Keto or Mediterranean

Kathryn41057

imbr0gli0 wrote: »

I will start by saying that I don't have diabetes, but I was considered pre-diabetic. My blood sugar and A1C were above norm, but not in the diabetic range. My real killer was my triglycerides were at 545, blood pressure was very high, and I weighed 235 pounds as a 5'8" male. I decided I needed to lose weight and did a little research on Med Diet, Keto, Atkins, and too many others. I am still on my journey, but I am down to 182 in 145 days. My last check had my tryglicerides at 152 and my blood sugar and A1C within normal. Here is what I found worked for me. I apologize for the long list, but I think they are important.

1. Any "diet" can work if you lower your intake of calories below what you burn. Start by weighing (with a food scale), measuring (if you can't weigh) and recording everything you eat or drink. That is the whole point of myfitnesspal. If you need help with how to record things, there are great posts on the forums to teach you.
2. No "diet" will work long term if you start by deciding what you can't eat. Does anyone like to be told that they can't have something?
3. If you don't like what you are eating or drinking, you won't stick to it. That seems like torture to me. I think about the scenes on tv when the mother makes her kids eat the food they hate, just because she made it.
4. Make the food you do love fit into your caloric needs and practice moderation on the "bad" foods.
5. Try to incorporate more fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and nuts into your diet by experimenting to see what you enjoy. Make it a game to see how many colors of fruits and vegetables you can eat in a day and try a new vegetable each week. You might find a new favorite!
6. Try to reduce foods high in added sugars, sodium and saturated fats because they "might" be bad for you. (Everything causes cancer if you have too much of it!)
7. Move more to get your body in better cardiovascular condition to make life easier to enjoy and allow you to eat a bit more food or create a larger deficit. Find some thing that you enjoy that gets you moving, and you can fit into your schedule. I started out walking, and I am now working on running with a C210K program. Do what you like!
8. Add resistance training to strengthen muscles to make life easier to enjoy and burn more calories in a rested state so you can eat more food or create a larger deficit. Make sure it fits in your schedule. I do a bodyweight workout that takes very little equipment, and I can do it at home. I hate having to drive to the gym. I use the program at www.startbodyweight.com.
9. Don't think you will fix things over night, and your weight will fluctuate along the way. You won't lose weight every day, week or maybe even month. Just stick to it.
10. Make sure you have a solid reason for "why" you are doing this. Repeat it to yourself when needed to keep motivated.
11. Find a spouse, partner, friend, internet buddy, support group, or something to do the journey with you. It will make everything easier!
12. Try your hand at meal prepping and bring lunches to work or school. It can help make your life easier. I make my lunches for the entire work week on Sunday. I save tons of money by cooking and eating out less. If you can't cook, try the podcast series at www.stellaculinary.com. (previously www.freeculinaryschool.com)
13. Moderation is the key. If you try to change everything to an extreme, you will almost always fail or regress at some point.
14. Just start now and stop researching. Too many of us suffer from paralysis by analysis. Start by working on how much you eat and add the rest later.
15. This is a Journey. Losing the weight it only one step in the journey. If you can't keep it off, then you will have to start the journey again. That is why most diets that radically change the foods you eat will not work after the initial weight loss. Think about it this way, if you lose the weight, what will you eat when you are trying to maintain? If it is completely different foods, then you will probably end up gaining weight back. If it is the same foods at a higher caloric level, then you have just spent the weight loss journey training yourself what to eat for the weight maintenance journey.

Good luck! Hope this helps. Find what works for you!

This is great Information . Thanks

LiLee2018

Diabetic... go low carb. You don't have to be in ketosis, but just reducing your carb/sugar intake will greatly help you. Keep carbs 50 or so (maybe even up to 100g a day depending how your body reacts) and under a day.

nowine4me

I’d pick a way of eating you can stick with for a very long time and focus on whole, unprocessed foods to reverse your diabetes.

Personally, I eat plants. Lots of them.

debrakgoogins

LiLee2018 wrote: »

Diabetic... go low carb. You don't have to be in ketosis, but just reducing your carb/sugar intake will greatly help you. Keep carbs 50 or so (maybe even up to 100g a day depending how your body reacts) and under a day.

I know the OP is prediabetic but in response to the above comment, if you are diabetic and on medication, going low carb should be done only after speaking with your doctor. Limiting carbs in your diet may require a change in medication.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

LiLee2018 wrote: »

Diabetic... go low carb. You don't have to be in ketosis, but just reducing your carb/sugar intake will greatly help you. Keep carbs 50 or so (maybe even up to 100g a day depending how your body reacts) and under a day.

not everyone who is prediabetic of diabetic does low carb. some do 150g or less,some do a little more. its all going to depend on ther person too.