Hi, feedback requested please

[89tru]

Admitted to hospital for an unrelated (I think) issue Sat a week ago.
Surgery a couple of years ago and follow ups with blood tests, no-one has ever said I had high blood sugar.
Last Sunday they said 18 mmol/l.

I had heard about the Newcastle diet, found Jason Fung, this forum and Diabetes UK.

Started 6-700 cal diet last Mon with fasting blood glucose 15.2, BMI 29. Learned my waist is bigger than hips, about weight around the middle. Lost 3.8kg in the first 7 days, fasting blood glucose down to 6.6.

Believe the problem can be fixed with diet, don't want drugs. Haven't followed up with a doctor because I don't want advice from another era.

Current plan is <800 cal diet for 8 weeks, with natural foods, then low carb longer term.

I would appreciate any feedback on my plans.

 

[jjraak]

Hi @89tru

Looks like you've made a great start .

Not a big fan of the ND, but if you feel it's working for you, good stuff.

Two points.
Nice idea of how to proceed once ND is over, be a shame to roll back on that good work
I'd recommend giving LCHF a serious looking over

And the doctors

While I hear your reluctance to involve them any more, the benefits far outweigh the negatives.

It's YOUR choice to follow what advice they offer, but the reality is, T2D, does have some nasty complications if left unchecked

Reducing BG all excellent stuff, but I'd still be wanting to keep my feet and eye checks going.

Better to have them and everything be fine,
Then not have them and find out too late things ain't so great

Overall, doing good

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Admitted to hospital for an unrelated (I think) issue Sat a week ago.
Surgery a couple of years ago and follow ups with blood tests, no-one has ever said I had high blood sugar.
Last Sunday they said 18 mmol/l.

I had heard about the Newcastle diet, found Jason Fung, this forum and Diabetes UK.

Started 6-700 cal diet last Mon with fasting blood glucose 15.2, BMI 29. Learned my waist is bigger than hips, about weight around the middle. Lost 3.8kg in the first 7 days, fasting blood glucose down to 6.6.

Believe the problem can be fixed with diet, don't want drugs. Haven't followed up with a doctor because I don't want advice from another era.

Current plan is <800 cal diet for 8 weeks, with natural foods, then low carb longer term.

I would appreciate any feedback on my plans.

Hi @89tru ,

I agree with @jjraak 100%. You're making good moves, and though the Newcastle Diet is a bit of a crash diet, at least you're looking into permanent lifestyle changes for the period after that. Fung's low carb/high fat, keto or variants in the same low carb line would be excellent. As for doctors, well... My experience hasn't been the best either, but with all the naysaying from the endo and such about my diet and whatnot, I do want to have my HbA1c checked regularly, rather than just have my at-home finger pricking. I mean.. My HbA1c was 35, which was a puzzle to me: my daytime mmol/l's were between 4 and 5. Turns out the lack of sleep I've been experiencing for a few months has me seeing sixes at 4 a.m., which I hadn't thought to check because my daytime numbers were pretty good. It's helpful to know that sort of stuff. Same with eye and feet checks. I'm not on any diabetes medication, which my GP supports, and she just lets me get tests done when I request them. I need those numbers to know what's going on. The elevated blood sugars at night certainly proved that much to me. I'm still in the normal range, but... Now I know. I think for you it would be helpful to be able to follow progress and changes too. Don't know where you're going if you don't know where you've been, eh.

In any case, you're off to a flying start, well done!
Jo

 

[jjraak]

Just to add, @JoKalsbeek post reminded me. (cheers Jo)

the full lipid panel offers so much information, and Jo is so right,
you need to know where you've been, so you can measure any progress.
so do ask for the full result, some may only give the headline numbers
HBA1c and Cholesterol or a 'It's OK',
surgeries offer a digital link, that you may have to ask for, if not already assigned to you

One i would say to keep an eye on early on, would be the B12,
it may nor be included, but it lowers as we age and some illnesses and treatments can also deplete it..

While you are not on metforim it may not be low, but i would say it is still worthwhile asking for it to be added in.
it gives you a clear line in the sand, to go back to and assess, even if it's fine right now.

 

[muzza3]

Admitted to hospital for an unrelated (I think) issue Sat a week ago.
Surgery a couple of years ago and follow ups with blood tests, no-one has ever said I had high blood sugar.
Last Sunday they said 18 mmol/l.

I had heard about the Newcastle diet, found Jason Fung, this forum and Diabetes UK.

Started 6-700 cal diet last Mon with fasting blood glucose 15.2, BMI 29. Learned my waist is bigger than hips, about weight around the middle. Lost 3.8kg in the first 7 days, fasting blood glucose down to 6.6.

Believe the problem can be fixed with diet, don't want drugs. Haven't followed up with a doctor because I don't want advice from another era.

Current plan is <800 cal diet for 8 weeks, with natural foods, then low carb longer term.

I would appreciate any feedback on my plans.

Similar what what I did years ago. As long as you are testing you should feel comfortable to complete the Newcastle diet. Quite possible that you can return to remission levels. Keep us updated on your progress. Great start!!

 

[KK123]

Believe the problem can be fixed with diet

Hi there, do you actually know what 'the problem' is though? If I'm reading this right, you have had a couple of high glucose readings but because you haven't followed up with your GP, you are assuming it's (type 2??) diabetes? You did ask for feedback and I think you should go to the Drs sooner rather than later so they can diagnose you properly and take it from there, you could even be type 1 for all anybody knows. I think it's dangerous to assume things at this stage, apologies if I have got it muddled but launching into a regime PRIOR to any diagnosis is dodgy and could even mask what may really be going on. Of course once diagnosed, all the above advice is great.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. If you have been losing weight recently and are already slim then do see a GP in case you have T1. The GP may just guess T2 anyway but at least it's worth doing. I'm not a fan of the ND as I think it's based on weak science. The ND will help but it's sub-optimal as most weight gain is caused by the Carbs and not Fats. I would recommend going straight to a low carb diet as BS rise is also caused by Carbs and not Fats.

 

[89tru]

Thank you all for your replies.
I really wanted to see what I could do myself, before getting diagnosed, or getting out of date medical advice. I know a whole lot more about diabetes than I did less than 2 weeks ago.

I am in the middle of the over weight range.

Modified Newcastle sub 800 calorie diet, real food, vegetarian, lucky I like tofu.
Results:
Day 1: FBG 15.2 18 mmol/l
Day 7: 6.7, into the prediabetes range
Day 11: 5.1, into the normal range

I just think this diet is a miracle - don't understand why it is so controversial around the world, or why so many countries are still advising balanced diet, healthy grains, etc.

Hopefully the learnings I have had will really help my health in the future, including about the dangers of abdominal fat. There has been an impact on how the whole family is eating already.