Sharing what worked for me

[DevGuy]

11 months after being diagnosed with T2D, the past week has been firmly in remission territory.

This is what worked for me, in case it helps others:

- Decision to lose weight right to the edge of the low end of the normal weight range for my sex, height, and age. (Inspired by the findings of the NHS DiRECT trial).
- Return to alternate-day fasting
- Upping exercise to 30 mins of running every day
- Had a persistent problem with higher readings the morning after feeding evening (people on this forum advised that it was likely the Dawn Phenomenon.) Moving 5-hour window of my feeding time forward, so that I ate nothing at all after around 6pm, solved this problem.
- The biggest change that carried me across the last mile was switching to a Low Carb, High Fat & High Protein diet. (I'm actually thoroughly enjoying this change).

The biggest challenge now: adhering to this changed lifestyle indefinitely. The one thing in my favour may be that I've been relatively slow with the whole process, making changes in stages, so I have grown quite accustomed to this new way of living since Oct last year.

Good luck, everyone!

 

[HurricaneHippo]

Thank you for sharing and well done! It must have taken hard work, motivation and persistence!

 

[coby]

11 months after being diagnosed with T2D, the past week has been firmly in remission territory.

This is what worked for me, in case it helps others:

- Decision to lose weight right to the edge of the low end of the normal weight range for my sex, height, and age. (Inspired by the findings of the NHS DiRECT trial).
- Return to alternate-day fasting
- Upping exercise to 30 mins of running every day
- Had a persistent problem with higher readings the morning after feeding evening (people on this forum advised that it was likely the Dawn Phenomenon.) Moving 5-hour window of my feeding time forward, so that I ate nothing at all after around 6pm, solved this problem.
- The biggest change that carried me across the last mile was switching to a Low Carb, High Fat & High Protein diet. (I'm actually thoroughly enjoying this change).

The biggest challenge now: adhering to this changed lifestyle indefinitely. The one thing in my favour may be that I've been relatively slow with the whole process, making changes in stages, so I have grown quite accustomed to this new way of living since Oct last year.

Good luck, everyone!

Fantastic achievement and well done you!
You don't say if your cholesterol/blood pressure etc was high, and has altered if so? This would be good to know

 

[DevGuy]

@coby my LDL cholesterol was moderately high when I was diagnosed, so I started taking rosuvastatin 4 times a week (only on my feeding days). Haven't had a test since then, but because I am doing ADF fasting and eating lots of leafy greens (mostly spinach), I expect that it has decreased.

BP is in the 115/75 range - nearly stable

 

[coby]

@coby my LDL cholesterol was moderately high when I was diagnosed, so I started taking rosuvastatin 4 times a week (only on my feeding days). Haven't had a test since then, but because I am doing ADF fasting and eating lots of leafy greens (mostly spinach), I expect that it has decreased.

BP is in the 115/75 range - nearly stable

Hey I eat loads of Spinach too ... straight from the bag. LOVE it!
My BP is moderately high but always different when done at home!

 

[NicoleC1971]

Well done. You didn't say how you are feeling in yourself? Why the trepidation about sticking to it may I ask? You say you are enjoying your food!

 

[DevGuy]

Well done. You didn't say how you are feeling in yourself? Why the trepidation about sticking to it may I ask? You say you are enjoying your food!

There is significant evidence from multiple studies that sustaining remission needs at least moderate - and constant - effort, and most people fail to maintain that level of motivation. This is a long-term commitment, and life events will inevitably intervene, bringing stress and disruption. So one needs to be strongly motivated for an indefinite period of time.
And that is always a challenge.

 

[NicoleC1971]

There is significant evidence from multiple studies that sustaining remission needs at least moderate - and constant - effort, and most people fail to maintain that level of motivation. This is a long-term commitment, and life events will inevitably intervene, bringing stress and disruption. So one needs to be strongly motivated for an indefinite period of time.
And that is always a challenge.

I agree that it sounds daunting to be disciplined and not swayed by life's events.
I'd say that it does get easier to do low carb. If I feel like my knuckles are going white from the effort of sticking to it though then that's a red flag that I need to ease back a little. Our diet culture seems to be about All of Nothing/Falling off the Waggon/getting back on it and I could never succeed with that mentality. Good luck with finding your own way ahead!

 

[coby]

I agree that it sounds daunting to be disciplined and not swayed by life's events.
I'd say that it does get easier to do low carb. If I feel like my knuckles are going white from the effort of sticking to it though then that's a red flag that I need to ease back a little. Our diet culture seems to be about All of Nothing/Falling off the Waggon/getting back on it and I could never succeed with that mentality. Good luck with finding your own way ahead!

I so agree with you NicoleC, and through five years of knowing I'm Type 2 I profess to thinking that I had unclear ideas to what I was dealing with. I 'thought' my eating was okay, until two months back when it finally dawned on me! But my new foods are just so much better and so enjoyable that I'd not want to go back. It's realising this that is the turning point.