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Newcastle diet experience

B

Barrynk

Member
Messages
6
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi all,
I started the Newcastle diet on 16th May, by 18th June I had lost 1st 7 lbs., during which time my BS numbers were between 5.5 to 7 morning and evening. I had to reduce my insulin several times during this period so as to avoid any hypos.

All of a sudden, in the past week, for no apparent reason my numbers have jumped up to between 8 & 10, and had to start increasing the insulin to compensate. This has upset me, because I was hoping to be able to come off the insulin completely by the end of the diet.

Just wondering if anybody else has experienced an increase in BS numbers whilst on a a diet.
 
Did you use meal replacement products?
Are you now eating real food?
Well done on the weight loss, by the way.
Need more info about your current eating before understanding and offering opinion.
 

Has anything happened in the last week or so - illness (you or someone you care for), worry, stress, change in exercise? Have you changed the sorts of shakes or food you have been eating?
 
You may be brewing a virus, or a tooth infection, or something similar.
Or stress?
Or even possibly developed an intolerance to the whey or soya in the shakes? I am intolerant to both of those ingredients, and if I have them too often they do weird things to my bg, with larger than expected spikes.

Hope you find out what it is.
 
Pipp said:
Did you use meal replacement products?
Are you now eating real food?
Well done on the weight loss, by the way.
Need more info about your current eating before understanding and offering opinion.
Click to expand...
Pipp said:
Did you use meal replacement products?
Are you now eating real food?
Well done on the weight loss, by the way.
Need more info about your current eating before understanding and offering opinion.
Click to expand...

I still have another week and half to go on the diet, so I'm still on the Optifast shakes. The NHS were very understanding when I told my GP, dietitian, diabetic nurse and consultant, that I wanted to go on the diet. The GP prescribed the shakes for me without question.
 
AndBreathe said:
Has anything happened in the last week or so - illness (you or someone you care for), worry, stress, change in exercise? Have you changed the sorts of shakes or food you have been eating?
Click to expand...

No, nothing has changed, no stress, same Optifast shakes. I'm not doing much exercise though, I have a new cross trainer, but have been unable to use it for long as my energy levels are low, and also the lactic acid makes my legs painful.
 
What does the GP suggest, as he has prescribed the diet, he should be monitoring you.
 
Barrynk said:
No, nothing has changed, no stress, same Optifast shakes. I'm not doing much exercise though, I have a new cross trainer, but have been unable to use it for long as my energy levels are low, and also the lactic acid makes my legs painful.
Click to expand...

Do you mean exercise related lactic acid? If your reduction in exercise is due to this, what were you doing before and how did your muscles/lactic acid response react to that?
 
SunnyExpat said:
What does the GP suggest, as he has prescribed the diet, he should be monitoring you.
Click to expand...

Surprisingly, I was not given the opportunity to be monitored during the diet, my GP, dietitian and diabetic nurse have made appointments to see me after I have finished the diet.
 
Barrynk said:
Surprisingly, I was not given the opportunity to be monitored during the diet, my GP, dietitian and diabetic nurse have made appointments to see me after I have finished the diet.
Click to expand...

I would ask for full blood tests to be done now, it might give you some pointers.
 
AndBreathe said:
Do you mean exercise related lactic acid? If your reduction in exercise is due to this, what were you doing before and how did your muscles/lactic acid response react to that?
Click to expand...

Yes, exercise related lactic acid. I haven't been able to exercise for some time due to a neck problem, hence the reason my osteopath recommended getting a cross trainer.
 
Hi @Barrynk This is my experience of weight loss and getting off meds - it may not apply to you at all but it may help

First off I don't want you to be disappointed and demotivated or feel like you may have failed by my story. I to date have lost now almost 12st - down 9 dress sizes. I didn't do the Newcastle diet but am very familiar with the concept, the belief that losing the weight not how you do it is the key.

Whilst I have been able to reduce my meds considerably from max glic to 40mg twice a day along with Metformin - I tried really hard to drop that last bit of glic but my body thought different - for about 3 weeks on no meds and 20g of carbs a day I was doing fine but numbers were slowly creeping back up - I began to see double figures that I hadn't seen for 3 years- I had to go back on the lowest meds I could adjusting my carbs accordingly.

Sometimes it just may not be possible to get off the meds no matter how much we try and want to - IMHO it means we have gone past a threshold we just can't get back over. BUT we still have success - keep going you are doing great and have achieved a lot - it's early days and it may be just a blip - please don't let what I've said demotivate you any progress is a success and should be relished
 
Barrynk said:
Yes, exercise related lactic acid. I haven't been able to exercise for some time due to a neck problem, hence the reason my osteopath recommended getting a cross trainer.
Click to expand...

So am I correct thinking you were "doing fine", with numbers reducing, then you started exercising, and started having painful legs, and your blood numbers started rising?

If that's the case, it could be your body's reaction to the stress of the exercise and lactic acid, but to be fair that would be speculation.
 
Actually, that is a very good point.
Which readings have increased?
Is it your fasting, or pre, or post exercise, or meals, and do they only come down with insulin?
 
SunnyExpat said:
Actually, that is a very good point.
Which readings have increased?
Is it your fasting, or pre, or post exercise, or meals, and do they only come down with insulin?
Click to expand...

It was my fasting and pre meal readings that increased, using more insulin returned the numbers to normal, which is upsetting, as I had hoped to come off the insulin. My weight only increased initially when I started on insulin March a year ago, I'm now down to the weight I was before, but the visceral fat seems to be most stubborn!
 
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