• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Hello, I'm A Gp Who Helps People Learn Low Carb Ways Of Eating

Hello @fatismyfriend and welcome.........you have no idea how your attitude brings hope to those of us who have struggled with the snot nosed and biased "I'm a HCP, I know best" types over many years.........many of us have been harangued and belittled because we couldn't manage to make happen what they thought we should accomplish........we have a saying here that may seem silly to some but "unless you live with diabetes of any type on a daily basis you have no idea of the frustration it produces"........its a moving goalpost on a moment by moment basis and what worked yesterday may not work today.........but at least Low Carb gives us a fighting chance of being in the right area some of the time.
I am a slim non producer t2 and been on insulin since diagnosis and whilst I cant do the High Fat bit because of other problems it has helped me reduce my need for insulin to what I consider much more reasonable levels, so fewer hypers and hypos, resulting in my latest hbA1c of 39.....putting me in the non diabetic range but my need for insulin remains.
 
fatismyfriend said:
Hello there
I am a low carb GP and I teach people how to live a low carb life. I learned my skills from Dr David Unwin and Dr Jen Unwin in Southport. In turn, I am teaching health care workers, so if you have a willing doctor, nurse or health care assistant who wants to come along and observe my sessions, please give them my contact details. I run my sessions in Warrington, Cheshire in Birchwood Medical Centre(open to the patients of Birchwood Medical Centre only), and St Thomas' Church Stockton Heath( open to all). I also have a fledgling group in Princess Park Surgery, Moss Side, Manchester. Until 2014 I did not know that you could send your diabetes into remission with a low carb diet. Now I see patients every week who have done this, so read all about low carb on this great website. Tell your GP and nurse that there are many GPs who do this now, and enable their patients to regain health, come off medication and feel hopeful. It is in NICE Type 2 diabetes December 2015, (as low GI and individualized care) but your GP may not have noticed as it is hidden away in a large document.
Joanne McCormack
Click to expand...
satindoll said:
Hello @fatismyfriend and welcome.........you have no idea how your attitude brings hope to those of us who have struggled with the snot nosed and biased "I'm a HCP, I know best" types over many years.........many of us have been harangued and belittled because we couldn't manage to make happen what they thought we should accomplish........we have a saying here that may seem silly to some but "unless you live with diabetes of any type on a daily basis you have no idea of the frustration it produces"........its a moving goalpost on a moment by moment basis and what worked yesterday may not work today.........but at least Low Carb gives us a fighting chance of being in the right area some of the time.
I am a slim non producer t2 and been on insulin since diagnosis and whilst I cant do the High Fat bit because of other problems it has helped me reduce my need for insulin to what I consider much more reasonable levels, so fewer hypers and hypos, resulting in my latest hbA1c of 39.....putting me in the non diabetic range but my need for insulin remains.
Click to expand...
 
Hi im a type 1 but if I eat low carbon my sugars are alot better and now on metformin aswell.My evening readings still run high before night injection.But good all day? Any answers would be appreciated.
Thank you
 
fatismyfriend said:
Hello there
I am a low carb GP and I teach people how to live a low carb life. I learned my skills from Dr David Unwin and Dr Jen Unwin in Southport. In turn, I am teaching health care workers, so if you have a willing doctor, nurse or health care assistant who wants to come along and observe my sessions, please give them my contact details. I run my sessions in Warrington, Cheshire in Birchwood Medical Centre(open to the patients of Birchwood Medical Centre only), and St Thomas' Church Stockton Heath( open to all). I also have a fledgling group in Princess Park Surgery, Moss Side, Manchester. Until 2014 I did not know that you could send your diabetes into remission with a low carb diet. Now I see patients every week who have done this, so read all about low carb on this great website. Tell your GP and nurse that there are many GPs who do this now, and enable their patients to regain health, come off medication and feel hopeful. It is in NICE Type 2 diabetes December 2015, (as low GI and individualized care) but your GP may not have noticed as it is hidden away in a large document.
Joanne McCormack
Click to expand...

Hi Joanne and welcome

Your words are music to our ears. A symphony in fact.

I am currently building up a file to take into my surgery. The file includes my story so far since diagnosis. Also a booklet forum members have put together 'inspirational stories' where many of us wrote in our own words about our journeys. The usual theme running through each one. Diagnosis. Unhelpful instructions given (In a nutshell). People fumbling in the dark to find their way to a healthier lifestyle that might not have to involve meds or it being the progressive disease you are told it is and just being able to take control of our blood sugars. 'Don't bother testing'. 'Eat anything you like but try to cut down on sugars'. "Come back in 6 months'. DESMOND courde where you are offered tea and biscuits. Then we discovered this forum. And the magic happened. But it's not really magic. The LCHF woe just works, for type 1 and type 2's. So the individual stories include everyone getting their bloods to non diabetic levels and sometimes from a very high HbA1c and usually in a very short space of time. Its a powerful tool in our battle (that's what it feels like) I'm also taking a blood glucose testing leaflet that @Rachox kindly put together. It shows must how important it is for us to test go gain that control. My gp told me I could have reversed it by low cal/low fat diet but when I asked for stats from the surgery to see how many pts had done so it seems I'm the only one apart from post bariatric surgery pts. It's a large surgery with 8 Drs, 4 nurses, 2 paramedic practitioners and other hca's. I was shocked but not surprised.

I can now add your details to my file as well as Dr Unwins paper. I expect a brick wall but you have given us hope. We are trying to get into the media to spread the word and just last week a group of us met up in Birmingham. Supported by DCUK and their PR team we had photos and videos done in the hope of getting our story out there. Took our big pants etc as we have all lost a significant amount of weight on our journey to better health. Up to now we have managed a few newspaper and magazine articles between us as individuals and a radio interview. But we thought together our voice would travel further. Hoping we van vet onto mainstream tv within 12 months. Really spread the word.

Just waiting to hear from DCUK re the next step from the PR exercise.

@CherryAA is working on a project too which should make a significant impact so I'm tagging her in.

Is there a list of other hcp's who teach people the same thing?

Thank you for joining.
 
Last edited:
Libby20 said:
Hi im a type 1 but if I eat low carbon my sugars are alot better and now on metformin aswell.My evening readings still run high before night injection.But good all day? Any answers would be appreciated.
Thank you
Click to expand...

Hello and welcome to the forum. You may like to post a stand alone thread of your own that others who are T1 and low carbing will notice your question more easily. Try posting in the 'Ask a Question' or 'Type 1 Diabetes' sections. If you need any more help please do not hesitate to ask.
 
fatismyfriend said:
Hello there
I am a low carb GP and I teach people how to live a low carb life. I learned my skills from Dr David Unwin and Dr Jen Unwin in Southport. In turn, I am teaching health care workers, so if you have a willing doctor, nurse or health care assistant who wants to come along and observe my sessions, please give them my contact details. I run my sessions in Warrington, Cheshire in Birchwood Medical Centre(open to the patients of Birchwood Medical Centre only), and St Thomas' Church Stockton Heath( open to all). I also have a fledgling group in Princess Park Surgery, Moss Side, Manchester. Until 2014 I did not know that you could send your diabetes into remission with a low carb diet. Now I see patients every week who have done this, so read all about low carb on this great website. Tell your GP and nurse that there are many GPs who do this now, and enable their patients to regain health, come off medication and feel hopeful. It is in NICE Type 2 diabetes December 2015, (as low GI and individualized care) but your GP may not have noticed as it is hidden away in a large document.
Joanne McCormack
Click to expand...
Dr McComarck - quick question for you. Why do you suggest coming off sglt2 inbibiors (canegefozin etc.) before going low carb? My non medical understanding is that these drugs cause excretion of glucose via the kidneys. In your practical experience do they not work well when going low carb or are they simply superfluous?
 
And a very warm welcome from me, who is actually lucky enough to have GP who supports my low carb diet, and who originally pointed the way with his advice to try Atkins for weight loss nearly five years ago now.

I remember when Dr Unwin first joined our forum and was using lumps or spoonfuls of sugar to illustrate the carb/sugar content of various foods.

Robbity
 
I don't understand. Just looked at your profile Fatsmyfriend and it says that you have been a member here since April 2016...Yet under your pic here it says that you are a Newbie? Just curious
 
derry60 said:
I don't understand. Just looked at your profile Fatsmyfriend and it says that you have been a member here since April 2016...Yet under your pic here it says that you are a Newbie? Just curious
Click to expand...

Derry - All that means is the OP joined in 2016, but didn't start posting until very recently. The titles are based on participation, not chronology.
 
NicoleC1971 said:
Dr McComarck - quick question for you. Why do you suggest coming off sglt2 inbibiors (canegefozin etc.) before going low carb? My non medical understanding is that these drugs cause excretion of glucose via the kidneys. In your practical experience do they not work well when going low carb or are they simply superfluous?
Click to expand...
Hi Nicole, the reason why I suggest coming off SGLT2 inhibitors when going on the low carb diet is because the low carb diet results in a much lower blood glucose. When your blood glucose is that much lower you do not need to get rid of excess glucose into the urine- which is how these drugs work. I ask my patients to monitor their blood glucose after meals and to aim for a level of 4-7. The diet is the treatment, so they are stopping one treatment and starting another, with as good or better results. The meter tells the patient how they are doing. Not all GPs give out meters, so I advise people to buy them if necessary.
 
Rachox said:
@DCUKMod is this thread appropriate for a sticky post, perhaps in the low carb forum?
Click to expand...
Rachox- those are super results and on 50g a day. I advise my patients whom I see face to face to start on 30g a day, but say that some people may need less, and some may need or choose more. They gauge their need by their results and aim to keep their blood glucose between 4 and 7 after meals( one to two hours after the meal)
 
derry60 said:
I don't understand. Just looked at your profile Fatsmyfriend and it says that you have been a member here since April 2016...Yet under your pic here it says that you are a Newbie? Just curious
Click to expand...
Derry60-
I have just been reading the posts in that time, but not taking part. I have been building up my low carb practice, and moving from 1-1s to group work.
 
Robbity said:
And a very warm welcome from me, who is actually lucky enough to have GP who supports my low carb diet, and who originally pointed the way with his advice to try Atkins for weight loss nearly five years ago now.

I remember when Dr Unwin first joined our forum and was using lumps or spoonfuls of sugar to illustrate the carb/sugar content of various foods.

Robbity
Click to expand...
Great results- suggest your GP spreads the news in his or her local area?
 
Libby20 said:
Hi im a type 1 but if I eat low carbon my sugars are alot better and now on metformin aswell.My evening readings still run high before night injection.But good all day? Any answers would be appreciated.
Thank you
Click to expand...
I advise people to analyze their carb intake with the aid of the "carbs and cals" book or app. Then they can see how much they are eating. My patients- who I see face to face- generally aim for 30g a day with the aim of keeping the blood glucose in the 4-7 range. They have my support in this so you will need support, so ask your GP if you can speak to a dietitian about low carb if he or she does not know about it. If you want to be low carb, you have a right to get advice on it in my book.
 
Debandez said:
Hi Joanne and welcome

Your words are music to our ears. A symphony in fact.

I am currently building up a file to take into my surgery. The file includes my story so far since diagnosis. Also a booklet forum members have put together 'inspirational stories' where many of us wrote in our own words about our journeys. The usual theme running through each one. Diagnosis. Unhelpful instructions given (In a nutshell). People fumbling in the dark to find their way to a healthier lifestyle that might not have to involve meds or it being the progressive disease you are told it is and just being able to take control of our blood sugars. 'Don't bother testing'. 'Eat anything you like but try to cut down on sugars'. "Come back in 6 months'. DESMOND courde where you are offered tea and biscuits. Then we discovered this forum. And the magic happened. But it's not really magic. The LCHF woe just works, for type 1 and type 2's. So the individual stories include everyone getting their bloods to non diabetic levels and sometimes from a very high HbA1c and usually in a very short space of time. Its a powerful tool in our battle (that's what it feels like) I'm also taking a blood glucose testing leaflet that @Rachox kindly put together. It shows must how important it is for us to test go gain that control. My gp told me I could have reversed it by low cal/low fat diet but when I asked for stats from the surgery to see how many pts had done so it seems I'm the only one apart from post bariatric surgery pts. It's a large surgery with 8 Drs, 4 nurses, 2 paramedic practitioners and other hca's. I was shocked but not surprised.

I can now add your details to my file as well as Dr Unwins paper. I expect a brick wall but you have given us hope. We are trying to get into the media to spread the word and just last week a group of us met up in Birmingham. Supported by DCUK and their PR team we had photos and videos done in the hope of getting our story out there. Took our big pants etc as we have all lost a significant amount of weight on our journey to better health. Up to now we have managed a few newspaper and magazine articles between us as individuals and a radio interview. But we thought together our voice would travel further. Hoping we van vet onto mainstream tv within 12 months. Really spread the word.

Just waiting to hear from DCUK re the next step grom the PR exercise.

@CherryAA is working on a project too which should make a significant impact so I'm tagging her in.

Is there a list of other hcp's who teach people the same thing?

Thank you for joining.
Click to expand...
That is fantastic work. There is a list of low carb professionals on www.PHCuk.org
 
Back
Top