Weight Loss Can Result in Reversing Diabetes

RichardDickCobb
RichardDickCobb Posts: 13 Member
in Success Stories
I have taken insulin injections for Diabetes for over thirty years, along with oral medication. When I decided to us MyFitnessPal about seven months ago, I did not expect the results of lowering my body weight. Net result? After reaching my primary target weight of 205 lbs, my A1C3 has dropped to 5.4, and my doctor has instructed my to stop insulin injections AND oral Diabetes meds. I am now pre-diabetic! I have a new target weight of 195 lbs and hope to lower my high blood pressure and eliminate the need for those meds. I encourage you to "stay the course" with your weight loss diet and an exercise program; you can do it! So, JUST DO IT! My best wishes for your ultimate success!
«13

Replies

  • autopilot_on
    autopilot_on Posts: 388
    That is just fantastic! Congratulations on an incredible bonus to your healthier body!
  • WillowWindow
    WillowWindow Posts: 100 Member
    This is an absolutely wonderful result. Congratulations on your increased health. I hope you soon achieve your other goals. Thanks for reporting this.

    :)
  • nehushtan
    nehushtan Posts: 566 Member
    Yay!
  • lewandt
    lewandt Posts: 566 Member
    Congrats! That has to feel so awesome!
  • MoJoPoe
    MoJoPoe Posts: 139 Member
    I have all the indications of diabetes, but have never been tested. I believe good diet and exercise keep diabetes from catching me.

    Great news to see such a big improvement in your health!
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    I've been hearing people say this. But any time i ask a healthcare professional if diabetes is reversable, they look at me like i'm a moron and give me a very confident NO!

    I have a lot of loved ones with diabetes. Unfortunately, even if this is true, i don't think it would motivate them to eat/exercise enough.

    Just hoping this is for real and not another ridiculous troll, cause this one would be a little like a punch in the nuts
  • prgirl39
    prgirl39 Posts: 108
    Congratulations!! I have been diagnosed too with Type 2 diabetes and I have been on a path to healthy living since. I am hoping to reverse it and get healthy. Reading this story gives me hope.

    Thanks for sharing!
  • donohoe4
    donohoe4 Posts: 76 Member
    Wonderful job! I can also verify that weight loss has a significant effect for Type II diabetics. It is amazing what a healthy lifestyle does. Keep up the great work!
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
    That's fantastic! Congratulations. :drinker:
  • dward59
    dward59 Posts: 731 Member
    I've been hearing people say this. But any time i ask a healthcare professional if diabetes is reversable, they look at me like i'm a moron and give me a very confident NO!

    I have a lot of loved ones with diabetes. Unfortunately, even if this is true, i don't think it would motivate them to eat/exercise enough.

    Just hoping this is for real and not another ridiculous troll, cause this one would be a little like a punch in the nuts

    You have been talking to the wrong healthcare professionals. It may not be reversible for 100% of the population, but I've heard and read about any number of people being able to reduce or eliminate meds.

    I personally have gone from pre-diabetic to normal blood sugars, normal cholesterol, etc. with a loss of @ 90 lbs when I had my blood test.

    Just added benefits to all the other benefits of weight loss and getting fitter.

    OP, congratulations, and thank you for sharing your story!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    excellent!!!
  • FitCurves444
    FitCurves444 Posts: 169 Member
    This is the kind of post I love to read! Thank you for sharing! You are a legend! Keep on....
  • carofenice1
    carofenice1 Posts: 22
    Great work!!
    I have done my research and there are studies done at Newcastle University that show that low calorie diets for a relatively short period of time can reverse type 2 diabetes. I have been trying this myself for the last couple of months as i want to be off metformin and feeling better.
  • Mgregory723
    Mgregory723 Posts: 529 Member
    Fan-friggin-tastic!!!!!! :drinker:
  • minizebu
    minizebu Posts: 2,716 Member
    I don't mean to be negative, but I am dubious about the prospect of complete reversal of diabetes. Please do not stop your daily glucose monitoring. (I am not suggesting that you have.)

    It is absolutely fantastic that you have lowered your A1C, no longer require insulin injections, and may or may not presently require Metformin.

    However, once someone has stepped over the line of full insulin resistance, there is no return to complete normalcy in insulin/blood sugar regulation. At least, that is my understanding. I do hope, for many people's sake, that I am wrong, but that is my understanding.

    I wish you continued success with your health and fitness.
  • mariahk35
    mariahk35 Posts: 37
    that is so very wonderful. I love the added benefits that come with losing weight and eating healthy
  • VorJoshigan
    VorJoshigan Posts: 1,106 Member
    Thank you for sharing Richard! This gives me hope for my dad.
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    I've been hearing people say this. But any time i ask a healthcare professional if diabetes is reversable, they look at me like i'm a moron and give me a very confident NO!

    I have a lot of loved ones with diabetes. Unfortunately, even if this is true, i don't think it would motivate them to eat/exercise enough.

    Just hoping this is for real and not another ridiculous troll, cause this one would be a little like a punch in the nuts

    Hate to say it, but they're right.:ohwell: It cannot be reversed. It can be controlled and managed but you cannot simply go back to eating a normal diet based on carbs without experiencing high blood sugars. It's alot more complicated than that. I'm after tight control, which means as close to normal blood sugars as I can get.

    bloodglucose101.com

    ETA: this means my targets are a great deal lower than the ones my doctor is happy with.
  • doctorsookie
    doctorsookie Posts: 1,084 Member
    And hypertension.
  • ahavoc
    ahavoc Posts: 464 Member
    I've been hearing people say this. But any time i ask a healthcare professional if diabetes is reversable, they look at me like i'm a moron and give me a very confident NO!

    I have a lot of loved ones with diabetes. Unfortunately, even if this is true, i don't think it would motivate them to eat/exercise enough.

    Just hoping this is for real and not another ridiculous troll, cause this one would be a little like a punch in the nuts

    It depends on which type of diabetes it is. Type 2 is reversible. Type 1, not always.
  • ElsaVonMarmalade
    ElsaVonMarmalade Posts: 154 Member
    Same thing happened to my mother. She was pre-diabetic for years, monitored her blood sugar, and finally last year had to start taking insulin and meds. She lost 30 pounds (Whole30 and Weight Watchers) and after she maintained and her doctor monitored her for a while, she stopped taking insulin and meds and in fact her diabetes doctor told her that she didn't need to come back unless she starts noticing issues. She still checks her blood 2x a day and always will. Whether she "has" diabetes is much less important to her than the fact that she no longer needs insulin. My father has had Type 1/Juvenile diabetes for 40 years, also lost weight this year, and now takes much less insulin than he was a year ago. He'll never go off insulin no matter how fit he is, but he feels much better.

    ETA that my mom is only 4'10", so 30 pounds is a lot! :)
  • ChristineinMA
    ChristineinMA Posts: 312 Member
    A lot of the literature I read talks about "remission" from diabetes, but not "reversal" or "elimination".

    I am no expert, just the mom of a teen with Type 1 Diabetes, which is an autoimmune disorder. Her beta cells attacked her pancreas, and it will never function like a non-diabetic pancreas does.
  • momRN2B
    momRN2B Posts: 247 Member
    very inspiring. I will keep you in mind when I speak to my future diabetic patients.
  • Papillon22
    Papillon22 Posts: 1,160 Member
    Congratulations!
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    I've been hearing people say this. But any time i ask a healthcare professional if diabetes is reversable, they look at me like i'm a moron and give me a very confident NO!

    I have a lot of loved ones with diabetes. Unfortunately, even if this is true, i don't think it would motivate them to eat/exercise enough.

    Just hoping this is for real and not another ridiculous troll, cause this one would be a little like a punch in the nuts

    It depends on which type of diabetes it is. Type 2 is reversible. Type 1, not always.

    Not reversible, manageable.
    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/type-2-diabetes/DS00585

    Complications can be reversible as the damage may not be permanent, or able to be reversed to a degree. However, the condition is not. I wish it weren't so, but it is.
  • originalcookiemonster
    originalcookiemonster Posts: 278
    What a great inspiring post!!! Congratulations, you should be proud! :flowerforyou: :drinker: :bigsmile:
  • vickaged
    vickaged Posts: 13 Member
    Congratulations to you! I was once a Type II diabetic with high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Through diet and exercise I can proudly say that I am no longer taking medications for any of these diseases! I encourage anyone with Type II diabetes to try and lead a healthier lifestyle--you'll be glad you did!! :bigsmile:
  • ewrob
    ewrob Posts: 136 Member
    Congratulations on your inspiring success!

    What did you do to lose weight?

    Do you feel that dietary choices/restrictions had any effect on your outcome, or merely maintaining a caloric deficit and losing weight?
  • ktsimons
    ktsimons Posts: 294 Member
    I don't mean to be negative, but I am dubious about the prospect of complete reversal of diabetes. Please do not stop your daily glucose monitoring. (I am not suggesting that you have.)

    It is absolutely fantastic that you have lowered your A1C, no longer require insulin injections, and may or may not presently require Metformin.

    However, once someone has stepped over the line of full insulin resistance, there is no return to complete normalcy in insulin/blood sugar regulation. At least, that is my understanding. I do hope, for many people's sake, that I am wrong, but that is my understanding.

    I wish you continued success with your health and fitness.

    I agree - you cannot "Stop" having diabetes, but you can certainly limit the negative side effects and reduce the amount of meds required. Continued blood sugar testing is very important, too!
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    I don't mean to be negative, but I am dubious about the prospect of complete reversal of diabetes. Please do not stop your daily glucose monitoring. (I am not suggesting that you have.)

    It is absolutely fantastic that you have lowered your A1C, no longer require insulin injections, and may or may not presently require Metformin.

    However, once someone has stepped over the line of full insulin resistance, there is no return to complete normalcy in insulin/blood sugar regulation. At least, that is my understanding. I do hope, for many people's sake, that I am wrong, but that is my understanding.

    I wish you continued success with your health and fitness.

    I agree - you cannot "Stop" having diabetes, but you can certainly limit the negative side effects and reduce the amount of meds required. Continued blood sugar testing is very important, too!

    Absolutely, the progression of the disease can be halted & even reversed, but once you've crossed the threshold, there's no 'cure' per se, but ways to get healthy blood sugars.

    Congrats on being able to discontinue meds and your weight loss, it's a tremendous success. :drinker:

Categories

Do you Love MyFitnessPal? Have you crushed a goal or improved your life through better nutrition using MyFitnessPal?
Share your success and inspire others. Leave us a review on Apple Or Google Play stores!