I'm a 30 year old guy weighing about 285 at a height of 6'1. I've been diagnosed as a diabetic for about a year and a half now. I'm really anxious to try and lose weight but unfortunately I've been having an extremely difficult time doing so.

I'm no stranger to exercise, before I got married 6 years ago I used to do some light bodybuilding. I was able to maintain a body weight of about 190-200 with a body fat reading of less than 5-6%.

Last year I was determined to lose weight through low carb dieting and exercise. For a 2-3 week period I maintained a diet of basically vegetables, mostly lean meats, lots of water and a exercise program of weights and cardio. At the end of the 3 weeks I had not lost a pound and for the most part my body looked exactly the same. I was so depressed that I stopped my diet and training. (this was in the spring of last year)

During the summer of last year I played basketball quite frequently as I really enjoy the sport. I really did'nt make any big changes in diet, however I was hoping that due to the fact that I was more active that I would at least shed a few pounds. Unfortunately that never happened for I pretty much maintained the same weight and size.

Fast foward to January 2003, I'm really determined to try and make another go at losing this weight but I'm really confused at what I need to do. I can't understand why I was'nt able to lose any weight before.

Is it normal for diabetics to have a hard time losing weight?

What should people do who have an unusally hard time shedding pounds?

I know this is a long first posting, but I'm really desperate to get back in shape. I don't mind working out or trying to maintain a clean, healthy diet but I get really disappointed when I'm not able to see any progress. Any advice I could get would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Leaner

I Have been a diebetic for a long time and have tried every thing to lose weight with no luck at all .... Until the Atkins diet. Let lots for meat, Cheese, eggs and salad. Stay completly away from Patatoes, Bread, Pasta all the Carbs. Try to cut out ALL sugar and limit your carb intake to 10grams I have done this for only 6 days and have already lost nine pounds... Good luck to you

Kathy

Wow Kathy thats really impressive, 9 pounds in 6 days!!

I started my low carb dieting again about 3 days ago (Tuesday) but so far I have'nt lost anything. I have'nt eaten any fruit, breads, sweets, starchy foods or other carb hidden foods. Last night I had an Atkins bar but outside of that I have'nt even had any snacks. I've also been slowly working my way back into an exercise program. In the mornings before breakfast I've been doing a combination of aerobics and push-ups (although I missed this mornings workout). Hopefully I'll be able to duplicate your success soon.

Good luck to you

Leaner

Sounds like you are doing the right things Dont forget the water and drink lots of it... Juices coffee tea extra do not count Good luck to you And remeber to eat at least three mels a day to keep your mettabolizim up. And Also If you get hungry eat till you are full but not stuffed. Hang in there it does work... Good luck to you.

Kathy

If you're taking any medications for your diabetes, they will significantly slow weight loss. Low-carbing still works, but slower.

Leander,
What drugs are you taking?
Anything that increases the amount of insulin in the body will definitely stop weight loss no matter how hard you try. Type two's already have too much insulin and it makes weight loss much harder than for 'normal' folks. There are lots of side effects from different drugs, so we need to know what you are taking. For example, sulfonylureas increase insulin and weight *gain* is a side effect. Thiazide diuretics for blood pressure raise blood glucose.