New Here and Insulin Resistant--Will WLS help?

Wow, that is awesome!!! What a blessing for Anne! I agree, I wish there were a less drastic way to cure this. I don't want to take medicines, but I've been on glucophage for a year now, have tried prescription weight loss meds, and STILL GAIN WEIGHT! I will definitely look up Marie C. Maybe she could help me. Thank you so much for your help Priscilla!

Hey there, I too am IR. My endocrinologist put me on the Byetta injections 2 x a day in addition to the 1,000 mg of Metformin I'm on a day. I was able to lose about 20 lbs, just by getting my blood sugar under control. IR is not only blood sugar but it is also hormonal. My doctor's are torn between whether I have PCOS, or Syndrome X (a/k/a Metabolic Syndrome). If you go to your local bookstore, there is tons of info on all of these subjects. I would suggest just going to Borders or Barnes and Nobles for a couple of hours because the books there are all NEW and updated as opposed to your local library. I've been dealing with messed up menstrual cycles ever since I started at 13. I'm now 28 and it's become a real problem because my husband and I have tried a few times to get pregnant but with no luck. My GYN says that if I can lose some weight, it should help. I looked into weightloss surgery but was denied by my insurance company because the company I work for had that coverage removed from our plan (less expensive for them of course). So, my Mom and I have teamed up and are going to try Jenny Craig. They have a diet designed specifically for type 2 diabetics which is the type of diet an IR person needs to follow. No refined sugars, no white flower, minimal starches. Lots of whole grains, fresh fruits, veggies, etc. I would talk to your PCP. Have they tested you for IR? They should be able to give you some recommendations on what diets would work best. Hope I could be of some help. Take care, Kelly Reed

Hey Kelly, Thanks for the info! I am seeing the endrocrinologist on Thursday for the first time since I was diagnosed with IR. I am wondering if he'll put me on Byetta. I would love to see a 20 lb weight loss! It would be a start if anything. My insurance covers the WLS, but I"m the one who's torn about whether or not I want to do something that drastic. I did not know about the Jenny Craig diet. I've always heard bad things about their diets, ie..cost, support, not a realistic diet, supplements, etc. Have you ever tried them before? If so, what do you think? Thanks, Carol

This is my first post on the forum, though I've been lurking around obesityhelp.com for about a year now. I was going to post about the plateau I seem to have hit, but that can wait... I have PCOS, insulin resistance as well as thyroid resistance. The symptoms first presented about 5 years ago, but went completely undiagnosed. I went from doctor to doctor, each zoning in on one specific symptom and treating it without taking the others into account. The weight gain, loss of hair, insomnia, depression, dry skin, fatigue, sensitivity to high-starch/high-sugar foods, all went misdiagnosed or ignored by doctors who didn't believe me. If you tell a doctor "I'm gaining weight, but my eating habits and exercise haven't changed!" they generally assume you're lying, and ignore the symptom altogether, aside from suggesting "diet & exercise." It wasn't until I began seeing an endocrinologist that all of my symptoms were taken into account as part of the same set of deficiencies, and I was tested for insulin resistance, PCOS, and hypothyroidism. He decided I wasn't hypothyroid, but thyroid resistant. I'm mentioning it because my physician believes that a lot of people with insulin resistance are ALSO thyroid resistant. Most doctors don't bother to look into that possibility. Thyroid resistance is hard to test for, because the numbers always come back "normal." Usually, it's diagnosed based on the combination of normal thyroid levels (TSH, T3 and T4) with the presence of hypothyroid symptoms (Fatigue; Weakness; Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight; Coarse, dry hair; Dry, rough pale skin; Hair loss; Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches; Depression; Irritability; Memory loss; Abnormal menstrual cycles). My doctor's philosophy was "if it looks low thyroid, but tests normal, it's thyroid resistance." It's hard to find a doctor who is open and courageous enough to do it that way, but I hope you do if you are having the symptoms I mentioned. I still experience lightheadedness, headaches, weakness and fatigue ANYTIME I eat sugar or high-starch food. I know better than to touch that stuff, but I still struggle with self-control. Overall, the Glucophage and synthetic thyroid in combination have really improved my quality of life ten-fold. About a year ago, I decided I was going to talk to my doctor about WLS. I started losing on my own (hard work + Thyroid + Glucophage = 60 lbs. lost), and my doctor told me she wasn't going to recommend WLS at that time because I was actually losing. Unfortunately, I've hit a 4 month plateau and I'm starting to panic. The weight I lost brought my BMI down just below what my doctor requires for eligibility for WLS, so I'm pretty much stuck doing it completely on my own without the benefit of the helpful tool an RNY would give me. The truth about WLS is that the weight is still lost with "diet and exercise." The benefit of WLS is it helps to make your efforts more effective, and it helps with self-control issues in the short-run (i.e. portion sizes the first year or two). Still, if you don't exercise regularly and learn to see and use food differently, even with WLS you'll fail. I often read blogs of WLS patients who are still 50+ lbs. from goal 2 to 3 years out from surgery. The main reason is they expect the WLS to do the work, not them. For someone with insulin resistance, an RNY is a good option if you end up going the WLS route. The focus on a high-protein, low-to-no sugar/starch diet is really in line with our needs. In my own non-surgical weight loss efforts, I modeled my diet plan around the RNYer recommendations, with larger portions because there's no way the post-op portions could fill me up. In the end, you have to do what's best for your body and your situation. I wish you the best of luck in your journey. Peace, Somayeh 311/250/145

Hi Carol, I am also new here, and have IR/Metabolic Syndrom. I have been fighting this Weight Loss Battle for 15 years. We went through all the infertility treatments (I had PCOS and Endo) ended up with a Hyst. at 32, only to find out that just because you get rid of the PCOS, you still deal with the IR/MS problems. I can so relate with everyone who talks about gaining weight no matter how much you try to eat and exercises correctly. It always frustrates me that my thin friends are able to eat more than I can, yet I am huge compared to them. Good Luck on Your Journey and Search. I hope we all find the answers we are looking for. Kristi