August 12, 2005
Other, Weight and Weight Loss
Question from Nova Scotia, Canada:
I have an appointment with my general practitioner soon to go over my three month blood work. Before the next one, I’d like to know if I can be evaluated to see if my insulin resistance is declining. I find I can eat a little more now. I’m still losing weight after an initial loss of 33 pounds. Even if my insurance plan might not cover the expense, I’d be willing to do so. What do you consider the best way to asses this?
Also is there a way to confirm that my pancreas is functioning well otherwise? I had an aunt who died from pancreatic cancer.
My last A1c was 6.4 and my glucometer gives a 14 day average reading of 6.3 mmol/L [113 mg/dl] at this time.
Answer:
If the question is whether you can eat more after a tremendous amount of weight loss, I would recommend you go about this by meeting with a dietician. A dietician can be located through your physician’s office or the local hospital. Are you losing weight in a healthy fashion? What is your daily caloric intake? It it too little? Can you eat a bit more and still be expected to lose weight at a more gradual rate?
Measurements of insulin resistance are not done routinely in clinical medicine. This requires doing special tests not normally done. Your A1c should be monitored, in addition to your blood sugars.
JTL
