Advice Needed - Diabetes scare, Keto, Losing Weight!!

xoprescillaa
xoprescillaa Posts: 1 Member
edited September 2020 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello friends!

I had a visit with my Dermatologist yesterday that shot my anxiety through the roof. I went in to have my skin tags removed and she asked "are you diabetic?" and when I responded with no, she very rudely said "you WILL be diabetic in 5 years if you don't make a BIG change". She went on to say that a lot of skin tags are Gods way of saying diabetes will be a part of my life soon.

My moms diabetic so I'm already at a high risk and thanks to life happening, I went from 160lbs in 2017 to 260 lbs now. Not good, I know. COVID isn't helping - especially because gyms are still closed and I'm stress eating/battling depression.

So I need help! That was obviously the shock I needed to get my butt in gear but I need some advice. I don't know if I should go Keto and quickly cut carbs to get my body working properly again, or if I should just do a standard healthy diet. She said the change needed to be big and she mentioned carbs, but I dunno? I'm just overwhelmed googling diets and need your help! Maybe share some healthy recipes you have too? I'm in a rut with looking those up too.

Side note: I have recently moved and don't have a doctor in town yet so that's unfortunately not something I can do just yet. Also I have reaaaaaally high anxiety over health and doctors so it's hard for me to accept that I need one. Please be gentle with me.

TLDR (too long didn't read):
-Dermatologist said I'm at risk for becoming diabetic.
-What diet should I go for? Standard or Keto?
-Share some recipes/advice with me please!


I'm really nervous posting this but I'm excited to hear any advice!

Thanks everyone <3

Replies

  • CFFT2002
    CFFT2002 Posts: 37 Member
    First off, take a big breath. It is scary hearing that you are on the way (without changes) to becoming diabetic (I have been there too). Secondly the Derm could have more tact , but they are correct in stating that skin tags are a sign of insulin resistance. Google Insulin Resistance or look up Amy Berger on You Tube - she has a nice short explanatory video all about skin conditions and Insulin Resistance. Then, once you're sure you understand that , can you make a decision about what to eat. You can do this, it's just waay easier if you are well informed.
    Good luck, and remember you are not alone.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Hi there, don't worry yourself too much. You've got time.

    A big part of fat loss is knowing yourself. You got to know what is reasonable for you to do and what isn't. Some have great luck just cutting 500 calories from their TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) while other don't.

    I suggest that you set up your MyFitnessPal account with the goal of losing 1 pound a week. Change only your diet. Do not immediately pick up an exercise regime. It will be easier to stick with smaller changes and add onto them later.

    Starchy carbs are what "low carb" diets actually try to restrict. This is fine. Starchy carbs are typically filler calories anyway. But again, this all will depend on what you think you can do everyday.

    If you could reply back with some more information such as how you've set up your account here, what it says your TDEE is, goal calories, how many pounds per week you set it to, what a typical week looks like on your plate, as well as your hunger levels throughout the day, it'd go a long way towards giving some good advice suited for you.
  • Mithridites
    Mithridites Posts: 600 Member
    It's a learning curve, eating a little less calories than you burn every day. Don't complicate it with keto or anything else drastic. Small changes that you can sustain forever without much effort make the biggest impact in the end. Exercise is not necessary for weight loss, but the RIGHT exercise will help control your anxiety more effectively than self-medicating with food ever has. This is a great place to learn and exchange ideas with people knowledgeable about weightloss. Welcome and good luck on your journey.
  • papayahed
    papayahed Posts: 407 Member
    Type 2 diabetic here. You are very lucky! You get to make changes and save yourself before you end up with a chronic disease! Rather than firing your derm for rudeness I think you should thank her. I wish someone had been that rude to me before my diagnosis.

    First of all, I agree that you need an a1c. That will let you know where you stand. Any clinic can do this for you.

    The most important thing you can do is to get your weight down to a normal BMI. That may take a while. But don’t be discouraged, losing even 5% of your bodyweight can make a huge difference to your health.

    I would suggest not doing ANYTHING today. Just log. Eat as you normally do, exercise (or don’t) as normal, and log every bite, every drink, every condiment. Weigh it. Don’t guess, don’t measure using cups and spoons, weigh and log everything for one week. You have let this go on this long, it won’t hurt to take an extra week. At the end of the week, take a good hard look at your diary. You will be able to see where your weaknesses are and how best to change your diet in ways that suit you.

    At the end of your week spent logging, enter your goals into MFP to get a calorie goal.

    If you are trying to lower blood sugar you should be aiming for no more than 45 net carbs per meal, with anything eaten within the same two hour time period counting as one meal. For special occasions you can go up to 60 net carbs. But far more important is that you need to eat within your calorie goals. If you do that you will lose weight. You don’t need a special diet to lose weight.

    The other thing which helps insulin resistance is regular exercise, both cardio and strength.

    So, to summarize:
    First figure out where you stand now, which will help you make changes,
    The most important thing is calories.
    Since you are worried about diabetes, you should also limit carbs. You don’t need to go keto, just keep your carbs reasonable.
    Exercise is also very good at preventing diabetes.

    You can do this! I lost 125 lbs after my diagnosis and my a1c is now at normal, non-diabetic levels. Unfortunately, once you get diabetes, it’s permanent, and I will always have to watch my carbs closely to keep my blood glucose from spiking. You are much luckier, you can turn this thing around!

    All of this. Don't freak out. I was at 260 with diabetes and high blood pressure. I started MFP, I love all things carby so I just followed CICO and started moving when I could and now I'm off all meds and my A1C is normal. Find what works for you and stick to it most days.
  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
    edited September 2020
    You don't need Keto, as others have mentioned.

    This is not perfect, but perhaps do a little online research into diabetes and pre-diabetes. At least to know what risk factors to look for, in terms of 'if this happens I need to see a doc and get a proper diagnosis ASAP'.

    My limited information: for diabetics, certain types of carbs have a bigger impact on the blood sugar level than others. Having carbs with protein can help that. One does not need to avoid carbs, but perhaps be aware of quantity. Which is also the same for losing weight.

    Also I know that increasing one's activity level & losing weight: tend to be good for diabetes and can even reverse prediabetes.

    What to do now? Start logging your food. Look for easy ways to cut back on portions. Decrease quantities of high calorie sides and increase portions of low calorie vegetables, lean meats. Have more grilled, baked food and less fried food. Look for substitutions. Using low fat dairy can help trim calories, for example. If you normally drink sugary sodas: find something less sugar/lower cal/0 cal to replace them.

    When you set up your MFP profile, you were probably asked to set a weight loss goal and the tempting thing to do is choose 2 pounds per week. If that particular calorie goal seems too extreme, then go easy on yourself and change it to 1.5 or even 1. The goal is to finish the race, not win it. Going extreme can make it hard to follow thru.

    And start moving. Walk around the block. If going outside is not an option (wild fires out west for example) look up Leslie Sansone walking videos online.
  • Megan_smartiepants1970
    Megan_smartiepants1970 Posts: 43,604 Member
    Sorry the Derm was rude .... I am type 2 diabetic (or at least I was told I was in the hospital 2019 ) I was on insulin, I was on Victoza ...I was on Metformin ...but I am happy to say I am no longer on any of those .... I have labs every 3 months and my a1c was 6.1... I check my blood sugars everyday and I am between 115 and 130 ..I eat keto/low carb only because I get headaches from quite a few carbs like rice, potatoes and noodles ...but no you do not need to be on keto to lose weight ...........wishing you the very best on your journey :)
  • Strudders67
    Strudders67 Posts: 989 Member
    As others have said, I wish I'd met a medical professional who'd been that blunt a few years ago. Instead, I got a shock "You're diabetic" diagnosis two and a half years ago. That spurred me into really doing something about my weight, whereas a more direct statement a few years earlier may have prompted change and I could have avoided it completely.

    I insisted I'd deal with it via diet, so my GP gave me 6 months. Thankfully, with a lot of help from this forum, I got my numbers down far enough for my GP to be happy I was on the right track. At my last blood test, my numbers were below diabetic and I expect them to be even lower at my next one. I haven't needed any tablets and intend to keep things that way.

    On the Diabetes UK website, they advise that under 130g carbs a day is considered 'low' and may be helpful, so that's what I aim for. Keto means under 30g a day which is a drastic drop.

    First, focus on getting a handle on what you're eating now, where you can make changes and doing what you need to do to lose weight, slowly and sustainably. Once you've got started, look at reducing your carbs - smaller portions of pasta, maybe bulked out with spiralised vegetables, smaller portions of rice, maybe bulked out with cauliflower rice, one or two fewer potatoes and more veg instead, a big salad instead of sandwich. I still eat the same things that I've always eaten- just less of them. For some things, I eat a lot less of them because I eat more veg or salad instead but, because I haven't cut things out, I'm not depriving myself and am far more likely to stick to it.
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    @Strudders67 I had a doctor who looked me directly in the eye and gave it to me straight. That advice catapulted me into action. I've not fallen back into my old thrill eating ways. I prefer I can't fool myself realism over massive rationalization and excuses.

    Out here we have some really good doctors because this is where they want to live. We do have a world renowned dermatologist who's studied/practiced in Edinburgh, New Zealand and Great Britain. His specialties
    are Infectious Disease, Internal Medicine and Dermatology. Has his own surgical center here and has saved over 500 lives locally, discovered their melanomas. Saved my father's life.

    He operates on diabetics, too. Wound care. Those wounds that will not go away. If your dermatologist is anything like ours he's definitely not a quack.

    Ninerbuff is right. Listen to that sound advice but get your blood glucose tested.

  • Dogmom1978
    Dogmom1978 Posts: 1,580 Member
    Diatonic12 wrote: »
    @Strudders67 I had a doctor who looked me directly in the eye and gave it to me straight. That advice catapulted me into action. I've not fallen back into my old thrill eating ways. I prefer I can't fool myself realism over massive rationalization and excuses.

    Out here we have some really good doctors because this is where they want to live. We do have a world renowned dermatologist who's studied/practiced in Edinburgh, New Zealand and Great Britain. His specialties
    are Infectious Disease, Internal Medicine and Dermatology. Has his own surgical center here and has saved over 500 lives locally, discovered their melanomas. Saved my father's life.

    He operates on diabetics, too. Wound care. Those wounds that will not go away. If your dermatologist is anything like ours he's definitely not a quack.

    Ninerbuff is right. Listen to that sound advice but get your blood glucose tested.

    A dermatologist is NOT trained to determine who is and is not diabetic. Nor to determine who is at risk of being diabetic. NO ONE should take advice from a dermatologist that isn’t related to the field of dermatology.

  • Dogmom1978
    Dogmom1978 Posts: 1,580 Member
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    xoprescillaa

    'Insulin resistance is a hallmark biochemical feature of both obesity and diabetes. It is one of the key underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of the latter and appears years before its clinical diagnosis. Its accurate and feasible diagnosis is complex and invasive. Indirect laboratory measures and indexes are imprecise and unreliable. Skin manifestations of insulin resistance offer, however, a reliable and easy way to detect insulin resistance.

    Clinicians should always recall that skin conditions of insulin resistance might reflect an underlying metabolic imbalance causing the patient to be at risk or of already have diabetes. At the same time, clinicians should not only recognize them, but act by assessing the patients’ current metabolic status and, if necessary, counseling them with regard to lifestyle interventions such as healthy food, exercise, non-smoking, and weight loss.'

    T2 does not suddenly show up on your doorstep. The signs are usually there long before the diagnosis, maybe even a decade or more. One out of three have it now. No need for fear. Get your blood glucose tested and take action.
  • Dogmom1978
    Dogmom1978 Posts: 1,580 Member
    Diatonic12 wrote: »
    xoprescillaa

    'Insulin resistance is a hallmark biochemical feature of both obesity and diabetes. It is one of the key underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of the latter and appears years before its clinical diagnosis. Its accurate and feasible diagnosis is complex and invasive. Indirect laboratory measures and indexes are imprecise and unreliable. Skin manifestations of insulin resistance offer, however, a reliable and easy way to detect insulin resistance.

    Clinicians should always recall that skin conditions of insulin resistance might reflect an underlying metabolic imbalance causing the patient to be at risk or of already have diabetes. At the same time, clinicians should not only recognize them, but act by assessing the patients’ current metabolic status and, if necessary, counseling them with regard to lifestyle interventions such as healthy food, exercise, non-smoking, and weight loss.'

    T2 does not suddenly show up on your doorstep. The signs are usually there long before the diagnosis, maybe even a decade or more. One out of three have it now. No need for fear. Get your blood glucose tested and take action.

    Again, not necessarily anything BUT a skin tag.

    Enough fear mongering about skin tags

    https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/67317#causes

    OP the ONLY way to know if you are diabetic or pre diabetic is to get tested. It’s really that simple. 😊
  • Dogmom1978
    Dogmom1978 Posts: 1,580 Member
    Dogmom1978 wrote: »
    Diatonic12 wrote: »
    xoprescillaa

    'Insulin resistance is a hallmark biochemical feature of both obesity and diabetes. It is one of the key underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of the latter and appears years before its clinical diagnosis. Its accurate and feasible diagnosis is complex and invasive. Indirect laboratory measures and indexes are imprecise and unreliable. Skin manifestations of insulin resistance offer, however, a reliable and easy way to detect insulin resistance.

    Clinicians should always recall that skin conditions of insulin resistance might reflect an underlying metabolic imbalance causing the patient to be at risk or of already have diabetes. At the same time, clinicians should not only recognize them, but act by assessing the patients’ current metabolic status and, if necessary, counseling them with regard to lifestyle interventions such as healthy food, exercise, non-smoking, and weight loss.'

    T2 does not suddenly show up on your doorstep. The signs are usually there long before the diagnosis, maybe even a decade or more. One out of three have it now. No need for fear. Get your blood glucose tested and take action.

    Again, not necessarily anything BUT a skin tag.

    Enough fear mongering about skin tags

    https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/67317#causes

    OP the ONLY way to know if you are diabetic or pre diabetic is to get tested. It’s really that simple. 😊

    The point is that it’s perfectly reasonable and indeed ethically required for a dermatologist (or an ophthalmologist, or a dentist) who sees symptoms typical of the onset of diabetes to refer the patient to a doctor who can do proper testing. All of these are likely to see early signs of diabetes before a GP does, especially in patients who don’t have a regular GP.

    The OP said nothing about the dermatologist referring them to another doctor. THAT is what makes it unethical (also unethical if he/she really DID say anything about it being gods warning sign as how do they know what the OP believes)??? Again, unethical too to take it upon yourself to frighten someone. While skin tags COULD be a result of insulin issues, there are MANY other causes, so signaling one out with no other information?? Certainly unethical to say the least.
  • 1poundatax
    1poundatax Posts: 231 Member
    Hi, that is a scary thing to hear for sure. I am here because I am(was) headed toward diabetes. I agree that making small, sustainable changes rather than Keto is the way to go. This is something we will have to live with forever and will Keto be sustainable forever. I know the answer for me is "no." I did see my APRN the other day, I had lost about 8 pounds since I last saw her 6 months ago. I also had signed up to take a class on preventing type 2 diabetes. My glucose was up slightly from my last visit but my A1C was good. She said she feels confident that I will prevent diabetes based on my motivation and the changes I have been making in the last 6 months. You don't need to make all the changes at once, as a previous poster said- you have time. Just start making the changes and keep moving forward. You can do this!
  • zebasschick
    zebasschick Posts: 1,071 Member
    my husband has skin tags and his blood sugar is always normal - my mother had skin tags galore, and her blood sugar was a little low. i'm diabetic, and i have less skin tags than either, and i'm 11 years older than my husband. my 40+ year old son is very overweight, has skin tags and perfect blood sugar.
    Dogmom1978 wrote: »


    exactly this!
  • BigFatBigfoot
    BigFatBigfoot Posts: 1 Member
    Try a diet on for a week and see how you feel on it and how successful you are. If it be Keto then it's Keto.