Hancocks Half……….errr…..errr……eight weeks!

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We have not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you are have any health related symptoms or concerns, you should contact your doctor who will be able to give you advice specific to your situation.

• posted by TonyHancock
  on 30 Oct 2017 at 10:53

  

  Having spent a week on Google it was not so much of a shock when the doctor diagnosed type 2 diabetes. My diet is (was) awful, I am male, 178 cm (5′ 10″ and a bit) and 98.5 KG (15 St 1 (ish) lbs). I spend an awful lot of time in a plane. (750 hours last year :-o) My only saving grace is that I cycle about 10000 KM’s per year…..although I do wonder whether this has staved off something far worse which will now come to bite me. (If my blood sugar level was rising to 10+ with 60-80 mins of cycling a day have I built up some sort of resistance to exercise when it comes to blood sugar?)

  Other than needing to pee frequently, and feeling thirsty, I can’t recall any other symptoms.

  I started the BSD diet on the 25th October. (God for Harry, England and St George and all that!!) I have stuck religiously to the 800 Calories per day, less some days, and have continued cycling for 60-80 minutes per day. So far so good and 4 KG’s have fallen off me. (I know it gets tougher so am under no illusion I have been lucky in week 1.) My problem now is travel, I know I can hold off the carbs but it is difficult keeping count, especially in China, my current destination.

  Today I have done away with sweeteners and am “enjoying” black tea and as a treat tea with a dash of milk. I understand sweeteners might be a problem. (Diet Coke and Pepsi Max go too.)

  It has been a real eye opener reading the threads here and I marvel at the perseverance and successes. I only hope I am not too late to reverse this dreadful disease.

• posted by Verano
  on 30 Oct 2017 at 11:17

  

  No you aren’t I reversed mine after having it for five or six years and I’m just one of many!

  Don’t worry too much about keeping count but carry an app with you like Fatsecret.co.uk or myfitnesspal and at least you can check out the carb content and steer clear of anything that is too carb heavy.

  I discovered a few weeks ago that Thai curry goes really well over lightly steamed asparagus pieces. Now I have pak choi or similar instead of rice and it works for me. I guess the answer in China is to eat fish where possible and avoid anything in batter.

  It does take some time to get used to eating this way but it becomes second nature after a while. You have done really well so far and we have to ‘live’ but you will find a way through ‘eating out’ that is BSD friendly.

• posted by sunshine-girl
  on 30 Oct 2017 at 13:19

  

  There was a Chinese chef on Sunday Brunch and he has just published a book translating from Chinese so we can understand what ingredients are used and where to eat. You would have to search on line for his name etc. The big problem I had in Hong Kong is that everything is written in Chinese symbols with no English translation and nothing was like we know Chinese food here: One good thing, when you go into a restaurant the first thing they bring is a pot of green tea.

• posted by TonyHancock
  on 30 Oct 2017 at 23:19

  

  Thank you Verano and sunshine-girl.

  Fish and steamed green vegetables are definitely the answer. I’m less concerned about food and more concerned about culture in China. I can manage the food when I am with my own team but not so much when entertaining customers. Fortunately on this trip I only have a couple of customer meals.

  Chinese food in China bears no relation to Chinese food in the UK or Australia. (My home…..ish!!!) You are right sunshine-girl. I need to stay away from Shenyang where root vegetables are a staple…although there are some decent Korean BBQ restaurants up there.

  Starting day 7 now…….a low carb high protein bar for breakfast. I managed to avoid food on the flight to Kuala Lumpur and had my first ever long haul alcohol free flight for many years. 😮

  I took my blood sugar reading this morning, prior to the protein bar breakfast and recorded 6.4. My lowest reading since I was diagnosed a week ago. I know I shouldn’t read anything into this but it cheered me up no end.

  Will hit the gym when I reach Shanghai and have fish and steamed green veggies for dinner. I really hope I can stick with the program through this week.

• posted by TonyHancock
  on 30 Oct 2017 at 23:23

  

  ….and another thing….black tea with lemon – absolutely lovely….who’d have thought it. :-p

• posted by Verano
  on 31 Oct 2017 at 06:51

  

  S-g that reminds me of a trip we made to one of the islands off Hong Kong many years ago. I can’t remember the name but at that time only bicycles were allowed no cars. We had lunch in a restaurant that did have a menu translated into some vague sort of English, but even then the only thing that was even partly recognisable was ‘chicken balls’. Ask no further because all as I can say is that I have never seen anything quite like these before, or thankfully since! Needless to say I didn’t eat them! I still find in Spain some of the translations are a bit iffy so we always ask for the Spanish menu rather than English.

  I will be really interested to know how you get on Hancock. We have a trip to the Far East planned next March and after following BSD for well over a year I really don’t eat rice, potatoes, bread or pasta, and am not sure I could again now. The really good thing about this WOE is that fat is not an issue. When I look back I think I had more of a problem trying to order, ‘low fat’ meals when I was eating out, than I’ve ever had with low carb. Best of luck with your trip and keep us up to date.

• posted by TonyHancock
  on 31 Oct 2017 at 14:10

  

  Well dinner went well. Fish, steamed veggies, and eggplant. I also had a small piece of pork belly. The test comes tomorrow when the food choices will be in the hands of the host. (A 12 person lunch so should at least be some choice.)

• posted by KazzUK
  on 31 Oct 2017 at 14:38

  

  Well done Tony. You are doing really well, particularly with the travelling and dining out. It’s hard enough when you’re at home! Keep on, keeping on… 🙂
  Kazz

• posted by TonyHancock
  on 1 Nov 2017 at 22:37

  

  Thanks Kazz.

  Not the best day yesterday. I managed to avoid carbs but intake was higher than I wanted. The 17 course lunch didn’t help. (I’m still wondering about the nutritional values associated with duck’s tongue!!!) I suspect calorie intake was around the 1500. 🙁

  On a more encouraging note I managed 70 minutes cycling and 11000 steps.

  My Blood Sugar reading was 5.9 six hours after lunch.

• posted by Mixnmatch
  on 1 Nov 2017 at 22:39

  

  I think ducks tongue should be very low carb, very chewy though from what I remember…

• posted by TonyHancock
  on 5 Nov 2017 at 10:07

  

  On my way back to Melbourne now and back on track. Whilst I went through the 800 Cal limit a couple of times I managed to stay away from carbs in China.

• posted by TonyHancock
  on 20 Nov 2017 at 11:12

  

  Four weeks in now. I am on my way home to Australia again, this time from a UK trip. Haven’t weighed myself for a week and a half but had to buy new jeans in the UK!!! (For the right reasons…. :-p )

  It will be nice to have some “proper” food again, having lived on protein shakes and bars with the odd salad and eggs thrown in – plus plenty of tuna and salmon.

  I have managed to keep up the cycling, on hotel exercise bikes, averaging 80 mins a day over the four weeks. No alcohol for four weeks either and that has been difficult on the long haul flights. I feel pretty energised though.

  Blood sugar readings are averaging around the 5.1 mark for fasting over the last three weeks. I know that I shouldn’t read too much into that but it is keeping me going.

  I am surprised, but shouldn’t be having read the posts here, that I don’t really feel hungry, and actually have plenty of energy.

• posted by Luvtcook
  on 20 Nov 2017 at 11:36

  

  Tony, hats off to you !!!! What you have done is amazing given you are traveling. This diet is challenging enough when you are on your home turf in can be in control of your schedule and your meals. To do that on the fly is heroic. Good for you!

• posted by TonyHancock
  on 22 Nov 2017 at 06:40

  

  Thank you Luvtcook. 🙂

  I have lost 9.5 Kg in the first four weeks which I am reasonably happy with. My Blood Sugar reading this morning was 4.2.

  Still need to lose at least another 6 or 7 Kg, ideally another 10.

• posted by TonyHancock
  on 24 Nov 2017 at 03:24

  

  I have had a few days to take stock and read more of the fabulous posts here and I think I have been pretty lucky. The Doc tells me my original blood sugar reading was 17. 😮 My first tests showed 9-10 consistently for the first week and a half. I dropped the metaformin after day four on it.

  Four and a bit weeks in I am recording fasting blood sugar levels of between 4.2 and 4.4 relatively consistently.

  It has all been a bit of a blur but man alive I am pleased I found this site. The weight loss has definitely energised me and I really want to get that additional 10 Kg off.

  More travel next week, but it is to the UK and with BA so at least I won’t be tempted by the food on board. :-p

  I do wonder though if one can ever be free of type 2 diabetes, I get confused with the information overload of late. I really hope it is possible to reverse my insulin resistance.

• posted by TonyHancock
  on 26 Nov 2017 at 11:08

  

  Tonight I clicked the “Diabetes Meal” option for my flight from Hong Kong to London on Wednesday. I have no idea what that will be though, and suspect it won’t be up to scratch when not comes to the BSD.

  In other news my blood ketone level is 1.5 mmol/L. I am pretty pleased with this, although the weight loss is slowing.

  Today I managed 25,000 steps, 100 mins on the exercise bike and 20 mins on the rowing machine. Pretty happy with that. 🙂

• posted by Luvtcook
  on 26 Nov 2017 at 15:50

  

  Tony, sounds like everything is headed in the right direction for you. To make you feel even better, you might want to watch this video of Michael Mosely’s Horizon program (on YouTube). I rewatch it every time I need a little bump of encouragement. Such a well done, interesting and informative program. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ihhj_VSKiTs

  Yes you can reverse your type II diabetes but it can come roaring back if you put the weight back on and start eating significant carbs again. That is why so many on this forum talk about a Way of Eating and not a diet….it is a lifetime thing, but a lifetime on the mediterranean diet sound just fine to me.

• posted by Californiagirl
  on 26 Nov 2017 at 16:14

  

  Go Tony! You are doing fantastically well, especially with the strain and stress of travel added to it all.
  I think there are several people here who can give you full assurance on the issue of remission of the diabetes — hopefully Verano, Esnecca, Allie cat and others who have become diabetes-free will check in. Also read the old Bill1954 thread — it has a clear account of Bill’s beating his diabetes.
  It will be fun to hear what the airlines consider a “diabetic meal” — let us know.

• posted by Verano
  on 26 Nov 2017 at 17:14

  

  Hi Tony Californiagirl is absolutely right …. remission does indeed seem possible. My experience is not unusual. I was diagnosed with T2 about 6 years ago and after 3 months following the dietary advice from the doctor I was given metformin. Started at 1000mg a day and then increased to 2000mg slow release a day. In the middle of 2016 my diabetic nurse started talking about adding a second drug, a dear friend had lost a toe because of poorly managed T2 and was having problems with a second and I found the BSD book. So all these things happening at the same time were a real wake up call.

  My diabetes was never really out of control. Pre metformin it was around 7.2, then with the drug settled at 6.4ish. I didn’t stop my medication when I started BSD but my BS dropped and kept dropping so in May this year my metformin was reduced by half, the next HbA1c was lower and then in August I became ‘drug free’. The last three months haven’t been the best for me. My weight is more or less stable, even if there is still too much of it, but I was probably having in excess of 50g of carbs a day on average. However my HbA1c had fallen yet again and is now 4.8!

  I’m sure this has to be a lifetime change if Diabetes is to be kept in remission. Both my diabetes nurse and doctor are astonished at my results. Time alone will now tell. We have no way of knowing if those who have reversed their diabetes have stayed in the ‘normal’ zone because they have, in the main, stopped posting. I still need the support to stay on track so I think I’m here for the duration!

  You are doing really well and yes remission is possible but I think it may take a lifetime of vigilance to remain ‘free’.

• posted by TonyHancock
  on 27 Nov 2017 at 09:28

  

  Many thanks for the support, it is much appreciated.

  Luvtcook, I have that Horizon Documentary on my iPad, alongside the Panorama Documentary – “Diabetes the hidden killer” to remind me to keep going.

  Californiagirl I am eager to find out what BA’s diabetic meal choices will be, but am traveling with a couple of protein shake mixes just in case. Will try to post pics if I can work out how.

  Verano this has all been a whirlwind for me, I was diagnosed on the 24th October, with a BS of 17. I took Metaformin for four days and abandoned it having read Michael Mosley’s book and the incredible posts on this forum. I have not had a fasting blood sugar reading higher than six since the 2nd November.

  What has astonished me is just how good I feel. My Ketone reading was 2.4 today so I know my body is changing the way it derives energy and I think this is something I want to continue to maximise the benefits. I’m getting better at balancing my nutrition now – thanks to the wonderful posts here.

  The weight loss has slowed and I do want to shed a further 5 Kg over the next three weeks so fingers crossed. Another 100 mins on the bike, 22,000 steps and 20 mins on the rowing machine today. 🙂

• posted by TonyHancock
  on 29 Nov 2017 at 09:10

  

  Had an unusual Blood Sugar reading on my flight from Melbourne to Hong Kong – 3.7. 😮 I figure it is an anomaly and have just recorded 4.8 now I am on the ground.

  Tataki style tuna with cucumber salad on the flight. 🙂

  A rather unfortunate 7 hour layover before my BA flight to London and the diabetic meal.

• posted by sunshine-girl
  on 29 Nov 2017 at 13:10

  

  Oh Tony I wish I had read about your BA flight and diabetic diet – I would have told you not to tell them. I thought I was doing the right thing particularly as I need regular food and this is not always the case on a flight, sometimes they feed you at local time, sometimes at home times. I went nearly 5 hours without food and had to ask for something, the steward gave me a mini pack of pretzels (I wasn’t on this diet then). On the trip back from Hong Kong, yes I was served first with breakfast but, my husband had grilled bacon, scrambled eggs, grilled mushroom and grilled tomatoes with toast. I was given seaweed scrambled eggs and a slice of gluten free cardboard. I would suggest that a 3.7 was you getting very low due to their meals not being very well balanced, they havent a clue. When I asked why I was getting gluten free bread they said they catered for everyone on special diets the same. When I asked to be served the cooked breakfast same as everyone else they refused saying because I had declared as diabetic they were responsible for my well being. Never tell them anything regarding your diet. Although I think you have to say something just in case you are taken ill on a flight or a cruise. I am going on a second cruise in Spring after a Norway cruise last year and I was on this diet. I just told them I was intolerant to starchy carbs but could I just have extra veg. It worked very well. I choose to take responsibility for my own condition or I wouldn’t be on this diet as so many medical people have tried to tell me not to do it.

• posted by TonyHancock
  on 29 Nov 2017 at 13:22

  

  It is a bit of an experiment sunshine-girl. I am rather fortunate to be at the very pointy end of the aircraft thanks to a cheap ex EU business class fare and a points upgrade. 🙂

  My plan is to have dinner……..whatever that might be and then have a rather nice kippers and poached egg breakfast upon landing at LHR in the lounge.

  I am not very optimistic about the meal and suspect I might have to see what is on the main menu.

  My 3.7 reading followed two meals today. Breakfast of smoked salmon, poached eggs and half a tomato in the lounge and a very small serve of Tuna with cucumber salad for lunch on the plane. I recorded 4.8 when I reached Hong Kong.

• posted by TonyHancock
  on 30 Nov 2017 at 19:01

  

  The diabetic meal was not great. It included a chicken salad which was OK, but the main meal was a disaster – steamed fish, courgette, and carrots with a huge pile of white rice. I left the rice.

  The first main menu option was actually the best meal for me, New Zealand fillet steak with asparagus, lentil puree, mushrooms, and carrots.

  Fasting readings today up around 5.7.

  The more I read the more I find the advice from the likes of Diabetes UK and Australia and the respective medical professions shocking.

  Still feeling remarkably good. I am usually exhausted after flying Australia to the UK but today I feel full of energy.

• posted by KazzUK
  on 4 Dec 2017 at 13:45

  

  Tony – keep up the good work! Doing BSD with all the travelling is very inspiring! I hope you are feeling proud of yourself. You should be! Big pats on the back!

• posted by TonyHancock
  on 4 Dec 2017 at 18:41

  

  Thanks KazzUK, I don’t feel very proud today. I had a quick business lunch at TGI Fridays and make the rookie mistake of not checking nutrients. I opted for the hot boneless wings and was shocked to find out that they had 38g of Carbs. Completely messed up my meal plan today and put me well over the 1200 calorie mark once the dip was taken into account.

  The only good news is that I have dropped another KG since Wednesday last week bringing total weight loss to 11 Kg in six weeks.

  Extra rowing and cycling session for me tonight bringing today’s exercise time to 2 hours and 13 mins. Still got to get another 1000 steps in to hit the 10,000.

  As I get near the end of the 8 weeks I am a little apprehensive about what to expect. Is my pancreas working normally or will my blood sugar level hit the roof at the slightest scent of carbohydrates? I guess it will be time for some experimentation.

• posted by TonyHancock
  on 23 Dec 2017 at 07:23

  

  After 8 weeks the final tally was 13 KG weight loss and a fasting Blood sugar Level around the 5.3 mark. I have dropped 3 inches off the waist and feel better than I have done for 20 years. I haven’t had a drink for 9 weeks….but plan on the odd glass of red over Christmas.

  My aim is to move to a 5-2/6-1 diet and lose another 6 KG which will get my BMI under the 25 mark.

  It has been an extraordinary two months. I had forgotten just how good avocado and asparagus are. Eggs, salmon and tuna have never tasted so good.

  The amount of carbohydrate/sugar in food I thought was really healthy has blown me away. I have discovered protein bread and Herman Brot Lower Carb bread which I indulge myself with at he weekend for breakfast. The protein pots in UK supermarkets have been a godsend on my travels.

  I am working on 1800 Cals each day for my non fasting days and 600-800 for the fasting days.

  I’m a late starter to the headspace app…which, despite my initial scepticism, I think will prove effective for de-stressing.

• posted by Mixnmatch
  on 23 Dec 2017 at 07:45

  

  Fantastic results, well done for sticking to it, and your plan to continue with 5:2 or 6:1 sounds really well thought out. Please continue posting your progress, and let us know if your diabetes diagnosis is reversed and how the cycling is going, uphill should be getting a lot easier now 😁

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