In August, 2002, I
had been a morbidly obese Type 2 Diabetic for 16 years. My physician had tried
for years without success to get me to lose weight on a “balanced” diet. Then,
one day he said to me, “Have I got a diet for you!”
At 375 pounds I had
been taking progressively more and more oral diabetes medications since my
diagnosis in 1986. I was maxed out on micronase (a sulfonylurea), and Metformin,
and had recently started takin Avandia in futile attempts to control my
progressively worsening blood sugar. When Avandia didn’t work, I was then (in
2002) going to be left with only one option: to become an insulin-dependent T2,
injecting basal and mealtime insulin.
It turns out,
though, that my doc had recently read Gary Taubes’s, July 7, 2002, NYT Magazine
cover story “What If It’s All Been a Big Fat Lie?” Out of curiosity he tried the recommended Very
Low Carb diet advocated in the story (20 grams of carbs/day), and it worked for
him. So, he thought it might work for me too, and as he walked me down the hall
to schedule a follow-up appointment, he said, “It’ll probably be good for your
diabetes too.”
The result: Within
a day on this strict Very Low Carb diet, as a heavily medicated Type 2 diabetic
I was experiencing “hypos” (dangerously low blood sugars). I called my doctor,
and he told me to stop taking the Avandia. The next afternoon, when I had
another hypo, he told me to cut in half the micronase and Metformin. A few days
later he said to cut them by half again. He then saw me monthly for a year to
monitor my blood and other health markers. In the course of that year I further
reduced the micronase from 5mg to 2.5 to 1.25mg and finally completely phased
it out. I still take Metformin to suppress gluconeogenesis if, as I sometimes
do, I eat too much protein at supper.
In the first 9
months on the Very Low Carb diet I lost 65 pounds (1½ lbs./wk.). I then retired
from work and kept that weight off for several years. Then, over the course of
a summer, I added back 12 pounds (mostly from eating ice cream before bedtime,
as I recall). But by this time, I had also been lurking and learning from Dr.
(Richard K.) Bernstein’s online Diabetes Forum. I had also read Bernstein’s
“Diabetes Diet” and his “Diabetes Solution,” so I decided to try his program
(30grams of carbs a day). It was more focused on blood sugar control for
diabetics.
On Bernstein I lost
100 pounds in 50 weeks (2lbs./wk.). Altogether I lost 170 pounds, settling in at
205 pounds. I have since regained some of that weight, but frankly I have been
“off the ranch” for a while. I am still, however, much healthier than before. I
eat Very Low Carb most of the time and have retained most of the health
benefits.
My average HDL has
more than doubled (from +/- 39 to +/- 84mg/dL) and my triglyceride average has
been cut by 2/3rds (from +/- 150 to +/- 49mg/dl). I try to limit my carb
calories to 5% of my calories and my protein to 20%, leaving 75% for fat. I do
not limit salt, dietary cholesterol or saturated fat. I eat eggs and bacon and
coffee with full cream and pure stevia for breakfast, and just a can of sardines
for lunch. For supper, it’s just meat or fish and a low carb veggie with lots
of butter or tossed in olive oil and roasted. In a restaurant I’ll have a cocktail
(or 2) or two glasses of wine. The only dessert I’ll ever eat is berries (with heavy
cream) on a very special occasion. I
love a cheese plate (without bread or fruit), but it’s just too much food. I
always regret it if I occasionally order it.
After the first
year, I continued to see that doctor 3 times a year until his unfortunate
demise. I went just to get blood tests to monitor my A1c, lipid profile
(cholesterol panel), and other tests he wanted to do (kidney, thyroid,
electrolytes and EKG). They were all always normal. And my hsCRP, a chronic
systemic inflammation marker, plummeted from “high” to consistently less than
1.0 (very low risk of cardio vascular disease).
My new doctor, after
studying my chart on my first visit, suggested I see him once a year. I was
pleased that was his initial impression of my health, but I said I wanted to see
him three times a year, just to keep track of my success.
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