How do you know when you have done enough of the diet? I'm at that point now after 5 weeks and 3 weeks and a total of 23lbs weight loss - my FBGs are averaging low 5s, not the 4s I was hoping for but there might be an explanation for this (see my blog). I will have to pause next week because of travel anyway. I can return for another stint if required of course.
Newcastle diet - what made you eventually stop?
- Thread starter vit90
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i haven't done the ND, so probably should comment, or at least be first to comment, but as this is now on Page 3 of recent posts, at least I'll bump it to the top again.
I guess the when to start and stop thing is quite personal, depending on the individual's personal goal for the ND. If it is to lose x amount of weight, or to achieve a fasting score of y, that's obviously quite easy. If it's something far more amorphous (without medical intervention), like defatting your organs, I'm sure it's much trickier, given Professor Taylor's documented personal thresholds comments.
I note you are now in the healthy BMI range, which is marvellous, and an achievement in its own right, so very well done fo that. That may be enough to achieve deatting of your organs, and certainly your consistent blood scores evidence that, to an extent.
On the cautionary side though, I would encourage you to look at your calendar and perhaps plan the next couple of months, from a health management standpoint? By that I mean, have a serious review of what you have achieved, with a short period of normalisation?
I can't recall if you have had abdominal scans prior to beginning the diet. If you have, I'd be inclined to get another scheduled in, now. If you haven't, you're probably going to have to use a bit of guess work. Have you noticed any trimmings in your middle are when on the diet?
For some people, the ND way of eating could become addictive. For some, the feelings of shrinking (and to an extent, hunger), will feel like markers of success, due to the consequential results of trimming and weight loss. If you are one of those people, don't stay on it too long; it could be difficult to stop if you do; by virtue of losing sight of "normality" and satiety.
You are about to go away for a week, where I am guessing your usual routines and eating patterns are likely to be disrupted, so that may not be a very helpful marker for you. But, it is a good opportunity to try to revert to what you want to be something like your everyday eating routines/diet?
After a total of eight weeks, you are likely to have achieved much. So, why not, on the back of your enforced break, try a few weeks of eating the way you want to, post-diet. I'm not suggesting that should necessarily be a carb-tastic lay rice, chips and bread fuelled feasting, but a migration to how you want to live your life. Don't forget Professor Taylor talks a little about modest weight gain, post-diet, and that you may have some enzyme lag, as your body readjusts itself to digesting more food, and more varied meals. After, say, a month, you might have a more personally valid view on your need, or otherwise, for another stint. If, at that point, you want to trim up further, you could probably still achieve that by a carb reduced diet, but more balanced, and at a gentler pace? After, again, say a month, you will be beginning to see blood data to influence your then next steps.
Apologies this is such a long post, but it sort of grew as I typed. For me, again reiterating I didn't do the ND, I found the latter phase of my reduction and transition to a more usual way of eating far, far harder than the trimming of body and bloods. I have had to constantly monitor my weight, by with a view to maintaining its floor; not guarding against gain, so that is something to consider - especially as getting that balance has involved increasing the fat element of our diet, which we all know is a battle with our own counterintuity, usually.
Good luck wit it all.
i haven't done the ND, so probably should comment, or at least be first to comment, but as this is now on Page 3 of recent posts, at least I'll bump it to the top again.
I guess the when to start and stop thing is quite personal, depending on the individual's personal goal for the ND. If it is to lose x amount of weight, or to achieve a fasting score of y, that's obviously quite easy. If it's something far more amorphous (without medical intervention), like defatting your organs, I'm sure it's much trickier, given Professor Taylor's documented personal thresholds comments.
I note you are now in the healthy BMI range, which is marvellous, and an achievement in its own right, so very well done fo that. That may be enough to achieve deatting of your organs, and certainly your consistent blood scores evidence that, to an extent.
On the cautionary side though, I would encourage you to look at your calendar and perhaps plan the next couple of months, from a health management standpoint? By that I mean, have a serious review of what you have achieved, with a short period of normalisation?
I can't recall if you have had abdominal scans prior to beginning the diet. If you have, I'd be inclined to get another scheduled in, now. If you haven't, you're probably going to have to use a bit of guess work. Have you noticed any trimmings in your middle are when on the diet?
For some people, the ND way of eating could become addictive. For some, the feelings of shrinking (and to an extent, hunger), will feel like markers of success, due to the consequential results of trimming and weight loss. If you are one of those people, don't stay on it too long; it could be difficult to stop if you do; by virtue of losing sight of "normality" and satiety.
You are about to go away for a week, where I am guessing your usual routines and eating patterns are likely to be disrupted, so that may not be a very helpful marker for you. But, it is a good opportunity to try to revert to what you want to be something like your everyday eating routines/diet?
After a total of eight weeks, you are likely to have achieved much. So, why not, on the back of your enforced break, try a few weeks of eating the way you want to, post-diet. I'm not suggesting that should necessarily be a carb-tastic lay rice, chips and bread fuelled feasting, but a migration to how you want to live your life. Don't forget Professor Taylor talks a little about modest weight gain, post-diet, and that you may have some enzyme lag, as your body readjusts itself to digesting more food, and more varied meals. After, say, a month, you might have a more personally valid view on your need, or otherwise, for another stint. If, at that point, you want to trim up further, you could probably still achieve that by a carb reduced diet, but more balanced, and at a gentler pace? After, again, say a month, you will be beginning to see blood data to influence your then next steps.
Apologies this is such a long post, but it sort of grew as I typed. For me, again reiterating I didn't do the ND, I found the latter phase of my reduction and transition to a more usual way of eating far, far harder than the trimming of body and bloods. I have had to constantly monitor my weight, by with a view to maintaining its floor; not guarding against gain, so that is something to consider - especially as getting that balance has involved increasing the fat element of our diet, which we all know is a battle with our own counterintuity, usually.
Good luck wit it all.
Thanks so much for taking the time and trouble to respond
I didn't have any scans done and to be honest even with a BMI of around 26 at diagnosis I didn't look or feel overweight and I have never had the archetypal beer belly. But since losing the weight my middle has hollowed out at the sides and if there was any belt overhang that has all gone unless I push my belly out deliberately. I have also tightened my belt a notch and trousers that used to be tight are now comfy and trousers that used to be comfy now definitely need the belt!
There is no chance of me being addicted to the diet
I am quite tired of it. On the other hand it really does amaze me that I have stuck with it effectively and consistently. I have lost weight in the past and have a good record of keeping the weight off, for example reducing from nearly 100kg to around 87kg between 2006 and 2009. It stayed pretty constant after that until my diagnosis last year. At Christmas there was a bounce back of about 4 pounds but it was Christmas and I did quite a bit of work on the weights to tone-up upper body muscle. Water retention post-diet is probably a factor too and may be again.What I really don't know is whether or not there will be significantly extra work to be done after I get back from my trip. I will certainly be taking care not to eat too much while I am away and I will be using my meter to guide me. I have an annual health check-up when I return which includes some diabetic attention, including a non-fasting BG test at the surgery. I mis-calculated when my next HbA1c test is due; I thought it was next month but it's the following month although I might see if I can get it done earlier. I'm very curious to see what it is plus all my other blood indicators.
I did the neck and mid-waist measurement calculation for body fat and it reckons 19%. Not too bad?
What are the neck and mid waist measurements (as a thing, not yours...)?
I am starting the Necastle Diet today. A weight loss of 20lb would give me a BMI of about 24 which would be good. I'm more interested in the fasting blood readings going down as they're currently coming in the 13-15 range and I can't see why from my carb intake so it must be the visceral fat stores doing it. I was planning to keep a running tally of weights and measurements to keep myself motivated, so wondered whether there was another measurement I should chuck in right from the start.
I am starting the Necastle Diet today. A weight loss of 20lb would give me a BMI of about 24 which would be good. I'm more interested in the fasting blood readings going down as they're currently coming in the 13-15 range and I can't see why from my carb intake so it must be the visceral fat stores doing it. I was planning to keep a running tally of weights and measurements to keep myself motivated, so wondered whether there was another measurement I should chuck in right from the start.
FBG of 13-15 is quite bad and will be building up complications. What has been your carb intake recently? Typically what are you eating each day? For body fat measurement this might help: http://www.healthyforms.com/helpful-tools/body-fat-percentage.php' with neck measurement: http://www.calculator.net/army-body-fat-calculator.html
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Thanks for getting back to me. Diet? Not massive amounts of starchy carbs for a start. When I was first diagnosed I joined here and adopted a low carb approach, I was aiming for no more than 20g a meal and a daily average of 75-100g. That worked really well and I lost a load of weight. Life intervened with job loss and a lengthy period of erratic income and I ccouldn't afford to monitor my blood (because the GP wouldn't prescribe strips and I had no spare dosh) so I became despondant and there was slippage. Financially I'm in a better place but my new job has limited my scope for exercise and I haven't been as tight on low carbs as I should. However I don't eat pasta, rice or spuds, so the slippages have been sandwiches when I haven't packed a decent lunch or flapjacks or chocolate. None of that this week but quite a lot in the past month. I am fighting a virus at the mo - sinusy cold type thing and am menopausal and I know that both of those can add to the blood sugar levels. If I don't start to see a decrease in fasting bloods in the next few weeks I will see the GP but I have been a bit of a surgery refusenik over the past wee while, so would rather get the FBGs and weight down and then present for a HbA1c...
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Sandwiches are a definite no-no for me and if I understand your meaning of 'flapjacks' - ouch! If you can't avoid chocolate get the 85% cocoa solids dark chocolate that is widely available as this is relatively low carb and don't eat too much! I recommend you try full-on low-carbing to get into Ketosis (below 30g/day carbs) but this does require commitment, organisation and perseverance. My BMI is already below 24 but I clearly need to los a fair bit more to get into remission, if that is even possible, but we are all different.
A week into Newcastle and I had a fasting blood of 8.2 this morning - Whoop Whoop! I've lost 3lb as well so that helps with the motivation, although I'm afraid I find the drinks very unpleasant and so have been working on the basis of calorie counting with lots of steamed low carb veg and limited amounts of low carb lean protein. 7 weeks to go.
