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Do I need a low carb diet?

H

haf

Member
Messages
10
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I have always done a lot of sport and have never been overweight. I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes about 5 years ago. I'm not sure why I have diabetes and whether I can reverse my diabetes. Do I need a low carb diet?
 
Typically you would follow a LC diet to gain better control of your BG levels.

How are your levels ?
 
Just for a bit of guidance, could you let us know your height, waist measurement and weight?

I used to think that I wasn't overweight - turns out I was :-(
 
Weight 75kg; Height 175.5, Age 60 BM! 24 which is slightly above mid range on the calculator I use. I take 2 x 500mg Metformin and 2 x 30 mg Gliclazide. Typically after exercise and before meds BG is 8.5. Two hours after meds, it drops to 5.5. Already have fairly LC diet (have cut out pasta and eat meat/fish). Will follow the LC diet recommended (more pulses) and will see if there's a change. Thank you for your replies.
 
@haf Do be careful with those pulses. Some people can eat them, others find that they can raise sugar levels. It's a case of "eat to your meter". If you do a careful low carb diet, you may be able to get rid of some/all of those meds - many have.
Sally
 
Hi Haf
Have you read this?
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/may/12/type-2-diabetes-diet-cure
Not so sure about the "cure" but someone who like you was not fat but still had type 2.
Your question "do I need a low-carb diet" .. well you might want to try the Low Carb High Fat as it seems to work for a number of people who report their success on these pages.. me included. I don't take any pills, was prescribed metformin and slow release metformin but both upset my guts something terrible so stopped taking them, bought a meter and started low carbing.. since then have lost weight and can control my sugars pretty well. I eat very few carbs except green veg and salad. Snack on pork scratchings and mostly have meat.. soya milk (unsweetened) or cream in tea and coffee since I saw the carbs in milk an have become an avid reader of labels on everything I buy foodwise. I have also started fasting 3 days a week ) although over Christmas and January, due to a holiday,, have been less strict and this has seen my levels rise a bit so today only tea, coffee and water. If you are looking for support and advice then you have come to the right place. Give low carb a try.. it may enable you to leave some meds behind... which in my view is a good outcome.
 
You missed out the vital waist measurement!
The most important thing is that your waist measurement should not be more than half your height.
In my case I have just scraped there with a 36" waist (that is, proper measurement not trouser size) for someone who is 72"/6' tall.
This does suggest that if I managed to get another few inches off I might have less fat around my internal organs, which is what apparently causes most of the problems.

First calculator I tried gave you a BMI of 24.4 where 24.9 is the top of normal weight.
So from the numbers you are almost but not quite overweight.
Are you aiming for half way between underweight and obese?
I think you should be aiming for half way between overweight and underweight.
Normal BMI is shown as 18.5 - 24.9 so mid range is around 21.7.
This would for you be around 66.75 kilos (again according to the first calculator I hit).
This means that to be mid range normal BMI you need to lose about 7-8 kilos.

So it looks as though your maximum advisable weight to possibly reverse diabetes (according to Prof Taylor) may well be significantly lower than your current weight.

I know that I have improved my blood glucose levels by taking my weight down towards the mid range, but I still (after much struggle) have not managed to get all the way down there.

I started out with a BMI of around 25, and thought I was fit and slim.
After losing a stone I now don't feel slim, just slimmer, and am about to try (yet again) to take off another half stone.

Anyway, I think that any weight loss you can manage is likely to help you.
From personal experience it does take a long time to adjust your view of what your best personal weight is.
People who have known you a long time can also get alarmed if you suddenly get slimmer because you no longer fit their mental picture of you. They will adjust in time.
 
Hi. The answer is yes. If you get a little bit of weight off by low-carbing and still have higher bs than you want with those tablets, check that you are T2 and not Late onset T1?
 
Daibell said:
Hi. The answer is yes. If you get a little bit of weight off by low-carbing and still have higher bs than you want with those tablets, check that you are T2 and not Late onset T1?
Click to expand...
We know about his numbers post-exercise and post-medication, but we have no idea what his last a1c was, his fasting levels, or 2hr post-prandial readings.

While MOST people respond very well to low-carb diets there are some people that respond very poorly to them. Often times, those people are very active (he mentioned he was). Furthermore, you’re assuming he needs to lose weight solely based on his BMI. Again, that can be extremely inaccurate for people who are very active as it does not consider lean mass (muscle).


The proper way to answer his questions:
  1. Does he NEED a low-carb diet? No. There's nothing scientifically conclusive that proves a low-carb diet is needed in order to survive with T2 diabetes. There are plenty of other treatment options proven to be effective.
  2. Is a low carb diet the “best” approach? Possibly. Some people are perfectly okay with being on medication. Food is a big part of many cultures and some would rather take medication than be forced to avoid carbohydrates. That’s a decision each person will have to make for themselves.


You’re a member with nearly 7000 posts. Naturally, your opinion will carry more weight to some people. Consequently, you have a certain responsibility to be objective with your responses. There are many different forms and treatments for this disease. You should feel empowered to share your knowledge and experiences in order to help other members. However, people deserve to make these kinds of decisions for themselves.
 
the OP wrote, "I'm not sure ……... whether I can reverse my diabetes. Do I need a low carb diet?" I think (s)he was seeking an opinion.
The OP was also asking if (s)he could "reverse" diabetes, not "survive" it. I don't think that there is any doubt that many can "survive" T2 diabetes with the aid of medication, but medication is totally useless when it comes to reversal, whereas low carb has a very good track record at reversing (or something like it) T2.

Sally
 
TorqPenderloin said:
We know about his numbers post-exercise and post-medication, but we have no idea what his last a1c was, his fasting levels, or 2hr post-prandial readings.

While MOST people respond very well to low-carb diets there are some people that respond very poorly to them. Often times, those people are very active (he mentioned he was). Furthermore, you’re assuming he needs to lose weight solely based on his BMI. Again, that can be extremely inaccurate for people who are very active as it does not consider lean mass (muscle).


The proper way to answer his questions:
  1. Does he NEED a low-carb diet? No. There's nothing scientifically conclusive that proves a low-carb diet is needed in order to survive with T2 diabetes. There are plenty of other treatment options proven to be effective.
  2. Is a low carb diet the “best” approach? Possibly. Some people are perfectly okay with being on medication. Food is a big part of many cultures and some would rather take medication than be forced to avoid carbohydrates. That’s a decision each person will have to make for themselves.


You’re a member with nearly 7000 posts. Naturally, your opinion will carry more weight to some people. Consequently, you have a certain responsibility to be objective with your responses. There are many different forms and treatments for this disease. You should feel empowered to share your knowledge and experiences in order to help other members. However, people deserve to make these kinds of decisions for themselves.
Click to expand...

There's nothing wrong with Diabell's answer. When new members join the forum, it's probably better not to start bickering over other member's advice. They need support, not confusing messages. Many of us here have reversed our type 2 diabetes and can give quite excellent advice to people wanting to do the same.
 
NoCrbs4Me said:
There's nothing wrong with Diabell's answer. When new members join the forum, it's probably better not to start bickering over other member's advice. They need support, not confusing messages. Many of us here have reversed our type 2 diabetes and can give quite excellent advice to people wanting to do the same.
Click to expand...
I was very direct with my words, but let's not interpret that as "bickering."

My message is very simple: there is more than one approach. Share your knowledge and share what works for you, but allow other people to make their own decisions about which approach is best for them.
 
TorqPenderloin said:
I was very direct with my words, but let's not interpret that as "bickering."

My message is very simple: there is more than one approach. Share your knowledge and share what works for you, but allow other people to make their own decisions about which approach is best for them.
Click to expand...

So go ahead and share your approach for reversing type 2 diabetes. Doesn't mean you have to say other people's advice is wrong, especially when it wasn't. There really isn't a way to reverse type 2 without restricting carb intake.
 
NoCrbs4Me said:
So go ahead and share your approach for reversing type 2 diabetes. Doesn't mean you have to say other people's advice is wrong, especially when it wasn't. There really isn't a way to reverse type 2 without restricting carb intake.
Click to expand...
Fair enough. Before I offered any suggestions or thoughts, I'd want to know a few things:
1.) Are his a1c levels getting better, staying the same, or getting worse?
2.) What kind of exercise is he doing, how frequently, and what are his levels like before (we know what they usually are after)?
3.) What does a typical day of eating look like for him? Did his current diet have an effect on his short and long-term blood sugar levels?
4.) As mentioned, is he carrying weight in his midsection? How is his body composition?

Basically, I'd want to know what changes he's made in the past 5 years and what kind of an effect they had on his blood sugar levels.

It may be as simple as reducing his carbs more. Maybe he also needs to lose 5-10 additional pounds of fat. Maybe he needs to change up the type of exercise he does. Maybe he's on other medication that's affecting his levels. Maybe the situation is getting progressively worse.

Side note: a low-carb diet may help to avoid short-term blood sugar spikes, but doesn't necessarily equate to "Reversing" the effects of type 2 diabetes. In my opinion that's simply "Avoiding" the effects of type 2 diabetes. Fat loss and increased activity levels have been proven to reverse the effects of type 2 diabetes in SOME people, but they can both be achieved in many different ways (some more effective than others).
 
TorqPenderloin said:
Fair enough. Before I offered any suggestions or thoughts, I'd want to know a few things:
1.) Are his a1c levels getting better, staying the same, or getting worse?
2.) What kind of exercise is he doing, how frequently, and what are his levels like before (we know what they usually are after)?
3.) What does a typical day of eating look like for him? Did his current diet have an effect on his short and long-term blood sugar levels?
4.) As mentioned, is he carrying weight in his midsection? How is his body composition?

Basically, I'd want to know what changes he's made in the past 5 years and what kind of an effect they had on his blood sugar levels.

It may be as simple as reducing his carbs more. Maybe he also needs to lose 5-10 additional pounds of fat. Maybe he needs to change up the type of exercise he does. Maybe he's on other medication that's affecting his levels. Maybe the situation is getting progressively worse.

Side note: a low-carb diet may help to avoid short-term blood sugar spikes, but doesn't necessarily equate to "Reversing" the effects of type 2 diabetes. In my opinion that's simply "Avoiding" the effects of type 2 diabetes. Fat loss and increased activity levels have been proven to reverse the effects of type 2 diabetes in SOME people, but they can both be achieved in many different ways (some more effective than others).
Click to expand...
But you did offer suggestions and thoughts without all that information.
 
NoCrbs4Me said:
But you did offer suggestions and thoughts without all that information.
Click to expand...
I've said what I felt needed to be said. At this point you're asking questions that are taking this thread off-topic. I'm happy to address them privately but it serves no purpose doing so in this thread.
 
Daibell said:
Hi. The answer is yes. If you get a little bit of weight off by low-carbing and still have higher bs than you want with those tablets, check that you are T2 and not Late onset T1?
Click to expand...

Scared me there for a moment - @haf reminded me of me back when I was diagnosed.

Thankfully, though, I've never been on Gliclazide.
 
Hi @haf and welcome. The Newcastle diet/study has worked for a number of people. That is based on shakes etc of 800 calories a day. There are a number of threads on this. This is not low carb. This was what @bulkbiker was referring to. So not all suggestions are low carb. I wanted to try this when diagnosed but as my GP would not give me his backing I did my weight loss a lot slower eating 500 calories less per day than I was burning. All I can say is I do have some control but do not think mine is reversed. I also reduced carbs, using a meter to see which ones spiked me.
 
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