So my last post on her was back in Sept '19 with me at 98kg, where I stayed right through lockdown! Combination of short rides, too much time sitting still and not giving a crap about what I was eating. Worst weight I say was over 100kg, but thankfully only a one off. Fast forward to February this year and my blood pressure meds had to be upped and I ended up in out of hours one Sunday with a swollen ankle and the start of cellulitis in my shin. Got a really good doctor who took time to go over my last blood result and the link to them and what I was eating. Was basically if I kept going like that I was heading for a whole load of diabetic complications very quickly. Even now there's no knowing what long term damage I've done so far. Whole day was a bit of a wake up call and I went for a radical overhaul of my diet. Bye bye carbs.
When I was diagnosed 20 odd years ago the thinking was that carbs aren't the enemy, you just need enough insulin to deal with what you're eating. Current thinking has changed a lot, but I hadn't. So from that day I've been on a severely reduced carb diet. Well actually it's not a diet anymore, it's just how I eat. No bread, pasta, rice, noodles, potatoes or treats and very little fruit. Ok, I say none but in reality I still have some occasionally, I just have to be careful with how much and timing. Only starchy carbs I have regularly is a bowl of porridge in the morning. Veg intake is way up and a lot more varied as it's easy to get bored of the same thing. Getting very familiar with different ways to do cauliflower as this is a good substitute for carbs as it fills you up.
So far the change has been remarkable. Since that day in March I've lost 10kg and now 89kg. Night time insulin dose is down 40% and daytime doses are down 60%. I've also stopped the extra tablet diabetic medication I'd been on for the last year. Had my bloods done last month and my consultant was astonished. Long term control marker has improved by 10% and my cholesterol and blood lipids have dropped hugely even though my fat intake has probably gone up. Pretty much all the things the OOH doc had predicted.
Can feel the difference in my riding and even though it's not seeming a lot easier, Strava times are definitely showing an improvement. Need to start riding more with other people again, it's too easy to sack off when you're out on your own. Chasing Keith and Kenny last weekend was hard work but good fun. Not there yet and still have a way to go, my current target is 85kg which I think will be a long haul but really happy so far.