Some background. I've been overweight since I was 8, obese since my teens. Obviously I tried many times to lose weight.... sometimes successfully.... never kept it off. Diagnosed T2 in 1998, aged 34. My all-time high weight was 22 stone at 5'7".
A few years ago I took up exercise and started cooking everything from scratch and cut out (most) snacking and puddings - following a 'low fat healthy eating' style. I was able to stop taking my meds (metformin + gliclazide) and had HbA1C in the mid 40's. The lowest weight I got to was just over 14 stone. Then I started regaining weight, HbA1C went back up, back on metformin etc, though only a low dose (500mg twice a day)
In July this year I decided I needed to "get a grip". I was over 20 stone again, don't know what my bg's were since I hadn't had any test strips since going off meds, and had been too afraid to ask about my HbA1C the last couple of times. Silly, I know. But it's safe to say they weren't good, because I was started back on metformin, and then the dose increased.
Anyhow, for some reason I can't really explain, the way I chose this time was the lower carb way. And within a short time - having read up about it - I was/am full-on keto.
In August I went for my annual diabetes review, having recently moved house. At that point I'd been keto for 7 weeks. HbA1C 62, BP slightly raised, lipids and everything else OK. Because of the HbA1C she wanted to increase my metformin, but I told her I had recently cut my carbs, started exercising and was actively losing weight, and she agreed to review in 3 months.
So the three months are over..... HbA1C 40, BP low normal And this morning, my fbg was 4.9. I've lost 3 1/2 stone in the five months I've been LCHF. Overall, I would say it's worth sticking with!! Obviously more weight to lose..... and given I'm still more than 2 stone heavier than I was when I came off meds before, I think we can safely say that is on the cards in due course.
A few years ago I took up exercise and started cooking everything from scratch and cut out (most) snacking and puddings - following a 'low fat healthy eating' style. I was able to stop taking my meds (metformin + gliclazide) and had HbA1C in the mid 40's. The lowest weight I got to was just over 14 stone. Then I started regaining weight, HbA1C went back up, back on metformin etc, though only a low dose (500mg twice a day)
In July this year I decided I needed to "get a grip". I was over 20 stone again, don't know what my bg's were since I hadn't had any test strips since going off meds, and had been too afraid to ask about my HbA1C the last couple of times. Silly, I know. But it's safe to say they weren't good, because I was started back on metformin, and then the dose increased.
Anyhow, for some reason I can't really explain, the way I chose this time was the lower carb way. And within a short time - having read up about it - I was/am full-on keto.
In August I went for my annual diabetes review, having recently moved house. At that point I'd been keto for 7 weeks. HbA1C 62, BP slightly raised, lipids and everything else OK. Because of the HbA1C she wanted to increase my metformin, but I told her I had recently cut my carbs, started exercising and was actively losing weight, and she agreed to review in 3 months.
So the three months are over..... HbA1C 40, BP low normal And this morning, my fbg was 4.9. I've lost 3 1/2 stone in the five months I've been LCHF. Overall, I would say it's worth sticking with!! Obviously more weight to lose..... and given I'm still more than 2 stone heavier than I was when I came off meds before, I think we can safely say that is on the cards in due course.
