Type 2 No/Lo Carb Diet to Induce Diabetic Remission

D@sty

Member
Messages
7
I've pretty well given up carbs for the last 6 months. Lost 12Lbs and reduced my Hba1c from 53 to 38. During this period I continued to take my medication as per normal (Victoza, Metformin & Glicazide) Reading from the Direct study literature, I gather that the next phase is to eliminate all diabetes medication for a 2 month period and if my Hba1c stays normal to slowly introduce carbs back into my life. My Doctor says to stay in touch and get Hba1c checked monthly to monitor progress. I'm aged 66 (diabetic for 16 years) and other than Diabetes. I am in reasonably good condition. I would appreciate any comments/advice from others who have tried this method to put diabetes into remission.
Rgds
Tom
 

walnut_face

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,748
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
@D@sty - welcome! I wont tag Daisy1 as you seem to be on top of things. Not being medically trained, I cannot comment on stopping the meds. That said, if your Dr is 'onside' and you have his/her support, then go for it! If you are being advised to touch base and get you HBA1c done that often it looks like they are with you. (I want that Dr too). If you don't already have a blood glucose meter, I would suggest you get one, and spot check daily

Congrats on your progress BTW
 

Concordjan

Well-Known Member
Messages
234
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Not very good on computers!
I am surprised that you haven't already had to reduce your meds. When I started low carb I was on gliclazide and had a few quite bad hypos ( one only 2.3) until I reduced the meds.
 

D@sty

Member
Messages
7
Hi
Thanks for your response. I had reduced Glicazide from 4 per day to 1 at the time I started no carb diet. Never had any Hypos. My lowest reading was 3.9, highest was 9.6. Typical day was 6.8 morning fasting, 5.6 lunch time and ~ 5.8 pre evening meal. Seems like 5.6 was the most common number I'd see on a daily basis. After 1 month on diet I had reduced Hba1c from 53 to 47. After further 5 months on diet I was down to 38. I came off my diet for 1 week at xmas, put on 5lbs. Blood sugar was elevated. New years day I recommenced my diet without any medication. Numbers have been elevated since then. 10 in the morning 8 to 9 rest of the day. Today is the first day that numbers have shown any sign of improving: 8.8 this morning, 4.6 before lunch, 6.8 this evening. hard to get a handle on what is happening. Please forward any comments.
Rgds
Tom
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,850
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I have reduced my Hba1c and weight with a low carb diet, take no tablets for diabetes - but I have no intention of reintroducing foods which are high carb back into my diet - why would I want to?
I know that they cause me to gain weight and make me feel terrible - I have had that all my adult life - so I don't want to have that again, and whilst the diabetes is no longer an issue I don't want to give it even half a chance of returning.
 

4ratbags

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,334
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hopefully your HbA1c stays normal just be careful if you start to reintroduce carbs as it is easy to eat more than you should.
 

Concordjan

Well-Known Member
Messages
234
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Not very good on computers!
Walking helps. I walk at least an hour a day and if the weather is awful I have a treadmill to fall back on. I still take one gliclazide a day, used to be on 4, but not stopped it as happy with my HbA1c as things are. Don't think I have the willpower to go even lower carb than I do now. Sounds like you have a supportive doctor, that must help. Good luck
 

Kentoldlady1

Well-Known Member
Messages
733
Type of diabetes
Type 2
I have reduced my Hba1c and weight with a low carb diet, take no tablets for diabetes - but I have no intention of reintroducing foods which are high carb back into my diet - why would I want to?
I know that they cause me to gain weight and make me feel terrible - I have had that all my adult life - so I don't want to have that again, and whilst the diabetes is no longer an issue I don't want to give it even half a chance of returning.

May I sk how long it took before you noticed a difference? And did you lose much weight or was it purely a change in diet that you think made the most difference?
 

D@sty

Member
Messages
7
I have reduced my Hba1c and weight with a low carb diet, take no tablets for diabetes - but I have no intention of reintroducing foods which are high carb back into my diet - why would I want to?
I know that they cause me to gain weight and make me feel terrible - I have had that all my adult life - so I don't want to have that again, and whilst the diabetes is no longer an issue I don't want to give it even half a chance of returning.
Thank you for your reply. What I am doing is to try and emulate the results of the Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT) study which was funded by Diabetes.Co.Uk. Participants in the study dieted using a combination of lo cal soups and shakes for a 3 month period. The intention was they did not have to spend the rest of their lives on such a diet but gradually revert to a more balanced diet. That is also my intention. I currently fast (<800 cal) two days a week and follow a Keto diet for the remaining days. The idea being to lose the fat surrounding my pancreas and stimulate insulin production back to normal levels. The purpose of my posts has been to get feedback from others who have or are currently following the same path. I would like to hear how they are faring.
Rgds
Tom
 
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D@sty

Member
Messages
7
Walking helps. I walk at least an hour a day and if the weather is awful I have a treadmill to fall back on. I still take one gliclazide a day, used to be on 4, but not stopped it as happy with my HbA1c as things are. Don't think I have the willpower to go even lower carb than I do now. Sounds like you have a supportive doctor, that must help. Good luck
Yes I am extremely fortunate in that the Doctors & Nurses of my local clinic couldn't possibly be any more supportive. Considering the current state of the NHS, I'm fortunate to live in a close knit rural community where clinical requirements are very much more personalized than in larger centres where you are only a number on a medical card.
Rgds
Tom
 

LittleGreyCat

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,233
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Diet drinks - the artificial sweeteners taste vile.
Having to forswear foods I have loved all my life.
Trying to find low carb meals when eating out.
Hi
Thanks for your response. I had reduced Glicazide from 4 per day to 1 at the time I started no carb diet. Never had any Hypos. My lowest reading was 3.9, highest was 9.6. Typical day was 6.8 morning fasting, 5.6 lunch time and ~ 5.8 pre evening meal. Seems like 5.6 was the most common number I'd see on a daily basis. After 1 month on diet I had reduced Hba1c from 53 to 47. After further 5 months on diet I was down to 38. I came off my diet for 1 week at xmas, put on 5lbs. Blood sugar was elevated. New years day I recommenced my diet without any medication. Numbers have been elevated since then. 10 in the morning 8 to 9 rest of the day. Today is the first day that numbers have shown any sign of improving: 8.8 this morning, 4.6 before lunch, 6.8 this evening. hard to get a handle on what is happening. Please forward any comments.
Rgds
Tom

You went "off the wagon" and put on five pounds.

That will almost certainly be mainly due to restocking your glycogen stores, including your liver, which is supposed to cause a 4 pound weight gain/loss as you fill/empty.

I would expect elevated fasting BG for a week or so whilst your dawn phenomenon slowly uses up you liver glycogen store.
 

D@sty

Member
Messages
7
You went "off the wagon" and put on five pounds.

That will almost certainly be mainly due to restocking your glycogen stores, including your liver, which is supposed to cause a 4 pound weight gain/loss as you fill/empty.

I would expect elevated fasting BG for a week or so whilst your dawn phenomenon slowly uses up you liver glycogen store.
Thank you for your helpful response. More than likely that is what is happening. I intend to persist for at least a month. It is a bit unnerving to see higher than anticipated BS levels at anytime. I would like to know how long it took for those who participated in the DiRect study (stopped medication at the start of diet) before they saw decreasing BS levels. I would imagine their BS would have spiked upwards initally and then gradually declined as glucose sources dried up. I wonder if their bodies reverted to burning fat (Ketosis)
Regards
Tom
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,850
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
May I sk how long it took before you noticed a difference? And did you lose much weight or was it purely a change in diet that you think made the most difference?
I took Metformin and a statin and had all the side effects, one of which is memory loss, so there is a period of several months between diagnosis and about 10 months ago where I was in some sort of limbo, and if I did not write it down, I do not recall things very well. During the time I was eating a 'cholesterol reducing' diet I reached 264 lb but am down over 40lb now, just by eating a low carb diet which keeps my blood glucose in normal figures.
For me a low carb diet means being a normal weight - but my HCPs do not accept that is the case and constantly try to get me onto low calorie diets, which basically cause me to collapse, white as a sheet and unable to even get the housework done. That started back when I was in my early 20s, when I weighed 147lb which was considered overweight even though I had a 24 inch waist.
During my lifetime I have had to stay at 80gm of carbs a day even when being quite active, or put on weight.
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,850
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Thank you for your reply. What I am doing is to try and emulate the results of the Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT) study which was funded by Diabetes.Co.Uk. Participants in the study dieted using a combination of lo cal soups and shakes for a 3 month period. The intention was they did not have to spend the rest of their lives on such a diet but gradually revert to a more balanced diet. That is also my intention. I currently fast (<800 cal) two days a week and follow a Keto diet for the remaining days. The idea being to lose the fat surrounding my pancreas and stimulate insulin production back to normal levels. The purpose of my posts has been to get feedback from others who have or are currently following the same path. I would like to hear how they are faring.
Rgds
Tom
Ah - I do not fast as that elevates my BG - I try to keep my two meals a day fairly widely spaced, as that gives the best results. I do not eat low calorie nor do I consume shakes, and for me a so called balanced diet would cause weight gain, unhappiness, a lack of energy, aches and pains in the joints, brain fog, a tendency to fall sleep in the afternoons - even if the drastic reduction on my waist measurement is a symptom of losing visceral fat, or fatty liver - I was perfectly happy to find that after eating Christmas dinner I had a BG of 5.6mmol/l and so I will stick to eating all the delicious foods I know help me to achieve that sort of result.
 

TC8669

Member
Messages
6
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi al, many congratulations on these results and how aware you all are of how to deal with Type 2 D. I have just joined here and I'm looking to people who have this under control. I went on the 800 cal per day diet and lost weight which was great. My BS levels were coming in at around 5.2 which was great. I put on a stone in weight and the levels went back up to mid 6.'s. Id really appreciate if I could connect with any of you to chat about how you used exercise and also your mindset.
Looking forward to hearing from you. Tony