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View Poll Results: Are you diabetic or pre-diabetic and has the lc woe helped?
Yes. It has helped lower my blood sugar level. 13 33.33%
Yes. It has lowered my level and helped in other areas as well. 18 46.15%
Yes. I have lowered levels to normal range. 10 25.64%
No. It has not helped me significantly. 3 7.69%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 39. You may not vote on this poll

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  #1   ^
Old Thu, Aug-09-07, 20:09
Ironmaiden's Avatar
Ironmaiden Ironmaiden is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 29
 
Plan: GI
Stats: 409/369/135 Female 5 ft 3 in.
BF:
Progress: 15%
Location: Dallas
Default Does anyone here have diabetes or pre-diabetes?

I am starting Atkins phase1. Does anyone here have diabetes. How has the low carb lifestyle affected your diabetes or pre-diabetic condition and have you been able to achieve normal levels as a result of the diet?
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  #2   ^
Old Fri, Aug-10-07, 05:40
dancinbr's Avatar
dancinbr dancinbr is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 811
 
Plan: Dr. Bernstein (modified )
Stats: 298/205/199 Male 5 foot 11 inches
BF:
Progress: 94%
Location: Smithtown, NY
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ironmaiden
I am starting Atkins phase1. Does anyone here have diabetes. How has the low carb lifestyle affected your diabetes or pre-diabetic condition and have you been able to achieve normal levels as a result of the diet?


Welcome to our board.

Most of us are T2 diabetics and there are also plenty of T1's as well.

Low Carb is the ONLY way to save what function you still have working in your pancreas.

Do yourself a favor. Peruse the sight intensively. There is lots of information.

I was diagnosed 3/2007. My blood glucose (BG) levels were up to 350.

Within the first three months by following low carb diet and some meds my BG levels were down to the 100-120 range. Now with some weight loss and more to come My BG levels are now getting down to 80s and 90s where they belong.

So, yes the low carb lifestyle is MANDATORY to survive and control diabetes.

There is lots to read.

Atkins is a good start.

Also, go read up on Dr. Bernstein. Not everyone signs up to all of his beliefs but his book would provide a great deal of information for you.


Here is the Dr. Bernstein website http://www.diabetes-book.com/

Many people here are on different meds. Some take insulin. Others have gone with the natural remedies.

There is simply a wealth of information here.

Read the threads.

Ask the questions.

Join in with us.

We are all here to help each other control this disease.

Best wishes to you,

Ralph
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  #3   ^
Old Fri, Aug-10-07, 08:06
lfchanin's Avatar
lfchanin lfchanin is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 66
 
Plan: Protein Power, Bernstein
Stats: 157/157/165 Male 6'0"
BF:17.2%/10.3%/10%
Progress: 0%
Location: Sarasota, Florida
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ironmaiden
I am starting Atkins phase1. Does anyone here have diabetes. How has the low carb lifestyle affected your diabetes or pre-diabetic condition and have you been able to achieve normal levels as a result of the diet?


Hi,

Welcome to the forum, I'm new here as well. I'm a type II diabetic. I've only been on a low carb diet for a few weeks, but I've seen some improvements in glucose control. Despite being a diabetic, I've been thin all my life. So in my particular case I don't think it will be likely that I will be able to achieve consistent normal blood glucose levels without diet, exercise and medication.

However, people who have a bit of weight to lose have an additional card to play in their quest for better control. For example, if two type II diabetics have about the same readings, the heavier person has a better chance of achieving normal blood glucose levels after they drop several pounds.

Good luck.

Larry
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  #4   ^
Old Fri, Aug-10-07, 10:31
Ironmaiden's Avatar
Ironmaiden Ironmaiden is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 29
 
Plan: GI
Stats: 409/369/135 Female 5 ft 3 in.
BF:
Progress: 15%
Location: Dallas
Default

Thank you so much for responding to my post. I have battled my weight all of my life, but have been relatively healthy most of it.
I didn't think diabetes was such a big deal until my doctor told me I was pre-diabetic over a year and a half ago. Even then, I didn't understand it until I began to experience symptoms - swelling, shakiness, irritability, fatigue, etc....
I hadn't felt this for some time. Over two years ago, it was so bad I could hardly walk. I was tired all the time. Well, you don't need me to rehearse the symptoms. But Atkins helped. I just didn't have the discipline to stick with it.
When the symptoms returned, I didn't have insurance so I could not afford to see a doctor. I bought a meter. I am afraid I have become diabetic, but cannot afford the battery of tests. I know what that can mean and I am running for my life.
I have been practicing a low GI diet for awhile, but I have been recieving inconsistent results.
Next I cut out all fruit and that helped some. I'm trying induction, with supplements, until I get to normal. Then who knows after that. One thing I do know, I can't afford to give up this time.
I will definitely read Dr. Bernstein. Thanks so much for your help.
Have either of you tried cinnamon or vinegar? If so, has it helped?
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  #5   ^
Old Fri, Aug-10-07, 10:47
lfchanin's Avatar
lfchanin lfchanin is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 66
 
Plan: Protein Power, Bernstein
Stats: 157/157/165 Male 6'0"
BF:17.2%/10.3%/10%
Progress: 0%
Location: Sarasota, Florida
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ironmaiden
Have either of you tried cinnamon or vinegar? If so, has it helped?


Hi,

I take cinnamon, as well as a number of other supplements, but I'm afraid I haven't been able to isolate it's effect, if any, from the effects of the other supplements. Exercise, the low carb diet, and metformin medication are the big three that have an obvious effect on my blood glucose control.

Larry
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  #6   ^
Old Fri, Aug-10-07, 12:18
RobLL RobLL is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,648
 
Plan: generalized low carb
Stats: 205/180/185 Male 67
BF:31%/14?%/12%
Progress: 125%
Location: Pacific Northwest
Default

I was the first "no" vote. It is not entirely accurate to say that low carbing and losing lots of fat didn't help. I no longer have high readings. I can only guess how high those reading would have been had I been metering. But my FBGs have continued to deteriorate
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  #7   ^
Old Fri, Aug-10-07, 13:04
Ironmaiden's Avatar
Ironmaiden Ironmaiden is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 29
 
Plan: GI
Stats: 409/369/135 Female 5 ft 3 in.
BF:
Progress: 15%
Location: Dallas
Default

Thanks for responding to my poll, RobLL. How long have you been diabetic? What are your FBG levels and how long have you been low carbing?
I see you've lost weight. Congratulations. How did you do it?
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  #8   ^
Old Fri, Aug-10-07, 13:32
nonegiven's Avatar
nonegiven nonegiven is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 55
 
Plan: LC for BG control
Stats: 278/196/000 Female 65.5"
BF:
Progress: 29%
Location: SW OK
Default

There was a dramatic difference in my BGs before I lost much weight. Even though being fat adds some IR, high levels of insulin in the blood adds a lot.

I do think a 300 lb person can get away with eating more carb than a 150 lb person because they have a higher blood volume. The larger person will have more total glucose in their blood than the smaller person when they have the same BG#. This means that the amount of carb a person can tolerate may decrease as they lose weight.
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  #9   ^
Old Fri, Aug-10-07, 13:42
Ironmaiden's Avatar
Ironmaiden Ironmaiden is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 29
 
Plan: GI
Stats: 409/369/135 Female 5 ft 3 in.
BF:
Progress: 15%
Location: Dallas
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by nonegiven
There was a dramatic difference in my BGs before I lost much weight. Even though being fat adds some IR, high levels of insulin in the blood adds a lot.

I do think a 300 lb person can get away with eating more carb than a 150 lb person because they have a higher blood volume. The larger person will have more total glucose in their blood than the smaller person when they have the same BG#. This means that the amount of carb a person can tolerate will decrease as they lose weight.


Wow. Thanks for the info. This is kinda scary since I have very little tolerance for carbs now. That's why I'm doing induction. I am trying to find normal FBGs. I hope this will also help me lose weight, but I guess regardless LC will always be my woe.
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  #10   ^
Old Fri, Aug-10-07, 15:42
lfchanin's Avatar
lfchanin lfchanin is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 66
 
Plan: Protein Power, Bernstein
Stats: 157/157/165 Male 6'0"
BF:17.2%/10.3%/10%
Progress: 0%
Location: Sarasota, Florida
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RobLL
I was the first "no" vote. It is not entirely accurate to say that low carbing and losing lots of fat didn't help. I no longer have high readings. I can only guess how high those reading would have been had I been metering. But my FBGs have continued to deteriorate


Hi Rob,

I notice that you state that you are on a "generalized low carb" diet. What does that mean? Roughly how many carbs do you allow yourself on a daily basis? Do you have a feel for your total daily caloric intake?

Larry
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  #11   ^
Old Fri, Aug-10-07, 16:38
NorthPeace's Avatar
NorthPeace NorthPeace is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 388
 
Plan: Nutritarian
Stats: 248/208/168 Male 5'9"
BF:Waist 46?/34/?
Progress: 50%
Location: British Columbia
Default

I was the second "no". A couple of years ago I was consuming 100 g net carbs a day, exercising a lot, and maintaining ketosis even at that level. I lost 30 lbs. But then winter came, then Christmas, and I cut back on cycling because of the ice on the roads...within a year I regained all the weight plus 10 lbs. With LC it is very important to stay on plan or it can be deadly. Too much carbs, and fat too, and you are in big trouble with respect to chronic diseases. Well it turns out I like the colourful food groups, so I am doing pretty well on Eat to Live (>=90% real plants), with moderate exercise, nearly doubling the weight loss of LC + extreme exercise. So compliance is probably more important than whether or not your plan is LC.

It is important to note that weight loss alone, no matter what diet, helps decrease the symptoms of metabolic syndrome. If you read journal articles that compare diets, you will find that weight, LDL, FG and C reactive protein tend to all go down together. The author will say their favourite diet is the best vs T2D (or other chronic disease) but much is explained simply by greater weight loss than other plans.

From daily FG's it looks like ETL has put my T2D into remission, and it has brought down my LDL and TG without affecting HDL.

Last edited by NorthPeace : Fri, Aug-10-07 at 16:44.
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  #12   ^
Old Fri, Aug-10-07, 16:50
MizKitty's Avatar
MizKitty MizKitty is offline
95% Sugar Free!
Posts: 7,010
 
Plan: Very high fat LC/HCG
Stats: 310/155.4/159 Female 67 inches
BF:
Progress: 102%
Location: Missouri
Default

Hi Ironmaiden, welcome

oooh, there's a great diabetes site where the author Jenny just blogged on why the GI diet isn't effective for some diabetics, let me go find you that link... BRB

Here ya go, scroll down to her August 6th entry:
http://diabetesupdate.blogspot.com/

That whole blog and all it's archives, and her site linked to it, "What They Don't Tell You About Diabetes", is absolutely fabulous reading. I've learned more in the months since I "found" it, than in my previous 6 years as a diabetic.

Congratulations on finding your way here. Atkins, Bernstein, or a good very low carb plan, is definitely the way to go to save ourselves from diabetes.


I couldn't be a more enthusiastic advocate for low carb eating, the way it's turned my health around. This time last year, I was in unbelievably bad health, thinking I was around the corner from disability and a call to The Scooter Store. Seriously, at the rate I was deteriorating, I feared I didn't have long to live.
When I started last August, I was a walking pharmacy, on 4 diabetes meds: 1500 mg of Metformin xr, 30 mg of Actos, 20 mg of Glipizide, I had just started Lantus (insulin), plus, I was on 40 mg of lisinopril for high blood pressure, and 40 mg of Lovastatin for high cholesterol. And still, my blood sugar numbers spent part of every day in the 300's and my BP uncontrolled at 160/90, and my cholesterol sky high.

I'm now off the Lovastatin with much improved cholesterol numbers, off the Lisinopril with normal blood pressure (low-normal, actually, typical readings are like 106/59), off the glipizide, off the Actos, and down to 14 units of lantus once a day. I think I'll be off it soon, then it will just be metformin. My blood sugar readings are always in a normal range now, 78 - 110, and still improving. I never would have thought it possible, but I think another year of my metabolism healing, and I may be able to control my diabetes by diet alone.
And oh yeah, I've lost 91 pounds.

Wishing great success for you, too!

Last edited by MizKitty : Fri, Aug-10-07 at 17:58.
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  #13   ^
Old Fri, Aug-10-07, 17:49
RobLL RobLL is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,648
 
Plan: generalized low carb
Stats: 205/180/185 Male 67
BF:31%/14?%/12%
Progress: 125%
Location: Pacific Northwest
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ironmaiden
Thanks for responding to my poll, RobLL. How long have you been diabetic? What are your FBG levels and how long have you been low carbing?
I see you've lost weight. Congratulations. How did you do it?


In the last year and a half I have had two sessions of retinopathy. My opth. doc says that my having gone low carb four years ago, I likely will be over this in an other year. He feels that it is related to one's high blood glucose readings over the last five years. Most of my fat was lost in the first 4 months. I started major weight lifting at the same time, and added a lot of muscles. A better indication of my results is that t-shirts & gym shorts went from XL & L, to M & S over that time.

After the first session with my eyes I was tested, and my reading did not put me in the 'diabetic' category, but after all of my research I assumed that my 'prediabetes' was just another way of saying I was diabetic. Against the recommendation of my doctor I started metering at the end of last December. By switching from 60 to 30 or so carbs a day I was able to get my BG numbers under a hundred some of the time, and almost never go above 120. But two viral infections (my suspicion) also saw my number move up, and FGBs in the 'diabetic' range. So my doc did the Dx. I am on Metformin and ALA/eve. primrose oil, and getting a few readings below 100.

Hi Rob,

I notice that you state that you are on a "generalized low carb" diet. What does that mean? Roughly how many carbs do you allow yourself on a daily basis? Do you have a feel for your total daily caloric intake?

Larry


Larry - per above I went from 60 grams to about 30 after I started metering. Essentially all carbs come from veggies, with maybe a small handful of berries out of the garden. Calories and Carbs: I don't count anything, but watch portion size pretty closely. I am very active and suspect I need about 2500 or more calories to maintain weight.
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  #14   ^
Old Fri, Aug-10-07, 18:11
Cajunboy47 Cajunboy47 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,900
 
Plan: Eat Fat, Get Thin
Stats: 212/162/155 Male 68 "
BF:32/23.5/23.5
Progress: 88%
Location: Breaux Bridge, La
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by nonegiven
There was a dramatic difference in my BGs before I lost much weight. Even though being fat adds some IR, high levels of insulin in the blood adds a lot.

I do think a 300 lb person can get away with eating more carb than a 150 lb person because they have a higher blood volume. The larger person will have more total glucose in their blood than the smaller person when they have the same BG#. This means that the amount of carb a person can tolerate may decrease as they lose weight.


This is not a true statement that you made. A larger body size does not equal a higher tolerance for carbs. A more efficient metabolism, usually improved by weight loss and exercise and a low carb diet can lead to better carb tolerance....

I can use myself as an example. At my peek high weight, my carb tolerance was about 10g and could not maintain control with medication, now at a lesser weight and without medication I have a carb tolerance above 60g and maintain control.
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  #15   ^
Old Fri, Aug-10-07, 18:59
MizKitty's Avatar
MizKitty MizKitty is offline
95% Sugar Free!
Posts: 7,010
 
Plan: Very high fat LC/HCG
Stats: 310/155.4/159 Female 67 inches
BF:
Progress: 102%
Location: Missouri
Default

Quote:
A larger body size does not equal a higher tolerance for carbs. A more efficient metabolism, usually improved by weight loss and exercise and a low carb diet can lead to better carb tolerance....


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