Med Free, how to keep hba1c levels down

[MoorT2]

Evening All,

I was diagnosed T2 in July, hb1ac level of 51.

I had my 3 month results back this week and it's come down to 41.

The doctor and I have agreed to trial the next 3 months metformin and statin free and I really want to keep things under control.

I'm new to diabetes and an still trying to understand exactly how insulin resistance works and what exactly Metformin was doing for me. The reason for my post is to ask for tips and advice to keep things under control without it.

I will start my food dairy up again to keep a track of calories and carbs, any recommendations for apps??. I was using myFitnessPal but my free trial expired so it will only do calories now, not carbs.

Exercise I feel I've got a good program going on. I've been jogging 5k 3 times a week for the past month or so. I've added swimming 1k on my running off days (so twice a week). I was hiking on Sundays too but that's dropped off but I should reintroduce it.

Food is my concern, how much was the Metformin compensating for spikey foods?
I was aiming for keep my carb intake under 150g a day, that was a number I came to as one that was relatively easily achievable but I fear that may be a bit high.

This is a good sample of what I've been eating:

Breakfasts would usually be one of the following
- Plain 0% fat Greek yoghurt, flax seed, berries and maybe some almonds.
- 1 slice of wholewheat toast, avacado, poached egg or sardines in tomatoe sauce
- 1 slice of wholewheat bread with crunchy peanut butter

Lunch
- Typically some sort of home made salad, Greek, Nicoise, Med. Vegetable, Med. Salmon etc. Usually a olive oil and lemon dressing
- Salmon with Avacado Salsa
- Chicken Salad Wholewheat Wrap and a piece of fruit (apple, orange, plums)

Dinner
- Turkey Bolognese, small portion of whole wheat pasta or corgetti
- Low carb chicken Balti
- Chicken Casserole
- Seabream with 1/2 portion of gnocci
- Chicken / Pork Stir fry
.

Snacks
- Berries, Grapes, Apples
- Whole wheat cracker bread with Peanut butter and sliced apple
- 30-40g of mixed nuts
- 2 squares or equic of 85% dark chocolate.

I try to not have more one slice of bread in a day, and if I do I try not to have a wrap for lunch or pasta for dinner. Though this past week I've sometimes had a second as a snack . Pasta I should cut out a bit more, one of the issues with that is it's an easy meal for the wife to prepare for the kids. I do try and have half the suggested portion sizes but that can leave me hungry.

I will typically sub rice with cauliflower or sweet potatoe rice, I don't touch potatoes

Sometimes the mixed nuts I buy come from Morrison's and they do one with a few chocolate covered ones included in the pack (like 10% of the portion). I should cut those out I know but they are my little treat .

Is there anything else I should be cutting out / including in my diet ?? Any other recommendations ?

Thanks

 

[boggle]

Hope you don't mind me asking, but are you overweight at all? Is the goal also to lose weight?

Well done on your progress so far

 

[MoorT2]

Hope you don't mind me asking, but are you overweight at all? Is the goal also to lose weight?

Well done on your progress so far

I don't mind at all.

I was 115 kg when diagnosed
Today I weighed 85.3, so a loss of almost 30kg.

My BMI is still 28.2 though and I've got at least 10kg more to lose before I'm at the top end of normal.

 

[coby]

Evening All,

I was diagnosed T2 in July, hb1ac level of 51.

I had my 3 month results back this week and it's come down to 41.

The doctor and I have agreed to trial the next 3 months metformin and statin free and I really want to keep things under control.

I'm new to diabetes and an still trying to understand exactly how insulin resistance works and what exactly Metformin was doing for me. The reason for my post is to ask for tips and advice to keep things under control without it.

I will start my food dairy up again to keep a track of calories and carbs, any recommendations for apps??. I was using myFitnessPal but my free trial expired so it will only do calories now, not carbs.

Exercise I feel I've got a good program going on. I've been jogging 5k 3 times a week for the past month or so. I've added swimming 1k on my running off days (so twice a week). I was hiking on Sundays too but that's dropped off but I should reintroduce it.

Food is my concern, how much was the Metformin compensating for spikey foods?
I was aiming for keep my carb intake under 150g a day, that was a number I came to as one that was relatively easily achievable but I fear that may be a bit high.

This is a good sample of what I've been eating:

Breakfasts would usually be one of the following
- Plain 0% fat Greek yoghurt, flax seed, berries and maybe some almonds.
- 1 slice of wholewheat toast, avacado, poached egg or sardines in tomatoe sauce
- 1 slice of wholewheat bread with crunchy peanut butter

Lunch
- Typically some sort of home made salad, Greek, Nicoise, Med. Vegetable, Med. Salmon etc. Usually a olive oil and lemon dressing
- Salmon with Avacado Salsa
- Chicken Salad Wholewheat Wrap and a piece of fruit (apple, orange, plums)

Dinner
- Turkey Bolognese, small portion of whole wheat pasta or corgetti
- Low carb chicken Balti
- Chicken Casserole
- Seabream with 1/2 portion of gnocci
- Chicken / Pork Stir fry
.

Snacks
- Berries, Grapes, Apples
- Whole wheat cracker bread with Peanut butter and sliced apple
- 30-40g of mixed nuts
- 2 squares or equic of 85% dark chocolate.

I try to not have more one slice of bread in a day, and if I do I try not to have a wrap for lunch or pasta for dinner. Though this past week I've sometimes had a second as a snack . Pasta I should cut out a bit more, one of the issues with that is it's an easy meal for the wife to prepare for the kids. I do try and have half the suggested portion sizes but that can leave me hungry.

I will typically sub rice with cauliflower or sweet potatoe rice, I don't touch potatoes

Sometimes the mixed nuts I buy come from Morrison's and they do one with a few chocolate covered ones included in the pack (like 10% of the portion). I should cut those out I know but they are my little treat .

Is there anything else I should be cutting out / including in my diet ?? Any other recommendations ?

Thanks

Hi and welcome to the forum.
A lot of what you eat is great and you have done well to get numbers down so that's good news.
Do you use a meter to test all the foods that you eat?
I ask because it really helps to know exactly what spikes your blood glucose levels.
For instance things like the bread, apples, and certainly the pasta are all no nos for myself.

 

[MoorT2]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
A lot of what you eat is great and you have done well to get numbers down so that's good news.
Do you use a meter to test all the foods that you eat?
I ask because it really helps to know exactly what spikes your blood glucose levels.
For instance things like the bread, apples, and certainly the pasta are all no nos for myself.

Thanks for the reply. I'm not using a meter, though after reading a number of forum posts I am considering getting one.

 

[coby]

Thanks for the reply. I'm not using a meter, though after reading a number of forum posts I am considering getting one.

Yes you will find it invaluable ... believe me!

 

[MoorT2]

OK day 1 without the medication (although I guess it will stay in my system for a week or so). I have to say it's felt good, I didn't have the nausea I've been feeling recently.
Keeping low carb is going to be my aim so I've planned my food carefully today and even tried something a bit different for breakfast (a sausage!!).

Breakfast: 1x Heck 97% Sausage, Scrambled Egg, Grilled Mushrooms
Lunch: Homemade Roasted Pumpkin and Chestnut Soup, 80g of mixed berries with fat free greek yoghurt
Dinner: Unstuffed Cabbage and Beef Casserole, green beans
Snacks: 5x Green Olives, 1x square of lindt 85% dark chocolate

Exercise: 3.75k jog

MyFitnessPal has calculated my carbs intake at 86g, well below the 120 I'm aiming for. Hopefully I won't get hungry later.

 

[Resurgam]

@MoorT2 It is the carbs which make us hungry, so avoiding them can mean a distinct reduction in appetite. I eat at 12 hour intervals these days and stick to under 40 gm of carbs a day with no problem.

 

[johnme]

@MoorT2 It is the carbs which make us hungry, so avoiding them can mean a distinct reduction in appetite. I eat at 12 hour intervals these days and stick to under 40 gm of carbs a day with no problem.

I’m sure this is correct but I would add it may take quite a while (week or 10 days) for the carb effect on hunger to wear off in my experience.

 

[becca59]

Perhaps change your yoghurt to full fat. Much more tasty and fulfilling.

 

[pre-predb]

Perhaps change your yoghurt to full fat. Much more tasty and fulfilling.

I couldn't agree more! We've all been so brainwashed about low-fat, but especially on a low-carb diet it is important to get more satiety from healthy fats. My current favourite is Aldi's 10% fat Greek yogurt - it is gorgeous!

 

[Resurgam]

I’m sure this is correct but I would add it may take quite a while (week or 10 days) for the carb effect on hunger to wear off in my experience.

But there is always something you can eat if you feel hungry, which is often where other diets fail to work.
If you have a selection of low carb options in the fridge you can just tuck in and do no harm. Even if out for the day there are options such as a hot meat counter in a supermarket or even a fish from a fish and chip shop.

 

[johnme]

But there is always something you can eat if you feel hungry, which is often where other diets fail to work.
If you have a selection of low carb options in the fridge you can just tuck in and do no harm. Even if out for the day there are options such as a hot meat counter in a supermarket or even a fish from a fish and chip shop.

Exactly. I rather meant ´you have to give it a chance to work.’

 

[MoorT2]

But there is always something you can eat if you feel hungry, which is often where other diets fail to work.
If you have a selection of low carb options in the fridge you can just tuck in and do no harm. Even if out for the day there are options such as a hot meat counter in a supermarket or even a fish from a fish and chip shop.

I've been thinking about this too, what are a good selection of low carb snacks ? I guess I find I snack on cheese and olives but I would like to have a bit more variation. Thanks

 

[Resurgam]

Snacks between meals - ah - well I don't. I eat in the morning, and then again in the evening, about 12 hours apart. I am not hungry in between.
I might have a couple of almonds - if I have coffee later than I eat, but these days I just don't even think about food. If I get distracted my husband has to come and prompt me to make dinner.
You could eat any meat or fish, cheese or eggs - maybe put together a salad or if you have leftovers in the fridge see what you can put together from them.
I make myself a bowl of dessert using gelatine (sugar free jelly is now too sweet) colour it, add flavours or blend some berries to a puree, add more fruit, whole, or a new trick, make coconut flour into a tray of pretend 'biscuits' by making jelly adding yoghurt when it cools, then mixing in coconut flour. When set cut into strips, chill and add into the gelatine when it is cool, as though they are trifle sponge fingers. Then add the fruit and even put a layer of real custard on top for a festive looking trifle. You could eat lots of it and still be low carb.

 

[Ricmel]

As a pasta and rice replacement I use a product called Slendier. It is pasta or rice or noodles made out of Konjac. Virtually no carbs or calories. Not going to lie and say it is as good as the real thing but it does a pretty good job and fills you up.

 

[Daphne917]

I've been thinking about this too, what are a good selection of low carb snacks ? I guess I find I snack on cheese and olives but I would like to have a bit more variation. Thanks

I keep a bag of mini Pepperomis in the cupboard - great if you fancy something savoury

 

[Dandelade]

I've been thinking about this too, what are a good selection of low carb snacks ? I guess I find I snack on cheese and olives but I would like to have a bit more variation. Thanks

My go to low carb snacks when I first started:
Pepperami
10 almonds
Clotted cream and small handful of frozen berries
Smoked sausage
Guacamole with celery
Cheese eg handy baby bels
Smoked peppered mackerel (pre packed)

Like others have said after a while (maybe a long while mind) you stop being hungry and can cut out the snacks all together!