On 16th June 2016 I found out that I was a Type2 Diabetic, my HbA1c was 62, cholesterol was 4.9 and BP 144/92 and I weighed 13 Stone 13 lbs (88.4 Kg) with a BMI of 30.2. I was sent off with a bag full of pills (Metformin & Statin) and a booklet about Diabetes. Needless to say that was not the best news I ever had. So I took my pills and read the booklet, which still suggested that I can have loads of carbs and some sweet stuff!
I decided to do a bit of my own research and soon found lots of information on the Internet, some good, some bad and some controversial.
I found the Ditch The Carbs, Blood Sugar Diet by Dr Michael Mosley and Sugar Free by Karen Thompson and these lead me to look at a whole host of others including Diet Doctor (Andreas Eenfeldt MD), Professor Tim Noakes, Professor Roy Taylor, Dr David Unwin, Emily Maguire, Ted Naiman and Dr Aseem Malhotra. All these wonderful people have websites and social media that support diet and exercise and a LCHF or real Mediterranean Diet to improve your health.
After spending some time reading their websites and tweets I decided to give it a go and try Low Carb. I stopped the bread, pasta, potatoes and rice and started including more vegetables, some fruit (Berries, Apples, Pears ) and trying out some of the recipes from Ditch the Carbs and the BSD. I also started some basic exercise; I walked for 30 mines a day. Pretty soon began losing weight and feeling better. I mixed up my menus taking my inspiration from Karen’s Sugar Free book, Libby’s Ditch the Carbs website, Andreas’s Diet Doctor Website and the BSD book by Michael Mosely.
Over the last 3 months my cooking has had interesting results, as somethings I cook really well other were a bit of a disaster (Down to me not the recipes : ) I have become a big fan of cauliflower rice and I am now enjoying butter, eggs, cheese and some full fat yoghurts, cream and nuts and I am losing weight. Much to the bewilderment of family and friends. I have even now increased my exercise and I’m doing HIIT sessions from the fabulous Joe Wicks (Freely available on YouTube) whose 15 minute low impact workouts are fantastic and fun.
It’s now 24th September and I’ve had a 3 month blood test to see how I am getting on -The results are in!
HbA1c is now 39, cholesterol is 3 (LDL=1.3, HDL=1.3) I now weigh 11 Stone 9 lbs ( 75 Kg ) and my BMI is 25.6. At my review they have kept me on Statins and I am now down to 1 Metformin and my BP is now 131/84. With my Diabetes Nurse I have agreed a target weight of 11 stone and another HbA1c test in 3 months. I’m also now trying to get my BP down a bit more so I’m going to start some Qigong and Mindfulness exercises.
I’ve had a fantastic journey over the last 3 months. I’m no saint as I have had a glass of red wine and a couple of squares of 85% dark chocolate during the last 3 months (But not every day!!)
I’ve found a supportive and vibrant community on the Internet who keep posting their recipes, research and hold forums discussing the latest developments in LCHF and Diabetes. I’ve managed to watch The Big Fat Fix and the Fixing Dad (Documentary about reversing Type 2 Diabetes by Anthony and Ian Whittington) and I’ve just watched the fantastic 2 part program by Dr Chris van Tulleken – The Doctor Who Gave Up Drugs. I’m now looking forward to the next few months of my new journey.
A big thank you to everyone in the LCHF community and to the Doctors who are supporting and researching this way of life.

As Albert Einstein once said “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we create them”

Keep posting and tweeting.
Andy @Crixus1963

Hi Andy, and if this is your first post, welcome. If only I had heard of this diet when I was diagnosed 11 years ago. My doctor put me straight on drugs as at 11.9 said it was too dangerous to try to reduce with diet. The drugs, particularly Metformin, made me so ill and I nearly had to set up camp in the toilet that he told me to go onto insulin – to by pass the digestive system. So 6 months into my diagnosis I was put on Lantus and he told me I would gain 15 kilos. Sure enough, within 6 months I was 2 stone 4 lbs heavier and 6 months after that 3 stone 5 lbs. I was only ever that weight when I was 9 months pregnant.

I won’t say you are lucky as you are T2 and no one wants that, but you are lucky because you have found this plan early (and similar) and been brave enough to take charge of your own health. May the good results continue for you. Now I have found this diet and only 12 weeks in, I too have reduced all my numbers except my blood pressure although that was down a bit from 140 / 80 to 130 / 70 so moving in the right direction. Let us know how your next test goes in 3 months and good luck.

Thanks sunshine girl. Hopefully I can keep my Type 2 in remission and eventually be rid of the Metformin, although they did not want to reduce it at all. Sadly the diabetes nurse had not heard of the work done by Professor Taylor, Dr David Unwin or Dr Michael Mosley so I left her a copy of the the paper produced by Professor Taylor produces (available as a free download to show doctors)
I’ve just got my copy of the new BSD recipes book so will be trying some of these out 🙂
I’ll post my December results once I get the numbers back from my blood test.
Good luck with following the BSD your numbers are heading in the right direction 🙂

HI AMB63
If that was your first HbA1c result, the 62, did you have any discussion with your GP about trying to bring your blood sugars down through diet and exercise before starting Metformin or other medication? I know it can be a bit overwhelming when you’re given a pile of information and expected to make decisions in a short space of time, and knowing what questions to ask can be tricky.

It sounds as if you’re taking it very seriously, and with such a recent diagnosis, it should be relatively easy to get your bloods back into the normal range if you stick to BSD. When is your next HbA1C test scheduled?
The recommended frequency for having HbA1c measured is at least twice a year, but more frequently if you’ve recently been diagnosed with diabetes.
If you’ve nothing scheduled for your next test, arrange one for maybe a month’s time when the impact of BSD eating should be apparent, and discuss stopping medication if the results are back in the normal range.

The other thing I’d advise is requesting on line access to your NHS records – I did it recently and think it’s brilliant – you get to see the results (alongside ‘normal’ ranges) before the appointment with GP or nurse, so you can have a think about them and be prepared with any questions that you want to ask, and you can see the history and trends with different results.

Yes, excellent advice from Frog.

My OH had Type 2 for some years. He went to Doctor and said he was going to take action with diet (waving BSD book) and asked for doctor’s support in having monthly HbA1c tests to monitor his results. He would have done the BSD whatever she said, but you will note didn’t ask for her permission or approval to do it, just requested her support in his taking action.

He was able to demonstrate BS reductions to normal levels in July and August, came off Metformin and September’s test replicated the results. Doctor had forgotten she had taken him off Metformin in August and was therefore doubly impressed by September, but also by the fact he intends to maintain the low carb and keep being tested to make sure he doesn’t slip up. She marked his record Type 2 “in remission” so he will continue to get the optician/podiatrist follow up.

So I think there could be conversations you could have with your GP along these lines if you think it might work.

Hope helpful 🙂

Hi Frog

That’s a great suggestion and I’ll get access to my records online.

When I got my 62 hba1c it was the practise nurse, didn’t even get to see a GP.

On my recent visit to the practice nurse I left her a copy of Professor Roy Taylor information for Doctors as she didn’t know about his or Michael Mosley so work.

My next blood test is in December so I will carry on with my current regime of food and exercise and see what happens then.

Hi lgorasusual

Think I will take the same approach at my December review. Let’s see if they will put me as Type2 in remission.

Hi Amb63 – I’m sure you’ll find the records useful – there should be instructions on how to access on your GP’s website.
the diabetes nurses at my GPs seem pretty clueless – a worry when only some of the nurses are “diabetes trained”

still, shouldn’t moan – someone replied to a post last night about the comlpex web of the US healthcare “system” – made me appreciate the NHS a bit more!