Controlling T2D by diet - just LCHF or 'Sugar Diet'?

ianf0ster

Moderator
Staff Member
Messages
2,428
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
exercise, phone calls
My GP said I should ignore Dr D Unwin's 'Practical Diabetes' since 4 yrs out of date, and instead read Michael Moseley 'The 8 Week Blood Sugar Diet'.

Has anybody got a view on whether 'Sugar Diet' is better than general LCHF?
I am already under BMI 25 and am losing weight slowly by following LCHF (mildly Ketogenic). Do I actually need a diet plan that introduces more sugar/carbs back into my diet?
 

lessci

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,033
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
The 8 week Blood sugar diet is a very low calorie (VLCD) diet at 800 cals a day,a "real food" Newcastle Diet good for losing weight quickly and reduced carb, but not a long term way of eating, stick with the LCHF if it's working for you
 

Rachox

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
15,906
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Mmm, well Michael Mosley’s Blood Sugar Diet was first published in December 2015. Just because something was published a few years ago doesn’t make it out of date if it’s still relevant and effective. From my understanding both have their place. Both help blood sugar control, however the Blood Sugar Diet is designed to help fast weight loss too, something it sounds you’re not needing.
If I was in your position I would continue the LCHF approach, but if you want to stall weight loss you need to add in more fats. If you add in more carbs or sugar you will mess up your HbA1c which while low in the diabetic range could probably be worked on to reduce it to pre diabetic or non diabetic.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1spuds

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
I agree. The Blood Sugar diet is for 8 weeks only and restricts you to only 800 calories a day, which is very hard. You will lose weight on this. I don't believe you need this extreme diet with a normal BMI, and already doing well on a LCHF diet. Why change what isn't broken? The 8 week diet is fine for those that need to lose weight and have high blood sugars, but after 8 weeks they have to find another diet to maintain matters, which is likely to be LCHF. So it seems daft to change what is already working for you.
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,868
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Dr Atkins was being published 50 years ago, and William Banting was writing a hundred years before that and being told that his way of eating was as old as the hills - and even now low carb is being called a fad diet - we can only do what works for us.
 

wiflib

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,966
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Soooo funny! NICE are using Dr Unwins infographic in their guidelines, he’s won awards for the work he’s doing and is a thoroughly decent chap.

Your GP is the dinosaur here and the advice he’s given you could potentially be dangerous.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ianf0ster

xfieldok

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,182
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I bought the 8 week sugar diet recipe book. Too high in carbs for me.
 

ianf0ster

Moderator
Staff Member
Messages
2,428
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
exercise, phone calls
Thanks for all the replies. You confirmed what I was already feeling: That GP I saw is a Dinosaur!
I will have to see if one of the other 2 'diabetes specialists' at the Practice are less fossilised
 
  • Like
Reactions: Antje77

Guzzler

Master
Messages
10,577
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Poor grammar, bullying and drunks.
Apart from anything else I found the recipes in the Blood Sugar Diet had too many expensive ingredients and that there seemed to be avocado or aubergine in everything neither of which I like. I'm beginning to think of Mosely as 'Low Carb Lite' and he could be accused of avoiding the more controversial face of LCHF I.e fats.

The Banting Diet (lower in carbs) is over a century old, just because it's old don't mean it's wrong.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1spuds

Mbaker

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,339
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Available fast foods in Supermarkets
The elephant in the room is that on 800 calories, your resting metabolic rate will normally go down a proportion. In the maintenance phase you are meant drop a third of the food you had before the journey....and exercise.

Alternatively you can do LCHF / Keto, eat normal portions for you and exercise is optional.
 

bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,575
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
My GP said I should ignore Dr D Unwin's 'Practical Diabetes'
You sure Dr Unwin has a book called "Practical Diabetes" ? I'm not sure what your GP was going on about..
But anyway a low carb / keto diet will be better for you that Moseleys witterings IMHO.
 

Daibell

Master
Messages
12,653
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi. Dr Unwin knows what he is talking about and has led the way in pushing low-carb within the health service. Dr Mosely follows a new diet fashion each year with associated books. In my view the ND has a very weak scientific basis. If focusses around calories which have little relevance for us (or anyone?). Follow Dr Unwin and low carb.
 

ianf0ster

Moderator
Staff Member
Messages
2,428
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
exercise, phone calls
You sure Dr Unwin has a book called "Practical Diabetes" ? I'm not sure what your GP was going on about..
But anyway a low carb / keto diet will be better for you that Moseleys witterings IMHO.

No, my mistake, it isn't a book. The detail about the results and rough diet were in a periodical called 'Practical Diabetes Vol 31 No 2 Copyright @2014 Wiley & sons.
 

bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,575
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
No, my mistake, it isn't a book. The detail about the results and rough diet were in a periodical called 'Practical Diabetes Vol 31 No 2 Copyright @2014 Wiley & sons.
Ah oh in that case Unwin over Moseley every day of the week whatever your GP may say.
A more charming and well informed man it would be hard to meet (Unwin that is).
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1spuds