Elisabeth has great news to share: not only is her type 2 diabetes in remission, her waist measurement is down 5 cm (2 inches) and she has lost 4.5 kg (10 pounds) in the three months since we have been following her remission journey.
“I am so excited about losing the inches around my waist. I’m down to 35 inches from 37 inches when I started,” she said. “It is so encouraging.”
Elisabeth has known for a long time that waist measurements over 35 inches (88 cm) for women and 40 inches (102 cm) for men substantially increases the risk for cardiovascular disease and other metabolic health issues.
“I’ve had a tape measure for years, from the Heart and Stroke Foundation, that shows this red zone for women. I’ve hated that I’ve been in that red zone but I’ve never known how to get out of it — how to reduce my waist size. Now with the changes I’ve been making, those inches are finally coming off and I’m just on the edge of the red. This is so motivating to me to keep going.”
She has also been very motivated by seeing the scale come down, slowly but surely.
“It seems to come down in a slow, step-wise fashion. I will lose a pound or two, stay at that weight for a few days to a week, then go down another small step, and stay there for another few days or a week.”
That step-wise weight loss is normal and healthy. Elisabeth likes the analogy that at each step, the body is like the quartermaster of a field operations, tracking how much food is coming in and going out and whether there is a need to conserve supplies. The body is constantly assessing whether a potential famine is on the horizon and whether there is a need to slow the metabolism to conserve energy. But if enough healthy protein and vegetables are being eaten every day, a.k.a “no famine ahead” the body will tap into the fat stores to top up energy needs without slowing down the metabolism.
“That makes sense to me and it makes me understand why it is important not to starve myself to lose weight, but to prioritize protein and vegetables and do it slowly.”
She is also feeling great, especially in her energy levels.
“I have more energy than I have had in long time. I find I can work all day in my garden.
At Elisabeth’s most recent medical appointment, her HbA1c had reduced from 6.4% (type 2 diabetes) to 6.0% (prediabetes). That is officially remission!
The HbA1C is a blood test done by the lab that assesses the percentage of glucose molecules that are stuck on red blood cells over a three-month period. So Elisabeth's result of 6.0% includes red blood cells with glucose from the early start of her journey before she adopted all her changes.
She is wearing a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) that currently estimates her A1c at 5.4%— no prediabetes and normal blood glucose. That reduced percentage likely won’t be reflected until her next blood test, three months from now.
One thing that has surprised Elisabeth is the occasional disbelieving, or even negative, reaction from some individuals, even health professionals, when she tells them she is using diet and exercise to put her type 2 diabetes into remission. That negative reaction is particularly pronounced if she says she is doing a “keto diet.”
“People will say to me, ‘Oh, you shouldn’t do keto, that is bad for you” or “it’s not sustainable” or something like that. But all my health markers are excellent and I feel great. I haven’t felt this good in years.”
[Note: Elisabeth is not technically doing a keto diet. She is doing a “lower carb, no sugar diet” which may or may not have her producing ketones. Ketones are energy molecules created by the liver from the breakdown of fat. A ketogenic diet is any diet that has the body produce measurable ketones. Since Elisabeth is not measuring, tracking, or aiming to produce ketones, it is not considered a strict keto diet.]
In order to silence the naysayers — who may know nothing about the true scientific intricacies of keto or non-keto diets — Elisabeth has found a great way to describe what she is doing that always elicits a positive response.
“I say, 'I am no longer eating any sugar and I am now prioritizing eating protein and lots of vegetables.' People will then say, ‘Oh that’s so great. Good for you!'”
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