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Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:00 am
Posts: 101
Location: Nearly There
Low-Carb Plan: Atkins-Protein Power-Me
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Jeanie writes "I was diagnosed with diabetes shortly after having a hysterectomy in August of 1995. My doctor said that the physical trauma of surgery was just enough to push me over the edge (I'd been very close to a diagnosis for months).
I was not able to control my diabetes with exercise and diet, but had never tried a low carb way of eating. At the beginning of 2003, my blood sugar and blood pressure readings began to get worse and continued into the fall, when I made a decision that I needed to try something different or look forward to more medications being added to my daily regimen. This included insulin at night (for over a year), three oral diabetes meds, and three high blood sugar meds. I knew my insulin would be increased and I'd be taking it more often daily.
My HbA1c had gotten up to 8.7%. And my blood pressures were unacceptable. (My doctor told me that, for a diabetic, the bp readings are a clearer indicator of risk of heart attack and stroke than the blood sugar readings. So, I knew there'd be more meds or increase in strength of the meds in the bp department.)
I started the Atkins diet on September 22, 2003, after having studied it on the web and reading some of the newer Atkins books. My brother and his wife had just lost 15 pounds in two weeks. All of this convinced me, it would be a safe and wise thing for me to do.
Within the first week, my insulin had to be stopped completely; two oral diabetic drugs were stopped, and the third one was decreased in strength. About a month ago, one of my 3 blood pressure meds was stopped. I do anticipate more changes coming soon. All of this happened because my blood sugar and blood pressure readings got so low. In fact, I had so many low sugars the first month (that had to be treated with fast-acting carbs), I can't even consider having been on a low-carb diet that first month.
I have worked closely with my two doctors, who are very supportive of this way of eating. One dr is an internal medicine specialist and the other is an endocrinologist.
The only exercise I have been able to do is warm water exercises in a therapy pool twice a week (some weeks only once). I have osteo-arthritis and had to give up treadmill and walking, because of the pain in my knees. I'm already seeing improvement there as well, and I anticipate there will be a time in the future I'll be able to take up walking again (when I lose more weight).
Neuropathy in my feet is the only complication I've experienced, and I developed that a few months before I was diagnosed with diabetes. During the early part of 2003, I began to suspect the onset of vision problems -- blurring, in particular. This scared me, as my diabetic mother had laser treatments on her eyes to stop blindness. She also died of a heart attack, as did my father. So, I have had a lot of "wake-up calls".
In December, I got new lab results: ALL my lab work fell within normal range: total cholesterol-129 , HDL-42 , triglycerides-83.4 , LDL-70, CHOL/HDLC ratio=3.07 . All kidney and liver function tests were normal. And, what I was most excited about -- my HbA1c (3 month average blood sugar) was 5.9%, a result of a non-diabetic (4.4%-6.4%).
I encourage anyone with diabetes to start this way of eating right away. Get the cooperation of your doctor. If he hesitates or objects, get him a copy of "The Schwarzbein Principle" written by an endocrinologist who has a clinic in Santa Barbara, CA."
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Tell me ... what fits in your schedule better: Exercising and prepping food for an average of an hour a day, or being/feeling dead 24 hours per day?
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