Mr_Pot
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 4,573
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
The home page of this website rather than the forum has lots of diabetes information. Here is an example...
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/what-is-hba1c.html
New guy here!!
- Thread starter res1492
- Start Date
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/what-is-hba1c.html
- Messages
- 26
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
Hello, quick update for anyone that wants to take me under their wing.
At 9 am my blood sugar was 17.1(took tablets at same time)......at about 1 pm it was 12.7 ...at 7:30 pm it's 7.8
I've not had tea yet but I've had 5 mouthsful of bran flakes for breakfast ...5 rashes of bacon and 1 scrambled egg and a lo-cal jelly pot for dinner and for tea ill be having roast chicken breast and a huge pile of broccoli and green beans.
Things are going in the right direction right??
At 9 am my blood sugar was 17.1(took tablets at same time)......at about 1 pm it was 12.7 ...at 7:30 pm it's 7.8
I've not had tea yet but I've had 5 mouthsful of bran flakes for breakfast ...5 rashes of bacon and 1 scrambled egg and a lo-cal jelly pot for dinner and for tea ill be having roast chicken breast and a huge pile of broccoli and green beans.
Things are going in the right direction right??
Last edited:
HSSS
Expert
- Messages
- 7,477
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Ok hb1ac is a 2 to 3 month average of the amount of glucose in your blood. LCHF is low carb high fat, a way of eating particularly well suited to diabetics given we don’t process carbs well. Carbs and fat provide energy. We need one or the other to give fuel to our bodies which are luckily dual fuel given the right opportunities and carbs don’t work well for us.
Firstthing we often have a thing called dawn phenomenon going on and these are often our highest reading of the day if otherwise we do all the right things. Eventually it can improve but is typically the last reading to show the improvement so don’t despair.
Can I suggest you take a good look at low carb high fat methods of eating (keto is just a version of this). It helps many of us lose significant amounts of weight, if desired, keep our numbers down and for some even eliminate medications and achieve remission. Try clicking these links for more detailed explanations that are well worth reading
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/jokalsbeek.401801/ for info including low carb made simple
And https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/success-stories-and-testimonials.43/ to show it really works
and https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today.75781/ for food ideas
also https://www.dietdoctor.com/ for more food ideas and general info of carb content of foods. Lots of other websites for recipes out there too. Just use the term low carb or keto with whatever you fancy.
IMPORTANT: if you lower your carbs then any glucose lowering meds may need to be adjusted accordingly to make sure you aren’t taking more than your new diet requires. It can cause a hypo if you have more gliclazide or insulin etc (this is not relevant for metformin on its own) than your new carb intake requires. Keep a close eye on your numbers and ideally do this with your dr. Please don’t be put off by an ill informed out dated rubbishing of low carb diets or being told you should eat carbs to match meds, it should be the other way around.
Firstthing we often have a thing called dawn phenomenon going on and these are often our highest reading of the day if otherwise we do all the right things. Eventually it can improve but is typically the last reading to show the improvement so don’t despair.
Can I suggest you take a good look at low carb high fat methods of eating (keto is just a version of this). It helps many of us lose significant amounts of weight, if desired, keep our numbers down and for some even eliminate medications and achieve remission. Try clicking these links for more detailed explanations that are well worth reading
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/jokalsbeek.401801/ for info including low carb made simple
And https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/success-stories-and-testimonials.43/ to show it really works
and https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today.75781/ for food ideas
also https://www.dietdoctor.com/ for more food ideas and general info of carb content of foods. Lots of other websites for recipes out there too. Just use the term low carb or keto with whatever you fancy.
IMPORTANT: if you lower your carbs then any glucose lowering meds may need to be adjusted accordingly to make sure you aren’t taking more than your new diet requires. It can cause a hypo if you have more gliclazide or insulin etc (this is not relevant for metformin on its own) than your new carb intake requires. Keep a close eye on your numbers and ideally do this with your dr. Please don’t be put off by an ill informed out dated rubbishing of low carb diets or being told you should eat carbs to match meds, it should be the other way around.
Last edited:
daisy1
Legend
- Messages
- 26,457
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Cruelty towards animals.
@res1492
Hello and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it both interesting and helpful.
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 220,000 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:
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
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
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.
Hello and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it both interesting and helpful.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 220,000 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
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
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
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.
Shas3
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 653
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
Welcome. You are going in the right direction for sure. And the community here is fantastic. I am 5 months into the journey.. several ups and downs ... slowly getting confortable.
I think everyone has given some great information and there is loads more. Take your time.
I realized a few things in my journry
- Consistency and patience. No short cuts, no cheat days.
- There are good carbs but they still are carbs. Just because they are better than bad carbs does not mean we can binge. Quality and QUANTITY of carbs are important. Simple rule - Lower the carbs better for your numbers.
- Fruits are NOT necessarily great for us. For non diabetics all fruits are good food. Not for us. Fruits (some more than others) are high in sugar and also carbs. I am limiting them. Initial months i stopped breads and pastas but was binging on fruits. Did not help.
- Vegetables and salads are good... but watch for high carb ingredients... below ground especially.
- FAT is GOOD. Tough to accept easily but good fats are great for us. Olive oil.. butter... cheeses... These are key to keep hunger away as we decrrease carbs.
I have been toying with LCHF .. not yet seriously applied.. but i can see it working. I was on metformin 1000mg and forxiga for about 4 months.. all looked good. Then firxiga gave some side effects.. stopped.. sugar levels up and hunger pangs reappear... worried! Yesterday i spontaneously tried a rather unplanned LCHF and it was the best numbers i had for a while... checked like a dozen times a dsy and all below 9.0 and no hunger. Woke up this morning with 6.2.
Now i feel confident i can fo this eith just Metformin and nothing more. And probably get to a lesser dosage soon.
I strongly suggest giving a well planned LCHF a serious try at the earliest and see how it works for you.
All the best
- Messages
- 26
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
Hello peeps..sorry for the absence...another quick update...4 weeks ago i was 24.4 on my meter...as of today i woke up at 6.6 and im 5.3 just before having my tea at 7pm.....looks like im cured.."peace out b*tches"...thanks for all the help...its been a long 4 weeks, the ups, the downs, the blood, the sweat.... and yes, the tears, but i got there in the end.......right where did i hide that black forest gateau and extra sugary squirty cream?.....found it!!!..."Get in ma belly"...............................
*** do you mean 2 years!!!:***:...no cake for 2 years??.....oh for fudges sake!!....looks like im gonna be sticking around after all..
*** do you mean 2 years!!!:***:...no cake for 2 years??.....oh for fudges sake!!....looks like im gonna be sticking around after all..
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HSSS
Expert
- Messages
- 7,477
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Not sure where 2 yrs comes into it. Low carb is for life, as is diabetes, if you want it to stay under control. In desperate times there are low carb desserts available though. Ditchthecarbs.com has a few and I particularly like the carrot cake as a nice treat that does next to nothing to my blood sugars.*** do you mean 2 years!!!:***:...no cake for 2 years??.....oh for fudges sake!!....looks like im gonna be sticking around after all..
Nevertheless I like your style and hope you do stick around.
Larryr
Member
- Messages
- 16
I started this in December and usually go about 30 to 40 carbs a day,never over 40 and several under 30. I use lettuce as my bread,did not think that was possible with me,add streak or chicken or turkey,100 grams or so,red and green peppers,for lunches and some sort of meat for dinner with cauliflower or green beans,usually 5 or 6 ounces.For breakfast,egg white omelet,some bacon bits,even a little cheese
Snack on almonds.about 30grams or celery or cucumber,even a some peanut butter. I started this at 254lbs and now at 207....and still losing but not as fast as the start of this.Im type 2 and don’t take anything yet,thank god!! I’ve gone from a 11.7 to a range of 5.4 to 6.1. So it can be done,kinda made a game of it,challenging myself,and people notice and that’s a good feeling!!! I ramble too
