Here I go again

[baldtyke]

Hi All

Well, here I am again. I've not been on the site for a fair while due to work and other stuff. You know when you keep kidding yourself that today is the day and that you are ready to make a change. Once again I have made the decision that things have to change. Although somehow this time it feels different because I sort of feel mentally ready to commit to what I am about to do.

Without getting to much into the issues ( I have a short video blog that explains) I will shove the link at the end (just me waffling) I really do need this to be the one.

I am tired of the way I am feeling, tired of the things I can't do, tired in general and to say I want my life back is a major understatement.

So I am trying an experiment that I hope will give me the best results. I have tried Low carb but found it didnt completely hit the spot even though it does give great results. I also tried fasting which I found really easy to do. So what I am going to do is a combination of both.

On Monday and Thursday I will do a full days fast, this gives my body time to rest and re charge. For the rest of the week I will follow a low carb lifestyle. I am hoping that combining both will give me the benefits of both and allow me to find a lifestyle that I can stick with, no more diets or things like that this is a change of the whole eating thing and I am determined that this will work.

However like with everything it is one day at a time thing and I have just completed day one with relative ease which was a full fast. I am well into day two after having had a very filling low carb breakfast of eggs, bacon, mushrooms and some cheese sprinkled on the mushrooms (hope thats low carb LOL)

I feel full and am not having the cravings (yet!!!) but I have the knowledge to make this work. I guess what I lacked was the mental strength to kick on and get on and change my life for the better.

I know you are all so supportive of everyone and it is great to know you are there and I will keep you in the loop as to how this goes.

I am mad keen this time to see how far I can take the repairs I have to make and also to see how strong I can be with will power and mentally to stay on track.

Here we go on a new journey The link is to a weekly blog I am making, I figured if I committed to something I had to report on it might drive me on. It's just me having a waffle and it's here if you fancy watching. (pretty sour faced Sorry LOL)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h7It4oPHGk

Cheers All

Tony :thumbup:

 

[carraway]

Hi

I think we are in a similar position. I'm going to try to lose 6 stones and hopefully recover to full health without medication. I have tingling in my legs and hands, which gets worse throughout the day. I have had my head in the sand for at least 6 years, its only since the nerve problems started that I decide to take action. I've been low carb for 4 days and will also do some fasting days using the Atkins low carb shakes (when I get them delivered). I am contemplating the full Newcastle diet, but may keep that in reserve. I have done at least 30 mins of exercise everyday so far. Good for me!
Do you want to be diet buddies?
Cara

 

[daisy1]

Hi Tony
Just watched your blog and will be watching every week to see your progress. I wish you luck and success.

 

[Andy12345]

hey well done guys, you sound inspired i think it was confuscious said something about a journey of a thousand miles starting with a single step, so well done for taking the step, be strong and stay on the path please update us on your progress, good luck

 

[mo1905]

Good luck Tony. If at first you don't succeed.....
Look forward to watching your progress.
Mo


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[baldtyke]

Thanks guys

The support on here is just grade A phenominal. Cara it would be good to help each other along. I have done LC before and it really worked. I just didnt have the will power to keep it going.

The fasting, I looked at the 5-2 fast diet and even though it gave me 600 cals a day I struggle to keep to it so I thought it better to just go full fast.

On Monday I did a full 24 hours and it was a breeze. I found that I slept really well last night and my hands although not sorted were a little easier in the joints this morning. I have let this thing go on for far too long and now it has to change. It can be repaired I am convinced of that but I have to put the work in. I also have the tingling in the legs and hands, having had two foot ulcers and got away in one piece I am determind not to risk a third.

I will keep on going. If we can help each other cara it will be great and maybe if this works it will help others as well.

Cheers

Tony

 

[carraway]

Hi

Had a reasonable day, did sneak a poppadum with my Quorn curry. I made cauliflower rice! First time! I can recommend it.

This evening had a walk for a hour.

Feeling positive, lets hope I can stay this way. I really miss fruit though.

I think weight loss should be a bit like a mortgage, you can lose all your excess weight over night but then diet afterwards, if you don't stick to it you get into trouble.

Brilliant for the impatient like me.

How was your day Tony?

 

[WhitbyJet]

Well done carraway, just try to take it one day at a time, dont think too far ahead; no need to sneak a poppadum, they are pretty low in carbs, around 4 - 5 carbs, so dont feel guilty.

All the best x

Good luck Tony, keeping my fingers crossed for you both, I have reversed most of my complications by going low carb and increasing activity levels, just a few niggly little bits left, not sure if they will ever go away.

 

[baldtyke]

Today was day 2 and kind of a good day.

After my fast yesterday I was ready to eat so I had a big breakfast of fried eggs, mushrooms, cheese on the mushrooms and a couple of bacon rashers...yummy but by golly it filled me up.

For dinner I had a couple of stewed sausages that my GF had made for us (family need to eat as well LOL) I added a big plateful of broccoli and cauliflower.

Apart from that I have just had drinks as I haven't felt hungry.

Two hours after eating my BG is 10.5 so it has held up all day at around that level. The weight for me is a secondary thing that I know will help the ultimate goal but my BG is my main focus. Also I want educate myself to eat when I am hungry not just because I think I should eat.

Feeling ok I keep having little sleepy moments but seem to have more focus today.

We move on to day 3

Cheers

Tony

 

[baldtyke]

Cara

You have a PM

Cheers

Tony

 

[baldtyke]

Thanks Whitby

Just following on from that, did it take long for the reversal to kick in?

Did you have any initial issues with LC, I am thinking of carb crash or leg pains ( I had that last time I tried ) although I now know to increase my fat intake if it starts.

It is really encouraging to hear your success story and really inspiring.

Keep us in the loop as things get better still

Cheers

Tony :clap:

 

[WhitbyJet]

Thanks Whitby

Just following on from that, did it take long for the reversal to kick in?

Did you have any initial issues with LC, I am thinking of carb crash or leg pains ( I had that last time I tried ) although I now know to increase my fat intake if it starts.

It is really encouraging to hear your success story and really inspiring.

Keep us in the loop as things get better still

Cheers
, things
Tony :clap:

Yes,the dreaded carb crash, hit me hard at the time, I was actually already very ill when I started to cut out all carbs, I went zero carb, not low carb and to be honest I did question whether I was really doing the right thing there. I was lucky though in that I had plenty of back up from a Swedish doctor (my mother in law's GP), things gradually improved after the second week.

My main symptoms were nausea, anxiety, headaches, fatigue, I couldnt be sure that it was due to lc or diabetic complications, I had weekly blood tests to monitor electrolytes, mainly because of poor kidney function, test revealed an improvement on all levels yet I continued to feel quite ill.
The pain from neuropathy was something else, I never experienced pain before, I had tingling and numbness, but suddenly I had stabbing pains as if someone was twisting a knife into my feet, the pain would peak then subside only to start up again, it came in waves.
I found that drinking soothing herbal/fruit teas helped with most of my symptoms, soak feet in warm water with sodium bicarb added, massaged with aromatherapy oils, some may scoff at this kind of therapy but I found it to be helpful http://www.aromatherapyessentialoilsgui ... -pain.html.

My recovery was a gradual process, my kidney function will never be 100%, I still have a few numb spots on my feet, but they dont affect me in any way, I just know that they are there.

 

[baldtyke]

Wow !! That is a long old battle, more power to you for getting it sorted.

I will have a look at the link that looks really interesting stuff.

I hope that I can be as successful

Keep in touch it's good to have your support

Tony

 

[carraway]

Good luck with the fast today. I'd be interested t know what it does to your blood readings. I've been on my diet a week and no change yet!

 

[baldtyke]

Hi Cara

After 24 hrs my BG was down at 9.8, I had a light omellete before bed and tested this morning and was 9.0

The fasting is an absolute doddle

Dont know if this is usual but the last 12 hrs I have been weeing like a racehorse an having bouts of sweating

There have been some really good changes this week so far but a long long way to go yet.

Keep the faith, once your body adapts to LC the BG has nowhere to go but down, check that there are no sneaky carbs in what you are having and maybe look at how many carbs you are having in a day to find a level that suits you.

I am here for you mate and we both have the whole forum behind us for support

Go Cara, Go Cara

Cheers

Tony

 

[carraway]

Hi

Sounds Ok so far then Tony. I hope you are drinking on your fasting days!

My Atkins shakes arrived today, only 3 g carb 18g protein and 164 cal. However no added vitamins which as a bit disappointing. Will have one for dinner and report back on taste and ability to starve off hunger.

I've heard of Slim and Save so will get those next, they have vitamins etc.
I also got some Atkins Day Break choc chip bars. That was quite nice, like a Cadbury Brunch bar but with dark choc. 12g protein, 146 cals and 8.5 carb

I can recommend the book Carbs and Cals by Chirs Cheyette and Yello Balolia. Photographs of portion sizes with carb cals, fibre and fat. I'm new to carb counting so it was a bit of a shock to the carbs in some things.
Naan bread 70g carbs!

Now going off to dream of curry!

 

[ChrisOT61]

I am trying to stick to a low carb diet but I just can't find things that I want to eat. I am on 850g metformin twice a day and this seems to really affect my appetite. I just don't fancy any food and then feel sick after I eat. I do have a lot of weight to lose but I need to eat! All I seem to have is chicken and salad and eggs! Is anyone else struggling like this?
Chris x


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[carraway]

Hi Tony


How are you doing? Sticking with it I hope!

Anything to report?

Cara

 

[cathie51]

Hi Just watched your blog, will look forward to hearing how you get on.

I am just out of hospital having had yet another problem with my diabetes ( t2 about 3 years since diagnosis) I have had lots of problems. I am allergic to metformin, which caused me to hospitalised first time with ketoacidosis. Since then we have had many changes of medication. this last stay has resulted in a complete change of my insulin regime. Now on Humilin M3- 80 units in the morning and 20 at teatime. no more glipizide or any other diabetes medication, except 1.2 units of Victoza in the morning. I chave only praise for my medical support everyone my GP, diabetes nurses and Consultant have been amazing and extremely supportive. I have had everything explained to me clearly and can phone the nurses any time if I have any worries.

I have several other health problems not least the fact that I am overweight. This I am trying to tackle at the moment with not a lot of success. I am going to try your idea of fasting, I am going to start with one day a week and see if that's ok. Then I can up it to 2 days.

Hope you are doing well and wishing you all the best on your journey.

 

[Giverny]

Seems like you're really dedicated to it this time. Things like this always seem pretty tough at first but after a while they just become habit.

Hope all goes well for you, Tony. You definitely sound like you have the right attitude, and who knows - the video blogs might just encourage someone else to do something similar. You could change someone else's life as well :thumbup: