What is success? It is, simply, meeting your personal goals, the ones you have set for yourself. For some, it is achieving A1C results in the normal non-diabetic range (4.0-5.6%). For others, it is staying at 7.0% or below, as recommended by the American Diabetes Association. For some, it is getting off insulin and/or diabetes pills. For others, it is maintaining a certain average blood glucose level with medication. Some may have set specific goals with weight or measurements. Some may aim to walk 10,000 steps a day. Others feel successful in just getting out of the house and walking to the mailbox and back.
They say that “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.” And the Bible says, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Beyond all theory and even all logic, you have to pay attention to your own experience. When you don’t have experience, or enough experience, you can listen to the experiences of others. But, in the final analysis, what really matters is what happens in your own body. How do you feel? What are your lab test results? What does the scale say? And, whatever you’re doing, is it sustainable for the long term?
The most meaningful success stories are those from people we have come to know, both online and offline. You can read some of their stories below:
I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in August. My A1C was 11.3%. Immediately I stopped almost all carbs. I don’t eat anything white, nothing bad. I stopped my Coca-Cola, and no [sweet] tea. Three months later in November my A1C was 5.5%. My doctor said that if you didn’t know any better, if you…
I’m Bill and I became a diabetic just a few months ago. I had some tests done at the hospital for something else. The next day they called me up and said, “Get to the ER now, if you can drive. Can you drive?” I was in a daze, but I did drive myself in and was…
I am pre-diabetic and my hubby is an insulin-dependent diabetic. We started eating vegan at the beginning of August after my hubby sat down with me to watch Forks Over Knives. I read the book a few years ago, along with Joel Fuhrman’s Eat to Live, and we did eat vegan for maybe two or three…
A year ago today [October 9, 2015] I was diagnosed with type two diabetes. My A1C (a test measuring my three-month average blood sugars ) was 7.3 (or 162). My fasting blood sugar was 136. My last A1C was 5.5 (or an average of 110) and my fasting blood sugar was 97. My weight was…
I am so thankful to the Lord and to NEWSTART® for starting me on this journey. It was a lifesaver. My A1C is within the normal limits. I check my blood sugar once a week or so, and it is running from 84 to 90 [mg/dL]. When I left Weimar I had lost about 7…
I went to the Weimar program in November 2013. I was off all medication except for my thyroid meds. For six months I followed the plant-based diet without cheating one bit. I walked three miles every day and my blood sugar stayed in normal range. Not only that, but I was 76 years old and felt…
August 15, 2016 I had just been diagnosed type 2. Going to doctors has always been a mixed blessing to me; four times I found out I was pregnant and it resulted in having four great kids who have gone on to become good adults. Once to find I had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, in an advanced…
“Before they diagnosed me with type 2 diabetes, I was a carboholic. I remember having a neighbor friend with diabetes (most likely type 1) when I was a young teen. Her mom told my mom, so I would know not to offer Diana lemonade or fruit punch after we’d been out riding our bikes together,…
An unsuccessful success story As I began writing my own story, I reflected on my entire life and family, and my heart wells up in tears. Why? “Diabetes is a very serious and debilitating disease. I come from an Asian family (Filipino). We are six siblings. Four brothers and one sister have some level of…
“I can’t tell you how many meds my family doc tried before he finally sent me to an endocrinologist, who put me on NovoLog® 4 times a day. I forget how much, but the endo saw me every few weeks at first, then every 3 months since then. It wasn’t long before he saw I…
I have had adult onset diabetes for about 15 years. When I was diagnosed by my primary care doctor, he said, “You are diabetic. See you in three months.” No instruction was given on anything, not even a prescription! When I saw him on the next visit, he asked, “How is your diabetes doing?” I…
September 27, 2017 I am bragging. I have worked hard for this and deserve my own pat on the back. I’ve lost 45 pounds since December 30 and am on FARXIGA® and Trulicity® to control my blood sugar. I was on insulin and Trulicity® because metformin gave me lactic acidosis two years ago. I was taking…
In May of 2013 I was diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic after starting a 6-week health program sponsored by my work. My fasting glucose was high (118 mm/dl) and my A1C was 7.6. I weighed 196 lbs and am 5’4”. I was cutting down on the rice and pasta and eating smaller portions of these…
I was Type 2. My lifestyle was really hectic at work and I ate irregularly and unhealthfully. I was at my heaviest at 18 stones [252 lb]. But then I got really ill and later found out that I was close to slipping into a diabetic coma, which is when I had to go in…
My Journey to Better Health “I have struggled with different health issues for many years, including type 2 diabetes; but it got really bad when Tommy and I were on vacation to Las Vegas the last two months of last year. I guess we just didn’t realize how much worse it had gotten. “I fell…
One year ago today [December 4, 2015], I began using a Fitbit in an attempt as someone with Diabetes 2 to get my blood sugars under control. This little device has been a real motivator and my blood sugar levels are much better.
“I was raised on a ranch where we grew all our own food. It was definitely organic. We also had chickens who were cage-free and pasture-raised! I believe I had a healthy diet as a child. We only had dessert maybe once a week when my mother would make a cake. As a teenager, I…
In January of 2016 I found out that I had Type 2 diabetes. I was feeling terrible and drove to immediate care first thing in the morning. I was told that I had a blood sugar level of 317. That didn’t mean anything to me at the time, as like most Americans, I had no…
I’ve been following a vegetarian LCHF [low-carb high-fat] regime for over nine months now. Not only I have achieved excellent results with it, but I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed my food as much as I do now. I love this lifestyle. What do I eat?
Other stories:
What I was looking for was first-person success stories from the actual individuals who have truly reversed diabetes on a high-carb, low- or no-fat totally vegan diet. I have a plethora of success stories from individuals who have reversed diabetes on a low-carb, high-fat diet (some carnivore, some vegetarian, and some vegan), but almost none from the other camp.
From observations—i.e., “listening” to other diabetics in the groups—those who are eating a “traditional wisdom” diabetic diet (that is, neither low-carb high-fat moderate-protein nor high-carb low-fat vegan), if they are achieving reasonable A1Cs it is because they are on oral or injectable medications and/or insulin.
- High-carb Low-fat Vegan
- Low-carb High-fat (Ketogenic)
- Sad Stories
- Submit Your Own Success Story
If you would like to submit your own diabetes success story, please contact me using the form below:
Adventist Vegetarian Diabetics 
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