Any overcoming diabetes or illiness WT. LOSS success stories

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13

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  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
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    http://www.ncl.ac.uk/magres/research/diabetes/reversal.htm

    Take a look at the link of the Newcastle University study. It helped me a lot. The study contends that type 2 diabetes is caused by excess fat in the liver and pancreas and can be reversed by losing enough visceral fat.

    My story. I used to be skinny but gained weight slowly at a rate of 2kg per year for over 20 years. Was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in August 2012. Had an hba1c over 10 and was initially prescribed 2000 mg of metformin daily. Started restricting calories with MFP and exercising in a more structured way. Had lost 10% of body weight in 6 months and my GP gave me license to start experimenting with reducing metformin due to improved hba1c.

    By the time I hit 20% of body weight lost, my hba1c was 4.9 with only a single 500 mg tablet of metformin every other day. Was told to stop medicating completely. Next week I do my first hba1c after 3 months without medication. Hoping it hasn't crept up too much.

    Yippee. Just got my hba1c result back. 5.0 after three months without medication.

    :love: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :love:

    YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's super GOOD NEWS. Congrats on the great job and hard work. This is VERY encouraging and you ROCK!
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
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    I'm with you. I have put on a good 100 lbs in the last 4 years or so. :( It had me back on bp pills quickly after just a little weight gain. Been on them 4 years. Had to switch was having anxiety issues that first I was sure had to be something wrong with my heart but was just anxiety. I've gotten past that and off meds for that. NOW to get off the Metformin and beta blocker will take time and much more commitment.

    My a1C rose from 5.9 in 2012 to now 6.1 just a steady creep up. My NP(never see a Dr just the nurse) increased my Metformin at my last visit and I now take 500mg twice a day. :( I wanted to get off that increase was certainly not what I wanted but I do NOT want to go down the diabetic route like my mother. My dad has had some issues as well but controls his with diet and supplements and regular checking. For a while he was training for a 10 day hike through the Appalachian Trail so that probably helped lower it back too.


    Thanks for those that provided links for info. I need to do all the research and get all the motivation to get off the meds and get to a healthy weight. My bp I know from past experience tends to drop as the weight does so I know I can get off both.


    Oh and also my triglycerides have shot up steadily since my switch to the beta blocker from an ACE inhibitor kind. I have read that is common but my total cholesterol is fine just that and my good cholesterol runs low a bit and has dropped even more. I used to be over 200 but dropped to 150 with fish oil and using flax seeds often and seen it go down. This past lab showed my total at 153 so its still okay just wanna up the good and lower those pesky triglycerides.

    We can do this! We're not the exception to the rule...since others can and have and will, I know we will too! :drinker:
  • ashleyisgreat
    ashleyisgreat Posts: 586 Member
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    This is a fantastic thread. I don't have anything as serious as diabetes, but it runs in my family (my mom had it, my grandmother, my great-grandmother). I have high blood pressure and really high bad cholesterol, and I am going back to the doc this month to see if there's been any improvement.

    My mom recently passed away from a stroke and I know that it was caused by uncontrolled diabetes and high blood pressure. She had a stroke a few years ago and that's when the doctors told her she was diabetic. I don't think she realized how serious this disease is, and she didn't regulate her eating habits as well as she could have. Ultimately that killed her.

    There's nothing I can do for her now, but it gave me a HUGE wake-up call that there is time to fix me before I experience the same thing. This thread is really uplifting and it reminds me that we're not doomed, we don't have to live our lives on meds, and we can actually take control of our health. I love it. Keep posting so I can see more stories of health and recovery!
  • deke441
    deke441 Posts: 3 Member
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    I have been overweight all my life. In July of 2011 I was in a hospital bed drowning in my own fluids. I weighed 550 lbs. Thanks to a good doctor (rest in peace Doc) and the love for my family today I weight 370lbs. On track to meet the 200 lbs. mark soon. In the last month alone I have been taken off blood pressure meds and also 24 hour insulin (lantus). It can indeed be done. You just have to want it. 30 mins of cardio and some weight training. At least 5 days a week. Watch your diet. And biggest of all for me anyways was staying away from fast food and restaurant food in general. Keep your eating of processed food to a minimum. The stuff is awful for you. I wish you luck. Get control of it before it controls you.
  • DogDead
    DogDead Posts: 19 Member
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    I had Acid Re-flux, and woke up most nights coughing from choking on my stomach acids. I was popping Rennies at least 8 times a day because of heartburn. Just 1 crisp would start it off lol. I tried all kinds of "remedies", including vinegar and baking soda drinks. Nothing worked until I started dieting (with my gorgeous fiancee), and stopped eating junk food and started to exercise more. Now I no longer have Acid Re flux and haven't had heartburn in a year!

    I know it isn't as bad as the problems others have had, I just thought I'd share :smile:
  • Jaydec70
    Jaydec70 Posts: 63 Member
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    I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at the age of 29. For most of the next 13 years I did nothing significant to change that. I was about 300 pounds for much of that time, I ate like I didn't care, had sugars in the 400 and 500s more than anyone has a right to and not lose a leg, literally. My A1Cs were frequently in double digits, etc., etc. The only bad habit I've developed since really working on healthy eating and fitness beginning last August is to have stopped taking my sugars daily. Why? Because I have had healthy sugars since about 3 months into this (since losing about 50 pounds). I don't need to take them, or do any of the 400 units of lantus, humulog and humulin I was doing daily to maintain healthy sugars as long as I am eating right and excercising. How fortunate I am!!

    So last fall, I nearly lost a 1/2 a foot to an infection. This was after I started eating right, and really because I was exercising too much out of the gate and a broken blister became a huge deal. The toe from hell. My doctor thought I finally found motivation to change because of my foot. To be frank, I found motivation to change because I finally talked about my deep traumas from college, with someone who took time to listen to me. It wasn't the consequences, it was the grace of someone who didn't have to hear me, but listened anyway.

    I don't drink diet soda anymore, no caffeine either. I do eat fruits and veggies and they taste great without the soda and processed food I used to eat now out of my diet, I aim for higher protein, lower carbs and really don't worry where the fats land because it tends to work out fine when I have healthy food as the base of my diet. I try to exercise 6 days a week, but usually miss one or two days of that and don't beat myself up too much too.

    So what is important, (for me at least) is not focusing on my health directly, but working out why I didn't care enough to take care of it, and when that was addressed everything else fell into place. If your struggling about caring enough to make this change, find someone you can work out the deeper issues that prevent that change. At least that is what worked for me. If you have no one, I am all ears.
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
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    I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at the age of 29. For most of the next 13 years I did nothing significant to change that. I was about 300 pounds for much of that time, I ate like I didn't care, had sugars in the 400 and 500s more than anyone has a right to and not lose a leg, literally. My A1Cs were frequently in double digits, etc., etc. The only bad habit I've developed since really working on healthy eating and fitness beginning last August is to have stopped taking my sugars daily. Why? Because I have had healthy sugars since about 3 months into this (since losing about 50 pounds). I don't need to take them, or do any of the 400 units of lantus, humulog and humulin I was doing daily to maintain healthy sugars as long as I am eating right and excercising. How fortunate I am!!

    So last fall, I nearly lost a 1/2 a foot to an infection. This was after I started eating right, and really because I was exercising too much out of the gate and a broken blister became a huge deal. The toe from hell. My doctor thought I finally found motivation to change because of my foot. To be frank, I found motivation to change because I finally talked about my deep traumas from college, with someone who took time to listen to me. It wasn't the consequences, it was the grace of someone who didn't have to hear me, but listened anyway.

    I don't drink diet soda anymore, no caffeine either. I do eat fruits and veggies and they taste great without the soda and processed food I used to eat now out of my diet, I aim for higher protein, lower carbs and really don't worry where the fats land because it tends to work out fine when I have healthy food as the base of my diet. I try to exercise 6 days a week, but usually miss one or two days of that and don't beat myself up too much too.

    So what is important, (for me at least) is not focusing on my health directly, but working out why I didn't care enough to take care of it, and when that was addressed everything else fell into place. If your struggling about caring enough to make this change, find someone you can work out the deeper issues that prevent that change. At least that is what worked for me. If you have no one, I am all ears.

    This is one of the BEST and deepest success stories I've EVER read on Mfp...you ROCK sir, period. Thank you ever so much for posting and may those who read your success story (myself firstly and especially) but everyone--if we will DARE to "lean and ear" to those in need and troubled (uhhhhhh, that's just about everyone :wink: ) WOW...what a tremendous help we'll be to one another. Seriously dude, I so appreciate you and your post! WOOT!!!!! :drinker:
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
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    I had Acid Re-flux, and woke up most nights coughing from choking on my stomach acids. I was popping Rennies at least 8 times a day because of heartburn. Just 1 crisp would start it off lol. I tried all kinds of "remedies", including vinegar and baking soda drinks. Nothing worked until I started dieting (with my gorgeous fiancee), and stopped eating junk food and started to exercise more. Now I no longer have Acid Re flux and haven't had heartburn in a year!

    I know it isn't as bad as the problems others have had, I just thought I'd share :smile:


    :drinker: Wow, thank you so much for posting! Acid Reflux is terribly painful and UGH and a major issue to so many people and that you've overcome it with a lifestyle change of better eating and more exercise is nothing less than tremendous. Thank you so much for posting. I so wanted to hear of people like YOU :drinker: , who have overcome sickness/illiness/dis-ease and woe. Yay YOU!!!!!! :flowerforyou:
  • bonuskid40
    bonuskid40 Posts: 6
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    If you ever have the acid reflux come back, get an upper GI done. It could be a hiatal hernia. You would need meds for that.
  • DogDead
    DogDead Posts: 19 Member
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    @NewLIFEstyle4 Thank you :blushing: . I know it isn't the worst of peoples health problems, but if one person read it who did have Acid Re-Flux and then found that healthy eating and exercise could help, I'd be happy i helped lol :smile:

    @bonuskid40 Thank you for the info, I will remember that. It's nice to know that so many people care about others on MFP. There is hope for the world yet :smile:
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
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    I had gestational diabetes with both of my pregnancies. My doctor told me I have a 60% chance of getting it when I get older. I'm not gonna except that. Plus my dad and both of my grandmothers have it. Lately I have been excercising and eating healthier. I even check my blood sugars every once in a while just to where I'm at. So far so good.

    I love your attitude about how you're not having NONE of that--no matter what history says. That attitude and way of thinking is what winners are made of. :drinker:
  • het100
    het100 Posts: 20 Member
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    Well, for the first time in 15 years I am off all of my high blood pressure medication, and its completely due to my weight loss. I never thought I would ever be able to stop taking that stuff! In addition to my looking and feeling better, it gives me motivation to keep the weight off.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    T2 diabetes can most certainly be reversed with proper diet, exercise, and weight loss. However, there are plenty of people who watch what they eat, are exercise freaks, and don't have weight to lose and still develop diabetes because it runs in their family. Some people simply can't avoid it.

    I personally have insulin resistance and hypoglycemia. I take Metformin for it. I am hoping to overcome both of them with weight loss. My A1c is 4.6%. Cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL are normal. Blood pressure is 115/72. So no signs of diabetes for me. My only problem is I overproduce insulin which causes frequent low blood sugar.

    Best of wishes!
  • Spreyton22K
    Spreyton22K Posts: 323 Member
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    I started at nearly 500 lbs. I was constantly tired and would fall asleep all the time, day or night. I was like this for most of my 20's but finally decided to go see a doctor about it in Winter of 2009. I assumed it was sleep apnea but the blood test from the doctor showed I had type II diabetes. My AC1 was 7.6 and the doctor said it was actually not that bad considering how long he suspects I had it.

    Aside from eating less and better, I also went from sitting on my butt 7-8 hrs every day playing video games to being more physically active. As I lost weight and improved over time my doctor began weaning me off the medications. A little over a year and 100 lbs lost or so my AC1 had was 5.4 and doctor said he was going to remove all the medications. It's been about 2.5 years now that I have not needed to take any medications. All the symptons I had before, constant sleepiness, acanthosis nigricans, are gone now. I'm a bit more lax with my diet now but I still don't drink soda pop.

    :flowerforyou: What an amazing achievement.....well done!!

    Op - Both hubby and I started the weight loss, dietary changes nearly 3 years ago.

    For me, weighing 126 kgs (267 lbs) at 5'5" and morbidly obese I was bordering on pre-diabetic, dealing with Chronic Pain, higher cholesterol than it should be and some pretty dodgey blood results esp. liver health markers. As I lost weight and got into exercise ALL the worrying numbers fell.....my pain levels decreased, blood pressure and resting heart rate dropped. Maintained at 50kgs (110lbs)....but then have developed Lupus as well.....I guess any extra weight would make dealing with this more problematic than it is.

    For hubby, who weighed in at 1 kgs less than me :blushing: - he had pre-diabetic skin changes (acanthosis nigricans), high cholesterol issues, poorly controlled sleep apnea (had CPAP on highest setting), blood pressure/resting heart rate all above normal. He has loss 30 kgs so far, and thankfully all his health issues have improved or completely resolved but his Cholesterol has continued to rise despite all his efforts......so I guess if there is a genetic pre-disposition it can suck no matter how much effort you put in.

    Still genetics or not he is SO much healthier, strong for putting in the dietary changes and getting in regular cardio and lifting. His brother who is obese has the following - 2 new hips and is on the list for 2 new knees, lost a kidney and has now developed Type 2 diabetes that is seriously insulin dependent......very sad he's a walking time bomb, who loves to believe in and use the Voodoo Diet industry scams to 'get thin and healthy'....totally resists the MFP direction we have tried to help explain.
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
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    Well, for the first time in 15 years I am off all of my high blood pressure medication, and its completely due to my weight loss. I never thought I would ever be able to stop taking that stuff! In addition to my looking and feeling better, it gives me motivation to keep the weight off.

    BOOM! That's truly amazing and wonderful...YAY YOU!!!!! WOOT! :drinker: :love: :drinker:
  • Roxmom66
    Roxmom66 Posts: 297 Member
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    Only had time to skim some replies. Great thread! Coming back and read in detail.
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
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    T2 diabetes can most certainly be reversed with proper diet, exercise, and weight loss. However, there are plenty of people who watch what they eat, are exercise freaks, and don't have weight to lose and still develop diabetes because it runs in their family. Some people simply can't avoid it.

    I personally have insulin resistance and hypoglycemia. I take Metformin for it. I am hoping to overcome both of them with weight loss. My A1c is 4.6%. Cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL are normal. Blood pressure is 115/72. So no signs of diabetes for me. My only problem is I overproduce insulin which causes frequent low blood sugar.

    Best of wishes!

    Great post! Thanks so much for your reply!
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    About 8-10 years ago I found out I had an enlarged heart and several valves not working properly. Yesterday I found out I no longer have an enlarged heart and an only minor issues with 2 valves!! :smile:
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
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    About 8-10 years ago I found out I had an enlarged heart and several valves not working properly. Yesterday I found out I no longer have an enlarged heart and an only minor issues with 2 valves!! :smile:


    :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :love: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

    WOW! I'm thrilled you've posted here! I just read your tremendous success story here:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1242883-the-biggest-nsv

    And was saying to myself WOW...I wish she'd post here on this thread, because this is EXACTLY the kind of NSV story of overcoming illness and via weight loss I wanted here...over 110 pound loss PLUS overcoming an enlarged heart is the stuff sheroes are made of...YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!!
  • ppdes
    ppdes Posts: 83 Member
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    Bump to read later

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