Sounds like you have a plan and a good reason for it. Low carb should help. Congrats on the weight loss. Not to be a downer, but just to manage expectations. Many of us PMRers have or have had plans, but the PMR dictates how it will go. I just recently had a great plan to get to 8.5 (half mg at a time). At 10 I'm pretty good; at 9.5 okay; and then at 9 the pain gets worse. I stayed at 9 for a month to wait it out, but finally had to increase my dose again (for a few days by +5 mgs. to 14, and then reduced back to 10, the place where I last felt decent). I know you have diabetes and more to concern yourself with, but the objective with PMR is not a drive to zero prednisone, but to find the place where you are mostly comfortable. The PMR is still there covered by prednisone. If you don't take enough, the pain will increase or you'll have a flare. The best to you truly.