Losing weight.
Discussion
I'm afraid it's one of those threads again.
I'm trying to lose a bit of weight, but am having trouble shifting anything! I don't have an overly active lifestyle. If I'm at home I'm on the computer, or sleeping. I do stand around / lift stuff most of a shift when I'm there though. And I probably get out on a long walk (<3 miles) once a week or so.
Anyway, so losing this weight. Firstly I've stopped snacking at work. I work in a newsagency, so there's all sorts of nommy goodness there. But I'm managing. Not touched chocolate or crisps in a month or so. Good. Problem is it's not making any difference.
So, which part of the day should I be eating? I don't eat a lot of breakfast, but then eat mid morning and lunch. Usually something mid afternoon and then tea time. Sometimes I'll have something before going to bed. Sounds a lot, I know, but in reality I'm not breaking 1800 calories a day, and also I'm hypoglycaemic, so do need to eat regularly.
Any pointers?
I'm trying to lose a bit of weight, but am having trouble shifting anything! I don't have an overly active lifestyle. If I'm at home I'm on the computer, or sleeping. I do stand around / lift stuff most of a shift when I'm there though. And I probably get out on a long walk (<3 miles) once a week or so.
Anyway, so losing this weight. Firstly I've stopped snacking at work. I work in a newsagency, so there's all sorts of nommy goodness there. But I'm managing. Not touched chocolate or crisps in a month or so. Good. Problem is it's not making any difference.
So, which part of the day should I be eating? I don't eat a lot of breakfast, but then eat mid morning and lunch. Usually something mid afternoon and then tea time. Sometimes I'll have something before going to bed. Sounds a lot, I know, but in reality I'm not breaking 1800 calories a day, and also I'm hypoglycaemic, so do need to eat regularly.
Any pointers?
Given your condition, I would be seeking help from someone suitably qualified but since you're asking on here, I would be looking at the GI Diet if I were you as it talks about eating low GI foods which break down more slowly inside you and therefore release sugars in a more constant fashion. As for eating under 1800 calories, I would keep a food diary to check that.
RemainAllHoof said:
Given your condition, I would be seeking help from someone suitably qualified but since you're asking on here, I would be looking at the GI Diet if I were you as it talks about eating low GI foods which break down more slowly inside you and therefore release sugars in a more constant fashion. As for eating under 1800 calories, I would keep a food diary to check that.
Been keeping a food diary for quite sometime 
GP is useless, as she won't believe I'm hypoglycaemic anyway.
Have looked through the GI diet, will have another proper read
3 miles isn't that much of a long walk - I do that in my lunch "hour" (45 minutes) most days, and that's not really enough for a day.
Two things will make you lose weight. Eating less, and moving around more. If you don't do the second bit you have to do much more of the first bit.
Simple things, like getting off the bus a stop early, going for a walk at lunch instead of using the internet, and so on, will really add up.
Two things will make you lose weight. Eating less, and moving around more. If you don't do the second bit you have to do much more of the first bit.
Simple things, like getting off the bus a stop early, going for a walk at lunch instead of using the internet, and so on, will really add up.
There shouldn't be an issue with eating little and often; in fact that's often recommended for losing weight, just make sure you're eating healthily and as said already, try and keep in low-GI to avoid the peaks and troughs of blood sugar levels. It would also help enormously to try and factor some exercise into your working day, even if its just a brisk walk.
Breakfast is, and often cited, to be the most important meal of the day.
Think of your body as being a fire, you need to put a decent lump of wood on the fire to get it going, once it's going, it doesn't need as much to keep it going, just little and often.
It gets your metabolism working straight away, and stops your body reacting to not having food by storing it, as it doesn't think it's getting anything for some time.
Low GI diet looks sensible, but i'm no expert, and that's what you sound like you need. If not, common sense and questions asked are the right way forward.
Think of your body as being a fire, you need to put a decent lump of wood on the fire to get it going, once it's going, it doesn't need as much to keep it going, just little and often.
It gets your metabolism working straight away, and stops your body reacting to not having food by storing it, as it doesn't think it's getting anything for some time.
Low GI diet looks sensible, but i'm no expert, and that's what you sound like you need. If not, common sense and questions asked are the right way forward.
Breakfast is important... even IF you are not hypoglycaemic.
First thing is usually when blood sugar levels are at the lowest.
I ended up in an ambulance many years back because of something as simple as not having had any breakfast (ie nothing to eat at all).
I have never missed a breakfast since!
Re losing weight, I've never had the need to ...in 61 years.
All I would suggest from my experience is that it's 'what' you eat (and drink!) that matters as much, if not more so, than how much.
First thing is usually when blood sugar levels are at the lowest.
I ended up in an ambulance many years back because of something as simple as not having had any breakfast (ie nothing to eat at all).
I have never missed a breakfast since!
Re losing weight, I've never had the need to ...in 61 years.
All I would suggest from my experience is that it's 'what' you eat (and drink!) that matters as much, if not more so, than how much.
Driller said:
KardioKate said:
Driller said:
Can't you just have some blood taken and have a glucose tolerance test? 
Yep, had all the tests under the sun. All have a habit of coming back normal.
RobM77 said:
I'm not hypoglycaemic, but I do have problems with blood sugar and not eating regularly. Perhaps you are similar to me? What I find is that if I don't eat for a few hours, I start to feel agitated and shakey. After that I feel light headed and get a headache, and ultimately I have an "ocular migraine", where I get coloured lights in my vision which gradually grow and obscure my vision (so badly I can't drive, or sometimes evn see properly to make food). If, for example, I have lunch at 1pm, I could get like this by 5pm if I hadn't eaten in the meantime. I've seen my GP and had blood tests etc, and his advice is just to keep eating and concentrate on low GI foods.
This is precisely what I get. Symptoms say hypoglycaemia without a doubt, but tests don't back it up!Anyway, folks, the good news is, I've spent since friday trying to cut my calorie intake down even more, and after the initial 'shock' (I guess) I'm actually feeling tons better, and not I've not yet had a 'crash' since then. I think, actually, it's more down to the foods I'm now eating, and not just looking at calories, but everything else. The low GI stuff is really good.
Edtied to add: I don't get the ocular migraine as such. I get a sort of 'glassy' look to my vision. i can't really describe it. But anyway, if I don't act on it when I get to that point I generally start to feel as if I'll pass out. Although I never have and don't intend to start!
KardioKate said:
RobM77 said:
I'm not hypoglycaemic, but I do have problems with blood sugar and not eating regularly. Perhaps you are similar to me? What I find is that if I don't eat for a few hours, I start to feel agitated and shakey. After that I feel light headed and get a headache, and ultimately I have an "ocular migraine", where I get coloured lights in my vision which gradually grow and obscure my vision (so badly I can't drive, or sometimes evn see properly to make food). If, for example, I have lunch at 1pm, I could get like this by 5pm if I hadn't eaten in the meantime. I've seen my GP and had blood tests etc, and his advice is just to keep eating and concentrate on low GI foods.
This is precisely what I get. Symptoms say hypoglycaemia without a doubt, but tests don't back it up!Anyway, folks, the good news is, I've spent since friday trying to cut my calorie intake down even more, and after the initial 'shock' (I guess) I'm actually feeling tons better, and not I've not yet had a 'crash' since then. I think, actually, it's more down to the foods I'm now eating, and not just looking at calories, but everything else. The low GI stuff is really good.
Edtied to add: I don't get the ocular migraine as such. I get a sort of 'glassy' look to my vision. i can't really describe it. But anyway, if I don't act on it when I get to that point I generally start to feel as if I'll pass out. Although I never have and don't intend to start!
This problem is quite common by the way; two of my friends get it too. Incidentally, we're all very slim (cira 6 foot with ~30" waists) and extremely sporty and active, and we put it down to that. We may be wrong on this assumption of course...
RobM77 said:
The Ocular Migraine appears like the rainbow effect you get if petrol is spilt onto a puddle. The rainbows shimmer around my eyesight and steadily grow. Long before that though I get shakey, I can't think straight and I get quite irritable as well. Eating high GI foods can apparently cause an immediate burst of blood sugar, but then a dip. Your symptons sound very indicative of what I get to be honest, obviously they will express different symptons in different people though, so I wouldn't read too much into the difference in ocular migraines.
This problem is quite common by the way; two of my friends get it too. Incidentally, we're all very slim (cira 6 foot with ~30" waists) and extremely sporty and active, and we put it down to that. We may be wrong on this assumption of course...
My boss also gets it, but not badly. He just thought it was a fact of life until I mentioned mine.This problem is quite common by the way; two of my friends get it too. Incidentally, we're all very slim (cira 6 foot with ~30" waists) and extremely sporty and active, and we put it down to that. We may be wrong on this assumption of course...
But he's a bit mental... owns a shop so is running about all day, and won't eat until tea time. Sometime's he'll have a sandwich mid afternoon.
- Eat breakfast that includes some protein. This will help kickstart your metabolism, and will keep you fuller for longer also. Greek yoghurt with some granola and fruit mixed in is what I tend to have.
- Unsalted nuts for snacks (almonds, walnuts, etc)
- Make sure all meals have a decent amount of protein - a lot of folks think protein is simply for muscle building, but it is also great at keeping you full and stopping snacking on unhealthy sources of food. Hence protein shakes are also a great snack, keeping you full with very few carbs, fat and calories.
- Don't eat right before bed. Snack on unsalted nuts if needed.
- Drink plenty of water through the day.
- Controversially, I don't think you need to run miles to lose weight, BUT you do need to do physical exercise to the point of being out of breath, with an elevated heart rate. Walking 3 miles at a low pace will not help much, but walking faster and getting the heart rate up, breaking a sweat etc will make a difference.
- You should be aiming to be doing REAL exercise 3-4 times a week.
- Unsalted nuts for snacks (almonds, walnuts, etc)
- Make sure all meals have a decent amount of protein - a lot of folks think protein is simply for muscle building, but it is also great at keeping you full and stopping snacking on unhealthy sources of food. Hence protein shakes are also a great snack, keeping you full with very few carbs, fat and calories.
- Don't eat right before bed. Snack on unsalted nuts if needed.
- Drink plenty of water through the day.
- Controversially, I don't think you need to run miles to lose weight, BUT you do need to do physical exercise to the point of being out of breath, with an elevated heart rate. Walking 3 miles at a low pace will not help much, but walking faster and getting the heart rate up, breaking a sweat etc will make a difference.
- You should be aiming to be doing REAL exercise 3-4 times a week.
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