New to Forum but Old at not managing T2

This is my first post, sorry it is lengthy, just on insight into how I got to where I am.

I have been diagnosed with T2 for the last 20 years, I am now 59. I lived in denial that I had a problem, "Yes of course I am trying to lose weight", " can't understand those results I eat healthy foods" lies and deceit full denial.

Three things happened;

1. My Diabetic Nurse after seeing my HBA1c rise from 59 to 75 in 3 Months changed my medication from Metaformin/Sitagliptin to Metformin/Canagliflozin. The side effects were terrible.

2. I went to weight management courses and the Expert course to educate me in my "Condition" it was on one of these courses hearing everyone say the same thing. "Tried to lose weight but anything I lost I put back on", "I can't live without 'insert whatever you want here' " etc etc the same excuses I was using.

3. I had a fall and needed surgery on my left quad, and needed transport to get to the hospital, for checkup etc over several weeks. I was the first to be picked up and we travelled around picking up other patients. These patients all suffered with Diabetes and the realisation that I was heading in the same direction as these souls who suffered with ulceration so and amputations.

I had to do something........

I spent several days looking at all I had learnt from the government run weight management classes, the charity run Expert Class, the GP who knows nothing about diabetes, the Diabetic Nurse who refused to prescribe Test Strips. The realisation no one wanted to cure my "Condition" , why would they its a Cash Cow for them and the pharmaceutical companies who create very profitable plasters to cover the problem but never heal it. There was only one person who could help me....That person was Me, no one else cared or was bothered about me being FAT.

I had to do Something....

Stage1,
1. Made a list for one week of EVERYTHING I let past my lips.
2. I created a Free account on MyFitnessPal and created a daily diary of what I had eaten in that week.

Result:

OMG! You greedy fat pig, 26 bags of crisps in one sitting!!!! Two Double Sausage and Egg McMuffins and SIX Hash Browns to name only TWO meals I had.

Don't talk about the Calorie Intake, the Carbs alone would kill a Rhino.

Stage2, Jan 2016
1. I Used the KetoCalorieCalculator website to find out what calorie intake I should be eating to lose 1lb per week, my result was 1800kCal per day,
2. I followed it for three months.

Result:

weight loss Nothing, Zilch, Nanna. That was the three months leading upto my HBA1c of 79 and change of medication to canagliflozin....

What on earth is going on....

Stage3,
More research. Searching on t'internet and found you kind souls on the diabetes.co.uk website and forums, I looked in on all the encouragement you were giving each other, the support you gave for individuals to fight their corner when dealing with "People that know better" and I also found the whisperings of "The Newcastle Diet"

Result:
Carbs are the killer,,,,carbs are Killing me. The Newcastle Diet looked at reducing your Carb intake to less than 50g per day, also backed up with Atkins diet to some degree and also the swathes of diets now proclaiming Low Far Out Low Carb In.

Stage4, April 5th

1. I Looked at my last three months of the food I had logged in the MyFitnessPal app and now adjusted my diet so I would only eat no more than 50g Carbs.
2. Do light exercise, walking when I could.

Result:
I have been doing this for three months, I have lost 30lbs in weight and my latest HBA1c is now 50.


Stage5, August 5th 2016
I am looking for a Medical professional at my Medical Centre who will give me the OK to try the 8 Week Blood Sugar Diet to try and reduce my dependency on Medication and hopefully stop the Medical Profession looking at me and treating me the way they have in the past.

Question:

Is there anyone who can give me help, Advise and assistance in doing the 8 Week Bloid Sugar Diet.

liam1955 said:

@Valcendak - Hello and Welcome to the Forum . Don't be afraid to ask questions, you will probably get several answers - but people on here aim to help, support and advise you.

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Thank you for the welcome.
We are all different so I would expect different responses.

catherinecherub said:

There is a board devoted to fasting and you will see posts from other forum members who have used fasting as a method to gain control.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/fasting.78/

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Thank you for the pointer.

dawnmc said:

Check out Dr Fung, the ND has a website, and Michael Mosley has a book called 8 week something. Anyway its the ND but with food. Good luck and well done so far.

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Thank you for your comments, I have a copy of "The 8-week blood sugar diet" but at the moment my health care team are debating its merits !!!!

Bluetit1802 said:

I can't help with the blood sugar diet, but whatever you are currently doing seems to be working well, so why change it? Your weight loss and HbA1c reduction in 3 months is terrific. Well done.

Have you bought your own blood glucose meter? Using that alongside a food diary is a brilliant way of reducing blood sugar levels. Lower your levels = lower your medication needs. If you eat to your meter you will eat less carbs and should continue losing weight, especially with a bit of fasting here and there.

Good luck, and keep posting.

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Thank you for your comments, I was given a meter by accident by a covering Diabetic Nurse, which my normal Diabetic nurse went nuts about me having the meter, I buy spare strips when I can, manage to do one test strip in a morning, to see if or when I can eat breakfast, also use the food diary in the MyFitnessPal app.

Brunneria said:

What fantastic progress you have made! Well done!

I would definitely check out JAson Fung's book The Obesity Code.
My preference is for intermittent fasting combined with low (very low) carbing, mainly because I don't want to do another reduced calorie diet that, over time, slows my metabolism. Low calories do that. Fasting doesn't. All beautifully explained and referenced in Fung's book.

You can (of course) do whatever you want, but suspect that if you read Fung (he is soon to publish a book on Fasting too), and Voleck and Phinney (see the ref in my sig) you will probably have more info in your head than any specialist you can find...

I wish you every continued success whatever route you choose to take. You have made such a fantastic start to your new life.

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Thank you for your comments and will check out the books you have recommended.
It's crazy where your journey takes you in the rabbit warren of Diabetes Knowledge. Akins Diet to HFLC to Blood Sugar Diet to Fasting, so much to learn

ally1 said:

You have done well over the past 3 months, I would say stick to what you are doing.

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Thank you for the encouragement, everybody is so kind.
Only 7 more stone to lose to be a stick insect , small steps, large victories

catherinecherub said:

There is a board devoted to fasting and you will see posts from other forum members who have used fasting as a method to gain control.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/fasting.78/

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Thank you, will watch the fasting board, eager to learn

kokhongw said:

Great progress so far.

But do note that fasting while on medication is dicey. The risk of hypo is high and accidents can happen while in hypo. That is primarily why the Newcastle diet requires medical supervision.

I would suggest not to rush things. It takes years for our conditions to develop, our body need a little time to heal and restore itself.

Perhaps while waiting for the medical supervision to be available, self monitor your post meal glucose level with the goal of gradually reducing/ending your medication.

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Thank you for your comments.
Having been borderline T2 for the last decade, I have only been pro active regarding my T2 for 3 months having had a bad HBA1c result, the resulting change in medication, which had side affects was the slap in the face I needed.
Over the last 3 Months, I have simply reduced my daily Carb intake to approx 50g and astonished at the result, my latest HBA1c was 30% reduced. This has given me encouragement to continue.
While researching about Diabetes and reading success stories of people, like yourself who have T2 in remission, which I did not know was possible, Until very recently, this will spur me on.
I am learning quickly from people, like your good self, who have already travelled down the path I am on, and will take onboard all advise.

I particularly liked the part you mentioned of the body needs time to heal and restore itself.