Trying to lose weight to prevent becoming an diabetic which runs in my family.

[Warship]

Hi,

Just joined this forum in hope that perhaps someone can answer my questions and give pointers.

Background.

As the thread title suggests diabetes runs in my family mostly my mother's side two of my cousins have got it one is losing his sight though it he is only in his mid 40s. My late grandad had it and my uncle has got diabetes all type two even my great grandmother had it and from what I have been told quite possibly more had it in the family further back. On my dad's side of the family his mother had diabetes in her last year's of life.

I don't have diabetes and trying my hardest not to become one my GP does a yearly blood test because of the family history of diabetes. I do have arthritis and mobility is not great and I am carrying extra weight that puts me at risk of diabetes.

I have read about low carb diets but my own GP seems against the idea saying it's too high in fats but told me to do a low fat diet which when I read though it seemed high on sugars which to me defeats the object. I am confused on which diet to do ?I

Thank you

 

[Antje77]

Hi, @Warship , and welcome to the forum!

Many of our members have both lost weight and either put their T2 diabetes in remission or reduced medication on LCHF.
You might like to have a look on the 'Success Stories' part of the forum: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/success-stories-and-testimonials.43/

There's also our piece of information for newly diagnosed members, which doesn't apply to you but may answer some of your questions on the mechanics of T2: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.17088/

 

[Resurgam]

A diet high in carbs and low in fat got me to a state of full blown diabetes and almost spherical.
I went low carb from the moment of diagnosis and beat it in 80 days, was down to the top end of normal at 6 months.
It is very effective for diabetics, and it helps with weight loss too, and inflammation seems to reduce - it is carbs, seed oils and other things touted as 'healthy' which seem to be problematic for many.

 

[Roggg]

Weight is correlated to Diabetes, but it doesn't seem like it is the direct cause. Obesity and diabetes seem to both be caused by chronically high insulin levels. Going on a high-carb diet, even if you lose some weight (which by the stats does not seem likely in the long run) IMO is not going to solve your risk of diabetes. As far as I'm concerned, the best way to address both obesity and diabetes is by lowering insulin levels, and the best way to do that is low-carb and/or fasting. I know what I'm saying is not what your doctor, and a lot of other doctors are saying. I've read and seen enough to be convinced that the current hypothesis on T2 diabetes is being turned on its head by newer research. You shouldn't take my word for it, but should dig into the latest research yourself. Goof luck. I hope you find something that works for you.

 

[ianf0ster]

Like @Resurgam I was on a low fat whole grains more than 5 a Day way of eating for decades. When I strated I was BMI around 22 and had no heart disease. That way of eating saw my BMI slowly rise to 24, me need a 3x CAB and then later be told I had Type 2 diabetes.

My GP and Diabetes nurse said to keep eating that 'healthy heart' way that I had been doing over those years.
I told myself - insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome!
I found this forum, and Dr David Unwin and have not looked back.

Make up your own mind - would you rather follow the advice of somebody who has probably never had a single T2D patient in remission (like my GP) or one of the thousands who have reversed their diabetes for themselves?

 

[Resurgam]

The idea that we overate and caused our diabetes is very common. I did a survey once where I answered 'none' to every question as they were all 'how many of these did you eat in a typical week' listing packets of crisps and biscuits, bars of chocolate and the various bars with chocolate included.
I once innocently asked what something tasted like, and was told Oreos, like it says so on the packet, but I don't know what Oreos taste like.
All my life I have been sensitive to carbs and avoided many of the things we are supposed to have used to cause our problems.
I do suspect that after so long and putting in so much effort and sarcasm, there is a lot of resistance to changing the advice.

 

[Warship]

Over the years by one doctor has told me the only way to lose weight is by counting the calories but never on what to eat. The diet industry wants us to keep fat so they can make millions of pounds a year no money to be made from healthy people only obese people with their products that promise so much but fail to deliver.

Another factor is the rise of sugar in most daily used food items my late grandmother used to say food doesn't taste like it used to and found most of it too sweet. Sugar in bread sugar in this and that I sure nature never meant for us to be 20 stone and eating mountains of suger. Look at old photos from past eras they were a lot thinner for the most part it's like we have forgotten what real food is.

 

[Resurgam]

I get a lot of aggression as I potter about extoling the joys and virtues of a low carb diet - but it works, and works well for so many people. I don't understand toe opposition.
We do get so many messages - giving instructions but no advice, and now that I am almost 70 I have told myself that I don't need to take it any more.
Calories seem to be an illusion, or there is something wrong with the definition when it comes to food. I eat far more calories now than when on a high carb diet. I have recently been told that I am wrong, it can't be so. Well - it is working for me, so who is the deluded one?

 

[Robbity]

If you want to avoid T2 diabetes, then you also need to avoid consuming too many carbs. Doing this will require that you - at least - eat some normal full fat foods to use as a replacement source of fuel, but it's not absolutely necessary to go OTT with them. Fats are a sustainable source of energy so in general you'll tend to eat less and probably lose weight in the process.