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Newcastle diet journey

Hi, I am type 1, 40 yrs. struggling to lose 30+ lbs. i work 4 days a week, go for walks, my eating is out of control so I thought I would use Slim Fast for 3 or 4 weeks. Have used it before in short bursts and my blood sugars were better. I just need something to help me gain control and get a kick start. X


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Hi Julie,
It's certainly easier than it was on day 3!! I've looked through the recipes, and they will certainly make life easier. I agree with you about cauliflower. I've used it as a "mash" substitute on and off for ages---- it's especially nice with a little cheese melted on the top!! I haven't heard of cauliflower rice though. I haven't eaten any white carbs since I discovered what they did to my BG shortly after I was diagnosed in 2005. I do occasionally miss a good pie, and I always used to toast the crusts on white loaves and butter them hot, but multigrain bread in small doses is good (at least it mops up egg yolk quite well) Your almond/butter pastry also makes a good cheesecake base instead of biscuit crumbs, but I hadn't thought of using it for quiche-- will be making that in a couple of weeks---.

Yes I live in Spain. The summer this year has been very strange --- a month of very hot sun, but far more rain than usual, and spring was windy. Still its not too bad now----- temps are around 23/24.

For me too it was the explanation of the visceral fat which made me think the diet might work, but I understood that in order for the body to start using the stored fat it had to be in a state of ketosis ---- which is why I was suprised to see lemon juice used to season, and carrots and peas included (carrots are fairly high in carbs, peas are counted as legumes in most diets, and citric acid prevents the body going into a state of ketosis). I have heard that recently he's said that any diet will cause this fat loss if it's followed for long enough, but I wouldn't swear to this. Still, if his guinea pigs got their results using these recipes, then who am I to argue --- I am definitely on the bandwagon!!


It has certainly helped talking to you.
Sue.

P.S.
cauliflower makes a great topping for cottage pie instead of mash--- so too does celeriac if you like the taste.

Has the diet made a difference to you? It sound as if you have got yourself sorted out now, which is always good
 
Hi again Sue!! Oooooh 23/24 degrees - envy, envy envy!!! 8)

I am unsure about the issue of needing to be in a state of ketosis for the visceral fat to be used - I think Professor Taylor was just working on the premise of a very low calorie diet, rather than being in ketosis - and maybe that is why carrots are included as an ok vegetable. But I just stuck to it strictly - although I couldn't get the Optifast shakes which were used in the trial because they are only available here on prescription - and having an awkward G.P. meant that that was a non-starter!! So I used the Asda shakes which came out with the same calorie values, and were very cheap (£4 for a tin with 12 servings). I was concerned that the Asda shakes were made up with milk (optifast are made with water) and milk is one of the things which he said we shouldn't have). So I did e-mail Professor Taylor and he did reply - which was pretty brilliant of him - as I am sure he is a very busy man!! He said:

Dear Julie

Apologises for the delay in replying. I have received a very large number of emails about this matter.

I hope this advice is still timely. Making up the shakes with skimmed milk is reasonable. It may extend somewhat the period of time necessary to achieve the degree of weight loss necessary to reverse diabetes. For the intended short term period of weight loss nutritional deficiency is extremely unlikely although iron balance is always worth watching.

Best wishes for future health.

Yours sincerely



Roy Taylor

What a super man to take the time to reply to me!! But he was quite reassuring in that he confirmed it is about the degree of weight loss which is more important than how you get there! I would, of course have preferred to have been able to use Optifast - but at the end of the day we just have to go with whatever we can use as a substitute.

Thanks for the tip on cauliflower mash on shepherds pie - that is one I will be doing next weekend! I haven't tried celeriac - always been a bit put off thinking it might taste like celery which I don't like!! It may be nothing like it - is it???!!!! Celeriac virgin here!!!

Cauliflower rice - dead easy. Just get a head of cauliflower and grate it (use a big bowl - it tends to go everywhere!!) Once grated, fry in olive oil and hey ho - cauliflower rice! You can add egg to make it a bit like egg fried rice too. One of the other great tips I found here on these forums.

As far as being sorted - I am not there yet - still got quite a bit of weight to go - I reckon I am about half way there. My aim was to lose 4 stone - and so far two have gone. This is why I think I will take up the shakes again for a couple of weeks - to give it another burst. Its all trial and error - but if weight loss is the aim - then whatever route gets you there is fine!!

Another little tip - I found that the vegetable soup freezes well if you want to batch make and have it ready to hand as and when needed.

Its great talking to you too - I look forward to seeing your replies. Its so important to be alongside other like-minded people!!

Julie
 
Hi Julie
You probably won't like celeriac!!! It tastes like the nutty bit you used to get on the bottom of the celery head. I don't actually know what the glycemic index is for it, but it is a root veg. I noticed that the diabetes UK back to school cook book includes deep fried celeriac chips---- must try them!! I don't mind celery cooked, but not keen on it raw; like celeriac in reasonable doses though

No chance of shakes on prescription here! In fact there weren't any shakes at all here that I could find.I ended up buying shakes made in France from ebay UK !!! Much more expensive than the asda shakes, and had postage on top.We live in the north of Spain, just 40 mins from the French border, so next time we go over to do some shopping I'll check out the supermarket. The instructions on the tubs are in French English and Dutch, so they are probably fairly widely available. One thing I like about them is that if you reduce the amount of water used to make them up, and leave them in the fridge for half an hour, they set like a mousse, so you can have the veg as a main, and the shake like a pud!! It all helps. I was wondering whether they would freeze, like ice cream!!

It's always good when people like Prof. Taylor reply to emails. Especially when their reply is helpful. Many years ago I worked in medical research, and some of the profs were very full of themselves, in contrast to others who really cared about what they were doing---- no different to other professions really.

I'm not exercising at the moment (as per instructions), but when I stop the diet I shall go back to the bike. I don't know if you saw the horizon programme about the effect of a certain type of exercise on insulin sensitivity and insulin production, but I tried it for a short time, before it got a bit too hot here, and it does seem to work-- just need to motivate myself again!!

Thank you for the nice comments--- I enjoy our chats too.

Sue
 
thanks for the info julie, i will go back and see my dn and have another go at getting the glucose meter
 
Hi Shzz46 - funny enough, I have tried the shakes made up with water, and I agree they taste fine. In fact I had a banana one yesterday morning made up with water. However, because this reduces the calorie value considerably (as the milk calories are not there) I would probably have 4 of them in a day rather than the 3 to make sure I am getting sufficient calories - and I guess the added bonus is that this would also mean having extra vitamins?! Its all trial and error, but every little helps to get the weight down!!! Julie
 
Hi again Sue! You're right - think I will give the celeriac a miss!! Although when I was surfing around once for ideas, I actually saw a video on Youtube showing how to make celeriac chips - you might want to take a look at that - they looked quite good!!! If you type in the search engine for low carb french fries, you can see the chappie making them!! Mind you, the celeriac looks a pretty ugly vegetable!!! Peeled and chipped it looked fine though!!

the one thing I must do is increase the exercise!! I have an exercise bike which I have borrowed from a friend, but I get so bored on it - after about 4 minutes I've had enough!! Having said that I have just ordered a vibrapower disc because I want to have a go at that - more to tone up the flabby bits where the weight has gone! Unfortunately am at an age now where the skin elasticity just ain't what it used to be - so looks like chicken skin especially at the top of the arms! Nasty!!!

I do reckon that we all should get gold stars for trying though, don't you!!!

One more thing - the downside of the shakes regime is - no alcohol!!
The upside of the low carbing is vodka and slimline has no carbs!!! Now that I like!!!! :lol:

Julie
 
Well today is day 8, and I've done the weigh in. I started at 67.7 kilos, and am down to 64.6 kilos!! I know that a lot of this is fluid , but it's still encouraging! Down from 10 stone 9, to 10 stone 2! One thing is puzzling me---- why has all the weigh apparently gone from my knees???
 
hi julie
just want say thanku! i read up on the nice guidelines you recommended, armed with the facts, i have been to see my DN today, wasnt my usual Dn i normally see, i told her that i had asked for a glucose meter on two occasions and that i had been denied it, i told the Dn that i had read up on the NICE guidelines, there was no questions, she gave me a meter there and then, i have been given strips to test once a day, also she has given me a log book and entered all my fasting blood results, cholestral etc, good result, do you know how long i can get these strips prescribed for, again thanks
 
Well done on getting the meter!! Sometimes it is a case of just showing that you have done your research and have a pretty intelligent grasp of what you are talking about!! If you have been given the test strips, they should be renewed on prescription - I presume she has started you with a tub of 50? But then again - just test the water and see what happens when you request a repeat prescription for the strips. I think that a sensible approach should be responded with a sensible response - i.e. if you are doing your bit by taking the readings and recording them - they should be doing their bit by giving you more strips when necessary to continue your self management. Time will tell when you ask for more - I would suggest you request them before you actually run out - maybe when you have 10 left. They have - of course - set a precedent for you by giving you a meter and strips - and that should, in theory, make it harder for them to justify if they refuse any more.

To me, the whole issue of refusing strips is such a false economy!! A diabetic who is not monitoring has more chance of unknowingly having high blood glucose levels - and with that comes the whole raft of complications - resulting in more expensive treatments etc.!! I read somewhere that the cost of strips to the NHS is 1.1% of the total amount spent on diabetes and its complications - the vast majority of the budget therefore is spent on dealing with the complications etc. So - bit of a 'no brainer' for me really - prevention is always better (and cheaper!) than cure!!!

If you come across any resistance to your request for extra strips, do read and quote from Sir David Nicholson's speech to the NHS in June 2013 (he is the Chief Executive of the NHS) - it is quite a long speech, but check out his experience of having been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes on page 10.
http://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/up ... -06-pm.pdf

Cheers!! Julie
 
Also, an interesting analogy which I read somewhere on these forums is that - trying to manage your blood glucose levels without a meter is like asking somebody to drive a car at a constant 30mph to avoid breaking the speed limit in a car with no speedometer!!
 

Roy Taylor is Professor of Medicine and Metabolism at Newcastle and his department is involved in research, as to the exact causes of the disease, methods of monitoring it and possibilities of halting its progression or even reversing it. His and his department's knowledge far exceeds that of most people in the NHS who are primarily concerned with existing practices and unlikely to even read current research. It takes years, even decades for them to change. The good professor is bound to feel enthusiastic that people like yourself take a direct interest in his work and take the time to contact him to add your own experience to his ever growing amount of gathered data. He will be pleased that his work is not falling on deaf ears and is showing positive results.

I know celeriac from german cooking where it is either used as flavouring for stocks or as a salad. It is not cooked like an individual vegetable, as in the typically british, meat and two veg. It is often julienned with onion, softened for a few mins, seasoned and marinaded with some wine vinegar. There is a web page about it here:

http://magnoliadays.com/2013/celeriac-salad/
 
Hi Yorksman!! Your endless knowledge never ceases to amaze me!! If I can just get past the issue of it being such an ugly (!) looking vegetable, I might just give it a try!!! :roll:

I hope that Professor Taylor occasionally might find the time to look on these forums to see that his work is most definitely falling on deaf ears amongst the people who really matter - i.e. those who are trying to manage their diabetes!! Unfortunately, as you say, the deaf ears all seem to belong to the medical practitioners!!! :evil: Julie
 
julie54 said:
If I can just get past the issue of it being such an ugly (!) looking vegetable, I might just give it a try!!!
Click to expand...

OK, it does look a little bit like a gurning Les Dawson character, but it's got heart.



 
Week 1 results are in..... -6 3/4lbs, 1 1/2 inches off bust and waist and 1 off hips. Only really felt hungry when I've been due a meal, proving that most of my eating habits were in my head! Here goes for week 2!


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