Got my first 3 month HBA1c results this morning

[Time2Change]

how do I follow this thread?

 

[andcol]

@Time2Change No I was never diagnosed with anything other than T2 as no other tests were done. My HbA1c tests went to annual after this first 3 month one. I only got the interim because I had a lump removed which was found as I lost weight.

I definitely lost the 5 stone+ from my stomach area first. The very low calorie was great at forcing the body to shift that for me. As it was so successful for me I can only recommend trying it. The newcastle diet is 8 weeks to try and get the body to start to operate again. There have been many accounts on the forum of success from it.

 

[Klangley]

Were you ever diagnosed with a fatty liver ? .... I believe that is the key to success ..... if the liver fat can be reduced/eliminated and essentially given a full service I think that can really help to sort out the rest of the engine.

As far as I am aware this is no easy task, I mean the last thing your body is going to want to do is burn that delicious fat off your liver .... too many easier options for it to visit first. Perhaps the fact that you took a relatively extreme approach actually got that liver functioning as it should giving the rest of your body time to reset.

I was diagnosed with fatty liver at the same time as diabetes, but most of that fat has disappeared in my recent scan. It seems as if the liver fat does shift relatively early in the process....or at least did for me.

Fantastic results Andrew.....inspirational

 

[Time2Change]

I was diagnosed with fatty liver at the same time as diabetes, but most of that fat has disappeared in my recent scan. It seems as if the liver fat does shift relatively early in the process....or at least did for me.

Fantastic results Andrew.....inspirational

Early in the process ? is this the Newcastle diet your talking about ?

 

[Time2Change]

@Time2Change No I was never diagnosed with anything other than T2 as no other tests were done. My HbA1c tests went to annual after this first 3 month one. I only got the interim because I had a lump removed which was found as I lost weight.

I definitely lost the 5 stone+ from my stomach area first. The very low calorie was great at forcing the body to shift that for me. As it was so successful for me I can only recommend trying it. The newcastle diet is 8 weeks to try and get the body to start to operate again. There have been many accounts on the forum of success from it.

Could you link me to this Newcastle Diet thing you were on ?

 

[andcol]

There are lots of threads on the forum about this as it has recently become fairly popular. Have a look at the low calorie forum. To read the original information from professor Roy Taylor follow this link
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/magres/research/diabetes/reversal.htm

I didnt actually do the Newcastle Diet with the shakes I used real food and reduced my calories significantly.

 

[Time2Change]

There are lots of threads on the forum about this as it has recently become fairly popular. Have a look at the low calorie forum. To read the original information from professor Roy Taylor follow this link
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/magres/research/diabetes/reversal.htm

I didnt actually do the Newcastle Diet with the shakes I used real food and reduced my calories significantly.

Some really interesting info there. It completely aligns with my thought process on this and my own circumstances. Thanks for the link.

Likely to have a go at this starting next week but is there a good alternative to the Optifast .... cant seem to find it on Amazon.

TBH it is the only thing that concerns me a wee bit is how the study pretty much advertises Optifast ... granted it may just be reflective of what was used ... i.e. facts .... or its following the American promotional models.

Regardless though I am keen to get into this ..... the basic science is simplistic and obvious .... solutions often are.

 

[AndBreathe]

Some really interesting info there. It completely aligns with my thought process on this and my own circumstances. Thanks for the link.

Likely to have a go at this starting next week but is there a good alternative to the Optifast .... cant seem to find it on Amazon.

TBH it is the only thing that concerns me a wee bit is how the study pretty much advertises Optifast ... granted it may just be reflective of what was used ... i.e. facts .... or its following the American promotional models.

Regardless though I am keen to get into this ..... the basic science is simplistic and obvious .... solutions often are.

My personal interpretation of the original Newcastle study and it's utilisation of Optifast was that it was completely controllable, in terms of study rigour.

For such a study to be effective (in terms of patient consumption, data gathered, analysis and so on), it makes sense to control the front end (what is consumed) to have any hope of decent data at the other end. There was likely to be enough variance in consumption and calculation of the vegetable intake, without throwing the shakes selection out there as a choice.

So, Professor Taylor could identify clearly what his trial subjects were consuming a high percentage of the time. By prescribing the shakes, it took a further step to underpinning programme compliance. I would urge you to read no more into it than that.

I have corresponded with Professor Taylor over some queries I had (I didn't do the diet, or a real-food alternative), and he clearly states he concludes the pivotal factors are the reduction in visceral fat, which is usually evidenced by a trimmed mid-section and associated weight loss. These elements can significantly, positively influence insulin resistance, which at least in part, influences improved blood glucose scores.

I hope that viewpoint helps a little.

 

[Time2Change]

My personal interpretation of the original Newcastle study and it's utilisation of Optifast was that it was completely controllable, in terms of study rigour.

For such a study to be effective (in terms of patient consumption, data gathered, analysis and so on), it makes sense to control the front end (what is consumed) to have any hope of decent data at the other end. There was likely to be enough variance in consumption and calculation of the vegetable intake, without throwing the shakes selection out there as a choice.

So, Professor Taylor could identify clearly what his trial subjects were consuming a high percentage of the time. By prescribing the shakes, it took a further step to underpinning programme compliance. I would urge you to read no more into it than that.

I have corresponded with Professor Taylor over some queries I had (I didn't do the diet, or a real-food alternative), and he clearly states he concludes the pivotal factors are the reduction in visceral fat, which is usually evidenced by a trimmed mid-section and associated weight loss. These elements can significantly, positively influence insulin resistance, which at least in part, influences improved blood glucose scores.

I hope that viewpoint helps a little.

You will have to forgive my cynicism ..... just the lack off alternative shakes presented somewhat prejudices it ..... purely at face value.

I am really pleased that they have been given the exposure and platform to produce this work. It is a bit staggering that its taken so long for someone to look at the obvious. I am far from being an expert and not even a novice in this field and purely base my affirmation of their findings on personal ticks and ultimately common sense.

 

[AndBreathe]

You will have to forgive my cynicism ..... just the lack off alternative shakes presented somewhat prejudices it ..... purely at face value.

I am really pleased that they have been given the exposure and platform to produce this work. It is a bit staggering that its taken so long for someone to look at the obvious. I am far from being an expert and not even a novice in this field and purely base my affirmation of their findings on personal ticks and ultimately common sense.

As I understand it, study subjects were prescribed the Optifast, so why would there be any more requirement to offer options than if they were being prescribed a drug?

 

[andcol]

I think @AndBreathe is saying that Prof Taylor used shakes for control purposes whereas you do not need to just control intake. The one thing shakes give is a controlled amount of vits/minerals whithout having to worry about it

 

[seangreen420]

Very well done, Andrew.
Everyone's story of diagnosis of diabetes is similar to this, but unfortunately not all of can act in the fashion that you have. It's clear from reading your story, that you have an ability to read and grasp the degree level text on the subject.
What's your BMI now?
May I please ask, which course on diabetes did you attend and may I have all the details, including the cost, please?
Many thanks

 

[AdamJames]

Well as you all can see from below I was diagnosed a week before Christmas just 3 months or so ago with an HBA1c of 91mmol/mol (10.5%) and a fasting of 9.4 mmol/L

So today I toddled down to see my DSN to get the results from a blood test I had taken on 26th March and it was hard work not to ring up at the beginning of the week to get the results. So my DSN was very pleased to see me and was really happy.

My HBA1c result has reduced to 40 mmol/mol (5.8%).

I showed her my fasting readings plotted alongside my percentage weight loss graph and she couldn't believe it either. You can see that I have lost over 20% of my body mass and managed to hit my target of being below 14 stone at the review (I am now 13st 13 lbs and 12 Oz as of this morning) . I have lost 3 stone 10 pounds (52lbs 24kgs) in the 3 months. She now doesn't want to see me until my annual review

Sorry I know it is a little bit of showing off but actually I'm quite proud. Another 2 stone to go though so will let you know when/if I ever reach it.
View attachment 3966

At last I've found this thread! I'd read it a long time ago before joining this forum and have been struggling to find it recently.

It's a very old thread now, but congratulations.

Thank you for writing up your experience and for the graphs, I find data & graphs very inspirational.

Reading it again now, I'm surprised at what a similar position I'm in. HbA1c was 92 3 months ago, now at 40. Morning fasting readings were also about 9.5, very hard to get below that until I took considerable action, now I *can* get the same sort of levels as you, but I haven't been as disciplined.

I need to get my head down and follow your example.

I don't appear to be able to click the 'winner' icon, probably because it's an old thread. So I'll do it in words:

"Winner!"

 

[AdamJames]

OK back from walking the dogs!
At the beginning of feb I started to get this burning sensation in my veins all over my body and short of breath as well as needed to wee in the middle of the night (never needed to do this even before diagnosis) and cramps in all muscles in legs and arms! Only way I seemed to have to clear it was to get back on my bike and really get my heart rate up and this would reduce it for a while until it came back in a vengeance. Worked out that the Metformin was blocking the liver from removing the large amounts of lactic acid I was generating due to the change in ratio of ATP:AMS it causes.

Would you mind explaining this further?

It's just possible it may be relevant to me.

Edit: Not the bit about walking the dogs - I can get my head around that!

 

[andcol]

What would you like me to explain? I was very ill when on metformin. All my blood felt like it was acidic and burning. Cleared within 48 hours of stopping it. I then did a lot of research on metformin and how it works and it seems to addjust the ATP/AMS ratio in favour of AMS - this is normally at 1/1. The liver uses these chemicals to transfrm one chemical into another eg glucose cycles (in and out) and also lactic acid cycles.

BTW I was only on 500mg so not even that much really.

@AdamJames thanks for the winner. Sounds like you are doing great as well.

 

[AdamJames]

What would you like me to explain?

I *was* wondering if it was possible for you to give a condensed overview of what ATP/AMS is all about and how you made the link between that and unusual nocturnal urination. But that's probably not a fair thing to ask having just Googled it!

So instead, would you mind looking at this thread in which I ask for help? It may be something you have an idea about. In some ways it sounds like the opposite problem to you - I was okay at night on Metformin, but when I stopped it and lowered carbs, I developed a urination problem which is still with me now. Haven't had a decent nights sleep in ages. I'm hoping that someone who has clearly researched related matters may have a lightbulb moment about this. Sounds like someone else on that thread has a similar issue as well.

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/disturbed-sleep-dehydration-urination.130883/