Hi Cindy Many thanks for your query. As you probably aware, Insulin Resistance is a disorder of glucose metabolism. It occurs because body cells no longer respond well to the instruction of the hormone insulin to move glucose from the blood to the cells for energy. When glucose clearance from the blood is delayed and has become difficult, the cells have become resistant to insulin. To compensate for the reduced responsiveness of body cells to insulin, the pancreas (the organ that produces insulin for us), starts to produce more and more insulin in order to force the glucose into body cells. Our diet can effect the ability of the body cell’s to respond to insulin appropriately. I would advise you to resume the Low GI Diet, rather than the High Protein Diet. There is little evidence to show that High Protein Diets are beneficial in Insulin Resistance. Choose high fibre, low GI starchy foods, limiting refined starchy foods and sugars. Try to keep fats and fatty fast foods to a minimum. Choose fat-free or low fat dairy products. Increase your intake of fruit and vegetables (aim for 5 portions per day). Reduce your intake of red meat and increase your intake of fatty fish such as salmon, sardines and pilchards (2-3 days a week). Weight loss and exercise both increase insulin sensitivity, and increased sensitivity results in lower blood insulin levels. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise at least five times a week. Good luck! Kind regards, Melissa

Dear Nicci

Many thanks for your query.

Many of us find that when we are trying to lose weight, all we can think about is food.

The most important advice I can give you is to have regular meals. Aim for 6 small meals rather than 3 large ones. Limit your intake of fat - choose fat-free or skimmed dairy products, remove all fat from meat, boil, bake or steam instead of frying, limit added fats like oil, margarine and butter and try to avoid high fat snacks like chips and chocolates. Reduce your sugar intake -limit sugar added at the table and opt for sugar-free versions of every day foods and drinks. Choose wholewheat varieties of breads, rice, pasta and cereals. These are low in Glycemic Index (GI) and will help to keep you fuller for longer. Try to have a source of low GI carbohydrate at every meal. Fruit is a great between meal snack. Fill up on vegetables and salad at meal times and aim to have these take up half of your plate.

Remember that alcohol contributes to calories so try to limit yourself to 1 glass a day.

Some people find having a treat day once a week helpful. Choose something that you really enjoy, but without going overboard. Weight loss may seem like an uphill battle and you may feel like you are being deprived of your favourite foods. A treat day is great as it gives you something to look forward to without feeling that you've slipped with your diet and resuming old eating habits.

Often we mistake hunger for thirst. Before heading for the fridge when you feel 'hungry,' try having a glass of water and see how you feel after that. You may find that you were actually thirsty rather than hungry.

Excerise is essential to any weight loss plan. To really burn off those calories aim for exercise that makes you perspire and slightly short of breath.

Rate of weight loss is different for everyone, but for sustainable weight loss you should aim for 0.5-1kg weight loss per week (2-4kg per month).

Good luck!

Kind regards,

Melissa

Hi Ronel

Many thanks for your query.

I am unsure whether your hypothyroidism is the main cause of your slow weight loss, as you mentioned that your blood results are now normal.

My advice would be to continue on the Weigh Less eating plan and focus on limiting your portion sizes. Aim for 6 small meals rather than 3 large ones. Limit your intake of fat and sugar and choose wholewheat varieties of breads, rice, pasta and cereals. These are low in Glycemic Index and will help to keep you fuller for longer. Fruit is a great between meal snack. Fill up on vegetables and salad at meal times and aim to have these take up half of your plate. Remember that alcohol contributes to calories so try to limit yourself to 1 glass a day. Excerise is essential to any weight loss plan. Going to the gym and running are great. To really burn off those calories aim for exercise that makes you perspire and slightly short of breath. Rate of weight loss is different for everyone, but for sustainable weight loss you should aim for 0.5-1kg weight loss per week (2-4kg per month). Good luck!

Your eating plan should consist of 3 meals a day with healthy, nutritious snacks between meals. Aim for a diet low in fat – choose fat-free or skimmed dairy products, remove all fat from meat, boil, bake or steam instead of frying, limit added fats like oil, margarine and butter and try to avoid high fat snacks like chips and chocolates. Try to limit sugar intake by limiting sugar added at the table and opting for sugar-free versions of every day foods and drinks. Aim for a diet high in fibre. This will help to keep you regular and help keep you fuller for longer. Choose oats, wholewheat or brown cereals, breads and pastas. Remember portion control. Small, frequent meals are better than 2-3 large ones. Exercise is vital to any weight loss programme. Aim for 40 minutes 3-5 times a week, over and above your daily activities. Aim for exercise that leaves you a little out of breath. Remember: energy in = energy out, so the more you exercise the more calories you will burn, the more weight (and centimetres) you will lose.

Dietary supplements should only be taken in conjunction with your healthy eating and exercise plan. It is important to check the labels of supplements. Taking supplements in addition to your meals may result in excess calorie and fat intake.

Kind regards,

Melissa

Dear S

Thank you for your question. Three-monthly contraceptive injections have been associated with a 2.5-5kg gain in weight, so I would not exclude the influence of the injection on you inability to shed those extra kilograms. But to place all the blame solely on the injection would be too limiting. A healthy weight-loss regime incorporates equal attention to healthier food choices, calorie restriction and increased aerobic- and resistance-based exercise regimes. 

I would also pay attention to your bone density as the three-monthly contraceptive most commonly used in South Africa has been associated with increased incidence of osteoporosis, which increases the longer you are on the injection.

Find yourself a lifestyle modification coach and approach losing that unhealthy weight in a healthy manner!

Many thanks and warm regards

Yesheen

Hi H

Thank you for your question. From what you write I gather your main problem at the moment is the difficulty you are experiencing in loosing the weight you accumulated during the course of your pregnancy and subsequent steroid use. To complicate matters you also have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. It is not clear from your question whether you are currently on the steroid medication, or whether you still have a low platelet level. In a case as complicated as this, especially as I do not know what other medication you currently are on, I would be hesitant to recommend the addition of any drug, natural or otherwise, to boost your metabolism and allegedly assist in increasing your rate of weight loss.

What I can say though is that in my experience anything that sounds this good is hardly ever 100% true, and the only real and sustainable result I have seen in the fight against the bulge is a well thought out lifestyle plan that incorporates:

1. Diet modification

2. Appropriate supplementation, which may include Lipo Cut

3. Adequate daily activity levels

4. A healthy stress management system

This type of plan is easily obtainable through consultation with a dietician or nutritional therapist you trust (look for one trained in FLT), or through your local gym. As your case is complicated by the concomitant medical ailments I would begin at your GP, asking him or her to check what risk factors you have that may impact on your lifestyle modification program, and what warning signs to look out for as you go through this period of transformation.

To come back to your question on Lipo Cut, I do not see any harm in the composition of the supplement itself, but care needs to be taken when combining something like this with other medication and in certain medical conditions, for which some of the ingredients contained within the product may be contra-indicated. So to answer you I would say please take all the medication you currently are using as well as a list of the ingredients listed in Lipo Cut to your GP and ask them to cross-check before you begin using this as a supplement to your lifestyle modification plan. Remember that a pill alone will only result in disappointment and money ill spent.

Many thanks and warm regards

Yesheen

Hi

I know that is very frustrating; however I do not think that it is a good idea to use Lipocut or any other fat burning product. These generally contain large quantities of caffeine and generate a stress response which can be detrimental on an ongoing basis. In addition, I haven’t found any good studies on the long term effects on the body of fat burning products such as Lipocut.

Most important is to treat your low thyroid function as this is a common cause of weight gain. If your thyroid function is very low then it is advisable to use medication such as Eltroxin (which your GP will prescribe if required). If only slightly low you can use complementary therapy including homeopathy and/or herbal supplements.

My advice is to avoid weight loss supplements and rather to develop new healthy lifestyle patterns including healthy eating and regular exercise. The key is to eat 5 to 6 times a day regularly (3 full meals and 2 to 3 snacks) with each meal containing small amounts of slow release carbohydrate and protein. This leads to sustainable weight loss and improved health. As your thyroid function normalizes it will be much easier to lose weight and maintain your ideal weight.

In situations like yours where you have already tried many different methods to lose weight, it might be useful to go to a dietician, nutritionist or holistic practitioner for specific guidance and support while you manage your thyroid function, develop a new lifestyle and lose weight.

You have been your ideal weight before, so you will be able to be that again!

Warm regards

Gabriell