Newbie Puzzled !

Legfan

Member
Messages
6
Hi, around 6 weeks ago i suspected i might have diabetes, thirsty, peeing a lot, found this forum bought a meter and tested, 14mol ! Immediately started low carbing and started going for a 3 mile jog every day, blood sugars are now around 6ish. Went to the nurse last week to have hba1c test, told her what i had been doing and she was happy but she phoned on Friday and going by my results i am type 2, have another appointment next Monday but she did say i would'nt need any meds as im doing all the right things. Now here's the puzzling bit, on Friday went out for a meal, got a nice ribeye steak, it came with chips and breaded onion rings which i was going to leave but hunger got the better of me and i scoffed the lot ! Tested before going out 6.3 dreaded the 2 hours after eating due to the chips and onion rings 5.7 ! Had actually came down, then last night went out for a beer, actually told my mates would probably be my last Sunday sesh with them due to the type 2, had about 8 pints of lager, went home, tested expecting a sky high reading it was 6 same as when i went out ! Tested this morning 5.8 my lowest ever morning reading ! So im slightly puzzled, surely 8 pints of lager should have raised sugar levels ? Does this mean if i keep the low carb eating and exercising that i can still go for a few beers ? P.s i did have pancreatitus a couple of years ago and had my gallbladder removed, not sure if thats important.
 

Phoenix55

Well-Known Member
Messages
577
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
We are all different and your meter will guide you with what you can eat and drink to some extent although you may not catch the 'peak' of a spike at 2 hours. A lot of places that serve food are willing to change out chips or rice for a salad and it does look good. I sometimes go out with work colleagues on a curry night and they comment on how appetizing my plate looks while theirs looks distinctly brown.
Why make a 'thing' of not going for a 'sesh' with your mates? Lager may not be the best choice of drink to order but check out diet doctor for a range of alcoholic drinks.
 
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porl69

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Hi @Legfan and welcome to the forum. Having some strange results off your BG test! You are doing the right think with the low carbing and exercise. I will tag @daisy1 to give you the starter pack to have a look at.
 
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Rachox

Oracle
Retired Moderator
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Hi Legfan and welcome!
As Phoenix says you may not have caught the blood sugar spike after your meal. In the early days it’s worth checking 1, 2 and 3 hours after a ‘naughty’ meal to understand exactly what’s going on. Also with regards to the alcohol, your liver will be very busy processing that amount of alcohol to be bothered chucking out any glucose, so alcohol can artificially lower your readings. I don’t drink myself but I’m sure others will come along with lower carb suggestions for drinks to have with your mates.
 
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Legfan

Member
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6
Thanks guys, will do checks at 1 hour to see whats happening as for the alcohol i only drink 3 days out of 35 due to shifts so i dont drink alot, i know white spirits are zero carb and red wine is ok but i do enjoy a lager ! I was just surprised that my readings were not any higher so was thinking that maybe i can tolerate lager ! Anyway hopefully my next hbac1 will be a lot better as i intend sticking to low carbing and exercise. Great forum.
 
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bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Diet only
Thanks guys, will do checks at 1 hour to see whats happening as for the alcohol i only drink 3 days out of 35 due to shifts so i dont drink alot, i know white spirits are zero carb and red wine is ok but i do enjoy a lager ! I was just surprised that my readings were not any higher so was thinking that maybe i can tolerate lager ! Anyway hopefully my next hbac1 will be a lot better as i intend sticking to low carbing and exercise. Great forum.
Do you know what your HbA1c was at diagnosis? If it wasn't too high it could be that the dietary modifications you have made already are helping with blood sugar control.
 

Legfan

Member
Messages
6
Do you know what your HbA1c was at diagnosis? If it wasn't too high it could be that the dietary modifications you have made already are helping with blood sugar control.
I will find out next Monday when i see nurse and will post results. Im hoping my new regime is helping with sugars, i've never really baked before but have started to make low carb mushroom soup, garlic bread etc and they taste great, also low carb choc chip cookies (only 2carbs per cookie) to have with my coffee at night.
 
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Rachox

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
15,809
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
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..... i've never really baked before but have started to make low carb mushroom soup, garlic bread etc and they taste great, also low carb choc chip cookies (only 2carbs per cookie) to have with my coffee at night.
Sounds like you would enjoy the thread What have you eaten today? In the low carb forum. We post what we’ve eaten each day and swap recipes.
 

Prem51

Expert
Messages
7,393
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
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Welcome to the forum @Legfan. I have a couple of pints of lager or beer (not eight though!) occasionally which don't seem to raise my bgs.
But it's not something I would do regularly.
 
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Legfan

Member
Messages
6
Welcome to the forum @Legfan. I have a couple of pints of lager or beer (not eight though!) occasionally which don't seem to raise my bgs.
But it's not something I would do regularly.
Like i've said its 3 days out of 35, i dont drink in house, just like to meet up with mates watch footie etc. I will reduce lager intake and spend less time in pub !
 
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daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@Legfan

Hello Legfan 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 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 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.
 
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Terrytiddy

Well-Known Member
Messages
835
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi @Legfan welcome to the group, you are in the right place for help, advice and support so any questions ask away.:)