Lynn's Diary - My Big Fat Weight Loss Journey

[Healthy2010]

I'm with you on Costa! It's my favourite coffee shop, and I love to people watch too. I think it takes so much time to adjust to a changing body shape and readjust the mindset to wearing things that flatter and don't swamp! I meant to ask whether you have tried New Look for straight leg high waisted jeans, I think I may gave seen some online..

It's a really interesting article about the injections. I think it's a far better option than surgery, it's just a shame it's not more readily available. Do you still take Byetta? If so do you still get any sickness?

Hope things settle down for your family, it sounds like a really awful situation to be in, especially if nobody knows where the thugs are... How scary it must be for them.

I've never eaten a Welsh cake before, what are they like? I keep waking past a deli that sells coconut chocolate fudge cake, and peanut butter and pecan pie I'm not generally into sweet food either but I sometimes just stand and stare at them like a demented person. I've decided I'll be having a piece on Xmas day... Sod Xmas pudding !

Have you decided how you will handle Xmas yet? I'm currently thinking, Xmas day I'll have what I want, and other than that I want to be good and not undo any of the hard earned weight loss. Really hope I can stick to that !

Have a good day tomorrow xx

 

[Lynn_]

Hi Healthy! Good job for resisting those gorgeous cakes, and definately treat yourself to one christmas day!

Yes im still on byetta, I rarely get sick on it now. I dont really get hungry as such any more, i get shaky when i need food, but i call it hunger because its the same thing really. If im very shaky when i get round to having my injection thats when ill get sick, hence ive now got the low cal protein shake to have when i get home to avoid that. Hopefully it will do the trick.

I will definately have a look in new look for their high rise jeans, I have a feeling ive looked at them before but i think the leg length was the problem. But thanks for that tip!

A welsh cake is like a flat scone, about the size of a biscuit. They are spiced with cinnamon i think and have sultanas in them. Not overly sweet like a cake, just slightly sweet.

Im really looking forward to christmas day! Me and my son will do the cooking between us and that will be fun. We are going to have a houseful this year and i love that, its my kind of christmas. Every christmas day, regardless of what my weight is, by the time i get to serve lunch up I never feel like eating very much of it. Just too much work involved lol and ive gone off it. But what i do want to have is a glass of wine or 2. I just dont drink very much at all, even though i love a glass of red wine. So i will treat myself to something very delicious and get drunk.

Many years ago, Waitrose (I think) used to sell chocolate coated stilton cheese balls that had been steeped in port. Now i know this may sound like a very strange mixture but I loved those! Its years since ive seen them, but it cant be difficult to make. Just some good quality stilton mashed up with some port, rolled into balls and dipped in good quality dark chocolate and then sprinkled with cocoa powder. I think i might make some of those as a treat for myself. They may even be low carb come to think of it too! now thats a bonus.

The danger with christmas day, is that its so easy to say sod it, and let it all go until after New Year. Just try to stay good in that week in between, it really will make a huge difference if you can.

 

[Aline]

Hmm, those welsh cakes sound very good

About the Christmas dangers I fear them a bit too because there are always tons of leftovers around the house and after a few days we make a lot of yummy things again because of New Year party... I hope we will behave that week, fingers crossed

 

[Healthy2010]

Wow the welsh cakes sound incredible, I love cinnamon so I'm sure I'd love them!

It's so good that your at a comfortable point now with Byetta and you've got to grips with how to avoid sickness. You'd be such a good case study for other people to learn from, as you've done the while trial and error thing to know how to make it work without side effects... Would save other people all that you went through.

Wow your Xmas day sounds fab, the Lynn household sounds like the place to be.. Especially with two cooks in the house! I have two good cooks too.. Marks and Spencer! I'd be lost without their pre order service...

Ive been thinking loads about how to handle Christmas and i think your right that there has still got to be some control a bs not let one day turn into the whole Christmas week!

Aline... I think it's going to be the most challenging time of the year .... All that yummy food everywhere, people off work and constant temptation!

I'm going to focus on New years eve, buy a new dress and hope that will stop me going mad over Xmas!!

XX

 

[Lynn_]

Was 11.8.5lb this morning, target DONE!


Now for the ring.......................

 

[kas getting slimmer]

Congratulations, does hubby know about the ring yet?

 

[minusfour]

Oh Lynne,

Byetta does seem to be incredibly effective for weight loss, but it has some dreadful side effects- some might be able to be lived with, such as you have done- weight loss, nausea, indigestion, decreased appetite, vomiting, abdominal pain, severe headaches are the most common. However, the rates of renal failure, and pancreatitis leading to death will probably mean that this drug will be withdrawn for use for diabetes, let alone weight loss in the medium term future. Dreadfully, surgery would be a much safer option!

 

[shrinkingannie]

Well done on your amazing achievement - you must feel fantastic!!

 

[Healthy2010]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!

Well done Lynn, what an achievement ! You must be overjoyed and very proud of yourself!

Time for the new ring ?!!!

Have a fab day xxx

 

[Pink!]

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Really well done!
Have you made any headway on the ring yet?
How's your sister doing in Spain?
I love sitting in a coffee shop and people watching too, although I do it to help with my writing, but the idea of leeching people's fashion sense sounds great, I'll have to be aware of that next time
Hope everything's going well, best wishes!

 

[Lynn_]

Oh Lynne,

Byetta does seem to be incredibly effective for weight loss, but it has some dreadful side effects- some might be able to be lived with, such as you have done- weight loss, nausea, indigestion, decreased appetite, vomiting, abdominal pain, severe headaches are the most common. However, the rates of renal failure, and pancreatitis leading to death will probably mean that this drug will be withdrawn for use for diabetes, let alone weight loss in the medium term future. Dreadfully, surgery would be a much safer option!

There are many thousands, if not millions, of people on byetta around the world, and the link between pancreatitis and byetta is weak to say the least. The few deaths reported had other complications that could also have lead to pancreatitis. Ive not looked into renal failure, it hasnt been an issue brought up on the many sites ive looked at. I would interested to know where you have got your information from. There seems to be no indication that there is any suggestion of the drug being withdrawn. It is a GLP1 mimic which occurs naturally in the body anyway.

The death rates from surgery are much higher than the death rates that may be linked to byetta.
"Byetta and pancreatitis
For every 3,000 patients who have taken Byetta for a year, one would have reported a case of pancreatitis," Kolterman says, citing statistical risk from information gathered since the Byetta launch. "Most pancreatitis cases resolve with supportive treatment and stopping the suspected medication, including Byetta."

Life-threatening pancreatitis has been rare in Byetta users — less than 1 in 10,000 case reports, Kolterman says. Since June 2005, about 1 million patients have used the drug, Kolterman estimates.
info http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/ ... ekey=92231 "

1 in 2000 deaths from gastric banding, 1 in 10,000 deaths from pancreatitis using byetta. Pancreatitis is clearly the big risk of taking Byetta, but is significantly less than the risk of having banding surgery.

Most drugs have side effects of one sort or another, some mild some severe. Ive been through the mill with Byetta certainly, and ive had most of the other side effects that you mention, and survived them well enough.

Being severly overweight is also a huge health risk. I would rather be thin with byetta, than run the continued risk of being fat without it.

 

[little-me]

Hi Lynn, I was reading another post you had written on and I saw you reached your goal to-day and I just had to come over here to congratulate you. Well done girl, you look amazing. I had a peak at your before and after pictures. You deserve a BIG HUGH DIAMOND xxxxx

 

[Lynn_]

Thanks everyone! Here is my before and after if you havnt already seen it.

Actually the 'after' was a couple weeks and 3.5lb ago, but its good enough for me

 

[little-me]

you have lost a third of your body weight. wow

 

[Aline]

arty0011:arty0011:arty0011:arty0011:arty0011:arty0011:arty0011:arty0011:arty0011:arty0011:arty0011:arty0011:

CONGRATS Lynn!!!

The difference between the pics is huge, you look so much better and so much healthier!

How is your maintenance plan?

And we won't to see that beautiful ring when you've got it

x

 

[Zest for Life]

OMG, those pictures are amazing!!!
You just would never know it was the same person!!!
You must feel amazing, well done x

 

[minusfour]

Lynne, my info comes mostly from two sources- MIMS, and a publication called Australian Prescriber. However, I'm pretty sure that you could find same by careful reading via google. (Skip all the stuff by manufacturers and distributors for a start!)

Byetta, marketed by Lily outside the US, and by Lily and Amylin within the US was introduced in 2005. Since then, there have been FDA warnings in 2007,2008,2009 and 2010. There is currently a lawsuit underway, with claims being investigated that there was a faliure to adequately test the drug before it was released. In March 2010, US regulators inspected the Amylin plant and reported inadequate quality controls and training for workers there. In April 2010 Federal drug safety reviewers, (US) stated that one of the drug's side effects may include thyroid cancer. The long acting version, Byetta LAR has been refused approval so far.

Apart from the side effects I mentioned in my ealier post, at the 2007 American Diabetic Association Scientific Session it was revealed that just over 70% of patients with type 2 diabetes who took byetta had dangerously high blood sugar level-enough to cause damage to their organs-over a period of three years. In many people then, it just doesn't work. It is my understanding that your blood sugar levels have been high in spite of taking this drug for months.

Academically, it is believed that the body may produce antibodies to the byetta, (as it is an injected protien molecule), which may then "turn on" the patients "natural or self made" incretin hormone. Worse than not being effective, this would leave the patient worse off in the long term.

Byetta sales were nearly $800 (US) last year, which is a whole lotta reasons to continue promoting it.

You described a reaction to the drug, which left you hospitalized, a few months ago. You had apparently doubled the dose to the normal recommended dose, (presumably because your sugars were not controlled), and had what you described as a severe "allergic" response to that dose. Although this is another risk of this drug, your's could not have been an actual allergy, (otherwise you could not have safely taken it afterwards, reduced dose or not), so you must have been one of the many thousands of patients who had had some acute toxic reaction to it.

This is hardly the first time a drug has been released without all of it's side effects and efficiancy being fully understood. Two weeks ago Reductil was removed from the Australian market, I understand that it was removed from the European market last year. It's producer's claim that the people who had problems with it were high risk for cardiovascular disease anyhow.

I'm glad you have lost the weight Lynne, but I wouldn't put five bucks on this drug being around in ten years, and would think twice about five years.

 

[Lynn_]

Actually, my problem with my blood sugars has been keeping them high enough, ive had many hypos over the past few months and controlling them has been the problem. When my sugars drop too low over a period of days ive seen that my weight loss has stopped. So it has been a matter of juggling to get them up to a normal level. Far from being dangerously high, which i understand to be readings in excess of 10, my bloods most of the time come in at around 5.6 which is the normal non diabetic reading. For 6 years prior to going on to byetta i had readings of between 15 and 21. For 6 years my readings were high enough to cause long term damage to my eyes and organs. I cant remember the last time my readings went over 7, and that was when i reduced the metformin for a few days.

Byetta is a new drug, im very aware of that, and was my final chance before going onto insulin with all the well known problems that it carries.

I had the bad reaction to doubling the dose, but i dont need to go on the higher dose. My initial long term reading was 7 so i think my doctor wanted to see how i got on with the higher dose to bring the long term reading down. Im due another long term blood test in a week or so, so I will see what the overall result has been soon. There is still room for me to increase the metformin if neccesary as im on 1000mg a day, and it can go up to 2000. Byetta has been a miracle drug.

 

[jockiejoe]

Wow lynn, what a transformation. I to am on the byetta/victozia jab....dosage @ 1.2, and likewise it appears to have had a brill effect on me blood sugar levels. But Lynn smile and bask in what you has achieved, n never never let ur guard down. Weight gain never goes on holidays

 

[Lynn_]

Hi Jockeyjoe! Good to find a fellow byetta user here! How are you getting on with it?

You are so right that i can never let up now. Maintaining is going to be a life long battle now, I can never let up. Im a fat person trapped in a thin body lol.

I read an article the other day on how 'ex obese' people are not the same as naturally slim people. Losing weight changes your metabolism, permanently it seemed to suggest. Depressing but a reality that I have to face up to. I just have to accept that I cannot eat as much as other people. Ive learnt that I have to keep carbs down, and thats going to be a battle on its own, but the benefit is lower blood sugars and keeping the weight off. Diabetics have a double whammy to deal with, but hey, its all worth it in the end.