I have never taken diabetic medications. But after years of trying to control my blood glucose with diet and exercise, my blood sugar spiked over a period of six months and my doctor was about to prescribe medication. That’s when I decided to go on a diet (I have always exercised so that was not an issue).
That sounds very similar to the metabolic syndrome creeping up on you. Most diabetics have gone through such phases. In one of these periods I lost some 40 Lbs. of weight and even some inches on the waist line. Unfortunately, I was losing most of my muscle mass while doing so. This was just prior to being diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy and discovering for the first time that my blood glucose went to 600 mg/dL. Oral medication immediately reduced the blood glucose to 75-140 mg/dL. Over the years, however, the medication has become less and less effective.
After reducing carbohydrate intake from 100-150 mg/day to less than 20 mg/day, reducing protein to ~75 mg/day, and going into nutritional ketosis, the blood sugars went on a downward trend from ~189-220 mg/dL on oral medication to 149 mg/dL with no diabetic medication within one month.
Listen to the experience of Dr. Peter Attia, an endurance athlete and medical physician:
Peter Attia - An Advantaged Metabolic State: Human Performance, Resilience & Health
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3363270/posts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqwvcrA7oe8