Hi Everyone,
Energize's post is very interesting because I am three quarters of the way through a 16 week 800 calorie/day diet (Alevere). The interesting thing is that my fasting blood levels have gone down from 8.1 (with 2000mg per day) to 5.1mmol/l (with 1000mg metformin per day). I have lost 2.5 stone (17kg) and have another 1.5 stone to go (10 kg). Waist size is down from 44 to 34. My liver function appears to be back to normal (AL from 84 down to 24). I am now getting low sugar (hypo) blips in the middle of the night, but not sure if this is inaccuracy with Abbots Free Style Libre system or if the pancreas is now back to full insulin producing capacity acting with the metformin to reduce blood sugar.
So the question is how do I know if the diabetes is in remission. To be honest, I will settle for managing my diabetes through diet, but it would be nice to reverse this disease. But how will I recognise it. My HBA1c has always been below 40 after I was first diagnosed 2 years ago so it does not seem to throw a great deal of light on the state of diabetes. Sooner or later, I will stop the metformin and try a few days without metformin to see what happens, but how will I know if it is ok without the metformin?
Any ideas anyone? If anyone has successfully completed this diabetic reversal diet, I would really love to hear your experiences.
Nael
Energize's post is very interesting because I am three quarters of the way through a 16 week 800 calorie/day diet (Alevere). The interesting thing is that my fasting blood levels have gone down from 8.1 (with 2000mg per day) to 5.1mmol/l (with 1000mg metformin per day). I have lost 2.5 stone (17kg) and have another 1.5 stone to go (10 kg). Waist size is down from 44 to 34. My liver function appears to be back to normal (AL from 84 down to 24). I am now getting low sugar (hypo) blips in the middle of the night, but not sure if this is inaccuracy with Abbots Free Style Libre system or if the pancreas is now back to full insulin producing capacity acting with the metformin to reduce blood sugar.
So the question is how do I know if the diabetes is in remission. To be honest, I will settle for managing my diabetes through diet, but it would be nice to reverse this disease. But how will I recognise it. My HBA1c has always been below 40 after I was first diagnosed 2 years ago so it does not seem to throw a great deal of light on the state of diabetes. Sooner or later, I will stop the metformin and try a few days without metformin to see what happens, but how will I know if it is ok without the metformin?
Any ideas anyone? If anyone has successfully completed this diabetic reversal diet, I would really love to hear your experiences.
Nael
Hi Sparrow
Well done for dropping your HbA1c and certainly it would seem you have good control. You don't say what medications or diet you are currently on. You mentioned that if you 'slip off diet or stop taking tablets' so that suggests to me that you are on some medication for your diabetes and also on a specific diet related to controlling your diabetes.
My interpretation of 'Reversed Type 2' would be when taking NO medication for diabetes, including Metformin, and able to eat a 'normal' diet, ie including some bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, pastry etc, without blood glucose levels raising more than a non-diabetics would. However, if any meds or diet is required to control blood glucose levels, to my mind, you would still be considered diabetic.
I think, but I could be wrong of course, that someone who has (probably lost a lot of weight) been able to come off all meds can then have a normal glucose tolerance test. For me, this is what I understand/feel is 'reversed' diabetes. The diabetes would 'return' if the diabetic gained sufficient weight to increase insulin resistance again and then have raised blood glucose levels.
I don't feel a diabetic can 'cure' their diabetes, even if glucose levels return to normal without meds/diet. I tend to think of it as being 'in remission', suggesting this state is potentially only temporary and could show itself again at some stage, or maybe not show itself ever again.
So, that's just my personal view. Hopefully, others will be able to correct me if I'm not correct in this view
no you did not misread. Not only is the study flawed, but the whole ADA approach to diabetes is flawed. Especailly when compare to the HbA1c normalization we know is achievable when we follow a carbs lite fats friendly approach.