My Newcastle Diet - Just starting

[dance621]

Hi, I'm James

I did a BG test 9 days ago after feeling some tingling in my arms and hands. I am naturally a huge hypochondriac. The home fasting kits (from boots) gave me a reading of between 6 and 8 on consecutive days (on their colour wagon wheel).

Last Monday I went for a fasting blood test at my GPs and will get the results back on this coming Monday. My stats are:

Age: 48
Weight: 100.4kg
Height 182cm
Father type 2 for 20 years
This just puts me in the obese range I think. I am staggered that I have to get all the way down to 77kg to get into the middle to the healthy weight range.

On the Monday I hade the fasting test I started the Newcastle Diet. I have heard of this before (TV documentary) and was quite amazed by the reports.

It is Saturday night now so I have just finished day 6. Wow, tough diet. Weird feeling all week. The closest I can describe it to is like when I quit smoking. I feel grumpy, uptight, edgy. Couple of headaches but not too bad. But no slip ups so far. My day goes like this:
1st shake (slimfast) at 1pm (coffee before that)
2nd shake at 6pm
3rd shake and veg at 8.30pm
Plus I blend the 2nd and 3rd shake with a tray of ice so it more than doubles volume (makes a slushy). So it is tough before 1pm then easy street. I have been having weird baguette dreams though!

Funnily enough my Brother has just started the Atkins diet he is starting at 110kg. No diabetes but has gotten me thinking about the role atkins could play after the 12 weeks on Newcastle. Or even any advantage to using the lower carb atkins shakes instead of slimfast.

I have a couple of concerns about seeing the nurse for the results on Monday.
1) Over the phone she seemed to indicate that the NHS is not too concerned with reading under 8. But on US sites the number should be under 6. I guess I am worried that I will be palmed off by the NHS and told to come back when it is a bigger problem.
2) Another concern is that test results will come around the 6 level and I will lose my motivation to do this diet. It seems that the time of diagnosis is the biggest possible motivator for me.
3) Third concern is when I tell her that I am doing a VLCD and limiting carbs. Are all diabetes nurses familiar with this approach? My wife would certainly pressurise me to follow her advice and not a website's. Luckily I have a PhD in molecular genetics so can find my way around a scientific paper and have read a couple of the papers around this diet. Have others clashed with dietary advice from NHS professionals?

Anyway, I hope to update this page regularly as a way of self motivation so any comments or advice would be welcome.

 

[Kristin251]

Personally I would never drink slimfast or Atkins shakes. WAY too much junk, too many carbs and fake sugar.

I would blend my own smoothies using low art veggies and some avocado for the fat and fiber.

I prefer to eat real food.

I also like to keep my bloods closer to 5 ( US). And I don't like to see rises or drops. Steady for me. Avocado helps keep everything low and slow for me.

Best wishes and good luck!!!

 

[amathyst]

Hi, I'm James

I did a BG test 9 days ago after feeling some tingling in my arms and hands. I am naturally a huge hypochondriac. The home fasting kits (from boots) gave me a reading of between 6 and 8 on consecutive days (on their colour wagon wheel).

Last Monday I went for a fasting blood test at my GPs and will get the results back on this coming Monday. My stats are:

Age: 48
Weight: 100.4kg
Height 182cm
Father type 2 for 20 years
This just puts me in the obese range I think. I am staggered that I have to get all the way down to 77kg to get into the middle to the healthy weight range.

On the Monday I hade the fasting test I started the Newcastle Diet. I have heard of this before (TV documentary) and was quite amazed by the reports.

It is Saturday night now so I have just finished day 6. Wow, tough diet. Weird feeling all week. The closest I can describe it to is like when I quit smoking. I feel grumpy, uptight, edgy. Couple of headaches but not too bad. But no slip ups so far. My day goes like this:
1st shake (slimfast) at 1pm (coffee before that)
2nd shake at 6pm
3rd shake and veg at 8.30pm
Plus I blend the 2nd and 3rd shake with a tray of ice so it more than doubles volume (makes a slushy). So it is tough before 1pm then easy street. I have been having weird baguette dreams though!

Funnily enough my Brother has just started the Atkins diet he is starting at 110kg. No diabetes but has gotten me thinking about the role atkins could play after the 12 weeks on Newcastle. Or even any advantage to using the lower carb atkins shakes instead of slimfast.

I have a couple of concerns about seeing the nurse for the results on Monday.
1) Over the phone she seemed to indicate that the NHS is not too concerned with reading under 8. But on US sites the number should be under 6. I guess I am worried that I will be palmed off by the NHS and told to come back when it is a bigger problem.
2) Another concern is that test results will come around the 6 level and I will lose my motivation to do this diet. It seems that the time of diagnosis is the biggest possible motivator for me.
3) Third concern is when I tell her that I am doing a VLCD and limiting carbs. Are all diabetes nurses familiar with this approach? My wife would certainly pressurise me to follow her advice and not a website's. Luckily I have a PhD in molecular genetics so can find my way around a scientific paper and have read a couple of the papers around this diet. Have others clashed with dietary advice from NHS professionals?

Anyway, I hope to update this page regularly as a way of self motivation so any comments or advice would be welcome.

Hi, I'm James

I did a BG test 9 days ago after feeling some tingling in my arms and hands. I am naturally a huge hypochondriac. The home fasting kits (from boots) gave me a reading of between 6 and 8 on consecutive days (on their colour wagon wheel).

Last Monday I went for a fasting blood test at my GPs and will get the results back on this coming Monday. My stats are:

Age: 48
Weight: 100.4kg
Height 182cm
Father type 2 for 20 years
This just puts me in the obese range I think. I am staggered that I have to get all the way down to 77kg to get into the middle to the healthy weight range.

On the Monday I hade the fasting test I started the Newcastle Diet. I have heard of this before (TV documentary) and was quite amazed by the reports.

It is Saturday night now so I have just finished day 6. Wow, tough diet. Weird feeling all week. The closest I can describe it to is like when I quit smoking. I feel grumpy, uptight, edgy. Couple of headaches but not too bad. But no slip ups so far. My day goes like this:
1st shake (slimfast) at 1pm (coffee before that)
2nd shake at 6pm
3rd shake and veg at 8.30pm
Plus I blend the 2nd and 3rd shake with a tray of ice so it more than doubles volume (makes a slushy). So it is tough before 1pm then easy street. I have been having weird baguette dreams though!

Funnily enough my Brother has just started the Atkins diet he is starting at 110kg. No diabetes but has gotten me thinking about the role atkins could play after the 12 weeks on Newcastle. Or even any advantage to using the lower carb atkins shakes instead of slimfast.

I have a couple of concerns about seeing the nurse for the results on Monday.
1) Over the phone she seemed to indicate that the NHS is not too concerned with reading under 8. But on US sites the number should be under 6. I guess I am worried that I will be palmed off by the NHS and told to come back when it is a bigger problem.
2) Another concern is that test results will come around the 6 level and I will lose my motivation to do this diet. It seems that the time of diagnosis is the biggest possible motivator for me.
3) Third concern is when I tell her that I am doing a VLCD and limiting carbs. Are all diabetes nurses familiar with this approach? My wife would certainly pressurise me to follow her advice and not a website's. Luckily I have a PhD in molecular genetics so can find my way around a scientific paper and have read a couple of the papers around this diet. Have others clashed with dietary advice from NHS professionals?

Anyway, I hope to update this page regularly as a way of self motivation so any comments or advice would be welcome.

Well done on sticking to your regime all week dance621. I followed the Newcastle Diet 18 months ago and lost weight and reduced my BS readings from around 8 to 5. The weight has gradually crept up again so I'm about to try again. My GP advises BS to be under 6 and anything over 7 is classed as diabetes, the problem in my head is that 8 is only just over 7 so I keep telling myself it's not too bad! The practice nurses follow NHS policy on healthy eating and won't/aren't allowed to discuss the Newcastle Diet which I find frustrating so I go through the motions with the annual checkup but do my research and reading for myself.

I've had a couple of apparently unrelated problems lately requiring visits to consultants and minor treatments, a painful issue with 'trigger finger' which required a steroid injection being one. The consultant said almost as a throwaway comment that it's common with diabetics. This has made me take it all more seriously as I'm never usually ill with anything and don't want this to be my future.

So here I go starting with the slim fast again. I always put lots of ice in to make it more pleasant and I use almond milk. I do worry slightly about what's actually in it but for a short time I think it's the easiest option. My diet generally is very healthy and I don't eat processed food, it's the carbs I can't resist!! I'm bracing myself for a few grumpy, weird days but telling myself it's worth it in the long run.

 

[Peerless67]

Good luck, I have just started something akin to the Newcastle diet. I will follow your progress.

 

[ringi]

The USA uses different units for blood glucose then the rest of the world, there are also two different BG tests used – is it can get very consuming looking at numbers on different websites! (On this forum both UK and USA units are used, often without the units being stated.)

Hopefully these links will help.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/what-is-hba1c.html
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/blood-sugar-converter.html

A Atkins type diet is a great option for anyone with Type2 diabetes, however as you need to avoid most curbs for the rest of your life, you must be willing to eat “good fat” – as given time you will use up all the fat stored on your body.

If I was using shakes I would go for the low carb Akins type. But I consider homemade bone broth along with green veg to be a better option. Don’t let this put you off doing what you are doing, as lots of people have got good results with the slimfast shakes. Most people who fail with the Newcastle Diet, is due to what they eat after the diet, as even a few weeks of the diet can get great results with breaking the cycle of insulin resistance.

These are some book that lots of people have found useful.
The 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet
Living Low Carb
The complete guide to fasting
The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living

 

[Pipp]

Had I noticed this thread earlier I would have welcomed you @dance621. Then tagged @daisy1 to ask her to provide the information for new members.

I have experienced some success with Newcastle diet, and hope that you will come back and share your experience, despite some apparent negative opinions of this choice of method of control.
Best wishes,
Pipp

 

[daisy1]

@dance621

Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members which I hope will be useful to you.
Ask as many questions as you like and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 250,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.