Type 2: First three months

[sd99]

Hi everyone

I was newly diagnosed as Type 2 (aged 41) at the end of November and my GP told me my hba1c was off the scale at 117. He put me on metformin 500g twice a day straight away and told me not to test myself (ie buy blood monitors) - I'm not sure why. Anyway, I started my metformin the next day, and after some toilet-related side effects, I reduced this to once a day for the first few weeks while it settled and then upped it back to twice a day. Things are still 'a bit loose' but it's manageable and usually ok once breakfast is out of the way.

I'm still waiting on dietry advice (I finally have a group session confirmed for next month), so went online and basically read whatever I could find. Although I still had a few small treats over Christmas (a little pudding, some potatoes, a few drinks etc), I cut a lot of rubbish carbs out. Likewise, since new year, I've pretty much cut out all startchy foods - pasta, rice, bread, potatoes etc - all the good stuff I've also tried to get 5 or 6 small walks in each week, even if it's just for 20-30mins at a time during my lunch break.

I generally eat a lot of veg every day, some fruit (apples, oranges, bananas), protein and better fats - I now love pumpkin seeds. I still eat carbs for breakfast, which is now either porridge/water/milk or shredded wheat bitesize + unsweetened almond milk (which I've discovered and love). I also have one or two packets of crisps every day (my downfall) - snapeas, skips, quavers etc.

Anyway, long story short, 3 months later I've lost a stone (still lots to go) and I had my first hba1c test since diagnosis. I was hoping just to get back onto the scale (maybe around 80) but my doctor telephoned me in astonishment, saying that it was 52 and had never seen such a drastic drop in such a short time. I really don't know what to make of that, it's hard to process what it could mean if I keep improving my diet and weight.

 

[Energize]

Hi @sd99

Firstly, congratulations on reducing your glucose levels so quickly and also proving that carbs are not good for diabetics This is a great start and I would think you stand a good chance of turning your diabetes around

Regardless of what your GP says most, if not all, of the members here will say it's important to test your glucose levels. If you don't test, how can you see what foods are affecting you and in what way? Would you drive a car without speedo or fuel gauge and expect to be in control?

When you look for a glucose monitor, bear in mind that the test strips are the on-going costs. SDCodeFree and Tee2 meters seem to be the best deal and do a decent job without costing too much. Check out these two links for them -
https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/

If you want further information re Low carb/Higher Fat (LCHF) diet, with lots of recipes etc, check out the Low Carb forum here

I'll also tag @daisy1 so she will post some very useful info for you to read, explaining diabetes stuff very well

Well done

 

[Art Of Flowers]

Well done. I was diagnosed type 2 last November with blood sugar at 13.1 and HbA1C at 99. I cut out breakfast cereals, bread, potatoes, rice, orange juice and now my fasting blood glucose is around 6.2. My diabetes nurse was surprised that my HbA1C had dropped to 59.

I am not a huge fan of Metformin as it does seem to have gastric side effects and seems to dehydrate me making me get up in the night for a toilet break. As a result of the disturbed sleep pattern I have been feeling tired. I have reduced Metformin to once a day after discussing with my diabetes nurse. If my BG levels rise I will go back to twice a day.

Recently I have reduced the amount of fruit I eat except for strawberries and blueberries. Bananas have a lot of sugar. I also found that porridge was raising my BG to over 10, two hours after eating. So I have stopped that also. It is worth getting a meter to test your blood sugar levels to fine tune your diet.

 

[daisy1]

@sd99

Hello and welcome to the Forum To help you to continue with your progress, here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask more questions when you need to and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 147,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.

 

[ickihun]

Well done @sd99 . I'm sure your not finished yet.
I'm confident you will keep this fight going til you get where you want to be.
Yes lchf diet reduced my hba1c hugely and got rid of my fatty liver too. An excellent diabetic tool.

 

[Prem51]

Hi @sd99 and welcome to the forum! Well done on your HbA1c and weight reductions. You have got the message that cutting down on carbs is the key to reducing blood sugar levels. The only thing I would suggest is that you also cut down on the fruits as they are high in sugars, though people on here say berries are ok.

 

[lowedb]

I had a very small portion of the bitesize shredded wheat and my BG shot up. That was when I believed the 'just cut out sugar and it will be fine'. The wheat is a no-no for me.

 

[Resurgam]

Wow - you are still eating far more carbs than I can - so you must be less sensitive to them - you are lucky, you'll be able to eat a far more 'normal' diet and keep your numbers low, if the last three months are any indication of your progress.
I managed to reduce Hba1c to 47 but on a far stricter way of eating. It is, however, suiting me right down to the ground as an option - and at least your doctor is interested. Mine just put NFA - no further action - on my file.

 

[kokhongw]

saying that it was 52 and had never seen such a drastic drop in such a short time. I really don't know what to make of that, it's hard to process what it could mean if I keep improving my diet and weight.

1. Yes surprisingly few doctors appreciates and understand the effectiveness carbs reductions.
2. You are on the right path.

 

[Hiitsme]

Well done @sd99
But I would still say a meter would really help you to even better results. Just my personal view as I found it so helpful and still do.

 

[Liam1955]

Hello @sd99 and Welcome to the Forum .
Most members on this forum follow the LCHF Diet (Low Carb High Fat) as it helps to lower HBA1C , Blood Sugars, and weight loss. Below are the links:

http://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/60-seconds
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf