Still taking insulin

#1

I’m new to keto diet I’ve been doing it for about a month. I take insulin regularly and since on the diet I’ve had to take a lot less insulin but I’m not losing weight can anybody tell me why? I read somewhere that insulin stops you from losing weight should I be asking my doctor to take me off insulin and get on some sort of pill? Also I bought the keto strips and it says I am producing ketones so I’m not sure why I’m not losing weight

(Graham Muir) #2

Theres alot of factors at play here. First of all whats your measurements? age etc?

Secondly whats your calorie intake on a daily basis? can you provide your macro ratio?

Believe it or not you may be making ketones from the dietary fats you are consuming and not using body fat to create ketones. Im speaking from experience here. I ate what i wanted till i was fat adapted and then once the keto flu disappeared i started to lower my calories which in turn lowers your fat, protein and carb intake.

#3

Hi. Thanks so much for trying to answer my question. I am 45and weigh 260lbs. For the most part i dont eat much, since starting keto i am full most of the time. I have a coffee fat bomb in the morning at about 5:30am. I have a big salad with eggs and bacon for lunch then snack on nuts and seeds for the rest if the day and fat bombs before bed. I’m not very active I stay at home with my two-year-old son during the day and then work about 2 hours in the evenings. I am not sure what the keto flu is but i can tell u i have diarrhea almost daily…perhaps thats what u mean?

(Eric - The patient needs to be patient!) #4

It takes time and attention to some details. see @Gr3ym1983 reply.

Be patient. work with your doctor to reduce and or eliminate your insulin. It is critical that your doctor is involved from a safety standpoint.

You might read Dr. Jason Fung’s The Diabetes code: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1771642653/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_yNVwCb3GEP8Z1

It will explain the science behind weight gain and loss and the role of insulin and a lot more.

  • monitor / record / track your macros fat, carbs, protein
  • Get fat adapted
  • do time-restricted feeding. Start with 3 meals a day. No snacks before, between and after.
  • if that does not produce results then maybe intermittent fasting. IF 18/6. (2 meals a day).
  • seek the advice of this group

See this chart by Dr. Phinney - study it well. It lays out the changes on macros from the start to the maintenance phase.

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#5

Both great replies. I obviously need to read more. I am not giving up!

(Graham Muir) #6

Don’t give up. The time invested will be worth it in the long run.

I went from type 1 insulin dependent with metformin and to nothing in the space of a short time but i consulted with my doctor first. They will most likely advise against it as they can not be legally responsible if you have a Hypoglycemic moment or worse. Tracking and recording your daily insulin amounts and lowering them systematically is a good start. When you start lowering insulin levels your appetite should recede as a result.Your body will tell you when something aint right.

Go on youtube and watch the following:

Dr Eric Berg, Dr Ken Berry, Dr Brett Osborne and Dr Dom D’Agostino, all of whom have expert knowledge in Keto, diabetes and Intermittent fasting.

Get a note book and enjoy the ride. Nutrition and science are fun and very beneficial to your health.

#7

Thanks for the reading…I will! Thanks so much. How long did it take u to get off all meds?

(mole person) #8

This may be your problem. Drop all the snacking and fat bombs and replace them with a satisfying third meal. Snacking like that will be keeping your insulin elevated all day and prevent access to your fat.

(Eric - The patient needs to be patient!) #9

@Mimit

As in prevent burning fat for weight loss.

#10

I normally dont eat dinner bc i am not that hungry and bc my family (kids and hubby, 5 of us) kinda refuse to eat keto. I make their meals separate from my own. I am willing to try anything at this point…i will let u all know how it goes these next couple of weeks.:slight_smile:

#11

Good luck. For myself, I no longer take either insulin or metformin. I used to have an A1c of 7.3 while taking those drugs, but now it’s 5.4 without any diabetes medications. I was able to stop insulin almost immediately, but didn’t stop the metformin until about 8 months in. In hindsight, I could have done it sooner.

Calories still matter. Just being in ketosis is no guarantee that someone will lose weight. If I were to eat plates and plates of my favorite high-fat foods – bacon, cheese, and sausage – I would gain a lot of weight, even though there were only traces of carbs involved.

I generally have to avoid them, as the carbs and calories add up quickly. Are you snacking because you’re hungry, or out of boredom or habit?

Are you eating them because you’re hungry?

For me, the biggest advantage of keto is that I’m no longer hungry all the time. As I became fat adapted, the utilization of my stored body fat meant I no longer needed to eat as many fats. My biggest goal is to get to the point where I only eat because I’m hungry. Where food is nothing more than a fuel.

#12

I am not that hungry. I am probably eating the nuts and seeds at night bc i just want to put something in my mouth and i was thinking i didnt have enough fat in my diet. I dont need it.

(Graham Muir) #13

Around 2 year in total. Diagnosed 2010 and been off meds around 7 years now.