Cutting Back Calories; But keeping blood sugar up!?

Project2015

I could use as much advice on this as possible. I am hypoglycemic, but normally I keep it totally under control. But Recently not so much. But I need to lose this weight before it over powers my body. But I also need to keep myself from fainting, getting hypothermia from temp drops due to low blood sugar, and to keep me from this god awful fatigue.

Any Ideas? Let me know, I know whole wheat carbs, and natural fruits, I am already using sweet potatoes and apples, unsweetened applesauce, peaches, oranges. But I think I need help lowering my calories and adding in the sweet stuff too. I'm lost, and need help, and I am not ashamed to admit that.

WhatMeRunning

I can only speak from my personal experience, I can't say this will work for everyone. I know it worked wonders for me though.

First, I am not officially diabetic. My a1c test back in January this year was one tenth of a point below being able to be diagnosed as diabetic. So I am called "pre-diabetic" which is not a true medically recognized diagnosis, and considered to have glucose issues.

This was really caused form being morbidly obese for too long. I was 6ft 2in tall and 316 pounds and had been that size for many years. So my pancreas was no longer able to keep up and starting to show the signs.

So, here's what the doc told me to do, and it worked for me.

First, I was prescribed Metformin to help my body regulate insulin response. I was also told not to exceed 120g of total carbs per day (any carbs, not just certain carbs, ALL CARBS).

So I took the Metformin and started tracking my carbs (but only carbs) and not going over 120g per day. The weight literally started peeling off in the next few weeks and I was losing an average of 11 pounds per month, well over 2 pounds per week. I was not counting calories at all, just carbs, and was not exercising either.

By April, I had lost about 35 pounds and people started noticing. My blood work in April showed normal a1c numbers. I felt like a new person, seriously, it is amazing how clouded blood sugar issues can make your mind and body. I began to think that at some point my weight loss would slow down if I did not start exercising so I started walking. Every other day at first, for 20-30 minutes was all. Over time this increased to hourly walks, and eventually daily walks. By June I was walking 6 miles per day, nearly 2 hour walks each day.

I had also continued the 120g carbs/day and the Metformin to that point in June and had maintained that same rate of 11 pounds per month weight loss, still without counting calories, only carbs and taking the medication, plus walking.

I was unable to devote more time to walking, and when this became too easy I knew that I needed to step it up to something higher impact to continue this great weight loss and keep getting healthier. I was determined by that point to go all the way and lose all the weight I could, all the way down to (hopefully) normal BMI weight (180 pounds for me).

I started running in short little bursts during my walks, and at first I was still walking every day, adding in some running. Eventually I found I was overtraining and too achy to continue, so I rested up and healed and switched back to every other day. Over time I ran further and further on these little "bursts" until I eventually again found myself having trouble continuing (tired, sore) and also oddly enough found my weight loss stopped. I was not gaining, but I went 2 weeks without losing any weight either, very strange compared to the rapid loss from before.

This was when I found MFP. I decided I wanted to track my calories burned on my walk/runs and see if I was simply eating too many calories to explain the stall in weight loss. I learned about eating back exercise calories, and learned I was not eating enough, thus why I was so tired, sore, and possibly (according to some) why my weight loss had stalled. So I followed MFP's guidelines for eating (except for carbs, still kept myself at 120g/day) but eating the number of calories MFP suggested/day, and eating back exercise calories.

The weight loss returned at 2 pounds/week, and I was able to bust out some nice runs.

I could say more, but that's a lot already, and probably more than you need or want to know right now.

If you can get MEtformin, do so. I swear that without this medication I would not have been able to start the ball rolling as easily.

successgal1

Eat protein with every carb or sugar (fruit). Eat often, every 2-3 hours. I keep single serve Greek yogurts and cottage cheese on hand to eat with low sugar fruits like berries or grapefruit. My other sources of protein are chicken and pork, those meals are where I eat brown rice or potato. But planning small meals/snacks all day works far better for me than just 3.

20yearsyounger

Try taking a look at trail mixes (nuts with dried fruit and possibly even candy). Depending on what you need it gives a good balance and high sugars.

Also bananas

_runnerbean_

I don't have a diagnosis but do get very faint if i don't keep my sugar levels up . I have found these things help - porridge or all bran with almond milk for breakfast, cashew nuts (150 cals size) for morning snack. Eat a snack mid afternoon- usually a low fat yogurt and/or fruit. I eat every few hours and try to avoid high sugar items as they give me swings in blood sugar. Cutting out alcohol has also helped me.