Diet and Lifestyle changes

[robert2]

Hi,

I have T2D and after doing some in-depth research, I believe that the best direction to get off medication and heal is doing some real changes. I would like to switch to Keto diet (today I’m on some sort of Mediterranean diet) and do Intermittent Fasting; Improve my sleep; start swimming and Yoga. I understand that these are huge changes and the truth is that I’m a bit scare. I’m 42 y old, have 2 great kids and wife and I assume that I will need also their support.


I’m addressing my next questions to people that also suffered from Pre/T2 Diabetes and did some major lifestyle changes (doesn’t have to be the same changes as I mentioned):

1. Can you share a few words about your background (age, family status, diabetes type, etc..)

2. For how long you struggle with diabetes?

3. Do you take medication? Or did you take any medication in the past?

4. What changes did you do?

5. Why did you decided to do such a major change?

6. What helped you with the lifestyle changes?

7. For how long you’re maintaining these changes?

8. Any obstacles that came in your way to achieve the changes? How you overcome them?

9. Any advice for someone that wants to start?


Appreciate all your help,

Robert

 

[Rachox]

I was diagnosed with type 2 in May ‘17, I hit Google and found this forum on the night of my diagnosis. I was showered with advice about cutting carbs, which I did straight away, along with Metformin. I reduced my HbA1c to prediabetic in two months and to non diabetic after a further two months. My HbA1cs have been in the 30s ever since. I currently eat between 30 - 50g carbs per day and continue on Metformin which I tolerate very well. I didn’t exercise much at diagnosis and for quite a while afterwards as I was waiting for surgery on my feet. The surgery was finally completed earlier this year. Since then I have taken up swimming and take part in local health walks. My impetus to keep such strict control is from a 36 year career as a nurse, during which I regularly saw the results of poor control, once you’ve seen gangrene there’s no forgetting that image

Edit for typo

 

[ianf0ster]

Here is my story as posted in the Low Carb Success Stories thread:

"I'm not sure if my story qualifies as a success, because my Hab1c upon diagnosis was only 53 (7%) and all I did was go LCHF with a little IF. There was no conscious Calorie restriction -so my LCHF was often very High Fat!. I just counted carbs and ate to my BG meter. No medication and no additional exercise.
I hate exercise for its own sake since I get no endorphin rush from it, perhaps this is for the same reason that Opioid painkillers have no (pain reduction) effect on me neither Codeine nor Morphine (in Hospital - that was very painful ) !

So from 170 lbs, Hba1c 53 in April this year
to 148 lbs, Hba1c 45 in late August

Well it may not be much of a success compared to some, but I'm happy with it and since it was really 'lifestyle' rather than diet, I'm confident that it is sustainable over the long term. "

1. 68 yrs old, married, no children.
2. No, I googled and found this web site and great success stories, including Dr David Unwin's patients very quickly.
3.. Never any Diabetes meds, cut statin does in half when diagnosed with diabetes - many statins raise Blood Glucose.
4. As in my story above.
5. Just to be clear, it was a major change since I had been following the Dr and Gov advised 'healthy heart diet' for around 10yrs until diagnosed with T2D. But not hard when considering the alternatives:
A). Follow Dr's advice that had failed me for 10yrs - why should it suddenly start to work?
B). Crash Diet / Longer Fasting - when not overweight in the first place.
C). A life of continuously increasing medication with the possibility of blindness and amputations.
6. The overwhelming evidence in the Low Carb F(sub) Forum this website and the support of so many those who had already done it.
7 So far, only since May this year, but it is a lifestyle change - so is for life.
8. Friends and relatives saying that the High Fat would kill me. Overcome by looking at the actual evidence, the continuing BG readings, the weight loss and then the blood tests confirming.
9. Pick the way that best suits you and just do it as if your life (quality) depends upon making it sustainable - because it does !

 

[Quinn1066]

I am currently 34, not in a relationship and live on my own, which made tackling type 2 diabities easier. I was diagnosed middle of August 2018, honestly worst day of my life. I just hit me, constant need to pee, not feeling well, then diagnosed and referred to an endocrinologist and cardiologist. I was put on Metformin immediate release 500mg morning and night, straight away. I immediately stopped binge eating, limited my calories to 800 - 1200 a day, and went keto, then low carb, and now keto again. I exercised more, just walking around the neighborhood, and controlled what I ate, and focused on losing weight. I was morbidly obese. Type 2 diabetes scared the **** out of me, and was the health wake up all that i needed, my bloods were awful, cholesterol, lipids, everything. I suffer and still do chronic lymphedema from being morbidly obese. I didn't want to lose my sight, or get a limb amputated, as I already have foot problems. Nothing helped me in the lifestyle changes, just fear, lots of fear. Have been maintaining these changes constantly, don't see my self stopping. Not so much obstacles, but I learnt what foods work for me, and how to do keto that works and is maintainable. I stay away from vegetable gums, I consume no artificial sweeteners, always track my fiber intake and calories including both macro and micro nutrients. I keep no sweets or deserts, be they keto or not in my unit, the same for bread be it keto low carb as I know bingeing will occur. But I presume most people don't have my eating issues as well as type 2 diabetes. My last three A1C tests have been normal, have been of metformin completely, after tapering dosage for about 4 and a bit months now.

 

[jpscloud]

I'm going to answer a little selectively, apologies for not addressing each question directly. I wanted to reply because I'm not a success story, but I keep working on it.

Diagnosed 2015, had already started suffering with neuropathy and beginnings of cataracts. I was almost 22st, at times active and at times sedentary, suffering a lot with infections and generally unwell. I live alone (happily).

I take 3 medications now. Metformin, then januvia, then trulicity. I've experimented with stopping met and januvia at times but due to lack of consistency in my diet and lifestyle, I resumed them.

My greatest challenge is binge eating disorder, and what I can only believe is carbohydrate addiction. Like an alcoholic, I'm in and out of denial and struggle with social situations involving carby foods - they trigger my secretive hoarding and bingeing behaviours, so while I appear in control in the social setting, what happens afterwards is very different.

After reading Jason Fung's excellent The Obesity Code and The Diabetes Code on the recommendation of forum members here, I saw that I needed to fight denial (constantly) and work towards reducing carbohydrates, while using intermittent fasting with some extended fasting.

Re-reading those books, along with The Complete Guide to Fasting, with the encouragement of people on this site, help me most and support me in not giving up, even though I am inconsistent. Good luck with all your efforts!

I'm female, in my 50s by the way.

 

[Alexandra100]

I suffer and still do chronic lymphedema

Hello @Quinn1066, I suffer from mild lymphoedema in my right leg. I had one very scary episode when my leg swelled up so much, it looked like elephantiasis. It has never quite gone back to what it was, but especially in cold weather and when I manage to exercise it is not gross. I wonder if you have been seen at your local NHS Lymphoedema clinic? I found mine very helpful. They showed me how to self-massage and gave me compression stockings and a particularly helpful compresion wrap which I used whenever I was at home all through the summer. I found out about this clinic myself and asked my GP to refer me. Like most people in the world she was convinced people only suffer from lymphoedema due to cancer and/or cancer treatments. This is not the case. Well worth a try if you have not already seen them.

 

[Quinn1066]

@Alexandra100 I am in Australia. I was referred to the lymphoedema clinic in my state. They permanently bandaged my leg for a week to drive the fluid out, adjusting the bandage every second day. It was a success then they measured me for a custom compression garment, while giving me some stop-gap compression items to wear. I put on the garment when I wake up, take it off before sleeping, and it is replaced every 6 months. The lymphoedema in my left leg was pretty severe, but it's another chronic health condition that I have to deal with.

 

[Resurgam]

My main problem was doctors who thought that eating carbs was healthy and didn't want to listen.
Diabetes wasn't a problem, making changes to go back to eating a low carb diet was easy - just got out the old shopping lists.
After 80 days of low carb eating I was no longer diabetic - a lucky type two.
Three years down the line I am just at the top end of normal for Hba1c and enjoying life. I am 68, married, 2 offspring and almost 5 grandchildren.