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My Atkins Life

I found it difficult to buy them locally. The woman in Boots must have thought I'd asked her for heroin. Got mine online. Must find them and test again.
 
Homehealth is your best place then.

Took me ages to get a reading and only had one that was before bed so I'll only test then.

If I was rich if use a blood tester.


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Diagnosed prediabetic Easter 2014. Just left to get on with it, no guidance or help from GP. Every day I'm learning something new.
 
Hi,

I'm sure that I read somewhere (Jenny Ruhl, but I don't remember which book), that ketones in the urine gradually disappear as your body undergoes keto adaptation.

If that is the case, blood testing (just like a BG testing meter) may be become your best measure, rather than urine tests.

On the other hand, after you have slipped in and out of ketosis a few times, you will get to recognise it without needing to measure it at all. :)
 
So today I woke up, did the normal mum duties and tested. The result? The best fasting reading ever! 5.5 which is just into prediabetic range. I'm very happy with that but naturally I'd be even more elated if it reduced further to 5.0 - back in the 'normal' range.

I'm under no misconception - my new way of eating and living has to remain constant forever in order to stabilise my BG and I'm definitely up for the challenge.

I'm finally feeling proud of myself and there's hope that my efforts are making a difference. I just hope today's reading wasn't a random one ;)


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Diagnosed prediabetic Easter 2014. Just left to get on with it, no guidance or help from GP. Every day I'm learning something new.
 
Oh and I'm really excited about weighing and measuring tomorrow. I just hope everything is going down....nail biting!!


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Diagnosed prediabetic Easter 2014. Just left to get on with it, no guidance or help from GP. Every day I'm learning something new.
 
Today I've cancelled my gym membership as the penny finally dropped that it was causing too much agro to fit in around other stuff going on in my life at the moment.

I've ordered my own dumbells and resistance bands and will be able to work out before breakfast or when the kids are in bed. And because my gym doesn't have mirrors to check posture, I'm happy that I can strike a pose relentlessly in the comfort of my own home (purely for health and safety grounds ;))

I also got an additional boost today when several people stopped to ask me if I'd lost more weight today during the school runs. I do find it interesting though, that my closer friends have either failed to notice, or are withholding the compliments for other reasons beyond my comprehension!

Anyway, roll on tomorrow. Please let the scales and stats be positive...


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Diagnosed prediabetic Easter 2014. Just left to get on with it, no guidance or help from GP. Every day I'm learning something new.
 
Hi Deb,

Have you thought about Tai Chi?

You can buy a DVD for beginners and it does improve your fitness and helps you to relax. It also helps to make you more supple. There is nothing too strenuous, all gentle movements.
I used to go to classes but do it at home now.
 
No not thought about it - I really enjoy weight lifting and resistance training at the mo but will bear it in mind for the future to swap things about! Thanks for the suggestion x


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Diagnosed prediabetic Easter 2014. Just left to get on with it, no guidance or help from GP. Every day I'm learning something new.
 
Today is D Day. Had my weigh in and my stats are as follows:

-2.9kg total weight
0.9 off bmi
-2.1kg fat
+ 1.5kg water

-16cm off total body measurements

How good is that for a week?

Needless to say I'm thrilled!


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Diagnosed prediabetic Easter 2014. Just left to get on with it, no guidance or help from GP. Every day I'm learning something new.
 
Curlytops said:
Quick update. Day 5 of carb free diet and just did my fasting glucose and it has already come down to 5.4 from 6.8...... Looks like it's working!

It's definitely the way forward. I'm never going back. EVER!

My friends are a lost cause though! They complain about weight etc but won't take the plunge and fail before they've even started. In a way we're lucky that our diagnosis gives us the extra drive.

I'm so proud of everyone on here that's grabbed the bull by the horns and improved their lifestyle and are committed to making a change. So many people don't :(

Xxx

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Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

Diagnosed prediabetic Easter 2014. Just left to get on with it, no guidance or help from GP. Every day I'm learning something new.
 
Dunno why my reply back is in your quote?!??!! Well done us!! X


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Diagnosed prediabetic Easter 2014. Just left to get on with it, no guidance or help from GP. Every day I'm learning something new.
 
No afraid not. Couscous is ok on gi diet but is too carby for low carb. Any grain really is too high but you could try it, test to see and then decide. X


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Diagnosed prediabetic Easter 2014. Just left to get on with it, no guidance or help from GP. Every day I'm learning something new.
 
Third day in a row for me in the 5s. I'm so happy about it as this was the benchmark I really wanted to reduce and seeing it come down has motivated me to keep going.

My biggest fear about prediabetes is that people really don't take it seriously enough. I cannot understand why anyone would ignore the opportunity to stay healthy and avoid all the complications that T2 can cause. I want to be able to dance like no one's watching with my kids, run in the park, see them grow, watch their school plays and meet their children some day in the future. I love my kids more than anything and feel I owe it to them to be as healthy as possible for them. I am their example and I take the role very seriously.

I have a friend who was recently diagnosed well within T2 range. I shared all my learning a with her and spoon fed her dietary guidance. It breaks my heart when she laughs off her fasting BG of 11 because she 'had' to have two slices of bread. How long do you go on having to have something that will eventually kill you? I just don't get it but it's her life and her decision not to try and improve her health. I guess all I can do is stand back and let her get on with it :(


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Diagnosed prediabetic Easter 2014. Just left to get on with it, no guidance or help from GP. Every day I'm learning something new.
 
I think I've finally cracked it - another in the 5s reading for me this morning despite disrupted sleep and it being so hot. It's been mentioned on numerous sources that losing 10% body weight is enough to reduce BG and I hit 10.4% this week. Perhaps 10 is the magic number?

I've also found that I don't feel half as much fatigued these days as I did previously. I guess limiting carbs so drastically is what my body needed to do. I still can't believe I'm so evangelical about The Atkins Diet but I am living proof it works.

I bought a size 16 dress in the sales and wore it yesterday for the first time. I wouldn't say I felt 'skinnier' but I didn't feel self conscious at all and was definitely walking taller than usual.

I'll need to decided next Wednesday whether I continue on the induction phase or move onto ordinary weight loss stage. I'm tempted to see how much I can push myself but am also aware losing weight too much is not a good thing. I'll take a view after weigh in. I wonder what the stats will be like...

Xxx


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Diagnosed prediabetic Easter 2014. Just left to get on with it, no guidance or help from GP. Every day I'm learning something new.
 
Debmcgee said:
I think I've finally cracked it - another in the 5s reading for me this morning despite disrupted sleep and it being so hot. It's been mentioned on numerous sources that losing 10% body weight is enough to reduce BG and I hit 10.4% this week. Perhaps 10 is the magic number?

I've also found that I don't feel half as much fatigued these days as I did previously. I guess limiting carbs so drastically is what my body needed to do. I still can't believe I'm so evangelical about The Atkins Diet but I am living proof it works.

I bought a size 16 dress in the sales and wore it yesterday for the first time. I wouldn't say I felt 'skinnier' but I didn't feel self conscious at all and was definitely walking taller than usual.

I'll need to decided next Wednesday whether I continue on the induction phase or move onto ordinary weight loss stage. I'm tempted to see how much I can push myself but am also aware losing weight too much is not a good thing. I'll take a view after weigh in. I wonder what the stats will be like...

Xxx


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Diagnosed prediabetic Easter 2014. Just left to get on with it, no guidance or help from GP. Every day I'm learning something new.
Click to expand...

Ok. I'll be devils advocate here. :watching:

Professor Taylor talks about personal fat threshold, because there appears not to be a definitive "greater than x% fat is a problem", or it would be so much easier to predict diabetes in chunkier people. 10% may be your level, it may not. But, this is where I am challenging you to think some more. You have achieved a number of readings in the 5s in the mornings, which, don't get me wrong, is excellent. But, those are eating an extremely limited diet which is hardly long term sustainable or could be considered "normal" in anyone's book. It would be interesting to see what happened/happens if you swap to the more regular Atkins, adding in your nuts and the other things you appear to be missing. But, the fantastic thing is, it shows the 5s are very much within your grasp. Getting a firm grip is the key.

I'm not sure what you mean by the following statement: "I'm tempted to see how much I can push myself but am also aware losing weight too much is not a good thing. ". Are you worried you will lose too much weight, too quickly? If so, I would probably ask you to consider that in the light of Prof Taylor's ND work. It is mirroring gastric band surgery, which results in significant, rapid weight loss. He does also state the loss appears more significant than the time it takes. Or, are you concerned you will look less well if you lose quickly? If so, only you can reconcile that in your mind.

I don't know how tall you are Deb, but if you are at the top end of a size 16 dress, it is unlikely you are getting too thin, just yet. That said, enjoy the loss. Wear your dress with pride, and accept all compliments coming your way. :)

In addressing my own diabetes (I appreciate you are prediabetic), I decided to go for it big styleeee, at the outset, on the basis of my motivation was probably at its peak. This rather than wait for a potential disappointment in my results after what could have felt like months of grinding effort to achieve mediocrity. Those statement reflect my mindset, and are no reflection of anything anyone else was/is, or might do in the future. By going for it, I mean the rigour of my diet, rather than the depth of my low carbing. I have never gone very low carb, but I haven't varied from my self set parameters. I'm a pretty determined on bird, when the chips are down.

Yes, see how your weigh in goes, but remember this is a bit of a long haul. I can't quite believe I have been diagnosed almost 9 months, and have been learning and working on it since. I've made great progress, but I have to keep focus.

So, I'd suggest you have a review of your blood and food diaries together, or if you can merge them for this purpose. That would allow you to look back, and plan for the forthcoming weeks. Good luck. You've made an excellent start.
 
One of the things I like about Atkins is that if people follow the instructions they start re-introducing carbs after only 2 weeks of minimal carbs.

I think the instruction is to add back in 5g of carbs a week.

So if your Induction weeks give you 15 g carbs (mainly green veg), then the next week is 20g/ day, and the week after 25g, and so on...

Such a good idea. It teaches you exactly how many carbs are found in particular foods, and it teaches the dieter exactly where their personal carb limit is.

They simply continue to keep adding 5g carbs every week until their weight loss stalls (or for a diabetic, they could use it to discover the precise tipping point where their BG levels go wangy again).

Brilliant, really.

After all, why deprive yourself unnecessarily? Simply stay just below the carb level that has negative effects, while enjoying the benefits. :happy:

Edited to add: I just re-read this and decided it sounded potentially critical of staying on the induction for longer than 2 weeks. It wasn't intended to read like that! I only get to lose weight on minimal carbs - so I would never criticise someone for doing what I would have to do...
 
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@And breathe

Thanks so much for taking the time to advise me. I'm following the diet to a t and it is so far so good....when I said how far I can push myself, I meant with whether I should extend the induction phase if it meant losing loads more weight but on the fluoride, losing it too quickly would mean loose skin, less tone etc. I'm really missing nuts - last week was strawberries! I think the jelly and cream has kept my cravings at bay and today I think I could stay on it for a while.

My food diary and readings are all on the same spreadsheet do easily correlated. In a nutshell I think 20-30g is my optimal carb level.

I intend to follow LCHF forever now. I totally understand that my readings are lower because of my diet and I also know my body goes crazy on glucose following my glucose test which was higher than it should've been due to low carbing. I felt like rubbish after that drink and was nearly asleep at the hospital!!

Although the dress is a 16 - I am not!! There's no way I'd get into a 16 jeans right now (that's my benchmark) and dresses are far more forgiving than the evil skinny jeans! I'm 5'9" so carry weight quite well.

I don't care about being thin or a goal weight - I just want to be fit and healthy. :) for my girls and the cat :) :) :)

Xxxx




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Diagnosed prediabetic Easter 2014. Just left to get on with it, no guidance or help from GP. Every day I'm learning something new.
 
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