I found this site when trying to research 'difficulty losing weight while on glyburide'. The name three fat chicks on a diet cracked me up....so, I poked my nose around a bit and found some great information here...and decided to register. It's my first night here, so, I'll just browse around a bit and see what I can learn.
A little about me, I'm a 44 yr old Type 2 Diabetic female who has SLOWLY been losing weight over the past two years. I'm so tired of this taking so long, and ma very interested in bumping up the pace. When I found out I was Type 2, about 4 years ago, My Doc said that Glyburide would probably make me gain weight....UGH...just what I needed...I get this disease because I'm overweight, and the meds to help me are going to make me more overweight....GRRRRR. After a sufficient amount of stuffing about and grizzling, I got on the walking trail and mostly haven't stopped in two years.
Currently I walk around 4-5 miles a day. I've kept up that kind of mileage since Dec. I feel better. My clothes fit better. BUT, since Dec, I've only lost five pounds. Another GRRRRRR. Since stepping on the scales last week and discovering how i....n....c...r.....e....d...i....b....l....y slow this has been, I've decided to really get as serious as I can about it. I am counting calories and keeping an exercise log. I do this by having my calendar software send me and email every night with places to jot down my food intake and exercise done for the day. So far, this has been very helpful in being more accountable to myself...I wish I'd thought of it sooner. If you're reading this, and like the idea, feel free to steal it.
I've set a short term goal to TRY to lose 10 pounds in four weeks. It may be waaaay too much to expect, but I need something new to shoot for. I'm doing it by eating low cal, and exercise. In addition to walking, I've just started doing yoga-on recommendation from a friend-I'm trying a yoga designed to help weight loss dvd, annnnd a little weight lifting too.
My hope is, with the increased effort, better food intake tracking, more and varied exercise that finally I will see some weight come off. IF I DON'T, boy will I let my Doctor know...and BEG for help, because I think that it's got to be the medication holding me back. I take one 5mg tab a day.
So, hello to all that might read this.
elaine

Elaine - hi and welcome! Just popped into to say hello, and tell you to look around. Don't know much about the meds you are on, but I do know we have lots and lots of people here dealing with obstacles, whether they be physical problems, medications, or whatever else. Keep posting - its a great place for support!

Look forward to getting to know you better!

Hi Elaine, Welcome,I'm very new to this site as well... Something that stuck out when I read your msg, was not loosing weight, even though your walking 4-5 miles a day, doing yoga and weight lifting... Are you measuring yourself? Though the numbers on the scales my not be moving, Surely your loosing inches... In my personal experiences, when I wasn't budging on the scale, I'd loose inches, which is just as motivational, as muscle weighs more than fat, takes up less space, and burns fat. I'm all for yoga as a great weightloss tool. I was feeling my best, a few years ago when I did yoga everyday for nearly 7 months. I felt awesome, toned, and dropped weight too.
Around the same time I was marked as bordeline diabetic, I did South Beach Diet and lost a lot a weight in 6 months.

Best of luck, and once again, Welcome!

Hi Elaine . . .

As you know . . . I already welcomed you in the Diabetes Forum . . . but thought I'd stop in here too.

Yep . . . Diabetes is not a nice thing at all . . . most of the meds will cause weight gain and/or definitely make it more difficult to lose -- the only exceptions I know about (and I've been dealing with type II for over 15 years) are Metformin (brand-name Glucophage) and Byetta (an injectible, that some people have reported success with). I personally take Glyburide, Metformin, Actos and (unfortuntely) inject Insulin twice a day. (I say, unfortunately, because it really does a nasty job on the weight situation -- although it really does a great job on keeping the blood glucose levels in control).

Anyway . . . look forward to seeing 'lots less of you, lots more often' now that you've found us, Chickie . . . see you soon . . .

Gosh, thanks to all of you who dropped in and left your thoughts here. I really appreciate it. It seems so many of us struggle with the med thing. Hmmm. I am going to keep doing what I'm doing, and if by the first of July more weight has not dropped off, the Doctor will surely hear from me. I'm keeping close track of my food, finally. I even wrote a note to myself in my food diary confessing to how many excess calories can slip in if I don't track them. I think I was fooling myself with how much I was eating. I was doing better, but perhaps not good enough. Currently, I'm trying to write down EVERYTHING I eat, and chart the calories when I know them. It's surprising how fast they add up. I am learning quickly by writing it down, just how much I have been eating, and how much better I'm doing now that it's getting accounted for.
I celebrate a small victory in that I had some friends over for a movie, fixed them queso and set out lots of chips and other snacks...but only indulged in a 100 cal bag of popcorn and an apple. Woo-hoo. I know me well enough to know that I could have easily polished off all the queso and chips....and more...but I refrained. Part of what kept me 'good' was knowing I'd have to write it down. I also have someone close to me who is encouraging good things from me, and I want to stay on the path.
If anyone reading this cares to celebrate small victories, feel free to leave them here and I will celebrate with you.
Be well, elaine

After many years of living, learning, succeeding, failing I find that I learn more from doing than anything. If I fail at something, it's not a failure, but a way of learning that that way didn't work for me. I put it in the memory bank and try something new. Certain diets, that perhaps I shouldn't name, did work briefly, others not at all, certain exercises worked, others not so well. The best part of all this is being able to sift back through all this to find the gold that will work. I don't have many answers, but these few things I do know:
1) Weight training worked for me years ago, I lost weight, my legs were nice and tight, even my thighs had that nice hard feel when I tensed up
2) Walking is good for my mind, and heart
3) I love food, but need to learn to seek out the best ones for me
4) Alcohol makes me want to eat, so it's best I don't drink now
5) I focus, some might say obsess, on things that fascinate me
6) It's better for me to get up in the morning and get my workout in, it sets me in a positive mood for the day
7) I want to change, I want to lose this excess that has been part of me for too long, I want to shed this handicap, it's time
elaine

Happy news for me. Thought I might should post a small victory. Since really gearing up, counting calories and upping the exercise....I've lost finally. I had stagnated and lost so very little over six months. Just now I'm at the beginning of realizing that I was flat out eating too much. Dang. I love food. But now that I'm really counting calories, I see how I was overdoing the food. Some would call that denial...ok, I call it denial too, though I wish I didn't have to
Anyhoo, my starting weight on May 30th was 241.5 and today, 10 days later, the scales at this hotel gym say I'm at 335.5, down 6 pounds. I know that's fast, but I earned it! I've been walking, doing a little weight training when I can and a bit of yoga (twice in ten days) and eating MUCH better. My goal of losing ten pounds by June 25th is in sight. Just 4 pounds to go. Think I could exceed that? I know it's best to lose slow, but I've needed this affirmation. I've been on the trail a long time, 2 years of trial and failure and I need a little victory. And I have one.
Where I'm staying over the next few days has very limited food choices, so I did my best at a convenience store and stocked up on the best I could find. It's going to be a challenge, but I'm sticking with it.
Ultimately, I'd love to see my weight go down and lose the meds for cholesterol and diabetes.....we'll see if that's possible.
elaine

I'm really seeing some results from my change of eating. It's been 21 days of writing down my food intake and exercise. So far, I've reached my short term goal of a ten lb loss at a faster pace than I'd hoped. I've dropped 10.5 lbs in 21 days, a week ahead of schedule. I don't anticipate this rate to continue, but I am setting a personal short term goal of ten more lbs off by July 17th. That gives me four weeks. I will keep up the journaling in my email, and will check in here as well.

Big day of Doctor visits yesterday, all the girly bits, the teeth cleaned and a visit to the GP. All seems to be well, but some results are yet to be in.
Spent an hour and a half at the gym today. I've decided to add in weight training when I can in hopes that I can burn more calories, and thus lose some more weight.
For whatever reason, tonight I'm very hungry, and trying hard not to shove food in my mouth.
Tried Z-trim for the first time last night. I made low-sugar cookies, the texture was just like the other batch with canola oil. I made butter with equal parts z-trim gel and butter. It tastes great and the texture is quite satisfactory. Also tried their fiber pills, supposed to help curb your appetite...wish they could keep me from being so hungry right now.

Well, so far, the Ztrim products seem great. I've made butter, mayo and caesar dressing by extending them with the ZTrim. They all taste great, honestly no different than the full fat version. It looks a little different, a teeny bit textured, but taste just fine. I took 1/2 cup of bottled Caesar dressing and added 1/2 cup of the ztrim gel. I ground in some salt, garlic and added anchovy paste (about 1t) and about 1t of true lemon (the kind you sprinkle in). You could use real lemon juice just as easy. I ate a caesar salad with the dressing for lunch...and it was delish. So far, I'm digging the fact that with ZTrim I can reduce the fat calories at least 50% and add fiber at the same time.
I guess this was a commercial for it...

It's been a while since posting, but I haven't stopped working on me. My weight loss is slow, sometimes gruelingly so (is that a word??). But it is coming off. I've been walking alot, reading quite a bit, especially a website "diabetes101", sharing walks with a good friend, eating well and staying focused on my health. The slowness of this is tough, but I think in the long run, the things I'm learning, the work I'm doing will work and, fingers crossed, I think this time it's for real.