat too much healthy food, so maybe you need to check your portion sizes

Have a look at the Pinned Posts section, to the right of your screen, (bottom if you're on a mobile) and read our Welcome Newbie post. It has a link to the NHS 12 week plan, which is a great place to start. It doesn't give a specific diet plan, but gives guidelines for healthy eating.

Consider signing up for any, or all of our challenges, as they're fun and motivating.

We also have a monday group weigh-in and if you click follow on my profile, you'll get a notification when I post it on monday. You can have a look at the latest thread in the events section, to the right of the home page.

Be active on the forum, as that's where we meet to exchange ideas and get our daily fix of inspiration and motivation

Wishing you all the very best

[Sarbi in reply to moreless]

Thank you for the much needed advice. Maybe it is my portion sizes - not sure. Yes I definitely need motivation and will look at the challenges. One day at a time. 😊

[DartmoorDumpling Restart Feb 2024]

Extra exercise will strengthen and build muscle which may offset the weight of fat lost, so don't be disheartened at this early stage. Try and log everything you eat and drink to see whether you are keeping your calories around 1400- 1600 daily, (unless you have a lot to lose in which case you can start with a higher amount). Use the internet to google low-sugar and low-carb recipes for inspiration.

[Sarbi in reply to DartmoorDumpling]

Thanks for your advice, I did the BMI calculations and need to shift 8 kgs! So daunting...... I am a size twelve so the idea to lose that much sounds crazy but then again I am overweight for my height. I will plug on and see how I go. Thanks again

[Sarbi in reply to DartmoorDumpling]

I also just got a little confused when its recommended that I should aim for 1400 Cals/day but Nhs BMI suggests I eat 1600 - 2000. Any advice on this please?

[DartmoorDumpling Restart Feb 2024 in reply to Sarbi]

Your calorie requirements are dependent on your activity levels, your height and weight (a heavier person uses more calories to move their body), and your basic metabolism - some people burn off fat quicker than others. A daily allowance of 1400 is targeted at the average woman, but you have to experiment and find out what works for you. However, it has been found that cutting back too much leads to a slow-down or even a rebound reaction as the body feels starved - go for slow and steady (the speed that the excess weight arrived) is the best way to lose it permanently. You could try 1600 to 1800 to start with - then reduce to 1400 as you get nearer your target.

[Sarbi in reply to DartmoorDumpling]

Thank you, this has helped enormously. So much information out there but when putting it simply it makes sense. Thanks again

[Sarbi]

Thanks I will have a look 😊

[Penel]

The 12 week plan is a good place to start. Also have a look at Michael Mosley's "Blood Sugar Diet", designed to help control insulin by cutting down on the amount and type of carbs you eat.

[Sarbi in reply to Penel]

Thanks I will check it out. A lot of people have a herbal drink called Sugar balance juice by Dilbury. This brought my level down by one point. Apparently bitter gourd is excellent for controlling sugar levels. Thanks again

[Activity2004 Visitor in reply to Sarbi]

Are you a type 1 or 2? Some foods like goji berries aren't okay for type 1 diabetics because the berries control blood sugars. If you're type 1 and on insulin, the berries will lower the blood sugars very low and can cause problems. Type 2 diabetics who eat goji berries can lower the blood sugars and have not such a bad reaction to eating the goji berries.

Please take a look at the A Healthy Diet and Diabetes free leaflet and the Diabetes and Exercise leaflet on Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation's website. Both leaflets can be downloaded or listened to. Go to: drwf.org.uk/diabetes-leaflets

Hope this helps.