I started to make an effort to lose weight in August 2015 after advice from a friend (a German GP rtd). My Hba1C was 72 and my blood glucose was nearly 9. My weight was just on 100Kg and my BMI was around 34. I am a retired engineer and a believer that data is my friend<G> so I approached the diet in a structured way. I measure my weight in the morning before I dress and in the evening after I undress and note the data. I have a spreadsheet that I keep up to date and, using this, I get an average weight for the week and plot this as a graph. My target has been to keep the weight reduction to around 1kg per month and I have managed to keep close to this. I bought the BSD book last year and started using the advice in it and I am progerssing well – a bit faster since I got the book – towards my goal of a BMI of 25 by Christmas (currently it looks as though I will do better than this).
My weight today is 78.8kg and my last Hba1C was 44(June 2017) My blood glucose, which dropped quickly when I started the effort in 2015, is averaging 5.3. I am still taking 1 850g Metformin tablet a day (down from 2) and 1 glycoside tablet and I am wondering if this can be reduced.
One unexpected result is the Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) which is a measure of the state of the polymyalgia rheumatica I was diagnosed with in 2010. This has measured between 36 and 16 when the normal range is 2 – 10. To keep the symptoms at bay I take 10mg of steroid/day (prednisalone) this has many side effects including weight gain and suppression of the immune system.
My last measure (June) was 9 and I am considering stopping or reducing the steroid. I plan to talk to my GP as soon as I can.
Another unexpected result is my underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) measures in the June blood test would seem to indicate that I am now over treated and could reduce the thyroxine I take.
I have also noticed that the LDL cholesterol measure is now in the good area for trhe first time although the HDL measure is a bit low (1.43).
I always get a printout of my blood test results and keep them filed and I would recommend that everybody does this.
I would welcome any feed back

Mike

Well done Mike. I too am a chart maker and record everything. One thing is my doctor always wants to see my notebook so I have to fill it in for him so not just being anal. It shows weight, exercise, date and time with BG measurements and units of insulin used. When I am feeling a bit cheesed off and not losing weight I can look back to last year and see how far I have come. Not lost a lot of weight just 21lbs at the moment but I am not massive anyway but I have reduced my blood sugar from 190 to 90 reduce insulin from 40 units to 21, HbA1c as 11.4 now 5.4, cholesterol was 6.4 now 3.4 also triglycerides and blood pressure are also well down into normal range. I have blood tests every 3 months for diabetes and now he keeps testing my cholesterol (3 times in a row) but once a year I get a full blood and urine screening. I didn’t know what the sedimentation rate was for but mine was 24 mm in the first test then 54 in the second, that was in May 2016 now it is 14 in test one and 34 in the second. Notice that I should not be higher than 15 and 35 so mine is under that. Whatever it is it has improved as has everything else so something else to be pleased about.

Keep on keeping on…

Hi Mike
I started this WOE last October whilst into the second year of PMR. I lost two stone whist reducing the steroids and my ESR slowly reduced at the same time, and I am now symptom free with a normal blood result.
Although my weight has fluctuated (due to my lack of control), I am convinced that the anti inflammatory foods in the BSD helped to rid my body of the horrible condition.
Good luck!
X B

This article is sort of the antithesis of the BSD — if you follow this nutritional advice, it will undo all the good the BSD is doing. Sleep is good, but the rest of their advice is not in line with BSD recommendations and indeed, might be actually harmful to a diabetic.

I dont get your point Californiagirl, what article are you talking about. I read it as a post of someone who does the BSD to lose weight and get control of BG and found that other things improved. I think a lot of us have seen that affect.

I have a phone chat with my GP booked for Wednesday to explore the possibilities for drug reduction. I will report his recommendations
Mike

BTW: I think that Californiagirl was responding to the link posted by MittalG about sleep stuff not the stuff in the first post

The article on sleep was interesting because I really do believe that sleep is important. Not quite sure how drinking sugar cane juice is fine for people with diabetes. I think the author states that sugar and carbs do not cause diabetes which in my case very sadly they definitely did.

Mike – great news on your numbers. You have done so well. Good luck with your GP appointment.

Hi SG — yes, I was responding to July 17 article referenced by MitalG — I read the article and don’t think it is good advice given the parameters of BSD so suggesting people take the advice to sleep more, but not the rest of it😀