Borderline Diabetic

dianefarwells

Hi, I just started about 2 weeks ago. My recent labs indicated that I'm on the cusp of becoming diabetic. I have not lost ANY weight since I started! Talk about discouraging!
I walk 45 minutes everyday at a moderate pace.
I track everything I eat.1200 calorie diet set by MFP.
I'm not going over any of my nutrients.
I drink 64 oz of water every day.
I'm 71 and take several medications.
Talk about frustrating!

Pray tell...WHAT am I doing wrong?

TIAFYH

Leo_King84

Could it be the medications?

AnnPT77

What are you doing wrong? Possibly nothing . . . except not giving the process enough time to work. Changing our eating patterns and increasing exercise/activity can increase water retention temporarily (for health-promoting reasons) and mask fat loss on the scale. I'd suggest sticking with a starting regimen - eating and activity - for 4-6 weeks, in order to see what your average weight change per week is. (I'm assuming that you, like me, are in menopause. If you were younger, I'd talk about assessing weight change from the same relative point in one monthly cycle to the next, because hormonal water weight shifts can be pretty weird for some women.)

I think you're doing fine. I'm saying that as a 68 y/o woman who lost weight at 59-60, now maintaining a healthy weight (after about a year of loss and probably 30 previous years of overweight/obesity).

I know patience is hard, but I think that's the best strategy in your scenario. A few specific comments interspersed below, not things you're "doing wrong", but just context.

dianefarwells wrote: »

Hi, I just started about 2 weeks ago. My recent labs indicated that I'm on the cusp of becoming diabetic. I have not lost ANY weight since I started! Talk about discouraging!
I walk 45 minutes everyday at a moderate pace.

That's great!

I track everything I eat.1200 calorie diet set by MFP.

You don't say how big you are now (height/weight), but most women in our demographic would lose weight at an accurate 1200 calories, unless very petite and quite inactive (you're not very inactive, sounds like). Rate of loss would vary depending on other details, but that should be OK.

I'm not going over any of my nutrients.

Nutrient levels are more about health, feeling full, having good energy. It's the calories that directly affect fat loss.

It's fine to go over any of the nutrients, within calories. It's potentially even a good thing to go over goals on protein or fats. If protein or fats are persistently well below your goals, that may even be a thing to gradually chip away at improving. Too many people our age persistently under-eat protein in particular, and that can be very counterproductive for health and muscle retention, which is so important as we age. We need some fats for health, to metabolize fat-soluble vitamins (A, E, D, K) and other nutrients from our foods, and for smooth digestive throughput. Carb levels are more flexible.

For myself, I set protein and fats minimums, and use carbohydrates to balance calories.

I drink 64 oz of water every day.

Hydration is important for health, and some people find it easy to manage appetite when well-hydrated. Beyond that, it's not important for weight loss directly. If your urine is pale yellow, not clear or dark, you're reasonably hydrated. (Light neon yellow can happen if getting more than essential of certain water-soluble vitamins, and is not really a worry. Dark is not great.)

I'm 71 and take several medications.

You might want to learn whether any of your medications can affect water retention as a side effect, since that can mask fat loss on the scale. Meds that list weight gain as a side effect usually do that via water retention, fatigue (move less, burn fewer calories than expected), or appetite increase. Calorie counting, then adjusting based on multi-week results, can compensate for the latter two. The water retention may not be changeable if there is some, but it's a thing to be aware of. (Healthy bodies adjust water retention for good reasons, mostly!)

Talk about frustrating!

Pray tell...WHAT am I doing wrong?

TIAFYH

Hang in there. Give it a little more time. I hear and understand your frustration. Having increased your activity and working on eating more nutritiously will likely have beneficial effects on your prediabetic status, even if weight loss takes a little more time.

Best wishes!