“Diabetes diet” compared to LCHF – in reality

December 29 2014 by in Diabetes stories, Success stories

Before and after

What works best in reality – the dietitian’s “diabetes diet” (probably low-fat) or low-carb?

Here’s Mia Larsson’s spectacular story that she emailed me after having tried both. What do you think happened?

The Email

In March it was discovered that I had type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Medication, exercise, weight lifting, dietitian etc… Weight loss was high on the list. I weighed 235 pounds (107 kg) in February to my 5’4″ (162 cm). After three months of hard work, an hour a day of gym 3 days per week and 30-minute walks 6 days per week and a “diabetes diet” I had lost about 6 pounds (3 kg) and was not a happy camper.

On June 25th my husband and I started low-carb. After two days we each started to lose up to two pounds a day. Amazing! We’ve continued with gym and walks but not as ambitiously.

Three months later I’d lost 44 lbs (20 kg) and my husband 50 lbs (23 kg)! My health numbers are great and I’ve been able remove 1/2 tablet of the blood pressure medication.

Our customers have now started to wonder what secret stuff we’re doing and our days are becoming more like dietary counseling for people than for our pets… The other day we realized that in about 20 more pounds (9 kg) we will have “removed” an entire Frida – my only full time employee in our pet supply store!

Sincerely,
Mia Larsson

Comment

Six pounds of weight loss with exercise and “diabetes diet”, compared to 44 lbs (20 kg) on LCHF in the same amount of time. That’s some victory. Congratulations, Mia!

LCHF for Beginners

Diabetes – How to Normalize Your Blood Sugar

“Hello LCHF – Goodbye Type 2 Diabetes”

How to Lose Weight

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21 comments

1
Anthony
December 29 2014
Great work Mia ! It will only get better. I have been on LCHF for a year now and find it an easy way to live life to the fullest.
2
Eunice
December 29 2014
Well done Mia! what an inspiration! I'm on day 3 and feeling amazing! Keep up the good work!
3
Anita
December 29 2014
Congratulations! Keep it up.......
4
Jan
December 30 2014
Great to hear Mia.

I have been living the LCHF lifestyle for over six years now ....just makes perfect sense to me.

All the best Jan
5
smc
December 30 2014
Well done Mia. It would be instructive to many of us here if you would detail what the official "diabetes diet" consisted of.
6
Usman
December 30 2014
Hi Mia , Congrats on your achievement.
i too am on LCHF since a year but nt loosing much.
could u be able to tell me your diet.
wud be a great help.
thanks a bunch
all the best.
7
Kath
December 30 2014
When I was diagnosed with diabetes about ten years ago the dietitian told me to eat between 200 and 250 carbs a day. It made my diabetes worse!! I didn't know about LCHF at that time, but I lowered my carbs on my own to about 50 a day, it was the only thing that got my sugars in tact. When I went back to the dietitian for my follow up, I got admonished for not eating enough carbs. Really?? Why doesn't a dietitian understand diabetes better? That's their JOB. My doc told me not to listen to the dietitian and keep doing what I was doing because it worked. I realize now, of course, that 50 carbs was too many. I try to eat between 10-15 carbs per day.

Reply: #11
8
FrankG
December 30 2014
Yes the standard advice is to regularly eat carbs "for energy" and that we need plenty of the "health giving" grains and fruits... after all why would we deprive someone with Diabetes the chance to eat a "normal" diet... just like "normal" people do... after all they can always take more medication to control the Blood Glucose! :-P
9
Janknitz
December 30 2014
In the US, diabetics are advised to eat "at least" six servings of carbohydrates a day, a serving being 15 grams of carbohydrates. They are told to reduce all fats, especially saturated fats. As a result they become sicker and more dependent on medications as time goes on.

I listened to a bariatric surgeon and dietitian talking in an NPR radio program about diets yesterday (avoid "fad diets", eat less, move more, buy a sectioned plate to make it easier to follow "My Plate" guidelines--drivel) but for the first time they reserved all their villification for sugar, hardly warning against fat at all. The bariatrician even mentioned the importance of protein and "other foods" for satiety and to reduce insulin and leptin spikes. Change is coming, slowly, slowly.
10
Carlos
December 30 2014
Great Job Mia keep up the good work...by the way i am a Personal Trainer here in California so keep up with your workouts and try to break up your workouts every 3-4 weeks for variety etc.
11
Reply to comment #7 by Kath
Mark
December 31 2014
In many cases the advice is to reduce "sugars" (along with "salt" and "fat") whilst specifically eating lots of "starch". Which really makes little sense since amylose and amylopectin are the richest sources of glucose a human can possibly eat.
You'd think chemistry and biology would be a basic requirement for a "dietitian", apparently not.

Reply: #12
12
Reply to comment #11 by Mark
erdoke
December 31 2014
For type 1 diabetics the most important parameter to monitor is indeed blood sugar. However, for most type 2s it is insulin, i.e. the insulinogenic characteristics of foods or food combinations. There is of course connection between the two, but there are also marked differences. Some foods have lower insulinogenic effect than what could be predicted based on the sugar content, while some others are just the opposite.

Reply: #13
13
Reply to comment #12 by erdoke
Mark
January 2 2015
It's quite easy for anyone, at least the industrialised world, to easily obtain a fairly accurate device to test blood plasma glucose. Thus the approach of "eat to your meter" is possible. (Even if the medical profession prefers the Hba1C test.)
In contrast it's not easy to get a C-peptide test done at all, without there being any self test options.
Most likely any published Insulinogenic Index would have a similar shortcommings to published Glycemic Index figures.

Reply: #14
14
Reply to comment #13 by Mark
erdoke
January 2 2015
You are correct. However, there are some basic rules that could be applied, like fibers reduce insulin response as well as lactic acid (organic acids?), etc. On the other (red) meat and whey both have considerably higher insulinogenic effect than one would expect.
15
Murray
January 4 2015
Measuring ketones is a decent inverse proxy for insulin. When my beta-hydroxybutyrate level is above 1.5 mmol/L first thing in the morning this is fairly reassuring that my insulin has zeroed out overnight. Other things that raise my ketones are eating just fat, walking and working at a stand-up desk. I don't find cheese in my usual portions affects ketones much. (My understanding is that it is whey that is more highly insulinogenic and most cheeses have the whey drained off. Also, with fermented cheese the lactose is converted to lactate, which gives a brain energy boost without affecting blood sugar or insulin.) Eating a large meat protein meal drops ketones, as do carb servings other than modest portions of low-glycemic carbs in unprocessed state.
16
Richard KSA
January 5 2015
I had tried many diets programs and read many diets books, but I am getting confused by the contradicting dietitians. I would like to give LCHF a try, but afraid of its bad side effects, such as:

LCHF diet can cause cancer, present in red meat, heart problem due to fat deposits, kidney stone, constipation ....etc

Any scientifically proven comments are highly appreciated.....Thank you all

Replies: #17, #18
17
Reply to comment #16 by Richard KSA
bill
January 5 2015
Richard:

Science doesn't work like that.

If you state something such as LCHF diet has
bad side effects, you must state the scientific proof.

If you ask us to prove a negative, you can always
say that any evidence we put up isn't enough.

Might want to do a little more reading before
posting again. Taubes, Good Calories, Bad Calories,
Teicholz, The Big Fat Surprise, Eenfeldt, Low Carb
High Fat Food Revolution are great places to
start.
18
Reply to comment #16 by Richard KSA
Galina L.
January 5 2015
Lowcabing for diabetes is not controversial any longer - here is the registered dietitian who treats her diabetic patients with a LC diet http://www.lowcarbdietitian.com/blog/plant-based-vs-low-carbohydrate-..., not to mention Dr.Bernstein http://www.diabetes-book.com/, who is close to 80 now and still working despite being diagnosed with D1 at his yearly teens.
19
Brenda
March 19 2015
Looking back, look at at the processed foods introduced into our homes 30+ years ago; we did not know they were bad for you. Keep in mind with LCHF, you will elimate those processed foods; go natural......the way God made it. Keep reading, do your research and use your insticts; after reading about LCHF it just seems to make sense to me. It is recommended you just dive in and go cold turkey on the bad stuff (carbs/sugar); but if your hesitant I say take baby steps. Start by elimating one thing one week, another the next and so on. You will know by the way you feel. Our bodies communicate with us; you will know if something is wrong or not......but you have to have an open mind.

Congrats to all who have been successful on LCHF.
20
Marion
November 7 2015
Amen Mark. If I just look cross-eyed at a banana it spikes my blood sugar, but I can eat a whole mango and no spike at all.
21
Nancy
November 25 2015
I have been on the LCHF diet for about 2 years. I am no longer pre diabetic. The blood work shows a lot of improvement, but no great weight lose. I am 86 and maybe my system has slowed down.
However, my question is how do you find a doctor that will support you with the LCHF diet. All I get is the calories in, calories out and you must eat 5 time a day. I know that is ridiculous as my blood work shows. I can't imagine what else they have me on that is doing me damage. I live in the USA, so if anyone knows how to find a good doctor, I would love to hear.

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