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 😭

Everyone keeps pointing out that you're eating a lot of bread and carbs (and the poster who pointed out blood sugar drops causing your faintness or weakness was spot on), but you keep arguing.

Drop the bread and add something back in that gives you joy -- maybe a small glass of wine or a treat occasionally. Your current diet is carb heavy. Focus on protein and it will help with the hunger pangs and keep your blood sugar more even.

And yes, if your GP suspects type 2 then you will get this much attention

That is terrific. MNers so often say it's impossible to get their GP to take their health issues seriously.

You need to go online and do a TDEE calculator to work out how many calories you need everyday to maintain your current weight. Once you know what your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is, minus 500 calories from it and that's how many calories you need to eat everyday to lose weight. You can then factor in treats as long as they fit into your calories allowance. Use MFP or similar to track your calories.

What you are doing right now sounds miserable and you have no idea how many calories you're eating so it doesn't make much sense. I also echo what a pp said about Sean Casey on Insta. He gives loads of good ideas for easy low calories meals.

@Flaribeau

''I am only 7lb over a healthy BMI. But the advice to prevent t2 diabetes is to lose weight and cut out treats and alcohol. I don’t drink alcohol so all I can do is stop eating food. They’ve also told me that 7lb won’t make a huge difference, people who reverse diabetes normally lose a few stone. So I should forget about normal BMI and try to lose about 2 stone.''

Just read this.
In your case you are so close to your optimum BMI losing weight won't affect you getting diabetes.

You don't need concentrate on losing weight. It will just start to reduce naturally.

You do need to stabilise your blood sugar.

You can still have keto cakes and sweet treats.

Go onto Pinterest and have a look. Sadly you can't buy keto sweet treats easily but they aren't hard to make at home.

I enjoy very low carb lemon curd spread on sweet keto muffins. Made with almond flour, butter, eggs and sweetener. The bonus is they fill you up for hours.

You can enjoy wine too.

Another thing to add is if you have a meal, especially one containing more than 30g carbs. If you have a brisk 15 min walk it puts your blood sugar back to the level it was before you started to eat. Walking 20 mins after eating is like a super boost to clean your blood.

You can do this!

Yes I’m in the UK. I have coeliac disease, which is an autoimmune disease which means I can’t eat gluten. I get monitored annually to see if I’m healthy, including bone scans and blood tests. I haven’t been tested since pre pregnancy, at the time my HBA1C was 34. Now it’s 42.5. I also have some vitamin deficiencies for which I’ve been prescribed supplements.

I’m aware I’ve not been exercising much (I briskly walk the dog an hour a day while pushing the buggy). And I’ve been eating too much chocolate crisps and biscuits (reaching for the easy carbs because I’m tired and stressed). But I didn’t expect to be told I’m pre diabetic. Like you said, I’m BMI 25 and a 36 inch waist, plus I exercise and don’t drink alcohol, so I didn’t think I was at risk. It’s been a horrible unexpected shock.

I am doing slimming world , can highly recommend it , you don’t seem to be eating enough , and at the same time eating a lot of bread

I'm drinking wine now. 🍷 My diabetic consultant is happy with my my Hba1c.

Your clearly doing somthing wrong then. Your probably under eating at this point so your body is going to continue storing fat / not get rid of fat because you keep missing meals and your hungry constantly

You need to start eating foods that fill you up. Every single one of your posts your being a martyr and a bit ridiculous to be honest,

Even people who do these fad diets lose weight easily those first few weeks due to water retention,

Your not eating enough and starving yourself is just ridiculous isnt it. Your being ridiculous. If you want to genuinely lose weight lose this no can do attitude, research healthy filling foods and crack on with it

@Hadenough62 it's interesting you mention water retention- when I first lost half a stone it so in Nov/Dec last year the first place to go was lower legs- it was as if all the water just disappeared. I had ankles again!!

Haven't read whole thread op, sorry! However I have pcos and I'm in danger of type two diabetes and I struggle with sugar highs/lows. The blood sugar diet and fast,800 has been the only way I've lost weight and not felt hungry. First month was hard though. Good luck !

Are you taking any steroid medications?

Your responses are all very dramatic. Its like you're looking to blame someone. Most people have some health issue or other to manage.

I'm slim at was still prediabetic because of my genetic heritage. I'm also an apple shape so any weight I gain goes to the middle. I accept that because of my fat distribution I need to stay in the lower range of BMI. It makes no sense that you're "terrified" of sugar yet eating multiple slices of bread. You've been given lots of sensible advice on this thread about low carb eating and filling up on vegetables and sensible amounts of fat and protein, which is what people with our genetics need to do for health. Lose the 'can't do' attitude and take it on board. Or don't, and accept the health repercussions. Its your life.

If I eat bread, my appetite increases. I've lost 6 stone and kept it off, when dieting my average day:

Breakfast, scrambled eggs with veg like mushrooms. No butter or milk, not needed! Or blueberries and Greek yoghurt.
200kcal

Lunch, homemade soup or salad with hummus
300kcal

Dinner - truck load of veg, with fish or chicken. Veg curry, veg chilli, quorn sausages with roasted veg, etc swap potatoes for sweet potatoes
500kcal

snack - apples & nuts
200kcal

Total: 1200 (I'm very short so this was right for me )

I lost 1lb a week. I never felt I was going without. The trick is to fill up on veg!! I eat the same now, but to maintain I add a bit, like few extra nuts, enjoy a meal out, slice of cake over the week it adds up to keep my weight steady and I've never re gained. If I've over indulged one day, I enjoy it and just cut back the next.

I exercise every day too. But when losing weight, never eat back your calories.

You do have to really measure your ingredients and portions.

The hardest thing is mentally not looking at food as a crutch but as fuel. Treats should never be food related. Finding pleasure in non-food things.

I'd suspect you have loads of hidden calories somewhere; what do you drink?

Ah ok. You’re a coeliac. I have an autoimmune disease too and it’s known to make losing weight much harder.

In September I’m starting the autoimmune protocol (Google it). If I was you OP I’d focus on sorting out and calming your immune system first, rather than losing weight. Research it though - you obviously don’t want to boost your immune system so don’t just go in taking supplements etc willy nilly.

While everyone around me seems to be eating normally and not having these problems

With the exception of people you live with, you only see a snapshot of what people are normally eating. I have a friend who is very slim, whereas I am overweight. Whenever we meet up, usually at coffee shops or meals out, she will eat large portions, have cake with her coffee, she's even been known to have 2 desserts after starters and mains. I didn't used to understand how she could do it, and still be slim, whereas I would skip dessert, not eat cake, and still be overweight.

But then I went to stay with her for a few days, and realised that, most of the time, she eats very, very sensibly. Usually eggs or yogurt or porridge for breakfast, salad or soup with little carbs for lunch (perhaps a wholemeal roll), fruit and yogurt mid afternoon, and a normal dinner with but with a small amount of carb and lots of protein and veg. She does this every day, and if she does eat a biscuit at home, she'll have one or two, whereas I would eat far more than that. I actually lost weight over those few days, but realised that 'normal eating' wasn't quite what I thought it was.

Also please share this incredible and joy-giving gluten free bread you can’t bring yourself to give up, as I am on the hunt for an even half-palatable one. They’re all rank!

Did you miss the fact that the OP is only 7lbs over her ideal weight range ? Much harder to lose weight when you haven’t much to lose. And the point is not that she wants to lose weight but needs to because she is pre-diabetic, so is likely to be insulin resistant, which makes losing weight very difficult. She’s probably starving herself because she’s tried everything else and it hasn’t worked. And interestingly, fasting under medical supervision is a treatment for insulin resistance, so starving herself periodically isn’t as ridiculous as it seems.

What budgiegirl said.

I know people who can eat whatever they like and not put on weight. What they like is not carb and fat laden.

@PerspiringElizabeth I'm with you on that. I'm naturally eating less bread because most of it is pretty rubbish. I've eaten far more nairns gluten free cheese oatcakes instead.

@budgiegirl I eat your friends diet (to reverse pre diabetes) and have lost 29lb since November. I'm only losing around 1lb a week but it's staying off and I realise I ate far too many carbs and far too big portions. Too many toasted sandwiches, sausage sandwiches, cake for treats in cafes, white rice, white pasta etc . I ate well in terms of quality but not in the right balance.

Please ignore those saying you’re under eating you obviously are not and eating more isn’t going to have you lose weight.

I would suspect something else going on. You should not be starving hungry with the amount you’re eating, and your waist size is a concern for your weight and height. That’s a size 18 at only half a stone into overweight.

have they run full blood tests inc thyroid?

I mean this respectfully, but She’s not even close to starving herself

I know right? Massively puzzling. But there are photos of me aged 3 with tiny stick arms and legs, and a huge pot belly. I’ve always been this awful shape.

They did full blood tests and gave me iron, calcium, vit d and folic acid supplements. And my HBA1C was too high so they wrote down ”lose weight”. Then I came in and they were like “oh you’re not fat?”

Can you name off all the fruit, veg, grains, meat and fish that you do like and we can come up with some suggestions for you?

I would look at typing 1.5 diabetes, it's autoimmune related like type 1, but usually presents much later. If you are celiac you are much more likely to develop another autoimmune condition, and if you don't have the risk factors for type 2 and have other autoimmune symptoms I would think there is more likely an autoimmune component which is causing your insulin resistance.
I would also look at having a gut bacteria analysis done, and look at improving your gut health. Weight loss may be a happy byproduct of healing your body, but this sounds like a complex autoimmune issue not classic type 2 diabetes based on lifestyle factors.
Obviously improving the amount of exercise you do is never a bad thing and may help to reduce your waist size, but I wouldn't be scared of food and on a strict diet. I would be investigating further the cause of the problem.