Severe Obesity?!
Question: My mom has type II diabetes. She weighs approximately 356 pounds. I'm really worried about her. She has severe sleep apnea, also. I, also, am rather overweight. I have been doing the Atkin's diet for 2 weeks now... Don't plan on stopping anytime soon, either.
Anyway, what are some suggestions to help my mom get on a diet. She is such a pretty person but coming from overweight people, please tell me what would motivate YOU to lose weight to become healthier. And how should I talk to my mom?
Answers: My mom has type II diabetes. She weighs approximately 356 pounds. I'm really worried about her. She has severe sleep apnea, also. I, also, am rather overweight. I have been doing the Atkin's diet for 2 weeks now... Don't plan on stopping anytime soon, either.
Anyway, what are some suggestions to help my mom get on a diet. She is such a pretty person but coming from overweight people, please tell me what would motivate YOU to lose weight to become healthier. And how should I talk to my mom?
The best thing you can do for your Mom is give her your unconditional love and support, no matter what her weight is. Don't judge her for her weight, don't harp about it or suggest weight loss surgery or anything like that. You will only make her feel down, possibly even depressed. Depression is very common among diabetes. She doesn't need anyone to tell her to lose weight. She's quite aware of that fact.
She probably feels very guilty about her weight, but there may not be much that she can do about it at this stage. Insulin resistence causes weight gain, which in turn causes more insulin resistence. Its a viscous cycle and its really hard to beat, especially if you have joint problems, which become pretty common at that weight. Diabetes makes it nearly impossible to lose weight, especailly if she's on insulin. However, insulin may be necessary to control the diabetes.
If she can take metformin, it may help her slowly lose a little weight, which would be great for her health. Metformin can cause some digestive problems, but I have read from several people on it, that eating yogurt with active cultures can help with that aspect of it. She should look for one without sugar. Her doctor would have to prescribe the metformin for her and it has to be started slowly, on a low dose and gradually adjusted to a level that helps keep blood sugar lower. Weight loss is a side effect of it but it doesn't work for everyone.
If your mom could get her sleep apnea treated with a Bipap machine, it would really help with the fatigue and her diabetes.
She should also have her thyroid checked. It might be low, this is quite common in Type 2 diabetics. Untreated hypothyroidism can make diabetes worse.
Your mom should be on a reduced carb diet, with maybe 90 to 130 carbs per day total. Her diabetes dietician will advise her on what to eat, etc. She should learn to calculate NET carbs.
Because you are also overweight, and have diabetes in your family, you should ask your doctor to do a glucose tolerance test, and an HbA1c. Its quite possible that you will get diabetes -- you may even have it now and not know it.
Most people have it for about 8 years before they get diagnosed. This is because with Type 2, the symptoms are often silent and you don't get noticable symptoms until there is actual nerve damage. See this blog for links to pages that list the symptoms.
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-NbDgUzQhf...
There are also links on how to test your blood sugar to get it under control - see Jennifer's page link
There are also some good books listed there and links with a lot more info about diabetes. Check out them all.
Instead of trying to motivate your mom to lose weight, try to get her involved in some mild forms of exercise, so she can be more active. She does need to be careful at that weight, not to injure her knees, or stress her heart. She should get her doctor's approval before adding any exercise. Walking at her own pace, and exercising in a pool would be less stress on her joints. Also lifting small free weights will build up her arm strength. Any exercise is better than none, and it all helps bring your blood sugar down too.
Just going for a short walk every day would help. She needs to walk at her own pace, which will be slow at first, but she may be able to gradually increase it a bit and in crease the distance a little at a time. She may need to stop often and catch her breath, it just depends on how out of shape she is. Be patient!
Also learn as much as you can about low carb cooking, to help her stay on track with her blood sugar.
Get the South Beach Diet book and the
South Beach Quick and Easy Cookbook.
See the other books listed on the blog too, to educate yourself. Give them to her if she doesn't already have them. The one by Gretchen Becker is the best one to start with. She should read it if she hasn't already. You should read it too.
Tell your mom she's not alone, that you'll give her your support in anything she wants to do to get better. Give her lots of love, lots of hugs, and cook and eat low carb with her. Ask her to do the low or moderate carb diet with your or at least eat the dishes you will learn to cook. Don't focus on the weight or her diabetes, try to make life fun and less stressful.
Help your mom focus on getting healthier rather than losing weight. Its a more acheivable goal and less depressing and stressful. Help her achieve her blood sugar goals too. She needs to keep it under control, the books listed on the blog will tell her what to aim for, so will her diabetes nurse.
For yourself, stick with the South Beach or Atkins low carb diet and get that weight off while you can. Get tested for diabetes and rechecked every year. If you are pre-diabetic or diabetic, the links on the blog I mentioned will help you get started on educating yourself about this disease. Work with your mom to reduce carbs, and eat healthy, and be more active. Make the emphasis on good blood sugar control, and good health rather than weight and she'll be a lot more likely to listen and work with you.
baby steps, small goals
record every 5 pounds lost, for example.
get rid of "bad foods" in house
don't limit eating EVERYTHING, just control portions
smaller, healthier meals throughout the day
veggies veggies veggies fruit fruit water water water water water water water!!!
What woul;d motivate me to lose weight is the fact that i wold be making my self a lot heathlier. the more your mom eats junk food the larger she gets and the unhealthier she gets so tlak to her
get rid of really fatty foods and WEIGHT WATCHERS!! If you are committed it can preform miricles. I've seen it, i know a ton of people who have been really successful. Its not about eliminating foods but eating in porportions and making sure you get the right about of fruits and vegetables. There are support meetings as well.
t6ry and set up small goals to help her and try to encourage her to eat healthy foods and if you do have the money maybe she could get a trianer to help her out or a nutriotionist
First off she needs a physical with a doctor who will not give her hell about being overweight.
She should have all the normal blood test and include test for both thyroid and Cushings syndrome.
The cushings test is a urine test. She should not accept a blood test.
I agree with the person who said just love and support her.
Why not try and add better choices to your family shopping choices instead of taking away anything ?
Who does the shopping for the food ? If it is your Mom go with her.Pick up fresh veggies and fruits and all the fixings for several salads .
Help make dinner.
Don't let anyone tell her to go on a 1200 calorie diet.That is not enough for her.
You can bring her glasses of water of V8 juice [ if she likes that ].
Bring her to the mall with you and only walk 1/4 of the mall at first.
You can increase that as she is ready to do so.
A walk after dinner is also helpful.But.. don't leave her with a sink full of dishes to wash.Help her out with cleaning, washing and cooking.
Then she may have the energy to take a small walk.