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Hello!

P

piperjon

Newbie
Hi, long time unregistered lurker but didn’t really have a reason to join until recently. I’m type 2, diagnosed in 2010.

Currently on meds but after having a bit of a life event (cheeky little heart attack) I’m now seriously dedicated to trying to get off them.
Hbac tends to stick around 67. A little overweight but my main issue is working shifts and a very stressful job ( hence the MI). For the past few years I’ve watched the Newcastle diet with interest but due to my work I’ve never been able to tackle it. However, I’m changing in the new year and will be able to eat at regular times so I’m going to give it a go.

Last time I saw my GP it was him that suggested the Newcastle diet and I told him that I’d been trying to do it for at least a year. He referred me to a dietitian and last week I met with him. I went there all buoyed up and ready for a challenge. I came away with a leaflet on the Eat Well plate and was told my health board doesn’t support it. To say I was deflated is an understatement. However, I knew I had an appointment with my diabetic nurse this week so I’d seek her support. I left that even more disappointed- the Newcastle diet isn’t for diabetics I was told.

So, despite all of the ‘support’ I’ve had - come the new year, guess what I’ll be doing?

And I’ll hopefully be posting my progress here.

I just need to leave the mince pies and Baileys alone for the next 10 days...

Merry xmas all!
 

Good luck with the diet (and leaving the mince pies alone - probably even harder than the diet! Oh no they are kind of the same thing, aren't they?)

Please do post your progress when you do it.

If you find life/your job gets in the way, don't get discouraged, you could continue to "do it as best as you can", i.e. always focus on weight loss even if you need to eat more calories, or the 'wrong sort' of calories for a typical ND-style plan. Uncle Roy seems to think that weight loss is more important than the specific diet used to get there anyway.

Just one thought on your determination to "get off the meds" (which I totally get - I've just managed to get off Metformin): have you covered medication vs heart-attack risk with the doctor? As you say, the stress of your job could be the main factor in your MI, possibly also diet / lifestyle. Certain medications may not only have been reducing the risk, but may be beneficial even after you've had an MI.

Just as an example, some studies show that Metformin, for reasons not fully understood, may be a good thing for the heart. It's definitely worth making sure you've covered all the angles with your GP, and also reading up about things like that yourself, and decide on what you think will give you the best chances.
 
People who do the ND and post their progress every few days on this forum gets much better results than in the medical studies, therefore keep us updated with your progress, and you will do great.

You need to think about how you will control your weight once you have finished the ND. Some level of restriction of carbs and avoidance of all sugar seems to work best. Lots of people on this forum find that by reducing the carbs as much as is practical before starting the ND they find it easier. (But that is not a reason to delay starting ND, just to advoid suger and high carb food as much as posisble until the new year is over.)

If you don't have a blood glucose meter, get one, as tracking your own progress is a great way to motivate yourself.
 
Hi. I always advise newbies to avoid seeing the NHS dietician which seems ridiculous but so many don't have a clue about diet. There are a few who do think about what they are saying and give good, low-carb, advice but it's a lottery. I also have reservations about the ND. It started life as a diet for those waiting for bariatric surgery and does help. However it focusses on calories which are largely meaningless in the diet as our bodies aren't test furnaces. Much better for us to focus on lowering the carbs as they all turn to glucose in the body and are the main cause of weight gain (and not fat). So I would suggest following a low carb diet with enough proteins and fats to keep you feeling full. It becomes a diet for life and should achieve what you want.
 
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