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

[Bebo321]

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.

I think the forum is probably self-selecting (people who are motivated to seek out as much info about their condition as possible are likely those who are motivated to do something about it), which is why there are so many success stories.
What is interesting though, is the high proportion of people who actually succeed in reversing the condition (or even successfully manage the condition).
I appreciate the term 'reversal' may be contentious, but how brilliant would it be if diabetes education and media coverage reflected this optimistic statistic. The recent Panorama documentary would have been far more motivating, optimistic and actually more realistic if it had reflected how successful people can be when they are given the right information rather than taking a defeatist attitude that people with diabetes are somehow an unsolvable blight. (Sorry - I have made the assumption that you saw the documentary)

 

[CaliforniaGal]

@Bebo321

This will seem wild but one builds up to it has been my experience. I have had good control 100mg/dl (5.6mmol/L) to 125mg/dl for the last two years but eventually I got fed up even with good control because of the neuropathy. I'd been doing 18 hour fasts per www.tinyurl.com/Dr-JasonFung and while they helped I was still starting the day with what I've been told is a diabetic 5.6+ mmol/L 100+mg/dl number . I just thought the heck with this and push it and see where it goes. My seven day average is now 91mg/dland 14 day average is 97mg/dl. Both of these are non diabetic numbers. As for the hunger after a day, if you drink lots of water and fluids you don't notice the hunger too much. You really don't.

As for your question (2) I've not gotten there yet. I am just trying to allow my body to repair itself with these lower numbers for the time being. My BMI is 23.8 as I type this and while I'm not heavy now I've still got a muffin top with some of closet full of nicely worn in jeans.. I've got to read more from Fung and start thinking about his issue for the time being I am grateful that my numbers are in the normal range.

I read Dr. Fung's book on Intermittent Fasting (IF) and followed the "recipe" for alternate fasting. My numbers went from A1c of 13 to 5. Amazing. I owe it all to Dr. Fung. Hope my one toe stops tingling soon, the longer I keep my numbers in the normal range. It's not hard and the side effect of fasting, is weight loss. Thanks for listening

 

[Lolhere]

I read Dr. Fung's book on Intermittent Fasting (IF) and followed the "recipe" for alternate fasting. My numbers went from A1c of 13 to 5. Amazing. I owe it all to Dr. Fung. Hope my one toe stops tingling soon, the longer I keep my numbers in the normal range. It's not hard and the side effect of fasting, is weight loss. Thanks for listening

I saw a documentary that showed having surgery didn't just reverse diabetes, it was stopped at the point of surgery! I am not wanting this & hope I don't get to that point, but surely that means there has to be something in that process to be researched to find out what it is that stops it in its tracks.

 

[kokhongw]

but surely that means there has to be something in that process to be researched to find out what it is that stops it in its tracks.

Actually it is the successful "reversal" of T2D observed in patients who have undergone Bariatric surgeries BEFORE any significant weightloss that has triggered the various explorations on very low calorie diets and fasting. The surgery itself may not be necessary...
http://asmbs.org/patients/surgery-for-diabetes

Improvement or remission of diabetes with gastric bypass occurs early after surgery and before there is significant weight-loss. The weight-loss independent mechanisms of diabetes improvement after gastric bypass are partially explained by changes in hormones produced by the gut after the surgery, and this is an active area of research in the field of metabolic and bariatric surgery.

 

[Winnie53]

This is an old, old topic. But @Lolhere, I think you'll find this new lecture by Ivor Cummins (The Fat Emperor) interesting. He explains why gastric bypass "instantly" reverses diabetes - (but there are better ways to accomplish this so no one is suggesting doing it).

The discussion begins at minute 8:38 and the part you're interested in begins it's conclusion at minute 11:07, but I encourage you to listen to the entire lecture. It's quite good...

 

[serenity648]

This is an old, old topic. But @Lolhere, I think you'll find this new lecture by Ivor Cummins (The Fat Emperor) interesting. He explains why gastric bypass "instantly" reverses diabetes - (but there are better ways to accomplish this so no one is suggesting doing it).

The discussion begins at minute 8:38 and the part you're interested in begins it's conclusion at minute 11:07, but I encourage you to listen to the entire lecture. It's quite good...

Thank you, I listened to all of it and it was very helpful and informative.

 

[CaliforniaGal]

I saw a documentary that showed having surgery didn't just reverse diabetes, it was stopped at the point of surgery! I am not wanting this & hope I don't get to that point, but surely that means there has to be something in that process to be researched to find out what it is that stops it in its tracks.

After years of not being able to bring my numbers into the normal range, I followed Dr. Fung's book on fasting, and my numbers are in the normal range finally, just by following his directions. I fast every other day, (one day on - one day off). Sometimes I fast for 24 hours. My A1C went from 13 to 5. The tingling in my toe disappeared. No more Metformin.

 

[Living-by-the-beach]

I read Dr. Fung's book on Intermittent Fasting (IF) and followed the "recipe" for alternate fasting. My numbers went from A1c of 13 to 5. Amazing. I owe it all to Dr. Fung. Hope my one toe stops tingling soon, the longer I keep my numbers in the normal range. It's not hard and the side effect of fasting, is weight loss. Thanks for listening

@CaliforniaGal
Power to you.. Well Done! I'm trying to join you asap with a lower A1c!

 

[JohnEGreen]

I think I am in the process of reversing my reversal.

 

[Living-by-the-beach]

I think I am in the process of reversing my reversal.

@JohnEGreen

If all else fails then find a cheap bicycle and start on your Tour de France! Personally I'm at the cusp of reversal and I can't wait for the nirvana of lower sugars..

 

[walnut_face]

I think I am in the process of reversing my reversal.

Trouble is there are too many variables, getting older by the day be just one. Like you I have seen my readings rise - higher and faster than yours. I console myself with the fact that I can still induce a sub 5 reading.
LBTB has a point, a bike ride seems to be more beneficial than walking, swimming or running. I dont know about weight as after 10 mins I get bored. Trouble with a bike round my way is though I might get my BS down some Dutch HGV driver is likely to flatten me!

 

[Living-by-the-beach]

Trouble is there are too many variables, getting older by the day be just one. Like you I have seen my readings rise - higher and faster than yours. I console myself with the fact that I can still induce a sub 5 reading.
LBTB has a point, a bike ride seems to be more beneficial than walking, swimming or running. I dont know about weight as after 10 mins I get bored. Trouble with a bike round my way is though I might get my BS down some Dutch HGV driver is likely to flatten me!

@walnut_face

Agreed everyone is different. I am blessed though I see the vistas of my avatar most everyday. When I am on the dedicated bike path I can let my guard down a bit against HGV drivers but I still have the knucklehead pedestrians too. They can take one off your ride in a swift moment.


As tough as it is I'm sure I couldn't cycle each and every day if I still lived in the UK, the weather here is mostly nice 9 months of the year and chilly for about 3 months and even then its not "That bad". The vistas of my ride make it way more tolerable. I've stationary bike in my yard and I rarely get on it. It would bore me to death too.. Those HGV drivers do worry me also, as I've about a mile at the beginning and end of my ride where I share the road with regular drivers but we will all die of something, I just hope its from something other than a complication of diabetes or a road traffic accident..

 

[walnut_face]

I hope to move near the beach in the next few years. 20 years ago I was lucky enough to live 200 yards from the first sustrans cycle path, and cycled to work every day. Now I need to ride, for the sake of my health not to get from A to B

 

[Living-by-the-beach]

I hope to move near the beach in the next few years. 20 years ago I was lucky enough to live 200 yards from the first sustrans cycle path, and cycled to work every day. Now I need to ride, for the sake of my health not to get from A to B

@walnut_face

Its early afternoon here and I now need for the sun to ease a bit or I'll face the wrath of skin cancer from the sun were I to leave immediately for a ride.. Its the bunch of choices we've to live with that make this tough..

 

[rafalnejman]

I`ve made it. I`m almost 7 years without any drugs. My hba1c is about 5.3

I manage my own style of nutriton. This is optimal style of eating prepared on own insulin sensitivity and own needs This is not any low carb oraz high protein or high fat diet

 

[FADM2]

Low Carb High Fat and fasting has done it for me. Don't worry about calories and rarely hungry.
Regards
Mark

Would like to hear your story. Which fasting approach did u follow? and what was your meal schedules on non-fasting days? What about exercise?

 

[bulkbiker]

Would like to hear your story. Which fasting approach did u follow? and what was your meal schedules on non-fasting days? What about exercise?

My story is mostly here
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/one-year-in-thank-you-all.110499/
Intermittent fasting with some extended and a very low carb diet.
Exercise.. only began recently because I have so much more energy. For my first 18 months no more than usual.
Also some more experiments logged on my blog
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/bulkbiker.219467/

 

[seanj67]

My story is mostly here
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/one-year-in-thank-you-all.110499/
Intermittent fasting with some extended and a very low carb diet.
Exercise.. only began recently because I have so much more energy. For my first 18 months no more than usual.
Also some more experiments logged on my blog
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/bulkbiker.219467/

Thanks for the info, it was interesting reading. I've been looking into fasting again and I think breakfast would be an easy meal to miss - often I eat breakfast not because I'm hungry, but because I feel I should/habit. I could easily just have a coffee and be satisfied. I found that exercise was one thing that did help my numbers, I go to the gym but only do weights and I find that my numbers drop very well unless I counter them with bad food choices....

 

[Mbaker]

I also found reading @bulkbiker's blog interesting and informative. During the shock phase of diagnosis we don't think to document our journey fully, as we are ignorant of what is possible, maybe all who join should be encouraged to write up a blog. I can see that like Bulkbiker I have experimented quite a bit a continue to do so. Whilst I would not wish Type 2 on anyone, it is fascinating the options open to us tame the beast.