LOW CARB SUCCESS STORIES

Hi I'm type 2 diabetic and on metformin, I have high blood pressure, I need to change my life style as I'm over weight as well.. Is a low carb diet what I need mixed reviews

Anna3969 said:

Hi I'm type 2 diabetic and on metformin, I have high blood pressure, I need to change my life style as I'm over weight as well.. Is a low carb diet what I need mixed reviews

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Many people's experience would say "yes" to low carb.

What are your misgivings from the reviews? My reading, & nearly 5 year low carb experience, indicates that the warnings against low carb are not substantiated. Diabetes UK have been warning against low carb for 10 years & still have no evidence to back up their warnings. Yes, I have read their documentation.

In particular, warnings relate to increased fat & protein at the expense of carbs, or if you do not compensate for carbs, hunder, constipation & lack of energy. I suggest you reduce carb progressively & see how you get on. Full fat cheese & whole milk & nuts - I use ground almonds & other nut "flours" as a replacement for wheat flour in cooking.

Mods - I suggest you move this Q & A.

T2 diagnosed 16 years.
Fine until July this year when hba1c scooted up to 67.
Went low carb, next hba1c in October was 41

T2 for 20+ years. Over that time my blood sugars look like a sawtooth as various remedies have worked for a while. For example I started cycling to work every day, this produced a big drop that eventually crept up again over next five years. Then metformin, helped for a while, then gliclazide which produced some improvement. Finally onto Levemir, eventually up to 60 & 60 daily. All this time a good result for me was anything under ten, seldom under 12. Things were inexerobably getting worse.
Last July, having seen an article in the Times, and read an article by a Swedish doc. whose name I can't recall, I changed to high fat, low carbs. Since then I've seen 10 about two or three times, usually after a special event. I've reduced the Levemir to 40/40. I've lost 3 Kg and my digestion which was troublesome has settled down. I enjoy a full fry-up breakfast.
My HBAiC last week was 40mmol/mol (5.8 in the old measurement).

Diagnosed just over a year ago. HBA1C 7. Fasting bs 8.0

Seen by a dietician. A waste of time until I joined a Forum and learnt that it was carbs that were the enemy.
I started to apply myself and slowly but surely reduced the foods which are harmful.
By mid-2012 my HBA1C 6.2. FBS mid-5's.
By Sept '12 my HBA1C 5.7 FBS 4-5's

I eat very low carb and more butter.
Hope with my next check-up my cholesterol is down from 6. A little concerned with all the butter.

It's very encouraging to read your low carb stories, but how low is low. How many carbs a day are we talking about? I would love to lose some weight (11st 2 lbs at the moment). I am 74 years old, have been diabetic since I was 33, and play golf 3 times a week, and walk briskly on my treadmill for at least 15 minutes per day, but still the weight stays. Any advice would be appreciated.

Incidentally I am Type l and have done DAFNE.

JMM said:

It's very encouraging to read your low carb stories, but how low is low. How many carbs a day are we talking about? I would love to lose some weight (11st 2 lbs at the moment). I am 74 years old, have been diabetic since I was 33, and play golf 3 times a week, and walk briskly on my treadmill for at least 15 minutes per day, but still the weight stays. Any advice would be appreciated.

Incidentally I am Type l and have done DAFNE.

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For type 1, you might find it worthwhile to get a copy of Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution as he goes into a lot of detail about insulin doses on his very low carbohydrate diet (around 30g per day) - Dr Bernstein is a Type 1 as well as an MD/diabetologist - he's nearly 80 years old, so his regimen seems to work for him and his patients:

http://www.diabetes-book.com/index.shtml

Mark Sisson refers to 50-100g as the "sweet spot for weight loss":

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/press/th ... z2DlFBios1

Cheers,

Have always watched my carbohydrate intake as I had so many side effects from various insulins I have been on for 60 (sixty just in case you think I've accidentally added a zero) years.

Obviously I recognise the start of a hypo and deal with it immediately, which is the only contraindication for low carb intake. As with all your other low carb forum members. I have remained on low insulin, taking 10 units lantus and 16 to 20 units of Novorapid daily. Not bad considering the time I've been diabetic. I take a maximum of 100 grams carbohydrate a day, but mainly live on proteins. I have to watch my fat intake due to other age-related medical problems.

When I was first diagnosed it was a diet based on watching my bread, pots and milk intake and keep off anything sweet. Just didn't work for me.

Glad to hear other memberss are having success with a similar diet to mine, which the Diabetic Clinics used to frown on. But we are all different and what suits one doesn't necessarily suit the other.

Good luck and happy forum-ing

Natalie

Hi Folks. I am doing my best to cut down on carbs, after reading all the different posts. The fruit bit, I find difficult, as I have always been a fruit eater.What to steer clear of, but I have cut down on potatoes, bread etc. My guide is: Bread-starch-starch makes sugar. So anything with flour is best avoided. I dance 3 afternoons a week, so that helps the exercise thingy. Allowing myself 2 plain biscuits with my cup of tea, if we have danced quite a lot. This is my treat for the day. never touch a biscuit at home! I shall continue to read what you good people are writing. It is such a help.

I would like to say a BIG thank you. I have M.E and have had M.E since my teens, I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes in Oct 2012 with a fasting blood glucose of 13.7. I have to be so careful of what medication I can be on as I also have multi chemical sensitivities. I didn't understand at first (because being an ex-nurse) we gave our diabetics starchy carbs!!

I had a long chat with a second GP, did I mention I am also housebound and bed bound as well with the M. E. and see my GP on good days (not so frequent), and he said try to cut out starchy carbs, so I seeked out how to and found this forum. I have turned it round with the amazing help from you guys, you made it look so easy.

My last reading (and I do not monitor my blood sugars as I have too much pain), HBA1c was 4.3 which I was told by GP was absolutely excellent. I am now seeking soe exercises I can do from bed, I still do not have any energy, but it did turn out I was intolerant to starch (so it just another thing to add to my long list of intolerances).

So please accept my THANK YOU.

I don't know if this classes as a success story as I am one of those new diabetics, but the news I got this week really made me feel optimistic about the low carb diet.

I was diagnosed Type 2 by my doctor three weeks ago. I was told to lose some weight and I'd see a diabetic nurse in a couple of weeks. I was quite shocked and had no idea what to do. I contacted my friend, who is a nutritionist, when I got home, and she put me on a low carb diet. No more than 20g of carbs a day. She introduced me to the low carb pyramid and the Bergstein Diet with information about the tests done at Duke University for reversing the effects of Type 2 diabetes. So, after that I went gung ho on a low carb diet, looking for recipes to make the food I like and preparing for Ketosis.

I found the diet astoundingly easy. It was just a case of checking the carbs and getting the right nutrients in each day. So, sticking to the diet was very easy. In the first week I dropped 5lbs. Since then I've dropped 3lbs a week, making it 11lbs now. I don't know my blood sugar because I haven't been told to track it. On exercise I just did a bit of walking (not much during the ketosis weeks).

After two weeks of Ketosis, I was feeling amazing and lighter, so I knew something was working. I've also begun HIIT exercise now that my body has adjusted to the diet.

I had my first diabetic appointment this week. When I got there, the nurse had a prescription of pills waiting for me. They had decided to treat me with pills. But when she checked my weight and blood sugar, and the dramatic changes in them she ripped up the prescription and gave me three months on my low carb diet to see how I do. That was for me a telling sign that the low carb diet was the right choice for me. If my friend hadn't taken me under her wing and taught me about low carb diets, I would be stuck on medication right now. I think she saved me a lot of unneccessary hassle and suffering. So, I call that a success of a low carb diet, so far. More coming in about three months when I find out how effective the diet really is.

I do hope that is the appropriate place for this....
I have permission from the poster to do this...it's from Dr Briffa's blog.

I am a Dietitian working in the NHS. It horrifies me to think that so many people no longer trust the medical and lifestlye advice they receive from their Health Care Professionals. Have we become so blinkered that we fall for the pharmaceutical research strap lines hook, line and sinker? Why do we repeat the mantra all advice we give must be ‘evidence based’ when there is so much conflicting ‘evidence’, lack of research on nutrition (you cant patent a natural product!), questionable outcomes, and definitely no ‘one size fits all’ approach to patient treatment. We actually know so little about the genetics of Type 2 Diabetes, it is becoming clear that the label ‘Type 2′ could cover any number of genetic differences that cause issues with glucose metabolism.

On the other hand we have to remember that Diabetes UK produced a much more common sense guideline to nutritional advice for people with Diabetes in 2011. It clearly stated that there is evidence of short-term benefits of lower carb approaches and long-term benefits? we need more research! Diabetes UK no longer promote eating ‘plenty of starchy carbs’ with your meals. As a Diabetes Specialist Dietitan I now feel more comfortable to explore lower carb dietary approaches with my patients, but as another Dr stated on here, if you are going against the grain of your professional peers and do not have solid evidence (randomised control trial studies) to back you up, there is a chance of reprimand. So we must use clinical goveranance and work with our HCP collegues as a team to share the outcomes of our interventions and provide clear messages to patients. I try to be honest with my patients and tell them i do not have all the answers and that advice will change over the years no doubt. I only have a range of lifestlye interventions that i know have worked for other people and seem to show benefits in research. I do not want to put their health at risk and will monitor them to check they are getting all essential micronutrients and that cholesterol, kidney and liver function are not effected.

The sad truth is that many people are habitualised to a large consumption of products i would not consider to be food at all. Processed, cheap foods are hard to break away from – we need a culture change. People need to engage with health care professionals to get support in making sensible lifestlye changes, and health care professionals need to be flexible in the approaches they use and get a nutritional professionals advice. The message ‘low carb’ is no healthier than ‘healthy eating’ if the overall nutritional quality of the diet is still poor and this has not been addressed in a hollistic way with patients. ‘Dont eat bread’ is not a helpful message on its own! I feel that the tools in my box are growing and I will embrace different dietary approaches with an open mind.



I was quite taken with the candour of this message.. and if it could be better placed amongst the forums perhaps an admin or such could transfer it so.

Superchip......

Coincidentally found this forum. Very informative
I was diagnosed with type-2 two years ago but not really taking it seriously. My brother is a doctor and he gave me Metformin 500mg 2 tab twice a day. Then it still not under control and finally increased to Metformin 500mg 2tab twice and Glyzine 80mg tab twice a day since last year.
During last Feb, I went back home and he did the check out and found with fasting 11 mmol/L. He told me to reduce carb and do regular exercise. Ever since I cut all my carb intake by 50% (compare to before). I felt hungry in between meal but replace with eating some fruits/simple snacks. After a few days, when I measured and surprisely showed ~5 fasting and ~6 mmol/L after 2 hours meal. It has been constant reading since then. My weight did not reduce after 3 months of cutting carb.
The only thing I have not started is exercise. I need to have great determination to move myself.

Jeffrey@China

I was using metformin and due to binge eating my bloods were far from stable. However early last year I went on the Dukan diet - and lost over 40lbs. I was having serious problems with low blood sugars so my doctor took me off the metformin - hurrah...unfortunately I started binge eating again - the diet was excellent - I had 2 more cancer scares and my binge eating took over. . I think if I did the diet again I would pay for the internet support as with that I may not have relapsed.
I am now making a point of eating really well - varied diet and smaller portions and intelligent snacking when the binge mode takes me. I haven't been able to do much exercise as I've had cancer twice in the last 5yrs and the treatments have zapped my energy so working takes most of that leaving little for walking, going to the gym etc.
I would thoroughly recommend the Dukan diet. It certainly worked for me - and I am sad that I wasn't able to keep all my weight off. But it showed me the difference being a healthier weight makes with more stable blood sugar levels and general health. Plus it make have helped keep cancer at bay. I'm still off metformin - but dont check my bloods as often as perhaps I should. The cheaper sticks my GP has changed me to are damaging my finger tips so I dont like using them.
Good luck to everyone out there. Losing weight is not easy and keeping it off is even harder.

Hi all, just thought I'd post an update for my HBA1C results, in Feb my result was up from 9.6 to 11% so I decided to try a low carb diet of around 90g a day as a guide if I went over it was ok but to keep in mind where possible the target. I just had my 3monthly checkup with the diabetes team and they were shocked at the results, it is now down to 6.8%! How did you do it they asked, just low carb I said, I couldn't even exercise because I had had a recent operation. So let's hope my next one is of the same trend.

Hi diagnosed type 2 in Jan this year. 1st week was awful took dn's advice and swapped rice, pasta and bread for wholewheat varieties. after a few days I felt really unwell and very very tired, fell asleep at the drop of a hat.

I came onto the forum and read hundreds of posts and articles on low carb diets, so I decided to give it a try. I've tried most diets and always put the weight back on. so I was very skeptical that it would work.

being over 9 stone overweight is no fun, so I put everything I had into the low carb diet.

4 months in my HBA1C was 44 and my weight is 44lbs down. 4 sizes in clothes too. I haven't lost that amount of weight on any diet in that small amount of time. Unfortunatley I'm right off red meat, don't like fish, off vegetables other than salad veggies. if I eat so much as an egg sized potato, or 1oz of pasta or rice bg's go up far to much for my liking. so I stick to 1oz cereal with a teaspoon of crushed nuts. lunch is either a wholemeal salad sandwich or a bowl of homemade butternut squash soup. Dinner is a chicken salad & a mullerlight greek style yogurt. I have fruit and nuts for a snack should I need it. this I have everyday. BOOOOOOORING yes I know. but it's working for me. my bg's are 5s & 6s and my weight is going down fast.

This time last year I wanted to lose 9 stone by my 50th birthday, well that's just 2 weeks away and it's not going to happen, but I am soooooo happy with the weight I have lost and my diabetes is under control. can't say fairer thn that. so thanks to all who posted about low carbbing you've done me a great service . :clap: :clap: :clap:

After 10 weeks of low carbing my BP has come down to 104/70

still awaiting the other figures....

3 months ago I was diagnosed Type 2, with a hba1c of 7.2 (or 55 in the new measure).

So, since then, it's been a low carb diet, lots of daily treadmill exercise at home, and 3 months later I've lost 2st 8lbs and my 3 month hba1c is now 5.0 (or 31 in the new measure).

It's a mix of low carb and exercise that's done it. But, low carb foods keep my bg at an average of 5.2 now, with waking / fasting bloods between 4.5 and 5.2. On diagnosis my bg were between 7.0 - 15.2 ....

I think this is proof enough that low carbing is the way forward.

Johnlfitz. well done. that's a great result. keep at it. x

stuffedolive said:

After 10 weeks of low carbing my BP has come down to 104/70

still awaiting the other figures....

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Well I just got my figures...

Hba1c down from 48 to 46 - good but its an average for the period and I believe it doesn't truly reflect where I am now, so the next test in October may be better still.
Weight down from 73kg to 65kg - still a few of kgs to go to get properly lean
Total Chol down from 6.7% to 4.9%
Ratio down fom 4.2 to 3.1
HDL stayed the same at 1.6 - so my LDL must have come down significantly
Triglycerides down from 1.1 to 0.7
Blood pressure down from 120/80 to 104/70 8)

My regime has been 40-60g of carbs per day (mostly porridge and beer!), 1-2 cloves of garlic, dairy free Benecol drink, cinnamon, cider vinegar. There have been a few days recently when the carbs have gone up (150-200g) when doing extended periods of exercise (6-10 hours) in one day.
I do a decent amount of exercise but I haven't tailored this to my eating. I shall make more effort to exercise 1hour after meals. In fact over the last 3 months my exercise had reduced as work has got on top of me - very stressful. So all in all, low carbing has been very good and I will carry on to hopefully get even better results.