I have Diabetes-this is me losing weight

LolitaLove

Just wanted to say good luck Jim, will be following this post to see how you get on!

Sharlee

worried_jim wrote: »

I am a lazy bastar....

So am I

But it's really made a difference :j

Maybe one lifestyle change at a time...

Good luck

ktb

The headaches etc do pass Jim, Dad and I both felt a bit wonky during the carb withdrawal (the fact you withdrawal from them is actually scary imho!), but we don't get those sorts of symptoms now. Keep up the good work.

I was also a big snacker so I sympathise with the 4pm cravings, I just had to change crisps/chocolate for things like nuts and cheese or celery and pate. Having said that since eatings more fat and protein for breakfast & lunch, i'm often not hungry mid-afternoon anymore

sweetilemon wrote: »

Excuse the stupid question...are you eating low carbs for weight loss or because they are not good for diabetes? what about whole wheat carbs? just being nosey!

ALL carbs (& sugars) regardless of whether they are refined or 'whole' will trigger a release of insulin. It is a counter-intuitive myth that diabetics have to have wholegrain carbs/fruit as part of a 'healthy' diet and it is possible to reverse Type II completely with a strict enough diet. Obviously this is fairly hard (and unpopular) to do though and most people will not adhere to such restrictions, so the NHS give what they think is the best advice and they don't really push to empower people to make ALL the necessary changes to make themselves better, they just stick them onto medication. :eek:

Jim - make sure that if you are making these changes to your diet you keep on top of your Metformin needs and go see the Dr when you suspect you need your levels adjusting. People have been able to come off their medication completely following LCHF, so it obviously gets results and you don't want to be taking more than you need!

ammonite

Sharlee wrote: »

So am I

But it's really made a difference :j

Maybe one lifestyle change at a time...

Good luck

I'm going for one per month. December was deciding to actually do something about it and read up on Slimming World and "practice" so I was read to go full pelt in January.

January's change was "taking up" walking and having a target each month, go with a friend and we've walked 63 miles this year so far. Didn't walk one by choice last year.

February's change is trying to do an exercise dvd on top of the walking twice a week.

March's challenge is yet to be confirmed

Good luck jim & others x

Sharlee

ammonite wrote: »

I'm going for one per month. December was deciding to actually do something about it and read up on Slimming World and "practice" so I was read to go full pelt in January.

January's change was "taking up" walking and having a target each month, go with a friend and we've walked 63 miles this year so far. Didn't walk one by choice last year.

February's change is trying to do an exercise dvd on top of the walking twice a week.

March's challenge is yet to be confirmed

Good luck jim & others x

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant, well done :T. We're all different and it's about what finding what works for you...(and having fun at the same time).

Nice to end the day on a positive note :j Thank you.

doodoot

Jim, have you discussed this diet with your Diabetes Nurse or GP?

My OH has type 1 Diabetes, so I'm well versed in the do's and dont's.

It's just that alarm bells are ringing that a diabetic would cut out carbohydrates and be on what sounds like an Atkins-type diet.

Cutting carbs will send your body into ketosis.

If you were to have a urine test your Nurse will see ketones, and it could make her think that you are suffering with ketoacidosis and cause her to advise a hospital visit.

Although I applaud you for starting on a weight loss programme, I reckon you should make an appointment at your Diabetic clinic to see a Dietician for a plan that's tailor-made for diabetics.

daska

Have found the bit in Taube's book that refers to the 'withdrawal' symptoms. It refers to previous passages and while I'm a fast copy typist my fingers hurt so please forgive me for not transcribing them:

"On Side Effects and Doctors
When you replace the carbohydrates you eat with fat, you're creating a radical shift in the fuel that your cells will burn for energy. They go from running primarily on carbohydrates (glucose) to running on fat - both your body fat and the fat in your diet. This shift, though, can come with side effects. These can include weakness, fatigue, nausea, dehydration, diarrhea (sic) constipation, a condition known as postural, or orthostatic hypotension - if you stand up too quickly, your blood pressure drops precipitously, and you can get dizzy or even pass out - and the exacerbation of preexisting gout. In the 1970's, the authorities insisted that these "potential side effects" were reasons why the diets could not "generally be used safely," and the implication was that they shouldn't be used at all.
But that was to confuse the short-term effects of what can be thought of as carbohydrate withdrawal with the long-term benefits of overcoming that withdrawal and living a longer, leaner, and healthier life. The more technical term for carbohydrate withdrawal is "keto-adaptation," because the body is adapting to the state of ketosis that results from eating fewer than sixty or so grams of carbohydrates a day. This reaction is why some who try carbohydrate restriction give it up quickly. ("Carbohydrate withdrawal is often interepreted(sic) as a 'need for carbohydrate,' " says Westman. "It's like telling smokers who are trying to quit that their withdrawal symptoms are caused by a 'need for cigarettes' and then suggesting they go back to smoking to solve the problem.)
The reason for the side effects now appears to be clear, and physicians who prescribe carbohydrate restriction say they can be treated and prevented. These symptoms have nothing to do with the high fat content of the diet. Rather, they appear to be a consequence or either eating too much protein and too little fat, of attempting strenuous exercise without taking the time to adapt to the diet, or, in most cases, of the body's failure to compensate fully for the restriction of carbohydrates and the dramatic lowering of insulin levels that ensues.
As I mentioned in passing earlier, insulin signals our kidneys to reabsorb sodium, which in turn causes water retention and raises blood pressure. When insulin levels drop, as they do when we restrict carbohydrates, our kidneys will excrete the sodium they've been retaining and with it water. For most people this is beneficial, and it's the reason why blood pressure comes down with carbohydrate restriction. (This water loss, which can be a half-dozen pounds or more in a two-hundred-pounder, can constitute most of the early weight loss.) For some individuals, though, the body will perceive the water loss as something to be prevented. It does so through a web of compensatory responses that can leat to water retention and what are called electrolyte imbalances (the kidneys excrete potassium to save sodium), and the result is the side effects just cited. The reaction can be countered, as Phinney has noted, by adding sodium back into the diet: taking a gram or two or sodium a day (a half to one teaspoon of salt) or drinking a couple of cups of chicken or beef broth daily, which is what Westman, Vernon, and other physicians now prescribe."

He then goes on to reiterate the importance having the guidance of a knowledgeable physician, especially if you are already diabetic or hypertensive, and even more so if you're already taking drugs to manage these conditions.

daska

doodoot wrote: »

Jim, have you discussed this diet with your Diabetes Nurse or GP?

My OH has type 1 Diabetes, so I'm well versed in the do's and dont's.

It's just that alarm bells are ringing that a diabetic would cut out carbohydrates and be on what sounds like an Atkins-type diet.

Cutting carbs will send your body into ketosis.

If you were to have a urine test your Nurse will see ketones, and it could make her think that you are suffering with ketoacidosis and cause her to advise a hospital visit.

Although I applaud you for starting on a weight loss programme, I reckon you should make an appointment at your Diabetic clinic to see a Dietician for a plan that's tailor-made for diabetics.

But Ketoacidosis is caused by "consistent high blood sugar levels". (think DUK is an uncontroversial way of substantiating that statement LOL). And the figures Jim posted earlier would be considered within normal range for a non-diabetic. But yes, it's worth being aware of the risk that the nurse might look at one figure rather than the overall picture.

Jim, you can get ketostix from the chemist and it might be worth checking at different times of day to see how what you're eating affects them - the results will vary depending on how long it is since you have eaten and what you have eaten and how much exercise you do.

The Joslin diabetes centre sums it up neatly:

If ketones are positive, what does this mean?

There are situations when you might have ketones without the blood glucose being too high. Positive ketones are not a problem when blood glucose levels are within range and you are trying to lose weight.

It is a problem if blood glucose levels are high and left untreated. Untreated high blood glucose with positive ketones can lead to a life-threatening condition called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).

(Obviously, being American they use a different way of measuring blood sugar levels, divide by 18 to get the UK equivalent.)

worried_jim

Well I feel fine, no headaches or anything else to report- in fact I feel great. I am sleeping so much better than before. I have no cravings and haven't eaten anything that I shouldn't.
I would say that this is remarkably easy so far, I have no urges to snack, my portions are smaller, when I do eat I really enjoy the food I am eating- today I have had a cheese and chicken salad and it was absolutely brilliant, so much so that I am going to have another tomorrow.
My blood sugars are all within range and today I thought that my trousers were just a little looser. Going to have beef and cauliflower tonight and I may treat myself to a slice of Edam after!
A message from Amazon today to let me know that Gary Taubs's book has been dispatched.

judoka

Well done Jim! thanks for keeping us posted, sending good wishes and positive thoughts to you.