just diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes
Options
Replies
-
If you want to avoid (or reduce) meds, you really need to look into the ketogenic diet/lifestyle. It's free, but you'll need to do a lot of reading as most doctors don't suggest LCHF diets since they can't sell pills when you don't need them.
You'll also lose weight, reduce inflammation and get overall healthier.
This works best for T2, but it can help T1 (that's another thread).
No you don't. I was diagnosed T2Dm in January, 2014 and was off my meds by August, 2014. All I did was reduce my total carbs to a maximum of 180 grams per day and ate at a deficit so I could lose weight. I have been officially labelled "totally managed by diet and exercise" for over a year with A1C's hanging around 5.0.
If something like Keto helps you eat at a deficit, go for it, but very very few diabetics need something that extreme.
1 -
As I am not diabetic, I can't offer any advise but I do wish you luck, op!0
-
I have a glucose monitor now and am probably being obsessive about checking my levels. Something I don't understand is that I am actually slightly higher in the morning than at any other time of the day. That makes no sense to me so if anyone can explain that, feel free. For example I was at 95 before going to bed and at 115 when I woke up. No food or even water in between those readings.
It is called "dawn syndrome" and is not uncommon for people with a higher A1C. The hormones that start your metabolism begin to flow through your body in the wee hours of the morning so you have energy to wake up when it is time. If there isn't enough glucose in your bloodstream, they cause your muscles to release glycogen so you will have enough. The same things tends to happen when you exercise: hormones cause what is known as a "glucose dump" where you muscles release glycogen into the bloodstream to fuel the workout. It takes about 15 minutes of exercise to use up what is in your bloodstream, then the muscles dump more. What doesn't get used for energy will eventually get stored again, waiting for the next time. Some of my highest readings have been right after an intense workout, even though it had been hours since I ate.
I just checked my spreadsheets and it was about a year after diagnosis (and six months since I had been off the meds) that I started not having dawn syndrome. My A1C's were normal numbers (below 5.5) but my fasting was averaging between 110-120.
0 -
My father took pills for a while. Went to a health camp for two weeks to learn how to eat for both heart disease and T2D. My mother attended as well to learn how to cook for him. He cheated all thr time. We found lots of candy wrappers under car seat. Eventually had to go on insulin. Then his idiot sister (also diabetic) told him he could eat anything he wanted. Just adjust insulin without doctor's ok. Died 5 years later.0
-
No you don't. I was diagnosed T2Dm in January, 2014 and was off my meds by August, 2014. All I did was reduce my total carbs to a maximum of 180 grams per day and ate at a deficit so I could lose weight. I have been officially labelled "totally managed by diet and exercise" for over a year with A1C's hanging around 5.0.
If something like Keto helps you eat at a deficit, go for it, but very very few diabetics need something that extreme.
Suit yourself, but I guarantee it works extremely well and as I mentioned, many T2 have gone off their meds and by their blood tests are not diabetic at all. They need to keep eating LCHF of course to stay that way, but they have zero diabetic issues going keto.
Keto is not an "eat at a deficit" or "diet" way of eating. It's a very low glycemic way of eating. You basically remove the spikes and drops of your blood sugars. Once you're adapted you'd find that your blood glucose can drop to 50-60 without any usual symptoms that someone relying on glucose would see. Typically for most fat adapted T2 diabetics, their fasting BG is around 70-80.
The amount of science behind it is astounding vs the myth of carb requirements (hint, the human body requires zero carbs to thrive).
1 -
No you don't. I was diagnosed T2Dm in January, 2014 and was off my meds by August, 2014. All I did was reduce my total carbs to a maximum of 180 grams per day and ate at a deficit so I could lose weight. I have been officially labelled "totally managed by diet and exercise" for over a year with A1C's hanging around 5.0.
If something like Keto helps you eat at a deficit, go for it, but very very few diabetics need something that extreme.
Suit yourself, but I guarantee it works extremely well and as I mentioned, many T2 have gone off their meds and by their blood tests are not diabetic at all. They need to keep eating LCHF of course to stay that way, but they have zero diabetic issues going keto.
Keto is not an "eat at a deficit" or "diet" way of eating. It's a very low glycemic way of eating. You basically remove the spikes and drops of your blood sugars. Once you're adapted you'd find that your blood glucose can drop to 50-60 without any usual symptoms that someone relying on glucose would see. Typically for most fat adapted T2 diabetics, their fasting BG is around 70-80.
The amount of science behind it is astounding vs the myth of carb requirements (hint, the human body requires zero carbs to thrive).
I know what it is. I also know that it may be the best choice for some to control blood glucose, but it is not needed by most. All diabetics need to reduce their carb consumption. A tiny minority require carb consumption to be reduced to Keto numbers.
According to diabetes experts:- "Side effects of the keto diet, learned from years of experience using the diet for epilepsy, have included dehydration, constipation, kidney stones, menstrual changes, bone thinning, and inflammation of the pancreas. Experts generally agree that more research is needed before doctors can safely recommend the keto diet to most people with type 2 diabetes." (Amber L. Taylor, MD, director of the Diabetes Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore)
0 -
Akimajuktuq wrote: »Whoa, but I did see one other person offer some good advice... re: the ketogenic lifestyle. I had to go further to get well: an all animal food lifestyle. I haven't felt better any other way. Granted, the whole world is against this way of eating, but it's the only way that prevents my T2 symptoms entirely. And it's delicious.
You went ZC eh? I don't have diabetes, but since I've been keto for the past year I've seen so MANY others with serious diabetes to the point of losing limbs and even near death who have turned it around and are now healthy, normal weight, and off all medications. It really is incredible.
I'm on keto for another reason and have contemplating going a month of ZC... but it's taking some serious willpower to do that
Reading the books such as Keto Clarity by Jimmy Moore, The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz, even The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance by Jeff Volek and Stephen Phinney. Such amazing works, based in science (not money) and it works for so many issues, especially diabetes.
Thanks for the book recommendations.
0 -
No you don't. I was diagnosed T2Dm in January, 2014 and was off my meds by August, 2014. All I did was reduce my total carbs to a maximum of 180 grams per day and ate at a deficit so I could lose weight. I have been officially labelled "totally managed by diet and exercise" for over a year with A1C's hanging around 5.0.
If something like Keto helps you eat at a deficit, go for it, but very very few diabetics need something that extreme.
Suit yourself, but I guarantee it works extremely well and as I mentioned, many T2 have gone off their meds and by their blood tests are not diabetic at all. They need to keep eating LCHF of course to stay that way, but they have zero diabetic issues going keto.
Keto is not an "eat at a deficit" or "diet" way of eating. It's a very low glycemic way of eating. You basically remove the spikes and drops of your blood sugars. Once you're adapted you'd find that your blood glucose can drop to 50-60 without any usual symptoms that someone relying on glucose would see. Typically for most fat adapted T2 diabetics, their fasting BG is around 70-80.
The amount of science behind it is astounding vs the myth of carb requirements (hint, the human body requires zero carbs to thrive).
There are risks to any diet ... and you should be aware of those risks before doing it. One easy to read article is ...
http://www.healthline.com/health/type-2-diabetes-ketogenic-diet#Effects3
My concern would also lie in the fact that when you restrict carbs too severely you also miss out on very important nutritients.
Read the article, do some research of your own, talk it over with your doctor.0 -
If you want to avoid (or reduce) meds, you really need to look into the ketogenic diet/lifestyle. It's free, but you'll need to do a lot of reading as most doctors don't suggest LCHF diets since they can't sell pills when you don't need them.
You'll also lose weight, reduce inflammation and get overall healthier.
This works best for T2, but it can help T1 (that's another thread).
No you don't. I was diagnosed T2Dm in January, 2014 and was off my meds by August, 2014. All I did was reduce my total carbs to a maximum of 180 grams per day and ate at a deficit so I could lose weight. I have been officially labelled "totally managed by diet and exercise" for over a year with A1C's hanging around 5.0.
If something like Keto helps you eat at a deficit, go for it, but very very few diabetics need something that extreme.
This 100%0 -
I shoot for lower than 140 2 hours after a meal. That's usually easy for me if I watch my carbs. The dawn phenomenon is what gets me. Well, and if I eat a bunch of carbs, lol.
If I want a really carb-heavy meal like the shrimp and grits I had for Superbowl, I'll eat a small portion and then know that I can eat another small portion 2 hours later. Check your glucose to make sure, of course. But dividing up indulgent things can help a lot. Let them 'digest' before getting seconds
The amounts per meal vary with the individual, so just use your meter to find yours.
And then check out the Glycemic Index. I eat fruit (not juices) and some grainy bread and do fine with them if their GI is low. Things like beans are excellent, even though they are carb heavy. They just digest differently, so it's really not like high carb from a cupcake.0 -
According to diabetes experts:
- "Side effects of the keto diet, learned from years of experience using the diet for epilepsy, have included dehydration, constipation, kidney stones, menstrual changes, bone thinning, and inflammation of the pancreas. Experts generally agree that more research is needed before doctors can safely recommend the keto diet to most people with type 2 diabetes." (Amber L. Taylor, MD, director of the Diabetes Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore)
Every single side effect that you listed is either from a study that was short term (less than 2 weeks) or it wasn't truly ketogenic (high fat, adequate (not high) protein and very low carb)
I don't trust the people who run the diabetes centres as they're all bought and paid for by the drug companies that they're giving bad advice. It's a pretty sick and sad system. The recommended diabetic foods that they give to new diabetics is designed to keep them on their meds which is completely unnecessary.
Obviously, even among diabetics, there are varying levels of insulin resistance and some can get by (at least temporarily) eating over 100g of carbs and be considered "managed", but I would expect that in 10 years, even they'll need to either up their meds or change their diet.
As for missing out on important nutrients, the only nutrients you may miss out on on a ketogenic diet would be magnesium, and potassium. You'll also want to consume more sodium (table salt) as your body no longer retains water or salt. Beyond those, meat and fats contain all the nutrients you need.
I wouldn't recommend just jumping in blind, but I do seriously recommend doing your research into it and making up your own mind. Too many people are getting sicker and dying because of the advice from the ADA and Health authorities.
1 -
I too follow a very low carb ketogenic diet to manage blood glucose. If I keep carbs very low, my BG is completely normal. Not "diabetic normal" but normal and healthy. It really can work well.
I follow the plan by Richard Bernstein md. He is a T1D who managed his disease through diet back when most T1Ds did not make it past middle age. His low carb approach translates well to a T2D's diet. His book is called Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. It helped me a great deal.
BTW, my fasting blood glucoseis often my highest reading of he day too. My dawn phenomenon is made worse if I eat carbs in the evening, or go over 20g of carbs in a day. High protein snacks in the evening can raise my FBG too. Eating very LCHF is the only way I have found to combat it with diet. Evening exercise also helps but that isn't always practical for me.
If you are interested in low carb, join the Low Carber Daily forum. There are many of us there who are managing insulin resistance through diet alone. Best wishes.1 -
I've been T2 since 2009. My BG #'s have been all over the place. I was actually normal BMI at dx. I gained on metformin after an initial loss of 30 lbs. I did all the low carb things, completely over-hauled my diet, did the walking, all that. Didn't amount to a hill of beans. So I did what I would normally do, screw it. I ate all the things! I gained all the weight! I did none of the exercise! FF to 2013, I had a heart attack @ 38, I was 168 lbs @ 5'6". My BG was out of control and they put me on lantus and it didn't do squat. Even with exercise, eating right, and two oral meds. Plus the two stents.
I also have chronic pain due to either lupus or MCTD, but my rheumatologist put me on plaquenil for the inflammation and lo and behold, my BG plummeted. So, yeah. There's that.
FF to 2015, I was put on topamax for anxiety and it took care of my pain. Two months later, after a nearly 30 lbs weight loss, I joined a gym and exercise for about 5-6 hours a week. My diet is severely limited by topamax since most things taste pretty gross, so fewer carbs. Since less pain, more movement. My HbA1c is at an all time low of 5.4 down from an 11.something in July of 2015. I'm not off meds and may never be, and that's ok with me, but they have been lowered.
Meds, weight loss, lower carb, and exercise work for me. What works for you might be different.0 -
Thanks for all the encouragement and advice. It's been a week since I got the diagnosis (my A1C is an 8.2) and since then I've been completely 100% low carb. My daily readings are around 115 in the morning, around 100-110 at 4 PM and 95-100 at bedtime. I'm thinking I'm doing okay so far and I'm making sure I get a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise a day (I almost always hit 10,000-13,000 steps on my pedometer anyways).
I'm researching and reading as much as I can right now to learn the best things for me. I have a long family history of T2D so I don't know if I'll ever be completely med free but I'm working towards that goal.
One of the things that saddened me the most was giving up fast food (sorry people but I love fast food) and today dh took me to Jimmy Johns and got me an Unwichh sandwich. Having that option cheered me up a lot. 1 -
Thanks for all the encouragement and advice. It's been a week since I got the diagnosis (my A1C is an 8.2) and since then I've been completely 100% low carb. My daily readings are around 115 in the morning, around 100-110 at 4 PM and 95-100 at bedtime. I'm thinking I'm doing okay so far and I'm making sure I get a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise a day (I almost always hit 10,000-13,000 steps on my pedometer anyways).
I'm researching and reading as much as I can right now to learn the best things for me. I have a long family history of T2D so I don't know if I'll ever be completely med free but I'm working towards that goal.
One of the things that saddened me the most was giving up fast food (sorry people but I love fast food) and today dh took me to Jimmy Johns and got me an Unwichh sandwich. Having that option cheered me up a lot.
Reading is really good. I found this website to be a great clearinghouse for all kinds of information: http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/
Yes, sometimes you do need to get a little creative when eating somewhere besides your home. It is good to patronize the restaurants that offer up alternatives.0 -
Thanks for all the encouragement and advice. It's been a week since I got the diagnosis (my A1C is an 8.2) and since then I've been completely 100% low carb. My daily readings are around 115 in the morning, around 100-110 at 4 PM and 95-100 at bedtime. I'm thinking I'm doing okay so far and I'm making sure I get a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise a day (I almost always hit 10,000-13,000 steps on my pedometer anyways).
I'm researching and reading as much as I can right now to learn the best things for me. I have a long family history of T2D so I don't know if I'll ever be completely med free but I'm working towards that goal.
One of the things that saddened me the most was giving up fast food (sorry people but I love fast food) and today dh took me to Jimmy Johns and got me an Unwichh sandwich. Having that option cheered me up a lot.
Those are good numbers! I hated giving up fries, darnit. The fries don't agree with my BG, even though I always had the kids' size. But I can eat a little cheeseburger with the top bun removed. Get creative 0 -
I was half-heartedly doing low carb for a few weeks before my diagnosis. Now I'm 100% low carb and doing pretty well with it.
Congrats on finding a way of eating (WOE) that works for you (LCHF is great for T2D). Here is a link to the main low carber forum group here in MFP. It is where most of us ketofiles tend to hang out so come on by, drop in and say hellp:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group
You'll find it a very warm, welcoming and supportive group. Best of luck to you OP!0 -
I don't trust the people who run the diabetes centres as they're all bought and paid for by the drug companies that they're giving bad advice. It's a pretty sick and sad system. The recommended diabetic foods that they give to new diabetics is designed to keep them on their meds which is completely unnecessary.
Obviously, even among diabetics, there are varying levels of insulin resistance and some can get by (at least temporarily) eating over 100g of carbs and be considered "managed", but I would expect that in 10 years, even they'll need to either up their meds or change their diet.
***
I wouldn't recommend just jumping in blind, but I do seriously recommend doing your research into it and making up your own mind. Too many people are getting sicker and dying because of the advice from the ADA and Health authorities.
Excellent advice.
It won't make poor Edival a nickel, but fortunately he doesn't appear to need a gimmick to sell a diet book+gizmo package and doesn't live off commissions from drug sales.
****************************
Being your basic simpleton, I've boiled it all down to The One Big Basic Point:
Make a religion of staying informed and in touch with educated people who are interested ONLY in their own health, and carefully test what you learn, with yourself as the subject of the experiment!
* It follows that you SHOULD .....
Develop an understanding of:
1) why low-carb diets are the only effective way for so many T2Ds to keep their numbers in line and how you in particular respond;
2) how exercise affects you; and
3) how the basic diabetes meds work and what it's worth to you not to take them.
* It also follows that you SHOULD NOT.....
Make a religion of simply following broad guidelines, especially the ADA's suggestions, unless and until you have determined through careful experimentation that you, as an individual with T2D, really can eat that many carbs without driving up your BG and insulin to unacceptable levels or being forced to take meds you'd rather avoid.
******************************
It took this dumbed-down, single-rule system to keep me moving straight ahead month in, month out, until the benefits of eating low-carb, low calorie as Bernstein and others recommend were simply undeniable.
Once I got the mindset licked and started reading and carefully experimenting, it started getting easier to make conscious, informed choices in diet, meds, and exercise.
Fast forwarding several months, life got a LOT easier. Not necessarily more fun or filled with gooey pastries, but much easier.
A caveat: The results of your self-experiments won't always be perfect, good, encouraging or even acceptable in the short run. Welcome to the human race!
So try not to let yourself get hemorrhoids from little bumps in the road - it's the long-run that counts!
1 -
mrtastybutt wrote: »My HbA1c is at an all time low of 5.4 down from an 11.something in July of 2015. I'm not off meds and may never be, and that's ok with me, but they have been lowered.
Meds, weight loss, lower carb, and exercise work for me. What works for you might be different.
Wow. That's a dramatic history just over the last 8 months, let alone since you were diagnosed. Sounds like you've got a pretty good grip on your situation, though. Kudos.
Could I persuade you to entertain a couple questions?
- Any clue what's going on with the Plaquenil? Are you also taking Prandin, or maybe only Metformin?
- Any explanation for the weight gain on Metformin?
- Any mood changes you attribute to any of your T2D meds?
Thanks!0 -
****************************
Being your basic simpleton, I've boiled it all down to The One Big Basic Point:
Make a religion of staying informed and in touch with educated people who are interested ONLY in their own health, and carefully test what you learn, with yourself as the subject of the experiment!
* It follows that you SHOULD .....
Develop an understanding of:
1) why low-carb diets are the only effective way for so many T2Ds to keep their numbers in line and how you in particular respond;
2) how exercise affects you; and
3) how the basic diabetes meds work and what it's worth to you not to take them.
* It also follows that you SHOULD NOT.....
Make a religion of simply following broad guidelines, especially the ADA's suggestions, unless and until you have determined through careful experimentation that you, as an individual with T2D, really can eat that many carbs without driving up your BG and insulin to unacceptable levels or being forced to take meds you'd rather avoid.
******************************
this great advice squarely hits the nail on the head and deals with the crux of the matter imo.
this from a former 276 llb T2 metformin swallower who is now 160 llbs and med free from following advice like above.
in the uk my doctors,diabetic nurse practitioner ,the nhs.co.uk AND diabetes.co.uk sites are all excellent resources.
many thanks @RalfLott for posting.
good luck on your journey.
2
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.4K Getting Started
- 259.6K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 387 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.2K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 911 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions