Reversing diabetes

CroneStar

I was wondering if anyone has been able to reverse their type 2 diabetes by losing weight?
I'm not officially diabetic yet but my hgA1C is elevated. I'm trying very hard to lose weight so this doesn't go any higher. I went to see my doctor today for another issue and he keeps going on and on about the labs values. Meanwhile I'm trying to tell him I've lost 5 pounds since I saw him in December and I'm trying everything I can to improve those numbers. Finally he says, well even if you lose weight you'll probably still be diabetic. That just totally deflated me and I felt like just pigging out when I left there. I mean, according to him I'm doomed. It really makes me want to just give up. Has anyone had their A1C elevated and been able to bring it down with diet and exercise?

yarwell

Yes people have reversed diabetes by weight loss, by changing diet composition and other approaches. Even some bariatric surgery procedures have an instant effect on diabetes.

RodaRose

It cannot be cured but it can be reversed. Believe that you are worth the effort.

lacroyx

Yep! Lost a bit of weight with diet and exercise. I followed my doctors advice, low carb, high protein and fat and also was on medications to help control it. It took about 13 months but I went from having a A1C in the upper 7's to now in the low to mid 4's. I get checked once a year now but it's been 4 yrs being diabetic and medication free.

CroneStar

That's great info lacroyx and congrats on your success. My doctor is so negative sometimes. I mean, I don't want him to sugar coat stuff but he is never encouraging and makes it seem like i'm doomed no matter what i do.

Roeder1122

CroneStar wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone has been able to reverse their type 2 diabetes by losing weight?
I'm not officially diabetic yet but my hgA1C is elevated. I'm trying very hard to lose weight so this doesn't go any higher. I went to see my doctor today for another issue and he keeps going on and on about the labs values. Meanwhile I'm trying to tell him I've lost 5 pounds since I saw him in December and I'm trying everything I can to improve those numbers. Finally he says, well even if you lose weight you'll probably still be diabetic. That just totally deflated me and I felt like just pigging out when I left there. I mean, according to him I'm doomed. It really makes me want to just give up. Has anyone had their A1C elevated and been able to bring it down with diet and exercise?

I have T2 diabetes... It can be reversed but your still always at risk. My cousin lost 160lbs(he was 450) and he is off all his meds and is considered "self controlled" but he still has to maintain his eating and exercise to stay off his meds. I am trying to do the same thing.... It's hard!

abatonfan

I'm not a T2 (I'm a T1), but losing weight, monitoring my carb intake on MFP (and basing my diet around how many carbs I can consume without seeing huge spikes in my BG), and regularly engaging in physical activity helped me to achieve a 5.2 A1C at my appointment a few days ago (My diagnosis A1C was around 11.3).

Your BG meter is your new best friend. One of the biggest things that helped me was testing before and 1-2 hours after every meal and assessing what happens to my BG with certain food/macro combinations. If I find something that works, I make a note of it and try to modify meals that don't work too well to be like the others (like having a whole wheat bagel thin sandwich with turkey bacon and eggs instead of having a regular bagel with cream cheese). It's a pain-in-the-butt at first, but it gets a lot easier once you know what works and what doesn't (and what foods may be worth going into the 300s for).

booksandchocolate12

CroneStar wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone has been able to reverse their type 2 diabetes by losing weight?
I'm not officially diabetic yet but my hgA1C is elevated. I'm trying very hard to lose weight so this doesn't go any higher. I went to see my doctor today for another issue and he keeps going on and on about the labs values. Meanwhile I'm trying to tell him I've lost 5 pounds since I saw him in December and I'm trying everything I can to improve those numbers. Finally he says, well even if you lose weight you'll probably still be diabetic. That just totally deflated me and I felt like just pigging out when I left there. I mean, according to him I'm doomed. It really makes me want to just give up. Has anyone had their A1C elevated and been able to bring it down with diet and exercise?

Did he say those exact words? Or did he say, as others did, that you would still be at risk, would still have to monitor, etc.?

If he said the former, than he's misinformed and/or he's one of those doctors who just like to prescribe meds to fix everything without considering other avenues. If he said the latter, he's right, but maybe needs to work on his delivery and be more encouraging.

CroneStar

booksandchocolate12 wrote: »

CroneStar wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone has been able to reverse their type 2 diabetes by losing weight?
I'm not officially diabetic yet but my hgA1C is elevated. I'm trying very hard to lose weight so this doesn't go any higher. I went to see my doctor today for another issue and he keeps going on and on about the labs values. Meanwhile I'm trying to tell him I've lost 5 pounds since I saw him in December and I'm trying everything I can to improve those numbers. Finally he says, well even if you lose weight you'll probably still be diabetic. That just totally deflated me and I felt like just pigging out when I left there. I mean, according to him I'm doomed. It really makes me want to just give up. Has anyone had their A1C elevated and been able to bring it down with diet and exercise?

Did he say those exact words? Or did he say, as others did, that you would still be at risk, would still have to monitor, etc.?

If he said the former, than he's misinformed and/or he's one of those doctors who just like to prescribe meds to fix everything without considering other avenues. If he said the latter, he's right, but maybe needs to work on his delivery and be more encouraging.

Yeah, he did. I mean what he said, that might be true but his delivery sucks. Of course I might still become diabetic but he made it seem like there wasn't a chance in hell of avoiding it even if I lost weight. He has been harping on me to lose weight and I'm doing it but then today he drops that on me. Oh he loves to prescribe meds and tests. Even though I told him I am losing weight he prescribed me a weight loss med anyway, which I'm not taking.

Here is an example of how he words things. I have to get a stress test to check my heart. So I guess even if you pass test there is still a chance you have heart disease. So instead of saying, if you get the test then we can be 97 percent sure you don't have heart disease. But instead he says, If you pass you still have a 3% chance of heart disease. See, I mean it's literally the same information it's just his delivery. He always focuses on the negative. He almost acts like he wants the test to be positive.
I have to get some tests in the next couple of weeks and after that I'm going to look for another doctor.

mmarshall74

Yes, you can reverse or be a self managed diabetic if you lose weight. I've lost 70lbs so far and am off all diabetic medication going from A1C of 10.3 to 4.8. I lowered my carbs (but not low carbs by any means). I will technically be diabetic forever as I'll have to watch my carbs and exercise and keep the weight off. And as I age the blood sugar may creep back up even if I'm well controlled with diet and exercise. But if my blood sugar was tested right now there would be no indication of diabetes... just historical information to say I was diabetic. So long answer short..... you most certainly can control diabetes (usually) with significant change to diet and exercise and weight control. My doctor is a little bit of a downer as well.... and I get that the majority of people don't maintain this way. Also, if your diabetes has progress for a long time and done damage to organs, etc... you may need medication and/or insulin to manage even if you lose weight and control diet... just depends on how the disease has progressed. It's well worth losing weight and gaining muscle because they both significantly help control the diabetes. Always consider getting a new Dr. if his bedside manner is destructive to your progress... it's your life.

earlnabby

CroneStar wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone has been able to reverse their type 2 diabetes by losing weight?
I'm not officially diabetic yet but my hgA1C is elevated. I'm trying very hard to lose weight so this doesn't go any higher. I went to see my doctor today for another issue and he keeps going on and on about the labs values. Meanwhile I'm trying to tell him I've lost 5 pounds since I saw him in December and I'm trying everything I can to improve those numbers. Finally he says, well even if you lose weight you'll probably still be diabetic. That just totally deflated me and I felt like just pigging out when I left there. I mean, according to him I'm doomed. It really makes me want to just give up. Has anyone had their A1C elevated and been able to bring it down with diet and exercise?

I reduced my A1C from 7.3 to 5.5 in 9 months. During that same time period, I lost somewhere around 60-70 lb. I also moderated my carbs (did not go low carb) to make sure I ate a maximum of 180 g per day. 2 years after diagnosis, my A1C is now at 5.0 and I am 125 lb lighter than I was (25 more to go).

ETA: I did take meds at the beginning because I WAS diabetic, but my Dr. took me off them as soon as my numbers dropped into the normal range and I demonstrated that I could lose weight.

CroneStar

earlnabby wrote: »

CroneStar wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone has been able to reverse their type 2 diabetes by losing weight?
I'm not officially diabetic yet but my hgA1C is elevated. I'm trying very hard to lose weight so this doesn't go any higher. I went to see my doctor today for another issue and he keeps going on and on about the labs values. Meanwhile I'm trying to tell him I've lost 5 pounds since I saw him in December and I'm trying everything I can to improve those numbers. Finally he says, well even if you lose weight you'll probably still be diabetic. That just totally deflated me and I felt like just pigging out when I left there. I mean, according to him I'm doomed. It really makes me want to just give up. Has anyone had their A1C elevated and been able to bring it down with diet and exercise?

I reduced my A1C from 7.3 to 5.5 in 9 months. During that same time period, I lost somewhere around 60-70 lb. I also moderated my carbs (did not go low carb) to make sure I ate a maximum of 180 g per day. 2 years after diagnosis, my A1C is now at 5.0 and I am 125 lb lighter than I was (25 more to go).

Good job everyone that has been able to get your A1C down with lifestyle changes. He wants me to come back in only 2 months and I know even if the numbers look better, even if I'm still losing weight he will try to prescribe Metformin. My last reading was 5.9-the highest it's ever been. After that reading I got my butt in gear and have been working hard to make changes. I just feel like if i'm heading in the right direction I should try with diet and exercise before resorting to meds.

earlnabby

mmarshall74 wrote: »

Always consider getting a new Dr. if his bedside manner is destructive to your progress... it's your life.

Words to live by. I love my PCP because she is knowledgeable but she also really seems to care about me and my progress. She really likes questions and she happily responds if I challenge a proposed treatment because "informed consent" is very important to her. Much different that my old PCP.

I can put up with less than ideal bedside manner in someone you only see one time like a surgeon or radiologist but I want someone I can actually discuss my care with as a primary care.

earlnabby

CroneStar wrote: »

earlnabby wrote: »

CroneStar wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone has been able to reverse their type 2 diabetes by losing weight?
I'm not officially diabetic yet but my hgA1C is elevated. I'm trying very hard to lose weight so this doesn't go any higher. I went to see my doctor today for another issue and he keeps going on and on about the labs values. Meanwhile I'm trying to tell him I've lost 5 pounds since I saw him in December and I'm trying everything I can to improve those numbers. Finally he says, well even if you lose weight you'll probably still be diabetic. That just totally deflated me and I felt like just pigging out when I left there. I mean, according to him I'm doomed. It really makes me want to just give up. Has anyone had their A1C elevated and been able to bring it down with diet and exercise?

I reduced my A1C from 7.3 to 5.5 in 9 months. During that same time period, I lost somewhere around 60-70 lb. I also moderated my carbs (did not go low carb) to make sure I ate a maximum of 180 g per day. 2 years after diagnosis, my A1C is now at 5.0 and I am 125 lb lighter than I was (25 more to go).

Good job everyone that has been able to get your A1C down with lifestyle changes. He wants me to come back in only 2 months and I know even if the numbers look better, even if I'm still losing weight he will try to prescribe Metformin. My last reading was 5.9-the highest it's ever been. After that reading I got my butt in gear and have been working hard to make changes. I just feel like if i'm heading in the right direction I should try with diet and exercise before resorting to meds.

I think that is a good idea, considering your numbers. If they were actually in the diabetic range, you might want to consider the meds but 5.9 is either pre-diabetic or normal, depending on the scale the doctor uses (some say 6.0 and above is pre and some say 5.7 and above is pre). All meds have side effects. I took metformin at the beginning and my kidneys did not like it. My EGFR dropped 20 points in 3 weeks so I was switched to glipizide, which can affect the liver. I was willing to take it because I WAS diabetic but I was happy when I could stop it.

Is your doctor a GP (or internist or whatever general practice kind of doctor?) Can you get a second opinion from a Certified Diabetic Specialist? Many health care groups have one or more on staff. Often they are Nurse Practitioners who have an advanced practice in diabetes management. look for someone with APNP after their name (Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner)

KristieJC

I don't know if my brother's is cured, but when he was diagnosed pre-diabetic, he starting strictly managing his carbs. He takes no medication for it but with managing his carbs he lost 70 pounds in about a year and keeps his blood sugar under control. He has cheat days, such as on holidays, but other than that, he's very strict about the carbs and it works great for him. Good luck!

CroneStar

He is a family practitioner. The thing is he specifically says on his profile that he has a special focus on diabetes. I just think overall he isn't a good fit for me. I feel like he is really aggressive with his prescribing meds too. Seems to be his first choice for everthing. I'll keep my eye our for the APNP you mentioned.

mmarshall74

I think Dr. are aggressive with meds/insulin for diabetics because most do not do a great job managing with diet and exercise and at least the meds can slow the progression of the disease. If they waited for all patients to control with diet and exercise they'd be waiting a long time and risking irreversible damage the diabetes may do to the organs. But I think the doctor should encourage diet and exercise and suggest that medication/insulin may be adjusted according to the patients progress with diet and exercise.

rsclause

Doctors think medication is the answer for everything. You know losing weight is what you need to do and it can't hurt. I don't know how overweight you are but this is an emergency now, you must get to your ideal or normal weight. If is also important to eat healthy too. Educate yourself on making your diet better. Start exercising and lose weight and I bet you will be rewarded by reversing diabetes and feeling great.

earlnabby

mmarshall74 wrote: »

I think Dr. are aggressive with meds/insulin for diabetics because most do not do a great job managing with diet and exercise and at least the meds can slow the progression of the disease. If they waited for all patients to control with diet and exercise they'd be waiting a long time and risking irreversible damage the diabetes may do to the organs. But I think the doctor should encourage diet and exercise and suggest that medication/insulin may be adjusted according to the patients progress with diet and exercise.

I agree with this. I am sure my PCP prescribed meds right away because 1) I was diabetic with an A1C of 7.3 and 2) I obviously was not controlling my diet because I was 300 lb. at the time. The OP is not diabetic so a more conservative approach to start out is probably warranted, but I do understand where doctors are coming from.

earlnabby

KristieJC wrote: »

I don't know if my brother's is cured, but when he was diagnosed pre-diabetic, he starting strictly managing his carbs. He takes no medication for it but with managing his carbs he lost 70 pounds in about a year and keeps his blood sugar under control. He has cheat days, such as on holidays, but other than that, he's very strict about the carbs and it works great for him. Good luck!

One thing about T2Dm, managing it by diet and exercise means an average over time. There is no such thing as a "cheat day" as long as high carb days are balanced with lower carb days. The A1C takes the average blood glucose level over a 2-3 month period (depending on the life span of your particular red blood cells) so any one point in time does not really matter. Testing blood sugar in the morning helps give an idea and can give you a warning if you have several higher numbers in a row, but one high number in the middle of normal ones isn't an issue.

fuelednfit

I was able to go off medication and bring my a1c as low as 4.9even off medication. To achieve this I lost 54lbs and completely changed my lifestyle my diet and activity levels. Please keep in mind your diabetes can always come back for various reasons. A new weight gain, change in activity or diet or even just aging. Changes in hormones including pregnancy. When I got pregnant I went from controlled diabetes without medication straight to insulin at night and before meals I was pretty discouraged because I thought I was cured. I was just under control but yes it's totally feasible.

wkwebby

Reversing diabetes may be a little bit of a misnomer. If you were diagnosed with diabetes, that means you will always have it because diabetes means that your body doesn't respond well (over a long length of time) to blood sugar. This has to do with your production of insulin and your response to it (the problem can stem from either of those two "prongs). If you are prediabetic (I am), where your A1C was higher than the norm and higher than what is acceptable with fasting BG higher than what it should be, then you can reverse this but you are still at risk of getting it.

If you have been diagnosed diabetic, your organ that produces insulin has been damaged or your body does not respond to the high levels anymore. If you go low carb and lose weight, the available blood sugars aren't there anymore for your body to respond to, so your diabetes come under control. Prediabetics will have the same effect if we go low carb. Your hormones come back into line and your insulin levels drop because it just isn't needed. To avoid being diagnosed as a diabetic, the carbs should be cut in moderation, and just eat well balanced. Losing weight helps both groups.

So in essence, you can't get rid of diabetes (the doctor was right, however badly his delivery was), I'd call it "just in remission". So if you gain weight again, the meds will come back and you will go back to being a full blown diabetic, and a pre-diabetic will become diabetic.

earlnabby

fuelednfit wrote: »

I was able to go off medication and bring my a1c as low as 4.9even off medication. To achieve this I lost 54lbs and completely changed my lifestyle my diet and activity levels. Please keep in mind your diabetes can always come back for various reasons. A new weight gain, change in activity or diet or even just aging. Changes in hormones including pregnancy. When I got pregnant I went from controlled diabetes without medication straight to insulin at night and before meals I was pretty discouraged because I thought I was cured. I was just under control but yes it's totally feasible.

I was told that diabetes is never "cured", it is just managed. Basically, diabetes means that your body is not handling blood glucose the way it should and that never goes away. You just have to learn how to give your body only what glucose it can handle, which is done by exercising, losing weight, and modifying your diet (or meds or insulin, depending on the actual needs of your body)

nvmomketo

Diabetes can be controlled through diet, exercise and weight loss for many. Effectiveness does vary.

I lost 40lbs, which was about 27% of my body weight, and I still Am insulin resistant. My blood glucose is controlled through diet. If I eàt moderate carbs my blood glucose is high. I eat to my monitor and keep BG low so no meds are needed, but if I increase carbs so does my BG.

I found Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution to be a tremendously helpful dietary plan. Good luck.

CroneStar

wkwebby wrote: »

Reversing diabetes may be a little bit of a misnomer. If you were diagnosed with diabetes, that means you will always have it because diabetes means that your body doesn't respond well (over a long length of time) to blood sugar. This has to do with your production of insulin and your response to it (the problem can stem from either of those two "prongs). If you are prediabetic (I am), where your A1C was higher than the norm and higher than what is acceptable with fasting BG higher than what it should be, then you can reverse this but you are still at risk of getting it.

If you have been diagnosed diabetic, your organ that produces insulin has been damaged or your body does not respond to the high levels anymore. If you go low carb and lose weight, the available blood sugars aren't there anymore for your body to respond to, so your diabetes come under control. Prediabetics will have the same effect if we go low carb. Your hormones come back into line and your insulin levels drop because it just isn't needed. To avoid being diagnosed as a diabetic, the carbs should be cut in moderation, and just eat well balanced. Losing weight helps both groups.

So in essence, you can't get rid of diabetes (the doctor was right, however badly his delivery was), I'd call it "just in remission". So if you gain weight again, the meds will come back and you will go back to being a full blown diabetic, and a pre-diabetic will become diabetic.

Technically he has called it pre-diabetic so maybe there is still hope. But I don't know if pre-diabetic is just a fancy way of saying..mildly diabetic. But that's what he calls it. Pre

CroneStar

BTW, thanks for all the good information guys. It helps to hear real stories about how people are managing.

earlnabby

CroneStar wrote: »

Technically he has called it pre-diabetic so maybe there is still hope. But I don't know if pre-diabetic is just a fancy way of saying..mildly diabetic. But that's what he calls it. Pre

Pre-diabetic means that your body is not handling glucose as well as it should, but you are not at the stage where damage can occur.

dotti1121

watch this...VERY eye-opening! These people were able to come off all insulin and all medications, and their A1Cs were below 6...technically "cured"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAwgdX5VxGc

ashliedelgado

Pre-diabetic is just that, you're on the way.
I worked with an endocrinologist for a few years, we had many type 2 patients who were controlled with diet and exercise. He would never say they were "cured" but the 4x a year appointments were often cut down to twice a year or once a year. Like everything else with weight loss, the changes you make now have to be permanent, or the weight and diabetes will creep back up on you. Good luck! You can do this! If your insurance will cover it, or you can afford the out of pocket, you can talk with a registered diabetic educator - they can help you with specific ways to get it under control if you find yourself having a hard time, as it sounds like your PCP may not be all that supportive.

RogerToo

CroneStar wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone has been able to reverse their type 2 diabetes by losing weight?
I'm not officially diabetic yet but my hgA1C is elevated. I'm trying very hard to lose weight so this doesn't go any higher. I went to see my doctor today for another issue and he keeps going on and on about the labs values. Meanwhile I'm trying to tell him I've lost 5 pounds since I saw him in December and I'm trying everything I can to improve those numbers. Finally he says, well even if you lose weight you'll probably still be diabetic. That just totally deflated me and I felt like just pigging out when I left there. I mean, according to him I'm doomed. It really makes me want to just give up. Has anyone had their A1C elevated and been able to bring it down with diet and exercise?

Hi
I believe You can do it as others here have said.

I went from being .1 under being called diabetic to having a A1C in the Normal range with Diet and losing weight. I could see a significant difference shortly after starting the Diet.

Do not let that Doctor discourage You. I would think about is this the best doctor for me if I were You. A supportive doctor is very important.

Good Luck
Roger

heather0renae

I was diagnosed as prediabetic (and hypothyroid, PCOS with metabolic syndrome) somewhere around 13-15 years old. I started taking metformin and xenical (over the counter allie/ally or whatever now) for being prediabetic. I did high intensity interval exercise before knowing that's what it was. I cut carbs way down and ate more protein and fats.

I don't remember my exact lab values, I'm 28 years old now, but by age 18 or 19, I was allowed to stop taking my metformin. I had discontinued taking xenical about two years prior to that.

I lost around 20-25% of my original body weight and haven't had any labs that indicated I needed medication since. I do have to be careful to watch my weight- I tend to cycle up over a couple years, realise I've gained and am gaining, and then start working on eating healthier.

It is possible to at least slow down the progression from prediabetes to diabetes and not need to take medication, if not stop it altogether. I would definitely look for a more positive doctor or nurse practitioner to help you stay motivated and positive. :]