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I've Done It...

Ellenw

Well-Known Member
Messages
53
Location
Scotland
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Rudeness, spitting, dog poop on the pavement
3 months into my diagnosis of type 2 I have been following LCHF.. I have lost 1 and 1/2 stone and my HBA1C has come down to 43 from 70...

My liver function is normal (I'm guessing that means my fatty liver is improving???)

I still have a high cholesterol of 7.2 and the GP is on at me to go on statins..But I won't...

I'll stick with the metformin 500mg twice a day for now and continue LCHF...

I'm pretty delighted...
 
Yay! Well done!
 
Your cholesterol may come down all on it's own, it does sometimes go up when you have recently lost weight.

One thing I noticed recently when I was renewing my travel insurance, the question was 'have you ever been advised to take statins? ' Wow! Not 'are you taking statins? Now almost every diabetic in the UK will have been offered statins because 'they' want our TC levels to be below 4.0 which is an unhealthy level because it is too low. What a con! We have to pay extra for our insurance because the health authorities are trying to wrongly push statins onto us! I haven't been advised to take statins, I was simply asked if I wanted them, and I haven't been asked since, so I honestly replied 'No. my doctor says my cholesterol level is fine'

Edit: my Total Cholesterol level was 7.8 before I was diagnosed as T2, and no HCP back then even mentioned statins to me.

2nd Edit: I did give you a Winner rating...but I forgot to say 'Well done' in my post...so Well done!!!
 
Last edited:
Well done in all changes.
Liver improvement helps you lose weight. Great improvement if your liver function was showing higher enzyme output.
 
Congratulations and well done on your results @Ellenw youre doing really great. I stopped Metformin when hbaca1 down to 33 but know @Rachox is still taking them alongside lchf - it’s a personal decision. I just couldn’t continue with them it wasn’t down to a particular choice I just had unbearable digestive symptoms when I fasted on 23/1 - one meal a day- although hadn’t had severe probs before but some erratic side effects so I know I’m definitely better off without it!
Well done you
 
Very well done Ellen! As @shelley262 says I’m continuing my Metformin despite my HbA1cs being consistently in the mid 30s now. I know it has other benefits so although I’m discussing reducing it at my next review next month, I want to stay on a low dose. I found it suppresses my appetite which helps with portion control and weight loss. I believe my diet has a far bigger impact on my bloods sugars than the tablets. I have zilch side effects from it and I take vitamin B 12 as a precaution as Metformin is known for causing B12 deficiency. Here’s an interesting article about the added benefits of Metformin:
http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2001/9/report_metformin/Page-01
 

thank you..I won't go back on statins - as you say they may well come down a bit...
 

Thank you - yes I am not unhappy about the metformin - the statins are another matter and I am loathe to take them
 
Ellenw said:
I still have a high cholesterol of 7.2 and the GP is on at me to go on statins..But I won't...
Click to expand...

Do you have the HDL/LDL/Trigs breakdown?

Statins are supposed to lower LDL, but high LDL should be considered in context and it has been found that for atherosclerosis to occur, oxidised LDL is required - LDL cholesterol on its own won't produce atherosclerosis. The large amount of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids found in seed oils do the oxidising job very capably, which is why they should be avoided.

LDL level is not regarded as a good indicator of heart health. Low Trigs seem most important, and the ratio Trigs/HDL is thought to give a good indication of heart health. This is discussed elsewhere on this forum...

Butter, animal fats and unheated quality olive oil are good for improving cholesterol health markers.

Well done on your progress!!!
 
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