LOW CARB SUCCESS STORIES

[busydiabeticmum]

My weight loss is slow but steady (or slower than i would like!) Every now and then i hit a platue. Since starting the diet in june i have lost 19kg, i went feom a bmi of 33 to now 27 (i dont look at the decimals tbh) i went from obese to over weight. I exercise and can say am seeing a massive improvement. I have started drinking vinegar at night to help speed weight loss and tackle dawn phenomena... only just started so will have to let you know how that goes if it works or not.

As to sustainable i have been on it since june... doing well, enjoying it, have energy... i know not all people can do it! Not all people fit into that box but i struggled to eat more than the 400 and looks as if before the diet i was only eating about 800 calories a day (and not loosing weight).

From may 2015 to june 2016 i was abke to loose the birth weight (started at 110kg down to my "normal" weight of 85kg) to be a healthy weight i have just 7kg more to loose! My waist (i have an ambilical hernia from having big babies) has shrunk by 19cm.

Vinegar doeant work! In fact my bloods are higher WITH the vinegar (6.8) than without (6.0) maybe there is something else at play too? I find that time of the month drives my blood sugars up even if i drink just water!!! This is so frustrating! It seems to start about a week before i "start" my blood sugars have sky rocketed! :-(

Does any other woman experience this too?
(Obviously not men not being sexist or anything ;-) )

 

[KevinPotts]

Just realised... not june. I started diet april the 2nd hba1c was in june, i didnt start seeing a proper weight loss until june though. First hba1c was 85 in feb, given result end of feb beginning of march, april researched lchf diet and reversal of diabetes as wasnt seeing much change in bgl on the diet they put me on. 6 weeks on lchf diet until 2nd hba1c.given result of 48 with a 1 month over lap and only 6 weeks on the diet so they agreed to re test in 3 months to make sure there was no over lap. There was a long time between doing hba1cs, getting results and speaking to the doctors.

But like i said it took a while to start seeing a weight loss (which was quite depressing). June i was 84kg.

Sorry for mix up as is really quite complicated.

But even with the slower weight drop than you wanted that A1C difference is excellent...you must have been so pleased


Sent from my iPhone using DCUK Forum

 

[busydiabeticmum]

But even with the slower weight drop than you wanted that A1C difference is excellent...you must have been so pleased


Sent from my iPhone using DCUK Forum

Suprised... and pleased yes... i didnt expect the diet to help so quickly, i am seeing a massive difference and on the road to healing but it has taken years to get here so will take a while to undo the damage!

 

[busydiabeticmum]

Noth blood pressures and blood sugars go down with chant....

Sorry but what is chant?

 

[KevinPotts]

Suprised... and pleased yes... i didnt expect the diet to help so quickly, i am seeing a massive difference and on the road to healing but it has taken years to get here so will take a while to undo the damage!

I'm so pleased for you Keep pressing on!


Sent from my iPhone using DCUK Forum

 

[debbiedoodles]

Hba down from 8.6 to 6.9 - yay! More work to do but going right way. Full results next week when see DN

 

[busydiabeticmum]

Lots of cultures have chant. Actually doing the chant yourself is important to the health properties of chant

In England, I think your monks and nuns have a kind of plain chant. For example, I hear a kind of chant in the Call the Midwife programs.

Buddhists have their own kinds of chant, ex.: http://www.sgi.org/about-us/videos/how-to-chant1.html

Muslim Bektashi Alevi, Turkey:

Albanian:

modern liturgical song whose lyrics were composed by 20th c. saint to 3 traditional chant melodies in Greek, here in Albanian:

same translated into Ukrainian:

Latin chant:

Terrerirem chants, here by a famous Byzantine composer, are composed of nonsense syllables, and can go on for hours as people meditate: https://youtu.be/KjLG2u6VVsg

A te re ri rem chant
to the Bulgarian Woman (his mother) written by the same 14th c. composer: https://youtu.be/1x7wrZWDiaU

Georgian chant has many schools and difference, but here is one: https://youtu.be/4K61xMHfzaY

Bosnian Mevlevi Dervish chant: https://youtu.be/WIaCUo-93JM

https://youtu.be/WIaCUo-93JM

Lol chant! I thought it was some new name for canabis or something ha ha ha. The alevi are a sect that i am not part of being from the opposition to them! Our fundamental principles are different! They discovered that the prayer itself reduces the risk of heart disease...

https://www.researchgate.net/public...onship_with_Autonomic_Nervous_System_Activity

The chanting that you shared is part of the sufi/shia sect which as a sunni is not part of our religion, the link above shows that the prayer itself is a healing! I dont have a problem with blood pressure just the sugars thanks but it will be interesting to test after i pray to see if it does anything to my sugars! Maybe by reducing the cortisal levels it does do something! I would say if you want to hear a chant that really touches the heart look for the fajr call to prayer in mecca, the eid takbeer or listen to the prayer itself! The prayer isnt chanting but the recitation and the words themselves calm and are used as "ruqyah". Any way off topic. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Mbaker]

Not quite a chant, but I mutter to myself "come on" when I am struggling with a workout. It does drive me on.

January 2015 HbA1c 134, 98 kg
March 2015 HbA1c 59 (2 x 500g Metformin), exercise and diet
Dec 2015 HbA1c 41 (2 x 500g Metformin), exercise and diet, 92 kg
March 2016 HbA1c 42 (1 x 500g Metformin), exercise and diet, 92 kg
June 2016 HbA1c 42 (1 x 500g Metformin), exercise and diet, 92 kg

 

[BenQuebec]

Hello everyone, I'm new to the forums, and thought I'd share my success story. First a brief autobio: I'm a 41 y/o male living in Canada. On January 29, 2016, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, with an A1C of 7.5. I'd recently taken a provoked hyperglycemia test, and my blood glucose was tested at 11.5 mmol/L. I immediately started looking for ways to beat this naturally, and found two solutions: (1) intermittent fasting (16:8) and (2) a low-carb diet. After 3 months of this, my A1C had fallen from 7.5 to 5.7; my blood pressure dropped from 150/100 to 125/83; my triglycerides dropped from 2.42 to 1.28, and my weight dropped from 273 pounds (124.1 kg) to 236 pounds (107.27 kg). Here I am nearly 6 months later, waiting for my next blood test to check my A1C and lipids. My blood pressure was 116/75 last night, and my weight is now at 217 pounds (98.6 kg), with a BMI of 27.9 (height is 6' 2").
I told my doc about the IF (intermittent fasting) and LCHF, told him my results and how I felt. I also confessed that I did this instead of taking metformin (as he'd prescribed). He said "not bad," and that with those results, he saw no reason for me not to continue. I love my new low-carb lifestyle. My wife is more tolerant than supportive, but at least she's not opposed. Either way, glad to be part of the team.

 

[Prem51]

Hi @BenQuebec and welcome to the forum. Good to hear that LCHF is working for you. Well done on your reductions in HbA1c and weight. Keep up the good work!

 

[busydiabeticmum]

Hello everyone, I'm new to the forums, and thought I'd share my success story. First a brief autobio: I'm a 41 y/o male living in Canada. On January 29, 2016, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, with an A1C of 7.5. I'd recently taken a provoked hyperglycemia test, and my blood glucose was tested at 11.5 mmol/L. I immediately started looking for ways to beat this naturally, and found two solutions: (1) intermittent fasting (16:8) and (2) a low-carb diet. After 3 months of this, my A1C had fallen from 7.5 to 5.7; my blood pressure dropped from 150/100 to 125/83; my triglycerides dropped from 2.42 to 1.28, and my weight dropped from 273 pounds (124.1 kg) to 236 pounds (107.27 kg). Here I am nearly 6 months later, waiting for my next blood test to check my A1C and lipids. My blood pressure was 116/75 last night, and my weight is now at 217 pounds (98.6 kg), with a BMI of 27.9 (height is 6' 2").
I told my doc about the IF (intermittent fasting) and LCHF, told him my results and how I felt. I also confessed that I did this instead of taking metformin (as he'd prescribed). He said "not bad," and that with those results, he saw no reason for me not to continue. I love my new low-carb lifestyle. My wife is more tolerant than supportive, but at least she's not opposed. Either way, glad to be part of the team.

Well done, i did the same with metformin, husband is tolerant rather than encouraging, but health needs to come first. Keep up the good work... well done again.

 

[KevinPotts]

Hello everyone, I'm new to the forums, and thought I'd share my success story. First a brief autobio: I'm a 41 y/o male living in Canada. On January 29, 2016, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, with an A1C of 7.5. I'd recently taken a provoked hyperglycemia test, and my blood glucose was tested at 11.5 mmol/L. I immediately started looking for ways to beat this naturally, and found two solutions: (1) intermittent fasting (16:8) and (2) a low-carb diet. After 3 months of this, my A1C had fallen from 7.5 to 5.7; my blood pressure dropped from 150/100 to 125/83; my triglycerides dropped from 2.42 to 1.28, and my weight dropped from 273 pounds (124.1 kg) to 236 pounds (107.27 kg). Here I am nearly 6 months later, waiting for my next blood test to check my A1C and lipids. My blood pressure was 116/75 last night, and my weight is now at 217 pounds (98.6 kg), with a BMI of 27.9 (height is 6' 2").
I told my doc about the IF (intermittent fasting) and LCHF, told him my results and how I felt. I also confessed that I did this instead of taking metformin (as he'd prescribed). He said "not bad," and that with those results, he saw no reason for me not to continue. I love my new low-carb lifestyle. My wife is more tolerant than supportive, but at least she's not opposed. Either way, glad to be part of the team.

Yours is an incredibly inspiring story...congrats....wifey....give him a hug and tell hubby...he's amazing


Sent from my iPad using DCUK Forum

 

[KevinPotts]

hmm, is husband tolerant?

Saw new internal medicine guy today and just when I was about to leave, asked him "Could someone like me do intermittent fasting?" and the dude actually answered "Jason Fung?" and I said yes. His answer was for someone my age with a complex of disorders and since the jury is out on Jason Fung, I could probably get away with skipping a meal while not stressed and while not in extreme weather and not if feeling at all faint. And by the way, I didn't have to lose weight so be cautious and weigh myself So, I have run into someone who actually knows about this.

That's great...so you can have a light dalliance with IF


Sent from my iPad using DCUK Forum

 

[busydiabeticmum]

hmm, is husband tolerant?

Saw new internal medicine guy today and just when I was about to leave, asked him "Could someone like me do intermittent fasting?" and the dude actually answered "Jason Fung?" and I said yes. His answer was for someone my age with a complex of disorders and since the jury is out on Jason Fung, I could probably get away with skipping a meal while not stressed and while not in extreme weather and not if feeling at all faint. And by the way, I didn't have to lose weight so be cautious and weigh myself So, I have run into someone who actually knows about this.

Yes he is tolerant... i am an incredibly strong minded and obstinate woman (to a fault), he is watching me do something which means i dont eat with the family, or even eat what they eat. He is watching me fasting and thr hardship that goes with it! He doesnt like me fasting this much, nor does he agree with my "extreme" diet of vlc, he will try to get me to eat more which is why i dont see him as being encouraging, nor does he research with me etc. He does however buy me what i ask for (if he is doing the shopping) and will stick to it even if i dont ask for it. (If i dont ask for diet coke he will still buy me some if he knows i have run out). it must be so hard for loved ones to be on the outside looking in, which if you think about it is what is happening, what must happen to succeed. He cant take this from me, nor can he make the fasting or diet easier. So yes my husband is brilliant, just human and so am i... pms may cloud my judgement some times and make it so that no body can do anything right, but it clears up (my mind too) and i just have to be more empathetic and not so selfabsorbed... which is hard when you are needing to concentrate on your food, weight and life choices etc.

 

[busydiabeticmum]

I enjoyed both your posts. I was actually questioning myself over whether my husband, who does not cook nor prep for cooking nor shop for anything but basics (milk, eggs, agribusiness apples, bread I won't eat and when he goes wild and only if I ask celery and carrots in bags) is tolerant.

My next door neighbor and her husband go to each other's health appointments.

Lol, sorry, i had a terrible diabetes doctor who questioned our marriage because he is african and i am english... thus our different foods means we are incompatible!!! Also apparently he is forcing me into having kids (though my husband wanted to stop at 2).

He was sacked after this but was incredibly insulted before hand. My husband stopped coming to the appointments because we have no other support so both of us attending means having a gang of kids with us (who by the time we enter are bored) so he is more supportive staying with the kids than coming with me.

My husband is the healthy eater, the sort who struggles to put on weight so can eat junk (and needs to), he was the one who warned me over what i ate and tried to get me to exercise with him etc but he doesnt realise that i developed diabetes because of medication (though i would have done so later on in life through lifestyle anyway).

Any way as for the encouraging... he seems to be my downfall too! He boight the french cakes from london and bought me an empire burger last night! (It would have been rude to refuse) my blood sugars went up to 9 last night (without chips) but back down to the 5s this morning. He remembers my favourite foods and buys it for me, even if i cant eat it any more so is my temptation too.

 

[Wraakian]

I have been on low carb food now for almost a year and when I am strict with myself my blood glucose levels remain low. I am finding it difficult however to find alternatives when I get fed up of just eating meat, fish, green vegetables and berries. I mix flax seed and chia seed for my breakfast every day and combine these with all sorts of things such as berries, mixed fruit, cocoa powder, plain yoghurt, cream and milk. On looking for other things to add to my diet I find everything that is made for the low carb market is extremely expensive for what you get. Things like low carb granola come in the smallest packages which are only half filled and cost a fortune especially when I am also purchasing the main breakfast ingredients of flax meal and chia seed. I have also purchased low carb chocolate cakes and biscuits and again they are so very tiny and expensive! If I were to keep buying these products I'd go broke! Unfortunately everything in the supermarkets has over 50 grams of carbs per 100g of product and that spikes my glucose levels well above the norm. I am at a good weight at 11 stone for my height of 5ft 8" but fear that because I cannot see myself totally sticking to a low carb regime due to the real lack of reasonably priced good low carb cake and breakfast products in our supermarkets that my glucose levels will be constantly up and down rather than stable. I have seen more flax meal on the shelves lately so I am hopeful that more low carb alternatives might come from the big manufacturers like Kellogg's or Nestle rather than the less healthy products they currently produce.

 

[kangaroo@65]

Hi all
I have been diagnosed with T2 diabetes 12 years ago. For the past 4 years, my HbA1c had gotten worse, and in Oct 2015, the results come back with 12.4. As carbs tend to increase my BG, I reduced my carbs intake to less than 5% daily, sometimes 0%. My HbA1c went down to 6.5 in April 2016, and in July 2016, it is 6.1. My morning BG also drops to 4.8 to 5, however, if I am stressed out, my morning BG can jump to 7 to 10, so I have to be mindful of my stress levels.
I am targeting to achieve my HbA1c in November 2016 to 5.5. Besides food intake, I have daily exercise of 1 hour and are trying to maintain this daily activity intensity.

 

[Prem51]

Hi @kangaroo@65 Well done on reducing your bg levels. Keep up the good work and you should achieve your HbA1c target by November.

 

[Jamrox]

Hi folks , just want to say that I love these posts for helping me to get back in line after my holidays .
Your info is inspirational

 

[debbiedoodles]

I have been on low carb food now for almost a year and when I am strict with myself my blood glucose levels remain low. I am finding it difficult however to find alternatives when I get fed up of just eating meat, fish, green vegetables and berries. I mix flax seed and chia seed for my breakfast every day and combine these with all sorts of things such as berries, mixed fruit, cocoa powder, plain yoghurt, cream and milk. On looking for other things to add to my diet I find everything that is made for the low carb market is extremely expensive for what you get. Things like low carb granola come in the smallest packages which are only half filled and cost a fortune especially when I am also purchasing the main breakfast ingredients of flax meal and chia seed. I have also purchased low carb chocolate cakes and biscuits and again they are so very tiny and expensive! If I were to keep buying these products I'd go broke! Unfortunately everything in the supermarkets has over 50 grams of carbs per 100g of product and that spikes my glucose levels well above the norm. I am at a good weight at 11 stone for my height of 5ft 8" but fear that because I cannot see myself totally sticking to a low carb regime due to the real lack of reasonably priced good low carb cake and breakfast products in our supermarkets that my glucose levels will be constantly up and down rather than stable. I have seen more flax meal on the shelves lately so I am hopeful that more low carb alternatives might come from the big manufacturers like Kellogg's or Nestle rather than the less healthy products they currently produce.

Hi @Wraakian

I have been on low carb food now for almost a year and when I am strict with myself my blood glucose levels remain low. I am finding it difficult however to find alternatives when I get fed up of just eating meat, fish, green vegetables and berries. I mix flax seed and chia seed for my breakfast every day and combine these with all sorts of things such as berries, mixed fruit, cocoa powder, plain yoghurt, cream and milk. On looking for other things to add to my diet I find everything that is made for the low carb market is extremely expensive for what you get. Things like low carb granola come in the smallest packages which are only half filled and cost a fortune especially when I am also purchasing the main breakfast ingredients of flax meal and chia seed. I have also purchased low carb chocolate cakes and biscuits and again they are so very tiny and expensive! If I were to keep buying these products I'd go broke! Unfortunately everything in the supermarkets has over 50 grams of carbs per 100g of product and that spikes my glucose levels well above the norm. I am at a good weight at 11 stone for my height of 5ft 8" but fear that because I cannot see myself totally sticking to a low carb regime due to the real lack of reasonably priced good low carb cake and breakfast products in our supermarkets that my glucose levels will be constantly up and down rather than stable. I have seen more flax meal on the shelves lately so I am hopeful that more low carb alternatives might come from the big manufacturers like Kellogg's or Nestle rather than the less healthy products they currently produce.

Could you try your hand at baking? There are some easy recipes to follow online for almond muffins, biscuits and scones and many freeze well, I've also made coconut macaroons and flax biscuits to have with cheese and peanut butter or other dips etc. Check out a member on this site called Elena who has a great website www.diabeticgoodbaking.com
Also milled flaxseed in home bargains if you have a store near you.
Debbie