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Low Carb Forum - Facebook

I know what you mean. You see these things in passing and then forget where you saw them.

Obviously there are drawbacks with internet based support as @VashtiB points out. And then there is “apathy” amongst some patients as @HelenHak points out . But if it helps just a few then it’s good. The problem we seem to be having at my surgeries is the expense of venue and availability of individuals to run a drop in type support group along the lines that @Debandez is running. A Low Carb or even T2 type private Facebook forum such as the one in Morecambe is appealing in the sense that there are no overheads or running costs except people’s time either voluntarily or otherwise.

If you do locate it then please let me know.
 
Resurgam said:
There is at least one group on Facebook for low carb eating - not to control diabetes though I have mentioned it, but for weight loss and some PCOS and other medical problems.
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Is it run by an NHS surgery?
 
Resurgam said:
No it is international and huge.
I somehow can't connect NHS surgery and the word 'doing' - in my experience the two just don't mesh at all.
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Some do though.
 

I am a practice Health Champion. I have had a great deal of success with managing my own T2 but am not medically qualified in any way. The Practice has many Health champions for various health issues and I was asked to be the T2 one. I was keen to share my experiences and recipes as I had been completely alone when diagnosed and this forum set me on the right path for me.
Tonight, the new Diabetes nurse is coming to talk to us. I hope that we get a good turnout and that she is onboard with the LCHF approach. We will see.....
We have no running costs as the local British Legion let us have a room for free, which was arranged with the help of the Practice.
 
Fantastic.
 
An update after the meeting...the new diabetes nurse is fully on board with the LCHF message and I think she will be a great help to everyone. About ten people came, which was a relief. Good news indeed.
 
This group is growing. It has 171 members now including me. The GPs at the surgery appear to support the Low Carb Forum and amazingly there is at least one GP who is an active member.

I assumed it was a forum that is closed to the patients in the region only. But it isn’t.
 
HelenHak said:
An update after the meeting...the new diabetes nurse is fully on board with the LCHF message and I think she will be a great help to everyone. About ten people came, which was a relief. Good news indeed.
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Out of interest how did you get the meeting marketed?
Although you would think it would be of interest, our local diabetes group really struggles to get people to talks! Having more success with a diabetes walking group which tends to bond well on What's App and we've broadened our approach into a chat post walk which focuses on nutrition and exercise.
It has been simple to fund this as local authority was happy to let us have a room for free at our leisure centre. The difficulty remains in getting enough type 2s interested in what is a fairly radical approach for most and runs contrary to the 'low fat, healthy wholegrains' advice commonly dished out by surgeries and the media....As non clinicians we are also not allowed to be seen to be giving dietary advice! We also found that it would be best to get an NHS insider involved so I am glad you've got a friendly nurse with time to attend your meetings.
 
This is the idea behind exploring the Low Carb Facebook group idea, to enable surgery patients to participate without requiring them to attend at a specific time or having to organise / pay for a venue. Having a low carb friendly GP on board such as at Bay Medical Group helps too and one avenue we are seeking to explore aswell.
 
Yes, i understand the FB idea to be a non threatening way to get support and that you need endorsement from a person within the surgery. I think there are some issues around contacting those with type 2 who haven't requested an invite to join such a group under the GDPR rules so the idea needs excellent marketing and promotion in order to get voluntary sign ups. Very sad that there are a number of people who will never use FB or this forum and will therefore be dependent on conventional advice delivered by GPs and nurses who are most familiar with pharmaceutical options. You can't even get those horses to water let alone make them think!
 
I agree, there will certainly be those that cannot be brought on board come what may.
 

Nice works @NicoleC1971 ..and you too @Listlad

now while i am not disparaging your attempts

i do find it jarring that every things seems to swing around FB these days
.(did like your whats-app walking group..excellent stuff)

personally do not trust it, nor wish to be on it. (Cambridge analytica, anyone )
most possibly the minority, TBH..put hey ho.

My surgery posts up my tests score etc,
would it be too difficult for THEM to run such a forum without FB involvement.

maybe a fool but i would trust such a thing, and participate.
Most forums once set up and with moderation tend to run themselves...(almost)

Could easily see such a forum having a section for new ideas, links to others (Dr Unwin comes to mind)
and most probably given the need, doing what THIS forum does..but on a much smaller scale.

Now i think of it, i wonder if such a forum at surgery level, would simply, like in football, be a feeder group for the forum itself.

i see an individual, joining nervously, finding their feet pretty quickly, being encouraged and then joining in here as a full member, then dipping back into the surgery one to aid those new to it.

I guess the question is are we trying to reinvent the wheel, when this forum is already up and running, just needs surgeries to advice and advertise it better..?
 

I'm with you on hating Facebook, but it's a jolly good means of keeping track of family, but to my point, most people have Facebook. The proportion of folks using handheld devices, and therefore Apps is fast outstripping laptop and browser application.

I found that amazing, but I believe it.

Many folks are resistant to downloading a new app, signing up and so on, whereas, joining a closed group on Facebook I saw very simple.
 
You throw up some key points there. And I agree with all of them. However there are several other points that I will get back to you on later.
 
good points, but forums as in this one can be on apps..if the will is there,
but perhaps again thats making work when a serviceable alternative is ready and waiting.

@Listlad , thamks, but i do realise the world revolves around FB for many
and getting people on board IS important, however we do it.

it just isn't for me, but i'm ok..(jack)
it's all the others that don't won't or can't access the medium.
( i think of the online banking geared up to the more senior members)

while not generalising too much being a silver surfer myself..
i would think many who perhaps are most LIKELY to be diagnosed, may well fall into the 'older' group
like myself, and while i know many on here, are well versed in weblife, i am reminded of friends of a similar age, who seem to take pride in there phone ONLY ringing..a puzzle to me, as a tool SHOULD do as much as possible in my eyes.
so if a gadget does ABC AND xyz..why would you only use A..and not get the most out of it. ?

hence why i believe for many FB is relevant and a good-ish choice, but for others a more leading role via the surgeries would, imho be a more suitable option., but then we do get bogged down in specifics of how, etc.

for those willing and able, a direct link to DCUK would be the most useful solution in aiding treatment of the T2 epidemic and inform many more then we currently do..IF only we had concerted effort to tackle this..but that does seem a long way off.

again praising the idea and traction you got so far all..marvellous effort, just reminding that many may still get left behind, sadly.
 
I too would love the HCP's to come on board with this agenda to help their patients take control. Sadly, in GP world there is an overiding regime that declares sites such as this as being purveyors of unsafe and dangerous advice, and I was specifically warned never to use Dr Google or DCUK in particular, although I was given the DUK details. That was 4 years ago admittedly, but even now my GP cannot and will not give any support to this site, but he gets round it by telling me to carry on doing whatever it is I am doing since it is working. He is quite amazed at my progress, and says I am the only T2D in his list that has reduced their diabetes markers back to the reversed or resolved status. I wonder why? - it is obvious he is not changing his advice to them away from EATWELL. But he supports me on my journey, and I hope one day he will recognise that T2D is no longer a progressive disease that leads to insulin treatment.

Again, I think many of his clients are indeed silver surfers, and may get confuddled by technology. I myself use a steam powered Nokia with no frills attached because I need it to do what it says on the tin, and no more. I have a laptop for the interesting stuff.
 

Of course a forum can be in an App, DCUK has several, covering the forum, Low Carb Prog, Hypo Programme and the not yet published T1 Prog, but people have to download it, create a sign in, and someone has to manage it, even if they are using one of the biggies, like Xenforo or ProBoards.

Folks, by and large, people are lazy and will take the route of least resistance. The DCUK Apps appear near the tops of searches o

If it's on Facebook, they likely already have the web or app, so no download. They already have a log in, so no need to work that bit out, but just have to either search for the group, on a platform they have probably searched lots before, finding friends and family.

Those are just my views of course.
 

I too struggle to get people to come along. As well as my support group a retired doctor with T2 gives a talk each month at the surgery. The new nurse is going to give a flyer for my group to her patients which should help. I post on FB in several villages and towns but most of my group are not even online!
 
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