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Have I done a really silly thing?

Merrylizard1314

Well-Known Member
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A few years ago I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes with a likelihood of going on to develop T2D within 5years if no changes were made.
I was 125kg at the time, and though I felt myself to be active, with gardening, swimming and daily walks and eating what I thought was a healthy diet, fruit, vegetables, whole grain foods, legumes, eggs, fish, cheese, butter, pasta, bread( home made), rice, this was not enough to fend off the imminent threat of T2D.
However I did some investigation, found Professor Taylor and the Newcastle Diet, and also this forum. I completed the ND, with pleasing results, except that I had an episode of a-fib, which turned out to be due to very low magnesium.
Since then, IF- thank you forum for leading me to Dr Fung- low carb, Keto and OMAD- thank you, CherryAA, have led me out of the dangerous territory of almost T2D.

I apologise for this long preamble, but the upshot is that my weight stabilised at around 64kg, my BGLs were 5 and more usually around 3.9-4.8 and my HbA1c was 38/39 mmol/mol. The very last thing to normalise was blood pressure, which stabilised at 113/68 p 56,

I have a very good friend who has had T2D for 12 years, but has not let it alter her lifestyle. While interested in my journey, she would always say that it would be too hard for her to give up her favourite foods and sweets, she doubted her willpower, and anyway, she was too set in her ways to change. Recently, her arthritis has worsened, and her eyesight too, due to diabetic retinopathy. I was concerned to see her in a depressed state and eating comfort food, so I made a kind of deal with her, that if she would eat the sort of food I was eating, then I would eat her usual food. And we would see what eventuated.

Amazingly, because I had expected my friend to be complaining and hankering after her former treats, she just ate what was in essence a lowcarb diet with the emphasis on nutrition density with no complaints at all. In a little over 2 months, she has lost weight, reduced her HbA1c from 57mmol/mol to 49mmol/mol and her BGLs from 12 to 7mmol/l. She often has BGLs in the 5 to 6 range now and it is so good to see her progress so enthusiastically. She is like a different woman, or rather, she is like my old friend again.

On the other hand, I have put on 20 kilos, and my FBGL is now 9-11.
This has been a great shock to me. I expected to put on a few kilos, but I thought it would be relatively easy to get back into shape, but instead I am once more in the danger zone. My clothes do not fit, I have bulgy bits, and I feel tired a lot.
So, how silly was it to do this?
Of course I am determined to get back to my own normal ways, without the pasta, pizzas,biscuits, cakes, fizzy drinks ice creams etc,. that comprised my friend's way of eating, but I am a little frightened to be in this territory again, and have begun a 48 hour fast to begin with, after which OMAD seems to be the way back.

I am so glad this forum exists. I have benefitted a great deal from the wisdom of its members.
 
Was it silly? Uh, yeah. You could call it that. But hopefully you'll be able to get back on track and your friend will stick with the new diet. If not, you certainly put yourself at risk for her well-being, which I do hope she appreciates.

I wish I had friends who would be willing to do silly things for me like that. ;)

On to low carb, and away, bulgy bits!
 
You made a great sacrifice for your friend and that is to be commended but and there is always a but your own health must be your priority now is the time to try and get back to your old way of eating it is always a little harder the second time round but with perseverance things I am sure will come right once more and you will soon be back on track so don't panic ditch the carbs once more you know from experience you don't need them. Best of luck though luck shouldn't come into it.
 
Hi @Merrylizard1314, Your bet with her worked! I am sure she would not wish to swop back so it seems fair that you can now 'revert' to your low carb diet. All points have been proven, honour has been served.
In every bargain there is the risk, and there are outcomes.You can retire your French tyre company logo and return to the racing bike brand !!
I am reminded of the soundtrack to Chris Isaak's "Baby, Did a Bad, Bad Thing" !! If you enjoy the music you can ignore the lyrics !!
 
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Hi@JoKalsbeek,@JohnEGreen, @Numan,@kitedoc,
Thank you for your reassuring words. I am beginning to think that yes, it was not all that sensible, to eat so much rubbish, but my friend really is on the right track now. She may even join this forum, although she is a bit of a technophobe. I am looking forward to my fast, which begins tomorrow, no, today, it is after midnight and still hot outside.
I am wondering exactly how long it will take to shed 20kg and to be out of T2D country.
I am thinking less than 30 days, I certainly do not need more than 20g carbs to be healthy, as you say, @JohnEGreen, and I intend to banish the Michelin podginess aussitôt que possible,@ kitedoc. And@jJoKalsbeek, thank you.
 
I don't think I would dare try that, you must be younger than me! I've been morbidly obese for over 20 years and drugged up on carbohydrates all that time. I have just had an epiphany with low carb high fat, in the past few weeks, and I don't think I will go back. I used to say I was a dead cert to fail on any diet, but now I'm not so sure. I know it's early days but I think this should be sustainable for me.

I am so glad your friend found a way to better health with your help, and hope you will recover your health too - let us know how you get on!
 
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So, how silly was it to do this?
Very! You will have seen discussions in the past about "reversing" type II, I like to call it "in remission" because you can't go back to the way you were, diet wise. I hope you return to your "normal" "type II in remission" state.

By the way, I'm not against a little treat every now and again, although even that will affect my every day BG.
 
@Merrylizard1314

Yes, you have done a very silly thing because you had your diabetes under good control and now you haven't. Although you know you can get back again.

You have also done a very brave thing because you risked your own health to help a friend.

So as long as you can get back your good control and get back to your previous weight without any complications then it counts as a win, I think.

However I would not recommend this as something for anyone else to do.
 
Merrylizard, I don't know about silly but it was a ridiculous thing to do and foolhardy. I do understand you were 'helping' your friend but why on earth would you 'poison' yourself? Glad to see you're trying to get back on track though! x
 
Thank you @Merrylizard1314, I would caution against too rapid a weight loss.
Our bodies ned time to adapt to changes.
How about a more modest target of 2.5 kg per week?
The extra time to get to target is not crucial and there might be more risk of 'wobbles' in your weight with the more precipitant approach.
Just from what I have read about experiences of dieting and weight loss.
Best Wishes.:):):)
 
Yes. With a capital F.

Possibly the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard of. You effectively gave yourself diabetes as part of a game. While your intentions may have been honourable, they were in fact unbelievablely reckless. I’m going to asume that you possibly don’t fully understand the seriousness of diabetes or what it does to the body. If you did, you most assuredly would not have done this.

As someone who has experienced the cold reality of complications through late diagnosis, I actually find this offensive. I’ll get over it, but...gosh...mind blowing.
 
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@ipscloud Don't know if I am older than you, or if that matters at all. I am glad that you have set yourself on the lowcarb path, and I do urge you to keep an awareness of your end goal whatever that might be. And it is sustainable and becomes even easier with time. My friend had been quite overweight for a long time, and she had been imagining that she would be giving up pleasant foods that she 'deserved' if she began eating from my food lists. But she actually realised, as you possibly have already, that she deserved to give herself more nutritional foods that would enable her to function in a better way.
When I began, I knew there would be consequences, but had not realised the speed. Now I think I will need to be extra vigilant for a while until I am back to what my idea of normal is.
I wish you well on your journey
 
@ipscloud Don't know if I am older than you, or if that matters at all. I am glad that you have set yourself on the lowcarb path, and I do urge you to keep an awareness of your end goal whatever that might be. And it is sustainable and becomes even easier with time. My friend had been quite overweight for a long time, and she had been imagining that she would be giving up pleasant foods that she 'deserved' if she began eating from my food lists. But she actually realised, as you possibly have already, that she deserved to give herself more nutritional foods that would enable her to function in a better way.
When I began, I knew there would be consequences, but had not realised the speed. Now I think I will need to be extra vigilant for a while until I am back to what my idea of normal is.
I wish you well on your journey

Thanks Merrylizard, re. age I was thinking it's something I would maybe have done in the flush of youth, but on the wrong side of mid-fifties, and beginning to experience diabetic complications, I've now researched and chosen my path very carefully and will not knowingly play around with the parameters.

Lapsing is a different matter, I'm a lifelong sufferer of binge eating disorder and chronic overeating, so while I have not yet had any urge to lapse on intermittent fasting and LCHF, it would be unrealistic to say it won't happen in the future. I wouldn't change up what I'm doing to see if it started harming me again, or to prove a point to another person, because I already know the answer. My family, colleagues and friends do too. They're all completely aghast at the difference in me after a few short weeks of LCHF and intermittent fasting and that example alone is enough for many of them to start doing their own research.
 
Yes. With a capital F.

Possibly the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard of. You effectively gave yourself diabetes as part of a game. While your intentions may have been honourable, they were in fact unbelievablely reckless. I’m going to asume that you possibly don’t fully understand the seriousness of diabetes or what it does to the body. If you did, you most assuredly would not have done this.

As someone who has experienced the cold reality of complications through late diagnosis, I actually find this offensive. I’ll get over it, but...gosh...mind blowing.

If I ever feel tempted by the carb monster again, I'm just going to look at your avatar, Jim!
 
Yes, you have been silly, but as others have said, you've made a big change for the better once before and you can do it again, and you need to look after your own health closely now. But do I find what you did offensive? No, I am actually in awe that someone would care enough for their friend to risk their own health by doing what you did - and it has worked: she is on the right track and that must be a wonderful feeling for you. We only have what you have written about your friend's state of mind to go on - she might have been in a far worse state than you have said - and so, apart from saying that it was very silly (and which you have acknowledged) we should not judge too harshly the steps you have taken. Best of luck :)
 
@Resurgam yippee indeed! I am ready to be whisked back.
@DavidGrahamSmith, yes, I do understand about being carb intolerant forever, but I am ready to live with that. What are your little treats? Mine are a few berries picked from the bushes, a fig, succulent and still warm from the sun and pecan halves sandwiched with butter.
@LittleGreyCat getting back is my priority, which is why I am halfway through a 48 hour fast as my first step. I never thought of my action as brave or anything but a stratagem that would let my dear friend experience a different way. The very best thing is that my friend is wholly committed now, and that is so wonderful to witness.
@kitedoc there will, I think, be far more wobbles from the bulgy bits.
@ Jim Lahey I am so sorry that my action was offensive to you.and yes, in retrospect, it was reckless, however, I can say that it was my realisation of the danger my friend was in with her consistently high BGLs in the organ damage zone, that prompted my proposal of food swapping. Thanks for the F...... I hear you,
@Sue192 thank you , I am so pleased that my friend is off and running now (not lit
 
erally, but not to be discounted for the future). My thoughts were that it takes a while for Diabetes to develop, so my sudden change of diet and activity would not have too much impact, and I had been free of pre-diabetes for so long that any consequences would be minimal. So it was a big shock to see what actually happened and I now think that I had become carb/sugar intolerant and my body's response was "Quick! Let's hide all this stuff in the fat cells! Oh no! Faster! It's spilling into the bloodstream now!" And I was using so much energy doing these internal management tasks that I began to feel tired more and more.
 
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