Anybody control type 2 diabetes by diet alone?

gamercraig · 20/07/13 - 20:34

After being diagnosed last November with Type 2 (think caught early as I had no symptoms, was picked up in a blood test) I have been very careful in how I eat, low carb mostly.

I have lost 2.5 stone, my readings came down and my GP was really pleased with me. But when I went to see the diabetic nurse she was almost visibly disappointed she couldn't prescribe me anything and said well, you will still need medication eventually.

The attitude made me quite angry, as she seems determined to dish out meds for people.

Just wondered if anyone else keeps theirs under control by diet and exercise?

molliepops · 20/07/13 - 20:53

Yes and when I went to see the diabetic nurse she was less than happy I was managing so well, even went as far as to say the 4 stone I have lost so far won't stay off long !

gamercraig · 20/07/13 - 21:02

Hmm..seems to be a theme among nurses then! Plus if I had followed the leaflet she first gave me when I was diagnosed I doubt my levels -and weight- would have come down. When she couldn't give me diabetes tablets, she instead prescribed me cholesterol ones, even though that had come down too!! I went back to my GP and he said my cholesterol level was fine, no need for the tablets. I think at my next annual HBA1C test I will simply go to my GP, ask for the readings and comparatives to last time

molliepops · 20/07/13 - 21:18

My thought totally on the diet they suggested. I watched my mum eventually die following their diet so looked at my own way of doing things. It's worked well so far and even my blood pressure medications are being brought down could be off them too if I can carry on losing the weight.

gamercraig · 20/07/13 - 21:41

Yes, I have halved my blood pressure med too, now on the minimum dosage. My GP is great and all for people taking control of things and coming off medication if they can. Complete contrast to the nurse!
I did things like, say, not have potatoes with my meals and have cauliflower more for the white on the plate. The more I looked into things, the whole food industry is such a big con. Just look at how much sugar is in low-fat items then people wonder why they don't lose weight despite eating low fat and also explains why diabetes is on the increase.
Cheese is my new chocolate!
If I had followed the leaflet given I would have been eating WAY too many carbs and would have been on meds by now. Disgrace.

Jo09 · 20/07/13 - 22:27

molliepops wrote: »

Yes and when I went to see the diabetic nurse she was less than happy I was managing so well, even went as far as to say the 4 stone I have lost so far won't stay off long !

Congrats on the weight loss.

I'm shocked that a nurse would tell you that.

Gogfumble · 20/07/13 - 22:49

I don't have diabetes but my mum did. She was forever told she would always be on insulin and would "find it incredibly hard to lose weight". They weren't encouraging at all. Now, my mum has died but she didn't try to help herself. She may be still with us if they were more encouraging in helping her change her diet rather than piling on the medication.

People with T2 can and do come off insulin when they lose weight and control their diet, surely this is something that should be encouraged?

I know of a lot of people that are given scare stories by doctors, dieticians and diabetes "specialists" that then go on to prove them wrong. I also know someone that decided to lose weight so went to the doctors like they tell you to before starting a new diet. The doctor told her she had no chance of losing weight "normally" and he would put her forward for a gastric band if she wanted. Unfortunately (well, her choice I guess) she went for it. She had no health issues apart from being overweight as to why she couldn't lose weight so why the doctor encouraged that I don't know.

molliepops · 20/07/13 - 22:53

Ah the gastric band - I was told I needed to put on another two stone to be put on the list (they suggested it I never asked for it). I decided then and there I was going to prove them wrong and I am doing that, I think that is why they get so cross. You would think they would look at us and say that's a better approach but no they cling to their ideas.

Granny McSmith · 20/07/13 - 22:57

Well done to gamercraig and molliepops.

Can I ask, how did the diet you used to control your diabetes and lose weight differ from the one given to you by the nurse?

molliepops · 20/07/13 - 23:02

I took a simple approach and stopped eating sugar even fruit contains sugar so no fruit or anything sweet, then I cut my carbs to under 40 a day, just two slices of brown bread, no potatoes or pasta or rice.

Eat protein and vegetables mostly.

The diet from the doctor was much less drastic and allowed carbs at each meal. Also included fruit and fruit juice.

gamercraig · 20/07/13 - 23:08

Ha, molliepops answer is the same as what I would have said!! I am convinced if you follow NHS advice you will not control your diabetes by diet alone, too many carbs. I don't feel like I am going without either.
Molliepops - what kind of things do you have for breakfast?

molliepops · 20/07/13 - 23:12

Breakfast is when I have most of my carbs I can't seem to enjoy breakfast with out toast so I have two slices of whole meal bread toasted with butter and two soft boiled eggs.

That keeps me going until about 1pm

I tried other combinations but that amount of protein and carbs works best for me.

Granny McSmith · 20/07/13 - 23:14

Thanks for the replies - no fruit at all, though?

molliepops · 20/07/13 - 23:18

Well that is what works for me, I needed to stop my addiction to sugar and coming off it completely was the only way. I don't miss it at all and have never had so much energy !

gamercraig · 20/07/13 - 23:18

I don't have fruit but eat plenty of veg to get my vitamins

gamercraig · 20/07/13 - 23:22

I also have butter and eat fat on meats. As I eat low-carb my body uses the fats for energy.

In reality I am simply eating like people did, say, in the early 1900s before processed foods came on the scene and then the low-fat misinformation

molliepops · 20/07/13 - 23:22

Indeed I have never eaten so many vegetables and so much salad - and as I am a vegetarian that is strange LOL

wendy13 · 21/07/13 - 01:50

research suggests a diet of 600 cals w/ optifast meal replacement plus vegetables for a short period 1-2 months reversed diabetes in some people.

what is crucial is the removal of fatty deposits around the pancreas so that the insulin can do its work effectively.

in the above research they found a diet of as little as 1 week showed some signs of reversing diabetes.

probably needs medical supervision especially if youre on medication and the meal replacement can be of something similar to optifast.

phepia · 21/07/13 - 02:04

Would replacing potatoes in meals for veggies make such a big difference really? I am overweight and would like to lose it so I am not at diabetes risk. I always thought potatoes was ok food to eat, as long as you don't over indulge of course.

Ulsterguy · 21/07/13 - 02:11

I use cinnamon. I take tablets after eating, or a coffee with cinnamon stirred in. I find it can bring my blood sugar down from 9 to 5 in 2 hours.

I find the nurses love it when the blood sugar is high and disappointed when it's low.

Hotgossip · 21/07/13 - 02:23

My hubby was told just over a year ago that he had type 2 diabetes. He was told he could go on medication which he didn't want to do. He decided he would try controlling it by losing weight. He didn't have much to lose really - you wouldn't look at him and think he was fat.

He has lost a total of 1.5 stones and he was told a few months ago that his blood sugar levels are now normal.:)

He eats lean meats, fish, loads of fruit and veg, salad and he has pasta and couscous but has cut out bread, biscuits, cakes, pastry etc. I make loads of casseroles, stews, homemade soups and he eats a very healthy diet now.

gregrichards · 21/07/13 - 02:34

My dad controls his diabetes with his diet. It's really annoying that he is not checking his blood sugar level at all when his gp said he has to do it every day.

gamercraig · 21/07/13 - 03:35

Ulsterguy wrote: »

I use cinnamon. I take tablets after eating, or a coffee with cinnamon stirred in. I find it can bring my blood sugar down from 9 to 5 in 2 hours.

I find the nurses love it when the blood sugar is high and disappointed when it's low.

What is going on? There seems to be a pattern here of nurses reactions being the opposite to what they should.

bspace · 21/07/13 - 04:51

gamercraig wrote: »

What is going on? There seems to be a pattern here of nurses reactions being the opposite to what they should.

they want to blame you

the way to control runs against all the nhs teaches them
they have no understanding of basic biology
they, along with most of the nhs, has swallowed the whole low fat approach to diet and can't accept that carbs are just as bad
and for diabetics far worse

high fat, low carb is the way to control

bloodsugar101 - google it

gamercraig · 21/07/13 - 11:08

Yeah my GP actually understands about the carbs as, when I told him about how I had lost the weight and got my readings down, he said watching carbs is the way to go. It is the nurse who is programmed and negative which is now why I refuse to see her and will just see my doctor for my results.
Another thing that's bad is that the NHS no longer give meter readers to Type 2 sufferers so I have no way of knowing which foods make me spike (apart from the obvious) hence why low carb is the only way forward
It's as if the NHS and drug companies want cases to increase

Hotgossip · 21/07/13 - 14:33

gamercraig wrote: »

What is going on? There seems to be a pattern here of nurses reactions being the opposite to what they should.

I believe the gp practice gets payments for the number of people they treat for diabetes. They certainly do for cholesterol pills anyway.

. Look up QOF payments NHs.

Hey there!

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Anybody control type 2 diabetes by diet alone?

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