Spreading The Lchf Word Together, Maybe The Way Forward?

[rhubarb73]

I was just flaking a little at my keyboard....UNTIL I GOT YOUR POST! That perked me up, I'm ready for another 2 hour stint now! .

No! Get some sleep. Go again in the morning.
I did DESMOND on Thursday- you can read my thoughts on the FBG Chat thread you sometimes go on when you’re not so busy. No biscuits, no soapbox - just dismay and inner rage.

 

[Debandez]

5.9 today - a relection on the past 3 days, I have had family here staying with me and consumed more wine than I should have! Enough said

UPDATE ON THE EVENT

DATE - SATURDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER - BIRMINGHAM

I have now had the venue details confirmed to me by DCUK and I am very pleased to announce the details are as follows:

VENUE: A HEALTHY EATERY IN BIRMINGHAM (PERSONAL INVITES WILL CONFIRM FULL DETAILS)

It looks perfect for what we need. A small and informal gathering. I phoned them to discuss our requirements this morning and they confimed that part will be sectioned off for us so we will have our privacy. The other part will still be open to the public but it seems to be quiet at the weekend. We can move tables to suit our needs. There are 2 toilets including one with disabled access. There is also a room available if we need to change. The lunch menu will be available to us but possibly just 5 options to choose from which they are currently sorting with DCUK who will speak to us before finalising. The good news is there are lots of options for us including eggs!

PARKING - available close by and also on side steets around and about

TIME: 12 NOON UNTIL 3PM (however we can get there from 11.30am onwards). There are several attending who are staying over the night before and we will be on hand to meet and greet across the area if required, for example at the coach station or grand central train station, if anyone wants help getting there, or a bit of company. After the event if we decide we are really enjoying ourselves and don't want to dash off there is a lovely pub nearby.



EVENT ITSELF - There will be an introduction by someone from DCUK followed by plenty of time to discuss and chat about everything and anything! Very easy, relaxed atmosphere. We are hoping to have several new comers to the LCHF woe that we can share our knowledge with and help along their journey as we were helped on ours. The plans are to have our various leaflets and booklets we are currently working on to hand out and to be photographed. DCUK will no doubt be adding these as links to the site fo future reference as ebooklets. I have ordered some name badges so we will all know who is who. I plan to do a Q&A sheet for anything we don't have the answer to on the day. They can then be followed up.

There will be a PR team there and photos/video will be taken. If anyone isn't happy with that please don't worry you won't need to get in the photo/video.

Invitations are currently being designed by DCUK and those who have confirmed their attendence will be receiving their invites very soon. I have a couple of people who have said they are interested in coming that I haven't had a chance to get back to yet due to family commitments (I have had family staying with me for 3 days so practically had come to a standstill) but I will be contacting you soon. Apologies for delay.

I do still have a couple of spaces if anyone would like to join us. Please let me know as soon as possible.

THIS IS ALL ABOUT GETTING THE LCHF WORD OUT THERE AND WILL BE A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY TO DO JUST THAT. IT'S JUST SO EXCITING.

LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING EVERYONE VERY SOON. AND FOR THOSE THAT AREN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT DON'T WORRY WE ARE HOPING THAT THERE WILL BE A NEXT TIME.

 

[Debandez]

EVENT UPDATE

INVITE IS READY

Ohhhh yessss the official invite is ready folks

I received it yesterday together with a call from DCUK. I will shortly be working my way though the list I have compiled of those who have confirmed and some who are yet to confirm that they would like to attend.

Your invite will be with you today

DCUK called to go though the finer details of our event with me and I would like to share that information with you now.

I spoke to a lovely lady called Teresa for about 15 minutes. They are right behind us on this event and looking forward to it as much as we are.

Teresa (who seems to be a'big boss' and has worked with DCUK for many years) will be there with Charlotte. Charlotte launched the LCHF program in 2015. (I think it's Charlotte Summers after checking Google). Charlotte speaks at events globally. She knows all about diabetes and is currently working on the following:

1) hypo awareness program

2) T1 program

3) health care professional program

As you can imagine things are very busy. They have done events in the community before and gave me Newcastle and Manchester as examples, however not for the last year due to their heavy workload. But they see this as a great opportunity to get the LCHF word out there to deal with diabetes.

A lady called Charlotte will be doing a talk on the day. I’m looking forward to that. Looking at her You Tube videos (if it is Charlotte Summers) she is an extremely competent speaker and extremely knowledgeable.

GOODIES/FREEBIES

DCUK will sort name badges, pens, goody bags, info booklets for the event. They will try and get t-shirts and she mentioned them having something like 'fingertips of steel' on haha. But this might not be possible due to budget constraints but she will get back to us on this one. They are available to buy should anyone wish to do so in the meantime.

VIDEOGRAPHER/PHOTOGRAPHER

There will be a videographer/photographer there on the day. Teresa emphasised it would be very informal. They will do group pics. But would like to do individual videos also of anyone who is happy to have a chat on film about their LC journey. It seems they just ask a few questions. 'How do you find low carb' 'favourite recipe' and similar questions.

Teresa has sent me a link to some existing videos so you we can get an idea how they roll!

If you scroll down on https://www.lowcarbprogram.com/

to: Be a success story you will see some videos. Also some stories to read. The videos were filmed at previous events.

The pics and videos will then be used to promote LCHF for DCUK if people are happy for that. And obviously nobody needs to be videod/photographed who doesn't want to be.

The local and national press will be contacted re our story. We may yet be sitting with Holly and Phil on the This Morning settee, I'm sure we can all squeeze on!!! Of course I'm joking. We won't all be able to fit on! Have you seen the size of it!

She said they will total weight loss on the day for those involved. It might be 15 stone 20, 30, 50 but the amount doesn't matter. She thinks it's great us all getting together to do this. I do have a list of people's weight loss and I'm sure I can get it to 100 stone (people who would have liked to attend but for whatever reason can't), all on LCHF and having taken control of diabetes. I'm wondering if it's worth trying to collate a list of peoples HBA1c before LC and after from forum, maybe in the ask a question thread, to try and capture more stats to use as more evidence of how successful this woe actually is, that said that could involve a lot of work.

INSPIRATIONAL STORIES AND BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES

They love hearing inspirational stories of how the LCHF woe has helped control BS as well as helped with weight loss. I said we have a booklet of about 20 journeys coming at diabetes from every angle. TOFI (thin on the outside fat on the inside). Linked by genes. Disabled diabetics. Late onset. Multiple health issues. Extreme weight loss etc. I said we had before and after pics too

RECIPES
She loved the idea if a recipe booklet and they have their own nutritionist who would Be interested to look at that one.

CHOLESTEROL AND MONITOR INFO

I said we may also have an info leaflet on each of these time permitting (no pressure on those involved just if you can manage it)

ATTENDANCE
Teresa asked me if those who are coming can email Elena (details are on the official invite) with confirmation of their attendance and any dietary requirements. I laughed and said 'Well we are all diabetic'. So any vegans, nut allergies etc needs to be highlighted.

Teresa said a massive thanks to us for making their job so easy!! And for all our hard work. So once again thank you everyone for all your help in getting this off the ground. I could not have done it without your help and support.

NEXT EVENT

Teresa said they are very keen to arrange another event after this one which is really good news. A different area next time but not sure where yet.

 

[Debandez]

EVENT UPDATE – SATURDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER - BIRMINGHAM

It's all coming along very nicely. Which is just as well as it's only just over 2 weeks away! It's very exciting.

• We have the venue booked (menu still to be confirmed)
  
  
• Hotel rooms booked for the Friday night for those arriving the day before
  
  
• We have guest speaker on the day (DCUK)
  
  
• We have their PR team on hand for the event. Hoping this is really going to spread our LCHF woe to control BS message.
  
  
• We have had invites produced and they have been sent to all interested parties
  

***PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED ONE AND HAVE PREVIOUSLY CONFIRMED THAT YOU LIKE TO ATTEND ASAP AND I CAN SQUEEZE A COUPLE MORE IN IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US ***

• @Rachox has finished the Blood Sugar leaflet and it's looking fab….u…..lous. It's just perfect. Says everything and right to the point.
  
  
• @shelley262 has almost finished the low carb recipes with hints and tips booklet and it is already looking amazing, I really love how she has put it all together, it's making me want to start cooking!! Jam packed with great info.
  
  
• I have done the first draft of the Inspirational Stories booklet and will be sending it to all those included for them to check, to see if they are happy, want to edit, add, send pics (some have some haven't either way is fine obviously) etc. This should be out over the next 2 days to you.
  
  
• I have reached well over 100 stone on my 'we kicked diabetes' butt and shrank ours at the same time' spreadsheet. And really this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many many more.
  
  
• I have name badges and am thinking of adding both forum name and first 'real' name and will contact to confirm where I am not already aware. Obviously it isn't compulsory to give names.
  

THE PHOTOS ON THE DAY

This is how I see it going. We go to the venue in our nice gear, we will be in a group photo (those who wish to be in it) showing how we look now. I'm wearing something that shows off the weight loss well! And there will be a photo where we pop on our big trousers (or skirt etc. as the case may be) to show how much we have lost whilst putting our diabetes into remission/reversing/controlling (this may be a small amount or a large amount, it doesn't matter). I got rid of all mine so will be popping to a charity shop or Primarni to pick up an item in my old size. DCUK did say that t shirts may be provided for the day but it was going to be down to budget. There will be an opportunity to answer a few simple questions on video (should you wish to partake) these may be added to the DCUK website as a way of helping and guiding others. I personally love to hear real people's success stories.

QUESTIONS

1) I'm thinking of doing a life size eat well plate for what we are advised to eat and one for what we eat to keep our blood sugars controlled!! But the what we should eat would vary from person to person on here, some do keto, others various amounts of carbs, proteins, fats so it could prove difficult. Has anyone any ideas on this? Might have to leave it.

2) I was hoping to do a leaflet on simple exercises, from armchair to high power. I won't have time, and probably not the best person to do this as I really only walk! I might just have to leave this to one side and maybe think about it for the next event Have to think about copy write too. Anyone have any ideas how we could do something on an A4 size sheet for example to keep it simple?

Can I just take this opportunity to say a massive thanks for all your help. Could NOT have got this off the ground without all the help I have received. You are such an amazing bunch of people.

 

[Shirley N.]

I'm guessing part of the issue is that pre-diabetes isn't really recognised as a treatable condition by most of the NHS at least, and is viewed more as a warning, or the waiting room.

Personally (and I stress the personally bit), it is only in recent times that there seems to have been any wider tolerance to discussions around remission/reversal/title of your choice actually taking place at all. In my view, it is only when more of those discussions take place is there likely to be any finessing of the definitions.

As I say, my personal viewpoint.

In the opinion of the late Dr Joseph Kraft, the pathologist who worked out with others how to measure blood insulin levels back in 1970, some significant damage has been already been done by high insulin levels after meals over many years before HbA1c and fasting blood glucose levels become at all raised. He advocated routine annual testing to pick up this abnormality and hinted that changes to diet should then be adopted to reduce insulin levels. He presumably meant a low carbohydrate diet, but chose not to commit himself in that controversy at that time.