Bluetit1802
Legend
- Messages
- 25,215
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Doing the Newcastle
- Thread starter AlcalaBob
- Start Date
Week 5 Day 35 Sunday 14th January. FBG 5.7 Weight 99.8kg
Blood sugar is back on track again so that's pleasing but at end of week 5 I still have very little weight loss to show which is a bit disappointing since for the last few days I've been closer to 700 with just two shakes and a small amount of salad. I've felt quite hungry and a bit tired on that but I'll stick to it for at least a few more days before going back to 800. Even with the very slow weight loss, the BG level is good to see. I guess I've effectively lost a week of the diet so maybe I'll just extend it a week to compensate. The stalled weight loss is curious. I really didn't expect that on so little energy intake. I guess it shows how inadequate the energy in, energy out model really is. It's clearly a bit more complicated than that. End of week 5 and I've already learned a huge amount about my diabetes. Everything still to play for.
Blood sugar is back on track again so that's pleasing but at end of week 5 I still have very little weight loss to show which is a bit disappointing since for the last few days I've been closer to 700 with just two shakes and a small amount of salad. I've felt quite hungry and a bit tired on that but I'll stick to it for at least a few more days before going back to 800. Even with the very slow weight loss, the BG level is good to see. I guess I've effectively lost a week of the diet so maybe I'll just extend it a week to compensate. The stalled weight loss is curious. I really didn't expect that on so little energy intake. I guess it shows how inadequate the energy in, energy out model really is. It's clearly a bit more complicated than that. End of week 5 and I've already learned a huge amount about my diabetes. Everything still to play for.
Week 6 Day 36 Monday 15th January. FBG 5.1 Weight 99.2kg
Start of week 6 and the blood sugar is clearly back on track again after going for a bit of a wander and the weight is starting to inch down as well. Both good signs. I could eat a horse today... But won't. We're going to be out and busy so there won't be time to think about it. Three or four weeks to go and I'd really like to see the weight under 96 but that would still mean I'd lost only ten kilos - still only half way to my target weight but I recognise it will take longer than the eight weeks and I'm still totally committed to it and the diet. Seven kilos and normal blood with greatly reduced meds seems like a real triumph for the ND to me. Very glad I came across it and followed it, and got so very much encouragement and support along the way, so thanks you guys. So helpful! Still a lot to play for.
Start of week 6 and the blood sugar is clearly back on track again after going for a bit of a wander and the weight is starting to inch down as well. Both good signs. I could eat a horse today... But won't. We're going to be out and busy so there won't be time to think about it. Three or four weeks to go and I'd really like to see the weight under 96 but that would still mean I'd lost only ten kilos - still only half way to my target weight but I recognise it will take longer than the eight weeks and I'm still totally committed to it and the diet. Seven kilos and normal blood with greatly reduced meds seems like a real triumph for the ND to me. Very glad I came across it and followed it, and got so very much encouragement and support along the way, so thanks you guys. So helpful! Still a lot to play for.
Should probably also have noted that my gut has dropped by five inches and I'm getting some feeling back in my toes and the balls of my feet. I can now tell when they're touched. That hasn't happened in a long while. They're still tingly but since I've had some difficulty with balance in the past, if I can start to feel my feet again, who knows, the balance might improve too. Still early days but the foot thing was unexpected. All good.
Week 6 Day 37 Tuesday 16th January. FBG 4.7 Weight 99.2kg
Very pleased with the BG. If the weight doesn't start to inch down later in the week and the BG level stays down, I'll consider adjusting the meds again, but this time much more slowly and more cautiously. I'll be seeing my GP in a few weeks to modify my prescription so that'll be an interesting, and I hope productive, conversation. I was thinking how easy it would be to simply interpret these results in terms of the eat less, exercise more story. It would be quite easy for GPs seeing the results to miss the point of the drastic reduction of energy intake and to not take on board the essential changes in the liver and pancreas. It will take some time for the science to filter through but I'm sure it will happen. There's now so much evidence accumulating and so much individual experience in the public domain. It's a very positive sign.
Very pleased with the BG. If the weight doesn't start to inch down later in the week and the BG level stays down, I'll consider adjusting the meds again, but this time much more slowly and more cautiously. I'll be seeing my GP in a few weeks to modify my prescription so that'll be an interesting, and I hope productive, conversation. I was thinking how easy it would be to simply interpret these results in terms of the eat less, exercise more story. It would be quite easy for GPs seeing the results to miss the point of the drastic reduction of energy intake and to not take on board the essential changes in the liver and pancreas. It will take some time for the science to filter through but I'm sure it will happen. There's now so much evidence accumulating and so much individual experience in the public domain. It's a very positive sign.
Week 6 Day 38 Wednesday 17th January. FBG 5.5 Weight 98.8kg
Good blood level and a slight drop in weight. Plenty of energy today. I can almost touch the 96kg, so perhaps I might even get down to 90 by week 9. It doesn't really matter how fast it's coming down as long as it is. I feel better and fitter than I have in a long time. I've already lost a lot of fat and I suspect I've put on a little muscle because I seem to be walking a lot more these days with less effort. All good.
Good blood level and a slight drop in weight. Plenty of energy today. I can almost touch the 96kg, so perhaps I might even get down to 90 by week 9. It doesn't really matter how fast it's coming down as long as it is. I feel better and fitter than I have in a long time. I've already lost a lot of fat and I suspect I've put on a little muscle because I seem to be walking a lot more these days with less effort. All good.
Brilliant news! With this disease it's so easy to become preoccupied with numbers that we forget that all that really matters are the complications.
It's amazing to hear a story not only of avoiding complications but actually reversing them!
Week 6 Day 39 Thursday 18th January. FBG 4.8 Weight 98.1kg
Nice numbers today, weight is inching down and blood level is very stable. So just sticking to the plan. If this progress continues, I might simply leave reducing the meds until I see consistently low 4s. I'll see my GP in a few weeks and it'll be good to get his (startled) reaction... I now need to carefully maintain BG control whilst continuing the weight loss. My target of 86kg is a little longer term than just the eight weeks but since I'm almost half way now, I can realistically set my sights on it. Very pleased with the progress this week. Plenty to be very positive about.
Nice numbers today, weight is inching down and blood level is very stable. So just sticking to the plan. If this progress continues, I might simply leave reducing the meds until I see consistently low 4s. I'll see my GP in a few weeks and it'll be good to get his (startled) reaction... I now need to carefully maintain BG control whilst continuing the weight loss. My target of 86kg is a little longer term than just the eight weeks but since I'm almost half way now, I can realistically set my sights on it. Very pleased with the progress this week. Plenty to be very positive about.
Peerless67
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 206
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
Week 6 Day 40 Friday 19th January. FBG 5.3 Weight 99.2kg
Blood is good but the weight is doing something of a yoyo. Just have to sit it out. I think the rolling average is coming down but I'm not worrying too much about it. It'll be six weeks in a couple of days so this is a sort of home stretch. Another few weeks and I can assess the results so far. The ND has given me better blood control than I've ever had before and with less meds but I think I'll need to continue it for a lot longer to get the full benefits. The weight has to come off, no two ways about it, and that might need a further reduction in insulin. Slow and steady this time.
Blood is good but the weight is doing something of a yoyo. Just have to sit it out. I think the rolling average is coming down but I'm not worrying too much about it. It'll be six weeks in a couple of days so this is a sort of home stretch. Another few weeks and I can assess the results so far. The ND has given me better blood control than I've ever had before and with less meds but I think I'll need to continue it for a lot longer to get the full benefits. The weight has to come off, no two ways about it, and that might need a further reduction in insulin. Slow and steady this time.
Week 6 Day 41 Saturday 20th January. FBG 5.8 Weight 98.4kg
Reasonable numbers again with the weight clearly on a downward trend overall so that's fine. At this rate I might just manage 10kg weight loss in the eight weeks, though it stalled after the first week until the insulin came down. I think it's a case of managing the reduction of medication very carefully as the blood sugar remains stable because it seems quite possible to have a steady state with no weight loss at all, the insulin actually preserving the weight. It would be good to get GP advice and reassurance on this but it would need to be one that's up to speed with the research and the ND. I'll see mine in the next couple of weeks. I suppose, in many ways, we're finding these things out empirically. Careful and cautious is the line with the medication I think, and not being over-ambitious and impatient. After all, there's no hurry.
Reasonable numbers again with the weight clearly on a downward trend overall so that's fine. At this rate I might just manage 10kg weight loss in the eight weeks, though it stalled after the first week until the insulin came down. I think it's a case of managing the reduction of medication very carefully as the blood sugar remains stable because it seems quite possible to have a steady state with no weight loss at all, the insulin actually preserving the weight. It would be good to get GP advice and reassurance on this but it would need to be one that's up to speed with the research and the ND. I'll see mine in the next couple of weeks. I suppose, in many ways, we're finding these things out empirically. Careful and cautious is the line with the medication I think, and not being over-ambitious and impatient. After all, there's no hurry.
Week 6 Day 42 Sunday 21st January. FBG 5.8 Weight 99.5kg
Yoyo on the weight still and the blood is a little higher than I'd like but not really a problem. Today completes the sixth week. I'll continue up to the end of week nine and then think about the next stage. I still have a lot of weight to come off so I may well simply repeat the ND since it's relatively easy and convenient and I have a routine. But I also need to think about going back to my low carb diet on reduced intake. And I need to update my GP. So gradually starting to think about post-ND.
Yoyo on the weight still and the blood is a little higher than I'd like but not really a problem. Today completes the sixth week. I'll continue up to the end of week nine and then think about the next stage. I still have a lot of weight to come off so I may well simply repeat the ND since it's relatively easy and convenient and I have a routine. But I also need to think about going back to my low carb diet on reduced intake. And I need to update my GP. So gradually starting to think about post-ND.
Week 7 Day 43 Monday 22nd January. FBG 5.2 Weight 98.0kg
Lowest weight yet so that's a good sign that it's inching down and blood level is fine. Starting week seven with a positive. Still on track to hit 10kg total weight loss by the end of week eight. Still only half of my target loss so I'll keep going. The trick seems to be matching enough insulin to keep the blood under control but not so much as to impede the weight loss. I'm sure the weight would come down quicker with less insulin but I'd rather do this slowly so that if the pancreas is going to recover, and it's not certain after all this time, I find out without experiencing high glucose levels again. If I was more recently diagnosed, perhaps there would be stronger signs of pancreas recovery by now. That would be useful input from an up-to-speed GP. In the meantime, I'm choosing to err on the side of caution as there's nothing to lose except a little time. Home stretch and looking good.
Lowest weight yet so that's a good sign that it's inching down and blood level is fine. Starting week seven with a positive. Still on track to hit 10kg total weight loss by the end of week eight. Still only half of my target loss so I'll keep going. The trick seems to be matching enough insulin to keep the blood under control but not so much as to impede the weight loss. I'm sure the weight would come down quicker with less insulin but I'd rather do this slowly so that if the pancreas is going to recover, and it's not certain after all this time, I find out without experiencing high glucose levels again. If I was more recently diagnosed, perhaps there would be stronger signs of pancreas recovery by now. That would be useful input from an up-to-speed GP. In the meantime, I'm choosing to err on the side of caution as there's nothing to lose except a little time. Home stretch and looking good.
You are doing so well!! I'm on day 20 of VLCD, but my BG is nowhere near the improvements you have seen. i'm hoping that in another couple of weeks, it will start to improve, but i am getting a little concerned this isnt going to be the "cure" i had hoped for. The weight loss will be a big bonus for me, so i'm not giving up, but my main purpose for this was to try to improve / get rid of my diabetes, and i might just have a little cry if it doesnt work for me. Still, will keep at it!!!
I really hope you don't get discouraged because I think there's quite a lot of variation in how we react to the diet. On the ND, I very strictly limited my intake to a maximum of 800 calories per day with virtually no exceptions (I think I hit about 900 on just one day) and that sudden reduction in energy intake, according to Prof Roy Taylor, is what shocks the liver into recovering some insulin sensitivity and that's what results in the rapid drop in BG. I don't know what intake level you were on but anything more than that very low level might not produce the same response from the liver. I think we all have to be hopeful and realistic in equal measure but also recognise that the ND is very strict indeed and those levels of intake really do need to be very low. If you're not down to that very low level, I'd try that for a little while just to see the response. There's no guarantee of course but it might be worth a try.
I started the ND knowing that for long-standing diabetics like me with almost fourteen years on the clock, a full reversal was less likely so I was sort of hopeful but fairly realistic. Taylor warns that after ten years, the response rate of the pancreas is much lower. I'm really pleased with the vastly improved BG control but that's on a very low energy intake diet and there's some way to go to get proper control on a more energy-rich diet. I'm still hopeful and will quite likely repeat the diet and remove the rest of the weight and that would give me a much better chance of recovering pancreas function - if it's still a possibility for me.
Best of luck. I hope you stay with it.
Week 7 Day 44 Tuesday 23rd January. FBG 5.2 Weight 98.5kg
These good numbers have become quite routine now, an indication of how much has changed in just six weeks or so. I don't doubt now that I'll hit the 10kg weight loss in the next couple of weeks. I'm told I have to wear smaller clothes, again, and for once, the smaller sizes are comfortable. It's an odd feeling seeing the larger clothes and realising how much bulk I have reduced. My wife reminded me that I was carrying that around every step of every day. No wonder I seem to have more energy even on such a low intake. All good.
These good numbers have become quite routine now, an indication of how much has changed in just six weeks or so. I don't doubt now that I'll hit the 10kg weight loss in the next couple of weeks. I'm told I have to wear smaller clothes, again, and for once, the smaller sizes are comfortable. It's an odd feeling seeing the larger clothes and realising how much bulk I have reduced. My wife reminded me that I was carrying that around every step of every day. No wonder I seem to have more energy even on such a low intake. All good.
Week 7 Day 45 Wednesday 24th January. FBG 5.2 Weight 98.4kg
I'm resisting the temptation to reduce the meds again since the BG is mostly in the low 5s but I think I'll wait a little longer and have a chat with my GP at the end of week nine. Now that the BG is properly under control, I should be more concerned with maintaining the steady reduction in weight. There's a kind of psychological tendency to want to be off the meds, which appears as if it's some kind of 'cure', but as I know from experience, if it's going to come at all, that good state is the result of long-term change in the liver and pancreas so there's no short cut. Go with the flow and stick to the plan. Seems to be working for me.
I'm resisting the temptation to reduce the meds again since the BG is mostly in the low 5s but I think I'll wait a little longer and have a chat with my GP at the end of week nine. Now that the BG is properly under control, I should be more concerned with maintaining the steady reduction in weight. There's a kind of psychological tendency to want to be off the meds, which appears as if it's some kind of 'cure', but as I know from experience, if it's going to come at all, that good state is the result of long-term change in the liver and pancreas so there's no short cut. Go with the flow and stick to the plan. Seems to be working for me.
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MikeTheFid
Member
- Messages
- 8
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
