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How do you deal with conflicting advice?

lorib64

Well-Known Member
Messages
111
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I have been on a ketogenic diet for 6 months. I was able to remove one medication, januvia. I still take metformin. My glucose is in control. I lose slowly, but I have lost 15 lbs and feel good.

I have people in my life who make comments, like that grains and fruit are healthy and I shouldn’t cut out food groups. I have a sweet tooth so I do eat things that are artificially sweetened and I hear how the sweeteners are unhealthy.

I am not planning on changing since this is working but they do make me question myself. They are not trying to cause doubt, just concerned that I am doing something that is unhealthy.
 
1, Go by your meter, this is the way.

2, Recent studies say artificial sweeteners are fine in moderation. See #1
 
I'm no expert lorib64, but I think that if your sugars are coming down/holding steady at a good figure, and you feel healthier, lighter (in the case of needing to be, and your energy levels have improved, then you are doing all the correct things for your body. People mean well, and worry for you of course when they don't understand your new way of life, but go by what YOU feel like. I hope that helps
 
I agree with Coby. Also, if you continue with your current regime you may find that your tastes change completely and you no longer want to have anything sweet.
 
People sometimes seem to be unhelpful when they say things like go on go on have another one, have another beer it won't do you any harm , and make out you're some sort of freak , I don't think they are being unkind they just don't understand diabetes ! Why would they unless they had it themselves ?
 
Do not worry about what your friends are saying. The foods they recommend are absolutely fine for non-diabetics. They are certainly not good for T2 diabetics. Carry on doing what you are doing - you are doing extremely well. Well done.
 
Very well done on your excellent progress so far.

I have found that developing 'La la ears' can be helpful when dealing with others.
 
I found some of my friends who have T2 diabetes but settled for still eating cake, sweets, chips, etc. and just upping their meds until they ended up on insulin are the worst - as if my decision to do low carb instead is a threat and they need to challenge me. Those and some of the GPs and nurses and the dietician who insisted I would make myself ill by cutting carbs. But I read the research, listened to some of Dr Unwin's talks and I know low carb works.
And there are enough people here who've done low carb for longer than me and they offer good advice and support.
 
Humans evolved not eating grain or fruit like those of today - which have all been created by selective breeding over a few thousand years.
How can foods which are so modern be essential?
By excluding most sugars and starches I felt so much better, so there was no argument as far as I was concerned.
After over 4 years eating low carb I now find that sugar free jelly is too sweet and so use plain gelatine instead, and I make icecream with peas or beetroot as they taste sweet to me.
 
First of all well done @lorib64 you’ve already done brilliantly in being able to reduce meds and losing weight.
I change my responses depending on how argumentative I feel! Sometimes I just say that I prefer to eat a whole food diet and cut out processed foods. No one can really object to that.
Other times I’ll say that my results speak for themselves. My HbA1c is now non-diabetic, I’m off all meds, weigh less and I’m fitter, healthier and happier than ever before.
I think the comments often come from a genuine concern perspective, but proving to friends and family that this is having such a positive effect on your life is surely going to help allay their fears.
It seems there is a lot of mainstream backlash about low carb/ keto being fad diets. It’s more than likely the big food companies pushing this idea as there’s no profit in it for them.
Stick to your guns.
 
jaywak this is sooo true!
Even my own mother didn't understand it yet she was a nurse at one time!
 
Just go by the empirical evidence that your meter supplies. It has no bias. And by the subjective results you personally see and feel. Anything else is just noise, you can find people on t’internet to support whatever view you want validating.

Other people are made very uncomfortable when they see you thriving on a diet that they utterly don’t want to adopt, because they only see the negatives - no sugar, no chips, no chocolate, no bread, for ever and ever. They can see it is working for you and it only confirms to them that their diet is awful, which they know, deep down, anyway. Hence denial and attack. People, innit! Do what’s right for you and ignore the nay sayers.
 
The entire world has been told that carbs are good and fat is bad for over half a century. The media repeat it at every opportunity. The ides that this might be wrong, and that the "obesity epidemic" might just possibly be related to this advice, doesn't seem to occur to people. I'm not surprised your friends are confused. There you are doing the "wrong" things and doing well on them. When this has happened to me I don't try to correct them (that's too big a job), but I do point out that I am a Type 2 diabetic and my system cannot deal with carbohydrate. I sometimes ask if they know much about Type 2 diabetes. That at least usually stops the "you should eat my idea of healthy food" line. The worst, though, are the T2s who don't even attempt to manage the condition and regard those of us who want to as a living reprimand.
 
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