I was diagnosed in September with Type 2 (Hb1ac 64, fasting glucose 8.6. In addition, my cholesterol was 5.6 and triglycerides 7.6 - which is high, and largely due, I believe, unlike cholesterol, to carbs, not fats). I decided, rather than start on Metformin, to start Michael Mosely's Blood Sugar Diet, and three months on, I have Hb1ac of 32, fasting glucose 4.1, cholesterol 3.3 and triglycerides 1.6, all well within "normal" limits. I have also lost 3 stone in weight.
I am only too aware though that although this puts my diabetes in remission (providing the results are similar in another 3 months, my GP will add "resolved" to the diagnosis in my notes) but to keep it that way, and avoid a recurrence, and the associated risks, I will need to adopt this way of eating for the rest of my life. I can only say that while it is different, I find it in no way unpleasant, or a chore. I eat NO pasta, rice, bread, biscuits, cake, potatoes...but I do enjoy steak, plenty of fish, lots of veg, breakfasts with eggs, mushrooms, sometimes with celeriac or aubergine (fried egg on a celeriac rosti cooked with a little pancetta and shallot is MORE delicious than an egg on toast!). Despite my diagnosis being very recent, I already have retinopathy so I have no doubts whatsoever that returning to carbs would increase my risks of sight problems, limb loss and all the other nasty complications of later stage diabetes. At the end of the day, I'd rather do without toast than my feet. To me it's a no-brainer. I appreciate that some people have complex medical needs which might mean they can't do a low carb regime (what is low carb for some will be different for others - some try to go under 20 gms a day, but 50 seems a good "low" carb figure, and if you cut out all those obvious things (like bread, potato etc) that's easily sustained. Think of all the fabulous foods you CAN enjoy and think of bread as an arch enemy! Then you can forget about your eyesight getting worse or worrying whether your feet will suffer. They won't (anymore than any "normal" person's will). Ok, "normal" people can have the potatoes. You can't. But hey, there are worse things in life than (truly) low carbs!