Hello everyone, I'm new here and looking for some advice on choosing a weight loss plan. There are so many different options, but I want to choose the one that will be best for me. I have an extensive family history of diabetes to the point of causing limb amputations and I don't want that to happen to me. My grandmother and great grandmother both had at least one leg amputated and my mother now has diabetes. I'm 26 years old and have a little over 100lbs to lose but have no physical ailments as of yet.
I have an aunt who does Atkins and swears by it because of our family history of diabetes, but it seems to restricting to me. I would like to know if anyone has experience or knows of plans that are good for people trying to prevent diabetes? Does it have to be low carb? Any help would be appreciated.Thanks

I would think that South Beach might be a good choice for you, or possibly the new Sonoma Diet. Either way, lower carb is probably your best choice.

I have a strong history of diabetes, which has forced me to look at my weight issues and sort it out. Both my parents have developed type 2. Apparently my great grandmother had it too, but it was before the days where people talked about it, and I presume it killed her. I had an uncle who had an amputation due to it.

You don't necessarily have to go low carb, but you do need to concentrate on what are called low GI carbs. These are foods that help keep your blood sugar stable. Both South beach and Sonoma contain these foods. I don't do a formal diet as such, I have concentrated on lots of fruit and veggies, good sources of protein, and healthy carbs, such as whole grain bread, whole oats, brown rice, lots of beans and legumes.

And heaps of exercise. Exercise is fantastic for regulating blood sugar!

I'm type II diabetic and have normalized my blood sugar levels through healthy eating. I'm doing South Beach whick focuses on good carbs and good fats. Check out the South Beach Forum for more information.

You are so wise to tackle this problem now instead of waiting until your 60's as I did!

What about Sugarbusters? I've been reading up on it? Any idea how it compares to South Beach or Sonoma?

I read up on Sugarbusters when I was looking at elements of an eating plan to follow. It has a very outdated view on the Glycaemic index, and recommends avoiding foods such as carrots, potatoes, corn, pasta and bananas. I don't trust diets that eliminate healthy foods.

I wouldn't follow Atkins as my parents both have high cholesterol as well as the diabetes, so I need to watch my intake of animal fats.

A basic, healthy diet focussing on plant foods and good carbs will get you to goal. The important thing is to be realistic about time frames. It's taken me a year to lose 60lbs. So far I have zero loose skin issues, my stretch marks are very slim, silvery marks, and I have muscle replacing the fat.

The best diet for you is the one that you can live with long term. I have type II diabetes in my family as well, and my son is a type I diabetic (since age 4) - I suspect that I have had metabolic issues for many years... I was diagnosed as hypothyroid a year and a half ago, and I suspect that I am insulin resistant as well hence following a low GI diet works well for me. Sugarbusters works, and South Beach works and there are others out there... eventually I decided to use those principles and design my own diet, slowly working in recipes that could become a staple. Yes, exercise is extremely important to help keep blood sugars in check - and again, the best one for you is one that you can live with and stick to... me, I walk everyday... and have recently begun ballroom dancing....

One other comment - don't get too smart for the diet.... meaning it's easy to make bad choices on every diet and still be in the confines of the diet and then proclaim that the diet doesn't work... so for me, I have to be accountable to myself... sticking mostly to lean protein, whole-grains, vegetables and fruits - whole foods mainly, although I allow myself a cheat meal once a week - but still try to be careful even on the cheat meal... So far it's working... and when/if it doesn't, I'll re-evaluate so that I can continue to be successful. : )

I agree with Ruthxxx that you are wise to start this at your age - I wish more people would focus on the health aspects of diet and exercise rather than look like the latest in vogue air-brushed celebrity.... Just my two cents.

Low carb and low GI are essentially the same thing. Low carb foods are foods that have not much sugar or starch in them. Low GI foods are foods that mostly are the same. Some of them have more sugar or starches, but the way they are absorbed into the body is done at a slower pace than with more simple carbs. Simple carbs are usually foods that the food value has been removed from. All you are getting with simple carbs is sugar or starch. This would include things like white bread, pasta, white rice, potatoes without the skins etc.

The so called "good carbs" are simply the same foods with their whole components. Whole grains, rice with the hulls, the fiber part intact etc. The fiber slows down the absorption of the sugars and starches which helps to not impact your blood sugar levels as quickly. What this does is to prevent your insulin levels from increasing drastically. Insulin is a hormone that converts sugar. Type two diabetics start by being "pre-diabetic" which means that they often have hypoglycemia first. Their bodies produce too much insulin (due to poor diet) and they get the shakes when their blood sugar drops too low. Enough years of that and they become "insulin resistant". The insulin keeps being produced but the body doesn't respond to it as well. Eventually this can lead to diabetes.

Low carb or Low Glycemic foods are a good preventative measure for this. Atkins is great. Atkins has modified somewhat from what it used to be though, it allows you to subtract fiber grams from your total carb grams which keeps it "low carb" but actually in reality makes it closer to "low glycemic" It is all essentially the same though. It is just a difference in what you call it.

Low Carb isn't exactly the same thing as Low GI... the concepts are different. I can't speak to all low carb diets but a few wouldn't allow you to include things like a sweet potato or brown rice which are acceptable in moderation on the low GI diet. One could follow a low carb diet and be low GI, but being on a low GI diet isn't necessarily low carb but rather good carb. Just somehow it all works better for me when I do low GI... I can more easily live with Sugar Busters, but South Beach was harder for me, and I didn't like Atkins, or even WW's Core.... haven't tried Sonoma, but it looks like it could be more liveable....

I'm a type2 diabetic and the best thing I did was visit a dietician. I count calories, and I still use the meal plan she wrote up as a guideline. That way I can make sure my blood sugar stays level. Good luck with your weight loss.

Terina