- Messages
- 4,019
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
First of all I want to thank fellow members for sharing the stories about their journeys. I have been inspired by every single one of those that I have read. I have gained so much information about this condition and realised that a diabetes diagnosis isn't the end of the world. It became apparent almost as soon as I found the Diabetes.co.uk website that it can and has been reversed by many people. This gave me no end of hope that I might be able to do the same.
So this is my own story so far. I hope I can help others a little by sharing my experience.
I am a 55 year old female. I have been very lucky where my health is concerned. But on 16th November last year (2017) I went to my doctor complaining of severe heartburn that came on suddenly and with a vengeance. I had not had heartburn since I was pregnant at 29. I had had it for about 4 weeks and it was not going away and it lasted for hours. I also explained that for at least a couple of months I had experienced an urgency to go to the toilet (number 2). He gave me Omaprazole for the heartburn and referred me to the hospital for an abdominal ultrasound. That came back all clear apart from a slightly fatty liver which the sonographer wasn't concerned about thankfully. The symptoms persisted (I didn’t take the Omparazole to be honest) so I went back to the doctor early December. He took my bloods. On the 8th December I found out that I was a T2D! I was shocked but not surprised. I had put quite a bit of weight on over the years. In my 20's I was always 11 stone (I am 5 feet 9.5). This crept up when I got married to 12 stone where I stayed for about 20 years until my mum sadly passed away. Since then, keeping a tally on my weight didn’t seem so important. Then when I eventually got back on the scales I was over 14 stone! But still happy and felt very healthy. I didn’t eat too unhealthy I felt. Balanced diet (ish). I did have lots of pasta, rice, potatoes, bread! And I enjoyed a glass of red wine most nights. At weekend I might even have a bottle watching my favourite programs. And I loved to eat salted peanuts with the wine. We enjoyed lots of lovely meals out, lots of take aways in. I’m not sure if the diabetes caused the heartburn. The DN seems to think not. I was very stressed with work (and handed my notice in because of this), I left work at the end of November, about that time my heartburn stopped. So it could have been stress related.
I went on Diabetes.co.uk to find out more. It was in my family so it may be genetic I thought, My mum had it, her aunts, my sister (until she had a gastric bypass and lost over 6 stone which put her in remission). I’m from a big Irish family and know quite a few cousins who are battling with it. But I was overweight and this I know contributed.
What hit me in the face as soon as I went on the site was that it can be reversed without surgery. Everyone who had managed to reverse it did so by going on a Low Carb High Fat diet (LCHF) so this I decided would be the direction I would go in. So one the 8th December my eating habits changed drastically. Out with the pasta, rice, bread, potatoes and red wine (all alcohol actually) and peanuts! And in with the fish, eggs, cheese, cream, salad and veg. Could I do this?
Here is my chart. (UNFORTUNATELY THE TABLE HASNT BEEN INCLUDED WHEN I COPIED AND PASTED BUT I HOPE YOU GET THE IDEA.
DATE
WEIGHT
HBA1c
NOTES
8/12/17
14 stone 3lbs
62 HBA1c
Started LCHF
12/12/17
13 stone 11lbs
13/12/17
13 stone 11lbs
Fasting bloods taken
14/12/17
13 stone 10lbs
15/12/17
13 stone 10lbs
59 HBA1c
Fasting blood results
19/12/17
13 stone 9lbs
21/12/17
13 stone 7lbs
Feeling tired
23/12/17
13 stone 6lbs
25/12/17
13 stone 5lbs
Had a day off LCHF!
Ate chocolates and drank wine!
28/12/17
13 stone 7lbs
Leg cramps/heavy legs
31/12/17
13 stone 4lbs
4/1/18
13 stone 5lbs
Had day off LCHF on 1/1 so put a couple lbs on
5/1/18
13 stone 3lbs
LOSS OF 1 STONE
no stomach rumblings or feelings of hunger!
12/1/18
13 stone 2lbs
Energy levels lower
13/1/18
13 stone 1lb
14/1/18
13 stone
15/1/18
13 stone
1st appointment with diabetic nurse. Asked her to do HBA1c test. Told her if I can reverse things I wont be taking meds. She told me I would always be classed as diabetic even if levels get to normal range
17/1/18
12 stone 13lbs
47 HBA1c
Notes on system from nurse 'much improved'
SMILED ALL DAY LONG
BOOKS
Ditch the Carbs, 8 week Blood Sugar Diet – Dr Michael Mosley
Sugar Free – Karen Thompson
Diet Doctor – Prof Tim Noakes
Joe Wicks – various cookery books and exercise videos on You Tube
MEALS
As it was a very busy period for me through December and January (currently renovating a house) I kept it simple. I try to eat breakfast about 11am to avoid lunch.
Breakfast – kippers or eggs and bacon or cheese omelette or scrambled eggs (I have treated myself to a slice of toast 3 times)
Dinner – salad with chicken/turkey usually, roast beef with lots of veg
If I fancied a little something in the evening it would be 2 small crackers with butter and cheese and a coffee made with cream or perhaps a few nuts. When I get more time I’m going to try some of the LCHF recipes
DRINK – JUGS OF ICE COLD WATER WHICH DOES FILL YOU UP TOO. I treated myself on Christmas Day, New Years Day ans when I lost 14 lbs, my first stone.
I didn't find it hard over Christmas surprisingly enough. I just stayed focused. I kept thinking about my mum who struggled with her Diabetes. She was eventually registered blind (macular degeneration) which was probably due to her condition.
My diagnosis I now feel was a blessing in disguise. I have never felt better.
MASSIVE THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS HELPED ME WITH MY JOURNEY SO FAR.
And so my journey continues……..
So this is my own story so far. I hope I can help others a little by sharing my experience.
I am a 55 year old female. I have been very lucky where my health is concerned. But on 16th November last year (2017) I went to my doctor complaining of severe heartburn that came on suddenly and with a vengeance. I had not had heartburn since I was pregnant at 29. I had had it for about 4 weeks and it was not going away and it lasted for hours. I also explained that for at least a couple of months I had experienced an urgency to go to the toilet (number 2). He gave me Omaprazole for the heartburn and referred me to the hospital for an abdominal ultrasound. That came back all clear apart from a slightly fatty liver which the sonographer wasn't concerned about thankfully. The symptoms persisted (I didn’t take the Omparazole to be honest) so I went back to the doctor early December. He took my bloods. On the 8th December I found out that I was a T2D! I was shocked but not surprised. I had put quite a bit of weight on over the years. In my 20's I was always 11 stone (I am 5 feet 9.5). This crept up when I got married to 12 stone where I stayed for about 20 years until my mum sadly passed away. Since then, keeping a tally on my weight didn’t seem so important. Then when I eventually got back on the scales I was over 14 stone! But still happy and felt very healthy. I didn’t eat too unhealthy I felt. Balanced diet (ish). I did have lots of pasta, rice, potatoes, bread! And I enjoyed a glass of red wine most nights. At weekend I might even have a bottle watching my favourite programs. And I loved to eat salted peanuts with the wine. We enjoyed lots of lovely meals out, lots of take aways in. I’m not sure if the diabetes caused the heartburn. The DN seems to think not. I was very stressed with work (and handed my notice in because of this), I left work at the end of November, about that time my heartburn stopped. So it could have been stress related.
I went on Diabetes.co.uk to find out more. It was in my family so it may be genetic I thought, My mum had it, her aunts, my sister (until she had a gastric bypass and lost over 6 stone which put her in remission). I’m from a big Irish family and know quite a few cousins who are battling with it. But I was overweight and this I know contributed.
What hit me in the face as soon as I went on the site was that it can be reversed without surgery. Everyone who had managed to reverse it did so by going on a Low Carb High Fat diet (LCHF) so this I decided would be the direction I would go in. So one the 8th December my eating habits changed drastically. Out with the pasta, rice, bread, potatoes and red wine (all alcohol actually) and peanuts! And in with the fish, eggs, cheese, cream, salad and veg. Could I do this?
Here is my chart. (UNFORTUNATELY THE TABLE HASNT BEEN INCLUDED WHEN I COPIED AND PASTED BUT I HOPE YOU GET THE IDEA.
DATE
WEIGHT
HBA1c
NOTES
8/12/17
14 stone 3lbs
62 HBA1c
Started LCHF
12/12/17
13 stone 11lbs
13/12/17
13 stone 11lbs
Fasting bloods taken
14/12/17
13 stone 10lbs
15/12/17
13 stone 10lbs
59 HBA1c
Fasting blood results
19/12/17
13 stone 9lbs
21/12/17
13 stone 7lbs
Feeling tired
23/12/17
13 stone 6lbs
25/12/17
13 stone 5lbs
Had a day off LCHF!
Ate chocolates and drank wine!
28/12/17
13 stone 7lbs
Leg cramps/heavy legs
31/12/17
13 stone 4lbs
4/1/18
13 stone 5lbs
Had day off LCHF on 1/1 so put a couple lbs on
5/1/18
13 stone 3lbs
LOSS OF 1 STONE
no stomach rumblings or feelings of hunger!
12/1/18
13 stone 2lbs
Energy levels lower
13/1/18
13 stone 1lb
14/1/18
13 stone
15/1/18
13 stone
1st appointment with diabetic nurse. Asked her to do HBA1c test. Told her if I can reverse things I wont be taking meds. She told me I would always be classed as diabetic even if levels get to normal range
17/1/18
12 stone 13lbs
47 HBA1c
Notes on system from nurse 'much improved'
SMILED ALL DAY LONG
BOOKS
Ditch the Carbs, 8 week Blood Sugar Diet – Dr Michael Mosley
Sugar Free – Karen Thompson
Diet Doctor – Prof Tim Noakes
Joe Wicks – various cookery books and exercise videos on You Tube
MEALS
As it was a very busy period for me through December and January (currently renovating a house) I kept it simple. I try to eat breakfast about 11am to avoid lunch.
Breakfast – kippers or eggs and bacon or cheese omelette or scrambled eggs (I have treated myself to a slice of toast 3 times)
Dinner – salad with chicken/turkey usually, roast beef with lots of veg
If I fancied a little something in the evening it would be 2 small crackers with butter and cheese and a coffee made with cream or perhaps a few nuts. When I get more time I’m going to try some of the LCHF recipes
DRINK – JUGS OF ICE COLD WATER WHICH DOES FILL YOU UP TOO. I treated myself on Christmas Day, New Years Day ans when I lost 14 lbs, my first stone.
I didn't find it hard over Christmas surprisingly enough. I just stayed focused. I kept thinking about my mum who struggled with her Diabetes. She was eventually registered blind (macular degeneration) which was probably due to her condition.
My diagnosis I now feel was a blessing in disguise. I have never felt better.
MASSIVE THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS HELPED ME WITH MY JOURNEY SO FAR.
And so my journey continues……..