The Fast Life with Diabetes-- Intermittent Fasting

Wow! How exciting to start off the year with such an impactful interview! Bobbi was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in October 2021 with an A1c of 17.8. Right away, she knew that she needed to make some major changes. She immediately cut out sugar and adopted a low-carb diet. Then, in January 2023, she found intermittent fasting. Also, around that time, she met her now partner, Keith. Keith is a big influence in the intermittent fasting community and he helped her to adopt this lifestyle. Through diet and IF, Bobbi has been able to get her A1c down to 6.3, which is just amazing. In addition, she has been able to lose around 50lbs. Just an incredible story! I hope you enjoy it!

Thanks for a great year!

This will be the final episode of the year and I just wanted to give you an update on a few things that have been going on my life. First, I have been on Ozempic for ~10 or 11 weeks at this point and I'll give you an update on my impressions of it to date. Second, I'll update you on my fasting protocol, which has changed largely due to the impact of Ozempic. Third, I am trying out a new algorithm for my diabetes management, called iAPS (Apple (i) Artificial Pancreas System). I haven't been using it for very long but I already like it very much. Lastly, I've been battling sugar (yet again!) Maybe some of you can relate to this... I'll be back next year with more episodes!

Sarah has a great story and so much of it resonated deeply with me. If you are struggling to cut sugar out of your diet or if you are in the early stages of insulin resistance, don't miss this episode! After struggling with sugar addiction, Sarah decided that she needed to make some major lifestyle changes, which included cutting sugar and fasting regularly. While Sarah was never technically diagnosed with pre-diabetes or Type 2 diabetes, at a health check a few years ago, she had a borderline high fasting insulin level. In addition, through wearing a CGM, she saw that her BGs could go quite high after meals. The insulin resistance she was experiencing alarmed her and she promptly made lifestyle changes to prevent the insulin resistance from worsening. Ultimately, Sarah was successful at cutting sugar, improving her overall diet, and incorporating fasting into her routine. Very impressive!

To learn more about Sarah, she can be found in the following places:

Facebook: Overcoming Sugar and Processed Food Addiction - A Christian Support Group

Website: Sarah-erkel-grace.com

Dr. Vera Tarman Episode referenced in the interview:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fast-life-with-diabetes-intermittent-fasting/id1601043790?i=1000613322114

What a pleasure it was to catch up with Josh! While Josh is less than two years into his Type 1 diabetes diagnosis (30 years old), he has mastered his blood sugar management. His last A1c was 4.8! He attributes much of his success to fasting, which we discussed in depth. He continues to use fasting to ensure that all of his insulin settings are correct. Additionally, fasting has greatly helped him with exercise. Interestingly, after we spoke the last time, he experienced a delayed honeymoon period. He was initially confused by the lower insulin needs but, upon discussing these changes with his endocrinologist, he realized what was going on. Upon coming out of the honeymoon, he was able to use fasting to get his settings back to the right spot. Lastly, Josh has been able to lose around 40 pounds from a starting weight of 207. All in all, fasting has completely transformed his life and he is very passionate about sharing what he has learned with others. It's so great to hear from someone that is doing so well!

Here's Josh's earlier interview:

https://stream.redcircle.com/episodes/29c5419f-c1c1-497e-a27b-94b103c81283/stream.mp3

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fast-life-with-diabetes-intermittent-fasting/id1601043790?i=1000603236179

Thank you all so much for your outpouring of support after my "Diabetes Sucks" episode a few weeks ago. While I haven't totally reversed my insulin resistance, I have been able to improve it. I suspect the cause of my insulin resistance is hormone related as I believe I am entering peri-menopause (I'm 43 years old). To counteract the insulin resistance, I have started on a birth control pill (Slynd) to regulate my cycle and Ozempic to improve insulin sensitivity. While neither is a magic bullet, they have helped. Thanks again for all of your support - it really means a lot to me!

What a treat it was to speak to Adam and Nyree! They have been married for 33 years and are such a great example of a couple working well together to achieve their goals.

Adam has had Type 1 diabetes for the last 35 years and adopted a keto diet several years ago. He has since super charged his blood sugar management by adding fasting to his routine. Adam's last A1C was 5.6, which is very impressive. His wife, Nyree, was recently diagnosed with pre-diabetes, which was no surprise to her given her family history and her experience with gestational diabetes. Since finding fasting, she has been able to reverse her pre-diabetes without the use of medication, and greatly improve her blood sugars. In addition, both of them have lost weight, which was a secondary but welcome side effect of fasting.

I loved speaking to both of them and hearing their stories at what is the beginning of their fasting journeys. I will continue to track them over time and hope to have them back on in the future. It was really a pleasure getting to know both of them!

I like Randi because she keeps it real. We all struggles as T1Ds to do many things, fasting included. Randi has had diabetes for 17 years and came to fasting about a year ago for both weight loss and better control over her blood sugars. After starting with a more relaxed protocol, Randi's fasting has now evolved into alternate day fasting. She also does multiple daily injections, which adds another layer of complexity to her fasting protocol. We dive deep on how she manages her insulin needs while doing longer fasts and we also talk about the struggles we all face as Type 1 diabetics. While Randi is making progress, she still has weight loss and A1C goals that she'd like to achieve. I have no doubt that she will reach her goals. Randi was a joy to speak with and she was incredibly honest. I hope you get a lot out of her episode!

Sorry to be a downer but I owe it to you to be real. This past week has been terrible for me diabetes-wise. All of my settings seem to be wrong and I am forced to eat around the clock. As a result, I have gained 6 pounds in 1 week (ARGH!!!!). I have no idea how this will turn around but I wanted to give you a window into the struggle that I am facing currently. Maybe you are going through the same thing. I think it helps for all of us to know that we are not alone.

It was such a treat to speak to Tracey! She was so generous with the details of her story. After struggling with her weight for most of her adult life, Tracey received a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes in 2019. However, she was determined not to go on medication. She tried various methods to lose weight and become more healthy. Nothing seemed to stick until she found clean fasting. Once she began clean fasting, the weight began to drop off and her A1c improved in a sustained way. Now, she's down 57 lbs (197 to 140lbs) and her A1c went from 6.4 at its highest down to 5.4 currently!

Tracey shares a lot of good information about her mindset through her struggles and ultimate success with clean fasting. What a compelling story! I hope you enjoy it!