Discouraged
I’m very discouraged. I need to lose 131 pounds but for now I need to lose 10 pounds so I can have a knee replacement. I’ve been working the program — logging carbs, fats, proteins and calories faithfully. I’ve stayed below all matrixes. I’m doing intermittent fasting and increasing my walking. And yet, I’m still not losing weight. Any ideas?
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Do you mean mL? That ends up being over 20 gallons a day if it is ounces. Use the water tracking app on here, it’s measured in 8oz glasses. You should probably set it for 10 glasses or more a day. I personally have mine set to 15, and drink more than that a day. But, I’m in Ketosis and it causes you to be extra thirsty.
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Hi. I understand your discouragement, hun. Have you considered doing ADF (alternate day fasting)? Are you familiar with that? Let me know if you don't and I can send you some good links on it. It will help.
Can I ask what you IF schedule is and how many meals a day you are eating?
Don't lose hope. You can do this!
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Praeeo I have not heard of alternate day fasting and would like to know more. Right now, with IF, I eat three meals and one snack between 8 am and 5 pm. Already, I am having a problem with my blood sugar going too low during the fasting hours. (I'm diabetic and wear in insulin pump which dispenses insulin every hour) I'm in the process of getting it adjusted for the fasting hours but am concerned that low blood sugar might be a problem with alternate day fasting.
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Read Jason Fung's Diabetes Code; his Obesity Code will help, too. You will know why you cannot lose weight. While you are on an insulin pump, you are wise to worry about low blood sugars, and no one but your physician can/should advise you. Dr. Boz videos on YouTube are also excellent. She has helped 100's of diabetics who need to lose weight, including me.
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Suzzanne That definitely needs to be discussed with your doctor and watched closely, but your situation can be a little harder because of that.
I found this online and I can also link a couple of doctors that I follow that have talked about ways to help.
This will, at least, give you an idea about the different options, if your doctor feels this can be helpful for you.
Diabetes and intermittent fasting
What is intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting refers to an eating pattern that involves cycling between periods of eating and fasting. Intermittent fasting is less focused on which foods you eat, and more focused on when you eat.
There are several intermittent fasting methods, all of which split the day or week into eating periods and fasting periods.
16/8 fasting
With this option, you fast for 16 hours of the day and eat your meals during the other 8 hours. Since people already fast while they sleep, this method is popular and convenient. For example, you could skip breakfast, and then eat your first meal at 11:00 am or noon and your last meal at 7:00 or 8:00 pm.
Alternate day fasting
This method involves modified fasting every other day, in other words, limiting your food intake on fasting days to 500 calories, or about 25% of your normal intake. This approach usually includes one 200-calorie meal and one 300-calorie meal. It’s important to focus on foods that are high in fibre and protein to help fill you up, but to also keep calories low when fasting. On non-fasting days, you resume your regular, healthy diet. However, it’s important to know that one study investigating this method of intermittent fasting found that after six months, study participants had significantly increased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (the “bad” cholesterol).
Twice-a-week fasting
This approach to intermittent fasting focuses on capping your calories at 500 for two days each week (rather than outright fasting). During the other five days of the week, you maintain a healthy and normal diet. You can choose whichever two fasting days are most convenient for you (for example, Tuesdays and Thursdays, or Wednesdays and Saturdays) as long as there is at least one non-fasting day between them.
24-hour fasting
This method involves fasting completely for an entire day, no more than once or twice a week. Most people fast from breakfast to breakfast or lunch to lunch. However, this method of intermittent fasting can cause extreme side effects, such as fatigue, headache and/or irritability. If you follow this method, you should be cautious of these side effects and ensure that you return to a normal, healthy diet on non-fasting days.
Read also about Diabetes and portion control: how much should you eat?
Portion control helps you to eat the amount of food your body needs, and also helps you maintain a healthy weight, or lose weight, if needed. Read this expert blog to learn more about diabetes and portion control.
What are the benefits of intermittent fasting when living with diabetes?
The most commonly reported benefits among people with type 2 diabetes who practice intermittent fasting are:
- Weight loss
- Decreased levels of triglycerides (a fat found in the blood)
- Lowered blood pressure
- A reduction in insulin resistance
Researchers in New Zealand studied 41 people with type 2 diabetes who fasted twice per week for 12 weeks. At the end of the study, the participants had lost weight and also had lower A1C levels. However, increased episodes of hypoglycemia were also noted.
It’s important to note that there have been no large studies regarding the benefits (or harms) or intermittent fasting in people with diabetes.
Is intermittent fasting safe for people with diabetes?
Increased episodes of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) pose as the biggest risk for people considering intermittent fasting. With no (or low) consumption of calories on fasting days, the chance of hypoglycemia is greatly increased. Diabetes researchers agree that people who choose intermittent fasting as a method of weight loss should work closely with their healthcare team to figure out how best to manage their diabetes medications on fasting days.
Is intermittent fasting right for me?
If you are considering intermittent fasting as a method of weight loss and to lower A1C levels, it’s important that you talk to your healthcare team beforehand. They can help you determine the right method of fasting for you, as well as assist with any medication adjustments that might be necessary on fasting days to ensure that you don’t suffer from episodes of hypoglycemia.
Read also about Diabetes and fasting? Yes or no? How to do it more safely
On occasion, people with diabetes are required to fast. This may be in preparation for a test or for religious reasons.