Low carb, low calorie and gaining! Advice?

spiritofheather
spiritofheather Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello!

I'm writing because I need some advice. I saw my Endocrinologist over a month ago and was informed that I was so close to diabetes that if I did not change my eating I would be put on insulin in 3 months. Definitely not the best news to get. I have hypothyroidism, been "borderline" to diabetes for years, metabolic syndrome, have binge eating disorder and am near 360 pounds so this isn't surprising but still none the less scary.

She told me I needed a drastic change, more so then most people. I had to cut out the carbs almost completely. She said to mostly eat lean protein, veggies and occasional fruit.... that's it! I'm a carboholic so that recommendation was earth shattering, I don't even like most veggies.

So I ended up starting her recommendations, and I lost 20 pounds in 9 days. I was like yay! That however did not last, 3 weeks in a row I gained back weight, I was eating less then 900 calories on most days, and under 100g of carbs. I was hungry all the time and very tired. There was very little variety in what I would eat, I often found myself trying new things and rather to not eat at all because I was so repulsed at the new foods.

Where I am at now is a where I usually end up when I diet at all. Relapsed! Binge eating to make up for time lost is really what it seems like. I haven't gained a huge amount back but I also haven't weighed in this week. This is what I wanted to avoid... people say its self sabotage, but is it really? I wonder if my body was in starvation mode, that is all I can think of since I didn't stray from the diet until 3 weeks in and feeling horrible, tired and hungry...oh and severely depressed. I then started to add "treats" to try and curb the feelings of deprivation but ultimately I gave into my temptation completely.

Doctors give me different advice on this, people do as well. I really don't know who to believe anymore! And I am sure I will find many different opinions on the subject by asking for help here as well, but I know at least here there are people in my situation who have overcome it. Not just read it from a book or learned it in a lecture.

I want to start again, I have only been off the diet a week. I know the longer I stay away from this way of eating the more weight I will gain in return and also the less likely I return to it at all.

Is there a middle ground for this? A way to do it without starving. Any advice?! Any will be appreciated. I don't even really know what I am asking for by writing this, I guess just suggestions to make the situation better than last time.

P.s I know I need to learn to eat vegetables. :tongue:

Replies

  • Sammun
    Sammun Posts: 16 Member
    You don't need to cut carbs and fat to lose weight. In fact you need both carbs and fat to function which is what you're finding. If you're going to cut starchy carbs for a while on doctors orders, (good idea for prediabetic) then you absolutely need to eat vegetables and fats... Once you have lost weight you can introduce your starchy carbs again.
  • spiritofheather
    spiritofheather Posts: 5 Member
    I haven't really cut fat, it has been less but mostly because all the processed food I was eating was so high in fat before. Thank you for the advice. I have read that when cutting out carbs you have to increase your fat intake but I wasn't sure on that info.

    To make my entire predicament even more frustrating. After eating junk food all week I was able to lose almost 5 pounds. Sometimes I think my body just likes to mess with me!
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I haven't really cut fat, it has been less but mostly because all the processed food I was eating was so high in fat before. Thank you for the advice. I have read that when cutting out carbs you have to increase your fat intake but I wasn't sure on that info.

    To make my entire predicament even more frustrating. After eating junk food all week I was able to lose almost 5 pounds. Sometimes I think my body just likes to mess with me!

    It's not about the types of foods you eat it's about how much you eat...if you aren't in a deficet you wont lose weight.
  • Jestinia
    Jestinia Posts: 1,153 Member
    I'd go back and ask your doctor about low carb high fat. Low carb would be much fewer than 100 carbs, if you go Atkins Induction / Ketogenic, we're talking 20 grams of carbs a day. The high fat part might help with the hunger and is necessary when cutting carbs that low. But regardless, since you're under doctor supervision, you should ultimately take any questions back to the doctor.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I haven't really cut fat, it has been less but mostly because all the processed food I was eating was so high in fat before. Thank you for the advice. I have read that when cutting out carbs you have to increase your fat intake but I wasn't sure on that info.

    To make my entire predicament even more frustrating. After eating junk food all week I was able to lose almost 5 pounds. Sometimes I think my body just likes to mess with me!

    There definitely is a middle ground. You should try to stick to the diet your doctor gave as closely as possible. But, when you find it impossible, don't binge. Don't eat those forbidden foods with abandon. Just have a treat, and then get back on plan. Most people who are on strict diets cheat every now and then. Just limit is as much as you can.

    And when you do go off plan, try to eat carbs with fiber and/or protein to lessen the effect on your blood glucose.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    Did you mean you were eating less than 900 cals or was that a type.

    You need to eat a healthy deficit, but if you over do it you will make it near on impossible to stick to. If you have been advised to cut back on carbs then follow that advice, but in reality to lose weight all you need to do is eat in a healthy deficit.

    Did your Endocrinologist give you an eating guide at all?
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    You say you are eating 900 calories and feeling tired and depressed. It sounds like you are undereating. However, you also say you aren't losing and in fact are gaining weight. That sounds like you are overeating.

    Firstly, I would suggest that you understand that the initial weight loss the first week was likely a lot of water weight because you drastically cut carbs (depleted your glycogen stores). If your weight increased the next week, that might also be water weight. I wasn't really clear how much weight have you gained, has it been a consistent gain, and over what time period are you gaining.

    At your size, if you are gaining weight, then you are not logging accurately (it just wouldn't be possible for you to gain weight at 900 calories a day). I'm not attempting to call you a liar; just make sure you log your food as accurately as possible. Use a food scale (serving sizes on packages in cups are estimations, go by the gram listings because you'd be surprised how off those serving sizes can be), and track everything you put in your mouth.

    If you are accurately measuring, and you are just overreacting to one "fluke" on the scale but are still feeling horribly tired, I'd be far more concerned about that. 900 calories is very low for most people, but especially for someone your size. If your doctor recommended it and they are taking blood work every few weeks to make sure you are receiving the appropriate nutrition, then that is fine. However, if 900 is a number you randomly picked because you would lose faster, I would reconsider. Undereating can have a lot of side effects (many of which you already seem to be experiencing), and that can make a diet unsustainable for many people. Who wants to feel like crap all the time.

    I'd recommend reading this and attempting weight loss using a moderate deficit:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • slk_5555
    slk_5555 Posts: 177 Member
    Personally I don't believe in cutting out carbs, or any other food group for that matter. As long as you try to have a balanced diet and are creating a calorie deficit, then you will loose weight. To loose 1lb in a week, you need to create a calorie deficit of 3500 calories. You should put your info in the calculator on here, you should be able to eat a lot more than 900cals and still loose weight consistently. 900 is very low, it is usually recommended that you don't eat below 1200. I used to eat 1200 a day and was always tired, I would go for weeks not loosing & then just binge. Now I eat 1650 a day, I have loads of food (including treats) so I don't feel the need to binge and I have loads more energy - I am much more likely to be able to stick with this as I do not feel deprived.

    Once the calc advises how much you should be eating, you then need to make sure you weigh/measure everything you eat/drink and track it on here. There is also great support on here too.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    You need to eat at a reasonable amount of calories for your size. To maintain your current weight -- neither gain nor loose -- you would need to eat about 3000 calories per day, and this is if you don't exercise at all. Now what I'm telling you is just my advice. I'm not a doctor, I'm just letting you know what I went thru, and the experiences of other people I know here on this website, as well as the research/studying I've done in nutrition and health.

    For someone obese to LOSE weight at a healthy, sane rate that will be sustainable over the long term, and cause the least amount of health problems (ie, to minimize bone loss, hormone issues, allow skin to stretch back into place, etc.) you shouldn't eat on average fewer than 1000 calories below your body's total energy needs for the day. So for you, right now, that's 2000 calories.

    Here's why I'm recommending 2000 calories to you.

    (1) This amount will give you plenty of calories to have some treats every day, so you don't feel deprived. So you'll stick to the plan.
    (2) You'll be sure to have enough food that you'll still have energy to keep active and keep your mood good.
    (3) 2000 is a lot less than you're used to right now. And just sticking to 2000 every day, to make it a habit, will train your eyes, brain, and body what a "normal" amount of food is every day.

    If you do this, just this, for 6 months, you'll be doing a lot to help your long-term health, and you'll drop something like 40 lbs or so. And maybe after 6 weeks or so when eating 2000 becomes a "habit" to you, you'll be able to tackle some of the other issues you face. Maybe like cutting sugar or salt, or add exercise, or other things you could do to help get healthier.

    Good luck, please eat more than 900 calories. You're just setting yourself up for failure and binges if you eat that little.
  • cbhubbybubble
    cbhubbybubble Posts: 465 Member
    I'm in a similar situation as you being pre-diabetic among other things with my PCOS, but not as severe. My doc hasn't recommended any severe changes to carb or sugar intake, but I'm trying to keep an eye on my sugars and be under my carbs....not successful every day.

    With your diary closed, I don't know what you're eating to comment on changes you could make. It's true that technically it's the amount of calories and not where they come from that creates the weight loss, but I find that it does matter where they come from to ensure you aren't hungry. You seem to be concerned about being hungry. I haven't been doing this super long yet, but I haven't been hungry at all. I attribute this to the food choices I make. I eat foods that tend to satisfy me longer and/or have more volume for the amount of calories than the poor choices I made before. ....whole wheat pasta instead of regular pasta, oatmeal and fruit or a boiled egg and whole grain toast for breakfast instead of a bagel, sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes, lots of veggies, etc. I'm less hungry now than I was before I started this journey.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    You have a different focus point that most people here. Many can give you advice but your doctors know more about you than we ever could learn.

    Did your doctors tell you to go SO EXTREME on cutting calories? Perhaps you took their advice and went so far over that you were attempting something impossible to sustain. What calorie range did your docs advise?
  • mgracev4
    mgracev4 Posts: 18 Member
    READ THIS.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing




    ALSO, THIS:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think


    These two posts were all I needed to read to know where I was going wrong. You probably will need them too.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Just saw your comment about veggies.

    I was a picky eater growing up. As an adult I started trying things because I knew I should, and by trying things in different ways I have found some things I really like. Broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini: I toss w/ a little olive oil, seasonings, maybe a dash of parmesan cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes. I prefer them this way to steamed or raw. There are so many veggies, and even more ways to prepare them. Experimenting can help.
  • willnorton
    willnorton Posts: 995 Member
    i believe that you can get 10 different people giving you advice and you will get 10 different opinions....possibly...

    i have had type 2 diabetes for 10 years now and i have tried low fat high carb, low carb high fat... Atkins, Paleo. VEgan...tried them all..

    all of our bodies are different...you got to do a trial and error... you got to do what works for you....

    you DO NOT want diabetes...work hard right now to deal with that....diabetes is tough to deal with...

    i am doing Paleo right now and it is amazing ..its working for me...

    do something and stick to it....dont stay on it a week and then go to something else....stick to something to see if it works...

    as far as not liking veggies..... you do not want the alternative....

    sometimes we all have to do things that might be a little hard....life is not easy...NO PAIN >>>>NO GAIN>>>>

    please find what works for you..and remember most of the advice you get on here is advice that has come from someone who did it and it worked for them...

    some people low carb works...some people say burn more cals than you take in...so many different ways to go..

    good luck..

    deal with that diabetes thing..its slow death

    Bill
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    Normally I would agree with most posters that it's not necessary to cut carbs. But since you're under the care of an endocrinologist for metabolic issues (you mentioned thyroid and near diabetes, and it sounds like possibly something else), the normal recommendations don't apply. You need to listen to your specialist, as far as what to eat and how much. (Did the Endo tell you how many calories? If not you need to ask).

    I would place a call to your doctor. Let her know what you've been doing and what's happening. Ask if you need to change your calorie amount. You may also want to ask for a referral dietician who works with people with similar issues.

    I'm sorry you're struggling. I'm afraid, though, that most of the advice you'll get here isn't going to be appropriate, because your metabolism is not the normal, and you need to make adaptations that most people don't (and may aren't aware of). I hope you can get the help you need. :flowerforyou:
  • rarounding
    rarounding Posts: 1
    You really need to make sure you are eating enough calories....you should never eat less than 1200 calories a day...eating 900 a day would cause your body to go into starvation mode and therefore gain weight..I would say for you though, right now would be to stay around 1400 calories for about 2 months, then go down to 1200 calories...make sure you make the calories count by eating things that will keep you full...like beans, brown rice..lean proteins..
  • lastspen
    lastspen Posts: 106 Member
    I'm a carb junkie and a sugar fiend like most overweight people that I encounter. I started out by finding meals that I loved to eat that were healthier options like fish bakes (seasoned tilapia over peppers onions, sometimes corn and black beans), egg muffins, baked sweet potatoes and veggies. I think that you'll find that if you look for more whole food options and less processed food, it's much easier to avoid the excess fat, sodium and sugar.

    As far as my cravings are concerned, I don't deny myself anything. I try to find better substitutes, like greek yogurt or fudgsicles instead of ice cream. It's not a perfect method but it works for me. I also try to get smaller portions of the junk food when I do eat it and limit it to one treat at a time (just the shake, skip the burger and fries).

    I know what it's like to fall off the wagon. I'm currently bouncing back from a big fall that lasted for months. You have to make up in your mind that you're going to lose the weight no matter how many slip-ups you have and no matter how long it takes. I think that you're going to have to become more open to experimenting with foods. Play around with spices and keep some backup foods like frozen veggies and turkey burgers in the freezer in case you don't like something that you make. We've got to stop making excuses as to why we don't want to eat our vegetables, young lady. :tongue: Some of the food may not be your preferred foods to eat but you're doing this for a greater reason so you've got to buckle down and get it done (a little tough love there).

    Good luck!

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