My weight loss and T2D journey

[pjgtech]

So been slowly putting on weight since I was about 35, I'm now 59.
From being a fairly slim and athletic young'n I'm now a rotund middle aged geeza!
When young I used to walk a lot, run on a regular basis, play football, play golf, play squash, and cycled quite a bit, so was always very active.
For work I had very manual jobs, then became a plumber, still manual, but then became a surveyor and so started the many years of mainly sitting at a desk! I slowly stopped doing the sporty stuff, and for many years I hovered around the 15-16 stone mark (101g).
During Covid I spent a lot of time working from home, and due to my own laziness, put on more weight.
At its worst, I weighed almost 18 stone! (114kg)

Since Covid, and since being diagnosed as diabetic just over a year ago, I have lost some weight, now hovering again around 16 stone (104kg)
I achieved this mainly through some exercise, and trying to be more sensible with my food.
I am lucky as I have a small cabin in the garden which is my gym, only basic stuff, exercise bike, rowing machine, some weights, a boxing punch bag, etc.

Unfortunately I've had some other minor health issues, which have affected my ability to exercise. For example, when diagnosed with Diabetes they also diagnosed high Cholesterol, so put me on Statins. I suffered severe side effects with the statins which made my joints ache very badly and severely restricted my mobility. After three months, (despite trying three different statins) I stopped taking the statins (with medical advice) but it has taken well over six months to get my mobility back.

I have just (yesterday) started the Type 2 Diabetes Pathway to Remission, programme, which is basically a weight loss programme, but heavily monitored and which seems to have a good success rate. I'm only on day 2 (the initial weight loss bit is for 12 weeks) so still early days but we'll see how we go.....

Anyway thats me, will update hopefully with some news of weight loss etc soon.

 

[Leadinglights]

Welcome to the forum.
There are many ways that people approach making some changes after a diagnosis, the one you have opted for being one of them. There are a few people here who have or who are going down that route so there may be some shared experiences as the weeks go on.
Some people do react badly to statins regardless of the type but following a low carb diet can have beneficial effect on lowering cholesterol. There are other options that people have tried with varying success like the Benecol products.
My other half stopped the statins with the agreement of the GP as he suffered likewise and his cholesterol is low anyway.
Keep us posted on how you get on.

 

[pjgtech]

Day 3 of the T2D Pathway to Remission:
Checked weight, down from an initial 104kg to 100.4kg.
Checked glucose, down from an initial 12, then 7.4 to todays 6.7, so going in the right direction.

Quick question, I tend to check my blood glucose in the morning when I get up, so before I have eaten. I was not advised when to take them, so am I doing it at the correct time? (I will also ask my "Coach" when I speak to them on Monday via our planned telephone consultation.)
NB: I am using a finger prick type monitor device, eg: Glucorx Q meter and GlucoRX blood glucose testing kit.

Although its my third day, I'm surprised that I am not feeling hungry? although I obviously am missing "normal" food.

Cheers

 

[Leadinglights]

Day 3 of the T2D Pathway to Remission:
Checked weight, down from an initial 104kg to 100.4kg.
Checked glucose, down from an initial 12, then 7.4 to todays 6.7, so going in the right direction.

Quick question, I tend to check my blood glucose in the morning when I get up, so before I have eaten. I was not advised when to take them, so am I doing it at the correct time? (I will also ask my "Coach" when I speak to them on Monday via our planned telephone consultation.)
NB: I am using a finger prick type monitor device, eg: Glucorx Q meter and GlucoRX blood glucose testing kit.

Although its my third day, I'm surprised that I am not feeling hungry? although I obviously I am missing "normal" food.

Cheers

That is a good time to test as it gives a fasting reading and is less likely to be influenced by food and exercise (unless you do a lot of night time activity). Some people actually test in bed before they even get up as for some the liver releases glucose as soon as people get up and potter about.

 

[Drummer]

@pjgtech It was 18 months before the last niggling ache subsided, after around 5 weeks on a statin and Metformin, but it did go, along with the mental problems.
I tested my blood glucose levels after my main meal - having ascertained very quickly that my breakfasts were not raising me over 2 whole numbers at the two hour mark.
I never tested at any other time as it wasn't something I could do anything about. I never cared about my weight after diagnosis - I chose my battleground - but after a while getting normal numbers I realised I had lost loads of weight - and 12 inches off my waist. I was probably almost spherical at diagnosis.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Day 3 of the T2D Pathway to Remission:
Checked weight, down from an initial 104kg to 100.4kg.
Checked glucose, down from an initial 12, then 7.4 to todays 6.7, so going in the right direction.

Great to hear you are seeing things moving in the right direction already @pjgtech

Onwards and downwards!

 

[pjgtech]

Day 4 of the T2D Pathway to Remission Programme:

Very slight wobble today....

Got up early had my 1st 200 cal shake, drove (40 mins) to my usual Sat hobby place, but just felt a bit "off".
As the morning progressed (over about a one hour period) I slowly felt worse, like I had no energy at all, I would not say that I felt faint, but it was not far off that sort of feeling, I wasn't really listening to what people were saying, (trouble concentrating) and could not stand up for too long, had to have a little sit down a couple of times, and then felt a cold sweat.

I think I have had this a couple of times in the last couple of years with the T2D, and I think my blood sugars were low.
Eventually I told the others I did not feel ok and was going home early, after sitting in the car for 10 mins, (and eating one large grape and a couple of walnuts) I started to feel ok, and by the time I had driven home I was fine.

I was advised that the first few days/week of the programme that you can feel tired/low energy and up to today I must admit I have been taking it easy, at home, just in case. Today was the first time I've been a bit more active, and I was rushing around this morning before leaving getting myself sorted out, so maybe just the lack of energy/low glucose due to the very low cal diet kicking in.....

Ok now though.

 

[Leadinglights]

Day 4 of the T2D Pathway to Remission Programme:

Very slight wobble today....

Got up early had my 1st 200 cal shake, drove (40 mins) to my usual Sat hobby place, but just felt a bit "off".
As the morning progressed (over about a one hour period) I slowly felt worse, like I had no energy at all, I would not say that I felt faint, but it was not far off that sort of feeling, I wasn't really listening to what people were saying, (trouble concentrating) and could not stand up for too long, had to have a little sit down a couple of times, and then felt a cold sweat.

I think I have had this a couple of times in the last couple of years with the T2D, and I think my blood sugars were low.
Eventually I told the others I did not feel ok and was going home early, after sitting in the car for 10 mins, (and eating one large grape and a couple of walnuts) I started to feel ok, and by the time I had driven home I was fine.

I was advised that the first few days/week of the programme that you can feel tired/low energy and up to today I must admit I have been taking it easy, at home, just in case. Today was the first time I've been a bit more active, and I was rushing around this morning before leaving getting myself sorted out, so maybe just the lack of energy/low glucose due to the very low cal diet kicking in.....

Ok now though.

When people embark on a routine which is a big change from what they have been used to the body has to adjust to lower blood glucose levels and it can make people feel a bit wobbly with 'hypo' like symptoms even though their blood glucose isn't actually low.
Something else you may notice is issues with your vision as reducing blood glucose quickly changes the environment in your eyes from sugary to normal salty so the shape of the eye changes altering the focus but it usually returns to normal after a few weeks once your blood glucose settles.
Does the program give advise as what to do if you feel a bit off.

 

[pjgtech]

When people embark on a routine which is a big change from what they have been used to the body has to adjust to lower blood glucose levels and it can make people feel a bit wobbly with 'hypo' like symptoms even though their blood glucose isn't actually low.
Something else you may notice is issues with your vision as reducing blood glucose quickly changes the environment in your eyes from sugary to normal salty so the shape of the eye changes altering the focus but it usually returns to normal after a few weeks once your blood glucose settles.
Does the program give advise as what to do if you feel a bit off.

The advice I was told, is that I should take it easy for the first few days, week or so, that I could feel tired, weak, lethargic, get some headaches, etc, etc, all the usual potential side effects, but no, I was not really given any advice what to do if I felt a bit off. Obviously if I felt really bad, they advise speaking to the GP or diabetic nurse.
The pathway to remission provider, (in my case its Xyla Health) do have an option to contact a "coach" through the pathway to remission app, (mines called the Wellbeing App). I might drop the coach a line just so they know, but as I say I'm fine now and expect its just as you say, eg: the body getting used to the new regime.

 

[Drummer]

I decided to try to push my weight down and see how a few weeks on the shakes and a small meal would affect my HbA1c test.
In the past, reducing down from a diet high in carbs and low in fat, I just about collapsed.
These days, starting from a low carb diet I reduced and reduced - thinking that if I started to feel hungry that would be the place to stay. I am not hungry.
I fast for up to 22 hours a day, other than a cup of coffee if I feel like it. I have one shake and then make dinner. After dinner I have various teas, green tea with mint, or lemon or mint and liquorice. I am definitely shrinking.
To find that I am OK on so little, after decades of struggling - unable to stand up some days is as annoying as realising I did not need tablets to control my diabetes.
I was set up to fail by the high carb foods I was eating on the recommendation of the GP.
Doing low calorie after some years in remission on low carb is the key to making it work. I will be interested to see what the nurse makes of it on the 21st of this month - assuming there is any reaction in the first place.

 

[pjgtech]

Day 5 of the T2D Pathway to Remission:
Nowt much to report, weighed myself this morning but no weight loss? I appreciate I will not always lose weight every day, so not too bothered at this early stage.
Did a finger prick test this morning, down to 6 (last one was 6.7)
Still amazed that I am not really feeling hungry, those shakes really do seem to work!
🙂

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Did a finger prick test this morning, down to 6 (last one was 6.7)
Still amazed that I am not really feeling hungry, those shakes really do seem to work!

Interesting to read your progress @pjgtech

If you have a busier day again I’d suggest taking your meter with you so that you can check your levels and take appropriate action if they are below 4.0 (especially in relation to driving). As @Leadinglights says, warning signs can be triggered if the body senses it is just reading lower than what it is used to - but if you are getting down into the 3s the DVLA would want you to wait 45 minutes after you are back up above 5.0 before driving.

This advice is usually only given to people on glucose-lowering meds, but hypoglycaemia can be triggered (as it sometimes is in diatance runners) by more unusual energy balances. I’m not sure DVLA considered 800cal diets in their thinking!

 

[pjgtech]

Day 6 of the T2D Pathway to Remission Programme:

Weight = 99.9kg (15st 7lb) - started at 104kg
Blood sugars = 5.6 - started in high 12's
Blood pressures been up and down a bit last few days, but nothing wildly high. (I have my own home BP monitor).

Sticking to the shakes, not had a "proper" meal and so far, not feeling hungry.

I have my first telephone consultation this afternoon. I've had several previous consultations, but this is the first main one since I actually started, (other than a 5 min call last Wednesday to check I was still ok to start the programme).

 

[pjgtech]

Day 7 of the T2D Pathway to Remission Programme:
Well week one is now done (well it will be tonight). 11 weeks to go....
Weight lost = 5kg (9lbs)
Blood glucose down to 5.6
How do I feel?
Still surprised that I'm not hungry! I feel positive that I'm moving in the right direction. I'm finding it easier than I thought I would to be honest. The shakes are a bit boring, but not enough to stop me continuing the programme. My wife is also on a health kick, and also using shakes, as well as eating less, so we are doing it together, which helps so we can support each other.
Have I had any lapses?
On Saturday I was more active and had a wobble, where I felt a bit faint, cold sweat, etc and I ate three grapes and about 4 nuts.
On a couple of days I have eaten two grapes or a few (three or four) nuts. Mainly because you do miss chewing things and eating solids!
But thats it.
Generally I am pleased with my progress so far, but its still only early days....

 

[Leadinglights]

Day 7 of the T2D Pathway to Remission Programme:
Well week one is now done (well it will be tonight). 11 weeks to go....
Weight lost = 5kg (9lbs)
Blood glucose down to 5.6
How do I feel?
Still surprised that I'm not hungry! I feel positive that I'm moving in the right direction. I'm finding it easier than I thought I would to be honest. The shakes are a bit boring, but not enough to stop me continuing the programme. My wife is also on a health kick, and also using shakes, as well as eating less, so we are doing it together, which helps so we can support each other.
Have I had any lapses?
On Saturday I was more active and had a wobble, where I felt a bit faint, cold sweat, etc and I ate three grapes and about 4 nuts.
On a couple of days I have eaten two grapes or a few (three or four) nuts. Mainly because you do miss chewing things and eating solids!
But thats it.
Generally I am pleased with my progress so far, but its still only early days....

You are definitely right about the chewing. Many, many years ago I tried the Cambridge Diet and found my jaw became really sore and teeth ached because I wasn't chewing.

 

[pjgtech]

Ok Day 11 (week 2) of the T2D Pathway to Remission program.
Weight today = 98kg so total weight lost so far = 6kg eg: 13lb ish.
EDIT, think the above should have been 99kg, not 98, my mistake, but still good weight loss.
BG has been pretty steady at 5.6 every morning.
BP is ok.
Waist is down from 42" ish to 41" ish
Still not feeling hungry, still not really craving anything, so still finding it relatively easy so far.

 

[Alan44]

Well done you @pjgtech (Peter) I'm taking it a tad slower and have lost 19lb in 11 weeks (1.7lb per week, was hoping for 2lb per week) my last BG reading was 5.5 down from 7.5 11 weeks ago.
My BP has dropped from an average iro 128/65 to about 118/60 ish or lower.

Tomorrow is my week 11 cut off point when I will do another BG test and weigh and adjust if required.

I do BG tests every other day, but BP and weigh every day.
The weight loss this week has been pretty dire as I wanted to get below 11 stone having started the week at 11st 3/4lb , but we will see what tomorrow brings (I hate my scales at times)

Alan 😉

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Well done both @pjgtech @Alan44

Great to see your efforts are being rewarded by improving numbers. Of course many measures aren’t likely to change in a linear way, so try not to be disheartened if some numbers stay stubbornly unmoving at times.

Keep going!

 

[pjgtech]

I have my 2nd telephone consultation tomorrow (since I started the program) so we'll see whats what tomorrow and I'm sure I'll have a little update.

 

[pjgtech]

Ok, week 2 (day 12) on the T2D Pathway to Remission TDR programme.
Had my next telephone consultation with the program bods, all good so far, they are happy.
Weight = 98kg down from 104kg (was 114kg just after covid!))
BG = stable at 4.5 - 5.6
Waist = 41" down from 42+
Still just sticking to the shakes, not deviated so far. Still not feeling hungry!
Had couple of very slight wobbles, eg: feeling very low energy, not a hypo as such, but deffo felt a bit weak on a couple of occasions, which TBH is to be expected on a very low cal diet. On each occasion just had a couple of grapes/nuts and then all good after 10mins or so.
Motivation to continue with the program is still very high.
Onwards and upwards.... 🙂
Edit, think message #16 should be 99kg, not 98!