Insulin Resistance and weight loss

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flightoffancy24
flightoffancy24 Posts: 2
in Food and Nutrition
Does anybody have insulin resistance? Have you had any success with weight loss? What did you do nutritionally to reach your goals?

Hello everyone. I have been a MFP user for about 6 months now. In that time, I have lost 11 lbs, and was diagnosed with insulin resistance (determined to be genetic rather than brought on by poor diet). I generally eat between 1200 and 1500 calories depending on how much I have exercised that day. Usually I try to exercise at least an hour a day, even if it's just walking. Most commonly, I run (training for a 10 K), bike (around 10 miles for exercise), do yoga, play tennis, and do some strength training. I was doing P90X for 3 months.

It was suggested that I try South Beach, but the diet made me feel so bad, I had to stop. I stuck to it for a month, but I was going slowly downhill the entire time, having extreme dizzy spells that made me unable to do my job and lacking energy so badly that I was not able to workout and ended up GAINING 5 lbs. This might possibly be because I am also vegetarian.

I am frustrated with my lack of success in losing weight, despite being pretty good about my diet and exercise. My weight loss goal is still nearly 40 lbs away, and the scale hasn't really budged in months (ever since I lost the weight I gained from South Beach). I went to the doctor today and was told that, for someone with insulin resistance, 4 lbs in 3 months is pretty good.

Please help. I am so frustrated I'm about ready to give up and just resign myself to being 30 lbs overweight my whole life. :-(

Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Opening your food diary may help.

    Insulin resistance means you have higher insulin levels that inhibits fat loss, so low carb diets usually work best. The exercise may contribute a little, but if you eat a lot of carbohydrate you're onto a loser.

    Choosing to be a vegetarian makes it more difficult, but not impossible to do low carbs.
  • dlrcpa
    dlrcpa Posts: 114 Member
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    Please don't give up! Your health is so important. My mom is Type II diabetic and I am working hard to avoid developing diabetes. Have you talked to or worked with a dietician? My mom worked with one, but I was not involved. The main thing I got (secondhand) was that it was important for someone with diabetes to eat a balance of foods at each meal, protein, carbs, fat. They digest at different rates and that should spread out the rate of sugar entering your bloodstream. I was also recently reading a book that discussed the different types of sugars - sucrose, fructose, etc. The different sugars are handled/used by cells differently, so the type of sugar you're getting in your diet is important. A dietician hopefully should be able to help you with all that. Good luck.....
  • stormyWI
    stormyWI Posts: 12
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    There is a book called The Insulin Resistance Diet. I am not insulin resistant but have had success with this diet, so yes you can do this diet even if NOT IR. It basically teaches you to balance your protein with carbs ... in a 2 hour window, you should have no more than 15 g of carbs to at least 7 g of protein or no more than 30 g of carbs to at least 14 g of protein. Protein is unlimited really but carbs aren't (you can have proteins without carbs but not vice versa).

    The book is a great idea as it gives you more specifics on things such as milk, carrots, etc., that may fall outside the above formula.

    I did this diet several years ago and lost 25 lbs in probably 3-4 months. I stopped following it when I became pregnant and had severe morning sickness (all day).

    I've decided to go back to the balancing carbs/proteins as this is the only diet that I have successfully lost on (others I yo-yo on). If you'd like to friend me, please feel free to do so. :)

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