hmm are you still classed as diabetic with such normal numbers fasting and hbac?
What Regime Did You Use To Achieve Remission? (excl. Lchf And Nd)
- Thread starter zand
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lucylocket61
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Usually we are still diabetic, as upping our carb intake above our personal safe threshold will make our blood sugars go up into the diabetic range. The potential is still there.
Controlling our carb intake to our safe level is like taking painkiller for a lifelong painful condition. The painkillers keep the pain in check, but the underlying condition is still there, and the pain will return if we stop the painkillers.
Daphne917
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When I asked my DN at my last review in July whether I could class myself as being in remission I was told that I was just very well controlled however I know some people are classed as being in remission when they have had normal BS for just 2 years so I think a lot depends on the individual GP practice.
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Not sure how it works on phone, but on computer the bar that has the icons has an 'undo rating' button on the far right. So you can just undo and change to winner
Not sure how it works on phone, but on computer the bar that has the icons has an 'undo rating' button on the far right. So you can just undo and change to winner
I didn't know that, thank you.
Totally agree. I used a fairly straightforward definition for this thread because the whole subject of remission is so complicated. My feeling was that if someone had achieved it for just one HbA1c then their tips might be useful to someone else. It could be that other factors got thrown into the mix after the HbA1c of 47 or less to cause the person to go back into diabetic readings, eg other health issues.
lindisfel
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Hi Zand,
We are all so varied in our condition that remission is a difficult concept for me.
But this is a great thread, thanks.
I have been in the prediabetic range for some years without meds and got down to my target weight, but I have only dropped my hba1c by a few points from being just in the diabetic range at 50.
I have not been affected by RH for three years now, a major achievement thanks to Nosher and Brunneria's help. However, it would be nice
to be out of the prediabetic range. It will be interesting to see what going keto does. I don't expect it to make much difference.
I would like to know my insulin profile because I suspect my adrenal adenoma is impairing my pancreas's abilty to produce insulin and glucogon.
So in my case I doubt I will ever be in remission until my Conn's syndrome is cured.
Which at 79 is not likely to be this side of meeting my Lord!
I prefer to use the "managed" in my case.
regards
Derek
We are all so varied in our condition that remission is a difficult concept for me.
But this is a great thread, thanks.
I have been in the prediabetic range for some years without meds and got down to my target weight, but I have only dropped my hba1c by a few points from being just in the diabetic range at 50.
I have not been affected by RH for three years now, a major achievement thanks to Nosher and Brunneria's help. However, it would be nice
to be out of the prediabetic range. It will be interesting to see what going keto does. I don't expect it to make much difference.
I would like to know my insulin profile because I suspect my adrenal adenoma is impairing my pancreas's abilty to produce insulin and glucogon.
So in my case I doubt I will ever be in remission until my Conn's syndrome is cured.
Which at 79 is not likely to be this side of meeting my Lord!
I prefer to use the "managed" in my case.
regards
Derek
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https://www.tom-watson.com/type_2_d...utm_medium=email&utm_source=campaigncountdown
I emailed him saying the following (I probably got many bits wrong, suffer from depression and was a bit down when I wrote it)
------------------------------------------------
I have recently been diagnosed with type 2
Going to https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/
Almost everyone on that site recommends low carb high fat.
I've been on it for about 2 months and gone from 19 stone 1lb to 16 stone 13lb, and my sugar levels are right down. At this rate by Christmas I will be a normal weight.
Yet most of the GPs and GP dieticians don’t advise this type of diet. A friend of mine was referred to one last week, he told her about me, she said that officially she is not allowed to recommend low carb high fat, but off the record, if she had type 2, that's what she would do.
One point about what I’ve read about you, one of the headlines said you had cured your diabetes. That's not really true, it's in remission like your Christmas DVD email said. I've read about people who for example have effectively been diabetes free for say 7 years, and had a course of steroids prescribed, and within a week, blood levels back to diabetes levels.
We can remain diabetes free but only if we change our lifestyles, if you or I when I'm the proper weight ate for example what my skinny wife eats every day, we would be back at diabetes levels within days if not hours.
Reformed alcoholics avoid situations where there’s drinks, reformed drug addicts avoid going to places where people are taking drugs.
Reformed overeaters trying to remain slim are bombarded almost 24/7 by TV ads, menus through the door etc etc etc and it's very very hard not to be tempted.
I can’t see the advertising companies being willing not to advertise food. And to put it bluntly, if the obesity crisis was really sorted in the UK about two thirds of takeaways and at least 1/2 the restaurants would have to close, would any government really want that?
Then there's the diet industry. Worth billions (can’t see them wanting everyone to be a healthy weight), I see them like a pyramid home shopping scheme. The sort of scheme where you go hear a talk, and see the few people successful at marketing, having holidays abroad 3 times or more a year etc etc, whereas the average home shopping worker pesters their friends to try to buy products they don't need, and ultimately fail.
And I go shopping, I only want one, but one whatever is 80p, but I can get two for £1, so I buy two thinking I’ll save one, but I end up eating them both. While I’m not single, looking st supermarket prices, if you are you are penalised for only wanting one item etc and encouraged to buy more than you really need..
Slimming world etc are the same, A handful of people up and down the country can say how they've lost and kept off a huge amount of weight at these clubs, meanwhile every week, the same poor people are there week in and week out and most probably weigh similar to what they weighed 10+ years ago. I read about one slimming world success story and she got stuck on a ride in a theme park and it took 3 people to prise her out of the ride due to her weight. She vowed to lose weight at that point, and joined slimming world and they parade her as a success story. I disagree, I think the embarrassment of being prized out of the ride was her reality check moment when she realised she has to do something now. I think she would have lost the weight whatever diet she decided to follow. You (and I) had our moments being diagnosed with type 2.
The problem is, how do we get others to reach their moment because until we do, they will never ever ever lose the weight.
Another problem is how fat everyone else is. Not meaning to be rude, but when I was at my fattest, I could walk around my local town (Great Yarmouth)_ and see so many many people that were fatter than me, I didn’t really feel that fat. Whereas I recently went to Copenhagen, and I was the fattest person there.
Look at the attached picture from a Lido in the 70s. Compared to the average person around here they almost look under nourished, that is how bad things has got.
I don’t have the answers but something urgently needs to be done
When I was a teenager in the late 70s, sure I bought penny sweets on the way to school, sure on the way home most days I bought a twix, but we walked/cycled to school, we played on the streets/common, if we had school dinner, we just had a snack when we got home, if we didn't have school dinner, we would have a small (compared to today’s sizes) meal and that was it until bed. No crisps, biscuits, sweets in the cupboard except Easter and Christmas.
As for takeaways, sure occasionally as a teenager we would go to the chip shop at lunch time, but family takeaways were a once a year treat. Now I hear parents who get pizzas delivered 3+ times a week as they are too busy to cook.
Need to bring back proper home economics for both sexes where they are taught how to cook from basic ingredients, and how much better these are than processed food.
But the amount of big money in the food industry etc, and I dare say a fair few MPs also have investments in various companies (or dreams of becoming directors when they leave politics) I don't see any of this happening.
Best
--------------------------------------------------------------------
He responded with
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Hi xxxx
Thank you for taking the time to get in touch with me and share your story and congratulations on getting this far, well done.
I appreciate all the varied points you make. All of which will be considered in the round.
I can only say what worked for me as this tough journey is different for everyone. It has taken me one year for others it may take 5 years or more. I wanted to share my story with others to get people talking about the issue and raise awareness. I felt that setting realistic goals and giving myself rewards kept me motivated. I rewarded myself with small things for my old bicycle which had the mothballs blown off when I was ready to exercise. I have enjoyed every bit of getting fit again.
I now want to use my personal experience to help develop policies that can really make a difference to people’s lives. I don’t have all the answers. That’s why I’ve set up an independent commission to look at all the hard evidence and experience from people like you.
I’ve been so touched to receive so many messages of support. It is amazing to hear how much me coming out and talking about my experience has inspired people.
I'm going to be working much more on this issue in the months to come . It would help me if I could keep in touch with my progress.
Thank you again for getting in touch.
Best
Tom
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@Ojustaboo
Thank you for sharing that correspondance.
MUCH appreciated.
And WELL DONE!
Can I suggest that you start your own thread with your post? I think it deserves its own thread, rather than tagging onto this one, even though it is relevant here.
Thank you for sharing that correspondance.
MUCH appreciated.
And WELL DONE!
Can I suggest that you start your own thread with your post? I think it deserves its own thread, rather than tagging onto this one, even though it is relevant here.
Guzzler
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Well done on your progress, keep up the smashing work! As for Tom, I admire his stance on promoting the changes to lifestyle that prove that T2 does not necessarily have to be the chronic progressive disease that some HCPs consider it to be. He looks and sounds happier and healthier, good luck to him.
@Ojustaboo
Thank you for sharing that correspondance.
MUCH appreciated.
And WELL DONE!
Can I suggest that you start your own thread with your post? I think it deserves its own thread, rather than tagging onto this one, even though it is relevant here.
done
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/tom-watson-type-2-diabetes-and-me.157010/
Went to the mydiabetesmyway website to see if my blood results were back.
They were better than I could have hoped for.
I have been doin a Resistant Starch diet for a little over a year now.
On this diet I have been eating aprox 1500 to 2000 calories.
Macro breakdown
Carbs 150- 200 grams
Fat 50- 70 grams
Protein 90- 120 grams
Anyways here's the results:-
HBA1C (history)
29/06/2017 - 76
16/11/2017 - 54
5/2/2018 - 45
28/06/2018 - 41
18/10/2018 - 35
Total Cholesterol - 4.4
HDL Cholesterol - 1.3
LDL Cholesterol - 2.7
Triglycerides - 0.9
Here is my original post I made when I first joined the forum there is quite a few links in the threads on it as to what RS is.
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/resistant-starch-and-diabetes-my-story.136493/
Tom
They were better than I could have hoped for.
I have been doin a Resistant Starch diet for a little over a year now.
On this diet I have been eating aprox 1500 to 2000 calories.
Macro breakdown
Carbs 150- 200 grams
Fat 50- 70 grams
Protein 90- 120 grams
Anyways here's the results:-
HBA1C (history)
29/06/2017 - 76
16/11/2017 - 54
5/2/2018 - 45
28/06/2018 - 41
18/10/2018 - 35
Total Cholesterol - 4.4
HDL Cholesterol - 1.3
LDL Cholesterol - 2.7
Triglycerides - 0.9
Here is my original post I made when I first joined the forum there is quite a few links in the threads on it as to what RS is.
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/resistant-starch-and-diabetes-my-story.136493/
Tom
JohnyT2
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Hi @zand , as requested here .. I am re-posting the content here so that it can be useful to others.
I didnt had something like HCLF rather it was more like Moderate Carb Low Fat. This was because I was not aware about LCHF at that time. So my basic understanding at the time was that FAT is not good so need to keep it low at the same time figured out Carbs in Sugar, Bread, Pasta spike the levels, so i reduced them and focused more on veggies, fruits, mixed grain products.
At the sametime I started with taking up active life style, which included more of Walking, Cycling, Swimming and basic exercises. As the time passed by, I lost weight, gained muscles and more stamina that helped me to push my physical limits and I started enjoying it at the same time the from being Diabetic, i came under prediabetic range and then came into normal range (latter I came to know its called remission). Its been years now since i am in normal range and hba1c results have been regularly normal. Also have not taken any medicine from years, though for first year or two I was on Metformin 1000mg Slow Release.
Now if I miss few workout and even eat moderate to high carbs, I dont see major bumps in sugar levels and after 2hrs it always come back to normal levels. Though during initial days when I came down to prediabetic ranges and then came into normal range, I did tried Pizzas, Coke, Chips, Icecreams and what not just out of anxiety that I am no more diabetic, but during that period the PPS results use to go over into diabetic range. But these days I dont see anything like that, moreover since my lifestyle has changed and dietary habits have changed I dont even eat much of high carb diets so cant justify the HCLF but I feel my remission came in as result of slight moderation in diet, getting good sleep, cut down of stress and plenty of exercise.
I would be happy to answer any specific queries. As I am thrilled to find many others have achieved remissions via various other methods and I am trying to learn from them too, just in case if my method fails in long run then I should have fallback plans too
Having shared my experience above, I in no way suggest that this might work for others too. Its been just my approach and luckily it worked.
I didnt had something like HCLF rather it was more like Moderate Carb Low Fat. This was because I was not aware about LCHF at that time. So my basic understanding at the time was that FAT is not good so need to keep it low at the same time figured out Carbs in Sugar, Bread, Pasta spike the levels, so i reduced them and focused more on veggies, fruits, mixed grain products.
At the sametime I started with taking up active life style, which included more of Walking, Cycling, Swimming and basic exercises. As the time passed by, I lost weight, gained muscles and more stamina that helped me to push my physical limits and I started enjoying it at the same time the from being Diabetic, i came under prediabetic range and then came into normal range (latter I came to know its called remission). Its been years now since i am in normal range and hba1c results have been regularly normal. Also have not taken any medicine from years, though for first year or two I was on Metformin 1000mg Slow Release.
Now if I miss few workout and even eat moderate to high carbs, I dont see major bumps in sugar levels and after 2hrs it always come back to normal levels. Though during initial days when I came down to prediabetic ranges and then came into normal range, I did tried Pizzas, Coke, Chips, Icecreams and what not just out of anxiety that I am no more diabetic, but during that period the PPS results use to go over into diabetic range. But these days I dont see anything like that, moreover since my lifestyle has changed and dietary habits have changed I dont even eat much of high carb diets so cant justify the HCLF but I feel my remission came in as result of slight moderation in diet, getting good sleep, cut down of stress and plenty of exercise.
I would be happy to answer any specific queries. As I am thrilled to find many others have achieved remissions via various other methods and I am trying to learn from them too, just in case if my method fails in long run then I should have fallback plans too
Having shared my experience above, I in no way suggest that this might work for others too. Its been just my approach and luckily it worked.
Thanks.Hi @zand , as requested here .. I am re-posting the content here so that it can be useful to others.
I didnt had something like HCLF rather it was more like Moderate Carb Low Fat. This was because I was not aware about LCHF at that time. So my basic understanding at the time was that FAT is not good so need to keep it low at the same time figured out Carbs in Sugar, Bread, Pasta spike the levels, so i reduced them and focused more on veggies, fruits, mixed grain products.
At the sametime I started with taking up active life style, which included more of Walking, Cycling, Swimming and basic exercises. As the time passed by, I lost weight, gained muscles and more stamina that helped me to push my physical limits and I started enjoying it at the same time the from being Diabetic, i came under prediabetic range and then came into normal range (latter I came to know its called remission). Its been years now since i am in normal range and hba1c results have been regularly normal. Also have not taken any medicine from years, though for first year or two I was on Metformin 1000mg Slow Release.
Now if I miss few workout and even eat moderate to high carbs, I dont see major bumps in sugar levels and after 2hrs it always come back to normal levels. Though during initial days when I came down to prediabetic ranges and then came into normal range, I did tried Pizzas, Coke, Chips, Icecreams and what not just out of anxiety that I am no more diabetic, but during that period the PPS results use to go over into diabetic range. But these days I dont see anything like that, moreover since my lifestyle has changed and dietary habits have changed I dont even eat much of high carb diets so cant justify the HCLF but I feel my remission came in as result of slight moderation in diet, getting good sleep, cut down of stress and plenty of exercise.
I would be happy to answer any specific queries. As I am thrilled to find many others have achieved remissions via various other methods and I am trying to learn from them too, just in case if my method fails in long run then I should have fallback plans too
Having shared my experience above, I in no way suggest that this might work for others too. Its been just my approach and luckily it worked.
So here's my question. Many have reversed T2 with LCHF diet. It has worked so far for me. However, I also lost 30 pounds eating that way. The Newcastle study is all about the weight loss. I was 225, and now I am 195. Plan to get to 185. The questions becomes whether or not I would have to stick to the low carb diet, or if I can add more carbs as long as I keep the weight down? I certainly don't plan to go all the way back to my previous way of eating. Just curious. According to the Newcastle study, it is believed that the rapid and significant weight loss "wakes up" beta cells that were thought to be dead. Question is how much? Also depends on how long diabetic often times.
How low carb are you now? Do you test with a BG meter? I would add a few carbs very slowly (the ones I really love like oranges lol) and test regularly after eating new things. I wish I was just 10 pounds away from my target, well done. Whilst the ND has some merits I think you have chosen the best plan for you in that after the initial very low cal part of ND you still need to watch your diet, and you are doing that already, so you are one step ahead. I think the main thing is to experiment, be vigilant and never get complacent.
Last edited:
Listlad
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Thanks for posting JohnyT . I keep an open mind and never say never. I do get one or two of the points you have made, including the point on exercise and the ambiguity attached to the terms high and low.Hi @zand , as requested here .. I am re-posting the content here so that it can be useful to others.
I didnt had something like HCLF rather it was more like Moderate Carb Low Fat. This was because I was not aware about LCHF at that time. So my basic understanding at the time was that FAT is not good so need to keep it low at the same time figured out Carbs in Sugar, Bread, Pasta spike the levels, so i reduced them and focused more on veggies, fruits, mixed grain products.
At the sametime I started with taking up active life style, which included more of Walking, Cycling, Swimming and basic exercises. As the time passed by, I lost weight, gained muscles and more stamina that helped me to push my physical limits and I started enjoying it at the same time the from being Diabetic, i came under prediabetic range and then came into normal range (latter I came to know its called remission). Its been years now since i am in normal range and hba1c results have been regularly normal. Also have not taken any medicine from years, though for first year or two I was on Metformin 1000mg Slow Release.
Now if I miss few workout and even eat moderate to high carbs, I dont see major bumps in sugar levels and after 2hrs it always come back to normal levels. Though during initial days when I came down to prediabetic ranges and then came into normal range, I did tried Pizzas, Coke, Chips, Icecreams and what not just out of anxiety that I am no more diabetic, but during that period the PPS results use to go over into diabetic range. But these days I dont see anything like that, moreover since my lifestyle has changed and dietary habits have changed I dont even eat much of high carb diets so cant justify the HCLF but I feel my remission came in as result of slight moderation in diet, getting good sleep, cut down of stress and plenty of exercise.
I would be happy to answer any specific queries. As I am thrilled to find many others have achieved remissions via various other methods and I am trying to learn from them too, just in case if my method fails in long run then I should have fallback plans too
Having shared my experience above, I in no way suggest that this might work for others too. Its been just my approach and luckily it worked.
Also thanks to @zand for keeping an open mind, both in this thread and the one you closed down today.
Walking Girl
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As I’ve stated on here several times, I eat a moderate carb diet - 40ish% of calories, which translates to 200g or so per day. I avoid bread, pasta, really any “white” carb. I focus on whole foods . I happen to be vegetarian, but that’s due to my inability to eat meat without very serious digestive issues, which after so many years as a vegetarian is now also just my preference. No magic in the vegetarian element IMO.
I also now exercise 5-6 days a week - walking/hiking and weight lifting mainly. I was sedentary for at least 10 years before diagnosis.
I’ve lost 95 lbs since my highest weight, 50 of it since diagnosis. My BMI is now just under 22.
Remission? I don’t care what anyone calls it, but I take no meds (at all, for anything other than seasonal allergies), any my A1c has been in the high 4% for well over 1 year now. Diagnosis was December, 2017.
I also now exercise 5-6 days a week - walking/hiking and weight lifting mainly. I was sedentary for at least 10 years before diagnosis.
I’ve lost 95 lbs since my highest weight, 50 of it since diagnosis. My BMI is now just under 22.
Remission? I don’t care what anyone calls it, but I take no meds (at all, for anything other than seasonal allergies), any my A1c has been in the high 4% for well over 1 year now. Diagnosis was December, 2017.
