800 calorie a day diet ... Cure for Type 2 ?

[inthemix69]

I've been reading about the number of people that have managed to reverse their type 2 by following a very strict 600-800 calorie a day eating regime. It seems to have a high success rate of reversal.

Has any here tried this ... How did you get on ?

 

[grovesy]

I have not tried as I know I could not manage it.

 

[Copepod]

If you search for "Newcastle diet" you will find several threads on that topic.

 

[Lilian]

I was on a 600 calorie a day, low carbs diet for a whole year. No cheating at all, even on Christmas Yes, I was able to give up insulin and all diabetes medication. My stats were normal. However after the year I could not keep it up any more and began eating about 1200-1500 calories a day and slightly more carbs, even though still less than 'normally' eaten. After about a year I was back on insulin. When I went on the 600 calorie diet I had been diabetic for 20+ years and not newly diagnosed.

 

[Dollypolly]

600-800 calories per day isnt sustainable in the long term I would of thought. Plus it's not cured it's in remission only and when you go back to a normal or normalish diet you'll be diabetic again.

Sorry it didn't work out for you Lillian.

 

[Martin Canty]

I would disagree on the wording..... We will always be D but it's a case of whether you are in good control or not. IMHO an awful lot of emphasis is put on calories rather than focusing on the main issue of Carbs, train your body to low carbs (how low is up to you) then the rest should fall into place naturally. Calories are just a part of the equation.

 

[mikeyB]

6-800 calories a day is a long term cure for living, not just diabetes, but most people give it up before they die. That's about the calorie level workers on the bridge over the river Kwai were given. It doesn't have any rate of reversal - it may make the diabetes asymptomatic, but it doesn't cure it, as has been said.

If you have a job where you have to think, then don't even attempt the diet. That's not enough calories to keep your brain going if you expend any calories walking or doing other exercise. If you can afford to lose brain cells you may not notice this effect. At first.

But don't let me put you off. And don't believe four fifths of the stuff on Dr Google. If anybody tells you they've been doing this diet for years, they are telling big porkies. It's far too catabolic.

 

[inthemix69]

Thank you all for your comments ( much appreciated ). MikeyB, I assure you it wasn't google through which I happened across this eating regime ... I read an artcile in a health mag in the States and it mentioned how this low calorie diet over and 8-12 wk period, forced the pancreas to start producing insulin again. Further, there were a number of people from the original study that had kept their mmol below 6 after returning to a normal diet of around 1,00-2000 kcals a day. I am fairly new to diabetes and as a Type 2 I would be prepared to try anything to eliminate the worst of the this illness from the very outset ( I know, wishful thinking maybe ). My eyesight has been all over the place over the last several months and this bothers me the most at the current time ( 3 days blurred vision, followed by a couple of near normal, then back to blurred ). I have much to get my head around with this disease, truly, but I do find the whole thing very frustrating indeed. The usual advice is hard for me to follow in that I am a genuine Trypanaphobe and I just don't do needles ( in any form ), so poking myself for blood readings after each meal is out of the question.

 

[Grannylorraine]

I could not survive on that amount of calories, but some people obviously can and while it might put your Diabetes in remission, it will probably cause a whole load of other issues.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Diabetes is going to be extremely hard to manage if you cannot monitor what is going on - because it affects everyone differently. What you are looking for ultimately, is a way of eating and level of activity that reduces glucose spikes as much as possible.

There are a couple of options I suppose you *could* use, but they have their own limitations.

One would be to use a Freestyle Libre, which is not cheap, but would allow you 14 days of continuous glucose data from one 'prick' (it isn't actually a prick, its the insertion of a filament under the skin that acts as a sensor, and you don;t have to see the needle at all - especially if someone else inserts it for you).

The other would be to use urine testing like they did in the old days. Glucose testing would be only limited use because glucose does not spill into the urine until at nastily high levels, but I suppose if you adotped a ketogenic Low Carb approach you could use urine ketone strips to ensure you were maintaining ketosis.

Whether or not you thing LCHF is suitable/beneficial for you long term is another issue of course - and I generally favour 'moderation in everything' above any of the more extreme approaches.

In your shoes I might consider opting for a Libre starter pack (28 days' worth of sensors and the reader) and spread them out a bit time-wise, but use them to evaluate and moderate the carbs you are eating to improve your glucose profile.

Hope you find an aproach that suits you.

 

[happydog]

Unfortunately there is no "cure" for diabetes at present. There can be remission and getting good control. This is hard work and means changing your eating habits and lifestyle, I looked very hard at the Newcastle Diet but it is not sustainable for me so I have worked to find out how various carbs affect my BG. I too am needle phobic but have pushed myself to get over this. Free Style Libre sounds a godsend but running it would be expensive, but no more than a meal out or going to a show. Why not give it a go. IMHO it is not worth embarking on anything that you can't maintain long term as you will just slip back. Good luck with whatever you decide. 🙂

 

[inthemix69]

Everydayupsanddowns, thank you for the heads up about the Libres system, atlhough again I think even that maybe a problem as it involves inserting a needle based unit ( doesn't matter whose inserting or whether I see it or not - it's the very act that affects a trypanaphobe ). Happydog, I will try the low calorie system and then revert back to a normal, largely plant based diet and I will aim to keep everybody who expresses an interest in following my efforts with a record of how I'm doing.

 

[mikeyB]

But you won't know how you are doing unless you test. Have you ever considered treatment for this phobia, because if you should ever need insulin you'll die. You might well develop diabetic complications if you never test, and any report you give us as to how well your diet is doing would be worthless.

 

[inthemix69]

Yes, MikeyB ... I had clinical treatment to try and get over this phobia, such was my determination to get over the problem ... But, sadly, here I am 15 years later no better and still afflicted by it. Yes, point taken about the validity of what I'll be doing. However, the weight loss in itself will help somewhat, I guess ( currently 18st ).

 

[Dollypolly]

It may help but you'll still be diabetic it'll be diet controlled only.
I had a fear of needles didn't like them much at all but not to the point of a phobia though.
I was one when my mother was alive and my son both insulin based and I'm I'll die first before I'll inject now I stab myself 6 or more times a day just to get some blood for a meter to avoid taking insulin.
How do you cope with going for your HBA1c test???

 

[HOBIE]

I would give it a try ! 🙂

 

[MrJames]

I went that low for about three weeks but it was just that bit too extreme felt wobbly a couple of times. now settled for 900-1200 daily but still sugar free , low carb ,no booze and an hour's walk every night. Weight came off scary fast (25k in about 10 weeks ) and BG under 6 at present. Don't feel hungry ever and have to force breakfast and sometimes lunch. Attitude to food has changed completely and feel great. As others say it may be under control but cure is a little misleading. I think time will tell if I can control long term.

 

[Maz2]

600-800 calories is not sustainable long-term and, in my opinion, would make people ill. I read a book of Michael Moseley's. I have, in fact, got a copy and also his Blood Sugar Diet book. I believe they say to do the diet for about 8 weeks and only if you are overweight or obese. Anyone underweight should not do it. Also if you are on any medication you have to speak to your GP first to check it is safe. Michael Moseley's view is that when the blood sugars are back to normal, if they go back to normal and not everyone does, then you should eat more food and try to follow a Mediterranean diet. He seemed to think it would be fine to do low calorie for a couple of days per week if you wanted to but that you should eat normal calories levels the rest of the time.

I know a lady who has lost lots of weight but, as she has been diabetic for 15 years, she has been told she cannot get "back to normal" as she has had it for too long. My GP told me not everyone can get back to normal levels, it depends on the person. I think it is perhaps easier for those who are "pre diabetic" as opposed to diabetic. Michael Moseley was diabetic but only just over the limit and it was picked up sooner rather than later in his case.