Low Blood Sugar and Dieting

[Ski_Dad]

Hello, I've been dealing with low blood sugar most of my life. I seemed to manage it pretty well until i got into my 40's and since then I've jumped from 6'/185 lbs to 225. I try each year to drop below 220 and struggle. I really don't eat that many calories in a day but I end up needing to eat every 3 hours. I really don't want to eat that often but if I don't I get shaky, etc.

 

Anyone else struggle with this issue and have some helpful hints. My goals are to get down to 210 by April, 200 by mid summer.

[Chef23]

I don't have a blood sugar issue but to manage both weight and blood sugar you are much better off eating smaller amounts every 3-4 hours. I would recommend finding a nutritionist and finding a food plan that works for you. Losing 15 pounds by April should be very doable. The key is finding the right foods to eat every 3 hours. Doing that should keep hunger at bay and help you avoid over eating at times.

[jbwann]

During ski season I can wear myself out pretty good and generally just feel like I can't eat enough. Constant hunger. I'm not saying that I have low blood sugar because I'm not sure that is the case. But I do feel that a good solution has been to add electrolytes. If I drink a Propel (zero cal but definitely has chemical flavor additives) between breakfast and lunch it can totally change how good I feel and turns off some of my hunger issues. Not sure at all if this can be a solution for you but I just think I know how you feel. Everyone is different.

[dvskier]

I'd recommend that you pick up a copy of "The South Beach Diet". Reading this book and following the plan allowed me to lose 32 pounds in 3 months. It's not only the calories that you consume but the carbohydrates. When I began the diet I was amazed at how easy it was. No more running out buying food that I never knew existed, just make smart choices.

Now my cholesterol is under control and I feel much better. Give it a try, you'll achieve your goals and will not feel like you're hungry either.

[Calisdad57]

I have great success with a Keto type diet. No bread or sugar. I have never had a low blood sugar episode while on it.

[AdamCord]

I will second the keto diet. It's a nightmare for the first week if you've never done it before. After that it's awesome and you start dropping weight like crazy.

[Horton]

”Eating Well for Optimum Health” by Andrew Weil changed my life 20 years ago. It's not really a diet book but a book about what's in your diet. The author has written some other stuff that I consider kind of fringy and weird but I cannot recommend this text highly enough. It helped me understand things like glycemic index.

[Jordan]

Low blood sugar is the opposite of what most of the diets mentioned seek to manage. Most of those diets try to control insulin spikes caused by carbohydrates. IMHO you should seek out a nutritionist who understands what you are dealing with. You may do well to see an endocrinologist and find out the underlying cause of your low blood sugar.

[Ski_Dad]

wow thanks guys! I wasn't sure I would get many response as kind of an embarrassing issue.

 

I will check out those books. My brother does Keto but I've never tried it.

 

you might be right about an endocrinologist.

[lpskier]

The other side of the equation is how many calories you burn. When I lived on NY, weight management included an hour plus per day on my road bike in a bike stand. Stick it in front of the tv and the hour passes quickly enough.

[WaterSkier12]

Same here lpskier, Netflix on the ipad, currently watching breaking bad, add in some high intensity intervals when the action heats up...

[skispray]

If you are serious about it I would recommend reading The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell. It’s the only ‘diet’ book I’ve ever read that actually talks about serious nutrition research and it is very convincing.

 

He advocates a whole food, plant based diet due to the overwhelming evidence that it is the best diet for treating or minimizing the likelihood that you’ll develop many serious diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and a wide array of cancers. The broad scientific consensus is largely in agreement and recommends a diet consisting of whole (not processed) primarily plant based food with only moderate meat intake.

 

I’ve gone to this diet at home and it was much easier than I expected it to be. I don’t follow it when I eat out because it’s difficult to do so and I feel healthy enough to get away with it.

 

My impression is that the keto diet is just a new name for the south beach diet, or the low-carb diet, or the paleo diet. Whatever you want to call it, is it not just the idea of being low carb and entering ketosis to lose weight? I read a pro-keto book and did the diet a couple years ago (right before it started being referred to as the keto diet), but ultimately gave it up due to health concerns. Since that I’ve read several sources that indicate there can be very serious side effects and every doctor I’ve spoken to has had bad things to say about regularly entering ketosis. And I always found the idea that a significant amount of bacon is healthy to be ludicrous.

 

I’m sure I’m being somewhat unfair to the keto diet so please feel free to correct anything I’ve misconstrued.

[6balls]

Also important to differentiate "feeling" as if one's sugar is low and true low blood sugar. For example...what kind of numbers are you calling low?

 

True low numbers w/out explanation in the presence of being overweight is a bit whacky and probably warrants endocrine consult.

[HighAltitude]

Hmmm....low blood sugar and weight gain are almost never seen together. PLEASE, please see a specialist to confirm what condition you have. High fasting blood sugar (A1C) could also give you the "shaky" feel.

 

Don't necessarily believe "most doctor's recommend" because doctors have shockingly little formal education in nutrition. Also, despite "serious" diet research, that does not necessarily mean the author is correct. There are hundreds of examples of poorly designed experiments, data mining, and sponsors impacting results when it comes to health info. Good luck!

[GaryWilkinson]

Have you been diagnosed with low blood sugar? How long ago?

Blood sugar levels tend to be lay persons catch all for general malaise.

(I’m. It a Dr but I play one at home) jk.

 

I’ve done a lot of research in this area due to low energy and weight gain.

 

In my very humble opinion you should see a dr about weight changes, gains and losses.

 

I believe diets suck. They’re proven to be temporary fixes to a more complete look and adjustment of what, how much and when you eat. An endocrinologist is a must and here’s the other thing that does wonders-

 

Regular exercise. !!!

 

Endorphins have very positive neurological effects, we eat better and less when we exercise moderately often. 2-3 times a week. My Dr recommended to start with exercise, working out somehow before he prescribed anything or any other referrals.

 

Have a go at it. Give yourself a good 2 weeks at It and I am confident you’ll see a big change.

 

 

[BraceMaker]

@skispray that comes up a lot with people recommending Keto vs Atkins vs whatever and then some guru at Yoga told them to add cinnamon.

 

A keto diet has to be high fat.

An Atkins diet can be very low fats.

 

 

Lean chicken for instance great Atkins not very Keto.

[gsm_peter]

My 2 cents (works for me)

 

Most diets recommend to much or to little of some food types. Too much suger, fat, proteines etc can be hard on the body.

Low Kalorie diets are starvation and that is tourture.

 

Better food reduce body fat.

Training shape the body.

Both are needed to get healthier.

 

The major problem is to change habits.

Allow change to take time.

 

A balanced diet with a lot of vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds and some smaller portions of fish and meet will make you healty and not have to feel hungry all the time.

Drink only regular water, tee and some coffe.

Stay away from resturang and prefab food.

 

Best luck

[So_I_Ski]

I second the motion of @skispray. Watch Forks Over Knives, followed by Plant Pure Nation and What the Health or Food Choices. The evidence for a whole food plant based diet is overwhelming and you will find the authors of these documentaries to be highly credible.

[chrislandy]

I lost 30lb last year, in 6 months, then maintained for 6 months. Just about to kick off to drop another 15-20lbs by summer.

 

I was having issues, tiredness, lack of focus, changeable mood etc...

 

I was advised not to do any of the "fad" diets as they all exaggerate something over another.

 

It was just "simply" 2x 1hr PT sessions a week at the gym, walking a bit more and watching what I was eating. Whilst portion size was reduced, it was certainly not a "low cal" diet with nothing excluded, and I've maintained for 6 months at 180lb, still going to restaurants and having the odd drink with friends etc. even during the first 6 months

[igkya]

@chrislandy the odd drink... does that mean you only have 3, 5 or 7 drinks?

[dvskier]

Alcohol = empty calories. I’m not a tee totalker but when trying to lose weight alcohol especially beer is not your friend. Red wine is much better for you. This comes from a guy who put down a 12 pack every night for many years. 33 pounds lighter and much better off. YMMV.

[chrislandy]

@igkya 2-3 pints / glasses of wine / G&T one or two times a week, sometimes none, sometimes more (birthday bashes / weddings etc)

 

G&T is better (lower energy value) if you use slimline tonic

 

@dvskier yup "empty calories", my choice was not to cut out completely but reduce significantly.

 

my target loss was only 1lb a week, slow and steady