Hi everyone

[Pasha]

Thanks Pasha...I have changed my diet dramatically, cutting out carbs, sugar, salt and eating more protein. Also doing exercise ( 10km on my exercise bike today) and losing weight steadily as I had piled on a few pounds. I just need to get my head round what I can and can't eat and then hopefully I can re test and get better results. I am not sure what the LCHF diet is lol....I will be reading up on all the info on this site to find out all I need to know. Right now I just thank God for it cos I have nowhere else to turn

LCHF = Low Carbohydrate High Fat.

 

[Gezzabelle]

LCHF = Low Carbohydrate High Fat.

Thank you ....wow ...that shows how much I have to learn....I have been cutting fat out almost completely. I have so much to learn.

 

[sanguine]

Wow thanks so much for all the information.....I am sure it will prove very helpful. I have been going in blind so to speak but have cut carbs, sugar and salt either right down or out of my diet and already feel so much better than I did per blood test....less tired and lethargic. I will read up on all the links you so kindly sent and act on them and then hopefully kick this diabetes to the wall

Excellent, I think you'll be fine!

Don't be scared of fat by the way (www.dietdoctor.com/lchf).

 

[Paul59]

Hi & welcome. The high fat thing is misleading. All you basically need to do is have full fat products not low. Have cheese, nuts, avocados, full fat Greek yogurt, leave fat on meats, things like that.
We need the fat & protien when cutting down on carbs to replace the energy lost from not having carbs, here's a link to a daily mail article on fats & why we need them. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...clogs-arteries-true-villain-surprise-you.html
We were fed poor info when we were told fat is bad for us, it's the high glucose forming things that are the killers.

 

[PATRICK317]

Hello

 

[Gezzabelle]

Hi & welcome. The high fat thing is misleading. All you basically need to do is have full fat products not low. Have cheese, nuts, avocados, full fat Greek yogurt, leave fat on meats, things like that.
We need the fat & protien when cutting down on carbs to replace the energy lost from not having carbs, here's a link to a daily mail article on fats & why we need them. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...clogs-arteries-true-villain-surprise-you.html
We were fed poor info when we were told fat is bad for us, it's the high glucose forming things that are the killers.

Hello

Hi Patrick...nice to see another noobie here ...hope you are finding this group as helpful as I am...I'd be lost without them

 

[PATRICK317]

Yes

 

[Gezzabelle]

Hi & welcome. The high fat thing is misleading. All you basically need to do is have full fat products not low. Have cheese, nuts, avocados, full fat Greek yogurt, leave fat on meats, things like that.
We need the fat & protien when cutting down on carbs to replace the energy lost from not having carbs, here's a link to a daily mail article on fats & why we need them. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...clogs-arteries-true-villain-surprise-you.html
We were fed poor info when we were told fat is bad for us, it's the high glucose forming things that are the killers.

I hear what you're saying and it sounds perfect for me but doesn't eating more fat like that cause cholesterol to go up? I have to bring mine down and worry it could have the opposite effect if I eat so much fat?

 

[Pasha]

Dont worry about the fat, as long as you eat low carbs. For me everything improved, Triglycerides way down, HDL up and LDL down. In the beginning I also was afraid to make the change, after all those years of following the misleading mantra of high carb low fat diets. See my signature below etc

 

[Susikav]

I guess my biggest question right now has to be....Am I diabetic or not? My bloods were taken and results said HbA1c was 6.5....the nurse said I was therefore type 2 diabetic and to see the doctor. The doctor scoffed at me when I said I was there to have him confirm I am diabetic. He said I am NOT and to go home and have a glass of wine He said I probably would be one day but right now I am borderline. All information I have seen about it says 6.5 is diabetic....is this the case? My gp said to repeat bloods in 3 or 6 months ''if I wanted to''???.....doesn't seem to be very concerned or helpful and that in itself is making me scared as I have no clue what to do other than try and change what I eat and exercise more. I am now trying to work out what I should eat and finding this group helpful with so much information on here. The hardest part is what do I eat and not knowing if it is working Before the bloods I felt exhausted all the time and changed to Low GL way of eating and it seems to help as I now feel full of energy and bright as a button so less carb seems the way to go.....I think lol

Good morning from Bahrain Gezzebelle.... How sensible you've been so far... Pasha is such a good mentor, isn't he? He will give you very good advice... Sanguine's 'blog' is wonderful and very helpful....there is a thread 'What Have You Eaten Today?' which may give you some idea of what you can eat... loads of meal ideas, tips and recipes... and there's a thread called 'Low Carb Recipes' which has some really lovely recipes on it... We post our morning fasting BG readings too - the thread is 'What was your fasting blood glucose in a morning'... It's always interesting to see what other people's readings are in the morning... Wherever you are right now, we have all been there and done that - and more.... You have come to the right place... Welcome...

 

[PatsyB]

Morning and hello

 

[Gezzabelle]

Good morning from Bahrain Gezzebelle.... How sensible you've been so far... Pasha is such a good mentor, isn't he? He will give you very good advice... Sanguine's 'blog' is wonderful and very helpful....there is a thread 'What Have You Eaten Today?' which may give you some idea of what you can eat... loads of meal ideas, tips and recipes... and there's a thread called 'Low Carb Recipes' which has some really lovely recipes on it... We post our morning fasting BG readings too - the thread is 'What was your fasting blood glucose in a morning'... It's always interesting to see what other people's readings are in the morning... Wherever you are right now, we have all been there and done that - and more.... You have come to the right place... Welcome...

Good afternoon ....how lovely to hear from someone so far away from the UK. Yes Pasha is a very good mentor as are many on here. The advice I have been given so far has been so helpful. I am still finding my way round the site and finding more and more valuable information. I don't have a tester to test my blood as I was diagnosed as borderline ( when if fact my readings say that I am indeed type 2 ) I am wondering if I should buy a tester myself to give me some indication if my efforts are making a difference. I am finding it difficult to have to say NO to my usual favourite foods but I am determined to win this battle and get my levels back to normal. I have lost quite a few pounds already which is brilliant and should hopefully help? I am also hoping that my new way of eating will reduce my cholesterol level which was high. I will look at the posts you have mentioned....perhaps they will inspire me to make some new tasty meals

 

[anna29]

Hi everyone.....and thank you for adding me to your group. I hope that we can all get to know each other over time and I just know that I am going to find a lot of help here. Right now I feel a bit lost and confused after being told firstly that I am diabetic and then that I am borderline and will be diabetic. I am hoping to reverse the situation if I can get some idea what to do to enable me to do that. I look forward to getting to know you all and to sharing a few smiles along the way

Hi welcome to us all here .
Here is a link to our diet/recipes forum .
Also some info explaining more about carbohydrates within diabetes .

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/carbohydrates.20306/
Take things one step at a time .
All will become clearer this way.

 

[sanguine]

Hi @Gezzabelle , I would strongly recommend you get a test meter to check what meals do to you, especially as you get used to the new food plan. You won't get one prescribed, but many here (myself included) use the SD Codefree because the test strips are the most economical.

Some recommended recipes on this site have more carbs in than others, reflecting a range in diabetic status and medication, so you need to find a programme that suits you.

 

[Gezzabelle]

Hi @Gezzabelle , I would strongly recommend you get a test meter to check what meals do to you, especially as you get used to the new food plan. You won't get one prescribed, but many here (myself included) use the SD Codefree because the test strips are the most economical.

Some recommended recipes on this site have more carbs in than others, reflecting a range in diabetic status and medication, so you need to find a programme that suits you.

I did reply earlier but I think the site had a glitch. I have been thinking of getting a tester to tell me if I am making progress. I have to admit I am totally phobic about needles and all things associated so even sticking my finger is not going to be something I will look forward to The tester you mention uses lancets...can you tell me if you have to use the lancet as it is or does it go into a pen? I think I have seen the pen sort and I think it would be easier to get along with if it just means putting a pen against my finger and pressing a button.

 

[sanguine]

It goes in a pen and you just press a button as you say. You just set it to the lowest setting that will barely puncture your skin to produce a droplet of blood.

 

[Daphne917]

I hear what you're saying and it sounds perfect for me but doesn't eating more fat like that cause cholesterol to go up? I have to bring mine down and worry it could have the opposite effect if I eat so much fat?

Hi Gezzabelle I, and probably many others, had the same reservations as you when I first read about the Low Carb High Fat. I think that for so long we have had it drummed into us that fats are bad thus we must eat low fat that it is difficult to see how the opposite could be true. I started cutting my carbs in September last year and, instead of having, for example, low fat yoghurts, semi-skimmed milk, low fat spreads and not too much cheese and eggs I started eating the full fat version inc butter and upped my intake of eggs. When my bloods were last done in December last year my cholesterol had actually gone down and my hba1c was the same as it was in August. In addition, as an added bonus, I'd also lost about 2 stone in weight - which is still coming down slowly but surely! I know I shouldn't complain but it's costing me a fortune in clothes because within 3-4 weeks of buying new ones they are getting too big for me! Only you can decide what you are going to do however read the evidence both on here and the wider internet and, whichever way you decide, good luck.

 

[Gezzabelle]

Hi Gezzabelle I, and probably many others, had the same reservations as you when I first read about the Low Carb High Fat. I think that for so long we have had it drummed into us that fats are bad thus we must eat low fat that it is difficult to see how the opposite could be true. I started cutting my carbs in September last year and, instead of having, for example, low fat yoghurts, semi-skimmed milk, low fat spreads and not too much cheese and eggs I started eating the full fat version inc butter and upped my intake of eggs. When my bloods were last done in December last year my cholesterol had actually gone down and my hba1c was the same as it was in August. In addition, as an added bonus, I'd also lost about 2 stone in weight - which is still coming down slowly but surely! I know I shouldn't complain but it's costing me a fortune in clothes because within 3-4 weeks of buying new ones they are getting too big for me! Only you can decide what you are going to do however read the evidence both on here and the wider internet and, whichever way you decide, good luck.

Thank you Daphne. For now I am choosing to lower carbs dramatically to less than 30 and eating lots of veg and fish. I am now trying to introduce more meat and using very low carb quorn products. I am going to get a tester soon so I can see what affects my sugar and hopefully see some results in lowering my blood sugar.