My First Diabetes Review, 31 July 2019

[Deleted member 508720]

Hi. You say you have online access to your test results which is good. You need to have your blood tests done 1 to 2 weeks before your review so you don't waste time at the review being told the results but can go straight in to discuss the implications. I would encourage you to think carbs and not calories. Calories are a marketing tool used by slimming clubs etc and not based on good science when it comes to what you eat. Fats have twice the calories of carbs and hence controlling calories can encourage reducing fats rather than carbs which is the opposite of what we with diabetes need. Fats don't result in any significant BS rise but carbs do so do focus on the latter although I accept holding calories down will help if not optimal.

Thanks very much for your reply. I agree with you that I need to have my blood tests done around two weeks before my review. I too was surprised this didn’t happen. It was my doctor who made the appointment for me to see the diabetic nurse. I phoned the surgery to ask if I needed to book any blood tests but I was told no. Apparently, this appointment was to give me support and to see how I am getting on. I have my blood tests done on 19 August. I am told that in future I will have a review annually and I assume my blood tests will be done a couple of weeks prior to that.

I appreciate what you are saying about carbs. I know that many people on this Forum advocate that. However, I find it very complicated to understand and very difficult to further reduce the carbohydrates which I’m eating. I do try to keep a track of the carbs on my Samsung Health App, which is very good. It lists everything which I have eaten each day and it tells me all the values for each. On average, I eat around 190 g of carbs each day, which is probably way too high. My problem is finding alternatives which will also satisfy my hunger. It’s not easy! I don’t like the suggestions I read about in the Healthline Diabetes Type 2 Newsletter.

Kind regards, Sheila

 

[Daphne917]

Thanks very much for your reply. I agree with you that I need to have my blood tests done around two weeks before my review. I too was surprised this didn’t happen. It was my doctor who made the appointment for me to see the diabetic nurse. I phoned the surgery to ask if I needed to book any blood tests but I was told no. Apparently, this appointment was to give me support and to see how I am getting on. I have my blood tests done on 19 August. I am told that in future I will have a review annually and I assume my blood tests will be done a couple of weeks prior to that.

I appreciate what you are saying about carbs. I know that many people on this Forum advocate that. However, I find it very complicated to understand and very difficult to further reduce the carbohydrates which I’m eating. I do try to keep a track of the carbs on my Samsung Health App, which is very good. It lists everything which I have eaten each day and it tells me all the values for each. On average, I eat around 190 g of carbs each day, which is probably way too high. My problem is finding alternatives which will also satisfy my hunger. It’s not easy! I don’t like the suggestions I read about in the Healthline Diabetes Type 2 Newsletter.

Kind regards, Sheila

Hi @Sheila L hopefully your blood results will show an improvement. I manage to maintain my hba1c at non diabetic levels on approx 100g - 130g carbs per day so just within what is considered low carb. Interestingly although I have had non diabetic readings for approx 6 years I still have a blood test and review every 6-8 months depending on when my Diabetic nurse can fit it in.

Have you thought about reconsidering your decision not to test - you can get a fastclix lancet which doesn’t hurt at all and @Rachox and @Bluetit1802 can provide good information on meters etc. In my opinion, even though I don’t test as often as I did because I know which foods I can/cannot/shouldn’t eat, this is an essential piece of kit in how I control my glucose levels. My DN initially told me not to test as it would ‘leave me with sore fingers’ however I’d rather have the odd sore finger than T2 diabetes - which it hasn’t. I think if you do decide to get a meter you will be surprised at how foods that we think are good for us like low fat yoghurt, spreads, milk, wholewheat bread and pasta, rice, jacket potatoes and fruit raise our blood sugar to sometimes quite high figures. I thought my diet was healthy until I saw my meter readings - I’ve now got used to the idea that full fat Greek yoghurt, cream, butter, cheese, eggs, bacon and meat etc are the healthy option for me!

 

[Pinkorchid]

Thanks very much for your reply. I agree with you that I need to have my blood tests done around two weeks before my review. I too was surprised this didn’t happen. It was my doctor who made the appointment for me to see the diabetic nurse. I phoned the surgery to ask if I needed to book any blood tests but I was told no. Apparently, this appointment was to give me support and to see how I am getting on. I have my blood tests done on 19 August. I am told that in future I will have a review annually and I assume my blood tests will be done a couple of weeks prior to that.

I appreciate what you are saying about carbs. I know that many people on this Forum advocate that. However, I find it very complicated to understand and very difficult to further reduce the carbohydrates which I’m eating. I do try to keep a track of the carbs on my Samsung Health App, which is very good. It lists everything which I have eaten each day and it tells me all the values for each. On average, I eat around 190 g of carbs each day, which is probably way too high. My problem is finding alternatives which will also satisfy my hunger. It’s not easy! I don’t like the suggestions I read about in the Healthline Diabetes Type 2 Newsletter.

Kind regards, Sheila

We all have find what works for us personally because we are all different people. Not everyone here does the low carb high fat diet many prefer something more moderate as they do not like a lot of saturated fat There are vegetarians and vegans on this forum who manage their diet without animal fats at all so there are no rules on how we eat

 

[Deleted member 508720]

We all have find what works for us personally because we are all different people. Not everyone here does the low carb high fat diet many prefer something more moderate as they do not like a lot of saturated fat There are vegetarians and vegans on this forum who manage their diet without animal fats at all so there are no rules on how we eat

Thanks for your feedback. I agree, not everybody can eat lots of saturated fat and a diet containing many animal fats. We aim to cut these out as much as possible. We eat a lot of fish such as Cod, Plaice or Salmon. Salmon has gone very expensive though - I don’t know why.

I’m pleased to hear your reassurance that not everyone does the low carb high fat diet. I did wonder if I was the only one who didn’t want to follow that diet. I much prefer something more moderate and I definitely don’t want to eat a lot of saturated fat. Like you say, it is finding the diet which suits.

Many thanks. Sheila

 

[Listlad]

Thanks very much for your reply. I agree with you that I need to have my blood tests done around two weeks before my review. I too was surprised this didn’t happen. It was my doctor who made the appointment for me to see the diabetic nurse. I phoned the surgery to ask if I needed to book any blood tests but I was told no. Apparently, this appointment was to give me support and to see how I am getting on. I have my blood tests done on 19 August. I am told that in future I will have a review annually and I assume my blood tests will be done a couple of weeks prior to that.

I appreciate what you are saying about carbs. I know that many people on this Forum advocate that. However, I find it very complicated to understand and very difficult to further reduce the carbohydrates which I’m eating. I do try to keep a track of the carbs on my Samsung Health App, which is very good. It lists everything which I have eaten each day and it tells me all the values for each. On average, I eat around 190 g of carbs each day, which is probably way too high. My problem is finding alternatives which will also satisfy my hunger. It’s not easy! I don’t like the suggestions I read about in the Healthline Diabetes Type 2 Newsletter.

Kind regards, Sheila

Sheila. I too have found it difficult to manage low carbs. With perseverance I have got levels to 100 to 130 grams of carbs per day or lower. After a while it gets easier. And it works.

Mine is a lower carb, higher fat diet. However I do enjoy butter, double cream, full fat milk, Greek yoghurt, streaky bacon etc so that helps.

 

[Deleted member 508720]

Sheila. I too have found it difficult to manage low carbs. With perseverance I have got levels to 100 to 130 grams of carbs per day or lower. After a while it gets easier. And it works.

Mine is a lower carb, higher fat diet. However I do enjoy butter, double cream, full fat milk, Greek yoghurt, streaky bacon etc so that helps.

Thanks for that encouragement. Like you, I’m trying to reduce my intake of carbs. I have a super App on my phone which counts them all for me. I’m not sure I could do 130 grams yet but I’m optimistic about the future.

The butter, double cream, full fat milk, Greek yogurt and streaky bacon all sound delicious! I wish...

Many thanks, Sheila

 

[Listlad]

Thanks for that encouragement. Like you, I’m trying to reduce my intake of carbs. I have a super App on my phone which counts them all for me. I’m not sure I could do 130 grams yet but I’m optimistic about the future.

The butter, double cream, full fat milk, Greek yogurt and streaky bacon all sound delicious! I wish...

Many thanks, Sheila

I don’t think it will harm to start at the higher level before slowly bringing the amount of carbs down per day, levelling out at a desired level. Some members seem to make radical changes quickly but for some that is hard to achieve for all sorts of reasons. It took me a few weeks to get my head around carb reduction and increased fats and how that can be achieved.

Once I had commenced carb reduction I had an HbA1c test within about 4 weeks and my HbA1c had dropped clear of the pre diabetic range.

 

[Deleted member 508720]

Hi @Sheila L hopefully your blood results will show an improvement. I manage to maintain my hba1c at non diabetic levels on approx 100g - 130g carbs per day so just within what is considered low carb. Interestingly although I have had non diabetic readings for approx 6 years I still have a blood test and review every 6-8 months depending on when my Diabetic nurse can fit it in.

Have you thought about reconsidering your decision not to test - you can get a fastclix lancet which doesn’t hurt at all and @Rachox and @Bluetit1802 can provide good information on meters etc. In my opinion, even though I don’t test as often as I did because I know which foods I can/cannot/shouldn’t eat, this is an essential piece of kit in how I control my glucose levels. My DN initially told me not to test as it would ‘leave me with sore fingers’ however I’d rather have the odd sore finger than T2 diabetes - which it hasn’t. I think if you do decide to get a meter you will be surprised at how foods that we think are good for us like low fat yoghurt, spreads, milk, wholewheat bread and pasta, rice, jacket potatoes and fruit raise our blood sugar to sometimes quite high figures. I thought my diet was healthy until I saw my meter readings - I’ve now got used to the idea that full fat Greek yoghurt, cream, butter, cheese, eggs, bacon and meat etc are the healthy option for me!

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I’m certainly hoping that my blood tests will show an improvement. I’m not quite sure what I’ll do if they don’t!

Thanks for your suggestion of restricting my diet to 100 - 130 grams of carbs each day. I’m certainly endeavouring to reduce my intake of carbs too, with the help of the excellent App which I have on my phone, which counts them for me.

It’s good that your diabetic nurse is keeping an eye on you, even after six years with non-diabetic readings. That’s a great achievement and I hope I will be able to do the same.

I’m holding out on not having to test. I appreciate what you say but I still don’t think I can do it. I can’t even bear the thought of it. My diabetic nurse was emphatic that I don’t need to do it. If my next blood test results are still high, then I’m sure I will have to think again. I can understand that the foods you mention could raise the blood sugar to quite high levels.

I like the sound of the Greek yogurt, cream, butter, eggs, bacon and meat. Delicious!

With kind regards, Sheila

 

[Deleted member 508720]

I don’t think it will harm to start at the higher level before slowly bringing the amount of carbs down per day, levelling out at a desired level. Some members seem to make radical changes quickly but for some that is hard to achieve for all sorts of reasons. It took me a few weeks to get my head around carb reduction and increased fats and how that can be achieved.

Once I had commenced carb reduction I had an HbA1c test within about 4 weeks and my HbA1c had dropped clear of the pre diabetic range.

Thanks for your post. Yes, I’m sure I will have to start at a higher level. It’s very difficult to get the amount of carbs down each day. I’m faithfully recording all the food which I eat and attempting to reduce the amount of carbs that I eat. However, what I don’t want to do is eat a diet high in saturated or animal fats. I have to find what’s right for me. It is very impressive that you have dropped your HbA1c to below the pre diabetic range. That’s a great achievement.

With thanks, Sheila

 

[bulkbiker]

However, what I don’t want to do is eat a diet high in saturated or animal fats.

Any particular reason for not wanting to eat that way? It helps a large number of us and contrary to "popular science" it neither makes you fat nor contributes to heart disease.

 

[Deleted member 508720]

Hi. You say you have online access to your test results which is good. You need to have your blood tests done 1 to 2 weeks before your review so you don't waste time at the review being told the results but can go straight in to discuss the implications. I would encourage you to think carbs and not calories. Calories are a marketing tool used by slimming clubs etc and not based on good science when it comes to what you eat. Fats have twice the calories of carbs and hence controlling calories can encourage reducing fats rather than carbs which is the opposite of what we with diabetes need. Fats don't result in any significant BS rise but carbs do so do focus on the latter although I accept holding calories down will help if not optimal.

I’m really sorry. I thought I had replied to you yesterday but now I can’t see any sign of the reply. I apologise if I’ve already sent a reply to you.

Yes, I’m sure you are correct about having the blood tests done. I shall have to make sure that I make an appointment for blood tests at least two weeks before going for my next review.

I know people keep advising me to keep the carbs down. I don’t think this is something I can achieve quickly. I have to get used to what works for me in my diet. I am logging all the food I eat and my super little App on my phone tells me how many carbs I’ve eaten. I am trying to work towards reducing my carbs to around 130 grams per day but at the moment I’m not managing to achieve this level. I can understand that fats don’t significantly raise the blood sugar but what I don’t want to do is eat lots of animal or saturated fats. I expect in time I’ll find what’s right for me. My diabetic nurse was delighted with my achievements in the weight that I’ve lost and the huge reduction in my blood pressure. The real test will be when I get my blood test results. I’m a bit apprehensive about that!

Many thanks for your reply. Sheila

 

[Deleted member 508720]

Any particular reason for not wanting to eat that way? It helps a large number of us and contrary to "popular science" it neither makes you fat nor contributes to heart disease.

Wow! It’s certainly something to think about. I would have thought it would make me fat and give me heart disease. It sounds a nice diet to eat. I’m currently eating loads of salads and fresh vegetables with fish as many times as I can. I eat fruit, which I’m sure raises my blood sugar levels. It’s all very complicated, I find. Sheila

 

[bulkbiker]

Wow! It’s certainly something to think about. I would have thought it would make me fat and give me heart disease. It sounds a nice diet to eat. I’m currently eating loads of salads and fresh vegetables with fish as many times as I can. I eat fruit, which I’m sure raises my blood sugar levels. It’s all very complicated, I find. Sheila

Unfortunately we have been misled for many years about what we should be eating.
If you think about it the foods that have maintained mankind at the top of the food chain have been demonised.
Meat, animal fats , dairy etc have all been painted as bad yet have kept us fit and healthy for millennia.
Since we all went "low fat" then a huge amount of metabolic disease has appeared.

Cheap carbohydrates, processed seed oils and excessive consumption of sweet fruit out of season have left us where we are today. Since giving up all that and concentrating on a ketogenic diet I have lost over 120 pounds in weight and put T2 into remission. With zero medication.

 

[Deleted member 508720]

Hi. You say you have online access to your test results which is good. You need to have your blood tests done 1 to 2 weeks before your review so you don't waste time at the review being told the results but can go straight in to discuss the implications. I would encourage you to think carbs and not calories. Calories are a marketing tool used by slimming clubs etc and not based on good science when it comes to what you eat. Fats have twice the calories of carbs and hence controlling calories can encourage reducing fats rather than carbs which is the opposite of what we with diabetes need. Fats don't result in any significant BS rise but carbs do so do focus on the latter although I accept holding calories down will help if not optimal.

I’m really sorry. I thought I had replied to you yesterday but now I can’t see any sign of the reply. I apologise if I’ve already sent a reply to you.

I’m sorry, I’m no not sure if I’ve already replied to you. I seem to keep losing the reply! Yes, I’m sure you are correct about having the blood tests done. I shall have to make sure that I make an appointment for blood tests at least two weeks before going for my next review.

I know people keep advising me to keep the carbs down. I don’t think this is something I can achieve quickly. I have to get used to what works for me in my diet. I am logging all the food I eat and my super little App on my phone tells me how many carbs I’ve eaten. I am trying to work towards reducing my carbs to around 130 grams per day but at the moment I’m not managing to achieve this level. I can understand that fats don’t significantly raise the blood sugar but what I don’t want to do is eat lots of animal or saturated fats. I expect in time I’ll find what’s right for me. My diabetic nurse was delighted with my achievements in the weight that I’ve lost and the huge reduction in my blood pressure. The real test will be when I get my blood test results. I’m a bit apprehensive about that!

Many thanks for your reply. Sheila

 

[Deleted member 508720]

Unfortunately we have been misled for many years about what we should be eating.
If you think about it the foods that have maintained mankind at the top of the food chain have been demonised.
Meat, animal fats , dairy etc have all been painted as bad yet have kept us fit and healthy for millennia.
Since we all went "low fat" then a huge amount of metabolic disease has appeared.

Cheap carbohydrates, processed seed oils and excessive consumption of sweet fruit out of season have left us where we are today. Since giving up all that and concentrating on a ketogenic diet I have lost over 120 pounds in weight and put T2 into remission. With zero medication.

Yes, I remember when I was young we were told to eat lots of dairy products like whole milk, full fat cheese, cream, meat and lots of other lovely things. Now we’re told they’re bad for us.

I’ve not heard of a ketogenic diet and will have to look that one up. It’s all very confusing.

You have had a massive achievement in losing over 120 pounds in weight. That’s incredible. It’s also great that you have put your Type 2 diabetes into remission and that you don’t have to take any medication. Amazing.

Sheila

 

[Pinkorchid]

Thanks for your feedback. I agree, not everybody can eat lots of saturated fat and a diet containing many animal fats. We aim to cut these out as much as possible. We eat a lot of fish such as Cod, Plaice or Salmon. Salmon has gone very expensive though - I don’t know why.

I’m pleased to hear your reassurance that not everyone does the low carb high fat diet. I did wonder if I was the only one who didn’t want to follow that diet. I much prefer something more moderate and I definitely don’t want to eat a lot of saturated fat. Like you say, it is finding the diet which suits.

Many thanks. Sheila

Yes the amount of carbs you do is up to you the very low carb that some do about 20/30 carbs a day is very extreme 130g is still considered low carb and we all have different ways and levels to control our diabetes. You probably will not get your nurse to agree with the high fat that is quite a minority diet among many diabetics here but we are all told to have less fat diabetic or not.
I am far more moderate in what I eat I have never like rice or pasta so did not eat them and never had much of a sweet tooth. I don't count carbs I have just cut out the starchy carbs like bread, potatoes and stopped all sugar and baked stuff like cakes etc which I rarely ate anyway. I only eat chicken and fish because I don't like red meat anymore so I use a lot of Quorn instead. I do not have much full fat dairy like butter or cream to rich for me but I will have soya desserts and I love soya milk to drink. I do love cheeses of all kinds so not low fat on that. I eat all other vegetables because they have always been my main love in a meal give me a plate of vegetables with lashings of gravy and I am happy but some here only eat the green leafy stuff. I do love to mix some vegan and vegetarian stuff in my diet for a bit more variety but this is just the way I eat others will do it very differently but no way is the right way if it doesn't suit you
I have never been overweight and have no other medical conditions my diabetes is controlled and I don't take metformin any more as the nurse said I no longer needed it because my levels are good

 

[Bluetit1802]

@Sheila L

You really do need your own blood glucose meter and this will show you what your food is doing to your glucose levels instantly, not having to wait for months for your next GP blood tests, and will give you the opportunity to tweak things accordingly. They are great motivators, too. We can help you use one to your best advantage..

One thing you could read up about is insulin and its role in making us fat. Insulin is a fat carrying hormone. Too much circulating insulin will carry and store fat just where we don't want it. What causes over production of insulin? Carbohydrate is the answer to that. When we eat carbs our bodies produce insulin to deal with it, and the more carbs we eat the more insulin will be produced. This is turn makes our cells resistant to it because the cells are overloaded with it. The "spare" insulin that is prevented from doing its job due to cell resistance causes major problems within our bodies, not least weight problems and high blood glucose levels. The way to beat T2 diabetes is to get rid of our insulin resistance.

 

[Deleted member 508720]

@Sheila L

You really do need your own blood glucose meter and this will show you what your food is doing to your glucose levels instantly, not having to wait for months for your next GP blood tests, and will give you the opportunity to tweak things accordingly. They are great motivators, too. We can help you use one to your best advantage..

One thing you could read up about is insulin and its role in making us fat. Insulin is a fat carrying hormone. Too much circulating insulin will carry and store fat just where we don't want it. What causes over production of insulin? Carbohydrate is the answer to that. When we eat carbs our bodies produce insulin to deal with it, and the more carbs we eat the more insulin will be produced. This is turn makes our cells resistant to it because the cells are overloaded with it. The "spare" insulin that is prevented from doing its job due to cell resistance causes major problems within our bodies, not least weight problems and high blood glucose levels. The way to beat T2 diabetes is to get rid of our insulin resistance.

Thank you very much for your message. You are obviously very knowledgeable about the subject

@Sheila L

You really do need your own blood glucose meter and this will show you what your food is doing to your glucose levels instantly, not having to wait for months for your next GP blood tests, and will give you the opportunity to tweak things accordingly. They are great motivators, too. We can help you use one to your best advantage..

One thing you could read up about is insulin and its role in making us fat. Insulin is a fat carrying hormone. Too much circulating insulin will carry and store fat just where we don't want it. What causes over production of insulin? Carbohydrate is the answer to that. When we eat carbs our bodies produce insulin to deal with it, and the more carbs we eat the more insulin will be produced. This is turn makes our cells resistant to it because the cells are overloaded with it. The "spare" insulin that is prevented from doing its job due to cell resistance causes major problems within our bodies, not least weight problems and high blood glucose levels. The way to beat T2 diabetes is to get rid of our insulin resistance.

Thanks for your reply. I appreciate everything which you say. You’ve obviously got a very good knowledge of the subject, whereas for me it is a big learning curve and I have to find what I can manage to live with and what works for me.

Both my paternal grandmother and my father both had diabetes so I have had a lot of experience of seeing others of live with the condition. I lived with my Granny for a long time and saw how she suffered as, in those days, there were no tablets and she had to inject herself with insulin three times a day. Of course, I appreciate that treatments and opinions are much different now. I’ve done a lot of research and read numerous articles about diabetes and the many different opinions in relation to diet. I hear what you say about carbohydrates. I am trying really hard to reduce my intake of carbs. I have a superb App which counts the carbs I eat each day and gives me regular reports on my achievements. I find it very difficult though as I don’t like eating the alternative foods, nor does my husband!

With kind regards, Sheila

 

[Deleted member 508720]

Yes the amount of carbs you do is up to you the very low carb that some do about 20/30 carbs a day is very extreme 130g is still considered low carb and we all have different ways and levels to control our diabetes. You probably will not get your nurse to agree with the high fat that is quite a minority diet among many diabetics here but we are all told to have less fat diabetic or not.
I am far more moderate in what I eat I have never like rice or pasta so did not eat them and never had much of a sweet tooth. I don't count carbs I have just cut out the starchy carbs like bread, potatoes and stopped all sugar and baked stuff like cakes etc which I rarely ate anyway. I only eat chicken and fish because I don't like red meat anymore so I use a lot of Quorn instead. I do not have much full fat dairy like butter or cream to rich for me but I will have soya desserts and I love soya milk to drink. I do love cheeses of all kinds so not low fat on that. I eat all other vegetables because they have always been my main love in a meal give me a plate of vegetables with lashings of gravy and I am happy but some here only eat the green leafy stuff. I do love to mix some vegan and vegetarian stuff in my diet for a bit more variety but this is just the way I eat others will do it very differently but no way is the right way if it doesn't suit you
I have never been overweight and have no other medical conditions my diabetes is controlled and I don't take metformin any more as the nurse said I no longer needed it because my levels are good

Thanks very much for your post. Like you, I could not reduce my carbs to a very low level. I’m pleased to hear that the high fat is a minority diet for people on this Forum because I was beginning to think that everybody was advocating this way of eating. My diabetic nurse would certainly not agree with it, neither did they agree with it on the DESMOND full-day training course which I attended recently.

I am trying to reduce my intake of carbs though. I have a brilliant App on my phone called Samsung Health. As well as counting the carbohydrate and sugar, it gives me an analysis or breakdown of everything else that is in all the food I eat, such as protein, vitamins, calcium etc. etc.

I’m pleased to read about cutting out bread, potatoes etc. I have also significantly reduced my intake of such foods, as well as red meat. I too eat more chicken and fish. I’m not sure I’ll want to eat so much chicken if, after Brexit, the UK buys chicken from the US dipped in chlorinated water! I love Cathedral City cheese but now I limit my portion to 20 g.

What you say is right. I have to find the way which suits me and it is all a question of trial and error. It is fantastic that your glucose levels are now so low that you no longer have to take Metformin.

With my best wishes. Sheila

 

[Mike d]

With the greatest of respect @Sheila L , you should be placing your faith in advice from experts and you will NOT find a better resource ANYWHERE outside here.

By all means do all the online reading you wish, but IMO it's not the best place to start at all given conflicting advice from those who claim to have the answers, but in fact know next to nothing.

That's the blunt and simple reality.