'Newcastle diet' advice

Andrew Colvin said:

but, but, but, I am on normal food and lots of it now to approach a stable diet... So all I can do is bow out because my last stone is going to take me as long as the first 4. I have been slowly increasing food amount until I am at just under a pound a week with the extra exercise and lose nothing without the exercise.

So Pauline wins.

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Hmm ... cyber friends. OK, I have thought long and hard about sharing this news, but I think the Newcastle diet may have saved my life - or if that's too dramatic then the HUGE weight loss according to the doctors today has allowed them to find two tiny malignant tumours in my breast. Apparently they may have gone undetected for much longer if they had been hidden in all the fat that used to be there. So, quite scary news today, but they are incredibly positive and pleased that the tumours are so small, and can be dealt with quickly and efficiently. Surgery then radiotherapy, but no chemo required, which is good news. I can exercise if I want to and am able, so Andrew, the race must continue as I don't think I can do this without the motivation to continue. Last week I thought that I should give up worrying about diabetes because I now had bigger things to worry about, but I'm feeling much more positive today and get it that I need to be as healthy and as slim as possible and that it is even more important that my BG levels are low.

Now need to learn all about breast cancer and diabetes!

Gosh. That's quite devastating news you have to handle. Thank you for sharing.

As I'm sure everyone is telling you, there is so much to be positive about, and the early detection must be an enormous comfort. Well, maybe not today, but I'm sure one day it will be, and of course you are already in much better shape to fight this fight than you were a few months ago.

I'm sure in your home life you have people you can rely upon to support you through this, and just think there's yet another forum opportunity, and more cyber buddies, just waiting to be discovered. (Yes, somebody has told me I can be the most irritatingly, annoying person, who can find a positive in everything.). But, along with that, I'm sure there will be people on here who have travelled the journey you are embarking upon, and will contact you - perhaps privately, to offer support. Whilst I have never had to take on the bid C personally, thank goodness, someone gave me advice when I was very sick 30 years ago. That advice was never decline, or push away support or help. Whilst it was, and is, against my independent nature, the support I was given and the bonds it created have led to two very special friendships sustained until this day.

I hope you can still find the time and motivation to come on here and share (whatever aspects of) your journey with us. Whilst we don't know each other, there is an affection and bond of another journey we're all already taking together. I don't usually do cyber hugs, but tonight, it feels like one is in order.

X

paulins said:

Hmm ... cyber friends. OK, I have thought long and hard about sharing this news, but I think the Newcastle diet may have saved my life - or if that's too dramatic then the HUGE weight loss according to the doctors today has allowed them to find two tiny malignant tumours in my breast. Apparently they may have gone undetected for much longer if they had been hidden in all the fat that used to be there. So, quite scary news today, but they are incredibly positive and pleased that the tumours are so small, and can be dealt with quickly and efficiently. Surgery then radiotherapy, but no chemo required, which is good news. I can exercise if I want to and am able, so Andrew, the race must continue as I don't think I can do this without the motivation to continue. Last week I thought that I should give up worrying about diabetes because I now had bigger things to worry about, but I'm feeling much more positive today and get it that I need to be as healthy and as slim as possible and that it is even more important that my BG levels are low.

Now need to learn all about breast cancer and diabetes!

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I've liked your post - because it's highlighting an issue that is of such importance. Good luck with your treatment. It must be a scary time for you, but you're doing all the right things.

Best of luck and thanks for sharing what must have been devastating news given how well you were doing. Thinking of you.

Good luck with it all and I'm pleased the medics are so positive.

I'll be rooting for you.

Oh Paulins, I am so sorry to hear of your troubles. I am pleased they have detected the tumours early and you make a speedy recovery. If you need me to continue the race I will.

Thank you so much for your support. I will keep posting and let you know what is happening, hopefully it can perhaps help others in the same situation.
P x


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Andrew Colvin said:

Oh Paulins, I am so sorry to hear of your troubles. I am pleased they have detected the tumours early and you make a speedy recovery. If you need me to continue the race I will.

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Thanks Andrew - and yes, I need you to keep up our very supportive race! I'll let everyone know how I get on.

Pre-op appointment this morning - my, things move fast here! They were very impressed with my BG levels - apparently HbA1c is 4.9! Can you believe it! Last two mornings readings have been in the 4s - so fingers crossed I have reached my personal fat threshold. Very positive, and caught very early apparently, so the word 'cure' was used. Actual surgery could be in next two weeks or so. Will know actual date on Tuesday next week. I feel so lucky to live here with such excellent care.

Only thing I heard that worried me was that may be on Tamoxifen afterwards and that it might cause weight gain. But, looked up side effects as soon as I got home and weight gain was NOT listed.

I have decided not to tell my work colleagues - need some level of control and privacy. Close family and close friends only - and of course my cyberfriends.

That's all very positive. And what a great HbA1c!!

Let us know when you're being "done", because I'm sure lots of people will want to be sending positive vibes.

Good luck

very inspired by your courage and your honesty, hope that your journey back to health is a smooth one x

You and it all sound very positive. My aunt was on Tamoxifen for years and she didn't gain weight.Best of luck with it all.

cold ethyl said:

You and it all sound very positive. My aunt was on Tamoxifen for years and she didn't gain weight.Best of luck with it all.

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Thanks for this Cold Ethyl - do NOT want to put back on all this weight! And thank you for all your good wishes cyberfriends.

paulins said:

Pre-op appointment this morning - my, things move fast here! They were very impressed with my BG levels - apparently HbA1c is 4.9! Can you believe it! Last two mornings readings have been in the 4s - so fingers crossed I have reached my personal fat threshold. Very positive, and caught very early apparently, so the word 'cure' was used. Actual surgery could be in next two weeks or so. Will know actual date on Tuesday next week. I feel so lucky to live here with such excellent care.

Only thing I heard that worried me was that may be on Tamoxifen afterwards and that it might cause weight gain. But, looked up side effects as soon as I got home and weight gain was NOT listed.

I have decided not to tell my work colleagues - need some level of control and privacy. Close family and close friends only - and of course my cyberfriends.

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Dear Paulins

So sorry you have this new diagnosis to cope with. My mum us 76 and obese. I want to give you a positive. About 7 years ago she found a lump and had surgery. A little more than a lumpectomy but not the full procedure. The doctors were amazed she had even discovered it because it was the size of a pin head. She had radiotherapy because the medics said, given her age, it was preferable to chemo. She finished her 5 year course of tablets last year and she has a clean bill of health.

Make sure you get supplies of strong dark chocolate. It's good for you on both counts.

I wish you well and hope you make a good recovery. Take care.




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peacetrain said:

Dear Paulins

So sorry you have this new diagnosis to cope with. My mum us 76 and obese. I want to give you a positive. About 7 years ago she found a lump and had surgery. A little more than a lumpectomy but not the full procedure. The doctors were amazed she had even discovered it because it was the size of a pin head. She had radiotherapy because the medics said, given her age, it was preferable to chemo. She finished her 5 year course of tablets last year and she has a clean bill of health.

Make sure you get supplies of strong dark chocolate. It's good for you on both counts.

I wish you well and hope you make a good recovery. Take care.




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Thank you for this lovely post peacetrain. I feel very supported both here at home and by my friends on this forum. I am so pleased to hear your mother is fully recovered and wish her very well. I am very positive and now just want to get the surgery over and begin the radiotherapy. Then get back to my focus on beating the diabetes! They will test the lymph nodes during the surgery, and if they are clear (which they think is the case as there is no evidence of anything on the scans and ultrasound) then it will only be radiotherapy and no chemotherapy which is very good news. Apparently that doesn't begin until 4-5 weeks after the surgery to give things time to heal. Then every weekday for three full weeks, though only the first one is a long appointment then 10-15 minutes at most. so I can get on with my life and get back to work every day. They try to arrange appointments to suit us, so I can go early in the day, every day, or leave work a little early and go last thing in the day. I am so very impressed with the support that the medical staff have given me - they are very efficient, kind, and extremely sensitive to how we all must be feeling.

Indy51 said:

There are many threads about the Newcastle diet by members who've done it - you can search at the top of page.

There is a video that was posted elsewhere on the forum - a lecture by Professor Taylor about the diet:
http://www.fend-lectures.org/index.php?menu=view&id=94

Plus a couple an article with all the relevant links about it by the University:

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/magres/research/diabetes/reversal.htm

The one thing not mentioned in the diet sheet at this link is the advice given at the Optifast web site that people on the diet should have 1 tsp of olive oil with their vegetable allowance each day to avoid gallstones - some oil/fat is required to keep the bile secretion operating correctly.

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Just wanted to say this lecture was REALLY interesting & made sense totally to me. Clearly Professor Taylor is not trying to earn himself a quick buck, but rather has a vast experience of clinical knowledge of diabetes. I will definitely be continuing on Newcastle Diet. I have lost 13lbs in just under two weeks and first self-tested Glucose Tests encouraging.
Thank you Indy51!!!!