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I just got back from the doctor's and my blood work is 'normal'. This could be classed as diabetic remission, but I've been told I have to keep that blood level for a year before I'm allowed to call it that. But basically, in my eyes, it's remission as long as I stick to my low carb diet. So, I'm overjoyed by that!
For those who want to know how it happened, well here's the story:
I'm new to diabetes, just three months in as a Type2 diabetic. I got lucky on day one because a friend of mine (who is a dietician) pointed me towards the Bergstein diet. After three weeks (and 10lbs lighter), of being on it, my doctor threw away the prescription for pills that they had made for me and let me try out this diet for three months. So, I was on a test run to see if I could make the diet work for me.
I started out on no more than 20g of carbs a day to make my body stop using carbs for energy and start using fats instead. Because it was easy and I wanted to get rid of diabetes, I stuck to no more than 20g of carbs a day. I haven't counted calories or done much exercise (although I did mean to and recommend that other people don't follow me in that). I've regularly lost 2lbs a week since the beginning at a steady rate. I'm still on 20g of carbs a day until I hit my target weight. I've lost 30lbs so far, so there isn't much left to go.
Once off the diet, my plan is to keep the carbs low, but not as low. I don't know what level to go with, but I suspect it will keep the weight off up to 100g a day. To be honest, I'm not too bothered by having carbs ever again, I just don't want to keep losing weight when I come off the diet. So I'll experiment with that later on.
Today was the three month marker, so I went to see the doctor. I didn't really know what I'd get, so I was worrying a bit. I shouldn't have. It was great news. My blood shows a level of someone who isn't diabetic. It's perfectly normal. My cholesterol, which was at 7.5, is now down to 4.9. The doctor wants me to get down to 4, but I think that will happen anyway when the last lbs have gone. I might watch my salt and cut out a bit of cheese though to be on the safe side.
I don't really know the blood numbers or hbc..er... I've never tested my own blood, so 'normal' is the only answer I have on that.
I asked if it was remission, and the doctor said: 'Well, it's normal. You can call it diabetic remission if it stays that way for a year." So, that's my new plan. Stay that way for a year, which I really can't see being a problem.
Overall, I firmly believe that low carb dieting for Type2 diabetes is the best thing to do. I'm a vegetarian, so you may need to watch cholesterol depending on your diet, and I might cut some cheese down a bit in mine, but at the end of the day even my cholesterol dropped by massive amounts on this diet, so I'm not overly worried about it. The carbs seemed to do more harm to my cholesterol than a high-fat, low-carb diet has.
I'm in awe that it actually worked lol. So, I thought I'd post it. Hopefully, it helps other people. And yes, I kind of wanted to shout: 'Yay great news!'
On a side note. My waist is tiny now too <3
Edit: Also, I cut out caffeine on my diet. Just for anyone heading in the same direction. Go decaf. Carbs and Caffeine both make your body immune to your natural insulin.
****I just accidently posted this in the Low Calorie Forum--Epic. What frikkin numpty!
For those who want to know how it happened, well here's the story:
I'm new to diabetes, just three months in as a Type2 diabetic. I got lucky on day one because a friend of mine (who is a dietician) pointed me towards the Bergstein diet. After three weeks (and 10lbs lighter), of being on it, my doctor threw away the prescription for pills that they had made for me and let me try out this diet for three months. So, I was on a test run to see if I could make the diet work for me.
I started out on no more than 20g of carbs a day to make my body stop using carbs for energy and start using fats instead. Because it was easy and I wanted to get rid of diabetes, I stuck to no more than 20g of carbs a day. I haven't counted calories or done much exercise (although I did mean to and recommend that other people don't follow me in that). I've regularly lost 2lbs a week since the beginning at a steady rate. I'm still on 20g of carbs a day until I hit my target weight. I've lost 30lbs so far, so there isn't much left to go.
Once off the diet, my plan is to keep the carbs low, but not as low. I don't know what level to go with, but I suspect it will keep the weight off up to 100g a day. To be honest, I'm not too bothered by having carbs ever again, I just don't want to keep losing weight when I come off the diet. So I'll experiment with that later on.
Today was the three month marker, so I went to see the doctor. I didn't really know what I'd get, so I was worrying a bit. I shouldn't have. It was great news. My blood shows a level of someone who isn't diabetic. It's perfectly normal. My cholesterol, which was at 7.5, is now down to 4.9. The doctor wants me to get down to 4, but I think that will happen anyway when the last lbs have gone. I might watch my salt and cut out a bit of cheese though to be on the safe side.
I don't really know the blood numbers or hbc..er... I've never tested my own blood, so 'normal' is the only answer I have on that.
I asked if it was remission, and the doctor said: 'Well, it's normal. You can call it diabetic remission if it stays that way for a year." So, that's my new plan. Stay that way for a year, which I really can't see being a problem.
Overall, I firmly believe that low carb dieting for Type2 diabetes is the best thing to do. I'm a vegetarian, so you may need to watch cholesterol depending on your diet, and I might cut some cheese down a bit in mine, but at the end of the day even my cholesterol dropped by massive amounts on this diet, so I'm not overly worried about it. The carbs seemed to do more harm to my cholesterol than a high-fat, low-carb diet has.
I'm in awe that it actually worked lol. So, I thought I'd post it. Hopefully, it helps other people. And yes, I kind of wanted to shout: 'Yay great news!'
On a side note. My waist is tiny now too <3
Edit: Also, I cut out caffeine on my diet. Just for anyone heading in the same direction. Go decaf. Carbs and Caffeine both make your body immune to your natural insulin.
****I just accidently posted this in the Low Calorie Forum--Epic. What frikkin numpty!