just received result hba1c 42 - need advice/example of food to reduce number and lose weight

[nzkiwi45]

Hello
First i am sorry if this has been asked before but trying my best to search and read lots of successful thread with people managing reducing their hba1c and also losing good amount of weight but wasn't able to find a very clear example of what was done.
Let me introduce myself, i am 45 woman living in NZ (but originally from Europe) and i have a beautiful daughter very young just under 3 year old.. yes i am late in this parenthood but i love it.
I had gestational diabetes during pregancy and was managed via insulin. Since then all was good every blood test was good until yesterday showed 42 and said risk and need a lifestyle change.
I weight 85.5 kg for 1,52m so i am on the obese category. Note my dad was diabetic and passed away 4 years ago stroke and i want to be healthy alive and enjoy aging as much and as long as i can for my daughter and myself i want to be there for her and her kids one day!!!
So from what i am reading loosing weight will reduce the hba1c but some people being not overweight or slim still are prediabetic ...

So please if you can help me identify the portion and also what to eat and when meaning what for lunch and not mixed during the same meal. I need to change now and forever , if you could share specific example of meal and portion size of a day or week.
I work and can cook in advance all meals as i prep all meals for my daughter and freeze for her week at inhome childcare.
My biggest issue which i will resume is my sweet snacks chocolate, biscuits so i can stop this will be painful but i had to do it during pregnancy (but it was a different experience as i was in "morning sickness" all day long for almost 9 months so...)
May be let me know if there are actually any fruits to absolutly avoid (my preference are the same peach (during summer which is currently the case here), abricot)
what type of yogurt is any ok but to check carbs level?
do i need to count total carbs for all food intake.. will be challenging to assume how much a peach carb is ... ha haha
Sorry for the long threat but i need this and want success like i read it is inspiring and want dramatic changes but not be on a restricted diet that cannot be maintained long term i just want food i need to know to absolutly avoid or limit and get a portion size idea per meal , per day or per week then i can organise all my meals and plan and work on my sweet snacks issues to stop.

Thank you in advance for your help and advice and thank you all for sharing your experience

 

[Mike d]

Get rid of all sugars ... like now!! Today

That includes peaches ... gee you have a long road ahead

What is your typical daily diet? Portions put to one side for the moment.

Carbs are disastrous as they impact heavily on your bloods

 

[HSSS]

As a prediabetic it’s the same advise as for a type 2 (maybe not as restrictive but the same principles.)

Can I suggest you take a good look at LCHF ie low carb higher fat (than typically recommended) methods of eating (keto is just a version of this). It’s how an awful lot of us get our blood sugar levels under control and for some even eliminate medications and achieve remission and also reduce or improve complications. It is often the easiest and most sustainable form of weight loss for a type 2 if you need that. Other conditions often improve including but not limited to blood pressure, joint pain, inflammation, PCOS, and despite the dire warnings of the last few decades it improves cholesterol for most, yes improves cholesterol. Some jump right on it, others edge their toes in a bit at a time. Be aware the the USA count carbs differently so be aware if you look at their counting, recipes or products. They include fibre in their count we don’t. So if it’s USA stuff deduct the fibre to get our figures. (Fibre isn’t generally digested thus doesn’t get counted)


Try clicking these links for more detailed explanations that are well worth readings.


http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.26870/


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 for motivation


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. Excellent site and first port of call for many getting their head round low carb.


Lots of other websites for recipes out there too. Just use the term low carb or keto with whatever you fancy.


Also it’s very important to be able to check for yourself what’s happening so you can make the necessary adjustments day to day and meal by meal rather than wait 3, 6 or even 12 months and then have no idea what had what effect. It also helps keep an eye out that any meds are working appropriately not too much or too little. Getting a blood glucose meter is the only way to do this (no matter what contradictory advice you may have heard - it’s usually budget based rather than anything more scientific). Test before a meal and 2hrs later hoping for a rise of 2mmol or less. More and the carbs eaten were too many! Please ask if you want any guidance on this.


IMPORTANT FOR ANYONE ON DIABETIC MEDS (other than metformin): if you lower your carbs then any glucose lowering meds or insulin increasing 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 than your new carb intake requires. (This is not a concern for metformin on its own). Keep a very close eye on your numbers and do this with your dr’s knowledge so they can reduce medication accordingly. 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. Low carb is endorsed by the NHS and the ADA as an effective method of control, even if the practice staff don’t realise that yet.

 

[nzkiwi45]

Hello

A typical meal during week work monday friday:
breakfatst: black tea (no sugar, no milk), sometimes some cookies (homemade 3-4 small size) around 10ish otherwise i am busy on meetings so water and tea and then lunch time comes
lunch: frozen homemade meal now the issue here is portion i know i have more than i should but because i know i dont have breakfast usually (no time) i am hungry and need some food to go for the rest of the day.
a lunch meal would be like : rice with veggies tomato sauce all made by me (using canned tomatoes), if not rice then sometime pasta and with some meat ,(lamb or chicken or beef ), couscous with lots of veggies and lamb, or homemade veggie lasagna using fresh lasagna(not homemade pasta...) and for desert a yogurt or fruit
dinner : i go with an egg and slice bread and cheese chedar or brie or pasta with little bit of butter and cheese

snacks generally afternoon around 3-4pm if i buy a biscuit pack jaffa sponge i can just eat the whoke pack that is my issue ... but this is like twice a week and m&ms could happen once a week

so i dont drink soda or juice just water or black tea

well i know this is not good. for the snacks i can stop now --> i just don't buy them as it eat generally on the train back home....

During the week-end i generally eat like as follow:
breakfast: slice of paleo bread or wholemeal with 1 egg or just tea.
lunch we do pizza once a week so i eat 2-3 slice of pizza (veggie pizza)
next day would be fish filet i cook in pan with olive oil and bit of butter and veggies aside or mashed potato&carot (we eat same with ny daughter difference is the portion)
Dinner boiled egg and slice bread with avocado
I am busy over the week-end enjoying time with my daughter so I try to make simple no cooking.
i prep meals every 3 weeks to freeze.Veggies i used for all type of meals beside couscous are courgette, mushroom, carot.
for mash veggies is mixed potato and carot and sometime kumata
couscous generally the basica courgette, carott, sweden and addung kumara
lasgna eggant courgette and mushroon


i need to revisit type of veggies and maybe no more pasta or rice and use coliflower rice instead (i did that during pregnancy)
That gives an idea of my meals i am trying to make meals same for my daughter so it is easy for me to prep and freeze for both and the only difference is portion size.

i am not a takeway person because i am not into mcdonalds, chinese food or sushi. i might have sushi once in a while

i changed few month ago to eat same meal as my daughter as i never had time to buy some lunch and options limited to my liking which ended up for me to eat to much sweet stuff loke biscuits or chocolate...

 

[nzkiwi45]

As a prediabetic it’s the same advise as


Thank you. I will look into this

 

[Resurgam]

As your numbers are so close to normal I would suggest that you simply reduce the high carb foods by a half. That would be potatoes, anything made with grains, fruits I'd swap all the high sugar and starch for small servings of berries.
Try having hard boiled eggs in the fridge, and grab a couple with some cheese and a tomato for breakfast.
Try 'fat head' pizza rather than the high carb sort.
Maybe experiment with cauliflower rather than potato.
Try almost cooked cauliflower, heap it into a warm dish, cover with cream cheese, add a good lot of a grated hard cheese, use whatever herbs or spices you might like to include. Place the dish back into the warm oven until the cheese is melting and just tinged golden.
Chocolate should be as high a cocoa as you can find and enjoy - I have 95 percent cocoa now, but it should not be as important for you to find that - however I only eat one square a day.
Have the full fat version of foods, as low fat usually has added carbs. If you eat low carb then your appetite should decrease - there's no need to deliberately reduce the amount you eat.
It is more than likely that you will lose weight with very little effort if you stop the carbs - weight gain is a symptom not a cause.

 

[nzkiwi45]

@Resurgam Thank you. I do luke tomatoes and hard boiled egg but didn't even cross my mind to have this as breakfast (i grew up in france breakfast is more sweet like bread and butter with jam or cream cheese breqd or croissant )..
My daughter i made her oatmeal but i dont like that or cereals.

So any fruits should be stopped then?

so the idea of tomatoe and egf boiled and cheese is actually good. I will try but the way it will be is full tomatoe i will eat it as a fruit and egg boiled egg lke that and a sloce of cheddar cheese ... because this will be at my desk.
Thank you for this idea.

Regarding fruits i am confused so no fruit is good at all - only berries ?

 

[Resurgam]

Fruit is a problem because it is so full of carbs - the starches and sugars in new varieties are higher all the time. The fructose is dealt with in the liver, and so if you are already having trouble coping with carbs in general, fructose just ramps it up. The fruits with berry in the name are usually the lowest in carbs.

I did catch a bit of a TV program the other day where it was reported that the amount of sugar in cherry tomatoes is increasing - being selected for and bred into the new varieties. It is actually a fruit, like some other things which are usually thought of as vegetables, but the labeling of the sweet cherry tomatoes is becoming wrong - to the point it might be illegal, over the limit allowed for wrongness.
Although we are advised to have fruit, the same benefits can be got from less sugary things.
In the summer I was eating two salads a day and often had cheese and boiled eggs in the morning - so quick and easy

 

[nzkiwi45]

Thank you. So i will stop fruits and replace by some blueberries small portion.
i will find a way to deal with the sweet habit i have to finish a meal...
no choice i need to be on normal range and remain in it.
thank you changing my lunch pack for tomorrow right now... adjusting the right way.

 

[jjraak]

Thank you. So i will stop fruits and replace by some blueberries small portion.
i will find a way to deal with the sweet habit i have to finish a meal...
no choice i need to be on normal range and remain in it.
thank you changing my lunch pack for tomorrow right now... adjusting the right way.

Good advise above.

But could I just add.
I noted you didn't have time for breakfast and was hungry at lunch time so ate more then expected...

But you DO have breakfast.. You eat the cookies.!

We all do it, I suspect.. Eat but don't count THAT.

Perhaps to help yourself it might just need a bit of a rethink as to what food actually is.

Fur me it's the fuel to get through the day and most likely TO the next time iNEED to eat.

You are not that far off, getting back to good figure.. Maybe some simple things would have great effect.?

If you don't have time for breakfast OR EAT poorly.. Cookies.. Then you will most likely be hungry and over eat at the next meal.

I have Greek yogurt in my fridge, I have one. (shops do small portions. Usually 4 to a pack.. Or just get the normal tub size but be less generous then normal)..
And to that I add the berries.. Real fruit.. And that gives me enough go to get through to late afternoon.

If going LCHF, many do lose weight, I'd say check the signature many put under their posts.. Most impressive.. And while your not exactly dieting on LCHF (Debatable I know) a nice by product is most lose weight without even really trying...I lost over 3 stone.

Good luck moving forward.. You've already taken the hardest step.. Reaching out for help.

All the rest is up to you and how much of it your willing to take on board..

 

[nzkiwi45]

Good advise above.

But could I just add.
I noted you didn't have time for breakfast and was hungry at lunch time so ate more then expected...

[.....]
All the rest is up to you and how much of it your willing to take on board..

Thank you. I was counting more as snacks than breakfast. I wake up early in morning drop my daughter catch the train (50min) to work and then work start and generally is meetings non stop. So breakfast is not an option early the only moment i would eat something would be either on the train which i cant eat breakfast there full of people and can be standing or at the office and might be around 9ish or 10am depending how the day started if straight to a meeting. And i definitly not someone who can eat early in the morning i.e. 5-6-7am tea is good enought or just water.

I have read through and trying to change the mistakes in my food selection and meal plan i prep . Thank you this help me to change things that i didnt realise was actually still or poor choices.
hoping to fix this and my next blood test will improve.

 

[TriciaWs]

Hi
My typical day starts with a different breakfast as I can't cope with eggs or meat first thing. So I developed my own porridge mix that is mainly milled flaxseed, with some chia seeds and a little oatbran, made with water and a dash of coconut milk (check the labels as over here some are much in in carbs than other brands), then I stir in cinnamon and top with double cream.
Lunch - I either skip lunch or have a lump of cheese if home, If I am out (ie an earlier start to my day) then a ham or cheese or egg salad, heavy on the green leaves. It is fine to have an oil and vinegar dressing but usually no bread.
Dinner is chicken or fish, or a cheese omelette if I didn't have eggs before, with loads of green veg and either cauliflower rice or cauli mash.
Then greek yogurt (full fat is lower in carbs, and real greek is lower than 'greek style' here) with either raspberries or rhubarb sweetened with stevia.
I have a couple of milky coffees during the day, full fat milk mixed with coconut milk.
and a bedtime a little 85% chocolate.

Sometimes I make cake or pancakes with either ground almonds or coconut flour and a little sweetener - no wheat flour. Or a rhubarb crumble with a ground almond crumble served with real egg custard or double cream.

I missed rice the most, but learned to enjoy homemade cauliflower rice (grated then cooked in the oven).
If you like bread then try just a small slice of one of the low carb/high protein ones, or make 90 Second bread with almonds or coconut flour plus milled flaxseed- delicious split and toasted with cheese or a small amount of no added sugar berry jam.
I've never found a pasta substitute I like but there are several options for pizza bases.

 

[jjraak]

Thank you. I was counting more as snacks than breakfast. I wake up early in morning drop my daughter catch the train (50min) to work and then work start and generally is meetings non stop. So breakfast is not an option early the only moment i would eat something would be either on the train which i cant eat breakfast there full of people and can be standing or at the office and might be around 9ish or 10am depending how the day started if straight to a meeting. And i definitly not someone who can eat early in the morning i.e. 5-6-7am tea is good enought or just water.

I have read through and trying to change the mistakes in my food selection and meal plan i prep . Thank you this help me to change things that i didnt realise was actually still or poor choices.
hoping to fix this and my next blood test will improve.

Cheers for the reply @nzkiwi45

please don't think i was being cheeky or condescending.

i think we ALL eat things at first we shouldn't .. and just don't count them

Well done you for taking the messages above and running with them.

when i was Dx it shook me up, so i'd love for others to duck that Direct Hit

My daughters diet, i now realise is not that good, but rather then a root and branch reform, as i did when Dx
i try and advise her to just moderate and skip one of her BAD choices, each meal or each day,
my thinking is that MIGHT help slow down any advance on HER "Go to T2 and do not collect your health Bonus" in lifes big game..and over time, making better choices will be the Norm for her.

And that same applies to you, i think..a sensible re-think now you have that early warning of the approaching storm
of just WHAT food is, how it impacts YOU and what YOU can do to mitigate those times and items that have the most
risk of increasing your danger.

there are NO snacks in T2..everything is a Meal..just small or large..(i try to tell myself)
THAT usually works to keep my greedy fingers out of the fridge. ..Usually.

Good Luck on your Journey
looking forward to you posting that next Outstanding HBA1c

 

[nzkiwi45]

Cheers for the reply @nzkiwi45

please don't think i was being cheeky or condescending.

[...]c

I didn't think that at all , au contraire I am greatful receiving advices and sharing experience. So thank you.

I want to fix what i am doing wrong permanently and i am doing it already because of all of you so THANK YOU

 

[nzkiwi45]

Hi
My typical day starts with a different breakfast as I can't cope with eggs or meat first thing. So I developed my own porridge mix that is mainly [..].
I've never found a pasta substitute I like but there are several options for pizza bases.

Thank you. It is good to see whay meals you have that gives me some ideas.

i made soemtime ago pizza using cauliflower based and it was really good and even better the next day. I have forgotten about it. i made it because i had too much cauliflower rice and instead of using it as rice i tried as pizza dough

 

[Resurgam]

I just thought - a pack of chicken thighs is really cheap, compared to fillets, so I often roast some - the Tefal Actifry I have is old, but it makes a good job of getting crispy skins and succulent meat. I save the juice and fat left behind for cooking mushrooms and veges - it makes a great glaze for roast veges or as a base for stirfries.
I find that eating low carb means that I have more flavours and variety in eating. I made two shopping lists and used them alternately. Each one made various meals possible, but even now I rarely buy mushrooms and tomatoes on the same shopping trip just to keep an element of novelty.