Keto dieting - Anyone have any success or experience?

Has anyone tried keto dieting? If so how successful or unsuccessful was it for you?

I'm finishing my second month of keto. My A1c was just over 10 (BG in the 200s) pre-keto, and within DAYS of cutting carbs back to less than 50 g/day, my BG dropped 100 points to mid 100s. I've cut back to less than 20 g/day, and my numbers, while not perfect, are generally 100-120. I get my next A1c done in August and am so curious to see how much it's improved! I've also been losing about a pound a week. Nice bonus. :) (The more you have to lose, the faster it comes off... I've read of people losing 10 lbs in just a week or two!)

I don't really miss carbs. I eat wonderful, filling meals, never feel hungry, and love eating keto! Typical meals include brussel sprouts pan fried with bacon; green salad with an avocado and small can of tuna in oil; sandwich meat in a romaine lettuce wrap; salmon with asparagus... just skip the breads, pastas, and rice. If you love pasta, try making a meat sauce with extra meat and putting it over veggie noodles.

One caution about keto, if you have a bad few days, it WILL knock you back. You will gain weight back more quickly IMO than on other diets if you indulge! You need to look at it as a lifestyle change.

Thanks @accidentaldragon‍ for the info. I'm going to start keto. My A1c is just under 10 and my Dr. wants me to start insulin. Since I really hate needles, I'm hoping Keto can reverse my type 2 diagnosis and help me drop about 100 pounds. I really want off the meds. I feel like they cause more harm to my body than help.

If you reddit, there's r/keto as an excellent starting point! Lots of good information and links to other good subs. You can do this!  Stay away from Atkins treats... sugar alcohols may cause your BG to go up, and will sabotage your weight loss. I know from experience lol. :)

Restarting this discussion as this seems like a very interesting topic for members... feel free to join in on the discussion, share experiences, and connect with others.

@cpressley How has your fear of needles been? Any difference?

I had that fear too initially.

I did try keto diet years ago... Since then I have found medium that has worked... I do not limit carbs to the drastic amount I did under KETO anymore, but do not eat carbs as much as prior and stick to a lot of vegetables and certain organic fruits... I kind of follow now more of a anti-inflammatory diet. 

While on KETO my BG did drop and my A1c improved... I believe to almost pre-diabetic ranges. However, my HDL did increase, with a slight increase in LDL - if I remember correctly.

Hope this helps.

@nomorenomore‍ Thanks. It does help to know that I am not the only one dealing with issues like this. As an update, I am currently down 50lbs. My bg levels have dropped. I have not been to the doctors yet to get a1c checked but will do so soon. Still not taking any medications. I tried keto but found that the change was to much to handle initially. What I ended up doing was, like you, a variation keto. Very low carb diet with 3 out of seven days meatless. I did not reach this point overnight. It took some trial an error. But when I had bad days I just started over and kept trying. Also, the changes in my diet were incremental not all at once. I think that has been what helped the most as far as sticking to it. My approach to dealing with my diabetes is a bit unconventional but it seems to be working for me. Changing how and what I put in my body and being more active is working for so far. 50lbs and three pants sizes down. 

Some of these comments are really scaring me.

When I read that your doctor is telling you to take insulin, and you're trying the latest thing in diets instead (maybe that's not what you're really doing, but that's how I'm reading it), I have to say you are inviting really bad things happening to your body. Someone in another discussion said he is losing kidney function (going on dialysis),  with other appalling complications. In other words, his diabetes is killing him. 

Please ... if you really are not going to take insulin, as directed, regardless of what anyone says, monitor your blood sugar several times a day. When you wake up. One hour and two hours after every meal. At bedtime. AS A MINIMUM! This is not a disease you can afford to play with. And the moment you get a bad reading, you MUST go on insulin. Your body depends on it. Your life depends on it.

@accidentaldragon I've been on the fence on trying Keto - thanks for the information. What is reddit? Is it possible to link the site? 

@clarence1954 reddit is a social website... there are subforums, or "reddits," covering any topic you're interested in! The key is to stay away from political ones lol as there is the normal batch of extreme crazies. But the keto forums are all supportive. *edit to add the actual website: reddit.com

After a year now of trying to stick to keto, I've found I can do ok most days, but if I do let carbs slip back in (workplace donuts, etc), I rebound worse and gain back weight a lot easier. Bottom line I don't think you need to be strict keto, but cutting back on carbs to say 50 g/day instead of 50 g//meal, will likely make a big difference. :)