Anyone reversing diabetes through weight loss, or struggling to do so?
Replies
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Just FYI the finger prick blood test is only accurate to within ten percent. So a level of 100 can give a reading anywhere from 90 to 110.3
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paperpudding wrote: »I was prediabetic and reversed my IR using a very low carb diet (I did use a ketogenic diet). My BG was better within days, and I started losing weight with greater ease once I lowered carbs.
IMO, the best ways to control IR is food choices (lower carb and mostly avoiding refined carbs), weight loss, exercise, lower stress and sleep. The fastest way to improve BG will be food choices.psychod787 wrote: »You cant reverse diabetes. It is progressive. All you can do is manage the symptoms. I have so far. A1c 6.3 at one time and had a fasting bs of 337. A1c 3 weeksago 4.8. We shall wait and see.
I disagree with this. I know a number of people who have made changes in food, weight, and lifestyle who have reversed t2d or other IR conditions. My blood does not test as anything but normal now. People maintain that reversal by continuing their changes. It appears you have reversed things for yourself too. Congrats.
I guess this could be seen as semantics - but Diabetes is not reversible
People can reduce, sometimes to nothing, their need for medication by losing weight and changing their WOE.
This means they are now diet controlled diabetics -and as long as they maintain their weight and their WOE, their blood results can stay in normal range - which is what you are saying too, I think with "maintain their reversal by continuing their changes"
Using the word reversal gives wrong impression to me, makes it sound cured or temporary - it is ongoing control rather than reversal
Thank you! Exactly this. My A1c has been consistently under 5 for two years now, which is normal levels. But give me a head cold, or a big roll of bread, and you will quickly learn I am still diabetic. I just manage my disease with diet and exercise, it's not gone.7 -
paperpudding wrote: »I was prediabetic and reversed my IR using a very low carb diet (I did use a ketogenic diet). My BG was better within days, and I started losing weight with greater ease once I lowered carbs.
IMO, the best ways to control IR is food choices (lower carb and mostly avoiding refined carbs), weight loss, exercise, lower stress and sleep. The fastest way to improve BG will be food choices.psychod787 wrote: »You cant reverse diabetes. It is progressive. All you can do is manage the symptoms. I have so far. A1c 6.3 at one time and had a fasting bs of 337. A1c 3 weeksago 4.8. We shall wait and see.
I disagree with this. I know a number of people who have made changes in food, weight, and lifestyle who have reversed t2d or other IR conditions. My blood does not test as anything but normal now. People maintain that reversal by continuing their changes. It appears you have reversed things for yourself too. Congrats.
I guess this could be seen as semantics - but Diabetes is not reversible
People can reduce, sometimes to nothing, their need for medication by losing weight and changing their WOE.
This means they are now diet controlled diabetics -and as long as they maintain their weight and their WOE, their blood results can stay in normal range - which is what you are saying too, I think with "maintain their reversal by continuing their changes"
Using the word reversal gives wrong impression to me, makes it sound cured or temporary - it is ongoing control rather than reversal
It is semantics, I agree. I suppose it depends on your point of view.
I think the term "reversed" can be applied to diabetics who get better (better BG and insulin levels, and reduced or eliminated meds) as long as one continues with their modified lifestyle to a certain degree.
Sort of like how a person is a non smoker as long as they don't smoke again but as soon as they resume smoking they are a smoker. If one goes back to eating poorly and gaining weight, chances are they will become diabetic again. Likewise the longer they keep weight off, eat better, reduce stress, etc., the less impact a carby meal may have on their health.
Unfortunately, once T2D or IR hits a certain point, there is less chance of a reversal and regaining good health. I was lucky and caught IR in the prediabetic stage. I am healthier metabolically now than I was 10 or possibly 20 years ago.
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I have made huge improvements to my type 2 diabetes and overall health by going whole foods plant based. I eat low fat, minimal processed foods, and no animal products. I was on 3 oral diabetes meds with an a1c of 7.1. Now I am on 1/2 dose of one of those meds a year later with an a1c of 6.1. I have lost 130 pounds (in 1.5 years) with a bunch still to go, and am also off blood pressure and cholesterol meds. My body fasting blood sugar very slowly improved eating this way and my doctor slowly took me off meds. I was shocked I could improve so much while still not being in a healthy weight range.
There are different ways that people choose to improve their t2 diabetes with food and exercise. You have to find something that is sustainable for you and that your body responds to. Forks Over Knives changed my life and I will eat like this the rest of my life. Good luck!2 -
psychod787 wrote: »You cant reverse diabetes. It is progressive. All you can do is manage the symptoms. I have so far. A1c 6.3 at one time and had a fasting bs of 337. A1c 3 weeksago 4.8. We shall wait and see.
Wanna bet? Type 2 Diabetes can be reversed ! https://diabetes.org.uk/research/research-round-up/research-spotlight/research-spotlight-low-calorie-liquid-diet3 -
psychod787 wrote: »You cant reverse diabetes. It is progressive. All you can do is manage the symptoms. I have so far. A1c 6.3 at one time and had a fasting bs of 337. A1c 3 weeksago 4.8. We shall wait and see.
Wanna bet? Type 2 Diabetes can be reversed ! https://diabetes.org.uk/research/research-round-up/research-spotlight/research-spotlight-low-calorie-liquid-diet
The problem is that so many people equate the symptoms with the disease itself. The article talks about remission, not reversal. In other words (quoted from the article) "But what does remission actually mean? It’s when blood glucose (or blood sugar) levels are in a normal range again.". That is managing the symptoms.
Diabetes is caused by either the beta cells in the pancreas burning out and not producing enough insulin to properly deal with the glucose in the bloodstream, or the cells in the body being resistant to the insulin produced. High glucose in the bloodstream is the #1 symptom. The problem (cause) will always be there even if the glucose levels are normal. You can reverse the symptoms, not the cause. You can only manage the cause.8 -
psychod787 wrote: »You cant reverse diabetes. It is progressive. All you can do is manage the symptoms. I have so far. A1c 6.3 at one time and had a fasting bs of 337. A1c 3 weeksago 4.8. We shall wait and see.
Wanna bet? Type 2 Diabetes can be reversed ! https://diabetes.org.uk/research/research-round-up/research-spotlight/research-spotlight-low-calorie-liquid-diet
It says right in there that folks in remission still have diabetes, they are just adequately controlling it through weight loss and diet.
OP I've seen plenty of posts here from people who have been able to reduce or eliminate their medication over time by losing weight and being more active. Best wishes for you to do the same!4 -
Insulin levels can fall and become normal again. Not in all, but iIR reversal can happen . Imo1
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@IsETHome I have been eating Keto for over four years because of other health issues and one of the side effects has been finally having fast blood glucose levels below 100 since I can remember. It is hard to be low carb and slip into being a type 2 diabetic it seems.
Best of success in finding a Way of Eating that works best in your case.2 -
Insulin levels can fall and become normal again. Not in all, but iIR reversal can happen . Imo
Once again, it is the symptoms that are in remission (or reversed if you prefer), not the cause of them. The cause will always be there with the exception of situational diabetes like gestational where the cause goes away when the woman's body returns to pre-pregnancy levels.
The body does not handle glucose properly. That is diabetes. Eat more foods that convert to glucose than your body is able to handle and your average blood glucose number will rise (as measured by the A1c) which is the symptom. As long as the cause is there, the symptom will return if you go back to old eating habits. That is not a reversal of the disease, it is a reversal of the symptoms.7 -
I was type 2 diabetic taking 500 mg metformin daily. At the time I weighed 233 pounds at 5'5" tall. I am now 148. I no longer take any meds and my sugars are normal. I walk 6 days a week for a minimum of 8,000 steps (roughly 45 min to an hour). I also cut out candy as I ate alot of it off and on.6
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My mum was in your situation a few years ago, and I really pushed her to go gym and stay away from high glycémic carbs (she still eats carbs, just stuff like fruit and veg, flour based garbage she steers clear of) and she's went from 220lbs roughly to 140lbs..and it was 100 all her effort. She just needed a mentor or a person who would consistently tell her to go gym (that was me) and pester her 24 7. You can do it, it's very doable! Good luck!4
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So here's my update - I've lost 30 lbs since Mid Nov and just had my fasting retested, it came in at a 97 which is in the normal range (it was 127 in Early December). They didn't do the full A1c test this go around. I'm pleased that the weight loss is improving my health. My bad cholesterol is still high, but the number has still lowered.12
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I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic on March 18. My A1C was 5.8, with 5.7 being the cut-off. I'm a 55y/o female and weighed 221 at my appointment. I'm down to 214 now and intend to get good results at my next visit!!2
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Lavndrblu2 wrote: »A Youtube guru said that "obesity does not give you high blood sugar, high blood sugar makes you obese". So the premise is to focus on your blood sugar by whatever works for you and get healthy and the weight will take care of itself.
End of October, I was 220lbs, with a fasting blood sugar of 230 and an A1c of 9.9. I got serious and started to eat LCHF. I am now down 17lbs, with a fasting average of 125 = A1c of ~6.1.
I am 72 so most of my exercise is walking a few times a week, which I will increase gradually.
One other important tool for you would be a blood glucose monitor. It will help you determine which foods make your blood sugar rise to unsafe levels.
I hard stopped reading at "Youtube guru".3 -
I reversed the progression of prediabetes (diagnosed in 2012), with weight loss. Now I'm around 6 years into maintenance and see fasting glucose numbers consistently in the 80s. My doctor is please with where I'm at and hasn't recommended any further changes (I continue to eat a higher carb woe etc).2
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@IsETHome Congratulations on how far you've come! Have you started any type of exercise? Start somewhere - swimming is where I started because there was no impact to my joints. Adding yoga helped me gain back my mobility and balance. You might look into DDPY yoga. They have a program that starts with bed yoga for people who are literally bedridden. If I had known about it then, I would have incorporated it earlier. Some movement is better than no movement. You might surprise yourself.2
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i wasn't diagnosed with diabetes but I was flagged as pre diabetic. That went away when i lost weight. I was 5'4 194lbs and it went away when i got into the 160-170 range. I'm 148 now.3
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Diabetic over 10+ years. Lost a good amount of weight and I am no longer on diabetic meds.4
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So here's my update - I've lost 30 lbs since Mid Nov and just had my fasting retested, it came in at a 97 which is in the normal range (it was 127 in Early December). They didn't do the full A1c test this go around. I'm pleased that the weight loss is improving my health. My bad cholesterol is still high, but the number has still lowered.
Turns out they did my A1c, but it was so low I didn't recognize it as that test, haha. 5.6 - all normal.
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debrakgoogins wrote: »@IsETHome Congratulations on how far you've come! Have you started any type of exercise? Start somewhere - swimming is where I started because there was no impact to my joints. Adding yoga helped me gain back my mobility and balance. You might look into DDPY yoga. They have a program that starts with bed yoga for people who are literally bedridden. If I had known about it then, I would have incorporated it earlier. Some movement is better than no movement. You might surprise yourself.
I do water jogging right now about 3 times a week for 45 minutes to an hour (I was born a water baby). I believe they have that yoga where I swim, but weird time slots. I have added about 15 minutes easy walking 2.6 mph a couple of times a week - I know this probably doesn't seem like much, but for me it is
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I do water jogging right now about 3 times a week for 45 minutes to an hour (I was born a water baby). I believe they have that yoga where I swim, but weird time slots. I have added about 15 minutes easy walking 2.6 mph a couple of times a week - I know this probably doesn't seem like much, but for me it is
You're doing more than you were doing before so that's a win!
Just an FYI - DDPY yoga is available online through an app subscription. You don't have to go to a physical class. I do it at home. So does my hubby.3 -
So here's my update - I've lost 30 lbs since Mid Nov and just had my fasting retested, it came in at a 97 which is in the normal range (it was 127 in Early December). They didn't do the full A1c test this go around. I'm pleased that the weight loss is improving my health. My bad cholesterol is still high, but the number has still lowered.
Turns out they did my A1c, but it was so low I didn't recognize it as that test, haha. 5.6 - all normal.
Awesome numbers, with probably more news re. LDL on the way as you continue your great work. Thanks for posting back.3 -
My spouse found that seriously increasing his activity levels made major imporvements in his blood sugar -- even before any weight came off. He had gotten very sedentary via his work (very, very, VERY sedentary). He went on metformin, but that alone wasn't enough -- doing 45-60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise brought his A1C into non-diabetic range and his blood sugars back to normal. Lowered dose of meds, no progression, as long as he keeps moving.1
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You can do it. My wife was pre-diabetic. A couple years ago, she was signed up for a class by our health care provider. I asked If I could attend too, since I do all the cooking. Since we started concentrating on her diet, she has turned it around. A nice side-effect is that she has also lost some weight.2
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