[Diabetes] General Chat and Support Thread

Great to hear Banie

Keep it up.

I have lost about 3 stone since November, just by cutting out rubbish and getting in lots of walks. weight slowly coming off, no hunger pangs as most of the time I am eating normal dinners, but also lots of fruit and fibre. Fasting BG average down a couple of points, but more importantly my liver scarring is back in safe mode.

Update from the end of Week 8 of Newcastle Diet.

This would be the usual termination point of the Newcastle Diet, however due to my not being as disciplined over the last couple of weeks I am extending my own run at it by 2 weeks

Happy to report that I am still maintaining good BG levels and that I am now in my 6th week of not needing a basal insulin dose.

Weight wise, I am still hovering around the @98.5kg mark. About a 13% improvement from my starting point and my BMI is @25.

I am booked in for a HbA1c on the 1/5 and that will give a good overview of any actual benefit the diet has brought.
My last HbA1c was in October and came in at 49 (6.6 in old %) and has been in that range for over 3yrs now.
Maintaining or indeed actually improving on that HbA1c as a result of this effort would to my mind at least be a really good indication that this is a worthwhile undertaking for T2/T1.5, pre-diabetes and insulin resisitance.

My BG readings on the whole over the course of this diet have been within range and on a par with my readings whilst taking Insulin.


As always any questions feel free to reply and ask either on thread or via PM.

It terrifies me!
I'm diagnosed @13yrs now. Always had very tight control in that entire time probably only 2/3 Hba1c above 7 and usually in around the 6 range.

Despite that I'm starting to encounter the complications. Have incipient retinopathy in both eyes and despite my best efforts I know all I can do is to slow it rather than reverse it.

Even with my current diet effort, it's a means for me to feel a little more in control I think.
To reduce dependence on insulin and meds so when my last few Beta cells finally do cave in I'm starting from a lower dosing base than if I'd carried on taking my current insulin dose.

The complications are frightening, and it's the sense of inevitability that many health professionals approach them with that I find even more frightening.

It's too easily and quickly labelled a progressive disease and unless the patient pursues the aggressive course of diet and lifestyle adjustment that can bring positive change, they in my experience at least.
Seem to be abandoned to a path of review appointments and ever increasing medication.
With the complications of artery disease, cardiac issues, BP, Retinopathy and neuropathy just accepted and dealt with as they arise.

Diabetics as a whole IMO, need to take more ownership of their prognosis and know that change is hard, bit it's easier than losing a foot or going blind.

Eircom_Sucks wrote: »

Since being diagnosed 4 weeks ago my blood sugar levels hovering about 10

Im on 500mg metaformin twice a day

Is it ok to increase the dose urself to 1000mg twice a day ?

Or do i have to wait till i see my gp in a months time ?

Also how to i bring them down lower ?

Check out Keto.

Eircom_Sucks wrote: »

Since being diagnosed 4 weeks ago my blood sugar levels hovering about 10

Im on 500mg metaformin twice a day

Is it ok to increase the dose urself to 1000mg twice a day ?

Or do i have to wait till i see my gp in a months time ?

Also how to i bring them down lower ?

Advice offered to date is all good.
How are your night test and morning?

Asking how to control your highs is very much related to what you have eaten.
Potatoes, pastas, breads particularly white or brioche, juice, and numerous other foods will all spike your glucose.

The main way to control high sugar is identify and avoid the causes.

What is your current finger prick routine?
How are you tracking your post prandial number and are you keeping at least a basic food diary to help identify any "trigger" foods?

Don't change your meds without speaking to someone on your care team.
And don't approach a high glucose read with the attitude of I'll carry on as is, and just up my dose.

That's not solving the issue, just masking it.

For those of us who worry about the inevitability of complications and their progression.

Had to visit the Opthalmic clinic today for a Retinopathy check up.
Been every 6 months for the last couple of years.
Today...
The beautiful Dr Olga, discharged me fully from the clinic and back into the normal screening service!

I know it sounds small, but I've gone from having a rapid onset of retinopathy in both eyes, to no change over the last 18months!
I'm bloody delighted!!!

Tight control and little changes can and do make a big difference.

I was in with my practice nurse this morning to get bloods done for A1c and other bits.

She was fascinated by the change in both my appearance and my BG control over the course of my doing the Newcastle Diet.
I'm still Insulin free, approaching 8weeks without a basal dose now.
She immediately wrote down every bit of info I had to hand and said that's her morning sorted now whilst she goes off to take a look at the research.
I am due back in next week but the nurse was so excited she said she would ring me on Friday as soon as she had an A1c back as she is mad to see if the improvement I'm encountering bares out in that.

Really great attitude and engagement, I don't usually deal with my GP for my Diabetes care as I'm under a public endo.
Usually GP is a repeat prescription or non diabetes issues
Really great tho to see my primary care team being so engaged and supportive.

vargoo wrote: »

Hmm, should she not know about Newcastle already? Shouldn't she be pushing it on everyone?

You would hope so.

But aside from one nurse on my Endo/Diabetes team there seems to be very little knowledge of the diet in any of the other health professionals I've spoken to about it.
Which considering it's being used as a frontline T2 treatment in trials in the UK is very surprising.

Most I've spoken to approach it from the standpoint of it likely being a "fad" type diet until it's explained to them.

banie01 wrote: »

You would hope so.

But aside from one nurse on my Endo/Diabetes team there seems to be very little knowledge of the diet in any of the other health professionals I've spoken to about it.
Which considering it's being used as a frontline T2 treatment in trials in the UK is very surprising.

Most I've spoken to approach it from the standpoint of it likely being a "fad" type diet until it's explained to them.

Health professionals don't keep up with the latest health news.

My GP, I've stopped just short of saying it to him a few times now.

banie01 wrote: »

To round off my Newcastle Diet posts with some actual numbers.

Got my HbA1c back for the 1/5 back this morning and it came in and the grand total of....
47!!(6.4 in old money)
Insulin free since the 24/2 and whilst the glucometer readings were ok in my mind.
That puts a number on that I can compare to my HbA1c from mid October 2018.
That was a 49.(6.6)
So not just did the 8weeks of Newcastle diet allow me to maintain previous BG it has improved!
Along with entering month 3 of no basal insulin!

My GP is very interested in how it went, and how I managed on the 800cals a day.
Let's be honest, it's not a regime for everyone.
But, if 8weeks can make this kind of difference in an insulin dependent type 1.5/LADA patient, surely if someone is healthy enough to try without risk they should be supported.

My basal insulin requirement has gone from between 28 - 60 units of Lantus.
To zero!
I'm back to a normal diet now, still 14kg below my starting weight and the bloods and insulin requirement doesn't lie.

It has given me a huge sense of ownership of my illness. Rather than just upping my meds and accepting the progression.
A bit of willpower, stubbornness and massive support from my wife and child have allowed me to feel in control of this part of my illness.

Well done Banie
The next bit will be the hardest, what will be your motivation going forward and what support will you require?

Not looking for an answer for above as that is a personal thing that you have to decide.

I tried the diet a few years ago and it worked great for me, but my issue and noted in earlier posts was that my original motivation was wrong (Reverse type 2) and I had no medical support when I finished the diet.

Am tinkering with the diet at the moment, not using it fully, but moderating 5/6 days on and a mix on weekends. Watching what I eat since before the end of last year (no biscuits, cakes, chocolate, all the bad things, plus I should not have been eating them anyway) and I am down approx. 4 stone, to just over 100kg, with a target weight of around 80kg eventually. (What I used to be when I was younger)

Plenty of exercise thrown in, mainly walking and swimming. long way to go but getting there slowly but steadily, and my motivation is strong that I will not get as heavy as that ever again and get my BG down under 5 and be able to reduce my Metformin.

I am type 2, BG is down from an average of around 10 to approx 7.7 and dropping by the week, reading this evening before dinner was 5.9

So well done again and best of luck Banie, the hard bit IMO comes next.

https://twitter.com/tom_watson/status/1129763900906459140