Archived Ask a Dietitian 4/24/14 - 10/21/14 Topic

U5770542 05/05/14 replied to ShannenI
Is there a place in the app to go to serif there is a set number of carbs that someone with diabetes should eat daily. Also what your blood sugar readings should be before meals and then two hours after?

Dietician 05/05/14 replied to U5770542
It sounds like you need some medical advice on those issues, as they are very individualized to your situation. An app may not be suitable for those answers. Kathy Isacks, who is the diabetes expert, can provide more insight when she's back on the Forum next week.
Donna P Feldman MS RDN

Dietician 05/05/14 replied to ShannenI
It sounds like you've been at the same weight about 2-3 weeks after an initial loss. This is so frustrating, and so common. Here are the possibilities:
1. Your body composition is changing, adding more muscle. While the scale doesn't change, your clothes may feel looser because you're more toned.
2. You are in fact eating more than you think, which slows your weight loss.
What to do.
Your exercise level can certainly be increased. Aerobic activities burn calories, so doing 30-60 minutes 6-7 days/week will increase your calorie usage. The trick will be not eating more to make up for that.
Make sure you're eating enough protein, spread evenly throughout the day.
I'll check your food records and probably have more thoughts after that.
Donna P Feldman MS RDN

ShannenI 05/05/14 replied to Dietician
Thank you! I'd love to hear any more thoughts you may have. My clothes are definitely fitting better and I do feel better. More toned, but I'm not seeing much change in the hips/butt/thigh area which is frustrating, although I know those areas take longer. I just feel like I need to burn more fat. I'm feeling like I am getting enough protein based on food records. I have allowed "cheat days, or meals" on the weekends and that is hard because it always sets me back several days. I can cheat for one meal and gain back what I lost then it takes me 4 days to get back to where I was before the cheat day.

Malpeg 05/05/14 replied to U5770542
I've been a Type 2 diabetic for more than a decade. Most of the time I keep things under good control. No medical professional can give you good advice without good information from you. This app is great for collecting that information. There is a team here called "Living with Diabetes." Consider joining.

If you log all you foods accurately as well as your blood glucose readings and medications it will help the medical folks see what is best for you.

There is no short answer for your questions about BG readings. Your short tern and long term goals may be different. It depends on how controlled your BG is, whether you are Type 1 or Type 2, and a number of other factors.

My information is as open as MND allows. You're welcome to look at my logs and ask me any question about why I am doing anything. You can create a private topic if you want or start a public one. I try to check the forums every day.

Dietician 05/06/14 replied to ShannenI
I sent you a private message regarding this.
Donna

U5366723 05/06/14 replied to Dietician
Hi

I'm 20 years old and have just over 100 pounds to lose. I've recently started going to the gym and I burn between 400 and 900 calories most days and I normally have around 200cals less than it is suggested on here. I'm reaching my protein requirements but do I need to be eating more calories for a sustainable weight loss? I've lost about 11 pounds in 3 weeks.

Thanks

Dietician 05/06/14 replied to U5366723
First off, how do you know you're burning 400-900 calories at the gym? 900 is an enormous amount for a gym session.
Second: I suggest you set your activity level to Sedentary and add in your daily activities separately for more accuracy. Otherwise your calories may be overestimated.
11 lbs in 3 weeks is fine at the start, considering some of that will be fluids. You may find your weight loss slows down a bit. 2 lbs/week for awhile may be feasible. That depends on your current weight/height, which I don't know.
As I don't know what your maintenance calories are, it's hard for me to give specific information. An intake that results in an average 2 lbs/week weight loss (which could vary anywhere from 5 to 0) is OK, but you will find your weight loss slows the more weight you lose. You will also need to adjust calories down with weight loss. A smaller body size requires fewer calories.
Donna P Feldman MS RDN

Nita 05/07/14 replied to Dietitian
Hi! Thank you for helping us for your blog posts!

I've used this app in the past with discreet results and I started using it again this past week to lose about 10 pounds in however long it takes (ideally before August!), since I've had this extra weight for a few years now and I'm tired of the jiggle and tight clothes!

Btw, I'm almost 32, 5.4 and weigh about 63 kg (sorry, can't handle the pounds that well yet!).

My problem is that I think I tweaked the "my plan" section too much and I got confused. My activity is definitely sedentary and I try to go to the gym at least 3 times per week (cardio, run, sculpt&weights classes...). So should I enter anything in the weekly activities section? What, if anything, should I then enter in the daily activities? This is affecting the recommended calories and everything else... And the first week it only allowed me to eat 1200 calories (very unrealistic) and when I entered all my activities it turned out I burned almost 2000 calories per day, which sounds like way too much too.

I'm sorry if I just confused you... I'm pretty confused myself and could use some sound advice!

Btw, I have a big appetite and I think I underestimate what I enter for food amounts, but the idea of weighing my food makes me sad :(

Thanks a lot for your advice and your support!
Cheers,
Ana

Archived Ask a Dietitian 4/24/14 - 10/21/14