Thank you for the replies. Sorry this is long but a few questions have built up.
Which charts show 39 as prediabetic? As far as I can find that is the first point for the USA but cannot find any others.” HSSS
When @Jim Lahey pointed out that my HBA1C was poor ( I never said these were his exact words)I looked up the scales online There are an awful lot of them. You can google them yourself as I have not kept them all. This triggered me to restart the diet, and also to look into the OGT test which is IMO the most efficient one for measuring beta cell function and hence potential reversal of T2
I have searched. Extensively. And simply cannot find them. USA put 39 as the closest to normal figure, just into prediabetic by 1mmol. Absolutely none have it as diabetic as far as I can find. This is why I’d like to see these scales you mention. If it’s so easy to find why can’t I? Would you be willing to help me? Ever considered Jim was wrong
if this is what he actually said?
Out of interest since you have seen improvement, how many carbs a day are you eating on your restricted calorie diet? How many were you eating for the last few years prior to recent improvements? HSSS
No idea, but Lucy asked at the time I posted about the diet that I was eating that I was eating an awful lot of carbs. (again, not her exact words). Most of my life I have eaten about 55% of my calories from carbs. That’s my normal.
ok mathematically you are eating 1000 cals a day. 50% carbs so 500 cals carbs. A carb is 4 cals so 125 carbs a day. Technically low carb. And it might be less, maybe more we don’t know if you don’t count. Maybe you are low carb?? Maybe previously you were eating twice that many Maybe that’s helping? Maybe your normal level of carbs is why you ended up type 2 and returning to it will return you to diagnostic levels. Maybe you never could deal with that amount for a lifetime without consequence.
As you agree, it’s not the method that matters according to prof Taylor. Just the loss. In which case why are you so against low carb which does in fact achieve that same 15kg weight loss goals for many? I’m personally at a loss why an arbitrary 15kg? Surely that depends on the body, the metabolism, the actual personal fat threshold of the individual and how much excess there is to start with ?
And what is the explanation for those that do meet the criteria ie recently diagnosed and lose the weight but still don’t reach the goal? I am not the only one here in that category. My belief is that type 2 is a cluster of similar conditions with varying factors influencing the onset and continuation of the disease. One type responds well to the fat threshold hypothesis. Others do not and for them this was never the cause of their type 2 so not the solution either.
You specifically separate reversal and remission. You partially define remission as lower hb1ac. Could you clarify what, to you, the two terms mean please? Most definitions use the terms interchangeably to mean non diabetic blood glucose levels/hb1ac, usually on no medication sustained for a period of time. You seem to use them otherwise. HSSS
I very emphatically differentiate between the two. I use “remission” as you describe ie to describe just blood glucose levels lowered to non diabetic. I use “reversal” to describe the complete (albeit possibly temporary) reversal of diabetes not just the symptom of blood glucose levels. To me it means that the previously sick beta cells have been restored to normal pre diabetic function, and that they can, by themselves, deal with the same levels of carbs as those of a never diabetic, ie without any help from glucose lowering therapies like low carb, or from drugs.
sorry still confused. you identify a key factor - Beta cell function - that allows “normal”, non diabetic carb consumption. Presumably measure by blood glucose levels and response? How do you know the bgl you’ve improved are because of your beta cell function as opposed to improved insulin resistance? There’s no way to know directly about your beta cells is there?. Wouldn’t insulin levels drop if beta cell malfunction was the problem when in fact most of us have high insulin levels? We can however measure insulin and resistance.
I never meant remission was limited to blood glucose levels. Just that that was a measure of it. Many report a lack of insulin resistance too and more normal insulin levels if they are able to test them. Some that choose to eat more carbs report that at least temporarily they cope with them better. Most prefer not to, as they like low carb eating or have no wish to tempt a repeat of a diabetic status. I accepted it appears rely on ongoing dietary measures even if a little more relaxed. I believe this is because it is not a cure. I believe the person is still (potentially) diabetic, just without symptoms or complications as a result of the measures taken. Whatever genetic circumstances that allowed “normal” non diabetic eating to become diabetic are highly likely still present and would cause it again should the “normal” non diabetic eating be reverted to. A personal carb threshold maybe? Or short lived beta cells?
Your definition of reversal sounds either like “cure” to me if it’s permanent (woo hoo but I’ve not seen any evidence it is) or the fact that if it’s temporary (as the studies suggest for most it is and are ongoing to see what happens to the rest) means that that it’s much the same as my remission. A management tool that needs to be maintained.
I also still am stuck on what “normal” carb consumption is. Over time and location this can be vastly different and is cultural not biological. 60yrs ago carbs were a much small % of diet and t2 diabetes much much less common. Correlation perhaps, perhaps not. Countries with the highest level of carbs, processed foods and processed seed oils as fats (lethal combination imo) also have the highest levels of type 2. Countries eating more unprocessed foods and natural animal fats and fewer refined carbs have less T2.
If there are flaws in my understanding that can be demonstrated with science I’d very much like to be made aware of it. However there are so many unanswered issues that the personal fat threshold hypothesis doesn’t answer I’m not sure that is the entire answer either.