Post accident struggles

russo

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
When I was first diagnosed Type 2, 2 and a half years ago, my hba1c was through the roof, within 3 months using low carb and exercise it was down to 26, a year later, 25. Things were going well and I felt great, remission was on the cards and possibly coming of the Metformin. Sadly, shortly after that I had a motorcycle accident which rather curtailed the exercise program, fractured ankle and compartment syndrome in both thighs. A couple of months later I'd started exercising again when I partially detached my bicep. So an operation followed and then during the recovery phase, before I could start moving my arm I got a frozen shoulder.
I can now exercise again, the frozen shoulder is gone(mostly) but I've put on 3 stone and I have hypertension. I have been unable to stay on Low Carb (lack of will power with everything else going on). But it's proving very difficult. Sometimes I cycle part of the way to work (6 miles each way), occaisionally I go to the gym for an upper body workout but I'm having real trouble keeping to it consistently and getting back on low carb.
I'm putting this up here in the hope it will help with my motivation. I've started checking my levels again and so long as they mean something to me and I adjust my diet accordingly I ope to stay low carb again.
It's tough though, I lack the urgency I had last time and the sense of achievment I got si not htere yet, I knwo there will be a difficult time at the strat but if I can keep it up for a week or two it should get easier.
Thanks for listening.
 
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JoKalsbeek

Expert
Messages
5,937
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
When I was first diagnosed Type 2, 2 and a half years ago, my hba1c was through the roof, within 3 months using low carb and exercise it was down to 26, a year later, 25. Things were going well and I felt great, remission was on the cards and possibly coming of the Metformin. Sadly, shortly after that I had a motorcycle accident which rather curtailed the exercise program, fractured ankle and compartment syndrome in both thighs. A couple of months later I'd started exercising again when I partially detached my bicep. So an operation followed and then during the recovery phase, before I could start moving my arm I got a frozen shoulder.
I can now exercise again, the frozen shoulder is gone(mostly) but I've put on 3 stone and I have hypertension. I have been unable to stay on Low Carb (lack of will power with everything else going on). But it's proving very difficult. Sometimes I cycle part of the way to work (6 miles each way), occaisionally I go to the gym for an upper body workout but I'm having real trouble keeping to it consistently and getting back on low carb.
I'm putting this up here in the hope it will help with my motivation. I've started checking my levels again and so long as they mean something to me and I adjust my diet accordingly I ope to stay low carb again.
It's tough though, I lack the urgency I had last time and the sense of achievment I got si not htere yet, I knwo there will be a difficult time at the strat but if I can keep it up for a week or two it should get easier.
Thanks for listening.
Well, posting this here certainly is a step in the right direction. I think with testing, the sense of achievement/motivation will return as you do. Maybe if you write them down too? (And post any milestones here, we love cheering people on. ;) ) Getting the diet licked is slightly more urgent than the exercise, though maybe doing stuff with a goal would work? I know I wouldn't walk anywhere near as much as I do if it weren't for my photography-tick. And if the willpower for low carb waxes and wanes, go through the house and collect all the carby foods. No need to throw everything out, the food bank would be grateful too. Then, when your resolve falters, all you have on hand is low carb.

This complete stranger believes in you, and I hope your physical recovery's going swimmingly!
Jo
 
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bulkbiker

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19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Diet only
Watching elevated blood sugars return to normal was a great motivator for me.. plus steaks of course..
Eyes and toes also quite useful?
 
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EllieM

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It's likely that if you go low carb again, the weight will drop off, lessening the hypertension and making exercise easier. All as a side effect of reducing carbs. So hopefully that will give you some motivation, but as a T1 I know how easy it is to fall off the diabetic wagon.
 
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ianf0ster

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Hi, You talk about exercise and difficulty staying Low Carb.
1. I agree with EllieM that Low Carb matter more than exercise (at least it does in my case). I reduced both BG and weight without any additional exercise by going Low Carb and High Fat.

It was that High Fat which did the trick - making it possible for me to stick to Low Carb, otherwise I would have been so hungry I would have cheated. At first my calorie intake was probably higher than on my previous high 'healthy carb' lifestyle.
As soon as I realised that for me there is no such thing as 'healthy carbs' I knew that LCHF was the way to go.
So my advice is to boost the Fat content of your meals (Cheese, Olive Oil, Tree nuts and Avocados) and count the Carbs - not the Calories!
 
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russo

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Well, posting this here certainly is a step in the right direction. I think with testing, the sense of achievement/motivation will return as you do. Maybe if you write them down too? (And post any milestones here, we love cheering people on. ;) ) Getting the diet licked is slightly more urgent than the exercise, though maybe doing stuff with a goal would work? I know I wouldn't walk anywhere near as much as I do if it weren't for my photography-tick. And if the willpower for low carb waxes and wanes, go through the house and collect all the carby foods. No need to throw everything out, the food bank would be grateful too. Then, when your resolve falters, all you have on hand is low carb.

This complete stranger believes in you, and I hope your physical recovery's going swimmingly!
Jo

Thank you for your support. :) I'm afraid having two young kids rather precludes removing all carbs from the house, it's not difficult for me to resist Spuds, pasta rice etc.. but the crisps are another matter.
I also find that I'm an all or nothing kind of guy, doing exercise motivates the diet change and visa versa.
 
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russo

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Watching elevated blood sugars return to normal was a great motivator for me.. plus steaks of course..
Eyes and toes also quite useful?

Thank you, yes, I love my eyes and toes.. want to keep them, that is good motivation. I've started logging post meal again, I hadn't been for a while. It's good to see readings at acceptable levels.
 

russo

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
It's likely that if you go low carb again, the weight will drop off, lessening the hypertension and making exercise easier. All as a side effect of reducing carbs. So hopefully that will give you some motivation, but as a T1 I know how easy it is to fall off the diabetic wagon.
Thank you, that's what I'm hoping for, but there are times each day when it's difficult for me, especially where I've got myself into bad habits..
 

JoKalsbeek

Expert
Messages
5,937
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Thank you for your support. :) I'm afraid having two young kids rather precludes removing all carbs from the house, it's not difficult for me to resist Spuds, pasta rice etc.. but the crisps are another matter.
I also find that I'm an all or nothing kind of guy, doing exercise motivates the diet change and visa versa.
Well... Kids are a motivator too. Being around long enough to see them married, meet your grandchildren.. That starts today. :) (I do it for my husband. He's my carer already and I don't want to make his job more difficult, he's got enough to deal with.)
 
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russo

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi, You talk about exercise and difficulty staying Low Carb.
1. I agree with EllieM that Low Carb matter more than exercise (at least it does in my case). I reduced both B and weight without any additional exercise by going Low Carb and High Fat.

It was that High Fat which did the trick - making it possible for me to stick to Low Carb, otherwise I would have been so hungry I would have cheated. At first my calorie intake was probably higher than on my previous high 'healthy carb' lifestyle.
As soon as I realised that for me there is no such thing as 'healthy carbs' I knew that LCHF was the way to go.
So my advice is to boost the Fat content of your meals (Cheese, Olive Oil, Tree nuts and Avocados) and count the Carbs - not the Calories!
Thanks, I found it so easy last time I assumed I could just drop into it again, but I've forgotten all my little things that I did to keep on low carb. For instance when I got to work I'd have a low carb protein shake which was quite filling and let me go most of the morning without craving. I've just ordered some more so hopefully I can do that again soon. I've also bought Avacado to work for an afternoon snack which I hope will do the same thing.
 

bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Thanks, I found it so easy last time I assumed I could just drop into it again, but I've forgotten all my little things that I did to keep on low carb. For instance when I got to work I'd have a low carb protein shake which was quite filling and let me go most of the morning without craving. I've just ordered some more so hopefully I can do that again soon. I've also bought Avacado to work for an afternoon snack which I hope will do the same thing.
Coffee with double cream (if you drink coffee).. pork scratchings.. cheese in chunks or those little packs you can get t the supermarket.
 
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russo

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Coffee with double cream (if you drink coffee).. pork scratchings.. cheese in chunks or those little packs you can get t the supermarket.
Thank you. I'm cutting down on Coffee to one espresso a day due to the Hypertension. Love Pork Scratchings but I'm trying to reduce my reliance on meat products. The Cheese is a good one, I shall investigate.
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I think that you are trying to keep too many balls in the air.
If we want to lower the green house gas emissions from animals then we ought to declare war on termites - or maybe start eating them - though I think that rather than reducing the output we ought to be working to increase intake, as plants are such stabilizing organisms.
I have found that low carb eating has resolved a lot of my problems - it is a powerful tool on its own, and it does read as though you overdo the exercise in intensity or vigour.
 

ShortStuff

Well-Known Member
Messages
71
Knowing and doing are not the same thing are they!

For some of us it’s really hard and for me the weight dies NOT ‘just drop off’ either, so the moyivatiin is sometimes difficult to find

I’m a vegetarian who doesn’t eat eggs and I try to stay hndee 30g if carbs a day - it’s tricky when you don’t eat meat/fish to get the protein & fat and keep the carbs low because pretty much everything you eat contains some carbs (unlike meat). I find it quite boring & repetitious (it’s not aided by my hatred of cooking & faffing about!!)

BUT I had my appendix removed last year and whilst the op itself went well the hospital stay did not - short story (as I’m sure regular posters are fed up of reading it!) they put me on metfirmin,,gliclizide, BP meds & omraprazol - I didn’t need any of it (hadn’t needed it before I went in) I just needed to get home & get some sleep & some decent food not their over processed carbs garbage.

The meds were all making me feel utterly **** and after a few days I stopped the diabetes ones. I tried to stick to the BP ones (we tried several they were all making me feel sick & fall asleep as soon as I took them). So s few more days and I stopped those too - so I have a large box of meds that I never want to have to take again and when my motivation is low I put the box on my kitchen worktop as a reminder that I might not ‘want’ to low carb, but I want the meds even less!!. I also do a good line in scaring myself witless about losing my eye sight or legs

Getting back on the wagon is harder than it ever was to get the first ride on it - that’s just human nature. and it’s very hard when your small children have snacks you like! I find fruit harder to resist more than other things!

Because I’m daft and haven’t learnt my lesson I’ve had to climb back onto the wagon several times (over 6 years). The things that help me are -

- my HbA1c being due!!

- scaring myself silly re eyes & legs

- hanging out on the forum & another forum for low carbing

- buying nice food (way more expensive than eating a carbs dirt)

- testing, testing , testing - seeing good numbers is worth the ‘ouch’ and the ££££

You have to find something that genuinely motivates YOU. for some it’s a future event (child’s wedding) or ‘feeling better/losing weight’ (neither of which really happen to me) and for me it’s the stick, not the carrot!! ‘DonLC OR DO MEDS- it’s currently my choice!!
 

russo

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Any specific reason?
It's a complex combination of things, a realisation I've been coming too over many years. I won't go into details but it touches on environemnt and cruelty, intensive farming and other things too. I'm not going Vegan, or even vegetarian, not entirely, but I am cutting down and trying to be careful about where any meat I buy comes from.
 

russo

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
I think that you are trying to keep too many balls in the air.
If we want to lower the green house gas emissions from animals then we ought to declare war on termites - or maybe start eating them - though I think that rather than reducing the output we ought to be working to increase intake, as plants are such stabilizing organisms.
I have found that low carb eating has resolved a lot of my problems - it is a powerful tool on its own, and it does read as though you overdo the exercise in intensity or vigour.
Certainly low carbing and not eating meat is a tricky thing, but I'm not cutting it out entirely, I just prefer to know where my meat came from. I can't always do this but I can cut out - or at least reduce consumption of - some things where I've no idea.
 

bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
It's a complex combination of things, a realisation I've been coming too over many years. I won't go into details but it touches on environemnt and cruelty, intensive farming and other things too. I'm not going Vegan, or even vegetarian, not entirely, but I am cutting down and trying to be careful about where any meat I buy comes from.

Fair enough,, glad to see you don't say its for "health reasons" ..
I buy all my meat from a local butcher whose son raises most of the animals on the family farm.
Any others come from local suppliers.
 

russo

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Knowing and doing are not the same thing are they!

For some of us it’s really hard and for me the weight dies NOT ‘just drop off’ either, so the moyivatiin is sometimes difficult to find

I’m a vegetarian who doesn’t eat eggs and I try to stay hndee 30g if carbs a day - it’s tricky when you don’t eat meat/fish to get the protein & fat and keep the carbs low because pretty much everything you eat contains some carbs (unlike meat). I find it quite boring & repetitious (it’s not aided by my hatred of cooking & faffing about!!)

...

Getting back on the wagon is harder than it ever was to get the first ride on it - that’s just human nature. and it’s very hard when your small children have snacks you like! I find fruit harder to resist more than other things!

Because I’m daft and haven’t learnt my lesson I’ve had to climb back onto the wagon several times (over 6 years). The things that help me are -

- my HbA1c being due!!

- scaring myself silly re eyes & legs

- hanging out on the forum & another forum for low carbing

- buying nice food (way more expensive than eating a carbs dirt)

- testing, testing , testing - seeing good numbers is worth the ‘ouch’ and the ££££

You have to find something that genuinely motivates YOU. for some it’s a future event (child’s wedding) or ‘feeling better/losing weight’ (neither of which really happen to me) and for me it’s the stick, not the carrot!! ‘DonLC OR DO MEDS- it’s currently my choice!!
Thank you, an interesting post to read. Funnily enough I got notice of requirement for hba1c test yesterday, I've started my kick a little late, but it will provide motivation and I'll delay booking the test for a short while..