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Significant weight loss and type 2

C

CraigDT

Well-Known Member
Messages
56
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi,

I was initially diagnosed type 1 but the consultant now reckons type 2, the rollercoaster continues. This makes me even more interested in losing weight and things like the newcastle diet and/or LCHF.

Has anyone lost significant amounts of weight and restored their blood glucose control to near normal by weight loss? My last HbA1c was 37 so my low carb dieting is working pretty well and I have pretty good control, I have also lost a fair amount of weight since my diagnosis (around one and a half stone). At present if I have higher levels of carbs my blood sugars go outside normal ranges but with a low carb diet I need no medication.

I am curious if anyone has achieved significant weight loss and then been able to return to a higher carb diet? Perhaps not an entirely normal diet as pancreas function is probably damaged by the pathology that causes type 2, but something close.

Cheers!
 
Well done on that HbA1c, Craig.

I'll dip in here, as much as anything to boost your thread up the listings a bit.

My own HbA1c results are in my signature, and I have found that as my weight trimmed down, my numbers got better. As the numbers improved and my weight reduced, my carb tolerance improved. The thing about words like "significant" and "higher levels of carbs" is that they will mean different things to different people.

In the scheme of things the weight I lost was insignificant, by comparison to others' losses, but to me it was significant, in terms of the results it achieved. Similarly, I can and sometimes do eat "higher levels of carbs" than I was when I was driving both numbers and weight downwards, but I certainly don't push the carb envelope. The reason is two-fold. I'm not particularly bothered about many carbs any more. When MrB is at home, my diet is a bit carbier, because depending on our meal, he may have some of his favoured Aunt Bessie's Home Cut Chips, and I'll have a few too. When he's away, like now, I just can't be bothered to cook a handful of chips, so I don't routinely bother. And the other reason is, I'm a bit of a wuuuuuuuus, and would hate to really get the hang of carbs, then find I was having to cut back again, due to rising bloods or weight.

@Andrew Colvin undertook a blood control/weightloss regime, which emulated the Newcastle regime, but he utilised proper food, rather than the shakes etc. He now eats what I would call an enthusiastically "normal" diet. In other words, carbier than most of us would dare!

Good luck with it all.
 
Thanks for the perspective. I am surprised at how few things I miss. Once I got used to the idea that fat is not bad the possibilities for tasty things to eat increased loads.

I started low carbing when I was "likely type 1" because I wanted to stretch out the honeymoon for as long as possible and smooth out any bumps when it ended. I am still only "likely type 2" so there is a risk that at some point it turns out I am destined to be on insulin. Whatever I have I want to remain medication free for as long as possible.

I had a meal that was a bit higher carb than normal the other day and my sugars went up to about 11 before coming back down, I am happy enough maintaining a low carb diet pretty much indefinitely but it would be good to have a bit more wiggle room. Hopefully with more weight loss that will improve.
 
I'm a bit of an oddball. I do follow a low carb diet (less than 50g) combined with higher fat. I lost 4st. 7lbs following this diet. That took me to below where I intended and it has taken me quite a while of introducing more fat and keeping the carbs the same to stabilise and stop losing. I have won the battle at long last.

Anyway, my diet did not exclude potatoes because I personally could not see how I would sustain a potato-free diet for the rest of my life. I just kept the portions right down, did without mash and baked spuds, and incorporated the carb content into my 50g a day routine. Initially I spiked to above the levels most of us on here agree is acceptable, but always came back down to base again so it never affected my bedtime or fasting levels (5's). Nowadays, the same portions do not spike me to anywhere near the same levels, in fact I rarely go above a 1mmol/l rise at 1 and 2 hours and that only if I have other carbs with the same meal.
 
My HbA1c was 8.6 and the diabetic nurse wanted me to consider insulin ( I was on Metformin, pioglitazone and sitagliptin), this, as far as I am concerned is a big no. I started following the Hairy Bikers diet and my weight dropped from 94kg to 75kg over a period of about 3 months. My next HbA1c was 6.8% and the one after that 6.3%, I came off the pioglitazone.
 
Hi @CraigDT

As @AndBreathe stated I lost a significant amount of weight - from my heaviest to lightest close to 8 st (nit the first 2 stone was before diagnosis when my body was probably in ketosis not processing glucose as I lost it rapidly and even whilst stuffing more food down my throat).

Since diagnosis I lost the first several stone over a 3 month period and went from an HbA1c of 94mmol/mol to 40 mmol/mol. Doctors amazed and said they didnt want to see me until annual review time (9 months later). That one came in in the low 30s. After the 6 month period when I levelled out weight I decided to do some experiments with carbs to see what I was capable of. I had noticed that my post prandials had just improved over time. I was no longer seeing the occasional spike at 10. So I tested and pushed it - found I needed to work up the carb levels over a few days or the peaks go to the high 8s for a few days. What I have found is that things have just continued to improve. So much so I can eat a bag of liquorice (and do often) and see 7s in my BG level at peak. Have tried a glass of coke - didnt go above the 7. All in all I seem to behave normally (well as BG goes).

I think it has taken time for my pancreas and gut microbes to recover significantly after the weightloss so that is why I saw a slow improvement over time even with weight stability. So although I managed to bring my fasting/pre and most post-prandials into normal with the weightloss it was still several months after that to regain full post-prandial function. How full is full is a difficult question. I no longer eat a whole plate of chips and everyone elses left overs - I will eat a handful. I am still mindful and know my body goes into fat storage rapidly it sees a carb so I have to compensate with more exercise to drive down insulin requirements or vlc for a few days.

Hope that helps
 
I've lost over 6 stones since November and found my carb tolerance has massively improved: I can tolerate over 200g of carbs a day and still have fasting readings below 5 and post prandial readings of below 6, whereas before anything over 10g in a meal would send me into double figures
 
Thanks all, good to know there is the possibility of improved carb tolerance. Happy to be mindful of what I eat with the possibility of the occasional extravagance. At least another stone to be lost before I have a healthy BMI and would consider any carb experiments though.
 
CraigDT said:
Thanks all, good to know there is the possibility of improved carb tolerance. Happy to be mindful of what I eat with the possibility of the occasional extravagance. At least another stone to be lost before I have a healthy BMI and would consider any carb experiments though.
Click to expand...

When it comes to re-introducing carbs, I'd encourage you to take it steady or you may find your body can't cope with the onslaught, because of it's just not used to the carbs. (Note Andrews comments about slow improvements, over time.)
 
Absolutely! Though the temptation to wolf down a bag of haribo may be difficult to resist, my fear of long term complications arising from diabetes should keep me in check.
 
I've lost 21 kg (3 st 4) by low carbing (less than 50g/day) to get to a BMI of 24, and my HbA1c is now 38. I don't feel I am able to reintroduce carbs to any degree though, but to be honest in most cases I don't feel I want to.
 
I know what you mean, LCHF is a pretty sustainable and satisfying diet once you adjust. There are a few things I wouldn't mind being able to have from time to time though. Now I'm hungry. Time for some cheese!
 
Hi @CraigDT I've lost about 3 stone to date and my hba1c has gone down from 42 last December to 36 yesterday. Although I tend to low carb I do eat some of the more 'carby' foods such as potatoes, bread, cereals and pasta in moderation and my weight loss has slowed but is still continuing.
 
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