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starting newcastle diet on 2nd jan

yup pick a day and weigh in morning once a week, i take a picture of scales and body on the same day and post scales pic on facebook as im in a competition with a non diabetic colleague for the weight loss.
I take picture of body so you can see the weekly changes as they are not immediately obvious until you review the pictures.
 
I weighed every day on my Optifast diet on a good set of scales, which is a very important investment. At the start, the weight results were spectacular every day, then suddenly I put on weight and felt totally deflated. The increase was small, the next day showed the same weight and I felt equally deflated and questioned the diet. The day after that [mod edit], a rare event on a strict diet, and lost 1.5 pounds meaning a loss of half a pound over two days. [mod edit]

The bottom line is to weigh daily, think weekly and keep that in mind after the diet. When I started the diet I was on meds and my FBG’s were in double figures, as was my HbA1c. Geordie is spot on, look at glucose levels more than the weight. My results are now normal and I have 1.5 stones to lose to get to normal weight. To prepare you, when you finish the diet, you will put on a few pounds when graduating to a normal healthy eating pattern without being silly or greedy. It is just your system filling up again.

Expect it, and don’t let it get you down. My guess is you will feel guilty about eating the bad stuff, I did and I’m not going back there, keep the guilt.

One day at a time.

Geordie, I could write a book on diabetes based on what I have read about the subject in a technical sense. Your advice on this forum has been exceptional and positive and I am glad that you took the trouble to share your experience with Professor Taylor. Dr Sarah Steven, as you probably know, is collating information from fellow ‘Newcastlers’ to the benefit of type 2’s around the world. Good on you and stick with the diet.
 
I have been on the Newcastle diet now for almost 5 weeks and have had very good results and weight loss but now I am hitting a bit of a wall in that I am becoming so sick of the the shakes and tiny bit of veg. I am not going to stop but I am absolutely craving some meat, eggs and/or cheese. My saving is that I have just over 3 weeks to go and then I am going back to Atkins induction, which will seem like a feast after this diet. Do any of you guys feel like this or is it just me? I have to use every ounce of willpower I possess to stick to this diet. :(
 
Antmos i think we all have those cravings and it is hard to stick too but if u do have a slip its not like before where you just give up, if it happens, dont give up, pick urself up dust yorself down, look in the mirror and see how good you look and crack on with again, i cant believe how much my body has changed in such a short space of time with a relatively small weight loss compared to some, thats why it is importnat to record the changes, i wish id taken body measurements as im sure ive lost about 3 inches around my waist already which as we all know seems to be the place to lose it if you have diabetes.
Will thanks very much for your comments, much appreciated. This is all about a forever change not a quick fix i agree with sid bonkers!!!!!! this isnt a cure but it is a massive kick start, i'll always have diabetes but it wont rule my life and im gonna live to be a good age with all my limbs intact and reasonable eyesight lol
Keep at it guys
My FBGs all this week have been under 5
 
Hi all,

It's my fourth day on the diet, going suprisingly well in terms of cravings.

Haven't taken any meds since sunday night.

The thing thats a bit worrying is that my FBG is rising 5.7, 5.8, 6.2 and then 6.3 this morning.

Is this normal?

The rest of the time it is well under, between 4.0 and 5.2.

But its the morning one thats a bit concerning...
 
immis cud the morning glucose shot that your liver delivers when you wake up, theres some posts on here about it, dont forget ur off ur meds now so if that happens see how it goes over next few days if it continues to rise speak with ur gp or nurse
 
I did a Newcastle Diet after reading Prof Taylor's study papers. I was on insulin (240 units Lantus + 100 units Apidra per day). My weight was 15 stone 10 lbs. I stopped all medication/insulin the day I started the diet. I devised my own version of the diet (1x Slimfast + 1x Weetabix + Multivitamin + 3 litres water per day) which reduced my intake to under 400cals a day. I think the diet is a personal thing, you are either satisfied with your existing regime or you are not. I was not satisfied with the treatment I was prescribed by the doctors and my body was starting to pack up. I was vastly overweight, couldn't walk more than 100 yards, had bad neuropathy in both feet and was incredibly tired all the time. Final straw was a heart attack last June. I decided that things had to change. I got kicked out of the specialist diabetic unit in my area (Colchester) when I started the diet (14th June 2011), they would take no responsibility for me. They even said I would cause myself another heart attack. I dieted for 10 weeks and this was incredibly hard. I couldn't stop thinking about food. The only thing that kept me going was the dramatic increase in energy (which came after 1 week) and the dramatic weight loss (the feelgood factor). At the end of the diet I had lost 4 stone and my blood glucose was bang on at 5.7. After the diet I returned to normal eating, albeit much reduced portions as my stomach had shrunk so much. When I say 'normal' I mean that I eat like a non-diabetic with no restrictions at all. To date my blood glucose remains below 6. I take no medication whatsoever. What has changed is my quality of life. I am 59 years old and I now have a 32" waist (down from 42"), I love swimming and walking and enjoy life to the full once more. I contacted Prof Taylor himself after I had finished the diet, mainly to thank him for his research. He was very supportive and asked me if one of his research doctors could contact me to discuss my particular diet and how my blood glucose was now. This has since happened and we are still in touch with each other. Prof. Taylor then sent me a personal email which was very encouraging indeed.
Bottom line on this is that I consider myself in great shape for a man my age and have no diabetic symptoms at all. I am not saying the diet is a cure for everyone, but it seems to have worked out incredibly well for me. Also, importantly, I am not recommending that you ignore your doctors advice or to start a diet without telling them. Everybody has a choice of what to do with their life and I made the choices with mine.
Good luck to you all with your chosen methods of dealing with this terrible disease.
 
Geordie90:

That's what I was thinking. I've read about it, it's called the Dawn Phenomenon. I'm hoping that it will calm itself down as the diet progresses.
Todays readings are: 6.3 - FBG, 4.2 (2hrs after morning shake), 4.3 (2hrs after afternoon shake)

Redmans:

Thanks for the very encouraging post...gives us hope.
 
Hi Immis,

I think I am affected by dawn phenomenon too.

My readings are always lower before bed than they are in a morning - I have got up at two or three am and checked my bg and at that time it is lower than my before bed reading, but then is back up in the morning!!

I have stopped worrying about it as my morning readings are only about 5-6 which I think is okay.
 
Hi Beancounter,

I'm trying to not worry about them going by the readings I get during the day.

I've read that it only affects some people.

Here's one to think about, does that mean we had the **** phenomenon before we were diabetic too?
 
hi all sounds like the dawn phenonemen to me lol
more importantly can someone recommend a good low carb bread recipe that actually rises above an inch and wouldnt kill someone if i hit them over the head with it....please lol
 
4 Weeks in on Monday using shakes from nofrillsvlcd (weighed not using scoop) and soups from Billys diet on Ebay, Here are my results.

Date Weight Bp Hr BG Metformin
9/1 248.5 129/88 84 10.1 2
10/1 247.75 136/86 71 8.1 2
11/1 244.5 127/90 71 8.3 2
12/1 242.5 130/87 79 7.8 2
13/1 241.75 138/94 74 6.0 2
14/1 241.75 130/87 72 5.4 2
15/1 239.5 127/79 71 5.3 0
16/1 239.25 124/84 74 5.5 0
17/1 237.75 128/87 72 6.3 0
18/1 236.5 128/87 80 5.0 0
19/1 235.75 115/76 83 5.9 0
20/1 236.25 138/80 83 6.4 0
21/1 233.5 122/86 79 4.9 0
22/1 232.5 119/81 85 5.6 0
23/1 232.0 131/82 81 5.4 0
24/1 232.5 124/83 82 5.2 0
25/5 231.25 119/72 86 6.5 0
26/1 231.0 135/79 76 6.0 0
27/1 231.0 120/83 82 4.6 0
28/1 229.75 120/77 74 6.6 0
29/1 229.5 123/72 90 5.5 0
30/1 229.25 123/80 81 5.1 0
31/1 228.5 131/79 70 4.6 0
1/2 227.0 122/83 84 4.6 0
2/2 226.5 117/80 79 5.1 0
Loss 1 Stone 8 lbs

fbg looking good, weight loss good and bp dropping as well. In fact I am getting light headed when I stand too quickly so I think it is time for a visit to my GP to reduce my meds.
 
Immis said:
Hi Beancounter,

I'm trying to not worry about them going by the readings I get during the day.

I've read that it only affects some people.

Here's one to think about, does that mean we had the **** phenomenon before we were diabetic too?
Click to expand...

Immis, everyone gets the Dawn Phenomenon as our bodies wake up and get going. A non-diabetic's pancreas would respond instantly to the raised blood glucose and bring it down.

In diabetics, our insulin metabolism doesn't work properly so we don't bring the higher reading down as quickly. So we see it when we test.

It took me a while to work that out - I couldn't see the point of the GP doing a fasting blood test at 09:30 when the Dawn Phenomenon woould already have me higher than usual. But of course, if I didn't have diabetes my own insulin would have coped with the rise and brought me down to non-diabetic levels.

I think! :think:

Viv 8)
 
mscomms excellent figures there keep it going
viv good point but i dont seem to suffer from dawn phenonemen as my fbg's stay around 4.5-5 every morning

looks like everyone is still doing well
 
Immis said:
Here's one to think about, does that mean we had the **** phenomenon before we were diabetic too?
Click to expand...

Immis said:
Dawn Phenomenon = Cross-eyed, head twister.

FBG this morning = 4.1...explain that!!!
Click to expand...

The dawn phenomenon affects everyone diabetic and non diabetic alike its what our bodies do to get us ready for the day ahead, simply put its a wake up call for all your muscles and organs.

Hormones are secreted that stimulate various organs one of which is the liver which delivers a shot of its store of glycogen/glucose to get you going, when you are not eating enough calories (600 cal diet etc) your bodies glycogen stores are not replenished as all the calories you are eating daily are being used in real time for energy so your liver and muscles will not be storing glycogen so have nothing to offer in way of a sugar boost or dawn phenomenon.

Thats how I understand it anyway :thumbup:

Basically you cant have a liver dump if your liver has nothing to dump which raises an interesting question. If you were to do any strenuous exercise or work and your bg levels drop below say 2 or even 3 mmol/L what is there to stop you falling into a diabetic coma?

Just thinking aloud here :?
 
cheers antmos
I made some yday and if id hit someone over the head with it i would have killed them lol
 
Hi Sid,

When you explain the dawn phenomenon it makes total sense, but I don't understand why I am experiencing it when I am eating so few calories and doing so much exercise?

Surely my liver should have no stores of glycogen to dump? Or have I misunderstood? It wouldn't be the first time... :oops:
 
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