Reversed condition.

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Stewpot@28

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After paying a visit to my GP for my second follow up blood test I was informed by the doctor and dietician that I am 'one in a million' and have done something rare by reversing my condition.
Since July last year I have lost 4st 6lbs, 8" from my waistline and my hba1c has dropped from 53 to 32.
It wasn't easy and was controlled with a low carb diet, which was practically vegetarian.
My goal now is to keep up this lifestyle and not fall off the wagon.
I don't think I will find it difficult as I have grown accustomed to my diet.
I did not visit the forums very much but would like to thank the members who gave me some valuable advise in the beginning
 
Congratulations @Stewpot@28 ! That's a massive achievement and one you should be endlessly proud of 🙂

Out of curiosity how low did you go on carbs? A low carb diet tends to mean different things to different people, and I'm keen to learn how low 'low enough' is for different people. Did you ever quantify your carbs in grams per day on average?

Also, did you do it with diet and weight loss alone or did you have an exercise regimen?
 
PerSpinasAdAstra said:
Congratulations @Stewpot@28 ! That's a massive achievement and one you should be endlessly proud of 🙂

Out of curiosity how low did you go on carbs? A low carb diet tends to mean different things to different people, and I'm keen to learn how low 'low enough' is for different people. Did you ever quantify your carbs in grams per day on average?

Also, did you do it with diet and weight loss alone or did you have an exercise regimen?
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I went as low as possible on csrbs. Generally between 75 and 90 a day. A lot of leafy salads, fruit and Quorn. Almonds, Oat cakes ( even the ones with stem ginger or raspberry and blueberry) and Greek Yoghurt
Switched from cows milk to Almond milk and lots of bottled water..Bread was either protein bread, but I only found supermarket that sells it , so switched to nimble wholemeal and Flora pro active
Luckily i have a strong willpower and you do need one to stick to such a regime.
I cut out everything I consider bad which was basically junk food.
I was entirely diet controlled as I am a carer and have not as much time to exercise as I would like
 
Wow, that's some strong 'regime' but the real power is the determination and drive. Congratulations.
 
Congratulations!! You have done really well and must feel so much better in yourself. Low carb is my new way of eating. It takes a while to get your head round it all but then becomes second nature.

Keep up the good work xx
 
Congratulations on the great progress you have made @Stewpot@28 - you should feel very proud!

The weight loss and reduction in waist measurement may be particularly key, as it might indicate a reduction in visceral fat in the abdomen. Research has shown that for some people removing that visceral fat allows the pancreas and liver to function more effectively again (as long as the weight stays off), effectively ‘rebooting’ the metabolism. You may even find you have an increased capacity to process carbohydrates?

Interesting that your Dr used the term ‘reversed’. Diabetes UK tends to suggest the term ‘remission’ rather than ‘reversal’, as research in this area is still emerging, and it is currently not possible to say with certainty how long the improvements in glucose management without medication will last.

Type 2 diabetes remission

Type 2 diabetes remission is when your blood sugar levels return to a safe, non-diabetes level long-term, without the need for glucose-lowering medication. It stops diabetes in its tracks and boosts your chances of a healthy future. When you are in remission, you reduce the risk of diabetes...
www.diabetes.org.uk www.diabetes.org.uk

“We don't call it 'reversing type 2 diabetes' like some people because remission isn’t a cure for type 2 diabetes. But when you’re in it, the symptoms of your diabetes are on pause, so is any new damage it can do to you. People in remission say it's life changing.”
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
Congratulations on the great progress you have made @Stewpot@28 - you should feel very proud!

The weight loss and reduction in waist measurement may be particularly key, as it might indicate a reduction in visceral fat in the abdomen. Research has shown that for some people removing that visceral fat allows the pancreas and liver to function more effectively again (as long as the weight stays off), effectively ‘rebooting’ the metabolism. You may even find you have an increased capacity to process carbohydrates?

Interesting that your Dr used the term ‘reversed’. Diabetes UK tends to suggest the term ‘remission’ rather than ‘reversal’, as research in this area is still emerging, and it is currently not possible to say with certainty how long the improvements in glucose management without medication will last.

Type 2 diabetes remission

Type 2 diabetes remission is when your blood sugar levels return to a safe, non-diabetes level long-term, without the need for glucose-lowering medication. It stops diabetes in its tracks and boosts your chances of a healthy future. When you are in remission, you reduce the risk of diabetes...
www.diabetes.org.uk www.diabetes.org.uk

“We don't call it 'reversing type 2 diabetes' like some people because remission isn’t a cure for type 2 diabetes. But when you’re in it, the symptoms of your diabetes are on pause, so is any new damage it can do to you. People in remission say it's life changing.”
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The notion of being “on pause” is an interesting one, and important too for the morale of those achieving remission. I asked Prof Taylor whether he had ever encountered anyone whose T2 had returned post-remission and whose weight had not increased. He said no, none so far. Only time will tell.
 
Hi Stewpot. I am 2 months into the same diet change and I can only thank you for sharing on here that it's possible. I may need meds but I'm trying to avoid the complications of diabetes that have plagued my family (wheelchair bound neuropathy - not fun) .
I have a question... was your move from cows milk to almond a calorie or carb choice ? Thx fran
 
@Stewpot@28 - Nice work and well done. Whatever you think about the quality of the trials, you have demonstrated that the basic principle of losing weight if you are overweight is a good place to start if you get a T2 diagnosis. Worked for you and is likely to work for a lot of others.

I also think you are bang on with your comment that

"My goal now is to keep up this lifestyle and not fall off the wagon"

Does not matter whether you claim you have control, reversal or remission, chances are that if you put the weight back on your diabetes will be back where you started from. And that thought does not come from any trial - just read around the forum and you will get that impression from what members tell us.
 
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Although I do conjecture about the possibilities from time to time, my remission seems firmly fixed by the simple mantra, high carb bad, low carb good.
With that in mind I seem to be fine.
If I am ever tempted to indulge in something over my self imposed 10% carb limit I tell myself 'Metformin' and the urge to buy it fades away in an instant.
Mind you - I should know better. Last Thursday I was demonstrating a morris jig and hurt my foot so I am hobbling around the house.
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
Interesting that your Dr used the term ‘reversed’. Diabetes UK tends to suggest the term ‘remission’ rather than ‘reversal’, as research in this area is still emerging, and it is currently not possible to say with certainty how long the improvements in glucose management without medication will last.
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My layman's understanding is that 'reversal' is the process of weight loss and diet change that induces the 'remission' which is the state of being non-diabetic. So far, the evidence of the DIRECT study is that maintaining weight loss...a very difficult thing, can indefinitely prevent returning to T2D. Turn the page...
 
Docb said:
Does not matter whether you claim you have control, reversal or remission, chances are that if you put the weight back on your diabetes will be back where you started from. And that thought does not come from any trial - just read around the forum and you will get that impression from what members tell us.
Click to expand...
My understanding is that the chance of re-acquiring T2D along with the weight is 100%. This seems to be the weakest part of Prof Taylor's Newcastle strategy; losing weight is hard, and keeping it off is just a little harder than say...climbing Mt Everest.
 
mhtyler said:
My layman's understanding is that 'reversal' is the process of weight loss and diet change that induces the 'remission' which is the state of being non-diabetic.
Click to expand...
The clinical definition of remission is no signs or symptoms. I've been in remission for 4 years but I don't consider myself to be non-diabetic.
 
Martin.A said:
The clinical definition of remission is no signs or symptoms. I've been in remission for 4 years but I don't consider myself to be non-diabetic.
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The more carefully I consider the issue, the more semantical it seems. Your perspective is certainly a prudent one though.
 
mhtyler said:
My understanding is that the chance of re-acquiring T2D along with the weight is 100%. This seems to be the weakest part of Prof Taylor's Newcastle strategy; losing weight is hard, and keeping it off is just a little harder than say...climbing Mt Everest.
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I think that losing the weight and then keeping it down is not hard for everyone. I found it a complete doddle but had no circumstances opposing it to contend with. Cutting carbs totally suppressed hunger for me. I’ve not had even a moment’s peckishness in three years. Dealing with our weight is not Taylor’s responsibility, it is our own. He has just shown its consequences.
 
childofthesea43 said:
I think that losing the weight and then keeping it down is not hard for everyone. I found it a complete doddle but had no circumstances opposing it to contend with. Cutting carbs totally suppressed hunger for me. I’ve not had even a moment’s peckishness in three years. Dealing with our weight is not Taylor’s responsibility, it is our own. He has just shown its consequences.
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Every weight loss lifestyle intervention produces results over time which look like this:

1707950209334.png


(Picked at random - it doesn't matter which study - they all look similar: WW, low fat, low carb, whatever. The concrete numbers differ but the shape of the "waterfall" doesn't.)

People like me (and apparently you) over on the left hand side can find it hard to see what the big fuss is all about. But the fact is that anything like smugness over our superior motivation etc etc is completely misguided. People way over on the right hand side very very ofteh show far more motivation, effort & application than we do. It's just that their biology means that they are indeed trying to climb Mt Everest in terms of weight loss maintenance.

On the other hand, all of these programs tend to show *average* long-term weight loss of 5%-10% which is a worthy outcome, clinically.


And also, this is the beginning of the era of pharma solutions to the biological issues: semaglutide, tirpezatide, and a huge pipeline of future candiates.

EDIT: Where I think Taylor & Lean verged a little into crank territory was their apparent belief that *motivation* might be sufficient to preserve weight loss in a large proportion of the DiRECT population. I think that there was a huge body of evidence that this was unlikely to be true, and as it turns out, the 5-year DiRECT results act as a great demonstration that weight loss maintenance depends primarlily on motivation.
 
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Martin.A said:
The clinical definition of remission is no signs or symptoms. I've been in remission for 4 years but I don't consider myself to be non-diabetic.
Click to expand...
Where does this 'clinical definition' come from ?
Have you a citation please ?
 
Stewpot@28 congratulations :D

I think maybe you have insight into the whole insulin process.

Some people have a very strong drive to snack if they eat carbs[1]. I think a lot of carb eating is cultural (eg breakfast cereal, curry & RICE). Thing is, there's nothing in us biologically that says we need carbs at all. Some people will tolerate carbs well. Others will not, and some of those get diabetic, like cats fed on cat food containing lots of cereal, i.e. some of us are more like obligate carnivores than herbivores.

[1] caused by endogenous secretion then crash then feeling starving, so more carbs and so on.
i don't think it's as simple as just willpower; i.e. I'm in agreement with Eddy Edson, and, as childofthesea43 notes: "Cutting carbs totally suppressed hunger for me." - because doing so breaks the insulin secretion/crash cycle
 
@Stewpot@28 I think what you're doing right now is "living within the limits of your islets of Langerhans" 😉
 
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