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Anyone with a Bmi of 25 managed to bring BG levels down with diet alone?

A

AnnM99

Well-Known Member
Messages
96
Hi,
Diagnosed 3rd June with T2. Levels 85. BMI 25. Given Gliclazide but not taken. Thinkung I want to try diet and exercise. On a very low carb diet. Readings before eating range from 6 to 7. Yesterday got a 4.9.
Feeling down today. Not sure if I should just take the tablets. Levels on first day of testing were 11.7.
Need some hope.
 
Sounds brilliant ... nice levels ... my BMI has never been 25.. almost 45 at one point but diet worked wonders for bringing down both that and blood sugars.
Give it some time and you'll probably be back in the "normal' range.
 

25 is right at the top of normal.
Mine is currently 22.7 (but has been lower).
I have managed my BG using diet, exercise and Metformin for quite a few years, but it gets harder with time.

If you are starting into low carbohydrate eating you are likely to have down days until your body adjusts to the new diet and gets used to working on fats instead of glucose.
With luck your BMI will drop with your new eating plan which will help reduce any insulin resistance, especially of you are carrying some fat around your middle.

Not sure why you are on gliclazide as most people are started on Metformin.
 
FYI the next project being run by the team that brought us Direct (the Newcastle Diet) are planning to research remission in those who are of normal weight. This was on a research update call from Diabetes UK. Not sure how they will do this but am thinking it must involve measuring loss of visceral fat versus loss of body weight as a route to remission. Possibly they've cottoned onto low carb following Virta Health's success.
 
Thank you
bulkbiker said:
Sounds brilliant ... nice levels ... my BMI has never been 25.. almost 45 at one point but diet worked wonders for bringing down both that and blood sugars.
Give it some time and you'll probably be back in the "normal' range.
Click to expand...
Hi,
Thanks for the reply.
I am trying so hard just feeling incredibly tired today and a low mood.
I really don't know if I am doing more harm than good by not taking the pills.
 
bulkbiker said:
Sounds brilliant ... nice levels ... my BMI has never been 25.. almost 45 at one point but diet worked wonders for bringing down both that and blood sugars.
Give it some time and you'll probably be back in the "normal' range.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply. I hope so. Just feel so tired.
 
Hi Thank you for replying. My BMI has been as high as 28.5 this last year but I followed SW and got it down to 26 in Feb by eating lots of carbs and fruit on the SW diet. Bad move. I think I am having a day where I feel hopeless. Yes, BMI is 25 but my GP scoffed at the idea of me losing weight. I have to say ... every part of me is quite slim except for my tum which is very fatty - been stretched by carrying twins and delivering 2 x 7 pound babies. Maybe ... the visceral flab is the issue.

I asked my GP "why Glic and not Metformin. He said it's because my levels are 85. I mentioned it's not the first line treatment and he got irritated with me.
Now left in limbo. What a mess.
 
AnnM99 said:
Thanks for the reply. I hope so. Just feel so tired.
Click to expand...
Check your salt intake. If you have cut back on processed food you might need to add some I put it in coffee and tea.
Make sure you are eating enough. If you have gone very low carb you could be experiencing "keto flu" which may be for a few days up to a week. Its definitely worth continuing and I'd say if you haven't yet started the tablets then give it a few more weeks and keep on monitoring your levels.
 
AnnM99 said:
I asked my GP "why Glic and not Metformin. He said it's because my levels are 85.
Click to expand...
Odd as mine were 87 when diagnosed but still given metformin (they went in the bin after 3 weeks though).
 
Don't rely on BMI. It's a false figure that doesn't gauge how your overall physical health is doing. The main reason is that it doesn't take into account the difference between fat, muscle & bone. It was NEVER meant as a medical tool, only as a guideline regarding children decades back. It just became the "norm" due to use. What you need to be concentrating on is you WH:r (Waist To Hip Ratio) and get it down as low as you can into a normal range for your age and height. Also your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) how old your body is physically based on averages in the population. It gives you a good indicator if you are heading in the right direction. However if your GP or Health Practicioner insists on BMI... Flatly say NO
 
Glic is more likely to give you Hypos as it drops blood sugar rapidly..and you can feel awful during the drugs start up effects. TS normal if you have just been put on it.. although they should have given you a meter to ensure you get a good baseline BG. if you are Type 2, it's NOT forever, but some GPS are yet to jump into the Low Carb Way Of Eating Bandwagon... THAT improves overall BG control and could put T2 into remission. Thing to remwmber is that T2 is basically a Carbohydrate Intollerance . Check out the Low Carb Program which is recommended BY the NHS Now.. and good luck...
 
I have been under BMI 25 for most of my life, but was up at 26 when diagnosed with Type 2.
Was already dong low fat (high brown carbs) for over 10yrs by then, with nothing to show for it but steadily gaining a little more weight each year and getting a 3x bypass op , then T2 Diabetes.
I rejected advice to double down on low fat after reading the posts on this forum.

I got a BG monitor (in my case a Tee2 which has relatively cheap test strips), tested before and 2hrs after every meal until I knew the effect on me of the different foods I usually ate.
Ended up going low car - as low as 20gms to 40gms per day. Didn't try to lose weight, didn't count calories, didn't do more exercise. I lost weigh anyway!
I knew to supplement with extra Potassium, magnesium, as well as eat more salt, so didn't suffer from Keto 'flu, I didn't suffer from hunger either, at first I was probably eating more calories per day that before going Low Carb due to going back to going back to full fat dairy and eating the fat on bacon, lamb etc. that came naturally with that cut of meat.
Blood Glucose, HbA1C, Blood pressure, Triglycerides and weight all came down - so all good!
HDL and LDL both went up, was concerned about the LDL at first, but studied the literature and discovered that ratios matter more then totals and my ratios had all improved suggesting that the quality of my LDL had improved (and in any case LDL is a requirement for life - immune system, hormones etc.)
 
Waist to height correlates really well to general health. I have not had a bmi less than 25, but have over 70% lean muscle mass. The way to look at this is compare streaky bacon to back bacon. The streaky is thinner and has more fat, the back is leaner but wider - it is entirely possible to be thinner looking but more fat.
 
well I have a BMI of 33 and find it easy to cut sugar levels by going low card. The hard part being to stay on low carb.

I do go to Gym 3/4 times a week so maybe not fair to say I cut them with diet alone.
 
Yes the trial will be looking at Visceral Fat and how the reduction of this around organs like The Pancrease and Liver push the body into remission from T2. We as T2s basically have a Carb Intollerance, which if pushed over a certain level WILL keep us Diabetic. The key is to find your individual threshold as everyone's physiology is different..so the research will show this . What is also interesting is that once the Pancreas has basically been unplugged from the visceral fat..it goes into a state of recovery and insulin levels & beta cell production return to relative normal Pre Diabetic levels. Also your body's sensitivity to Insulin gets better ...

It will be fascinating to find out the results of their new research
 
alangdunbar said:
What is also interesting is that once the Pancreas has basically been unplugged from the visceral fat..it goes into a state of recovery and insulin levels & beta cell production return to relative normal
Click to expand...

I’d be very interested to see the evidence about restored beta cell function, please.
 
While I am interested in the research about restored beta cell function I would also likemto answer the original question.

My BMI is a lot higher than you and yet I have managed my levels successfully on just diet. I do take one metformin most days but my levels are always in the normal range even when (like now) I am in pain and not sleeping. So yes @AnnM99 it is possible.

As for whether you should take the medication- that is a decision for you. We can't give medical advice.

Good luck and let us know how you are going.

Take care.
 
I think i am going to stick to the waist and hight ratio for myself. A few years back the GP worked out to get my BMI into normal range i need to weight 13.7 stone ( need to loose over 3-3.5 stone ). Starting to think my waist is the problem these days. Under my belly was about 43 inches plus and just above my belly button near 50 i think, just didnt measure there

Using waist and hight measurement 72cm/2 i should have a waist of 36 inches or less when measured just above the belly button. So those are my goals moving forward, 13.7 stone and 36 inch waist at least i know my health is in a better place.

I am now on a meat only diet and just checked my waist and its 42 so its going in the right direction
 
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