Change diet and weight loss to avoid metformin - I'm trying!!

[Franthepotter]

Hi kopiert hi hsss so today is the very first non spike day !!!!!!!! I ate 30 mins ago (with some cheese and fish) and I'm still at 5.2. I really really cannot believe it. I know it's just a single day but I cannot thank you enough for your feedback.
I have found a few walnuts with my coffee in the morning helps me keep off cravings for food. Then I can eat twice which seems like the trick. Also small portion sizes. It's saving me loads of money actually!!!

 

[Franthepotter]

Really can't believe it !!!

 

[Franthepotter]

Thanks I've now read all about olive oil and how it's good for me!

So update! I've lost 3kg (57 to 54) and whilst still spiking after meals, at 3 hours post eating my bloods are under 6.5. At 2 hours it's down but still above 7. More usefully this short time on cgm is showing me what I can and can't eat and it is getting easier !!!

That said, it's a big change ... mostly in moving ... I walk and exercise at home every day now.

Thanks for the support folks. I'm aiming for another 3kg off my weight whilst keeping my muscle up as well. I'm eating well and getting used to this change.

If I need metformin after these 3 months of lifestyle change so be it.

Franthepotter.

OK optimism paused ... there was a delay then up to 7.5/6 but at least there was a delay. Went for a jog which I'm getting used to and the dog is loving fran

 

[Drummer]

OK optimism paused ... there was a delay then up to 7.5/6 but at least there was a delay. Went for a jog which I'm getting used to and the dog is loving fran

I found that the tipping point was under 8mmol/l as when I was seeing that after eating I decided to stick there for a while, eating the same meals, and then I saw that all my numbers were continuing to go down without any effort.

If you are staying in the 7s then I think progress is being made.

 

[harbottle]

Hi kopiert hi hsss so today is the very first non spike day !!!!!!!! I ate 30 mins ago (with some cheese and fish) and I'm still at 5.2. I really really cannot believe it. I know it's just a single day but I cannot thank you enough for your feedback.
I have found a few walnuts with my coffee in the morning helps me keep off cravings for food. Then I can eat twice which seems like the trick. Also small portion sizes. It's saving me loads of money actually!!!

30 minutes is too early.

It can take longer than that for the glucose to hit the bloodstream, especially if the food is a mix of fat and protein with carbs. What else did you have with the fish and cheese?

Walnuts and coffee. That sounds like a great mix. I might try that myself!

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi kopiert hi hsss so today is the very first non spike day !!!!!!!! I ate 30 mins ago (with some cheese and fish) and I'm still at 5.2. I really really cannot believe it. I know it's just a single day but I cannot thank you enough for your feedback.
I have found a few walnuts with my coffee in the morning helps me keep off cravings for food. Then I can eat twice which seems like the trick. Also small portion sizes. It's saving me loads of money actually!!!

Looks like a meal with few carbs so I wouldn't expect much increase if any and certainly not by the 2 hour point.

 

[Franthepotter]

Thanks all. Indeed bloods went up but only at about 1hr 45 - previously it was high 30 mins after good and stayed there for 2 more hours. Now was only to 7 and then came down after exercise.

Walnut snack are actually dusted in cinnamon in the jar. They are strangely nice ! My portions of salmon and cheese are all v small - for now I'm really too busy with work to weigh everything. Maybe I'll have to weigh everything someday soon.

 

[Franthepotter]

Looks like a meal with few carbs so I wouldn't expect much increase if any and certainly not by the 2 hour point.

I eat plenty of green veg with every meal along side cheese amd protein. A lot. Today it was a whole roast fennel, a whole artichoke, a bag of kale and some cucumber. Do I'm hoping I'm getting enough carbs in all of these foods. Olive oil amd a multivitamin are added for hood measure. Do you think that's OK for my body long term??

 

[Leadinglights]

Thanks all. Indeed bloods went up but only at about 1hr 45 - previously it was high 30 mins after good and stayed there for 2 more hours. Now was only to 7 and then came down after exercise.

Walnut snack are actually dusted in cinnamon in the jar. They are strangely nice ! My portions of salmon and cheese are all v small - for now I'm really too busy with work to weigh everything. Maybe I'll have to weigh everything someday soon.

It really is just the carby food you need to weigh, salmon, cheese, and the veg have no substantial carbs.

 

[Franthepotter]

So I'm trying to lose some weight by having no carbs. The Desmond course did not like that. They said I'd get heart ❤️ disease.

 

[Drummer]

So I'm trying to lose some weight by having no carbs. The Desmond course did not like that. They said I'd get heart ❤️ disease.

As you list vegetables, that is not no carbs, but simply avoiding high carb foods is what seems to change things for the better for most type 2s.
Humans need protein and fats to survive, and for an uncomplicated type 2 just counting the carbs will sort out the problems and allow the metabolism to recover. We can usually eat anything as long as we avoid high carb and low fat options.

 

[PerSpinasAdAstra]

So I'm trying to lose some weight by having no carbs. The Desmond course did not like that. They said I'd get heart ❤️ disease.

There is no problem with cutting down carbs as a diabetes-friendly way to lose weight. In the long term though, the foods you choose to replace the carbs with may make a big difference to your overall health including your risk of heart disease.

This article spells out how an 'unhealthy' diet, whether low fat or low carb, can shorten your life, whereas 'healthy' versions of both diet types appear to extend life:

Healthy low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets may reduce risk of premature death

When eating a low-carbohydrate or low-fat diet choosing healthy foods is key to reducing the risk of premature death.

www.hsph.harvard.edu

This article says more or less the same thing. Note that this website is biased in favour of plant-based diets in general, but does provide more detail:

NEWS: Huge Global Studies Find Low-Carb or Keto Diets Could Lead to Shorter Lifespan - Blue Zones

Like any fad diet, you can lose weight and see positive results in the short term, but what effect does a low-carb keto diet have on your long term health?

www.bluezones.com

This video, though quite technical, spells out some evidence that appears to show that a low carb diet can help type 2 diabetics live longer. It also spells out how the types of foods in a low carb diet can make a very big difference to long term health:

The Desmond type courses of this world are behind the times in some ways and they make assumptions about the kinds of diet changes and choices that people will stick to in the long term. They're not wrong about everything though. There's absolutely no need to worry about what kind of low carb foods to eat this week, this month or even next month. When planning big diet changes to last the rest of your life however there are lot of competing views to learn about, weigh up, and consider. For me at least it's not an easy thing to figure out. Every day of reading brings new information to consider.

 

[Franthepotter]

Thank you one million times. You are right... there are lots of different people coming to Desmond.

 

[Franthepotter]

I found that the tipping point was under 8mmol/l as when I was seeing that after eating I decided to stick there for a while, eating the same meals, and then I saw that all my numbers were continuing to go down without any effort.

If you are staying in the 7s then I think progress is being made.

Thanks Drummer you are making sense. Please may I ask.... do you still need to exercise each day??

 

[Franthepotter]

I found that the tipping point was under 8mmol/l as when I was seeing that after eating I decided to stick there for a while, eating the same meals, and then I saw that all my numbers were continuing to go down without any effort.

If you are staying in the 7s then I think progress is being made.

And are you managing to keep to good fats. I'm thinking about that as am on the start of this journey. I really do like animal fats!but it does seem that it would be better for me to stick to veg fats :-(

 

[Leadinglights]

Thank you one million times. You are right... there are lots of different people coming to Desmond.

Some of the people when I did the DESMOND course often asked 'could they have tomato ketchup on their bacon buttie or on their chips'. They didn't quite grasp that it was the bread and the potatoes that were the problem not a squirt of ketchup.

 

[Franthepotter]

Some of the people when I did the DESMOND course often asked 'could they have tomato ketchup on their bacon buttie or on their chips'. They didn't quite grasp that it was the bread and the potatoes that were the problem not a squirt of ketchup.

I think its hard to be carb aware if you have no symptoms. I have 4 grandparents with T2 so have always been aware. But the Desmond course could distinguish between managing to eat low carb and good fat and not.

 

[Franthepotter]

I think its hard to be carb aware if you have no symptoms. I have 4 grandparents with T2 so have always been aware. But the Desmond course could distinguish between managing to eat low carb and good fat and

 

[Franthepotter]

I was perturbed that olive oil was worse than a bread roll.

 

[Drummer]

Thanks Drummer you are making sense. Please may I ask.... do you still need to exercise each day??

I have never done what could be called deliberate exercise.
Although I am still fairly active and go out up to 4 times a week to play and sing I don't do anything which makes my lower spine protest. I go shopping on the mobility scooter, park it by the trolley shed and load it up there as that seems to avoid back pain. Ordinary housework seems OK, as is some yoga and a bit of bouncing on the trampoline in the garden starting when the apple trees come into bud and going on until it is too cold or wet to enjoy.
It is the diet more than anything which controls my blood glucose, I believe.