Type 2 Diabetic or not?

[Mal S]

Hi Resurgam I used to have 2 x wholemeal toast with natural peanut butter.
Lunch..at work would be an egg and cress sandwich.
Dinner would usually be a homemade stirfry with chicken, or mackerel with tomatoes, mushrooms and onions, or shepherds pie with lots of brocolli/greens but I take the potato off. Sometimes a steak and vegetables.
Over the past 2 weeks I've really upped the healthy stuff as that is when I took myself off Metformin. I've noticed that porridge and wholemeal bread raise my bs so bought Livlife bread today. I had it with salad and sardines and 2 hours later was 6.6 bs.
I snack a lot now which I wont be able to do when back at work.(I work with Special Needs kids) I have only been snacking since I came off Metformin.
A snack would be either an apple and peanut butter, or a handful of almonds, or a boiled egg or sardines and salad, or 3 crackers with cheese. I'm hoping that doing this will get my a1c numbers down before I have a test in October plus put on some much needed weight.
I made tagliatelle with mincemeat, onions and mushrooms a few days ago. My bs went up to 13.3. I terrified myself but got it down by walking around the house a lot and drinking water. To be honest I'm scared to eat so many foods now. Any ideas? Do you know if just a few high bs levels will show up in an a1c test or do you have to have a lot of high bs levels? Thank you for taking the time to read this. I must come across as so neurotic.
At bedtime I'd have Jacob's krackawheet crackers x 3 with cheese.

What are 'the right foods' you are eating?
Can you give details of a typical day's menu so we can perhaps give advice about what to cut out and what to

 

[Alexandra100]

I think I am certainly an exception to that rule ..I have been overweight for years long long before any high BG.

I am another exception. I had been losing weight steadily for years before I had even heard of an A1c or Metformin. Nowadays I have managed to stabilise at a rather emaciated BMI of 16, thanks to olive oil and double cream. I used to be a fruit lover and vegetable hater. It has been a revelation to me that any vegetable, even the loathsome spinach, becomes delicious when fried in the maximum amount of extra virgin olive oil.

 

[Alexandra100]

I made tagliatelle with mincemeat, onions and mushrooms a few days ago. My bs went up to 13.3.

Have you tried the "Slim" carb free imitation pasta?
https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/eat-water-slim-pasta-fettucini-60007573
People here either love it or hate it. They also do other shapes of pasta and rice (my favourite). Warning - when you open the packet it smells terrible, but that is only the liquid it is packed in and goes away with rinsing

 

[Alexandra100]

Do you know if just a few high bs levels will show up in an a1c test or do you have to have a lot of high bs levels?

The A1c test is said to be an average of the readings over roughly 3 months, but actually emphasising the most recent weeks. So theoretically you could eat VLC for a few weeks just before the test and get a nice low score, but what would be the point? I am persuaded by Dr Bernstein that what really matters is whether you are harming your health with high bgs and / or with big swings between high and low. At best the A1c test, like all diabetes tests, is unreliable and can be influenced by lots of factors beside our bg. You might like to read what Dr B says about the significance of bg levels, and maybe also his recommendations on diet? http://www.diabetes-book.com/normal-blood-sugars/

 

[Alexandra100]

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I must come across as so neurotic.

Certainly not! Believe me, most if not all of us have been there. For a long time after I discovered I had a problem with high bg, I felt I would much prefer just to give up eating altogether. It would have been so much simpler! Keep on querying and sharing to your heart's content. That's what the Forum is for.

 

[Resurgam]

A snack would be either an apple and peanut butter, or a handful of almonds, or a boiled egg or sardines and salad, or 3 crackers with cheese. I'm hoping that doing this will get my a1c numbers down before I have a test in October plus put on some much needed weight.
I made tagliatelle with mincemeat, onions and mushrooms a few days ago. My bs went up to 13.3. I terrified myself but got it down by walking around the house a lot and drinking water. To be honest I'm scared to eat so many foods now. Any ideas? Do you know if just a few high bs levels will show up in an a1c test or do you have to have a lot of high bs levels? Thank you for taking the time to read this. I must come across as so neurotic.
At bedtime I'd have Jacob's krackawheet crackers x 3 with cheese.

But tagliatelle is pasta - why are you eating wheat? Similarly the crackers - high carb foods will not help at all. I eat just a few apples a year, stick to berries no more than a couple of times a week, usually only once.
As the Hba1c is an average (although not a perfect one) of the last three months, then yes, there will be a rise if you have been having spikes, particularly in the month before the test.
Although it is advisable to avoid high carb foods, anything else is OK, so coffee with cream, cream with berries and sugar free jelly, and all the meat, fish, seafood, eggs and cheese you like to eat - try cauliflower cheese with just cauliflower (steam, put into a warm dish) and cheese - cover with cream cheese, add grated cheese (I like Red Leicester) then, if you like strong cheese, crumble some over the top. Place in a warm oven until the cheese melts and begins to show a slight browning. Try roasting chicken thighs on a rack with vegetables underneath - you might need to pour off the fat and juice and stir the veges to get them nice and slightly brown on the edges. Celeriac is good roasted, and is low carb.

 

[Alexandra100]

try cauliflower cheese with just cauliflower (steam, put into a warm dish) and cheese

Yes, and I have just discovered that 1 dsp (per person) ground linseed makes a tasty and super-healthy substitute for breadcrumbs mixed in with the cheese.

 

[Mal S]

But tagliatelle is pasta - why are you eating wheat? Similarly the crackers - high carb foods will not help at all. I eat just a few apples a year, stick to berries no more than a couple of times a week, usually only once.
As the Hba1c is an average (although not a perfect one) of the last three months, then yes, there will be a rise if you have been having spikes, particularly in the month before the test.
Although it is advisable to avoid high carb foods, anything else is OK, so coffee with cream, cream with berries and sugar free jelly, and all the meat, fish, seafood, eggs and cheese you like to eat - try cauliflower cheese with just cauliflower (steam, put into a warm dish) and cheese - cover with cream cheese, add grated cheese (I like Red Leicester) then, if you like strong cheese, crumble some over the top. Place in a warm oven until the cheese melts and begins to show a slight browning. Try roasting chicken thighs on a rack with vegetables underneath - you might need to pour off the fat and juice and stir the veges to get them nice and slightly brown on the edges. Celeriac is good roasted, and is low carb.

Thank you so much for all your advice. Since stopping Metformin I haven't lost any weight....yay. I still look skinny but my a1c was down from 45 (6.3) in July to 43 (6.1) in September. Still not great but a bit better. I'm finally seeing a dietician in October. I'm hoping I'll be given a weight gaining supplement that my dr. can't give me. She said only a dietician can? Has anyone else gained weight this way I wonder. It is only given short term and I can't wait to look healthier again. Thank you again for all your support.

 

[Mal S]

But tagliatelle is pasta - why are you eating wheat? Similarly the crackers - high carb foods will not help at all. I eat just a few apples a year, stick to berries no more than a couple of times a week, usually only once.
As the Hba1c is an average (although not a perfect one) of the last three months, then yes, there will be a rise if you have been having spikes, particularly in the month before the test.
Although it is advisable to avoid high carb foods, anything else is OK, so coffee with cream, cream with berries and sugar free jelly, and all the meat, fish, seafood, eggs and cheese you like to eat - try cauliflower cheese with just cauliflower (steam, put into a warm dish) and cheese - cover with cream cheese, add grated cheese (I like Red Leicester) then, if you like strong cheese, crumble some over the top. Place in a warm oven until the cheese melts and begins to show a slight browning. Try roasting chicken thighs on a rack with vegetables underneath - you might need to pour off the fat and juice and stir the veges to get them nice and slightly brown on the edges. Celeriac is good roasted, and is low carb.

Thank you so much for the tips. I've tried the cauliflower with cheese and love it. The chicken with veggies was so tasty too. Thank you...

 

[Mal S]

I am another exception. I had been losing weight steadily for years before I had even heard of an A1c or Metformin. Nowadays I have managed to stabilise at a rather emaciated BMI of 16, thanks to olive oil and double cream. I used to be a fruit lover and vegetable hater. It has been a revelation to me that any vegetable, even the loathsome spinach, becomes delicious when fried in the maximum amount of extra virgin olive oil.

Yes I use a lot of olive oil too and eat enough natural peanut butter to have shares in the company. The scales wont budge upwards though. I'm hoping the dietician will help when I see him in October? There isn't an awful lot of info for skinny prediabetics other than to use full fat everything. I've managed to get my calorie intake up to 1880 most days but can't seem to get it any higher. I have been aiming for 2500 as I'm quite an active person at work and at home. I really do sympathise with anyone in our position who wants to gain weight.

 

[Mal S]

Certainly not! Believe me, most if not all of us have been there. For a long time after I discovered I had a problem with high bg, I felt I would much prefer just to give up eating altogether. It would have been so much simpler! Keep on querying and sharing to your heart's content. That's what the Forum is for.

Thank you..

 

[Mal S]

Do you think there are any other reasons for your weight loss other than the metformin .

Hi Mojo. All my blood tests come back as 'really healthy readings' according to my gp. I've often wondered if there is something else going on to explain the weight loss though. My a1c has gone down from 45 to 43 in 2 months so that's a small plus. I did read that metformin speeds up a persons metabolism and the more active they are, the more weight they lose. If true it makes sense now. My job working with special needs kids is very physical and like most women, I come home and rarely sit down until around 7pm. I'll see what the dietician suggests when I see him for the 1st time in October...

 

[Alexandra100]

There isn't an awful lot of info for skinny prediabetics other than to use full fat everything. I've managed to get my calorie intake up to 1880 most days but can't seem to get it any higher. I have been aiming for 2500 as I'm quite an active person at work and at home.

I too can't get my fat intake up past a certain level, as I just start to feel sick, which is counter-productive. I am a great fan of Dr Bernstein, who wrote the classic book "Diabetes Solution" on T1 and T2, has survived a diagnosis of T1 diabetes from the age of 11 until now, I think, turned a dynamic 85. He still treats patients and gives live question and answer sessions every month. Dr B advises under-weight diabetics to up their protein, not their fat, just eating the fat that naturally comes with the protein in their diet. He says "I’ve found that it’s impossible to put weight on very slim patients following low-carbohydrate diets by giving them 900 extra calories a day in the form of 4 ounces of olive oil. Two recent studies support this—but only if carbohydrate is very limited. They showed that when carbohydrate is low, the fat is metabolized, not stored." Unfortunately protein raises bg by about half as much as carbs, so we are between a rock and a hard place.

You say, "I've often wondered if there is something else going on to explain the weight loss though." Personally I believe I am making very little insulin and this is responsible for my struggle even to maintain my very low weight. If I were a patient of Dr B I would likely be on insulin by now and doing better.

 

[Mal S]

I too can't get my fat intake up past a certain level, as I just start to feel sick, which is counter-productive. I am a great fan of Dr Bernstein, who wrote the classic book "Diabetes Solution" on T1 and T2, has survived a diagnosis of T1 diabetes from the age of 11 until now, I think, turned a dynamic 85. He still treats patients and gives live question and answer sessions every month. Dr B advises under-weight diabetics to up their protein, not their fat, just eating the fat that naturally comes with the protein in their diet. He says "I’ve found that it’s impossible to put weight on very slim patients following low-carbohydrate diets by giving them 900 extra calories a day in the form of 4 ounces of olive oil. Two recent studies support this—but only if carbohydrate is very limited. They showed that when carbohydrate is low, the fat is metabolized, not stored." Unfortunately protein raises bg by about half as much as carbs, so we are between a rock and a hard place.

You say, "I've often wondered if there is something else going on to explain the weight loss though." Personally I believe I am making very little insulin and this is responsible for my struggle even to maintain my very low weight. If I were a patient of Dr B I would likely be on insulin by now and doing better.

Alexandra I so agree. It seems we can't win. I'm living in hope that when I see the dietitian on Tuesday he'll be able to help. I've read that there is an Ensure type drink that helps us gain weight. Only a dietitian can prescribe it. The original Ensure is full of sugar but the prescribed one isn't. I'm really unhappy looking as I do and don't want to think that I'll never gain weight. Family members are concerned about the weight loss too. My sister thinks I'm anorexic and told me to pull myself together. Sraff at work are stating the obvious "Haven't you lost weight?" It really does hurt Alexandra. Fingers crossed the dietitian can help or advise. I'll let you know.