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reversal or remission? 800 calories a day

TooManyCrisps

TooManyCrisps

Well-Known Member
Messages
535
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi, I was diagnosed 3 years ago with an HBA1C of 97. I've brought my HBA1C down to low 40s (lowest was 37 but it's crept back up slightly) and I lost weight through LCHF but that is slowly creeping back on. I've not taken any meds.

In order to give myself a kick start on getting my weight and bloods under control I started the Blood Sugar Diet on New Years Day. So far so good, I've lost almost a stone and my blood sugar readings are all good - mostly 5s with the occasional 6 after a meal. Hopefully I will keep this up for the whole 8 weeks.

However, is it really likely that I will reverse my diabetes - ie be able to eat carbs again without getting high readings - or will it be more of a remission, which I was in anyway in that I hadn't had a diabetic HBA1C result for 2 years? I know that if at the end of this diet I suddenly started to eat masses of chocolates, pasta etc then that would affect me but I would really like to be able to eat the occasional baked potato or a couple of slices of wholemeal toast. Is that going to be possible?

I'd be really interested to hear if anyone has followed the ND or BSD and managed to properly reverse their diabetes.
 
Only time can answer that question. My feeling is that your insulin sensitivity will dramatically improve, but if you then begin consuming carbohydrate again, the diabetes will return in short order.

Personally I believe that formulating an enjoyable and sustainable dietary strategy compatible with your carbohydrate intolerance is the only real way forward, but I wish you the best of luck with your endeavours! :)
 
Yes. On the plus side, though, by keeping your blood glucose as low as possible you will be reducing your risk of nasty complications.

Just to say, I am talking from experience as I got my BG down below diabetic levels and kept them there for over a year, then after a bit of experimenting I thought i could eat what ever I wanted - and then a several months later found myself back with very high BG again.
 
TooManyCrisps said:
Thanks Jim. So effectively it will never be a reversal, only ever a remission?
Click to expand...

That depends on your perspective. I take the view that if you have no symptoms and take no medications then you are not diabetic. Diabetes, the clinical condition, has been reversed. You may likely remain somewhat intolerant to carbohydrate, but live accordingly and the diabetes won’t come back. That’s good enough for me. Others take a more pessimistic stance, but whatever works for the individual :)
 
TooManyCrisps said:
Thanks Jim. So effectively it will never be a reversal, only ever a remission?
Click to expand...

To be honest TMC, that's an impossible question to answer. There are some people who appear to be able to eat and drink what they want to, after an intervention, like the ND/Blood Sugar Diet, or whatever, and others for whom that simply isn't the case.

My suggestion is to do the best you can and see how life pans out
 
DCUKMod said:
To be honest TMC, that's an impossible question to answer. There are some people who appear to be able to eat and drink what they want to, after an intervention, like the ND/Blood Sugar Diet, or whatever, and others for whom that simply isn't the case.

My suggestion is to do the best you can and see how life pans out
Click to expand...


I would love to be able to eat moderate amounts of carbs. I wont hold my breath though. I just need to get through the next 6 weeks and then we'll see
 
TooManyCrisps said:
Hi, I was diagnosed 3 years ago with an HBA1C of 97. I've brought my HBA1C down to low 40s (lowest was 37 but it's crept back up slightly) and I lost weight through LCHF but that is slowly creeping back on. I've not taken any meds.

In order to give myself a kick start on getting my weight and bloods under control I started the Blood Sugar Diet on New Years Day. So far so good, I've lost almost a stone and my blood sugar readings are all good - mostly 5s with the occasional 6 after a meal. Hopefully I will keep this up for the whole 8 weeks.

However, is it really likely that I will reverse my diabetes - ie be able to eat carbs again without getting high readings - or will it be more of a remission, which I was in anyway in that I hadn't had a diabetic HBA1C result for 2 years? I know that if at the end of this diet I suddenly started to eat masses of chocolates, pasta etc then that would affect me but I would really like to be able to eat the occasional baked potato or a couple of slices of wholemeal toast. Is that going to be possible?

I'd be really interested to hear if anyone has followed the ND or BSD and managed to properly reverse their diabetes.
Click to expand...

Have you asked yourself why your HbA1c has crept back up a bit and why your weight is creeping up again?
Did you increase your carbs?
Maybe that answers your question?

Maybe it is just too soon in your journey to contemplate reversal?
 
TooManyCrisps said:
I would love to be able to eat moderate amounts of carbs. I wont hold my breath though. I just need to get through the next 6 weeks and then we'll see
Click to expand...
@TooManyCrisps I probably average 100g carbs per day and have managed to maintain my hba1c at normal levels for over 5 years now. Whilst I still watch the number of carbs I eat I don’t worry too much if I have more than usual.
 
I have certainly been able to eat higher amounts of carbs without seeing higher blood glucose readings, but as soon as I up my intake, my weight starts to rise very quickly - I have to go lower than my normal level of 50 gm per day to try to loose a bit more weight.
 
Was as a newbie.
My take may be a little off.

But if I stay away from nuclear radiation, for long enough,
can I them stand next to a reactor unprotected, and NOT expect to be affected by the bombardment of radioactive matter, because I'm "CURED" because I haven't been near nuclear radiation for a few months .?

Not a chance I'm willing to take.

But in terms of telling everyone we are CURED, .it's a most ineffective word, imho.

Got a nut allergy, roll up for the latest CURE.
"Don't eat NUTS, Forest"...simples.

I HOPE I am wrong, but until I SEE a documentary or YouTube video, under set conditions Of someone tucking into a huge plate of ROAST POTATOES /mashed potatoes/fried potatoes ..with normal BG's after the 2 hour window...
.(.aghh :***:..can anyone tell yet, what I miss the most..hahaha.)

THEN I'LL BELIEVE there's a CURE.

For now, I'm happy to be aiming for remission.
My goal is to REDUCE the possibilities of ANY complications, now OR in the future.

And while it's personal to each and everyone of , for now I AM more then happy with that.
 
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DCUKMod said:
There are some people who appear to be able to eat and drink what they want to, after an intervention, like the ND/Blood Sugar Diet, or whatever, and others for whom that simply isn't the case.

My suggestion is to do the best you can and see how life pans out
Click to expand...

Not to doubt you, @DCUKMod ,

but would you have links to those perhaps.
be most interested in seeing the posts or data..

thank you kindly.
 
jjraak said:
Not to doubt you, @DCUKMod ,

but would you have links to those perhaps.
be most interested in seeing the posts or data..

thank you kindly.
Click to expand...

If you have a look at @andcol 's profile, he has a link to his early journey in there. Obviously he also has lots of other content too.
 
Jim Lahey said:
I take the view that if you have no symptoms and take no medications then you are not diabetic. Diabetes, the clinical condition, has been reversed. You may likely remain somewhat intolerant to carbohydrate, but live accordingly and the diabetes won’t come back.
Click to expand...
This seems to encapsulate for me what I was beginning to formulate in my mind.
 
Like Jim. I am intolerant of carbs.

Any amount will affect me a bit later. Makes me drousy/slow witted somehow. Even a handful of blueberries will do it.

As a Hgv driver it's not cool. Countered it by? Yep. Snacking. So counterd my bg flux with more carbs. My numbers must have been a mess some days.

Now on super low carb levels (10g maybe less) I feel great. Sharp as a knife. 1c super low and FBg between 4.5 and 5.

I really don't think I can up my carbs. Anything with double figure carbs will have a negative impact no matter if my insulin resistance is much improved.

For me? I suppose I consider myself diabetic and be done with it. It is only under control because I am keeping it that way.

It hasn't gone anywhere. Put in a box maybe.
 
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What does "eat carbs" mean?
  • Is it having some nice home made bread when you go for a meal once a month?
  • Is it having roast potatoes once a week?
  • Is it having bread for lunch every day?
  • Is it having frosties for breakfast?
  • Is it a pt of orange juice?
  • Is it being able to have carrots with ever meals?
And how high are you happy for your BG to get when you do the above?
 
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