Calm at first but now….

[weeelephant]

Hello Shipmates,
I hope you’re all doing really well.
I was diagnosed with Type 2 exactly six weeks ago - a 60th Birthday surprise.
I responded positively to a wake-up call that I needed.
My blood reading was 48 and my GP reckons I can get this down with lifestyle changes. So I’ve set about it - did all the reading and questioning, fired up the Fitbit, and went low carb . I can’t exercise as much as I want just now because I’m recovering from an accident that happened on the day before my diagnosis (it was a great birthday) but I do walk >10,000 steps most days.
I’ve lost 18lbs since my diagnosis.
All in the right direction- except that now I’m in a complete flap and so anxious that I’m posting in a forum where I’m sure that people have more to worry about than my anxiety.
From having been symptomless on a diet of toast and butter, I’m now having symptoms on a diet of lean protein and greens.
The past couple of days, I’ve been getting what I can best describe as hot flushes immediately on eating anything. My half-assed internet research tells me that this is a sugar spike then drop. But why is it happening now when I was hoping to be on the right track?
Is my condition worse than I thought?
This is happening almost before I’ve finished eating anything. God knows what would happen if I had a Twirl . I’m logging everything I eat (yes, even digressions) l so I know that it’s not being triggered by anything evil.
Should I just stop eating? Or eat more? Or eat more or less frequently? Is this unusual?
Sorry to unburden but I hope someone can advise. I’m not due another check until the end of August . Until this week, I’d hoped there would be an improvement by then but now I’m worried.
Your thoughts are welcome.
S

 

[Drummer]

Hello Shipmates,
I hope you’re all doing really well.
I was diagnosed with Type 2 exactly six weeks ago - a 60th Birthday surprise.
I responded positively to a wake-up call that I needed.
My blood reading was 48 and my GP reckons I can get this down with lifestyle changes. So I’ve set about it - did all the reading and questioning, fired up the Fitbit, and went low carb . I can’t exercise as much as I want just now because I’m recovering from an accident that happened on the day before my diagnosis (it was a great birthday) but I do walk >10,000 steps most days.
I’ve lost 18lbs since my diagnosis.
All in the right direction- except that now I’m in a complete flap and so anxious that I’m posting in a forum where I’m sure that people have more to worry about than my anxiety.
From having been symptomless on a diet of toast and butter, I’m now having symptoms on a diet of lean protein and greens.
The past couple of days, I’ve been getting what I can best describe as hot flushes immediately on eating anything. My half-assed internet research tells me that this is a sugar spike then drop. But why is it happening now when I was hoping to be on the right track?
Is my condition worse than I thought?
This is happening almost before I’ve finished eating anything. God knows what would happen if I had a Twirl . I’m logging everything I eat (yes, even digressions) l so I know that it’s not being triggered by anything evil.
Should I just stop eating? Or eat more? Or eat more or less frequently? Is this unusual?
Sorry to unburden but I hope someone can advise. I’m not due another check until the end of August . Until this week, I’d hoped there would be an improvement by then but now I’m worried.
Your thoughts are welcome.
S

Eating lean protein is not advisable - we need to have fat in our diet in order to make and mend our bodies and keep our various systems working.
Your Hba1c of 48 is nor really all that high, only one number into the diabetes range, so eating slightly less bread or fewer potatoes or other starchy or sugary foods should do the trick and lower your levels so you fall back into the normal range should be relatively easy.

 

[Nayshiftin]

You have come to the right place if anxious. Most here will try and help you through also there is the Learning Zone that will help.
I am trying to accept Low Carb but it is not the only way. The thing is I have not got into it enough to really feel I cope with it. So I am returning to see if there is a way I can get it.
My HbA1C has gone up but I do not believe it is all diet as I cannot do 10,000 steps a day now. So that has taken its toll too.
I think hot flushes for me will never go away mine happen night and day and I long for them to go but I cannot now remember when they started . I though perimenopause in my thirties but they might have been there in my twenties. I am only less than 5 years in from the prediabetes I ignored at first. I wish it would go do one but like life you have to make it work for you.
There are lots of journeys to take and I hope you find what works for you.
Here I find I can be honest and others reply and I hope you'll soon get the answers you are looking for as I have . If not like me I keep trying. One day in remission I'll look back and think it was worth it.
My pennies worth is strike this out when your near goal as I have a long journey back to health.

 

[Leadinglights]

Take a breath @weeelephant you have done fantastically well to lose the weight in such a relatively short time and that could be why you are getting some symptoms especially if your blood glucose has also dropped quickly.
When people go low carb, depends on how low, they can get what is sometimes referred to as keto flu.
Keeping hydrated is important as again people can lose fluids as high carb holds on to fluids in the body.
It is suggested that a good starting point for the amount of carbs is no more than 130g per day but if you had a very high carb diet then reducing gradually to that is a good idea to allow the body to adjust.
Have a look at this link for some suggestions for a low carb approach. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/

 

[OhJoy]

Hi, at 48 you are really borderline, only just into diabetic range. I am not an expert but perhaps you the changes you have made were a bit too much too quickly? I have found our bodies take a while to adjust and it helps to introduce the changes slowly. I was the same, went straight to cutting out all carbs and suffered an increase in symptom. Different to your, affected my eye sight and feet particularly. I preserved and after a few weeks everything settled down. My guess is that on your diet you BG levels are now low most of the time. When you eat they go up, everyones do, and your body is not used to the temporary high levels. I would say give yourself time, you are doing the right thing

 

[weeelephant]

Hello Shipmates,
I hope you’re all doing really well.
I was diagnosed with Type 2 exactly six weeks ago - a 60th Birthday surprise.
I responded positively to a wake-up call that I needed.
My blood reading was 48 and my GP reckons I can get this down with lifestyle changes. So I’ve set about it - did all the reading and questioning, fired up the Fitbit, and went low carb . I can’t exercise as much as I want just now because I’m recovering from an accident that happened on the day before my diagnosis (it was a great birthday) but I do walk >10,000 steps most days.
I’ve lost 18lbs since my diagnosis.
All in the right direction- except that now I’m in a complete flap and so anxious that I’m posting in a forum where I’m sure that people have more to worry about than my anxiety.
From having been symptomless on a diet of toast and butter, I’m now having symptoms on a diet of lean protein and greens.
The past couple of days, I’ve been getting what I can best describe as hot flushes immediately on eating anything. My half-assed internet research tells me that this is a sugar spike then drop. But why is it happening now when I was hoping to be on the right track?
Is my condition worse than I thought?
This is happening almost before I’ve finished eating anything. God knows what would happen if I had a Twirl . I’m logging everything I eat (yes, even digressions) l so I know that it’s not being triggered by anything evil.
Should I just stop eating? Or eat more? Or eat more or less frequently? Is this unusual?
Sorry to unburden but I hope someone can advise. I’m not due another check until the end of August . Until this week, I’d hoped there would be an improvement by then but now I’m worried.
Your thoughts are welcome.
S

Thank you! You guys are excellent- friendly, honest , expert and intuitive. I hope that I can be just as helpful to other newbies some day. For now, I’m going to digest all your good sense and then reply individually later. I can see from other threads and posts that getting a diagnosis is like getting a flock of pigeons implanted in your head. So I suppose that we all run the gamut emotionally. So glad this forum exists for us all. I’ll be back later. Enjoy today .
S

 

[weeelephant]

Eating lean protein is not advisable - we need to have fat in our diet in order to make and mend our bodies and keep our various systems working.
Your Hba1c of 48 is nor really all that high, only one number into the diabetes range, so eating slightly less bread or fewer potatoes or other starchy or sugary foods should do the trick and lower your levels so you fall back into the normal range should be relatively easy.

Hi Drummer,
Thank you for replying to me. Your profile suggests that you know what you’re talking about and I’m grateful for your input.
Fear not, there’s fat in my current diet but it’s mainly olive oil with a little bit of rapeseed oil for cooking at higher temperatures.
I really don’t like fatty meats and would struggle to eat much of them. My protein sources are currently fish, eggs, lean steak, and cheese. I have chicken when I can’t have any of the above. I’m hoping that this is sensible.
I know that my BS wasn’t high in the giant scheme of things but it was high enough to scare the bejesus out of me! I’m finding a lot of conflicting advice out there and find it hard to stay calm when I don’t know if what I’m doing is making the right sort of difference.
As I write, I’m thinking that you’ve probably been though this wilderness stage at some point so thank you for your patience.
S

 

[weeelephant]

You have come to the right place if anxious. Most here will try and help you through also there is the Learning Zone that will help.
I am trying to accept Low Carb but it is not the only way. The thing is I have not got into it enough to really feel I cope with it. So I am returning to see if there is a way I can get it.
My HbA1C has gone up but I do not believe it is all diet as I cannot do 10,000 steps a day now. So that has taken its toll too.
I think hot flushes for me will never go away mine happen night and day and I long for them to go but I cannot now remember when they started . I though perimenopause in my thirties but they might have been there in my twenties. I am only less than 5 years in from the prediabetes I ignored at first. I wish it would go do one but like life you have to make it work for you.
There are lots of journeys to take and I hope you find what works for you.
Here I find I can be honest and others reply and I hope you'll soon get the answers you are looking for as I have . If not like me I keep trying. One day in remission I'll look back and think it was worth it.
My pennies worth is strike this out when your near goal as I have a long journey back to health.

Hi Nayshifting

Thank you for the welcome and encouragement.

I’m just trying to work my way through all the info out there and getting less and less confident as I do so. It’s hugely helpful to find this community where people will share experience and expertise. I like clarity and this diabetes thing is really cloudy.

I’m hoping the flushes subside. They’ve not been as bad today but I have no firm expectations of anything… I suppose I was needily hoping that someone could say ‘Ach, they’re nothing’ or, even better, ‘ Hey , flushes mean you’re no longer diabetic!’

I hope you’re finding your way through this fog in a way that works for you. I’ll be hanging about these threads for a while so hope to read about your progress.

S

Just read iver my reply. I used the word ‘hope’ a lot !

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi @weeelephant
It's good to see that you are at least eating eggs and cheese. Like some others above I'm not a fan of polyunsaturated fats. Most seed oils are called Vegetable Oil to disguise their machine lubricating origins. They have to be industrially processed to make them palatable for a human, it's a personal choice but give me traditional fats and oils any day!

Remember that we were conned about 49yrs or more ago when we were told that fat makes us fat - that is plain wrong as any livestock farmer knows since they fatten up their animals with carbohydrates - not fat! If you don't believe me, there are thousand of others who will attest to losing weight by reducing carbs but increasing fats.

Knowing a little of the science helps: starches are like a chain of glucose molecules ;holding hands' so when we digest them they turn into sugar. Our bloodstream only holds about 1 teaspoonful of glucose before it gets o dangerous levels, so the body produces Insulin (the Fat storage hormone) to shift it out of the blood and into our fat cells. High insulin in the blood also means that we can't use our own excess body fat for fuel - so in order to do that we need to eat fewer carbs.
Dietary fat helps us have energy (ketones) without needing glucose - thus without needing as much insulin. This helps us adjust away from a glucose fuelled body to a 'dual fuel' body which can use up our excess body fat.
Excess dietary fat isn't stored in the body it is excreted, so it doesn't make us fat.

We don't need lots of exercise, a 30 min brisk walk 5 times per week is plenty!

 

[weeelephant]

Take a breath @weeelephant you have done fantastically well to lose the weight in such a relatively short time and that could be why you are getting some symptoms especially if your blood glucose has also dropped quickly.
When people go low carb, depends on how low, they can get what is sometimes referred to as keto flu.
Keeping hydrated is important as again people can lose fluids as high carb holds on to fluids in the body.
It is suggested that a good starting point for the amount of carbs is no more than 130g per day but if you had a very high carb diet then reducing gradually to that is a good idea to allow the body to adjust.
Have a look at this link for some suggestions for a low carb approach. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/

Hello Leadinglights,

Your reply really resonated and I’m grateful. It made me feel slightly weepy with relief actually.
I’ve looked into everything you wrote.



My carb intake is now most frequently around 100g - with a range if between 66 and 147g.
This does not include social eating (maybe 6 times / month) when I can’t count exactly, try to be sensibke but know it’s going to be much higher than it should. I’m really reluctant to forfeit my social life though. My daughter has just graduated and is off to work in Japan so I’ll be living alone and need to avoid isolation. I’m also reluctant to give up on big nights out - dinner, what we Glaswegians call ‘swally’ , and not enough dancing to burn it off. Nights like this are infrequent - maybe every 8 -10 weeks.
I dread to think what my carb / sugar intake was before my diagnosis but bread was my joy - I even bake it - and my mood-enhancer of choice. I ate it like a machine. So, as you suggested, my intake has plummeted and probably shocked the system a bit .
Keto flu? I’ve certainly had a pretty constant low-ish level headache and been tired. Im now a bit weepy.
I haven’t been drinking enough water. I don’t know why I went iff it but I’ve changed that as from today .

It makes sense. My belly has changed so much. Bloating gone down and it’s now soft fat rather than a big base drum. God knows what I’ve flooded out of it!

So more water. I’m on it.

I’m thinking that I’ve passed the point of gradually reducing carbs and should try to stay in the 100-130 gramme range. I’ve changed my behaviour, gone through the barrier and don’t want to slip back.

I followed your link and read the freshwell content. It makes complete sense to me and will be my guide. Thank you .
I’ve got a bit tangled up in weight loss behaviours. My GP ( and the money-maker Michael Moseley) said that losing a stone quickly was a good idea. So I did . I should loose about four more to be in healthy range and will aim to do so steadily . Actually, my 19lb loss has been over 7 weeks so it’s not exactly a crash.

Thank you for replying and being so sensible and sensitive. I’m still a bit emotional but will get there.

I’ll be posting questions about the gym, my ankles and sweeteners next.

Right now, I’m off to make a rather large chocolate cake for my daughter’s birthday. I’ll try to ensure that at least 50% of the batter ends up in the cake and not in me. I’ll be having a slice tomorrow though.



Thanks again,

S

Such a long post. Sorry about that !

 

[Nayshiftin]

Hi Nayshifting

Thank you for the welcome and encouragement.

I’m just trying to work my way through all the info out there and getting less and less confident as I do so. It’s hugely helpful to find this community where people will share experience and expertise. I like clarity and this diabetes thing is really cloudy.

I’m hoping the flushes subside. They’ve not been as bad today but I have no firm expectations of anything… I suppose I was needily hoping that someone could say ‘Ach, they’re nothing’ or, even better, ‘ Hey , flushes mean you’re no longer diabetic!’

I hope you’re finding your way through this fog in a way that works for you. I’ll be hanging about these threads for a while so hope to read about your progress.

S

Just read iver my reply. I used the word ‘hope’ a lot !

Hope is positive !

 

[harbottle]

Absolutely loads of misinformation here.

Studies have shown that it's just as possible to lose weigh on a high carb diet than it is on a low carb diet, which actually goes against the so-called 'carbohydrate insulin model' of obesity that people with books to sell seem to like.

Insulin suppresses the breakdown of fat to a degree, but so does dietary fat.

You don't need high levels of insulin to store fat. If you stuff yourself with high levels of fat, protein or carbs you'll put on weight.

 

[Leadinglights]

Hello Leadinglights,

Your reply really resonated and I’m grateful. It made me feel slightly weepy with relief actually.
I’ve looked into everything you wrote.



My carb intake is now most frequently around 100g - with a range if between 66 and 147g.
This does not include social eating (maybe 6 times / month) when I can’t count exactly, try to be sensibke but know it’s going to be much higher than it should. I’m really reluctant to forfeit my social life though. My daughter has just graduated and is off to work in Japan so I’ll be living alone and need to avoid isolation. I’m also reluctant to give up on big nights out - dinner, what we Glaswegians call ‘swally’ , and not enough dancing to burn it off. Nights like this are infrequent - maybe every 8 -10 weeks.
I dread to think what my carb / sugar intake was before my diagnosis but bread was my joy - I even bake it - and my mood-enhancer of choice. I ate it like a machine. So, as you suggested, my intake has plummeted and probably shocked the system a bit .
Keto flu? I’ve certainly had a pretty constant low-ish level headache and been tired. Im now a bit weepy.
I haven’t been drinking enough water. I don’t know why I went iff it but I’ve changed that as from today .

It makes sense. My belly has changed so much. Bloating gone down and it’s now soft fat rather than a big base drum. God knows what I’ve flooded out of it!

So more water. I’m on it.

I’m thinking that I’ve passed the point of gradually reducing carbs and should try to stay in the 100-130 gramme range. I’ve changed my behaviour, gone through the barrier and don’t want to slip back.

I followed your link and read the freshwell content. It makes complete sense to me and will be my guide. Thank you .
I’ve got a bit tangled up in weight loss behaviours. My GP ( and the money-maker Michael Moseley) said that losing a stone quickly was a good idea. So I did . I should loose about four more to be in healthy range and will aim to do so steadily . Actually, my 19lb loss has been over 7 weeks so it’s not exactly a crash.

Thank you for replying and being so sensible and sensitive. I’m still a bit emotional but will get there.

I’ll be posting questions about the gym, my ankles and sweeteners next.

Right now, I’m off to make a rather large chocolate cake for my daughter’s birthday. I’ll try to ensure that at least 50% of the batter ends up in the cake and not in me. I’ll be having a slice tomorrow though.



Thanks again,

S

Such a long post. Sorry about that !

Eating out can be problematic as everything seems to come with chips but you can ask for extra veg or salad or coleslaw instead or just think 'I don't need to eat everything on my plate'
If you know where you are going then you can usually find their menu on line and they will have carb amount in the nutritional info so you can have a good idea before you get there. No you should certainly not give up any of your social life.

 

[weeelephant]

Eating out can be problematic as everything seems to come with chips but you can ask for extra veg or salad or coleslaw instead or just think 'I don't need to eat everything on my plate'
If you know where you are going then you can usually find their menu on line and they will have carb amount in the nutritional info so you can have a good idea before you get there. No you should certainly not give up any of your social life.

Yup.,there are all sorts of tactics to minimise the damage . I can resist chips and puddings , swap wine for spirits and plan ahead for the best / least worst outcomes and not treat one night as a disaster .

 

[weeelephant]

Absolutely loads of misinformation here.

Studies have shown that it's just as possible to lose weigh on a high carb diet than it is on a low carb diet, which actually goes against the so-called 'carbohydrate insulin model' of obesity that people with books to sell seem to like.

Insulin suppresses the breakdown of fat to a degree, but so does dietary fat.

You don't need high levels of insulin to store fat. If you stuff yourself with high levels of fat, protein or carbs you'll put on weight.

Indeed. The freshwell stuff is moderate and doesn’t seem money-driven. Since the end of the Second World War, and the subsequent Americanisation, we’ve been literally fed and informed by people with something to sell. They funded the research too. But I’m responsible bake- I’m too fat and too fond of bread and butter and I knew I was heading for trouble . So I’m trying to find a sensible, sustainable way through it. For me, that will mean cutting down on carbs This immediately cuts my fat intake as the only fatty thing I was excessive about was butter slathered on carbs.
I won’t be eschewing bread just to jump into a vat of dripping !
I just want to find something sensible and sustainable.

 

[weeelephant]

Hi @weeelephant
It's good to see that you are at least eating eggs and cheese. Like some others above I'm not a fan of polyunsaturated fats. Most seed oils are called Vegetable Oil to disguise their machine lubricating origins. They have to be industrially processed to make them palatable for a human, it's a personal choice but give me traditional fats and oils any day!

Remember that we were conned about 49yrs or more ago when we were told that fat makes us fat - that is plain wrong as any livestock farmer knows since they fatten up their animals with carbohydrates - not fat! If you don't believe me, there are thousand of others who will attest to losing weight by reducing carbs but increasing fats.

Knowing a little of the science helps: starches are like a chain of glucose molecules ;holding hands' so when we digest them they turn into sugar. Our bloodstream only holds about 1 teaspoonful of glucose before it gets o dangerous levels, so the body produces Insulin (the Fat storage hormone) to shift it out of the blood and into our fat cells. High insulin in the blood also means that we can't use our own excess body fat for fuel - so in order to do that we need to eat fewer carbs.
Dietary fat helps us have energy (ketones) without needing glucose - thus without needing as much insulin. This helps us adjust away from a glucose fuelled body to a 'dual fuel' body which can use up our excess body fat.
Excess dietary fat isn't stored in the body it is excreted, so it doesn't make us fat.

We don't need lots of exercise, a 30 min brisk walk 5 times per week is plenty!

Thanks Ian,
I’ll be having enough fat - enough of everything probably.
I do need a bit more exercise than you suggest , though. Like many people here, my condition is multi factorial. . I have a hemiplegic cerebral palsy and am very much better for regular and varied exercise to maintain flexibility, balance and strength and to fire up as many neurons and muscles as I can . I am also soon to be living alone so the gym is good society and the endorphins are good for my mood.
I used to be a happy gym bunny but lipstick the habit during covid, gained three stones and list quite a bit of strength, flex and mobility . And I want it back.
I suppose we all need different amounts of exercise to achieve different things .
I’m aiming for a more active lifestyle, to mitigate my cerebral palsy, and a find sensible sustainable diet.
At the moment, I’m battling through conflicting advice and dealing with bad Achilles tendons . Not sure if the Achilles issues are a result of my seizing uo after my accident in May or if it’s a consequence of diabetes . But I’m working on it.
Many thanks fir your support
S

 

[Leadinglights]

Thanks Ian,
I’ll be having enough fat - enough of everything probably.
I do need a bit more exercise than you suggest , though. Like many people here, my condition is multi factorial. . I have a hemiplegic cerebral palsy and am very much better for regular and varied exercise to maintain flexibility, balance and strength and to fire up as many neurons and muscles as I can . I am also soon to be living alone so the gym is good society and the endorphins are good for my mood.
I used to be a happy gym bunny but lipstick the habit during covid, gained three stones and list quite a bit of strength, flex and mobility . And I want it back.
I suppose we all need different amounts of exercise to achieve different things .
I’m aiming for a more active lifestyle, to mitigate my cerebral palsy, and a find sensible sustainable diet.
At the moment, I’m battling through conflicting advice and dealing with bad Achilles tendons . Not sure if the Achilles issues are a result of my seizing uo after my accident in May or if it’s a consequence of diabetes . But I’m working on it.
Many thanks fir your support
S

I had a problem with my Achillies tendons 30 odd years ago and was given some stretching exercises but also some ultrasound treatment by a physio, magic no issues since.

 

[weeelephant]

That’s good info too. You’re a mine if it. I’m doing some good stretches and found some that are at last making a difference but it’s a long haul. Pain was actually waking me up at night.
I walk a lot, I have CP and my wee accident restricted me for a couple of weeks.
I was wondering about a steroid injection or ultrasound . I’ll give my new stretches another week before bothering the NHS again. Been getting my money’s worth. I really just want to get back to proper walking then to the gym but don’t want to ping a tendon.
Ultrasound. Who’d have thunk it?

 

[ianf0ster]

........................................
I’ve got a bit tangled up in weight loss behaviours. My GP ( and the money-maker Michael Moseley) said that losing a stone quickly was a good idea. So I did . I should loose about four more to be in healthy range and will aim to do so steadily . Actually, my 19lb loss has been over 7 weeks so it’s not exactly a crash.

Actually 19lbs in 7 weeks is till a little on the high side.

As for exercise, if you enjoy exercise, then do as much a you like, but studies show that for real people over 30days the ones who did much more exercise lost exactly 0 lbs compared to the ones who did very little. Because it made them eat more calories .So it neither helps (in itself) for either weight loss or for glucose reduction except for over a very short period before a person with normal will power will put it all back on again.

I was told that the optimum for losing weight with no undesired side effects (loose skin etc.) is between one and a half to two pounds per week. Which is what I did on Low Carb, High Protein , Moderate Fat ( but when I say Moderate Fat I mean Moderate compared to what I used to eat back in the 1970's before all this low fat nonsense started.

I don't understand why @harbottle keeps plugging High Carbs since it makes as much sense as telling an alcoholic to drink more alcohol.
But they are strictly correct in that in the absence of carbs, both protein and fat can be broken down by the body and turned into glucose and thus can theoretically make you fat, but not in their original forms - they have to be turned into Glucose first!. The body tries hard to avoid doing making glucose from either fat or protein that since it's a very expensive way to make glucose ( the prime purpose for which the body uses protein is for muscle etc. and fat for hormones an immune system).

 

[weeelephant]

yes. I know that weight loss is about diet more than exercise. I want to get back to the gym because it’ll last it’s good for me in many ways. Healthiness isn’t just about weight and it won’t make me gain any.
I really don’t have an option on this . A disability needs to be fought , especially as I age.
I’m just looking for a sensible , sustainable diet the reduces my BS and to get fitter, stronger and more flexible . These aims don’t conflict . As I understand it, exercise helps to reduce BS , weight aside.,
There’s lots of interesting data around and I’m arguing with none of it as I’m no expert and don’t even have much experience of diabetes.
Re steep weight loss., I try to stay under 1500 calories a day and manage this about 90% of the time. I eat out at least once most weeks and , since this started , I’ve had one BIG NIGHT OUT. (Yay!). And one family celebration. So I’m hardly starving. I just limit myself to two portions of carbs a day and try to have fewer. Two portions seem to work out at < or equal to about 130 g . I know that there are sugars and carbs in just about everything) but I’m talking about pasta, rice , potatoes, bread, etc. my Fitbit works it all out for me. I was advised to lose a stone quickly and I did. I didnt do the 800 calories a day thing or anything else more extreme. So I’m not sure it’s fair to criticise.
Maybe the carb thing works for @garbottke . I’m not about to argue with that. I suspect that sustainably is a big part of any positive change.

Just made a chocolate cake.
S