DAY 11: 800 CALORIE DIET TO PUT DIABETES T2 INTO REMISSION WITH REAL FOOD

I had an extra snack I should not have had yesterday, and today I weigh 1.8 pounds more.  This is a fine example about how extra carbs hold water:  now I have 1.2 pounds of water weight to take off again because of my indiscretion.  However, there is an upside:  I will reignite the loss of water weight and it will come off fast.  The other good part of this is that eating a few extra calories when you are stuck will often get you off the stuck part and weight loss should continue as usual.  So, it is a temporary delay.  I am also increasing the Sim-fast protein drink and ditching some carbs to get back on track.

Here are my stats:

Weight 165.2  FBS 135  Fat 40.2%

We have a special weekend menu with brisket wrap for lunch.  If you cannot find brisket, you can use roast beef slices.

BREAKFAST:  1/2 Slim-Fast Protein Drink

LUNCH:  Mission Carb Control Tortilla, 2 oz beef brisket, romaine, apple

DINNER: 1 whole Slim-fast Protein Drink, 3/4 cup Alessi Split Pea Soup, salad, 5 Toasted crackers.


Total calories:  789  Total fat:  30 gm, Total Carbs 76 gm, Total Protein 49 gm, Total Fiber 27 gm, Total net carbs: 49 gm

DAY 10: 800 CAL DIET TO PUT DIABETES T2 INTO REMISSION WITH REAL FOOD

The scale moved, finally!  After 3 days stall, I have lost 1/2 pound. And a minute amount of fat.

Here are my stats:

Weight 163.4.  FBS 165 (10 units Lantus)  Fat% 38%

MENU FOR THE DAY:

BREAKFAST:  1/2 Slim-Fast Protein Drink

LUNCH:  Mission Carb Control Tortilla, 1/4 cup Marketside Chicken Salad, 10 grapes

DINNER:  1/2 Slim-Fast Protein Drink, Campbell's Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Soup, salad, 5 Toasted Crackers, 1 mandarin orange

Total Calories:  780, Total Fat 34 gm, Total Carbs 84 gm, Total Protein 41.4, Total Fiber 22 gm,
Net Carbs: 60 gm

DAY 9: 800 CAL DIET TO PUT DIABETES T2 INTO REMISSION WITH REAL FOOD

I seem to be stuck for another day, no weight lost, but fat% dropped a little.  Keep on Keeping On, 6 1/2 weeks to go.  Remember, the first glorious week, I lost 6 pounds, but
that water weight is the first to come back when you normalize your food intake.  I say good riddance, just keep going.

Here are the stats for the day:

Weight: 164  FBS 150  Fat% 38.6

Here is the menu for the day, remember to use any day if you don't like this one

BREAKFAST:  1/2 Slim-Fast Protein Drink

LUNCH:  Mission Carb Balance Tortilla, 2 oz uncured pulled pork, romaine, Dole peach cup

DINNER:  1/2 Slim-fast Protein Drink, 2 thin slices deli ham, 1 cup Progresso Lentil w/Roasted Vegetables soup, salad, 5 Toasted Crackers

SNACK:  3 cups air-popped popcorn

Total Calories:  795, Total Fat 32 gm, Total Carbs 77 gm, Total Protein 56 gm, Total Fiber 25 gm, Net Carbs 52 gm

Today, I will add a snack since calories are low.  I pop the popcorn in an air machine, spray lightly with cooking spray, and sprinkle on nutritional yeast, salt and paprika to taste.  These seasonings do not add substantially to the calories.  You can use microwave popcorn if necessary.

DAY 8: 800 CAL DIET TO PUT DIABETES T2 INTO REMISSION WITH REAL FOOD

In my first week on the Newcastle Diet, I have lost 6 pounds, and about 1% of body fat.  I have had a couple of stall days, so more water and more salad.  Fiber has been above 25 gm daily, so I should start moving again, literally.  That said, it is obvious to me now that I can lose the fat in my pancreas and liver with very little problem.  I am not hungry on 800 calories because of adequate fat, protein and carbs, with fiber.

Here are my stats:

Weight:  163.9  FBS 147  Fat 39.3%

Here is the menu for the day:  REMEMBER YOU CAN SUBSTITUTE ANY DAY FOR ANY OTHER

BREAKFAST:  1/2 Slim-fast Protein Drink

LUNCH:  1 Mission Carb Control Tortilla, 1/2 cup Marketside Tuna Salad, romaine, 1 small apple

DINNER: 1/2 Slim-Fast protein drink, Cugino's  French Onion Soup,salad, 5 Toasted Crackers

Total calories:  802, Total Fat 50 gm, Total Carbs 50 gm, Total Protein 40 gm, Total Fiber 20 gm, Net Carbs 30 gm

Here is to my second week, I raise my glass of protein drink and ice.  The only toast I will get is in the form of Toasted Crackers!

DAY 7: 800 CAL DIET TO PUT DIABETES T2 INTO REMISSION WITH REAL FOOD

Still no weight loss day 7 morning.  I have to be philosophical, as a mere 2 pounds a week weight loss will have me at my target of losing 15% of my weight to put my diabetes into remission by the end of the eight weeks.  This will vary from person to person. Remember, the initial weight loss is fast for water weight, and real fat loss is happening when your results become consistent and not so fast. So, I will forge ahead to the stats and meal plan for the day.

FBS 177  (10 units Lantus),  Weight 164.4,  Fat Percent 40.0

Here's the menu for the  day:

BREAKFAST:  1/2 Slim-fast protein drink

LUNCH:  Mission Carb Balance Tortilla, 3 oz ham, romaine, small apple

DINNER:  1/2 Slim-fast protein drink, 1 cup Alessi Split Pea Soup, salad, 5 Toasted crackers, salad, Dole peach cup

Total Calories 783, Total fat 30 gm, Total Carbs 85 gm, Total Protein 52 gm, Total Fiber 27 gm, Net Carbs: 58 gm

DAY 6: 800 CAL DIET TO PUT DIABETES T2 INTO REMISSION WITH REAL FOOD

My salad last night was 2 stalks celery, 2 cherry tomatoes from our garden, radishes from our garden, and green pepper.  I used 2 tbs. French Onion Dip for my dressing. Salad is defined as non-starchy raw veggies, so you can have the traditional green salad, or just go with a salad plate of raw veggies.  You can also tuck raw green veggies into any wrap we make with protein sources.

My fasting is down, but my weight is up.  The second day of non-weight loss.  Drink more water, drink more water.

Here are my stats:

Weight 164.4  FBS 137 yay!, Fat% 38.6   Total weight loss:  5.5 lb in 5 days, down 1% on fat%

Menu for the day:

BREAKFAST:  1/2 Slim-fast Shake

LUNCH:  3 oz Great Value Uncured Pulled Pork, Mission Carb Balance Tortilla, 10 grapes

DINNER:  1 cup Progresso Lentil and Roasted Vegetable Soup, salad, 5 Toasted Crackers, 1/2 Init Bar

TOTAL CALORIES: 783,  Total fat: 35 gm, Total Carbs 78 gm, Total Protein 49 gm. Fiber 25 gm, Net Carbs 53 gm

As always, if you find a day where the food does not appeal to you, just use another day that you do like.  There will be 2 months of them when I am done.  Also, if you have any leftover chicken salad, or tuna salad, or Hormel roast beef au jus, just go back to the day that has those foods and use that menu for the day.

Now that you are used to doing this, note that protein is with 10 gm of net carbs - a balanced protein and carb diet.  This is why you are not very hungry on 800 calories, from the fiber, protein, and adequate net carbs.

Lentil and Roasted Veggie Soup is available at Walmart, as is Uncured Pulled Pork, in the refrigerated section by the bacon and lunch meats. Init bars are at Amazon.  I am using a lot of food from Walmart, because they are available nationwide.  I am also working without cooking.

DAY 5: 800 CAL DIET TO PUT DIABETES T2 INTO REMISSION WITH REAL FOOD

Good news and bad news today.  The good:  I started losing weight and fat% again after a small delay yesterday, which happens as you diet, no problem.  The bad news:  I have to ditch Sugar Free Jello Pudding, or at least eat less than half a cup.  My fasting was 177 this morning, so I had to take 10 units of Lantus.

Here are my stats, after 4 days:

Weight 163.8,  Fasting Blood Sugar 177,  F fat% 38.4   Total lost in 4 days: 6.5 pounds, and .7%
fat% loss.

Here is the menu for the day:

BREAKFAST:  1/2 Slim-fast protein drink.  I love Caramel Latte.

LUNCH:  1 Mission Carb Balance Tortilla, 1/3 cup Marketside Tuna Salad, romaine, one Dole peach cup

DINNER:  1/2 Slim-fast Protein Drink, 1 cup Cugino's Burgundy French Onion Soup, salad, 5 Toasted Crackers

Total calories: 792, total fat 44 gm,  total carbs 68 gm, total fiber 22 gm, total net carbs 46 gm

Here's a hot tip:  a breath mint will often do to give you that sweet taste after dinner.  You'll also need it because of dieter's breath.  Plus, mint quells appetite.  Also, drink more water!

Cugino's Burgundy French Onion Soup is available in a dry packet at Walmart.  Marketside Tuna Salad is also available in the refrigerated section at Walmart.

DAY 4: 800 CAL DIET TO PUT DIABETES T2 INTO REMISSION WITH REAL FOOD

Today the rush of water slowed and I did not lose any weight.  I am drinking more water between meals, as well.  In the afternoon, I have two cups of coffee, sweetened with stevia, and 1/4 cup half and half.  The numbers on that are balanced, if somewhat fatty, and if that coffee combination is over on calories, I cut back on something else.  Gotta have my coffee.

That aside, here is where the real work of dieting begins.  After that initial first week of rapid weight loss, followed by a pause, that is your body telling you the liver has just about finished flushing glucose and what you are going for now is consistent weight loss from week to week.

Here are my stats for the day:

FBS down to 156 !  Weight165.2  Fat Percent still 40.2%

And here is another 800 calorie menu with real food:  You get the pattern!

BREAKFAST:  1/2 Slim-Fast Shake

LUNCH:  1 cup Hormel Roast Beef Au Jus, Mission Carb Control Tortilla, romaine, Dole Sugar Free Mandarin Orange Cup

DINNER:  1 cup Campbell's Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, salad, 1/2 cup sugar free jello pudding, any flavor

Total Calories: 792, Total Fat 34 gm, Total Carbs 71 gm, Total Fiber 18gm, Net Carbs 53

Plug away at it, good so far.

DAY 3: 800 CAL DIET TO PUT DIABETES T2 INTO REMISSION WITH REAL FOOD

The weight is coming off nicely, but my fasting is still shooting way up, so I took 10 units of insulin this morning to bring it down for the day.  I  don't know if I am making enough insulin, but I suspect that as the diet goes on to the end, my pancreas will be making more.  I will be grateful to get the rest of the weight off, even if I have to continue to take a little insulin. I have lost 4.5 pounds since Day 1.  Of course, this is water,and as you can see, my body fat percentage is the same.  I suspect that as that goes down, so will my fasting.  Here are my stats today:


FBS 180  Weight 165.4  Fat % 40.2

Day 3 menu:

BREAKFAST: Half a Slim-fast shake, no carbs in the morning for diabetics due to morning liver dump.

LUNCH:  Mission Carb Balance Tortilla,  1/2 cup Marketside Tuna Salad, romaine, 1 dried apricot

SUPPER:  1 cup Alessi split pea soup, salad, and 1/2 Slim-fast Protein Drink

Total Calories:  796,  Total Fat 47 gm,  Total Carbs 58, Fiber 24, Net Carbs 34

I was a little hungry in the morning, as usual, and a little as I went to sleep.  Nothing I could not handle, and I was satiated the rest of the day.  Again, enough protein makes this diet work.  It is a balanced protein and carb diet, protein greater than or equal to carbs, within 10 grams.

By now you see the pattern:  protein only in the morning, high fiber wrap with protein, romaine lettuce and small fruit for lunch, and soup with salad for dinner, and a small 10-carb dessert when calories allow.  Not much, but satisfying because it has enough protein and fiber. Use non-starchy vegetables for your salad, and lite dressings, limited to 2 tbs.

If you are expert at using dieting software, substitute what you want, but you need 40-50 gm protein
daily for satiety and around 20-25 gm fiber.  Use Slim-fast protein drinks (they have fiber) to boost protein;  and use 1/2 Slim-fast protein drink for breakfast.  This makes mornings a little tough, but you can eat an early lunch if you need to.  I try to have an early supper, and go to sleep to escape any hunger at night.  But satiety is just fine from lunch on. Just be sure to make food composition (fat, protein, and carbs and fiber) roughly the same as mine, and be sure to come in below or at 800 calories.

DO NOT SUBSTITUTE ANYTHING IF YOU ARE NOT USED TO DEALING WITH FOOD COMPOSITION AND MEETING CALORIE REQUIREMENTS, OR IF YOU DON'T USE DIETING SOFTWARE.  OF COURSE, YOU CAN SUBSTITUTE ANY DAY FOR ANY OTHER DAY, WITHOUT USING SOFTWARE.

DAY 2: 800 CALORIE DIET TO PUT DIABETES T2 INTO REMISSION WITH REAL FOOD

My stats this morning, after day 1

Weight 167.2  FBS 156  FAT% 39.9

I have lost weight (2.7 lbs) but my fasting has gone up.  I am not freaking out, because that would indicate I am not making enough insulin to metabolize 800 calories.  But I will continue the test and accept the results for the entire 8 weeks.  It could be that I had residual insulin in my system the first day.  I will drink ginger tea, take reishi mushroom,  and put gardenia essential oil on my wrists.  All of these lower blood sugar.  I will measure again in an hour and take a small walk before I eat this AM.  It could be the glycemic index on something I ate yesterday, or my meter could be wrong.  Will test again right before breakfast.

After further thought, I realized that my liver, which is the second most important organ in blood sugar readings, could have figured I am starving at 800 calories per day, so it just released whatever glucose was there in the liver after day 1.  Since I am not a doctor, these are just my musings.

It could also be that my natural fasting will improve greatly over the next two months.  Time will tell.
It is also true that my post-prandial high yesterday was 157, which is very good..

Here is the menu for the day:

BREAKFAST:  Half a Slim Fast protein drink.

LUNCH: Mission Carb Balance tortilla, light mayo, 2 oz turkey, 2 pc bacon, romaine, mandarin orange

DINNER:  1 cup 15-bean soup, half a Slim-Fast protein drink, salad, and half an Init Bar

Total Calories: 785,  Fat 24 gm,  Carbs 80 gm,  Protein 61 gm,  Fiber 36 gm , Net Carbs 44 gm

Init Bars are available at Amazon.com

DAY 1: 800 CALORIE DIABETES T2 REMISSION DIET USING REAL FOOD

The original research had a menu that did not rely on real food, only 200 calories of non starchy vegetables.  The rest was protein drinks.  I can only imagine how the patients felt after two months of that.

This 800 calorie diet uses real food.  Protein drinks are used as necessary to boost protein.
Use zero-calorie drinks, black coffee, unsweet tea as you will.

NOTE:  NO EXERCISE WITH THIS DIET.  THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH CALORIES.
DRINK A LOT OF WATER - YOU NEED IT TO FLUSH TOXINS RELEASED FROM FAT. AGAIN, WORK WITH YOUR DOCTOR TO REDUCE DIABETIC MEDICATIONS AS NEEDED.  THIS DIET IS TO BE DONE ONLY FOR 8 WEEKS.  IT IS AN INTERVENTION THAT COULD PUT DIABETES INTO REMISSION.


Here are my stats going in:

Weight 169.9  Fat Percent 39 %  FBS 156  Last A1C 7.5


BREAKFAST:  Half a Slim-Fast Shake - protein only in morning for diabetics

LUNCH: Mission Carb Balance Tortilla, 1/4 cup Marketside Chicken Salad, romaine, apple

DINNER:  1/2 Slim-fast Protein Drink, 1 cup Alessi Split Pea Soup, salad, 10-carb dessert (1/2 cup sugar-free Jello pudding)

Total calories: 774  Total fat 35 gm, Total Carbs 78 gm, Total Protein 46 gm, Fiber 25 gm
 Net Carbs: 53

You must find Mission Carb Balance 6 gm carbs tortillas to work with this diet...fiber is essential, even on just a few calories.  Other low carb tortillas do not have as much fiber, or as much protein and as few carbs.  These are found at Krogers, Walmart, and many other stores.  You will be using them every day for lunch as a wrap around protein.  They have 7 gm protein on their own, plus 11 gm fiber.

Marketside Chicken Salad is available at Walmart.  Alessi Split Pea Soup is found at grocers.

I was a little hungry in the morning, but not hungry after lunch and dinner.  Adequate protein prevents hunger.

I use Calorieking software for my daily totals.  Any good software for dieting will do.

800 CAL DIET TO PUT DIABETES T2 INTO REMISSION WITH REAL FOOD

Carlos Cervantes used to suffer from severe diabetes. His low point was 2011, when he had a heart attack, his kidneys started failing him and he was facing a foot amputation because of a toe-to-ankle ulcer. ‘I had pretty much figured that my time was up,’ he says.

Then he stumbled on a news clip about a study at Newcastle University. In it all 11 subjects had their type-2 diabetes reversed after following a very low-calorie diet — that is, just 600 calories a day for eight weeks. So Cervantes gave the diet a try. His blood sugar dropped to a normal level, his symptoms vanished and he was returned to good health.

The mechanism is simple. Type-2 diabetes is caused by a build-up of fat stopping the pancreas from producing the insulin we need. Restricting calories to a very low level means we can burn off this fat, allowing the pancreas to start working normally again.*

Cervantes’s success story is one of many. Professor Roy Taylor, who led the Newcastle trial, says ‘over 100’ people around the world have contacted him to say they have tried the diet and got rid of their own type-2 diabetes.

THIS DIET TERMINATES AFTER 8 WEEKS.  IT IS NOT A SUSTAINABLE LONG TERM DIET.  IT IS MORE LIKE A MEDICAL INTERVENTION, TARGETED TO T2 DIABETES.

My own story is different.  I lost 125 pounds, and I am still diabetic.  Now I know the reason:  fat in the pancreas and liver creates insulin resistance and high glucose.  So, in the next 56 days, I will go on what is called the Newcastle diet.

I have a good track record.  I lost 125 pounds in a year, at 1200 calories, low fat, and balanced protein and carb.  Now I want to do the same with a 800 calorie diet.  Note, the new limits after the initial study are 800 calories.  The 600 calorie diet was too strenuous for some people, so the research team raised the calories to 800, and got results that were the same.

What I learned on the previous diet is that if you have adequate protein, you are not hungry on reduced calories.  As you can see from the menu plans I will post daily, I am using real food in a balanced 800 calorie diet.

Each day I will post my menu for the day, broken down into calories, fat, protein and carbs, including fiber, which is important.  I will also post my fasting blood glucose for the day, the post-prandial high for the day, my weight and fat percent.  You (and I) will be able to see first hand on a daily basis how all these numbers are improving.

Not everyone will put their diabetes into remission.  If you are still making insulin (get a C-peptide test) it should work for you if you are making insulin in the normal range.  Another way to judge if you are still making insulin is to watch your fasting blood glucose on the diet day-to-day.  It will be falling if you are making insulin.  Needless to say, reduce your diabetic medications with your doctor.

Stay tuned on a daily basis, as I will be presenting the meal plans each day.  This is with ordinary American Food, with the addition of Slim-Fast protein drinks as needed to bring up daily protein to 40 - 50 grams, which will mean you won't get hungry.  Talk with your doctor and use my meal plans to achieve diabetes  T2 remission, and again, this is if you are still making insulin.

DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS DIET IF YOU ARE MORBIDLY OBESE.  PLEASE TALK WITH YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT LOSING WEIGHT.

*Very low calorie diet and 6 months of weight stability in Type 2 diabetes: Pathophysiologic changes in responders and non-responders. Sarah Steven, Keiren G Hollingsworth, Ahmad Al-Mrabeh, Leah Avery, Benjamin Aribisala, Muriel Caslake, Roy Taylor.

Diabetes Care. Doi: 10.2337/dc15-9422