Just had my first HBA1c reading since diagnosis. GP (different one from the original) looked at me and said "What have you done? How have you achieved this?" when he told me that my HBA1c is now 40 - in other words, back in the non-diabetic range!He was very interested in the LCHF way of eating and has said he's going to look into it. He told me to carry on doing what I'm as it is obviously working!
Hi, I started cutting down on carbs when I was diagnosed as type 2 in early 2016. However, it wasn't until I went on the blood sugar diet in Jan 18 that I became more consistent, stopping eating all bread, wheat products, pasta rice and potato. I was delighted to lose 2.5 stone over that 8 weeks. Since then I've still kept off those carbs, most of the time, enjoying my new found taste for artichokes, celeriac and really not missing the other foods. My weight has stayed the same - although I have been hoping to lose more.We have endless debates and arguments about what constitutes a healthy diet. It seems one man's carb is another man's poision.
One common concern, however, is that newly diagnosed visitors will get mixed messages from the conflicting opinions. I have therefore decided that it's time for a wee census. I know of many members who have gained control of their condition by adopting a low(er) carb diet, but then found no further use for the forum, taken their normal blood sugars and disappeared. I would like us to gather statements from diabetics who have found success by restricting their carbohydrate intake, by whatever amount.
So please let us know if you have succeeded in managing your diabetes by restricting your carbs.
If you can supply before and after figures for diet, blood sugar readings, HbA1c, weight, weight or lipids it will all help to build a picture of how real people are getting on.
Oh, and the arguments won't be tolerated here but can be continued elsewhere!
All the best,
fergus
Fantastic achievement I hope you get a good result for all your hard work. Whatever it is you are definately healthier than you were before so that in itself is your rewardHi all quick update. Went for weigh in and had lost another 7.2Kg, that's 2 1/2 stone in 2 months. I've also got my Bg down from 16.6 to an average 4.5 in 7 days. I'm still on 18/6 fasting but have reduced my carbs again to 5% per day. I have my diabetes Mot next month and also bloods so will keep you posted on results.
Brilliant results extremely well done.Hi all quick update. Went for weigh in and had lost another 7.2Kg, that's 2 1/2 stone in 2 months. I've also got my Bg down from 16.6 to an average 4.5 in 7 days. I'm still on 18/6 fasting but have reduced my carbs again to 5% per day. I have my diabetes Mot next month and also bloods so will keep you posted on results.
Thanks for that @jayney27 getting there slowly.Fantastic achievement I hope you get a good result for all your hard work. Whatever it is you are definately healthier than you were before so that in itself is your reward
Thanks for that @bulkbiker looking forward to my blood results later this month.Brilliant results extremely well done.
Whoppee - congratulations and well done to you. great too that you’ve shocked the dr with your three month turn around. Bear in mind too that at beginning of period your bgs would have been higher so if you carry on then your next hbaca1 will be even lower to reflect your current much lower bgs.I've done it HbA1c down to 41 yes FORTY ONEwas 82! Also 4 stone weight loss all in 3 months. My Dr cannot believe it! All by LCHF and fasting.
Thanks for all the help.
VERY HAPPY
Ps why not set up your own success story thread about this especially as you’ve had the condition for a while and were progressing to higher level meds could inspire many on here who are on that path and looking for a belief that it may be possible with lCHF and fasting this would be seen by more as a stand alone than in this mixed feedI've done it HbA1c down to 41 yes FORTY ONEwas 82! Also 4 stone weight loss all in 3 months. My Dr cannot believe it! All by LCHF and fasting.
Thanks for all the help.
VERY HAPPY
Thanks @shelley262 cant wait for my Dn to see the results (she is off till Monday) She was a bit against LCHF at the start but she is pleased with the way things are going especially the weight loss.Whoppee - congratulations and well done to you. great too that you’ve shocked the dr with your three month turn around. Bear in mind too that at beginning of period your bgs would have been higher so if you carry on then your next hbaca1 will be even lower to reflect your current much lower bgs.
Lovely too to confound the medics !
Celebrations on the cards.......
Re: Success stories
Hi All,
This is my first post; I have been lurking here since April, decided to register yesterday to make this post. My name is Alan and I am 46 yrs old.
I went for one of these glucose tolerance test thingys last December, the doc said in a very nonchalant way that I had just failed the test and was now diagnosed type 2 diabetic. He gave me the results: 7.2 fasting and 12.1 after 2 hours. Then he explained what the numbers meant and that I had only just failed. This meant to me that I will just take another one in 6 months and then I would pass. Of course he said it doesn’t work like that. I nearly fell of my chair; I couldn’t believe it (I was obviously suffering from cretinopathy ). Anyway after 5 minutes of him waffling on about government guidelines and what not, he sent me away with a small piece of paper detailing the usual exercise more, lose weight, eat less fat, more fruit veg and whole grains blah, blah, blah (No mention of self testing). I was already eating half a loaf of wholegrain bread a day plus a shed load of cereals, an equivalent 8 portions of fruit and juices, and hardly any meat. On diagnoses, my weight was 150Kg, with a morbidly obese BMI of 43. I never suspected carbohydrates were all that fattening. Naïve, idiotic, foolish me .
A week later I made an appointment with the DN. She said the same as that tiny slither of paper. (No mention of self testing). Tests for kidney and liver function were sound.
I cut back on total calories to about 2000. Started walking about 2 miles a day.
April came and I felt like I was dying. As well as starving, I was tired all the time, stomach cramps, going toilet more than 3 times a day (IBS maybe). I felt very weak, light headed, blurred vision and burning sole on my right foot. Also I was suffering from Acid reflux. I had lost 10 Kilos in weight though which was not bad. April was the date of my first blood tests and my first HBA1c (6.4). I asked the DN is there anything that she could suggest to remedy the above problems. She told me that I probably am not eating enough, my jaw nearly dropped to the floor. I said 2000Kcals are enough surely (I still want to lose weight). She checked my foot for neuropathy, and said it was ok. She then went on to mention statins and metformin. When I refused to entertain either of these she went on to say that eventually I would have to go on drugs and then finally insulin, because diabetes is a progressive disease (she was very insistent, almost like she was trying to punish me :twisted: ). I said like hell am I going on insulin. She basically scared the hell out of me. I hate drugs and needles. I trust drug companies about as much as I trust capt Darling with the economy. I decided I have got to do some of my own research.
I got myself a meter and some test strips. My fasting BS was up to 7.5-8, my after meal (2hrs) reading was anything from 10-15. I researched diabetes on the internet. That is when I first came across this excellent website. I read all the threads especially the ones on carbs and “the cure”. After researching low-carb all over the web, I got a copy of Atkins New Diet Revolution. Before I would try to low-carb though, due to my paranoia I thought I would try to find the evidence against eating “artery clogging saturated fat”. I could not find any real proof that saturated fat was evil.
So I decided to cut right back on carbs (Atkins induction 20g/day). At that time I was more paranoid of drugs, than any negative effects of low-carb and the thought of sticking insulin needles in me, I was bordering on psychosis. Within 3 days my Acid reflux had disappeared and never had it since. My stomach cramps had gone. Fasting blood sugars of around 5. The downside was to come one week later when I got “Atkins flu”, only lasted for one week. After that my energy levels just exploded and so did my bowels, diarrhea like I had never known before. I just persevered with Atkins, this just had to work if I didn’t want to inject (is my paranoia showing?). It took nearly three weeks to get back to normal. I decided to put all that energy to use by doing jobs around the house/garden (the Mrs. is very happy ). I was never tired after a meal, unlike when I use to eat a high-carb meal I use to collapse in my armchair after dinner. I also started walking everywhere I could, plus more for pleasure, about 35 miles a week. NOTE: I only started Atkins due to my properly functioning kidneys. It is also worth noting that I started to drink a lot more water than normal, in fact about 3 litres a day. This is to flush out the nitrogen and other toxins caused by the increased gluconeogenesis that is required to fuel the parts of the body that can not use ketones or free fatty acids.
Now nearly 5 months I have been getting lower and lower fasting readings of between 4.2 and 4.7, no meter reading is greater than 5.3, at ANY time; in fact it generally is less than 5. Vision is normal and no burning foot. In fact I swear I have a lot more feeling in the soles of my feet now. I sleep much sounder now than since I was in my teens. I only need about 6-7 hours of continual sleep, whereas I used to need 8-9 hours of intermittent sleep. I have now lost a total of more than 30 kilos (BMI 33, yippee, getting there) eating 70% fat, 125g protein and approx 60g carbs daily (~2500Kcal). All cravings for carbs/sugar have gone the way of the dodo. I never feel hungry between meals anymore, I don’t even think of food anymore. Steadily losing about a kilo a week walking the 35 miles a week and I am now doing half an hour 4 days a week of yoga. I am going to start weight training when I have finished converting my garage into a gym. I don’t like exercising, I LOVE it.
I do supplement with a multivitamin, chromium, Omega 3 (EPA, DHA, ALA) and extra vitamin D and E. I have stopped eating all vegetable oils that are high in Omega 6 (Linoleic acid). The only oil I use is Extra Virgin Olive Oil for salads and light frying (mostly lard for frying). Very few nuts except for walnuts (better Omega 3/6 ratio). I try to get as close to a 1-1 ratio of the Omegas. No fast food, ready meals or any thing with artificial trans-fats at all. I eat cheese, butter and bacon along with all the fresh foods that there are, except high fructose and starchy fruits. I have not eaten so well in my life; I am fully satisfied at every meal. I do not eat any grains or starchy veg at all including legumes (a small portion of freshly picked garden peas are the exception). I tend to eat all cuts of meat, chicken and fish. Fresh veggys cooked in garlic butter or some other delicious low-carb sauce. Eggs are eaten daily. I am doing the dreaded Atkins (against the advice of my care team), but without any of his products or any other low-carb packaged pap. I like to think of it as a more natural way of eating. I cannot for the life of me know what all the negative press about Atkins or low-carb in general is all about. Is it the “BUT YOU NEED CARBOHYDRATES FOR ENERGY” nonsense? Or the “DIE OF A HEART ATTACK IF YOU JUST LOOK AT BUTTER” mentality?
I cannot describe how I feel now; all I will say is that it feels like I have at last found a healthy way to eat and live for the rest of my life. As corny as it sounds, I feel reborn, much younger and healthier. I have been on what must be at least a dozen different diets and lost weight, sometimes even more than what I have lost so far doing this. The difference this time is that I am NOT hungry doing this. The first month or so was hard what with “Atkins flu” and the exploding bowels, but persistence pays. I feel as I have reversed some of the insulin resistance due in part to the weight loss, but also I think the balance of the essential fatty acids and removal of all processed food/grains has gone a long way.
My last/first HBA1C in April was 6.4. Blood lipids: HDL 1.0, LDL 4.4, Trig 1.5. BP 140/80 and resting heartbeat 88. Now my BP is 105/65 and resting heart beat 60. I am due my next blood test in Oct/Nov. This hopefully will show an improvement, fingers crossed.
My ultimate goal is to get my weight down to 80 Kilos (BMI 23 - 6ft 2, I haven’t been 80Kg since I was 21), be active and build more muscle (at least retain as much as possible) so I can reverse as much of the insulin resistance as I can.
One final note: I know when people make their first post; it is usually to ask for help. The reason I have made this post is not to ask for any help but it is to thank you all for the helpful information that you have posted, because without this website and obviously caring people I would not have the control that I have, and I want you to know that you are very much appreciated not just by me but probably by lots of other “lurkers out there”.
Kind regards,
Alan
Hey, I might be Grainless, but at least I am happy!
Insulin, hmm the aging hormone? Please DO NOT ABUSE! Your life depends on it!
Thanks @shelley262 cant wait for my Dn to see the results (she is off till Monday) She was a bit against LCHF at the start but she is pleased with the way things are going especially the weight loss.
sometimes even after a meal it’s been in the 5’s, but my little machine says that’s low, is that correct?
If you are not taking any diabetes medication then a result in the 5's is perfectly normal not low.
I wonder if your meter is like mine where you can set targets for fasting, premeal and post meal. As meters are used for different types of diabetes with different meds, you may be able to change the target to suit your situation.
What's not working exactly?It doesn't work.....at least for me it seems to be failing.
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