Hello New inmate here!

[Secret Squirrel]

Hi just joined.
I'm a soon to be! 62 years old male that's been prediabetic for quite a few years and was over before but got back under 48.
Been having quite a few issues with health and found this check at 51 and will have another Quack told me when i queried it soon to check again?.
Been trying to keep in check with diet but not always easy keeping on the "Bucking Horse!"
Diabetic clinic at Barts said my metabolism is very slow and my visceral fat is high so another thing to work on!
But have/had issues over my Pituitary tumour/Prolactinoma and T HRT which made blood too thick which pretty sure where a lot of Neuropathy came from(Like feet being bitten by a pack of starving wolves!.
So had a stroke luckily not too big! plus clots in places like lungs so now on warfarin which oddly once started on injections first feet pain became very minor!.

Spent yesterday afternoon after getting INR checked at Barts wandering around doing some Photography Barts/Smithfield/St Pauls areas and in the said "time to get home as feet had had enough" Today is torture with feet as ache all over like been run over by the bus instead of getting on it!.

Have type 2 on both sides of family but guess not doing so bad as dad was dead at 48 with gangrene in leg.Aunt was on dialysis.Another uncle had leg off but not sure if chopped or shot off by uncle Adolf? As flew in Lancasters in the war and many lost bits!.Another had what could be the Dementia type? as knew had but wife said managing with diet.
Mums side Grandad.Uncle and cousins have type2, one died last year at 48 from it.

They always say about Exercise etc but having Fibromyalgia and Raynauds and sleep is very poor get really tired and don't recover from exercise to gain from it and often if done anything like been away fishing etc first night barely sleep as just ache so adds to it then can be a week before feel ready to do anything.

 

[JenniferM55]

You're having a rough time. If I were you I'd invest in a blood glucose meter with a good stock of test strips. You need to get to grips with the carbs you are consuming. By taking a BG reading before you eat, then another two hours after eating should give you good knowledge on what foods are spiking your BG. It's a voyage of discovery. Download an App to keep check of what carbs you are consuming, there're quite a few posts on this forum about these apps, so maybe do a search. Good luck!

 

[Antje77]

Been trying to keep in check with diet but not always easy keeping on the "Bucking Horse!"

So what kind of diet are you following, or trying to follow?

 

[Phil008]

Hi secret squirrel, I’ve been a diabetic since I 40 I’m now 65 I have found it myself quite difficult to monitor myself. I do a test myself on a regular basis usually about once a day but I found the best way to control my diabetes is to control my weight, since I’ve come down from 22 stone down to 16 three my diabetes has got better under control on average now I’m about seven after my meal but you have to be very careful about what do you eat and what do you consume in the way of alcohol or other sugary drinks I wish you a lot of luck takes a lot of determination to keep your diabetes under control. You should be able to get a meter from your doctor or specialist diabetic nurse.

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi @Secret Squirrel and welcome to the forum.

You say: " They always say about Exercise etc....." - Are you under the impression that more cardio exercise is helpful for controlling T2 Diabetes?
Because while the bog standard 30 min brisk walk 5 times per week is probably good, any additional exercise (if you are keen on exercise) is probably better taken as strength/muscle building exercise, since our muscles are good for taking glucose out of our blood stream.

Several studies have shown that additional cardio exercise does not help in weight loss. A). It uses much fewer calories over just sitting than you may think and has the disadvantage of making us hungry.

Avoidance of carbohydrate rich foods (all carbs digest into glucose and that goes into your bloodstream) and of ultra-processed food helps by making you eat more real traditional food which is also usually much more satiating.

You can easily test which foods spike your own blood glucose worst by using a BG meter, unfortunately we vary in our reactions to them so a Glycaemic Index is only a very rough guide.
Here is an explanation written by one of our members: https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html

And here is a 50 min video in which Professor talks about what he had wrong about food 6 yrs ago - mainly Oats, Bread and fruit juice (since he discovered that he too is highly sensitive to carbohydrates).

 

[Resurgam]

hello @Secret Squirrel
I was away on holiday last week and was rather apprehensive as my feet were hurting, I tried some innersoles as it felt as though I was walking on pebbles - no use at all, so then I found some thicker stuff, plastic one side foam the other, and cut out something to fit under my feet. Did the trick, and I have come back home more mobile than I went.
My sandals are adjustable with velcro straps in three places, but they are old and there is no cushioning left, so even though the fit is good they need that little extra help to be comfortable.
My dad was ground crew working mainly on Lancasters.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Hi @Secret Squirrel and welcome to the forum.

You say: " They always say about Exercise etc....." - Are you under the impression that more cardio exercise is helpful for controlling T2 Diabetes?
Because while the bog standard 30 min brisk walk 5 times per week is probably good, any additional exercise (if you are keen on exercise) is probably better taken as strength/muscle building exercise, since our muscles are good for taking glucose out of our blood stream.

Several studies have shown that additional cardio exercise does not help in weight loss. A). It uses much fewer calories over just sitting than you may think and has the disadvantage of making us hungry.

Avoidance of carbohydrate rich foods (all carbs digest into glucose and that goes into your bloodstream) and of ultra-processed food helps by making you eat more real traditional food which is also usually much more satiating.

You can easily test which foods spike your own blood glucose worst by using a BG meter, unfortunately we vary in our reactions to them so a Glycaemic Index is only a very rough guide.


And here is a 50 min video in which Professor talks about what he had wrong about food 6 yrs ago - mainly Oats, Bread and fruit juice (since he discovered that he too is highly sensitive to carbohydrates).

No i just can't do lot's of exercise as got ill many years ago as hours in the gym/swimming a mile/Badminton/plus cycle training/racing and 100 miles in the morning before work or after work was nothing! Could do 250kg calf raises for one. And 3 sacks of spuds on my shoulder and run up the stairs was easy in my job. Then when got ill after really pushing it on the bike one day as we went for a long sprint to the town sign like you see in tour de france got up to 48.5 mph eased back and thought i shouldn't have done that as was like being hit in chest by a bus! and was ill for days after virus or something?
Later got weaker as went from picking up both dumbells with one hand to picking up one with both hands and it hurt.
No one has ever given an answer/worked it out.
But when go to likes of Gym etc and do lot's pushing myself i don't really gain fitness sort of get weaker?
Sleeps a huge issue with me as rarely get a decent length as few other things i have add to that thorn! Autism/Asperger's cause sleep issues also Fibromyalgia both with deep sleep.
Plus my feet hurt like hell often like being bitten at night!

Don't do Alcohol. Try to stick to my Karaway Bakeries rye breads if have any.like my Waitrose duchy full milk as non homogenised and makes a decent cup of tea.Mushroom omelette.Also have "Muck" Which atmo is oat/rye etc bits (no wheat) other times make with just oats also has pumpkin seeds sunflower seeds chia and ground linseed/flax crush walnut and Brazil/almond and other nuts all in a large tub then shake/mix it up.
I use a litre jug put likes of two kiwis chopped up then some muck some greek yogurt milk or kefir and that lasts me all day then have something evening time.
No fizzy drinks apart from odd cream soda which is sugar free but very rarely have. also no fruit juice type stuff unless like other week had fresh pressed with bits on reduced as date up so had some over few days as sugar aware.

Don't eat rice/pasta etc little potatoes also apart from a few chips in friends shop with some fish bits when closing but that will be my dinner thing.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

hello @Secret Squirrel
I was away on holiday last week and was rather apprehensive as my feet were hurting, I tried some innersoles as it felt as though I was walking on pebbles - no use at all, so then I found some thicker stuff, plastic one side foam the other, and cut out something to fit under my feet. Did the trick, and I have come back home more mobile than I went.
My sandals are adjustable with velcro straps in three places, but they are old and there is no cushioning left, so even though the fit is good they need that little extra help to be comfortable.
My dad was ground crew working mainly on Lancasters.

Yes i can't walk on likes of beach bare-footed "Torture"

 

[Secret Squirrel]

So what kind of diet are you following, or trying to follow?

Omelette mushroom or mix with bits of bacon etc.Bacon and avocado on dark rye bread.Muck which is Oats and chia seeds ground flax seeds pumpkin and sunflower seeds crushed walnut Brazil almond and few other nuts and mixture atmo has oats/rye etc but no wheat.
Use a litre plastic jug put some fruit either frozen or blueberries 2 chopped up kiwis etc then some muck mix some greek yogurt and milk or kefir.
Also smoked mackerel fillets (Lidls/waitrose packets)on four bits of rye bread which i cut thinly as a small loaf lasts the week+ but have to watch that or goes mouldy.
Yesterday had some bits of a gammon joint i sliced into bits(use like bacon)had a couple of rolls with avocado box of cherry toms a few brazil nuts and a few raisins for fibre plus some Greek yogurt.

Do sometimes have some fish and chips bits in evening as does fish bites which are small pieces odd times have a full piece of fish prefer it without batter though! but i do rake a lot off as can? but that's my second meal of day.

In general i don't eat rice/pasta and little potatoes apart from a few roast when go to toby carvery to which i have the roast beef and plenty of veggies.

Don't do sauces/pickles sugary drinks/Alcohol/No smoking/try to limit wheat as much as can along with palm oils and other things like MSG/Artificial sweeteners. and try to stay natural as no margarine
Today mushroom omelet with some chopped up bacon? plus cup of tea!.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

You're having a rough time. If I were you I'd invest in a blood glucose meter with a good stock of test strips. You need to get to grips with the carbs you are consuming. By taking a BG reading before you eat, then another two hours after eating should give you good knowledge on what foods are spiking your BG. It's a voyage of discovery. Download an App to keep check of what carbs you are consuming, there're quite a few posts on this forum about these apps, so maybe do a search. Good luck!

I'm waiting for next results to see/what there going to squeak/squeal about! before go/get to far ahead so to speak.
I do check my BP as have machine for that as on warfarin from stroke/clots in lungs etc

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Hi secret squirrel, I’ve been a diabetic since I 40 I’m now 65 I have found it myself quite difficult to monitor myself. I do a test myself on a regular basis usually about once a day but I found the best way to control my diabetes is to control my weight, since I’ve come down from 22 stone down to 16 three my diabetes has got better under control on average now I’m about seven after my meal but you have to be very careful about what do you eat and what do you consume in the way of alcohol or other sugary drinks I wish you a lot of luck takes a lot of determination to keep your diabetes under control. You should be able to get a meter from your doctor or specialist diabetic nurse.

I have had a finger prick test a few times and they said fine mind one was when hadn't eaten for a long time and i thought bit high?
No Alcohol as if have any i don't feel very well or sleep and next day shivery cold lasted for days with upset stomach but never been a drinker really well apart from Tea!
No sugary drinks and had odd fresh type fruit juice and only one with bits if on reduced as date out but then lasts me a few days as mindful on sugar.

Tonight is minced meat with veg.