The real key to losing weight is Metabolism!!

sunnyonescout · February 2012

Thanks for the excellent info

gildinha · February 2012

bump!

funkycamper · February 2012

Well, it's a lot more common in the USA and I'm guessing that the largest percentage of the posters here at MFP are in the US.

Per the CDC: In 2005–2008, based on fasting glucose or hemoglobin A1c levels, 35% of U.S. adults aged 20 years or older had prediabetes (50% of adults aged 65 years or older). Applying this percentage to the entire U.S. population in 2010 yields an estimated 79 million American adults aged 20 years or older with prediabetes.
(http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/pdf/ndfs_2011.pdf)

Also, per the CDC: in 2010, 11.3% of the US population over age 20 have diabetes, 25.6 million people.
(http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/estimates11.htm#2)

This totals 46.3% of the US population or about 105 million people. And this is just with people diagnosed or tested. Considering all the folks with no health insurance who probably don't go to doctors for regular testing, the figure could actually be, and probably is, higher.

Sure, it's not the majority, but it's damn close. I'm not nearly the exception here in the US as your post indicates although I didn't check world-wide rates so you could be close for that population. Although, I suspect there are a lot of undiagnosed people all over the globe.

Anyway, my point is, that since a high percentage of Americans have metabolic issues with insulin/blood sugar issues, then it's very possible that my experience of being more successful with 4-6 small meals daily rather than a few bigger meals may apply to them as well. Or maybe not. It's an option they can try for themselves.

albinogorilla · February 2012

Agree
I'm a pre-alcoholic because i have 30 beers in my fridge i could potentially drink...............
If you are allegedly "pre-diabetic" if you start eating right...............NOW for example, you wont be diabetic. Correct me if wrong......

funkycamper · February 2012

Maybe. With some people it appears to be genetic and even the proper diet may not eliminate it from that person's future, although it might forestall it for awhile.

Personally, the proper diet doesn't do a damn bit of good for me unless I combine it with regular, intense exercise. And there is so much confusion on what the proper diet is. For years I followed what diabetic nutritionists told me to eat which was high-carb/low-fat. All it did was make my diabetes worse, make me gain weight and feel like crap. I was also told walking was the best exercise for diabetics. Well, walking my energetic dog 1-2 hours daily at a brisk pace did nothing for my diabetes control. Following the advice of the experts had me on metformin and glipizide and I still did not have good control.

When my doctor brought up Byetta or insulin, I decided to go against medical advice and drop my carb intake, up my fat intake and up my exercise intensity. I am now off of all diabetic medications with far better control. Of course, the weight finally coming off due to these changes probably helps with that control as well. Anyway, my numbers are now running much more like a non-diabetic's numbers would. But does this mean I'm no longer diabetic? No.

I find your joke about the beers you have in your fridge/alcoholism in poor taste. One can drink for years and not be an alcoholic and have no physical damage from it. There are many indications that pre-diabetes still means that damage is occurring to the body. Particularly to the pancreas's beta cells which may be over-producing insulin in order to keep the blood sugar levels more normal. Yet this is what leads to insulin resistance which, in turn, can cause hypoglycemia and, eventually, diabetes. So pre-diabetes is really the beginning stages of diabetes in all cases. While social drinking is not always the beginning stages of alcoholism. Very different situations and nothing to be laughed at.

grinch031 · February 2012

What about all the people who say macro-nutrients don't matter. Its all about calories. Would a pre-diabetic be just fine eating mostly refined carbs as long as they restrict their calories?

albinogorilla · February 2012

well thank you for the correction, but i still find my analogy wildy amusing.................I am still wary of anyone being diagnosed as pre-anything............ if its a pre-condition, its pre-ventable at this stage..........

tigersword · February 2012

Because it isn't a real disease for one thing. Prediabetes is defined as being at risk to develop type 2 diabetes. If that's a legitamite disease than is precancer also a legitimate disease? I guess the entire US population is suffering from that debilitating disease precancer. Or precardiac disease, or precommon cold. Preinfluenza?

It's a scare tactic. Watch Biggest Loser for the best example of it, when that doctor tells every single contestant, "YOU HAVE DIABETES," and then later in the season, "IT'S A MIRACLE, YOUR DIABETES IS CURED!"

albinogorilla · February 2012

Ask a Dr., i'm not one, nor do i pretend to be on the internet

grinch031 · February 2012

This is why I don't like when people say it doesn't matter what you eat or when you eat, as long as you create a caloric deficit. Because they are ignoring the millions of people with a condition where weight loss might be extraordinarily difficult following such advice because of hormonal resistance.

rileysowner · February 2012

Those millions are still not the majority. They are the minority. An important minority seeing as I have people in my immediate circle of friends who are diabetic, but still the minority. The vast majority of people without metabolic conditions need to hear that advice. For that matter, even many of the people with metabolic conditions would be much healthier if they were in a true caloric deficit and exercising intensely. There may be ways to optimize things for them, but frankly among the diabetics I know most are severely overweight, eat way too much even if it is what many would call healthy food, and very inactive. Yes there are the exceptions, but not many in my experience. Every one of them would benefit from simply cutting their calories down to a deficit and getting active at something that challenges them physically. Why don't they do it? I have no idea I can't see into their minds, and don't want to guess at it.

Would those same people benefit more from extremely limiting simple carbs since they cannot process sugar correctly, most certainly. Would eating 5-6 times a day help them, that is still questionable from what I have read since eating frequently does seem to keep blood sugar levels higher in non obese individuals. http://www.e-spenjournal.org/article/S1751-4991(10)00054-5/abstract Interestingly the overall insulin response for 3 carb rich meals or 6 carb rich meals was the same in total.

While we do no know what happens with obese individuals of those with insulin resistant diabetes (which I assume is the type of diabetes we are talking about) this certainly requires more study. It also calls into question the claim that eating many small meals in a day is beneficial. I can't imagine, assuming those who are obese or diabetics respond the same way, that a prolonged increased blood sugar level would be beneficial when they are already insulin resistant. I will be interesting to see future studies, which I hope someone will take the time to do as this is rather important to know for those who have diabetes.

emeralds5668 · February 2012

ummmmmm yeah.....it is and if you are to have a net of 1500 calories.....if you burn off 600 in a workout then they are added back into the total and by my math that would mean 2100

kayladreams · February 2012

Just bumping in case I want to look at this again. Some good points were made, and I'd like to come back and read the whole thing when I have time.

claresusan · February 2012

Bump for later

BecksFit88 · February 2012

1 Egg. 1 serving of melon. 1 lowfat yogurt.
1 serving of Chicken (2 oz portion), cup of mixed veggies
Quinoa (1/2 cup) and vegetables
1/2 peanut butter sandwich and assorted vegetables
Salad (3 cups) and 2 oz of chicken.
And then two 100 calorie snacks, or four 50 calorie snacks.

funkycamper · February 2012

Well, you can think what you want but you are still wrong.

"Before people develop type 2 diabetes, they almost always have "prediabetes"—blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. There are 79 million people in the United States who have prediabetes. Recent research has shown that some long-term damage to the body, especially the heart and circulatory system, may already be occurring during prediabetes." http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/prevention/pre-diabetes/

Emphasis mine. While it's not conclusive that damage is already occurring during prediabetes, it is likely. Nothing to screw around with or joke about.

I was told I had prediabetes when I had gestational diabetes. Several years later, I developed hypoglycemia, another prediabetes condition.

funkycamper · February 2012

Well, I've been saying from the beginning that meal frequency is an individual thing. With my diabetes, small meals with less carb intake, along with regular intense exercise, controls my blood sugar levels quite well. My blood sugar levels are usually in the 110-130 range at 1 and 2 hours post-prandial readings. When I eat a larger meal, even if carbs are still limited, my blood sugar levels can easily go above 180. A larger meal with more carbs, can easily shoot me above 200.

Does this mean it will work for everyone? Probably not. But this doesn't mean that it's not worth trying. Especially if they are doing everything right and not losing. If I start getting lax and eat bigger meals, less often, especially if it's accompanied with carb creep, my weight loss totally stops. I suspect it's due to my insulin resistance and my body being flooded with too much insulin. Another controversial matter, I know. I just know what works for me. And, really, I wish that wasn't the case as I would love to just be able to eat 2-3 larger meals. When I'm doing the numerous small meals daily, I feel better, my blood sugar levels are lower and more stable, and I lose weight better but I really miss the satiation of a fuller stomach. I've been at a plateau for quite awhile now and I believe it's because I let myself eat bigger meals during the holidays and a January vacation and have been having a hard time getting back to eating the smaller, more frequent meals on a consistent basis.

I think scientific studies are great and should be paid attention to. However, that doesn't mean people shouldn't find what works best for them even if it flies in the face of studies. YMMV.

tigersword · February 2012

Prediabetes does not always lead to diabetes, and not every diabetic had pre diabetes first, those are both myths. It's just like saying overweight people automatically become diabetic. It's just not true, it's alarmist propaganda.

From the American Diabetes Association. The same site you linked.

treetop57 · February 2012

Thanks for those quotes, Tigersword. As it happens, I officially passed "lose 7% of your body weight" yesterday. (Down 18 pounds from 248 = 7.2%.)

I know that doesn't have much to with your discussion with funkycamper, but it's great to hear that first step has greatly reduced the probability of my progressing from "pre-diabetes" to diabetes.

funkycamper · February 2012

I never said that everyone with prediabetes will become diabetic. I simply said that prediabetes indicates that these people are already showing a metabolic issue that is effecting their insulin/blood sugar levels. Of course, putting into practice the steps needed to not become diabetic can eliminate getting diabetes in many, forestall it in others, simply keep it from escalating, or perhaps a few other scenarios I haven't thought of. There are no absolutes. It all depends on what steps people take, how consistently they implement those steps, their own body's particular responses to those steps, and their genetic predisposition.

It can be quite difficult to figure out what those proper steps are, however, with all the conflicting information out there. I listened to the wrong advice for way too long. Mea culpa. The standard diabetic informed doled out in the diabetic classes at my local hospital put me on the wrong track for years. Since then, I have learned to eat to my meter which has resulted in a far more successful approach and outcome. As I have said many times, what works for me may not work for the next person. But you seem more inclined to want to tell people what to do as an absolute vs. helping people find different ways to do things so they can experiment and find their own best path to wellness and fitness. I don't understand that kind of black and white thinking. To each their own.

The real key to losing weight is Metabolism!!

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