Reversing T2 With Diet - Who Has Done It And Who Wants To Give It A Go?

britishpub said:

The first thing you would need to define is what you mean by "Reversed". There are countless threads debating that subject on here as well.

I have a HbA1c of 22 and BG levels that are nearly always in the recommended ranges, all through Diet & Exercise, but then I don't consider that as a Reversal.

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Really?

VinnyJames said:

Really?

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Yes, REALLY.

The Salted Caramel Parfait I ate the other day reminded me that I am still T2D and not reversed.

If I ate one of those every day my HbA1c would not be in the 20's anymore.

People can kid themselves that they have beaten the disease, but deep down they know that the only way they can get non-diabetic BG levels is by keeping a tight rein on their diet.

Morning fellow Diabies

Day four is over - day five begins. Bloods 4.6!!!! All good. Weight still down. But - I woke up at 3.30 (typical DP) then fell into a deep sleep and woke to my alarm - with no energy. Flat battery.

However - the hand pain has eased!!!!

Not figured that one out yet.

britishpub said:

Yes, REALLY.

The Salted Caramel Parfait I ate the other day reminded me that I am still T2D and not reversed.

If I ate one of those every day my HbA1c would not be in the 20's anymore.

People can kid themselves that they have beaten the disease, but deep down they know that the only way they can get non-diabetic BG levels is by keeping a tight rein on their diet.

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Agree one hundred percent. There is no cure for diabetes, just good management and proper diet, otherwise it is back to diabetes.

Steve50 said:

Day 4

I got over the hump. I'm beyond hunger now and am riding the crest of the wave of achievement. My mind is particularly sharp - and energy levels high - so I must be drawing fuel from somewhere! Blood is now sitting nicely inside normal range and weight is down an incredible 3.6kg. Still have a tongue like a buttered bap - and am emitting foul odours - but enough about that. I have been mostly sedentary because I am working on a major report at the moment - but I will be active tomorrow teaching so I'll see if that makes any difference to the hunger.

So - to take stock, the main point of this experiment is to see if fasting can ease my hand pain. And on that front - no change. Maybe it's too early. I recognize that it takes 3 months for the blood to be 'renewed'. So that will be my time frame for changes in that respect.

My thinking is - I have come this far - and got to the stage where my pancreas is beginning to show benefit. So the longer I can stay in this state the better. I have resolve, some knowledge of what is going on - and you guys to keep me going till Monday (not to mention the complete lack of company to distract me as no-one with any sense of smell is willing to occupy the same space as me at the moment!)

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@Steve50
Well Done Steve, well done.. Keep us all posted as to how you're getting on. I've got a pot luck dinner tonight then I start over tomorrow and get back to it.. I'm off for a longer ride on my road bike.. I've got a solid 2 hour ride up a long hill but the weather is pleasant. TG..

Morning Fellow Diabies

Woke up this morning to a further weight loss - in total now 5.2 kg since I started this experiment. Bloods had raised slightly from yesterday to 5.5 - can work that out. But still good. Hand pain has also come back slightly stronger. Wonder if the blood count and pain level is related in any way. Hmmmm. I did find it much more difficult to do this and teach. My mind was clear but my movement severely hampered. It was more exhausting than usual. Stomach was also - lets say unreliable! However - I made it - Yeah!! Really struggled last night. End of week - wind pain - cooking smells - all put pressure on my resolve - but I had it in my mind that I would have to fess up to you all this morning - and to some extent that kept me honest and on track. So I didn't break the fast. I have 2 days to go. Today and tomorrow. I'm hoping my pancreas will have been given a good rest and a bit of a clear out by Monday. Then I plan a gentle reintroduction to chewing. Any tips?

Day 5 is now behind me - day 6 begins.

britishpub said:

Yes, REALLY.

The Salted Caramel Parfait I ate the other day reminded me that I am still T2D and not reversed.

If I ate one of those every day my HbA1c would not be in the 20's anymore.

People can kid themselves that they have beaten the disease, but deep down they know that the only way they can get non-diabetic BG levels is by keeping a tight rein on their diet.

Click to expand...

So age with you, I am only prediabetic with a bmi of 19.5 but if I only have a small cheat, my fasting will be back up the next day. And I have maintained a normal hba1c for 7 years, ( through low carbing).
But that is an impressive hba1c

Steve50 said:

Morning Fellow Diabies

Woke up this morning to a further weight loss - in total now 5.2 kg since I started this experiment. Bloods had raised slightly from yesterday to 5.5 - can work that out. But still good. Hand pain has also come back slightly stronger. Wonder if the blood count and pain level is related in any way. Hmmmm. I did find it much more difficult to do this and teach. My mind was clear but my movement severely hampered. It was more exhausting than usual. Stomach was also - lets say unreliable! However - I made it - Yeah!! Really struggled last night. End of week - wind pain - cooking smells - all put pressure on my resolve - but I had it in my mind that I would have to fess up to you all this morning - and to some extent that kept me honest and on track. So I didn't break the fast. I have 2 days to go. Today and tomorrow. I'm hoping my pancreas will have been given a good rest and a bit of a clear out by Monday. Then I plan a gentle reintroduction to chewing. Any tips?

Day 5 is now behind me - day 6 begins.

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@Steve50

A lovely day today to go cycling. I'll throw in a quick 18 miler. Locally its 2.30pm as I head out but lots of clean fresh cold (refrigerated water) helps enormously with fasting. I've had a spoon of peanut butter, so I don't whittle away to nothing.. BMI is in the 23's..

Evening all. Didn't post this morning - but all good. Blood was 5.4. Weight down 5.6kg. Hand pain is subsiding. Happy with that. Not sure if this is conclusive or scientific but l can say that a 7 day fast has done something good for my weight (not a shock) my blood ( to be expected) and my pain!!!! Really! Thanks for keeping me on target. I will come off the fast tomorrow. Cheers

Made it.

It is now the morning after the 7 day fast. I have lost 6.5 kg. Blood was down to 3.4 (oops!). Hand pain has considerably subsided - still there in the background, but much better overall.

Gota go - time for breakfast!

Steve50 said:

Made it.

It is now the morning after the 7 day fast. I have lost 6.5 kg. Blood was down to 3.4 (oops!). Hand pain has considerably subsided - still there in the background, but much better overall.

Gota go - time for breakfast!

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Well done.. that's very impressive and such great results...

lucullus said:

David have u had ur adiponectin levels tested. I found out recently I was pre diabetic. I like u have lead a life of regular exercise and good diet. I decided to get some blood tests done which looked at my whole system. I was found to have hypoadiponectrinanemia. It is a hormone produced in your fat, if you have very low levels it can make u insulin resistant.

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I have to admit that I haven't the foggiest idea what those words mean. I'll have to do some research.

Steve50 said:

Made it.

It is now the morning after the 7 day fast. I have lost 6.5 kg. Blood was down to 3.4 (oops!). Hand pain has considerably subsided - still there in the background, but much better overall.

Gota go - time for breakfast!

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@Steve50

Well done. I hope all is going well or at least better than previously.

I gave into my hunger two days ago. Yet I went straight to fasting yesterday. I woke this morning and I'm sub 100mg/dl (non diabetic) number for my FBG as my feet aren't screaming with high sugars. We have lovely Honeycrisp (hybrid) apples at the moment and, I eat one of those daily to keep my body functioning even though for the most part I am fasting. I've sneakers on as my feet are cold & I feel a touch jittery. I'm going to try and get to Sunday but my wife had eggs on wheat toast and I've been envious of that food. I just don't need the neuropathy any more.

My weight now is a full 60lbs off worst levels at 192lbs. My BMI today is 23.4. I've lost some 12lbs since 9th of September. I am 6 lbs heavier than my lowest level of 186lbs of last year, but its such a pleasure to drink some coffee and be pain free. When I was 186lbs I experienced no relief from the T2DM but this morning I did. So clearly I am trending the right way for some form of relief / reversal, I am just grateful of where I am and where I hope to go.

Bebo321 said:

Thanks for your reply - I know there are amazing people on this forum who are an inspiration to others
I wonder what kind of proportion of people with T2 have reversed their condition through diet though? (so off all meds and blood glucose within the normal range) Are these just the rare 2%, or is it attainable for the majority? - and if not, what would make it attainable?

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It is attainable, but it is hard work and it is 7 days a week. You do not 'reverse' diabetes in the sense that is gone for good. You reverse diabetes in the that you have walked away from your old lifestyle and have built a new way of approaching food choices, exercise, stress and rest.

I am T2 without medication or insulin. My first A1c was 13.9mmols; 12 months later it was 6.1 and my next test, in 9 weeks, will be below 6.0.

Step 1: Accept that your existing lifestyle is going to cause you severe pain and poor health in the future.

Step 2: Get your weight inside your BMI range as quickly as possible.

Step 3: Do a LCHF course in conjunction with your doctor.

Step 4: Research the heck out of the natural remedies in the internet. Research their side effects, too. Do not make a decision about using any natural remedy without first consulting your doctor.

Step 5:. Do not assume that you get the right remedy/method straight away. Different remedies work for some and not others. Test with different dosages, times of day etc.

Step 6:. Test, test, test..... and then test again. Write it down notes in your phone. Expect to go thru a lot of test strike in the first year or two. Discuss results with your doctor.

Step 7: Develop an eating routine. Do not snack between meals.

Step 8:. Use this blog site to compare notes with other people. This site is easily the best place to learn.

Enjoy

Jo123 said:

So age with you, I am only prediabetic with a bmi of 19.5 but if I only have a small cheat, my fasting will be back up the next day. And I have maintained a normal hba1c for 7 years, ( through low carbing).
But that is an impressive hba1c

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I watch my carbs but not as stringently as other forum members and my hba1c has been in the 30s for 2-3 years. I do experiment occasionally to see what results I get and usually get good ones although I still have issues with some foods such as scampi and tortillas! I had pizza (1st time in 2 years) and salad last night with a reading of 6.6 after 2 hours (6.4 after 2.5 hrs) and 4.9 FBS this morning so that will be a new addition to my 'eat in moderation' list

Bebo321 said:

Thank you to all those who took part in the survey. I don't know if you had an opportunity to look at the results, but they suggest that there are some super motivated people on this forum. The stats are wildly different to what is considered 'average' amongst the rest of the population.

The question asked had you reversed your diabetes through diet?

Answer Number of people Percentage of people

Yes. 23. 34.3%
No. 11. 16%
I manage diabetes 33. 49.3%
with diet

Giving a cursory glance at stats in the general populous, stats for reversing are closer to 1%. Congratulations to all those who have reversed their condition and to those who successfully manage their diabetes with diet (and exercise too no doubt).
It's really inspiring to see that so many are keeping on top of this blasted condition and it offers hope to anybody who loses (or has lost) hope with the diagnosis.
For anybody still struggling - keep the faith and keep sharing and learning from the wonderful people on this forum.

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HI Bebo
An interesting result. Small sample - bu that is not a criticism. What I think is worth considering is the extent to which people have managed their goals through being part of a group. I do work with doctors - specialists - and they seem genuinely interested in the 'method' of reversal - not the 'fact' of it which by now seems to be well accepted.

I think there is always going to be a range of personality types which find success via different routes and not everyone wants to be part of a group - but a support group such as this one seems to be having its own success - as your survey indicates - and that is not a bad thing.

Bebo321 said:

Thank you to all those who took part in the survey. I don't know if you had an opportunity to look at the results, but they suggest that there are some super motivated people on this forum. The stats are wildly different to what is considered 'average' amongst the rest of the population.

The question asked had you reversed your diabetes through diet?

Answer Number of people Percentage of people

Yes. 23. 34.3%
No. 11. 16%
I manage diabetes 33. 49.3%
with diet

Giving a cursory glance at stats in the general populous, stats for reversing are closer to 1%. Congratulations to all those who have reversed their condition and to those who successfully manage their diabetes with diet (and exercise too no doubt).
It's really inspiring to see that so many are keeping on top of this blasted condition and it offers hope to anybody who loses (or has lost) hope with the diagnosis.
For anybody still struggling - keep the faith and keep sharing and learning from the wonderful people on this forum.

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@Bebo321

I've not done your survey as of yet. I was hoping to join the reversed crowd but so far I'm in the well managed club but I'm holding onto the hope that I'll reverse soon. I can't fast every day ad infinitum, so I do my best. I am at the moment cycling most days and still put in about 100 miles of cycling / week. I am throwing in two weights workouts/ week, too as the evenings are becoming darker. I'm sure I've experienced some muscle loss thru fasting but I'll take being smaller/lighter and non diabetic over living with T2DM. I checked my weight this morning and I'm still at 194lbs. Yet I am seeing vascularity in my physique but its not yet overly done and I can still pinch too much around my midriff although my BMI is still 23.7 .

Here's to losing a few more lbs and my T2DM..

LBB