Re: Frustrated about weight loss

Trinity11 · ‎11-16-2014

@tansy wrote:
@Trinity11, do you know if any of the insulin substitutes for Levemir have less of the weight gain issue?

@hyacinth003, my sympathies. You are correct about the insulin, although I thought the metformin was supposed to help with weight loss. I can’t tolerate that med.

Actually @tansy, Levemir has a pretty good profile as far as weight gain is concerned. It is supposed to be less prone to make you gain weight. However, insulin is still a fat storage hormone. I know of no insulin that has a profile any better than Levemir.

I find that the short acting insulins (bolus) stimulate weight gain even more. I know that Novolog makes me need constant vigilance in regard to what I eat and not exceeding around 1200 calories maximum. It can be difficult.

I also use metformin off label for insulin resistance but I have not found it makes me lose weight.

Hope that helps..

tansy · ‎01-02-2011

@Trinity11 wrote:
@tansy wrote:
@Trinity11, do you know if any of the insulin substitutes for Levemir have less of the weight gain issue?

@hyacinth003, my sympathies. You are correct about the insulin, although I thought the metformin was supposed to help with weight loss. I can’t tolerate that med.

Actually @tansy, Levemir has a pretty good profile as far as weight gain is concerned. It is supposed to be less prone to make you gain weight. However, insulin is still a fat storage hormone. I know of no insulin that has a profile any better than Levemir.

I find that the short acting insulins (bolus) stimulate weight gain even more. I know that Novolog makes me need constant vigilance in regard to what I eat and not exceeding around 1200 calories maximum. It can be difficult.

I also use metformin off label for insulin resistance but I have not found it makes me lose weight.

Hope that helps..

@Trinity11, very helpful. Thank you. I use Novolog sparingly because of the weight issue.

gidgetgh · ‎03-09-2010

@hyacinth003- I lost 112 pounds and it took me 4 1/2 years, yes, 4 1/2 years, to do it.

My weight loss was incredibly slow. Lots of periods where no matter what I did, the weight just wouldn't come off. Weeks of plateaus. I would just hunker down and stay the course and finally, the plateau would break and I'd start losing again.

I didn't consider really that I was on any big diet or anything. I considered it a change of lifestyle and change in my approach to food and what I was eating.

It can be incredibly frustrating. Check with your doctor of course. I wish you well.

Why is it, when I have a 50/50 guess at something, I'm always 100% wrong?

violann · ‎03-10-2010

@gidgetgh- me too, 85 pounds gone in 5 years.

I started because even the most conservative medications weren’t making a dent in my prediabetes and prehypertension, and ALL of the pharmaceutical offerings, EVERY ONE OF THEM, made me feel lousy.

One of my kids had become acquainted with a Paleo lifestyle, and I attended several lectures about it, then developed a personal list of habits that were supporting my obesity and keeping me from being “the healthiest grandma I could possibly be”, and jumped in with both feet.

After this span of time, i’ve Increased my consumption of vegetables, decreased and often eliminated my consumption of “white foods” (sugar, salt, refined carbs, especially grain foods....) limited high carb fruits and veggies.

This has worked for ME. I’ve lost weight, improved my health, and honestly, “deprivation/will power” have been replaced in my life by preparation/satisfaction with my eating plan.

ALL THIS SAID, my life has taught me the incendiary damage caused by STRESS when managing health issues as serious as obesity. Most writers/speakers/experts in health topics casually mention getting plenty of sleep as a virtuous practice, but people with serious sleep deprivation wind up in a whole new dimension, and with chronic fatigue can come chronic pain, and even with good habits, changes in weight.

I am someone who believes that our lives never stop being “works in progress”, so I am working now to identify stressors, some surprising ones, and learning new ways of managing them. I’m too comfortable in my new body to go back to the old habits that created my pre weight loss life.

hyacinth003 · ‎03-12-2010

Thanks for the input. It is so frustrating not getting the results you are working for! This is probably the best I have ever complied with a weight loss plan, wouldn't you know?

So far, I am hanging in. I get intense wishes to eat and want to give up mostly about once or twice daily. I have instructions from my doctor on how I can decrease the insulin.

A saying that I like is one I keep repeating to myself. It is "if you do what you always do, you'll get what you always got." It's kept me on track so far!

Hyacinth