Am I permanent diabetic now?

Veryanxious

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Type of diabetes
Don't have diabetes
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I did a full body check up in this year feb, found out that my hb1ac was 6.0. I immediately started with low carbs diet lost 8 kg and my hb1ac dropped to 5.3.
But during festival I went home normal food which I used to have for 15 days. I have been monitoring my glucose since long and never had fasting glucose more then 100 before. But since yesterday I have fasting glucose of 103 and day glucose also doesn't decrease from 100. I am really worried my after eating blood glucose is 120 - 130.
I have diabetes in family from my dads side. But he became diabetic in 50's mostly because my grandmother had it and I am just 28.
I Will get my hb1ac by evening. My worry is I am working out and still my blood sugar is on the rise. Should I continue with low carb meal for rest of life.? Will be never be able to come out of diabetic zone.? This is the last thing I wanted and always been cautious about not getting it. I feel disappointed.
 
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There isn't anything in your numbers to suggest that you are diabetic. The after eating rise is normal and if it returns to lower levels within two hours there is not a problem.

I would recommend that even healthy people eat low carb or at least lower than advertisers wish since a high carb diet is unhealthy for anyone.
 
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Veryanxious

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I doesn't return to normal levels within two hours. My 1 hours glucose is less then 2 hours and it takes 4 - 5 hrs to reduce 10 points.
I read that after 2 hours sugar should return to 120 range, that is not happening now. Though this reading I took is when I am consuming more carbs then low carbs allow since two months.
I thought I had glucose under control now and if I exercise I will be able to have at least carbs if not sugar.
 

Prem51

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Welcome to the forum @Veryanxious. I'm not familiar with the mg/dl figures which I think you are using, so I don't know how high your post meal spikes are without looking up the mmol/L equivalents.
But if T2 diabetes is in your family you do need to be careful not to becoming T2 yourself. My mother was T2, and I am of South Asian heritage which also means I was more likely to become T2.
It isn't necessarily inevitable. You can avoid it by taking care with what you eat. It's not just sugar you should avoid, but also starchy carbohydrates like rice, breads, potatoes and pasta. Starchy carbs turn to sugar in our bodies so aren't good for T2 diabetics.
Let us know the result of your HbA1c test when you get it, and ask any questions you want to.
 

Veryanxious

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Type of diabetes
Don't have diabetes
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Just got my A1c. Report says 5.1%, this is lower then when i was on keto. Currently I am at low carb diet but not very consistent.
103 mg/dl.
I believe there is some mistake in A1c report.
My post meal after one hour is 126 mg/dl then it kind of stays there for even 2nd hour or 3 -4 points higher.
 
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Prem51

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Hi @Veryanxious It's very unlikely that the HbA1c result would be wrong. You do not seem to be diabetic, but because of your family history you do need to be careful with your food, and keep as low carb as you can.
I'll tag @daisy1 who will give you some useful information.
 

Prem51

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Yes it's best to avoid it if you can. I've looked up the figures you quoted. 103 mg/dl would be 5.7 mmol/L. Your post meal figure of 126 mg/dl would be 7.0 mmol/L. Both are within non-diabetic range.
The UK NHS recommended figures are in this chart:

Screenshot 2018-07-30 at 10.58.43.png
 

Veryanxious

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High fasting sugar worries me. It's hardly within limits. For non diabetic in chart they have mentioned 5.9 but they are also saying that for non diabetic 5.4 is normal limit.
 

Prem51

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That might be the case where you are - I guess you are not in the UK. But in the UK the National Health Service advice is that 4.0 - 5.9 mmol/L is ok for non-diabetics. So your figure of 103 mg/dl or 5.7 mmol/L would be good here.
Other countries can have different guidelines.
 

Veryanxious

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259
Type of diabetes
Don't have diabetes
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I want to believe that I am not diabetic. But fasting sugar of 103 is high. I have never had it above 90 before. I also feel thirsty and dry mouth after having carb loaded meal. Also fasting of 103 and a1c of 5.1 doesn't add up.
Can you suggest apart from low carb meal what more I can do?
I am thinking to take belowsteps and will follow more strictly now-
1. I used to exercise 1 hour a day. I will increase now to 2 hours.
2. Fast out complete one day a week.
3. Have two meals a day(16:8 intermittent fasting).

I am just paranoid of diabetes. I have seen complications of it in family and really scared of it.
 

daisy1

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@Veryanxious
Hello and welcome to the Forum:) Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to help.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

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 235,000 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 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. Most of these are 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.
 

Resurgam

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I have been eating a low carb died since my early 20s and can recommend it - though I had to contend with some very anti advice from HCPs.
If you have a tendency to gain weight feel that you lack energy, and have slightly high BG levels then low carb is the way to go, as even a full blown type two diabetic can control BG to normal levels by eating low carb foods.
 
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Guzzler

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High fasting sugar worries me. It's hardly within limits. For non diabetic in chart they have mentioned 5.9 but they are also saying that for non diabetic 5.4 is normal limit.

Stress and overly strenuous excercise can raise blood glucose levels. Be aware but live life to the full. Best wishes.
 

Veryanxious

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259
Type of diabetes
Don't have diabetes
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@Resurgam since how long you have been eating low carb?
Is it safe to continue it to maintain sugar sensitivity?
I have read in few research papers about low carb diet stating complete opposite that it can make a person more insulin resistant.
 

Guzzler

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@Resurgam since how long you have been eating low carb?
Is it safe to continue it to maintain sugar sensitivity?
I have read in few research papers about low carb diet stating complete opposite that it can make a person more insulin resistant.

That is nonsense. Carbohydrates provoke an insulin response, too high an insulin response for too long promotes insulin resistance. Lower carb promotes lower insulin response and can restore (to a degree) insulin sensitivity.
 

Mbaker

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My advice is don't over do the exercise, this is the icing not the cake; the split is around 85% diet 15% exercise.

I have been promoting (raving) about compound weights as my N of 1 has produced excellent results with minutes of exercise. So seen as you already exercise, you might want to try barbell deadlifts and barbell squats. When I do these 3 x 5 sets as a minimum, sometimes 5 x 5 I get good results in the blood sugar department every time, both fasting the next day and post prandial. It's got to be the amount of muscles recruited on each rep.
 

Resurgam

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@Resurgam since how long you have been eating low carb?
Is it safe to continue it to maintain sugar sensitivity?
I have read in few research papers about low carb diet stating complete opposite that it can make a person more insulin resistant.
I began to eat low carb in the early 1970s, but for about 10 years since then, in shorter or longer periods I was given diets to follow by my doctors and nurses, all of which did no good at all, and as soon as I could I returned to eating low carb foods and more normal levels of energy and weight.
I do not do ultra low, as I found that I lost weight far too fast back in the day - like 1kg a day at one time, so I used my BG levels to guide me.
Keeping to under 8mmol/l after eating showed me that my old carbohydrate level of 50 gm per day to lose weight gradually was the level which kept my BG under control. Not all that surprising really.
During the last 2 years since diagnosis my liver and waistline have shrunk, I can eat more carbs than 50 gm per day - and as I am not so resistant to insulin as I was, they are stashed away as fat very happily - so I stick to low carb. I have reduced down to 40 gm per day to try to lose more weight.
When you eat low carb you do respond badly to loads of carbs - it is because your body adapts to using other things as fuel and 'forgets' about using carbs - which is one reason for the carb cravings some people experience fade away - but I do not thing it is due to increased insulin resistance - after all the fewer carbs you eat the less insulin is produced, and the metabolism does seem to get back into balance once it can get itself rubber side down and back on the road again.