have metabolic syndrome x n looking for a buddy

I, too, have been diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome. Was diagnosed two months ago (about the time you posted this, coincidentally). There are lots and lots of symptoms, and you may have all or very few of them, but one constant is certain: the body is insulin resistant to some degree. Metabolic Syndrome is the precursor to type 2 diabetes.

Turns out lots and lots of people have Metabolic Syndrome, but very few get diagnosed. Instead, they get diagnosed with the symptoms (you're type 2 diabetic, you're hypertensive, you have fatty liver disease), and their symptoms get treated, but not the causes.

One of the frustrating things about MS is that if you lose weight, it'll go away, but you can't lose weight, because of the MS. So yeah. I know exactly what you're going through. I spent my whole adult life trying to lose the excess weight that piled on, and couldn't.

Simple diet and exercise doesn't work, because most diets don't treat the insulin resistance, and those few that do (like Atkins), the moment you go back to a "normal" diet with a high carb load, you stop losing and you even gain back the weight.

It's all about how your body handles the insulin. Pretend you're a diabetic, and eat like one.

Right now, my doctor is treating me for a mild insulin resistance (not enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes, but enough to make me fat) by sending me to a nutritionist who specialises in Metabolic Syndrome.

The treatment is very simple: I balance the carbs I eat throughout the day. I eat three small meals a day that contain no more than 20-30g of carbs per meal, and in between each meal I get a snack of 10-15g carbs. This gives me around 120-130g of carbs a day (about half of what MFP recommends).

As a result, I don't get high spikes of insulin, nor the low crashes, but a more even ebb and flow.

I also exercise five days a week to help deplete my glycogen stores.

This is the only thing I've tried in the past twenty years that has shown results. I've lost about fifteen pounds or so, so far (8kg in metric).

I've had a bad week and fell back into some old habits, and my weight loss stopped, but I'm back on the wagon, and I'm hoping come tomorrow morning, I will have dropped a few ounces or so.

This is what has worked for me. This happened because I've been co-teaming with my doctor to figure out why I've been putting in tons of exercise and diet and had no results for over a year. I'd do lots of research, and he'd do my bloodwork and offer further suggestions. Self-education and a sympathetic doctor is how I've been able to take control of my weight and my life.

I'm more than happy to be your buddy if my experience and knowledge can help you as well.

Diagnosis of PCOS, which I know is not the same medical conditon. However, there are some simlilarities. Especially the part about it being hard to lose weight. If your determined and you log daily, feel free to add. :flowerforyou: