The Newcastle diet and why I don't rate it !

This was part of a comment that came in today on the 'Professor Roy Taylor of Newcastle University and his ludicrous diet plan' thread.

"I've no doubt that if people who've done the diet go back to exactly how they were eating before that they'll end up in the same place they started - but the researchers make it clear that regaining weight will null the effect.

I don't quite get why you're so against it - as Dr Bernstein says, "what works, works" - if it works for people, more power to them. Far better than doing nothing or guzzling drugs believing they'll save you, IMO"

Do I think people on a starvation diet will lose weight ? yes Do I think BG numbers and other markers will improve ? yes. So what's the problem. My problem is with diets, almost all do not work. All too often people go back to their old ways. Diabetics must set up a dietary regime for life not eight weeks. Why starve yourself when there is no need ? why consume expensive shakes ? when great food is available. For me the Newcastle diet is a short term gimmick. Sooner or later to maintain life long good diabetes control, a low carb high fat diet will be required for most diabetics. Why wait eight weeks, get on the right diet today.

At the risk of boring people with my story this is what happened to me.

At diagnosis, I was at least 50lbs overweight with a waist of 40”. HbA1C 12 BG 26. Following the NHS advice I got nowhere fast, which is typical for most. When I started low carbing my BG numbers went to non diabetic within 5 days*. I reported this on the flog.(2500 posts since deleted) I even stayed awake for 24 hours testing every hour, non diabetic numbers 24/7. This was achieved easily on a diet of 1300 to 1400 calories per day and 30 grams of carb. No starvation, no expensive shakes, no messing around. Three months later, waist 32" HbA1c 5.4 vastly improved lipids and BG numbers non diabetic. Sorted ? not quite.

My only problem was weight was still going down, people started to think I had some sort of terminal illness (I expect a few wish I had eh) The problem was solved by upping high quality fats. Double cream, cheese, olive oil, butter, nuts and seeds. These days I am on around 2500 calories a day and 50 grams of carb, 34" waist, and still holding non diabetic numbers, still on the two 500 mg Metformin pills I started out with. I have been a type two diabetic for six years in two weeks time, low carbing for 5 years and 9 months.

Good for me eh, not only me, good for just about every type two diabetic I know, and I know a lot of diabetics. Let Roy bugger around with starvation diets, blowing £2.5 million on shakes and junk. I have achieved the results that worked for me and lots of people I have helped, without gimmicks. Forget the word diet, think lifestyle, for life.

Just out of interest, can someone tell me how much these shakes cost per week ? Thank you.

* Going from very high BG numbers to non diabetic too quickly using diet or medication or both, can cause permanent eye damage. I did not know this at the time. I got lucky, no damage, do not take the risk. Take weeks or even months to gradually bring numbers down. Remember this is not a race. 

Eddie

Read Kath's eye posts on our wordpress blog here.