Well I need some help.

[jeggeman31]

Over the last 6 months I have gained about 50 pounds I need to loose about 75 pounds and have lost all motivation to eat healthy,exercise or do anything. I did the south beach diet for 2 weeks, but fell off the wagon I guess. I have been in the unhealthy eating lifestyle for some time and it is just so **** hard not to eat the way I am use to. How do you all do it ? I have NO complications from diabetes and I keep my A1C below 6. I just eat crappy and I don't exercise.


I guess I am wondering how YOU all keep motivated to keep up your healthy eating habits and exercise each day. It is so **** hard.

[scara]

Hey there!

It sure isn't easy, there is a reason why all the dieting fads and books and stuff are a such a big industry.... people try and fail often but still want the quick fix.

Personally I try to follow a few rules:

Only make dieting changes you know you can make an ongoing habit.
Choose realistic goals.
Pay attention to every success you have.
If you are going to have a snack or meal that is not healthy, limit the size of it as much as possible and ENJOY it... don't feel guilty about cause then what's the point.
Also my mantra has always been, "Every choice counts" and tried to make good choices most of the time.

For exercise, it's tough but choosing to walk or ride a bike is good, but so much of it depends on your lifestyle and what your friends and family do as well. Exercise needs the support of other people as well, so joining a martial arts class or a team sport is good cause you don't want to let others down as well....

remember objects in motion tend to stay in motion... once you get started again it gets easier to keep going!

Personally I play team sports with my wife, she's into healthy eating so I try to copy her more often than not, I also pretty much cut out fried food and where ever possible and I pay attention to the nutritional information at fast food places and at the grocery store to make smarter choices... also started indoor rock climbing which has pushed me into lifting weights more cause I want to get better at the rock climbing....

Hope that helps a bit....

[kgm0612]

Jim.........Hang in there buddy!

I stay motivated because I've set a personal goal of getting my A1c back down to 6.0. Since starting on the pump 7 months ago, I've watched it climb to 6.7 and I am NOT happy with that. A year ago I was 5.8. I follow a low-carb diet but sometimes I use the pump as a crutch.

Also, I walk 3 to 3-1/2 miles every night with my neighbor. We've been doing this for almost 3 years now..........year round! Believe me, there are many nights, especially when it's snowing and the temperature is 20*, that I don't feel like walking. BUT.........my neighbor cracks the whip and off we go! I honestly can say that I probably wouldn't be walking as much if I didn't have her to motivate me.

This disease NEVER takes a vacation. It's 24/7, 365 days a year!
Try setting some type of a goal, Jim. Start small and work your way up from there. YOU CAN DO IT!

Karen

[sydneya]

I have to agree it is hard. And also :dito: This disease does not take a vacation. I do take a vacation from it but when I do I get discouraged and it's hard to get back on the wagon. Thank you for this thread and the answers. I have no answers but I've needed them.

[valc3]

Jim, staying motivated is tough. I have to work out/walk/ bike ride in the am. If I say I'll do it later, it never happens. I am a morning person. See if you are more motivated at a certain time of day. If you can find someone to work out with, that may help.

Fear of complications keeps my diet in check. Having the occasional splurge is okay. I do better that way than constantly telling myself no.

Hang in there and try different approaches. You'll find something that works for you.

[Penny]

What bothers me about all this....I try real hard and don't lose weight, and still have highs. I do eat something once in awhile that I know I shouldn't, but usually try to make up for it with the rest of my meals. Sometimes it is hard not to say "to heck with it" and just eat what I want. But that is what got me into this mess in the first place.
I am pretty sure that I could do better if I exercised more, but just can't manage without a lot of pain.
Jim, it is so easy to get discouraged, we all understand that. You can get your mind set right, when you are ready, and get things set right again. You have done it before, and I know you can do it again. One motivation can be that boy of yours that you were concerned with, he is going to need you around for a long time.

[Cyborg]

The pump is great for controlling bg, but as you have become aware it can lead to weight gain if you don't eat right. Losing weight boils down to 1 thing, using more calories than you take in...

Forget diets, forget low-carbing, forget South Beach, just count your calories. You will be surprised.

[notme]

Cyborg is absolutely right. I have had a terrible time with weight loss and insulin in general. I gained when I started insulin, gained more when going on statins and gained a bit more on the pump. I have been about thirty pounds overweight because of it. I have finally started losing. I lost about twenty pounds so far, but it is exactly what cyborg says. Counting calories. Counting carbs and counting fat is a good way to get control. But, bottom line (excuse the pun) burning more calories than you are consuming is the only way to lose weight.

[stormseeker419]

I'm frustrated, too. I have over 100 pounds to lose and it seems like all the things I should be eating to lose weight are contraindicated for the diabetes. If I want to go walking I need to be sure I have enough carbs so my sugars don't crash while I'm out ... two steps forward and three steps back. I'm counting carbs, counting calories ... the sugars are in pretty good control now with lantus plus 2 meds but I canNOT get the weight to come off!

[notme]

I so sympathize storm. Losing weight while taking insulin is an added challenge. Just losing weight can be a frustrating task and then add insulin and lows to the mix and it is a daunting task. It can be done, but it is a tightrope walk.

[jeggeman31]

Thank you all for your responses.

[lgvincent]

I could use some ideas on how to lose a few pounds, too. I've found doctors aren't any help at all.

[Shotokan]

My wife lost lots of weight on the Weight-Watchers diet, and she has kept it off for 2 years now. It is a sensible diet that allows you to eat anything you want to eat in reasonable amounts. It's basically just calorie-counting. An important part is to go to the WW meeting weekly for your weigh-in because that provides the incentive in the beginning. You don't want to embarrass yourself by weighing more than you weighed the week before.

[notme]

Weight Watchers is a great program. I lost weight and so did my sister using it.

Long term, I had to change my eating habits completely.

Many times the "new" diets work short term. But long term it is a matter of cutting calories, not eating anything that comes in a box or a bag. And cutting fat.

We have processed ourselves right into a size LARGE.

[decimaldancer]

I don't go on diets. A diet is a short term thing. I have to live this way the rest of my life so I had better like what I eat.

The best thing I have found for losing weight is keeping a food diary. I write everything down, even the cake I had at the staff meeting and the samples at Costco. You can go to fitday.com and for free keep track of what you eat, the carb, fats and protein.

I think it is best to eat food you like. Maybe change portions or come up with lower fat or lower carb alternatives that work for you.

I find I eat a lot of whole grain products, fruit and vegetables. I have almost quit eating butter.

My favorite breakfast right now is 1/2 C plain non-fat yogurt, 1/2 C fresh blueberries and 1/2 C granola (this is an organic granola with pretty low carbs really. It includes pumpkin seeds and flax seeds.)

I usually have 1/2 whole grain for dinner, 3 oz of low fat protein and all the veggies I want either stir fried, roasted or fresh.

I eat the leftovers for lunch. But now and again (maybe once a week) I have some pizza or a hamburger. And about 3 or 4 times a week I indulge in chocolate or some treat.

If I really, really can't stand not eating potato salad say, I have a bit. Usually about 1/4 cup or less.

I have lost 45 pounds.

What I avoid is anything fried such as french fries or chips.

[am1977]

Jim~ you have gotten some excellent replies :thumbsup:... Not sure I can add anything here, but, of course, I'm going to try :laugh:.

I know probably the biggest problem with losing weight is lack of motivation... I don't really have a motivation problem with trying to eat healthy, but there are definite other areas I do (see my work thread :rolleyes: ).

My strong opinion is that you can do anything, if you really want it and are determined. I have been working on becoming more fit myself... and I'm gradualy getting there, but I think it's b/c I am so focused on attaining this goal.

I don't leave myself an option... I don't buy any junk food (except once in a blue moon), I keep my gym stuff ready in the car, and I make myself go everyday whether I want to or not.

Being on insulin doesn't really help weight loss, but as I'm working out, trying to eat healthy, I've started cutting back on how much insulin I need to take. I was well over 40 TD units not too long ago... and now I stay mostily in the low 30s. And I've managed to lose a little bit.

My advice to you would be to set some goals for yourself. I have heard writing down what you want to achieve, makes it more likely that it will happen. Also, keep a food journal as was suggested. And, possibly consider meeting with a dietician... Setting frequent visits where you will be weighed and where you will have to go over what you have been eating holds you more accountable & you most likely will try harder to stay on track. Oh, and then there's, of course, exercise. Try and find some kind of physical activity you enjoy... Join the gym, take up swimming, go bike, ballroom dance, just about anything can be effective....

Good luck and do keep us posted :top:

[decimaldancer]

Hey Jim, I was thinking about this and I remember how hard it was for me to lose until my dietician reminded me that just lowering my weight by 10% would be an improvement in my bg's and blood pressure.

It is easier to imagine losing 20 or 30 pounds than losing 75. She said that actually just shoot for a 10 pound loss and try to maintain it for a month and then lose the next 10 pounds.

You (and I) didn't put weight on overnight or even just over a month or two. It went on gradually over time; 10 pounds here and 10 pounds there and that is the best way to work on losing it. Over time.

If you lost just 5 pounds ever other month, that would be 30 pounds in a year. And that probably meets or exceeds your 10%.

I suggest finding a number you can wrap your head around at a pace that works for you.

[Roy Gardiner]

Hey Jim, I was thinking about this and I remember how hard it was for me to lose until my dietician reminded me that just lowering my weight by 10% would be an improvement in my bg's and blood pressure. Really? Why? (Or should that be, 'How?').

I am 183.5 (6' 1/2") 80kg (176lb) body fat around 17%. Reducing by 5.6kg to 10% (74.4 (163lb)) would help?

[Belinda]

I joined Weight Watchers and have lost over 20 pounds. I tried other diets on my own but to no avail. I told my endo about it and he said that WW is a great diabetic diet. I like it because you have lots of flexibility and it is very simple to do. You don't have to go every week after you get the plan and can do it but I advise that you go to be help accountable.

[decimaldancer]

Roy Gardiner said
Really? Why? (Or should that be, 'How?').

I am 183.5 (6' 1/2") 80kg (176lb) body fat around 17%. Reducing by 5.6kg to 10% (74.4 (163lb)) would help?


I was responding to the original poster that said he had 50-75 pounds to lose.

It was a different way of looking at it.

There are different kinds of diabetes everyone is different and if you don't need to lose weight in the first place, it probably won't work for you.

I did have a lot of weight to lose. I still do, but the 40 pounds I have already lost have helped my Bg's and my blood pressure.

If you need to lose weight, it is a psycological tool you can use to help you.
If you don't need to lose weight then it doesn't apply does it.

[Cyborg]

Oh, and then there's, of course, exercise. Try and find some kind of physical activity you enjoy... Join the gym, take up swimming, go bike, ballroom dance, just about anything can be effective....

Sexercise :evil: