Why the blog?

I decided to start this blog in week 0 of a 104 week journey. I have volunteered with the CSIRO Division of Human Nutrition for a 24 month diet and exercise trial hopefully you will all see less of me and I will be fitter!!

In week 0 I have been fitted with an accelerometer to measure my activity and an in-dwelling continuous glucose monitor (CGM) which is a a disposable glucose sensor placed just under the skin of my ample belly, which is worn for a few days until replacement.

“In Australia an increasing number of people are becoming overweight, which contributes to an increased risk of health problems, including type 2 diabetes that can increase the risk of a number of health complications, including cardiovascular disease. Although research indicates that weight loss by dieting and participating in regular exercise can improve health and reverse the metabolic consequences of diabetes, there is a lack of understanding of what is the optimal dietary composition to combine with exercise training in managing this condition. Consequently, there is a lack of evidence based dietary and exercise recommendations for treating this condition and which dietary composition will promote the greatest health benefits.

What is the aim of the study?

The aim of this project is to compare the effects of 2 common weight loss strategies combined with exercise on body composition, blood glucose control, markers of heart health and mood. The 2 diets we will evaluate are:

1. High carbohydrate, low fat diet

2. Very Low Carbohydrate, high fat, high protein diet

This study will provide governing health bodies, such as the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia and the Heart Foundation, the evidence needed to make dietary recommendations for weight loss to improve heart health to diabetes management.

In addition to the energy reduced weight loss diet I will be required to follow a standardized exercise program 3 days per week The program will consist of performing an aerobic and resistance based exercises and will be required to attend a centrally based gymnasium on 3 non-consecutive days per week during flexible times either in the morning, lunchtime or evening dependant on participant availability and demand for the duration of the study. The exercise sessions will be supervised by a qualified fitness instructor and each session will last approximately 60 minutes.

What does this study involve?

Volunteers who are overweight and have type 2 diabetes were invited to take part in this 2 year study