So confused!

Sorry that this can be overwhelming.
Other folk can inform you far better than I on low carb diet and its effect on cholesterol levels and glucose levels.
The lixisenatide did work in the trials to reduce gluocse levels in folk who would have been on a standard low refined carbohydrate, high complex carbohydrate diet, high fibre, low fat etc. The lixi would help with whatever diet you were taking, as long as you were avoiding refined rapidly absorbed carbohydrate that all medications would be unable to cope with.
I hope this helps
Best wishes

As to your question of cholesterol, this is still highly controversial. I suggest you do some research on it, there are plenty of books and youtube videos but to save you time I like the vids presented by Ivor Cummins and Dr. Kendrick, however, you should see a variety of opinions on the whole issue of cholesterol before you form your own opinions.

My cholesterol levels have risen since my diagnosis of T2 (and the only drug I take is Metformin) but I am expecting them to level out but even if they do not I am more concerned with trying to improve IR more than anything else at the moment. Low carbing takes a while to get used to and if this is your chosen route to better control of bg then please, do more reading because being on bg lowering drugs and attempting to get better control of bg with diet takes a little more thought. Best of luck.

Hi. Two points - think HighER fat not High Fat. The advice we have been given to reduce fat intake to reduce blood cholesterol is being challenged by many. Most of the cholesterol in your blood is produced by the liver and not related directly to the fat you eat. Carbs can be a source of the liver's cholesterol production. The proof of the pudding as they say is what your fasting lipids levels are with a HCLF and a LCHF diet. I think you will find little difference but your blood sugar will have improved with LCHigherF.

The point about low carb high fat is that these are terms relative to the "normal" ratio. Eg I use to eat 500-600g of carbs, maybe 50-60g fats daily. Now I eat 100g or less carbs, but 100-150g fats.

We don't have to deliberately gorge on fats, especially if we carry some excess ourselves. The idea of the carbs lite approach is to find the appropriate amount of dietary fats to keep us satiated, in order to lower our insulin levels. This will encourage our body to extract energy from the stored fats rather than keep demanding for high carbs food.

A simplified explanation is found here
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/newbie-guide-to-t2d.1858/

When it comes to cholesterol, I find that my levels improved with the carbs reduction.

I think the advice from the previous posters, concerning cholesterol, is important. Another alternative is that you could try doing only the LC part of LCHF. That is what I am doing, in effect. For decades I have been on a low-fat, Mediterranean regime. When I was diagnosed with T2 earlier this year I drastically reduced the carbs but only slightly increased the fats. For some mysterious reason, this seems to work for me although I get the impression that medically speaking, I should probably be starving by now. I have plenty of energy, I never had the "low-carb flu" and my weight is stable and in the healthy range.

Grateful said:

I should probably be starving by now. I have plenty of energy, I never had the "low-carb flu" and my weight is stable and still in the healthy range, albeit close to the bottom of that range.

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And what you have failed to mention is that your HbA1c results are brilliant!

bulkbiker said:

And what you have failed to mention is that your HbA1c results are brilliant!

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Thank you -- so are yours. That's a large reason why we are here, to learn from others' experience (in a mutually supportive way) so that we can each do our best.

I have no idea why it was so relatively easy for me to achieve those A1C levels, but that is the reason why I chose the user name "Grateful" on this forum because that is truly how I feel. It is also a reaction to the really dire information that the conventional sources dispense about T2 diabetes. I really did get the impression that reversing T2 solely through diet/exercise was a "once in a blue moon" event but it is clear from this forum that this is not the case. It is shocking to see how it is "marginalized" as a treatment option. I would never even have done it if I had not had such luck as to have a doctor who prescribed diet/exercise for several months before even considering drugs.

Of course when I say it was "relatively easy" to take the diet/exercise route -- it takes a lot of work. But it is not beyond the ken of man, or woman. Plus, it has all sorts of extra benefits. The danger is over-evangelizing, just because it has worked so well personally. It is not for everyone, and it won't work for everyone. But it is worth a "good try" if circumstances/medical history allow.

Grateful said:

It is not for everyone, and it won't work for everyone. But it is worth a "good try" if circumstances/medical history allow.

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Completely agree although I think it would "work" for a lot more people than it gets credit for.. but still many congrats on your levels..

Grateful said:

I have no idea why it was so relatively easy for me to achieve those A1C levels

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What shocked me was not how easy it was to normalize HbA1c...but how indifferent HCP are when they realized how it was achieved...without medication, without exercise, without will power. They much rather believe that such reversal are anecdotal and pure stroke of luck...nothing more.

How can fats, fasting or ketosis have anything to do with it...

lynnnora2 said:

Hi all. My head is swirling with low carb diet stuff. Everything about it points to low carb high fat and as I have high cholesterol this isn't practical for me. I also take lixensenatide injections everyday and I'm confused... Does this medication stop the need to eat low carb. I am finding it hard to find anything that I can eat.

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Your question depends on what you want for yourself and your future.

It is perfectly possible to take Lixensenatide and feed it with carbs. Is this what you want? A strong medication for the rest of your life, with the possibility of even more medication in the future? Or would you prefer to try and reduce the medication by not feeding it? Ultimately, the decision is yours. I know what I would do.

Lixensenatide works by stimulating the pancreas into producing extra insulin. The fewer carbs you eat, the less insulin is needed.

Cholesterol does not impact all cause mortality unless it is very high or very low. However, high blood sugars and sugar spikes from eating high carb food does result in increased rate of heat attacks, strokes, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. So, in the great order of things cholesterol has much lower importance than reducing high blood sugars and reducing glucose spikes from eating high carb foods. If you have a lot of glucose spikes then you can expect to live about ten years less than average if you have type 2 diabetes. Women with slightly elevated cholesterol actually life longer than average. There are plenty of interesting videos on the subject from people such as Zoe Harcombe see https://www.dietdoctor.com/member/popular#cholesterol