To think there’s no point being hungry if the weight isn’t coming off?

[Flaribeau]

The doctor has told me to lose weight because I’m at risk of diabetes. I’m absolutely starving but virtually no weight is coming off! I haven’t had a single biscuit or packet of crisps, no takeaways or alcohol at all, I’ve cut right down on carbs, I’ve started walking for an hour a day, and I’ve still only lost 2lb in an entire month.

AIBU to think being hungry is absolutely pointless if I’m not losing weight? Everyone says you lose loads in the first few weeks but I haven’t. I was expecting to have lost half a stone by now. I’m suffering for no reason because the weight isn’t coming off 😭

Your diet sounds awful, it would make me sad. Please look at intermittent fasting and ketovore. You need more protein to make you feel full and honestly I'd ditch all the bread and rice too, will be quicker.

I agree too. My post might have been clumsier than yours, but the big problem here is not bread.

Agree. And if the bread at breakfast is repeated at lunch time, that’s around 350-400 calories just for the bread, so I think it’s a given that there are too many uncounted calories.

How is that 'avoiding most foods'??

Intermittent fasting isn’t the best choice fro someone pre-diabetic. It would need to be under medical supervision.

Oh come on.

If a bloke didn't work and was saying his wife, the main breadwinner, needed to start doing some more cooking etc as he couldn't lose half a stone he'd get crucified on here for being a cocklodger and told to man up and sort his shit out.

You need to ditch the bread. I’ve lost stones with slimming world. Stupidly let it pile back on but I’m back on it again - 15 pounds down in 8 weeks. Cut out the bread.

I have less fruit and more veg. Plenty of lean meat, fish and eggs. I have a banana and 2 boiled eggs for breakfast - fills me up better than my old days of two slices of toast.

Also I drink nothing but water and lots of it.

My treat is a slimming world choccy bar - look forward to it all day.

You need protein with every meal, op.
I would have Weetabix, almond milk and walnuts then be hungry 2 hrs later and it would continue like that all day. Now I add in extra protein at every meal and not only am I less hungry, but the weight is coming off.

Breakfast - Weetabix, walnuts, almond milk and 25g of choco vegan protein powder

Lunch - carrots, cherry tomatoes, slices of cucumber, protein roll with cheese and some chicken breast

Dinner - Spag Bol or chicken curry. Fill with lots of veg

Snacks - aren't the best here still. I've swapped milk chocolate for dark chocolate with 11g of sugar per 100g. So will have maybe two squares of dark chocolate, some biscuits, or fruit. Three coffees a day too.

My friend THINKS she eats healthy... she home cooks all organic with lots of veggies, never eats takeaway or junk food/sweets or pop, doesn't drink alcohol etc...

She is by far the biggest of us, the word morbidly is used by doctors. I have tried to explain to her that non of that stuff actually matters when you smother it in cheese and 'homemade' mayo and eat massive heaped portions but she won't ever see it so its lost on her.

No matter the size she counts it as the calories of one portion then moans she isn't losing weight... you literally can't be morbidly obese unless you eat too much. Its just the truth at the end of the day (and eating high fat foods like dairy products even if they aren't deemed 'junk' food doesn't help).

There probably 2 options that might be the reasons most likely 'failing' you:

1. you haven't actually cut your calories below you require amount to maintain weight (lots of people cannot count calories correctly so this is a pretty common reason)

or

2. if you have added excersize you maybe gaining muscle, this makes things appear at a standstill because muscle weighs more than the weight being lost. however over the long term muscle increase metabolism so is good for you.

The fact you refer to food as the only joy in your life is a concern in itself. And likely is that you probably don't get joy from it really as you keep mentioning feelings of guilt.
2lb is still a loss and the alternative is to keep eating and gain weight.
If you feel hungry you need to focus on protein and fibre.

I've just started with Team RH and that is really changing my focus.

STOP EATING TOAST/BREAD! Two slices of toast every day is not “low carb”. It’s a huge amount of short chain carbohydrates which cause a spike in blood sugar, then a drop, and then hunger.

If you want to lose weight cut out all bread and ideally also stop eating potatoes.

Google a keto diet and try to roughly follow this. If you do your best to reduce carbs completely and never eat bread (also nothing with sugar in it except fruits) the bonus is you can basically eat as much protein and fats as you like in the day and you will lose weight (and not feel hungry as your blood sugar is stable).

I've spent 10 years working for the NHS Diabetes Team. If you've been identified as at risk of T2DM any fat loss will certainly help....a lot!
What you are probably failing to see is exactly how much 'additional calories you were eating. Some people can half their intake and not loose weight, but what they've actually done is stopped themselves from getting fatter.

You are losing weight. Your eating less calories than a fat person needs so you're using up some of your reserves. As you reduce weight further you will plateau. This is when what's going in (food) equals what's going out (activity/living). If you want to loose more weight you'll have to create a calorie deficit. Whilst all of this is happening your stomach will 'shrink' and you'll get used to less bulk. Not only will your stomach shrink but your mind will adjust too.
BTW it's much easier to create new habits than break old ones. Don't give up. I bet if you look back you've got a little bit fatter each year. You've lost a few pounds so now you've put on the brakes to getting even fatter, and started to loose weight. Even those few pounds will have a positive effect on your HbA1c. Speak with your practice nurse about support. There are programs specifically for diabetes risk reduction and many health authorities subsidies programs like Slimming World/Weight WTchers etc as well as gym/swimming membership.
Be proud of what you've achieved.

So in a month you have lost nearly a third of the weight you wanted to lose? I would call that a win.

Drink more water, speed up your walking, eat less bread ( try just cutting each slice in half and throwing half in the bin, wasteful but effective) eat more protein. Serve your evening meal on a small plate so the disparity between your meal and your OH isn’t so obvious.

"Everyone says you lose loads in the first few weeks "
I do not think this is true. In my experience the weight loss happens after several weeks of persistent dieting, and also being honest with yourself as to what one is actually eating.
I currently need to lose weight, and although I have lost weight in the past, it crept back on during the Lockdown.
The first thing I found was having the right mindset and to be consistent with the diet, whichever one you are following.

You can eat whatever you want, good luck to you.

Not everyone is able to eat what they like.

In order to avoid diabetes it is necessary to eat sensibly. There are plenty of foods that are suitable, just not the ones that are full of sugar and starch. I don't fancy medication to control my insulin levels if I can do it by choosing to eat carefully. Small amounts as a treat maybe but if it makes you feel ill, what's the point?

It's debilitating to feel dizzy and pass out especially in a shop because of uncontrolled blood glucose, I don't suppose that has happened to you.

My advice would be to focus on getting your gut bacteria in order so that your body can properly process the food you are eating. I've spent a few months doing this, lost weight (nearly 2 stone) along the way, feel better for it and now that I'm eating treats again I don't seem to be re-gaining weight because my gut is processing everything so much better and I don't have the bad bacteria in my gut that I did before - I am making sure to eat loads of fresh fruit and veg still.

I did this by eating as wide a range of different fruit and veg as I possibly could - eat a rainbow, every different colour of fruit and veg that you can squeeze in each day, really mix it up from day to day, don't eat the same old things every week. I also made sure I took a probiotic every day, and drank kombucha from time to time (very nice!) I notice that the breakfasts you've been having didn't include any fruit at all, so that would be something you could change.

I cut out sugar, gluten, most carbs, sweeteners, alcohol. The carbs I kept in my diet were brown rice (microwave pouches as it takes ages to boil), gluten free oats for breakfast and sweet potatoes. These will keep you full but will be better for your body than bread, pasta etc I also found that adding an avocado to salad helps to bulk it out (not every day but a couple of times a week). Chuck a baked sweet potato on the side of a salad to fill you up. Don't put dressing on your salad if you can help it.

Don't listen to the PP who suggested cutting out breakfast, that's ridiculous, you will feel ill if you do that. I'd recommend something like gluten free porridge, sweetened with honey and with fresh banana sliced on top.

I also cut back on dairy for a while - I can recommend pea milk, it sounds disgusting but it's actually lovely, really creamy. Watch how much cream you put in things like curry. And if you want to add flavour I'd recommend garlic olive oil for baking veggies in etc. Try switching from butter to olive spread.

If you need to snack then I'd go for fruit and unsalted nuts. Try not to eat too late in the evening or you will be starving. I also swapped diet coke for a sparkling water mixed with pure apple juice (tastes like appletiser).

OP- You seem to have rejected every idea/suggestions PP have given. You're very attached to the bread and toast with meals.

A common way to increase feeling fuller for longer is to increase protein intake and increase veg and lower sugar fruits. Plus some healthy fats.

What you are eating now isn't producing the weight loss you want you're miserable. So try changing it up

Egg and salmon for breakfast. Yogurt and fruit. (Yeo valley extra thick is yummy)
One slice bread for lunch, open sandwich with extra salad, fruit, meats, cheese

Keep a food diary. Either you're eating more than you think, or you've got a problem and can show the evidence to your Doctor.

Right.. just hold on a moment.
There is no need to be hungry. No need at all. Stock up on cooked chicken, fish sticks, canned tuna, carrot celery cucumber sticks with a little salad dressing to dip in. prawns, slow cook a gammon and snack on that. There are things you can eat. At any time.
Ditch the bread. Totally. No bread at all. No pasta. No heavily processed foods like cakes and biscuits.
Breakfast- eggs and meat or fish and a veg like tomato or mushrooms etc.
Lunch a salad with protien and a little cheese.
Dinner meat or fish and veg.
Snack natural youghurt or berries or all the things mentioned at the top of my post.
I can promise you, the weight will come off if you stick to this for 1 month at least.
But you have to be honest with yourself- no cheating.

I’m really sorry that you’re feeling so down OP :(

I hear what you’re saying about those small pleasures, but can you find different things to love, different foods that give you pleasure?

For example I love my morning smoothie, it’s a scoop of protein powder, frozen berries, heaps of spinach and some yoghurt - soo delicious and a real treat and very healthy. I also love my morning espresso! Try to adapt your habit to find joy in food that is better for you.

I really think that common idea of bread as “normal” leads lots of people astray. We dont even have a toaster in the house, bread is simply not part of our daily diet.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE bread - but for me it’s a treat like chocolate. I’ll gobble up the bread at a restaurant or if buying something at Pret I might have something with bread in it as a “naughty” meal, but it’s not an every day food.

Just about changing your mindset and adapting to a new normal that is just as pleasurable.

My DH used to be addicted to Pepsi max, had about 3 cans a day, he had a health scare and now just loves drinks like “dash” sparkling water etc and hasn’t had Pepsi max except when dining out in about 2 years.

My real weakness is actually potatoes, and I always viewed them as totally normal for most dinners. Recently we went on a big keto style diet before summer and I stopped cooking with potatoes or rice or pasta, switched all of our meals to high protein and fat and just non-starch veges. Now a normal dinner for us has basically no carbs. We look and feel great and I feel like I finally have my pre-covid lockdown body back.

It can be done!

Whether bread alone is enough to spike blood sugar depends on a number of factors - the type of bread being one, as high fibre breads - particularly those made with oats - tend to be lower carb. Also a factor is what you put on the bread, because combining fat with carbs lowers the blood spiking effect. Also making toast and then letting it go cold lowers the carb content, as does pre cooking potatoes, rice and pasta, letting it cool right down and reheating it when ready to eat. You don’t have to avoid these foods to lower your carb intake, you just need to be sensible.

It's different for healthy person and diabetic . Healthy peron doesn't pasa out randomly after carbs.

People have to stop being ridiculous and claim health needed doet should be everyone's diet. I had diet for liver once,🤷 maybe absolutely everyone should keep it too! Oh or kidney issues. Yes, everyone ahould keep it too

Not helping op anyway.
No one here knows IF OP ACTUALLY HAS ISSUES with blood glucose.... So farI am leaning towards no actually

So you're pre-diabetic or at risk of developing diabetes at some point in your future because people that are overweight are at risk?

I think a lot of people

I’ve just had my results back from the Zoe test and I am bad at dealing with sugar but good at dealing with fat. I knew it anyway because I get terrible energy crashes if I eat badly. I assumed everyone did but actually some people handle sugar/carbs really well. So yes we are all different.

My diet (trying to get trimmer without being overweight but have had marvellous results!)
Breakfast: a “kvarg” yoghurt, 15g protein and 83 calories. Occasionally 2 if I know I’m in for a busy day.
Lunch: 1 wrap with lettuce, cucumber, half a packet of quorn fillet slices at about 300 calories- I spray a little 1 cal fry light spray for a somewhat butter feel. Add an apple and a Babybel light.

Dinner: usually something like pasta with lots of veg (measure the pasta!) or fish and potatoes, soup and an English muffin, or if I’ve had a lazy day, I make low calorie ranch dip and chop up a lot of veg and dip- apples, carrots, cucumber, raw pepper and mushroom- it takes ages to eat especially in front of the television so feels like much more. I have a very sweet tooth so will have an ice lolly each night.

I snack on FibreOne bars- you learn quickly what happens if you eat too many! And hard boiled eggs, chewing gum. Rice cakes are false calories. Coke Zero.

My secret treat is a marshmallow Flump- only 68 calories and eaten slowly.

I do allow myself to eat what I like on holidays or when the DC come over. I stopped buying cheese completely and cook with FryLight oil spray. DH is annoyingly losing weight without any need from having lighter evening meals alone while enjoying what he likes for the rest of the day… Good luck!