Bev, feeling a little low.

[Benbrenig17]

Hello, I'm Bev, I was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes last year and I totally changed my eating habits. I have got my Diabetes well under control and have gone down a dress size. I went to the doctor yesterday, who weighed me and I'm exactly the same weight as last year!! I was horrified and I have been told by the doctor that I haven't lost weight and I should half all my portions and eat lettuce and tomatoes. I feel very down now, how can I lose a dress size without losing a pound

[IndigoBlue61]

Hello Benbrenig17 and welcome to the Weight Loss Forum

The answer is simple, if you are a dress size smaller you have lost fat! Which is what we really mean by weight loss after all 😊 Very well done 😊

Unfortunately many GPs are not up to date with current weight loss advice which is to eat enough to prevent hunger, but slightly less than your body actually needs, which prompts a slow and steady FAT loss of 1-2lbs a week. Please look at all the suggestions below, especially the bit about finding your own calorie target by suing the NHS BMI checker, and please ask if you have any questions 😊

Here are a few suggestions on how to get the most out of the forum. Please note if you are using the new HU App many of these features are not available so I suggest you use the full website version.

The first place to look is at the Pinned posts section to the right of your screen (bottom if you're using a mobile), read the Welcome Newbie thread first and move through to the challenges, where we hope you'll find at least one that will appeal to you. Move down to the Topics, to find a variety of threads, collated into specific topics for ease of access and we ask that you also 'file' your own threads, so that others won't miss your important news

Have a look at the NHS 12 week plan, as many people have had success with it. Also use the BMI checker to find your target calories, it's important to eat enough. This was a major turning point for me, realising I could eat anything I wanted as long as the calories are accounted for. Don't forget to take your starting measurements and a 'before' picture, as they can be very motivating on days that the scales refuse to co-operate

The forum also have group weigh-ins every day, as well as a new Daily Diary, if you wish to take part. The posts can always be found in the Events section on the 'home' page. And if you just want to chat, to say hello or share any news or struggles then look out for What's Happening Today thread.

You'll notice a grey box next to people's names, these are achievement badges, and as a new member you have a 'Newbie' badge. We've found that to get the best out of this community, we need to be active on the forum, as it's where we exchange information, get motivation and inspiration and make friends. We hope that you'll join us here, regularly, too. If you have any questions please just ask

Best wishes

Anna

[Tiggerr]

Hi Bev, I don't think things are as bad as they may first seem.

Have you been exercising? You've dropped a dress size which tells me that something has changed and this could explain why your weight has stayed the same.

If the doctor has really said that you should be eating lettuce and tomatoes, I hope it was only meant as a metaphor for healthier eating as there is so much fantastic food you can eat and still lose weight. The portion size might make sense but I don't know how big your portions are.

An admin will explain everything here in far more detail but in the meantime you may wish to check out the Daily Diary where we post each day what we're going to eat the following day. There are so many tasty ideas.

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

You'll get lots of support and help here and no one will let you stay down for long.

[Tiggerr in reply to Tiggerr]

Ho hum, I was too slow, they posted already

[Benbrenig17]

Thanks for your advice, I have just taken a bashing, that's all. I am looking at my portion sizes, always worth a try. It was the dismissal of the fact I had my diabetes under control and I hadn't put weight on. I have thyroid problems and I'm on 175mg thyroxine a day, I've had an injury and have pain that I need to push through to exercise. Today is a new day with new advice, just feeling sorry for myself lol x

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to Benbrenig17]

Pain can be depressing Benbrenig17 without GPs making us feel so rubbish, I'm sure it's not deliberate but their attitude sometimes leaves a lot to be desired.

Have a good look around and give me a shout if I can help at all

Anna

[Itsbab in reply to Benbrenig17]

Hi most of us start our journeys to a healthier lifestyle by having a shock with the numbers on the scale or to alleviate other health issues. Don't worry you can massively change your diabetes with a healthier diet there are so many people on here who can give advice many living with diabetes. I have a portion control plate I got myself as one of my small goal rewards but you can just download a template off the net if it helps to start with, it came as a shock to me to see how many carbs I was putting on my plate which are one of my weight increase foods.

A healthy lifestyle is not all about fruit and veg we can have our little treats every now and again 😊life wouldn't be worth living without a piece of birthday cake, meal out etc. So hope you find us a good bunch we support and encourage each other, you can do this and in a month or so you will feel the benefits for sure. Good luck shout out if you need help 👍

[DartmoorDumpling Restart Feb 2024]

You are not doing this healthy eating for your Doctor - you are doing it for you! If you feel better and your sugar levels are better, you are doing something right and you can give yourself that pat on the back you need!

Take charge of your health yourself by making sensible food choices, finding the best type of exercise that does not give you discomfort - maybe swimming or cycling? Even gentle gardening is helpful as it keeps you moving and out of the kitchen!

Read lots of helpful posts on this forum and post regularly for support and encouragement. We are all in it for the long haul - it is a way of life, not a quick fix after all.

[wysemonkey]

Hi Benbrenig17 Bev, first of all well done for the fantastic achievement of bringing your T2 diabetes under control. That is brilliant. Secondly, I do think after many years of monitoring for my T2 diabetes that many medical professionals in this area are working a bit on autopilot and don't actually think about what they are saying to whom. Also, as has been pointed out previously, there are a lot of rather old-fashioned ideas of "a calorie is a calorie" thinking still out there.

Thirdly, BMI doesn't work for everyone very well, depending on your build and your muscle mass you can have a higher BMI and still be very fit and healthy, and not have a lot of body fat or visceral fat.

Good luck with the next stage!

[Hidden]

Welcome and good luck to you on your journey!

[blackbeauty99]

Hi Benbrenig17 and welcome

You have been given alot of good advice and i wish you all the best with your weight loss journey

[ceejayblue]

I haven't lost as much weight as I could have since I was diagnosed T2 6 years ago but my blood glucose is now at the lower end of the pre-diabetic range and on its way down. I've lost a stone since May but my last weigh in at my diabetic clinic only said 9lbs, our scales are different so I put it down to that. However, for me, as much as I want to lose the weight the fact that my HbA1c is down and so is my blood pressure and cholesterol so I'm proud of that.

Be proud of what you have achieved and as people have said, going down a dress size is also a great achievement. Your GP's throw away comment about lettuce and tomatoes was unkind and insensitive. Don't let it get to you though, prove to him that you can lose weight effectively and healthily on more foods than a tomato and a bit of lettuce - he just doesn't have the skills to help you which is a shame.