The last general check-up with the doctor showed that I was overweight, had high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and was heading towards type 2 diabetes.
This was enough of a spur to get me to change my diet and exercise, so for the last three weeks:
- swimming 1500 metres five times a week
- cutting out all of the low alcohol/no alcohol beers
- Forcing myself to have a breakfast of seeds and fruit instead of just snacking throughout the morning
- Generally being a boring goody two-shoes
The results have been pretty good so far. The blood pressure has dropped straight into the normal zone and the blood sugar has dropped from somewhere north of 12, down to about 7 with a target of 4 to 6, so online hit that. Interestingly, the weight has hardly changed at all. Today I was 300 g less than I was three weeks ago, which is within the range of daily fluctuation.
I'm not obsessed with losing weight, but losing a cup of stone would definitely benefit me. If I want to do this, I'll need to cut down the calories, which seem to be mainly from the evening meal so it shouldn't be too difficult to achieve. I'm just really surprised that all the other changes I've made and swimming over 20K in the last three weeks have had zero impact on my weight.
Anyone else got experience of trying to lose weight with type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure or high sugar?
Any suggestions for this lack of weight loss other than high calorie intake for an evening meal?
This is asked out of curiosity rather than desperation.
AFAIA I don't have diabetes (BP might be high) but once again I've stopped eating carbs as much as possible and have lost 5kg (down from 94.5) and an inch off my waist in 6 weeks.
So I've cut out:
Bread, biscuits, pasta, potatoes, fruit (its still sugar) ..... basically anything sugary or made with flour, etc.
I have a lot more chicken, eggs, veg and salads. It always works for me.
I weigh myself every couple of days and keeping the data in a spreadsheet with a chart showing the downward trend makes it easier to visualise and stay motivated.
I feel so much better than I did pre-xmas.
(I'd also say that 300g seems slightly more than the daily fluctuation but 🤷♀️ - I always try to weigh myself at about the same time during the day to minimise variations)
edit: Oh and I've been trying to do 2km on the rowing machine 4 times a week but that's slipped a bit recently 🙄
As mentioned in another thread I can’t be bothered finding I have high BP. Went to the Drs a couple of weeks ago and he said I was a fat bastard. “Lose 10kg and you might be able to avoid meds.” I’ve lost 3kg in two weeks just by eating less and reducing carbs, especially in the evening. I was 100kg. If I make it to 93kg I’ll be the weight I was when 18.
I've been able to maintain my normal level of exercise and actually feel better for it. Just having to learn to live with almost permanent mild hunger.
Had full bloods, PSA, thyroid etc and other than BP I’m in great shape.
BP has only reduced a little so far though.
I got diagnosed pre-diabetic March 2025, 42mmol so just on the cusp, was discovered when getting my high BP checked and at the same time they bumped me up from 5mg amlodipine to 10mg as it was still high.
Around then I'd not ran or been on the bike for nearly 8 months due to an injury so had put a stone on and was 21st 11lbs or so, since then I've lost 6 stone, 5km daily walks, running twice a week, mtb once or twice a week. Eating in a 1920 kcal deficit, I got signed up to the secondnature program which is an app and teaches you all about high GI foods, blood glucose, excercise, stress etc so I followed a lot of it, massively upped fibre and protein, massively reduced carbs to the point I only ate low GI carbs and cut out potatoes, pasta, white bread etc.
Haven't had a check up again yet but had to drop onto 5mg amlodipine again around 18.5st and I'm not far off coming off it altogether. I still stick mostly with the diet and excercise way more
I'm on a bit of a health kick aftet a cholestetol warning, though making small changes. I'm looking and feeling a little "better", belt has gone in a notch, but weight hasn't changed.
So it might be your body compisition changing rather than your weight.
Good feedback and thanks for sharing.
I guess I need to cut out carbs as I eat a lot of rice and pasta, not potatoes though.
I'm coming from a background of virtually zero exercise for the last year due to injuries and various other WCA-related experience so I guess the swimming five or six times a week might be changing my body composition rather than my weight.
I have created a simple tracking spreadsheet. Feel free to open it and save it as your own copy.
You enter the date you want to start, your weekly target loss, and your final target weight in KG. Column D is where you enter your actual weight, so on day one, put whatever you currently weigh in kilogrammes in cell D5. The spreadsheet assumes you weigh the same today as you did yesterday, unless you tell it differently. This means if you weigh yourself once a week, once a month, whatever, just enter your accurate weight on the date you've weighed yourself, and the graph and everything else will work all out.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1w3P9f53gglXQCUXNh8hRKKGbLoCHycUbWAmQCKQgMX8/edit?usp=sharing
Yeah white rice and white pasta is insulin resistance heaven.
On a side note they're even now saying that alzheimers is basically type 3 diabetes as the damage to the brain it causes is the same seen in patients with uncontrolled diabetes. The consensus is that they may not over eat sweets or chocolate and eat pretty well meat and 2 veg type meals, but they're bashing 8 cups of tea with 2 sugars a day in which overtime has caused the body to pretty much stop responding to insulin due to the frequency of insulin being released. But have always been medically missed due to not being tested for it as they've not been overweight etc.
The second nature stuff broke it all down pretty easily which I'll do my best to articulate a 9 month program into a small paragraph but they say generally:
-Your plate should be made up of 50% fibre (leafy greens, veg, salad etc) 25% Protein, 10% natural fats (olive oil, nuts etc) and 15% carbs to prevent insulin spikes
-Carbs should be low GI carbs (ie slow to digest), brown rice, sweet potatoes, wholewheat pasta, wholewheat bread, quinoa, grains etc
-If eating high GI food (chips, roasties, mash, white rice, white pasta etc then you should have plenty of fibre and protein and fats to slow down how fast it digests and have a small portion of it as opposed to it taking up most of the meal
-Increased water intake helps the body flush out excess sugars from the blood stream
-Reduced stress and better quality sleep helps the body stay sharper in terms of dealing with insulin and excess sugars
-More body fat means less insulin response which isn't good
-Having huge portions, even of just protein or fibrous veg can still spike insulin so portion control is necessary
-70% dark choc has way more fibre in than normal choc so gets the green light
-Some fruits spike insulin more than others such as watermelon, pineapple, mango etc
-Fizzy pop, even diet fizzy pop can still promote and insulin response due to how the body interprets some sweeteners so try to cut them out
If I had to simplify it all, it would be fibre is the most important thing, and Chia seeds and 0% fat greek yoghurt have been a god send for me on my journey.
I'm not following it as strictly now mind, they said on the program I had to lose between 5-10% body fat to reverse prediabetes, I've lost 26-27% so will have beer, choc, some jelly babies, portion of chips with salt n vinegar from the chippy on the odd occasion but I try to time when I have these things now, either exercising, or out and about walking, or with/after a meal high in fibre/protein/fat to try and reduce the impact it has.
The diagnosis genuinely put the shits up me being 34 year old at the time and I've decided this isn't as so much a diet now but a better lifestyle choice
This is very unscientific input from me, but Personally, I found swimming crap for losing weight. I guess it all depends how you’re swimming. With any form of exercise, you seem to need to get your heart rate up into a certain zone where you’re actively burning calories. It’s not so difficult to do with then you’re running, cycling or rowing. But swimming didn’t do anything for me (weight wise).
swimming I found just makes me really hungry so not great for weight loss.
cycling to spain I lost 2 stone from 13 stone Slightly extreme remedy tho
More great advice that I shall take on board.
I am using swimming for exercise because I can't pedal anymore. My ancle stops me, and now my foot is collapsing. I can't even pedal with electric assist. Right pain in the arse. What I'm doing is swimming 60 m of breaststroke and constantly staying slightly out of breath, but being able to stay in this speed. In the three weeks I've been doing it, I've reduced my duration from an hour to about 48 minutes. My target is 45 minutes so I can move from the slow lane to the medium lane. Yes, it makes me hungry, but I will wait until lunch for food, which is reasonably healthy. Brown bread is used when I have sandwiches.
I'm not sure I should take diet advice from a guy called eatmorepizza but it seems sensible.
I don't eat chips or roast potatoes or really any potato products. It's just rice and pasta that's my downfall and I'm trying to reduce that. Breakfast is now some pumpkin and sunflower seeds with dried dates on them in a small bowl or some raw oats with Greek yoghourt, zero fat. I've reduced my fluid intake, so no more beer of any description. It was always alcohol-free anyway, but now I drink around three to four litres of water a day, plus a black coffee with no sugar with breakfast. I've never been a fan of fizzy drinks, so that's not a hardship. It's beer in the evening that used to be my downfall. My sleep is fine, probably 8 hours night, and I'm not particularly stressed about anything.
Looks like I'm doing most of the things people are recommending, which is good. I guess I just have to wait for results and try to reduce the rice and pasta intake.
Skinny Jab?
I'm actually doing some work for Lily at the moment, so yeah, I know all about it. It is an option, but not where I really want to go there if I can diet my way out of it rather than pay £130 a month. Plus, then coming off the skinny jab is always a challenge because your body hasn't actually learnt not to be that hungry.
Exercise will make you stronger, healthier and happier. Will rarely make you lose weight though. Diet is the key, as noted above.
The only time I ever lose weight is on a big trip when I'm cycling 450 miles a week on a 40kg bike. Can't consume enough calories then. Usually takes me 3 months to put it all back on.
It's
It's just rice and pasta that's my downfall and I'm trying to reduce that. Breakfast is now some pumpkin and sunflower seeds with dried dates on them in a small bowl or some raw oats with Greek yoghourt, zero fat.
I simply replace rice and pasta with green beans.
As for greek yogurt.... The 5 or even 10% fat versions have less carbs!
Tonight we are having swede and parsnip mash as the stodge part of the meal to accompany the salmon. Still carbs, but more fibre?
More swede and less parsnip would be best it seems
I was 98 kgs, and got on the skinny jabs. I also had a bit of a drinking problem, I guess it’s what happens when you’re in the drinks industry. All this teamed up with high cholesterol, a TIA and plenty of internal metalwork, plus family history of diabetes meant the outlook wasn’t good. Scroll on 12 months, down to 81kgs and pretty much off the booze. It’s not perfect, as I’ve lost muscle mass alongside weight, but I feel it’s set me on the right path as I look to the next stage.
A couple of things have helped me to reduce my weight and keep it off, the Fast 800 recipe books have changed the way we eat and using the My fitness pal app is very useful for having a way ot tracking how many calories I'm actually consuming.
I'm not sure I should take diet advice from a guy called eatmorepizza but it seems sensible.
Hahaha fair play, but I would counter that by saying how do you think I found myself at 22 stone, pre-diabetic with high blood pressure in the first place? 🤣
As for your foot collapsing is it an issue with arch support? Maybe some better shoes or a high arch support insert could help, and a bike specific ankle brace? Theres that olly wilkins guy on youtube who's ankles are so done in from dirt jump crashes over the years he wears ankle braces everytime he rides now
Plus, then coming off the skinny jab is always a challenge because your body hasn't actually learnt not to be that hungry.
The point of these is to give yourself the 6-8 weeks you'll need to turn of the food noise so that you can adjust your diet, by the time you come off the job, your habits have changed.
but now I drink around three to four litres of water a day
I've genuinely no idea how folks do this, if i have just an additional glass of water I'm weeing it out again for the next few hours. I would spend my entire day in the loo if I drank that much
cycling to spain I lost 2 stone from 13 stone Slightly extreme remedy tho
The TJ Diet Plan, brought to you by the Spanish Tourist Board. And Shand.
*Bookmarking*
- Yep, pissing like a firehose for the first few days. Seems to have stabilised now.I've genuinely no idea how folks do this, if i have just an additional glass of water I'm weeing it out again for the next few hours. I would spend my entire day in the loo if I drank that much
- the ankle is fused and the leg is about a centimetre shorter than the left leg. This means I spend my whole time with a custom build high arch support insert.As for your foot collapsing is it an issue with arch support? Maybe some better shoes or a high arch support insert could help,
The problem through the foot is from a separate injury where I kicked a tree stump with enough speed to bend the pedal arm up under the frame. This also meant my toes were pushed backwards and snapped most of the metatarsals. Now my metatarsals in my foot, instead of pointing straight backwards, point about 30° to the right. The metatarsals then sort of fused together. But in a third unrelated crash, I managed to break some of this fusion. This means the broken bits of the fusion rub against each other, which is where the pain comes from when trying to pedal or walk. I spoke to the doctor, but he says my foot's so smashed up they weren't able to do anything useful to improve it, so I guess I just live with it.
WCA my sympathies, I was diagnosed pre diabetic about 2years ago.
Always thought of myself as pretty healthy but can eat loads and keep the weight off. I did shift some weight, but it was calorie control that did it. Lots of leafy salads to fill me up.
I can't seem to shift my blood sugar levels down, but they've not got worse, so I'm kind of resigned to this is how my body works, or doesn't!
The link to dementia is a new worry though. May have to go back to calorie counting!
I have been given a 3 week prescription for Gliclazide to lower the blood sugar, which along with exercise appears to be working.
The calorie control stuff, I think, basically I have a large evening meal. I don't have much breakfast, I don't have much lunch, and I don't really snack. I think a large and very nice meal in the evening is causing me the problem. So tonight I've used smaller plates. Portion control. The meals we eat are basically healthy, prepared from fresh vegetables, things like Chicken Caesar salad or steak with asparagus and sweet corn. I'm not a chips eater, but pasta and rice is the go-to accompaniment.
My wife cooks meals, and I don't want to punish her by saying we're gonna have to totally change our diet, but I think it's fair to say that my meal in the evening is larger than strictly necessary. I guess that's where my calories come from. We also eat relatively late in the evening, half seven to half eight for the evening meal. Although I don't go to bed till 11:00 or midnight, I don't do much in the evening other than watch crap on TV or sit on the computer. I guess this meal means that the meal just sits there and has a bad effect.
Just need to choose which bit of my life to change to affect the diet and portion control appears to be the best option.
I think a large and very nice meal in the evening is causing me the problem.
I agree.
Personally, I don't think cutting out specific foods is particularly relevant (allergy/intolerance aside). There are entire cultures that run on wheat-based carbohydrates, for example. Quantity and timing seems more logical and is working for me. Needing to eat a lot at night suggests not fuelling properly in the day, too.
On another note, I remember seeing the TV show where they identified that cold and reheated pasta had less impact on blood sugar than freshly cooked: Reheating leftover pasta may improve blood sugar levels - Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation
that cold and reheated pasta had less impact on blood sugar than freshly cooked
That's handy. I often eat last nights left overs for breakfast 🙂
Cut the carbs, ideally to less than 20g per day. No seed oils. No ultra processed foods.
Exercise for core strength, stamina and longevity.
Heading towards 50 I started getting hip issues which meant exercise stopped. Weight went on , pre diabetic etc etc
I have high cholesterol which is partly genetic so in a statin now.
I got back to exercise by getting an ebike. It’s been hugely beneficial. I’ve lost weight and now higher ftp than I was before
The big change for me was weight / resistance training. Nothing mad just some small weights and body weight stuff. Good for your bones as you get older, and drives metabolism. Definitely start doing some if you are not already
Stumbling block is having a 15 yr old who plays high level football so every meal we cook is high carbs. Yes I don’t have to eat it but hard not to when you have been used to eating it in the past
Loosing weight is harder as you get older but I don’t want to be miserable doing it either so for me it’s a gradual process thing not a quick thing
If it’s a real issue drugs/jab may be a solution but that comes with lots of issues too and need to be fully understood
https://www.myfitnesspal.com/ Try the free version, you will be surprised at how many calories you are actually consuming.
-DittoHeading towards 50 I started getting hip issues which meant exercise stopped. Weight went on , pre diabetic etc etc
- Ditto, until my foot started playing upI got back to exercise by getting an ebike. It’s been hugely beneficial.
- DittoLoosing weight is harder as you get older but I don’t want to be miserable doing it either
Looks like it's not that easy, but at least I know I'm not alone.
Looks like I'm joining the club. Year of half or less than normal activity following broken hip socket and pelvis, too much booze, carbs and snacking has pushed my HBA1C up. Liver showing signs of fatty liver so need to cut booze and carbs and drop weight as thats crept up to nearly 100kg. I also drink too much milk in an evening like 2-3 pints.
Fortunately I can still ride and commute 3 days but the snacking at work needs to stop.
Just had full bloods done. Expecting a deserved rollocking off the doctor.
Oh and I have to add in ibuprofen and cocodamol for sleep. Another person riddled with bike injuries. Broke spine 10 years ago and now got on-going rotator cuff tear and bicep tendonitis.
Sleep is tricky.
Right, out for two hours on the CX, only small potatoe with sunday roast and no wine today.
Good luck, Fossy.
I am currently banqueting on a bowl of zero-fat yoghurt with raw oats, dried dates, and some pumpkin seeds in it.
Eating smaller amounts throughout the day rather than the more typical three larger meals helps as it avoids blood sugar spikes, walking after eating helps a lot too but unfortunately with your foot issues your options are a bit more limited, also look at food pairing, fat helps slow down the release of sugar in to your blood, so having say a bit of cheese with your apple or whatever will slow the release of sugar in to your system so your insulin can cope better.
A lot of type two diabetes is more a poor insulin production issue as opposed to an insulin resistance issue, often caused by too much fat around your pancreas but can also be hereditary, I'm in a whole different world of type two to you, HBA of 138 when diagnosed, sugars over 30 etc due to losing fifty percent of my insulin production following a bad bout of Covid, three stone of rapid weight loss followed, zero body fat and lost tons of muscle mass, it was pretty ugly. I now graze more and it's completely changed my relationship with food, I now view everything I eat as fuel and have to think about how it'll affect me, I also changed careers to one where I now walk around 8 miles a day, my sugars are now in the mid forties, which my diabetic nurse keeps telling me is quite an achievement from my original 138 although 2000mg of metformin is required, so in my case I have to have a three pronged approach, drugs, food, exercise.
I could manage low fat/zero Greek yoghurt and oats for breakfast no issue - just need to be ORGANISED change that from taking in 4 pieces of Warburtons Toast (pre made). I'll just have to buy it from the local co-op at work as not much survives in my panniers - frozen lunch does. Carbs are one of my downsides, love bread. Will have to limit those to wholemeal/seeded and no crisps etc at work. Don't drink anything with sugar in.
The thing is the HBA1c has caught me on a bad year for exercise, and also winter, when I'll do less anyway and eat more crap.
Better get my ass in gear !
My wife cooks meals, and I don't want to punish her by saying we're gonna have to totally change our diet
I bet she'd rather stop cooking the pasta than deal with the other potential consequences 😉
But yes, cut your portions.... I'd suggest starting with not having the pasta or rice!
😁