I have just joined and looked at some of the picture profiles on Jenny’s webpage and so many people are very overweight. I am expecting to lose a lot of weight eating a diabetic diet which is drastically different from what I was eating (six cupcakes at a time for starters). If one MUST restrict calories, how can so many people look like they weigh at least 300 pounds?.. like on 1500 calories. That scares me. I am 206 right now which is at least 50 pounds overweight. Now I’m afraid that even if I eat right and exercise, I won’t lose the weight.
ouch…this topic sounds a little harsh, though i don’t imagine you meant it that way. one of the first things one must understand is the difference in the types of diabetes.
type 1 is the result of an autoimmune problem and most people with this type are in a more acceptable weight range.
type 2 is more about genetics and lifestyle and more people who have this type will be overweight at the time of their diagnoses (where as type 1s have dropped a dramatic amount of weight by the time they are diagnosed). just because a type 2 is eating properly for their health doesn’t mean that the weight will fall right off. there are a ton of factors as to why people weight the amount they do. lifestyle, health, and metabolism being the main ones.
i’m not an expert on type 2, but i think you get the gist of what i’m saying.
No I didn’t mean the topic to sound harsh or critical. I am hoping to lose weight as a result of diet changes and wondered why so many people still seem to be overweight. I am much overweight myself right now so not criticizing anyone else for sure–just hope my own weight drops.
One thing to consider is that many others here are newly diagnosed, just like yourself, and are just beginning to change their lifestyles. Others might have trouble following a diet and have sought out this community as a means of support. Others might have diabetes-related problems like thyroid issues or something that cause them to gain weight. And Type I’s often have weight issues due to taking massive amounts of synthetic insulin, which causes a little weight gain. Or the fact that Type Is are encouraged to follow a carb-heavy diet (which is a matter of huge debate). There are so many factors to consider. If diabetes and the health issues that came with it had an easy fix, we wouldn’t need online support networks.
I wish you luck in your calorie-restriction, but remember that weight goes on slowly and comes off even moreso. I’m sure people are trying.