Well, to start off, I'm a very much overweight male (290lbs). I was recently on a round of steroids (prednisone) when I suddenly had an extreme thirst and an extremely high urine output. I then learned that steroids can cause your bs to skyrocket so I went to a Doctor. Blood and urine test results showed my bs at 300 and was told I was diabetic. The doctor later said the readings could be due to the steroids and that I might just be insulin resistant.

I was given Glucophage which I took until I was off the steroids. My fasting bs was around 119 - 122 without any medication.

I am now on the Atkins diet and mfasting bs levels run anywhere from 86 to 104. In fact, that's the bs range I get at almost any time of the day as long as it's been over an hour since I ate. I have noticed that the 14 pounds I've lost so far has made a difference in my fasting bs. I got off the diet last weekend and ate just about anything I wanted for 3 days just to see how it would effect my bs. I then tested my fasting bs and it was 110 - 115. I'm back on the diet now and the bs remains normal.

My question to you guys is : Can weight loss reverse insulin resistance? Also, I think the doctor jumped the gun a little by saying I was diabetic. What do you guys think?

Any help would be appreciated.

thanks
MadSci

Your "fasting" numbers were too high for a non-diabetic.

Steriods do tend to elevate blood sugar level and once off and out of your system the sugar level should drop back down.

It is possible to "control" diabetes in a non-diabetic range by losing weight, exercising, and watching what and how much you eat and not be on meds. It is well worth working towards.

They say, once diabetic, always diabetic, just a matter of being a controlled diabetic or not!!

I would go in and get a glucose tolerance test done. Steroids can wreak havoc on your blood sugars. My FIL was on them for a brain tumor and had an awful time with them for a month after he stopped taking them.

In a sense, you can reverse the beginning stages of type 2. Most type 2's start out diet controlled. It is only after they continue to have high blood sugars or are unaware during the diet controlled phase that they require oral agents or insulin.

I would insist on the test before I let them diagnose me. I applaud you for sticking with Atkins and I wish you the best with your weight loss and blood sugars

My question to you guys is : Can weight loss reverse insulin resistance? Also, I think the doctor jumped the gun a little by saying I was diabetic. What do you guys think?
MadSci

Short answer to what you ask is: Yes, I did it. My fasting glucose was 328 and 348 mg/dL when I was diagnosed at 227 lbs with a sedentary lifestyle. After losing 70 lbs, and continuing to exercise daily, my fasting is in the 80s, and its pretty darn tough for me to get my reading above 135 mg/dL. I will practically need to eat a banana split to drive it up like that. Judging by the response you have had with dietary changes, and the weight you can lose, I believe you have a good chance to do the same kind of "reversal." I certainly wish you luck and success.

Some people will say its reversed, others will call it well-controlled. Marie is correct in that once a diabetic, always a diabetic. Of course, that statement is certainly applicable to type I, but type II is somewhat different in a majority of cases. I think in time you will see the linkage also shown between gestational diabetes and type II, where the prior condition is a hint of things to come if the necessary lifestyle changes aren't made. A recent California Dept of Ag study indicated that the rate was 50% for later in life development of type II. I follow the line of thinking that type II for many is a result of lifestyle and that type II is merely the "final" stage of insulin resistance. Ah well, enough of my beliefs...

Currently, I eat just about what I want. Nowadays, I just control the portions and continue to exercise. Granted, I don't eat a lot of very high fat foods anymore, but the flexibility in my diet now is much greater compared to when I was diagnosed and relied on oral meds and diet selection to keep my blood glucose in range.

Yes yes yes!!!!


Ubernier..you are exactly right. You have defeated the demon and you are "cured" !!! Consistently eating junk would bring you back to diabetes (quicker than a "normal" person), but right now, your insulin sensitivity is like a never-had-it nondiabetic. Congratulations.

I am exactly where you are, too. No blood sugar stabilizing supplements, no drugs...nothing but proper diet (this was tricky at first...too much misinformation) and exercise.

Type 2 diabetes is a condition, not a disease. If you don't have the condition, you don't have the "disease".

I guess the answer would be absolutely, positively, yes. This can be turned around!!!

Edit: I guess I was a little excited, it sounds like your sensitivity is back to normalcy...I can't say that for sure, although mine is. Still, cogratulations!!!

Ubernier..you are exactly right. You have defeated the demon and you are "cured" !!! Consistently eating junk would bring you back to diabetes (quicker than a "normal" person), but right now, your insulin sensitivity is like a never-had-it nondiabetic. Congratulations.

Yes, cured to a point but, like you said, eating junk will bring me back faster than a normal person. Actually, I found that adding weight, and exercising half as much had my nightime baseline in the 100 mg/dL again. I wasn't going extremely high yet, but I knew something was up by the frequency of urination during the middle of the night. Once I got back home and started to lose weight and exercise, my blood glucose (on average) came back down.


I am exactly where you are, too. No blood sugar stabilizing supplements, no drugs...nothing but proper diet (this was tricky at first...too much misinformation) and exercise.

That's great. It's not the easiest road for sure, but I find it the most rewarding and hopefully, the one that will prevent further complications. Out of curiosity, do you exercise daily also?


Edit: I guess I was a little excited, it sounds like your sensitivity is back to normalcy...I can't say that for sure, although mine is. Still, cogratulations!!!

I understand the excitement ;) My sensitivity is normal, provided I keep the weight down and exercise going as above. Long term, who knows--I do like to be optimistic about it. I can only hope my body holds up from all the exercise. Also, I should add, that yes, my diet did change. I did increase by a huge amount the vegetables that I eat. I also got away from red meats, hamburger, prime rib...those kind of foods. I could eat them now because I would eat smaller portions; however, I have already lost my taste for beef, so I continue on.

Thank you all for your responses and a big thank you for the inspirational stories some of you shared. :bouncing:

I'm determined to lose weight and hopefully my response will return to normal also.

Thanks again!
MadSci

:bouncing: Above are your two approaches:
1)Once Diabetic always"-AMA, ADA, Joslin,...etc.
2) "Reversing Diabetes" with Diet, Weight Loss, Exercise" Whitaker, Bernstein, etc...

..But I think the issue is that some level of damage may be irreversible and no one is certain about what level. Amputaion an example. Blindness another. Neuropathy another. Damage to body functionality..to organs(?). The intestine, ankles, liver, kidneys, pancreas? Coincidentally many older type 2 have these problems. The question in everyones mind is diabetes or aging or both?
Whish someone would spend more time notifying the healthy public of the nature of this "Diabetic Condition" B E F O R E we develop the pathology!!! BEFORE we suffer the LOSS!!
It's a little like driving down a 4 lane hiway without a speed limit posting. Then being stopped for going 30-40 over the 100 mg/dl limit and being told you are guilty and it is a life sentence!

This is why it is so important to know your family history and the risks for this condition. It is recommended that anyone over the age of 45 be tested AT LEAST every 3 years. Most type 2's walk around for years without ever knowing that they have it because if it isnt before them, they dont think about it. I know diabetes was the last thing on my mind when I was diagnosed. Then, by the time they find out, they have had years of high blood sugars contributing to the complications.

Sooo many people have diabetes and don't know it. Two years ago, a coworker of mine who didn't even fit the "profile" just started feeling sick and got diagnosed with heart damage from type 2. He died a week later.

I do exercise, 5-6 days a week. All of it weight training, for three reasons. First, nothing sucks up glucose like an oxygen-deprived contracting muscle, second, the bigger your muscles get, the more glucose they require, and so the more glucose receptors they express in order to "support" their size. More receptors = more efficient disposal, assuming your sensitivity is good. Third, your insulin sensitivity stays enhanced for hours after.

Oh,and I hate aerobic stuff!!!

If your doctor says it's OK, weightlifting rules!!!

Do you do alot of reps slowly or heavier weights and less reps?
I love working out with weights, but am really unsure of which I should do.
Do you also not take breaks in between to try to keep your heart rate up?
I find that working with weights gets my heart rate up way higher than aerobic.....although I love my elliptical.

Do you do alot of reps slowly or heavier weights and less reps?
I love working out with weights, but am really unsure of which I should do.
Do you also not take breaks in between to try to keep your heart rate up?
I find that working with weights gets my heart rate up way higher than aerobic.....although I love my elliptical.


Hi, Miper

I haven't been posting as much lately, been too busy.

I change up my workouts periodically. Sometimes I do ten sets of ten with one minute rest in between sets. You use a weight at about 1/2 the amount you could lift once. You should be just barely able to get the last rep. This one exhausts your glycogen (muscle glucose) levels well, which is one way to increase glucose uptake. Sometimes I go heavy too (work up to 1 to 5 reps), the repair required helps dispose glucose, too. I sometimes do circuit training with moderate or heavy weights. Light weight circuits would keep me in the gym for a long time to feel like I've worked my muscles hard enough although that has it's merits, too.

Oh boy, squats with 10 sets of 10 (w/1 min. rest) where you fail or close to it at the end will definitely give your heart rate a big kick!

Typically, I work out a given muscle group twice a week.

You got your new supplements what, two weeks ago or so? Have you seen any difference yet? Some of those won't go into full effect for a month or so. You can also increase the dose on the olive leaf without any toxic effects if you think it would improve your energy.

I actually had to quit taking one because I felt like it was making me go hyperthyroid. It was a supplement made just for the thyroid.
I feel pretty good, just getting a little depressed because I now know what I am going to have to do to lose weight and get everything in check and I just don't know if I have it in me anymore.

I actually had to quit taking one because I felt like it was making me go hyperthyroid. It was a supplement made just for the thyroid.
I feel pretty good, just getting a little depressed because I now know what I am going to have to do to lose weight and get everything in check and I just don't know if I have it in me anymore.

I know it's hard. Sometimes you just get tired of trying...like that willpower muscle is just exhausted.

Before you do anything (forget about my crazy diet plan for now), try weight training like I do for two weeks. It burns fat way better than anything else. I personally don't think that traditional aerobic exercise is that effective at all, actually. The fat loss is just so insignificant compared to weight training that I just don't bother anymore. It may be your least sacrificial option in that you might be able to keep your diet the same and start losing weight again. In fact, I really think you would.

I know you aren't big on pharmaceuticals, but sometimes they can help. Your doctor is pushing metformin. And assuming you have syndrome X, that's probably the best option, medicine wise. Should you find new inspiration later (and I bet you will), you can get off of it without a problem.

Another option that I've been looking into is bupropion, which is the generic for the antidepressants wellbutrin and zyban (the stop smoking med). One human study showed a dramatic increase in weight loss vs. a low calorie diet without it. It could also help with that drained feeling, and you can get off it too without difficulty (in fact antidepressants are often supposed to be temporary). It isn't approved as a weight loss drug yet, so your doctor may not be familiar.

In regards to glucose control...it has been addressed. I saw several research abstracts from obesityresearch.org, but to see the full texts it costs money...it's obesityresearch d o t org, not d o t com...geez. I understand that they can't operate on nothing, but I think this info should be free, especially if the study is over a year old. Can't the cost of a free look be covered in the operating costs of the study? The big drug companies already have enough of our collective money to afford a free plug.

Okay, I'm starting to rant...

Just do the best you can, Miper. I used to have to be so careful, but it's so much easier now. I bet someday you'll be able to eat almost like a "normal" person, too. :)

You give me hope Davitude......thanks......and I'm going to keep you posted so that you can keep me on track ok? Just tell me to get lost if you want.....but I'll still come back....LOL!!
I feel pretty good today. I'm going to jump on the weight machine in a few. What do I do....just up the weight resistance and keep doing all of the exercises until I'm exhausted? Do I really have to count reps. or just do it until I can't anymore? I know this is asking alot, but could you tell me what kinds of exercises you do with weights......
ie.....
squats with weights
dumbell row
bicep curls
butterflies
yadda yadda
I really want to do this and I don't want to take anything unless I have to. If the weights work out.......great. I think I've not been using enough weights. I was always told to circuit train to lose weight. I guess this is a little more than just losing weight now huh?

I'm sorry Madscientist, I'm using your thread like it's my own.....LOL!
I'll go away now.
I hope davitude gives you some hope also. He has fought this and won, so we can too!!!

Yeah, we've kind of taken over here, but anyone reading would surely benefit so...

Some people are not so systematic, in that they kind of just "feel" like when they've done enough. I do that sometimes too. And training till you can't do anymore (called failure) is one of those things.

I'll just give you an example of ten sets of ten. Most important thing is to just get in and do it, you'll realize all the nuances as you go. And even doing it imperfectly is still going to help.

OK, an example, mostly using the exercises that you mentioned. For all these, just guess at a weight which is 1/2 your maximum single lift. This would also be a weight that you could theoretically lift about 20 times and 20 times only in one set. You don't need a warm up set because the weight is not that heavy...your first set is your warm up.

Day 1 Legs

Squats:
1) Do 1 set of ten repetitions, rest for 1 minute (time it with your watch or a stopwatch).
2) Do another set of ten. If you can't get ten, then do as many as you can(this won't be an issue until sets 6-10).
3) rest 1 minute
4) repeat steps 2-3 for a total of ten sets

If you can perform all 10 sets for ten reps, then increase the weight next time. If you fail to get ten reps on or before set 7, then decrease the weight next time. Use your judgment as to how much, you don't have to be perfect.

Legs curls: perform the same way

Day 2:

upper body

Butterflys the same as legs

Seated military dumbbell press same as legs

Dumbbell rows same as legs

Day 3: no weights
Day 4: either legs again, or if you are too sore no weights.
Day 5: Upper body again
Day 6: no weights
Day 7: no weights

And that's it. If your strength goes down (you'll know if you're keeping track) just reduce the weights to match the drop. If you feel run down, then reduce your total exercise or eat a little more. You may find that you gain a couple of pounds for a few days, don't worry. It's just water and your body will become rebalanced with in a week or so.

Give it two weeks, if your strength just keeps dropping and dropping then you will actually need to eat more carbs. Remember the best time by far is immediately (w/in 1/2 hour) after the workout.

I was just going over this again (I know it's an old thread) and I have a question for you.....on the days where you say no weights....do you mean do the exercises with no weights or skip that day completely? Should I use these days to do aerobic exercises?

Oh Davitude...one more question.....how long do you usually work out? Should I pay attention to time or not even worry about it?

You bet, losing weight can lower blood sugar! It'll also do a lot of other good things for you, so keep going! And in general the Atkins diet is pretty good for diabetics and pre-diabetics, because the emphasis on protein helps steady blood sugar. Do a search on "glycemic index" to learn more--your goal is not just to get the table sugar out, but anything that hits your blood sugar rapidly.

It's my "understanding" (from what I have figured out) that losing weight/lowering blood sugar will not necessarily also increase glucose tolerance, which depends on a lot of things like blood sugar spikes, nutritional deficiencies, exercise, etc. Reasonable or low blood sugar, plus glucose intolerance, can leave you feeling very tired, draggy, and blue. . . and undermine the best diet. Something very interesting has hit the science pages recently about ordinary cinnamon as having a very strong effect for lowering blood sugar by increasing glucose tolerance at the cellular level. Do a search on "diabetes+cinnamon" to find some interesting articles. One caution--I told a friend about this and it had no effect for her--but she still eats a junk diet. Cinnamon will not cure the American diet.

I've been dealing with this condition all my adult life; first diagnosed with high blood sugar at age 19 and lost weight, lowered my blood sugar, and have managed to keep the condition from progressing, but felt miserable until I "got nutrition". Then I felt better but it was always a struggle until 3 weeks ago I learned about the cinnamon, and it was like flipping a switch. BTW, I'm 44 now, sister and mother both diabetic and eating bad diets.

I have heard that about cinnamin. How and how much do you consume it? Do you add it to recipes, sprinkle it on your food, or take it straight up?

As for Atkins, you will never convince me that any extreme plan like that is healthy. Diabetics should be very concerned about kidney and liver function, and Atkins (high protein/high fat) really places a toll on these organs, especially for a diabetic.

I know people claim that Atkins helps them gain control, but so will carbs in moderation, yet without the risks. I still believe that a balanced diet is critical to good health - 40-50% carbs, 25-30% protein, and 20-35% in fat. There is enough flexibility there to come up with the correct ratio for individual needs.

Amen.....such a healthful way of eating. I can't go without some good corn in the summer.....and ohhh how good the fruit is in the summer too. Give me that over a big chunk of fattening cheese or a pat of butter any day.

Cinnamon--I "do" cinnamon by stirring a dollop into the water with which I take my vitamins 2x/day. Tastes gross, but vitamin-taking-water isn't for yumminess. You can also put it into your meal, but the key is to be continuous with it--and I don't want to have cinnamon in every meal!

Frankly, the diet I'm on is probably not as extreme as Atkins but it's certainly a variant. Stir-fried veggies with fish, and the oil is from the fish. Nuts (the raw unsalted walnuts, macadamias, etc for baking). And I don't think the quantities of protein I eat are what could be called "high protein". Occasionally things like corn but I gave up on butter long ago due to cholesterol concerns. The key is keeping the calories down, getting *enough* protein, vitamin/mineral etc. supplementation, and exercise.

Cheers!

I am now on the Atkins diet and mfasting bs levels run anywhere from 86 to 104. In fact, that's the bs range I get at almost any time of the day as long as it's been over an hour since I ate. I have noticed that the 14 pounds I've lost so far has made a difference in my fasting bs. I got off the diet last weekend and ate just about anything I wanted for 3 days just to see how it would effect my bs. I then tested my fasting bs and it was 110 - 115. I'm back on the diet now and the bs remains normal.

My question to you guys is : Can weight loss reverse insulin resistance? Also, I think the doctor jumped the gun a little by saying I was diabetic. What do you guys think?

Mad Sci--

First of all -- CONGRATULATIONS on the weight loss, exercise, and lower sugar readings! :bouncing:

I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV, but I know from my own experience that after I dropped 80 pounds my Type II diabetes "disappeared" completely.

I was able to get off the insulin and oral meds and as long as I kept up my daily exercise routine I was able to eat practically anything without it affecting my sugars just like a normal, non-diabetic person.

I went along for 5 years believing that my diabetes was essentially cured! Even my doctor was amazed.

Then came one rough patch after another: My weight loss and exercise support system dissolved, I had an injury that reduced my ability to exercise for over 8 months, my job duties changed dramatically, my marriage became impossibly stressful, my 11-year old son started having problems in at a new school then tried to commit suicide.

Gradually I began to slip back into old eating patterns -- eating more and more "comfort" and "convenience" foods and not finding a way to keep exercising to stay healthy.

I gained back not only all the weight I'd lost, but put on an additional 40 pounds!

Naturally, after years of being in denial about my health condition, my diabetes ended up completely out of control with an average fasting bs over 325.

So now instead of being on 1 oral diabetes med, I'm on 3 and trying to lose (and keep off) that first 20 of that extra 40 pounds is harder than I thought possible.

YOU however, can be a success story!

Stick with a healthy eating plan and not only continue your exercise, but gradually ramp it up to a higher level, with your doctor's permission of course.

It sounds as thought you're on your way and I wish you the very best of luck.

I hope that if you find yourself struggling with your diet, your exercise, or the emotions that go along with them, that you wont hide in denial, but that you'll be able to seek out others (such as this forum) for encouragement and help because I believe that's important for someone who wants to be healthy and successfully keep the weight off.