Utterly confused.......

[ANewMe2022]

My BMI is 40, I have been doing the NHS Weight Management Second Nature programme and found it easy to follow, and the recipes delicious, and although I have only lost a few lbs, I didn't feel the need to snack or binge on anything.

I learnt this morning that I have Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. The meds prescribed were Metformin and Statins.

Looking at ways to reverse it, the information is opposite to what SN was. With SN, it was natural food only, no processed, so real cheese, butter, cream, full-fat Greek yogurt - all correctly portioned out of course. Not so much fruit because of the fruit sugars. Meat of all varieties, and fish. Very limited amounts of pasta, rice, potatoes, an allowance of 30 grams of complex carbs each day. My favourite meal of the day became breakfast of porridge oats made with almond milk, peanut butter, mashed banana, peanuts and 2 squares of chocolate, chia, flaxseed, and pumpkin seeds. Half of that meal now seems to be a no no.

Looking at how to combat Type 2 diabetes fruit is good.

Looking at how to lower high cholesterol it seems to be low-fat everything.

As I say, utterly confused..........i do not know which way to turn 😔

[Grigid Moderator 4 stone]

Hello ANewMe2022,

I'm not surprised you're confused!

I need to point out that we can't give professionally based advice on here, but that's not to say there won't be someone who has been in the same predicament as you, and can let you know what has, or is, working best for them.

There are various groups here and it would be worth having a look at them to see which one might suit you the best.

Being on here, whichever plan you end up with, has huge benefits in that it offers amazing support, you get to share ideas and learn new things.

I'm going to put the link at the bottom of this reply, but in the meantime, did you speak to your GP about the contradictory information? They have your results and medical history and should be able to guide you as to what to concentrate on.

Good luck, and if you get stuck or have more questions, just shout out

healthunlocked.com/weight-l...

[BridgeGirl Administrator SS Supercook 2 stone]

Hi, there's a GP in Southport, Dr David Unwin, who has had great success with his patients in reversing Type 2 diabetes, with weight loss as another outcome. Google him and see what you think.

Here are a couple of starters but do check it out for yourself

dietdoctor.com/wp-content/u...

diabetes.co.uk/in-depth/wha...

[Frenchfields Restart Jan 2025]

I wonder if they tested you before you started this diet, or recently, because people rarely suddenly become type 2 diabetic or indeed high in cholesterol. I’m not a medical person but I understand current thinking on high cholesterol is more to do with high sugar consumption and poor diet rather than eating the healthy fats. I would recommend joining diabetes uk, where they have a very active and supportive forum and lots of informative articles.

diabetes.org.uk/

Go to menu on top left and select forum.

Most of all don’t panic, you may only need a few tweaks to your diet and it sounds like you’ve already coped with making some big changes. Let us know how you get on

[userotc]

Sorry youve had a bad experience on the NHS Weight Management Second Nature programme. It's a bad reflection not just on the NHS but also their dieticians (although I believe they are likely to be largely controlled by NHS diet guidelines despite no relevant expertise within it!). In your case, it was then exacerbated by the need to do what the NHS does daily - push drugs (metformin and statins).

A comparison of this programme and the Zoe one is shown below - as written & approved by 2 of their dieticians(!):

secondnature.io/guides/life...

My view is that there is at least one major flaw in both - little/nothing in the way of a PERSONALISED approach. Sadly that is unsurprising because:

(i) NHS healthcare is more mass-treatment than personalised.

(ii) It enables a modular-design programme geared to minimise cost & maximise profit.

Consequently personalised, sustainable weight loss delivered by qualified Nutritional Therapists specialising in this area is far superior. I can provide weblink contacts, if you wish.

PS I also believe that SN is flawed because it includes dangerous drug(s) eg wegovy.

[amykp Visitor]

Well, if you were trying to eat very low carb (with an allowance of 30 grams/day) which IMO is a good strategy for weight and diabetes, and would include things like butter and cheese and full fat yogurt, I think somewhere you might have gotten some confusing advice.

There is no way you could start your day with oats and chocolate and banana--each of those things alone would be on a forbidden list. A bowl of porridge would be over 30g right away, as would a single banana. 2 tbs of peanut butter is 6g, 2 squares of dark chocolate is 8. Even peanuts and pumpkin seeds have some...my point is, you've gone over 70 just at breakfast.

Maybe rethink your strategy? Pick low carb or low fat, but stay in that lane. If you are low carb, stay there: eggs for breakfast, bacon if you like, no candy, and for fruit, berries.

Try actually calculating the carbs in what you are eating--the numbers might surprise you.

[FlossieFox Visitor]

I was diagnosed 15 years ago and I still find this site the best site for advice. A healthy diet is the best diet to follow. Definitely low sugar, low fat and plenty of fibre. diabetes.org.uk

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to FlossieFox]

Hi and welcome, FlossieFox

I'm glad you've found something that helps you, have you seen this site too? diabetes.co.uk/

I've given you a visitor badge for now, but if you're on a weight loss journey and would like more information about the forum, just let me know

[GosportNancy29]

I feel your confusion. I have heart failure and am at increased risk of cardiac arrest because I have had one already. I also have stage 3 chronic kidney disease + type 2 Diabetes.

The dietary requirements for heart failure include foods high in potassium and the main dietary requirements for those with chronic kidney disease include minimising or avoiding foods which contain potassium.

The food selections I am looking at are opposites. So I have a choice of managing the heart failure OR the kidney disease.

[ANewMe2022 3 stone in reply to GosportNancy29]

it's so difficult isn't it! i also have underactive thyroid, and tests back to say kidneys were high for potassium. so bananas for instance, i try to have one a day as i thought they were good for giving you potassium.....................is that what has given the results? i just don't know

[GosportNancy29 in reply to ANewMe2022]

I have decided now, to carry on treating the heart failure through a potassium-rich diet as I react badly to conventional heart meds. This means it's likely I will get to stage four CKD and need dialysis at some point. I have long outlived the usual prognosis for heart failure so I'm happy with the way things are going. I also have an unstable thyroid that doesn't respond to treatment.