starting newcastle diet on 2nd jan

[Ivenoidea]

Hi I shoot Nikons,

I think the best idea is to go through your GP regarding advice on your medication and the possible effects of not taking them, the idea of the Newcastle study was to stop them altogether I think, which I have with my GP's support. Your right in saying it's not as bad as you think, I'm two weeks in on Monday and can see the difference already but I have noticed some slight effects of being on the diet, my eyesight is starting to get worse and I'm in bed for 10.30 most nights feeling pretty tired but the best thing apart from losing quite a bit of weight already is my sugar levels are really low, my GP is going to give me a glucose test when it is all over so fingers crossed it will be good news.

 

[geordie90]

i shoot nikons , i came off my metformin before i started but didnt take any other medications
Iveno idea, starngley my eyesight also appeared to get worse then all of a sudden i could see like a s***house rat again, i wondered if it was my body regulating sugar and insulin production and levelling out?
My eyesight has stayed good since the bad spell.
I went out and bought a medium t shirt for first time in twenty years and it looks good lol, no looking like i was i am wearing a wok under it anymore lol

All who are doing it keep going but take pictures along the way so you can see the difference, you may not lose pounds but definetly change shape

 

[Ivenoidea]

Its another big test for me today, 31 of us are going to a Frankie and Benny's for my niece's 18th birthday, with all that tasty food flying around I know it's going to be hard and I must admit I have been thinking about food and looking for excuses to have something I know I shouldn't the last few days, but it is weigh day at my GP's tomorrow morning so I am determined not to be tempted.
Wish me luck

 

[I shoot Nikons]

Thank you guys for the info. I'm seing my GP this week, so I will discuss coming off my meds with him. In the mean time I'll be vigilant about the risk of hypo.

 

[geordie90]

Well got my blood results today for my three month HBA1c and cholesterol:-

HBA1c on 2nd January was 10.
It is now 6.5.......Now I dont know if im dissappointed or not tbh but I thought it would have been lower but in reality i started from quite a high reading so to get it down to 6.5 in three months is canny going. My next one will be in another three months were id expect to be around 5.5 with a bit of luck

My choloesterol was on 2nd January 6.5
It is now 4.7 so thats also a reasonable drop

My diabetic nurse is delighted with results blood pressure testing tomorrow,but expecting reasonable results there too

Ive lost 30 pounds in weight

Dropped three trouser sizes from a 40 to a 34
Dropped three t -shirt sizes from xxl to a medium

Everyone is commenting on how much Ive lost which is a good confidence boost

So in reality all is good.

Now onto phase two, another stone off in the next two months, it is noticeable however that when i dont hit gym as hard Bgs arent as low so the object lesson there is to incorporate exercise into the plan.

Please feel free to comment on above figures im not sure if they are good or bad but cefinetly heading in right direction.

 

[Ivenoidea]

Hi Geordie,
What you have achieved is really outstanding as you have taken control of your diabetes and not let it control you anymore, From what you have said I expect you thought it might be a possible "cure" at best but were hopeful for a massive improvement at least and in that sense what a difference it has made to you, in reality they are my expectations as well. It's really good to see you are still very motivated and obviously that can only help with the next month as you try to get even lower readings.

Have you still been using the shakes and what sort of "solid" foods have you been eating?

Well done and thanks again for giving me the motivation to try the diet myself, I have just been weighed at the doctor's again today and I have lost another 3 Kilos so now I'm down to 85kg's with a total loss so far of 7 kg in 2 weeks,and my blood pressure is now 118/73 which the nurse said couldn't be better. I also had my niece's 18th birthday meal on yesterday and while 30 other people sat eating there 3 courses I had 2 glasses of diet coke, I must admit I did find it really really hard but it was good to see how many people noticed the difference already as when I was diagnosed last year I was 95kg, so onward and upwards and I''ll see how I get on this week.

 

[I shoot Nikons]

That is bl**dy impressive going mate! Brilliant results!

 

[geordie90]

Im gonna keep posting but not as much to keep everyone updated about the next stage.

It is obvious to me now that exercise plays a massive part in this diet and should be factored in when planning it.

Obviously no exercise regime should be started without consulting your GP or diabetic nurse particulalry if you have blood pressure issues but from my personal experience anaerobic exercise is just as important as aerobic and a mixed training program seesm to get the best results.

I only wish i could shrink my head too lol i look like a bobble head that you put on the front dash of your car, big head little body lol.

There is no deniying that sticking to a regime is hard once of the diet but im still slimfasting and trying to be good, just convincing myself i dont need things i used to eat tbh. As i ve said its about long term lifestyle changes and not a quick fix, you need to be in it for the long haul

 

[beancounter]

Hello all,

Not posted for a while but I have had the results of my HBA1c and thought I would share them.

At the end of December pre Newcastle my HBA1C was 11.2 - now it is 6.2!!

I have not lost any weight over the last couple of weeks but I have not gained either - BG's still in the 5's with the odd 6

 

[I shoot Nikons]

Well done beancounter that's brilliant news!!

 

[geordie90]

Bean counter outstanding drop in a little over four months, that makes u nearly normal lol

Warning to those considering exercise.......its dangerous, broke my hand on Sunday night whilst surfing!!!!!!

Canny cool way to get an injury like lol rad man

 

[tooyoungtohavethis]

Hi everyone, this is my first ever post. I have been reading the various threads about the Newcastle diet for a while now and came upon them purely by accident when googling "Newcastle Diet". I was recently diagnosed with type 2 in October 2011. Since then it has been my mission to try and rid myself of this condition and have spent many an hour on the internet looking for "cures". I am not naive enough to beleieve there is a cure as of yet but the Newcastle Diet is the nearest thing to what I am looking for and have read lots about the diet including the very helpful blogs on here. I am under 40 years old (just!) and would be interested to know, only if you want to share, the ages of people on this thread. Everyone I know who has diabetes is over 60. Since I have always aimed to live until I'm in my eighties and to try and acheive this, stopped smoking two months before I found out I had diabetes (I think stopping smoking pushed me over the edge into diabetes btw), being diagnosed before the age of 40 means I have got to look after myself very well for a long time. If I had been sixty odd I don't think I would have been that badly affected enough to want to do something as drastic as the Newcastle Diet.

I have tried to read as much as I can of all the threads relating to the diet but have a few questions I would like to ask on this my first day on my own version of the diet. By the way, I am using Asda Measure up shakes for my 3 a day (they are lower carb and are nearish to the carb, protien and fat levels of optifast + cheap lol). My questions are:

1. Is it a 600 Kcal diet or 800? There is a definite difference of opinion on this on this forum and it is crucial to know which it is to give yourself the best chance of success. Please help.

2. Can you have a sweetex in your black Tea or Coffee?

3. I don't have a bg monitor and my doctor hasn't given me one. Everyone is measuring bg regularly on here. Are you all using bought monitors and strips or are they provided by your doctors? If they are bought could you recommend a monitor and strips please?

I will try and post regular updates of figures etc. throughout the diet. And continue to be thankful to you all for all your continuing support.

Sorry this post is overly long, but being my first time I thought I ought to introduce my self a bit. Thank you to everyone who has tried and posted so many valuable insights about this diet and well done to all who completed it. May we all live long and prosper.

Weight at beginning of diet 15 st 1lb in old money
My fasting BG on diagnosis before the OGTT was 7.1 and after 2 hours was 12. My first Hb1ac Dec 2011 was 6.2, latest March 2012 is 6.5 (have had a lot of stress lately). My diabetes is diet controlled at the moment.

 

[louiseb]

Hi too youngtohavethis,
welcome to the forum to the forum you are not alone in your early diagnosis I have been type 2 for a few years diagnosed at 27!!

in answer to your questions

1) its an 800kcal a day diet check out this link http://www.ncl.ac.uk/magres/assets/docu ... ecipes.pdf

2) personally I cant see anything wrong with a sweetex in your coffee.

3) most people on here do buy their own test strips and meters as doctors are reluctant to prescribe due to cost.
new to the market bg monitor is being offered by the name of SD Codefree Bg monitor - it is on amazon and ebay. test strips are £4.99 for 50. This meter is the best value on the market for price of strips.

 

[tooyoungtohavethis]

Thank you very much LouiseB for replying and for your very helpful answers. Regarding the sweetex in tea or coffee, I had tried both a black Tea and coffee with a sweetex before your reply, lol. Ironically I found I don't like black tea or coffee so I won't be having any more for the next 55 days anyway.

Must have been a shock when you got the diagnosis (it was like having a bereavement for me), but it looks like you've got it well under control with that Hba1c number. Very impressed. Please excuse my ignorance, have you done the Newcastle diet?

Will check out amazon for the bg monitor. That is cheaper than I thought for the strips. Don't see the logic in docs not forking out for them. Must cost a fortune for Metformin etc., yet they seldom seem to support those of us who choose to try the Newky Diet and save them money :?: Will sign the petition at next chance.

Managed to survive day one. Had 1 strawberry, 1 choc, one cafe latte shake, then 10 button sprouts, 6 slices of carrot, 6 green beans, 3 little florets of brocolli, probably works out about 600 Cals because I had smaller then recommended scoops of shake powder. The veg I ate, does that sound about enough, or too little?

I don't know about anyone else but when my sugars are high I tend to get ratty/snappy with everyone. I've been like that all day today, suppose I need to get a bg monitor and find out.

Will post updates as much as I can.

Thanks again LouiseB.

 

[louiseb]

Hi tooyoungtohavethis,
To be honest it wasnt that much of a shock when I was diagnosed I have a very strong family history of type 2 diabetes, the only thing which was a shock, was how early I got the diagnosis. I was not expecting to get it so young, allthough the fact that I was nearly 2 stone overweight probably didnt help, however I came to look at this way now that I have been diagnosed I will be healthier than ever as it forced to me to look at my lifestyle so in a way was a wake up call which possibly could have safed me from further health affects had I not not got the diagnosis.

With regards To test strips the meter I reccomended to you is very cheap for strips thats why I suggested it, some test strips can be as much as £25 for 50 strips. Metformin is a very cheap drug its only cost literally a few pence per tablet.

I did try the 800kcal diet but only lasted 5 weeks I needed to loose 26 pounds to achieve a normal healthy BMI, I lost 27 pounds in the 5 weeks I found the diet difficult but managed to stick to it. I didnt carry on after 5 weeks as I didnt want to loose any further weight.

I can only offer my opinion based on my own personal experience, I cant advise you as im not medically trained, but personally I think your eating too little and should definatly not go below the 800kcal the diet is based on. I would also like to add that I spoke to my gp before embarking on this diet and they monitored me throughout the diet.

As for my HBA1C I need to update that its now 5.1 the 4.6 figure was from about 10 months ago. Despite the fact that my fasting bgs were very good throughout the diet in the 4-5 region and the fact that im now a a normal healthy weight my HBA1C did increase after taking part in the 800 kcal diet. The only reason I can possibly give for this is that I stopped all diabetic medication when doing the diet so it was the meds keeping my HBA1C low.
However the weightloss has definatly helped me Im very please with My HBA1C of 5.1, I no longer take any meds and im controlled purely by diet and excercise. My HBA1C had in the past been as high as 8.5 trying to control it by diet and excerise alone so the 800kcal diet was definatly a success for me.

I can also get quite snappy when my bg levels are high, but when my bg levels are low it can also make me short tempered and snappy.

feel free to ask anymore questions and keep us updated on how you get on.

 

[autumn6464]

Hi All Autumn6464 here It's taken me a while to read all the posts and probably forgot half of it.
My story is I was on Metformin (metfartin a good name for it) noticed about an hour after I ate anything I was rushing to the toilet, feeling washed out and couldnt cope, dragging myself around and sleeping a lot.. Went to doctor who wanted me to take a week off any tablets and then start taking slow release metformin. I'd read about Newcastle diet. After a few days without metformin I FELT WELL, lots of energy,
I thought I might as well start the ND, but couldnt face the harshness of it, I;d been eating a lot of carbs and hadnt any diet sheets or asda shakes, so (15 Jan - 13stone 1 lb) went on a protien and veg diet - as recommended by doctor - and started losing weight, but more important I felt full and I think my stomach was getting used to eating less..
Friday 16th March (11stone 11 lb)I started the ND diet proper, I had ASDA shakes (strawberry and chocolate nice, the Cafe Latte too sweet.) and home made veg soup.
Friday 6th April FBG 5.00 at 10.30 am (I;d never heard of the dawn phenonomen before these posts, so tested late)
Had soup and i meatball and tested straight away 6.7 and then two hours later, after a small salad BG was 6.5
Saturday 7th April today and I weigh 11.3.
I feel like you lot on here are old friends and without reading these posts I would have felt very alone. I went to a 21st the other day, such a lot of food and I went round all the tables collecting the salad. I still go out for a drink, but a girl friend gets a glass for me and I drink water, most people think I am the white wine.
I look and feel so much better. I'll stick to the diet until 16 April and see how I am doing, Thanks Geordie90 for starting this thread, and to all of yu thanks again.
.

 

[tooyoungtohavethis]

Hi all and thanks again LouiseB for your very helpful answers. I suppose I should be thinking along the same lines as you about the diabetes. There is absolutely no history of diabetes in my family, I guess I have got it because of all the deep fried food I have eaten over the past few years and all the hydrogenated vegetable oil I have consumed therein.

Woke up this morning, saw the scales and couldn't resist weighing myself, 14 st 12lbs :crazy: Don't know my bgs because I haven't ordered the machine yet. My mood has been reasonably stable today, but I did have quite a dizzy spell around 1 hour after I had eaten my veg. Not been too hungry today.

I managed to get through Day 2 without cheating and have upped my calorie intake (and even weighed my veg today) to 800 cals. Just finished my shift delivering takeaways. It was hard not to give in to temptation, but I managed. I think now I have got over that hurdle the next 54 days are going to be a doddle, lol. Had 1 strawberry n 1 chocolate shake today, my veg and a 300g tin of Heinz tomato soup (173 kCals). Is Heinz Tom Soup allowed? If it is that would be spot on. Have .drank the full 3l of water today and bought some Coke Zero and Diet Lemonade for variety.

Nice to read your story Autumn6464 and keep up the good work, knowing that other people are doing the diet at the same time is very supportive as you say.

 

[autumn6464]

I dont know about tomato soup, I sometimes have a tin of tomatoes when I am starving, ingredients on the tin are just about nil but very filling. I've had 3 shakes today (strawberrry) and cabbage and onions and veg soup. Going to the pub to drink water, and listen to one of the men talk about anorexia, again I bet.
I got my "finger pricker" from my diabetic nurse, no problem. I have signed the petition - all diabetics should be allowed them free. I didn't know metformin cost only a few pence.

 

[tooyoungtohavethis]

Hi all just a quick update tonight, want to watch Spartacus Vengence Finale again in a few mins.

Managed to survive Day 3 of the ND. The first Sunday where I could not have a roast dinner (and my lovely wife decided to cook a joint of Ham ). Only 7 more of those to negotiate now. Watching the kids eat easter eggs and chocolate easter cake didn't help either, lol.

Had 2 Strawberry shakes n 1 Chocolate today. Made my first ever homemade soup with my new blender tonight, it was gorgeous if I do say so myself. Please tell me if I have the quantities right here: I used 1kg in total of veg (sprouts, cauliflour, broccoli, carrots, onions) and 1 litre of veg stock, spices etc. Once simmered, blended does this make 4 portions (250g veg in each)??? Please let me know as I really don't want to go over me 800 Cals. That diet sheet is very sketchy to say the least, just gives ingredients and not the number of portions.

One other question: Does anyone know why we cannot have any dairy products during the 8 weeks (1st ingredient of Optifast shakes is SKIMMED MILK POWDER)???

Thanks for the answers Autumn6464, still not sure whether Heinz Tom Soup is 'LEGAL'!

Those who are on the diet - keep up the good work, those who have finished it - we are not worthy.

Come on Spartacus...

 

[autumn6464]

I dont know either (re tomato soup) Can anyone out there help? Went to the pub last night and there was a kareoke, it was awful, people who couldnt sing who thought they could. So we went to another pub where I could sit behind a wall and drink water and we met some nice people.
Today still 11.3lb, just had two strawberry milk shakes. I found out my old weightwatcher info to see what I weighed 24 years ago when I slimmed for the daughters wedding. I was 10st 1lb. Bit fed up bout that, I can feel that my back is slimmer and my waist, and legs, but the rest is still too fatty. Logically I'll have to lose that fat before my body will start on the fat in my pancreas. My BMI comes up at 25.2, still overweight for my height (5ft 6in). But only just. Still it took 24 years to go on, so it will take about 8 weeks to come off, I hope. If not I'll keep at it (with doctor's consent) until it does.

After holidays I'm back at sons cooking grandchildren's tea. I have to get a good mindset for that.

Re your soup, I just make a pressure cooker full of the stuff and put it in margarine tubs and freeze it. (husband picked one up by mistake on it's way to freezer thinking it was margarine and it went everywhere.) Also he's nagging me about using the pressure cooker and leaving the soup in it too long "You'll be very slim but the aliminium in it, you'll get alzeimers". I just bung in whatever I buy, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots onions, peppers, mushrooms, leeks, courgettes, celery, cabbage, not turnip, just re-stocked up from Aldi, 39p for a lot of things, I don't put tomatoes in it, but eat them when I'm hungry. I also cheated and put 9 meatballs in it, it's a bit like finding the sixpence, I can always hope I'll get one in my soup. I've also cooked a couple of chicken legs on top to add a bit of flavour, but didn't do that last time. I don't blend it and to be honest I woldnt eat it if I didnt have to, I may blend it next time. If there's anything in there that I should not be eating please tell me anyone. I also eat lettuce and cucumber at dinner,(oop north dinner is at mid-day, tea is at 5.00pm ish) I make hubby a salad sandwich and eat these while he is eating his sandwich.