help for a type 2 diabetic

Hello my name is Drew,


I hope all is well with everyone and a happy New Years to all!

I was 253lbs about 2 years ago i have maintained between 220lbs-225lbs for over a year now. I have finally started the gym about a month ago and i am addicted, however i need to know how to get the most out of my time there.

So right now I am 25 and 218lbs since losing 7 lbs since starting the gym at the begining of new years. I go almost every day or at least 5/7 days min. Everyother day i lift weights for each part of my body (minus my legs) I go hard for about 45 minutes and then i do about 30 minutes of instense cardio. On the other days I do my Legs and Abs for about 40 minutes and then do 30 minutes of cardio. I havnt noticed a fast weight loss even though i have corrected and am on a strict but yet high protien diet and I am eating about 2000 cals a day and avoiding the junk foods and eating pretty clean. My question is because I am type 2 diabetic I have been told my number one goal should be to lose weight and im too fat thats why i am diabetic, however I havn't made this my goal because i would like to lose weight but not be all skin and no muscle i want to have a bit of tone thats why I have been going hard with the weights before cardio . I understand that if i have muscle it will burn the carbs and sugars during the day to lower my sugar levels even when im not working out.

What do you think I should do? i am not looking for a quick solution I want to have a nice body and keep it and i dont care if it takes me a long time to do so (im not a fan of those crazy diets and you can gain it all back in very little time)

My ultimate goal is to get off of my drugs (victoza)

What should I be doing with my condition? or should up what I have been doing now which is a full out body excersise.

Replies

  • amaysngrace
    amaysngrace Posts: 742 Member
    Hello my name is Drew,


    I hope all is well with everyone and a happy New Years to all!

    I was 253lbs about 2 years ago i have maintained between 220lbs-225lbs for over a year now. I have finally started the gym about a month ago and i am addicted, however i need to know how to get the most out of my time there.

    So right now I am 25 and 218lbs since losing 7 lbs since starting the gym at the begining of new years. I go almost every day or at least 5/7 days min. Everyother day i lift weights for each part of my body (minus my legs) I go hard for about 45 minutes and then i do about 30 minutes of instense cardio. On the other days I do my Legs and Abs for about 40 minutes and then do 30 minutes of cardio. I havnt noticed a fast weight loss even though i have corrected and am on a strict but yet high protien diet and I am eating about 2000 cals a day and avoiding the junk foods and eating pretty clean. My question is because I am type 2 diabetic I have been told my number one goal should be to lose weight and im too fat thats why i am diabetic, however I havn't made this my goal because i would like to lose weight but not be all skin and no muscle i want to have a bit of tone thats why I have been going hard with the weights before cardio . I understand that if i have muscle it will burn the carbs and sugars during the day to lower my sugar levels even when im not working out.

    What do you think I should do? i am not looking for a quick solution I want to have a nice body and keep it and i dont care if it takes me a long time to do so (im not a fan of those crazy diets and you can gain it all back in very little time)

    My ultimate goal is to get off of my drugs (victoza)

    What should I be doing with my condition? or should up what I have been doing now which is a full out body excersise.

    I don't know, but you could add me as a friend. My diary is open. I do low carb, high protein, high fat. The sugars are from fruits mainly. I use to weight 238 pounds and I am now down to 158 pounds, not quite at my goal weight. My doctor told me I was borderline diabetic and on the verge to diabetes if I didn't lose weight back in 2012. Now, I'm not at risk at all, since losing most of my weight. I would have to look at your diary, I suppose.
  • I'm a type 2 diabetic with cardiovascular disease. I am 5' 1" and weigh 170 lbs. I think you should reduce your calorie intake.
    I exercise regularly, but have had to reduce intensity for medical reasons. Avoid thinking that since you've exercised you can increase your calorie intake. I'm on a mediterranean diet (5 oz fish & poultry), only complex carbs (no simple sugars) limited to 3 (1 must be beans like lentils, black, kidney, or garbanzo), 2 fruits, 1-2 serving nuts, 3 tsp oil (no butter or margarine), at least 5 servings vegetables per day, The only thing that works for me is to reduce calorie intake. I'm at 1200-1400 calories per day. That works pretty well. When I'm good, I lose 1 - 2 lbs every 12-14 days. Hope that helps.

    Oops. Forgot. I also have 1 serving of milk or yogurt per day. I drink plenty of water.
    Also, don't drink your calories. They go down real fast and you always want more. I learned that lesson the hard way.
  • I also should let you know there is a indoor lane pool at my gym that i was thinking about using as well.

    Also I do not want to lower my calorie intake any less. Over the last year i have been eating about 3000 Cals a day and i have lowered my weight and reduced my A1C test so that i am just barely diabetic now. So lowering to 2000 a day is pretty healthy. Basicaly i want a body that looks to be in shape and at around 190-200 lbs. But i dont want to just lose all my weight quickly or It will look dumb as it will be flabby skin.
  • sumeetg37
    sumeetg37 Posts: 108 Member
    I am also a type 2 diabetic. I just had my A1C checked by the doctor it's 5.1, at my next visit in six months he wants to do a glucose tolerance test to see if I have regained normal sugar metabolism. So I definitely know where you are coming from. For me it was all about regular exercise and calorie/sugar control. I walk at least 30-60 minutes a day and started doing starting strength 5 months ago. Also I added yoga on my non-lifting days. I also started at 255 and am 205 now 11 months later. I didn't begin strength training till I had already lost about 35 lbs but if I had to do it over again I would have started sooner so that I could have held on to more LBM. That being said if you are realistic about your strength gains and weight loss you can definitely maintain a calorie deficit while lifting. Make sure you keep your protein intake high I know that I don't manage quite enough but I do shoot for around 120g a day (should be more like 150 but that's kind of tough).
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    But i dont want to just lose all my weight quickly or It will look dumb as it will be flabby skin.

    The ability for stretched skin to snap back reduces with age, so lose the weight ASAP.

    Since fat loss seems to be your goal, i'd follow the usual fat-loss plan of limiting calorie intake, and doing strength training & cardio.
    For weights, i'd do a full-body workout every 2-3 days. It's best to follow an established program (NROL, Stronglifts, etc) instead of creating your own.
  • FreedomSand
    FreedomSand Posts: 30 Member
    Drew, I'm a bit confused. I am seeing your post on one of the the 'myfitnesspal' forums. Have you set up the goals?

    I set up my goals, with a desired weight loss of 2 pounds per week. I diligently log in each and every morsel I eat, and all my exercise.

    Like you, I do weights to build some muscle; and cardio. The first 3 weeks I didn't see much happening, but then, I know muscle weighs more than fat. AND at the end of each day, when I clicked the link at the bottom: COMPLETE THIS ENTRY, it consistently told me I would weigh X in 5 weeks, which amounted to me losing 2 pounds per week.

    Sure enough, end of week 5 and I was down 10 pounds! So using myfitnesspal is working for me. I'm wondering if you have set it up and are using it?
  • Hey thanks for all the advice everyone, and my last A1C test I was 6.1 this from 13 a year ago. So i was on the right track I know I sound very confusing because i am and i am also new. I heard there is some cream you can buy to help tighten your skin/stretch marks? Also i started using the diet/food plan on myfitnesspal however its not exactly accurate if I am doing high reps lower weight and breaking a sweat it shows im not burning any cals doing this. Also I am a bit lazy when it comes to making a journal I know that I am eating under 2200 cals a day because I count and just leave off from where my last meal was at. PS FIBRE ONE BARS will make you fart all day and the gas is extra stinky.... my office workers want me dead lol.


    Thanks everyone I will post my results at the end of next month,We will see where I am at and if I need to adjust with my weights/cardio/sugar levels.
  • It's great that you're exercising, losing weight, gaining strength and lowering your A1c, Drew. What you're doing is working for you, and unless your doctor suggests you do something differently, it makes sense to stick with your current plan. The current exercise guidelines recommend including cardio exercise along wtih strength training, so you're on the right path. ~Lynn /Glucerna