Had the phone call....

[MissPooh]

Hi there, I joined last weekend just after my fasting blood test, well today the surgery phoned to let me know the results were in and to make an appointment with our GP.
My fasting blood came back as 9.2 - not sure of the units...I made an appointment for Friday at 9.30am.
Being that I'm very overweight, and already on meds for high BP is it likely they will start me on medication straight away, or will there be a chance they will let me try to bring it under control with diet and life style?
Im lost as to what I should eat and what I should avoid, other than the obvious....

 

[zand]

Well reducing carbs is a good place to start. I see you've already had an info sheet from daisy1 on another thread so I'll give you a few more links to look at, you may get some ideas from there.

Here's a link to a good beginners guide to low carb diets

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/a-new-low-carb-guide-for-beginners.68695/

Then there's:-

http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/now-the-x-pert-advice-is-low-carb-high-fat.70271/

http://www.xperthealth.org.uk/shop/details/p/handbook-lowcarb-highfat-lifestyle

And of course ask any questions you like here too.

 

[cold ethyl]

First of all don't panic. This is sortable. Did they just do a fasting or did they do an HbA1c test which is a snapshot of the blood sugar levels for the previous 3 months?
It may be that your surgery will want to put you on medication from the off given that you are overweight. The usual first line medication is Metformin at varying doses - it is a relatively benign drug though can cause loose bowels and bloating in some people. Ask for the slow release version if this is an issue. It won't lower your BS levels dramatically but does help with insulin resistance and fasting levels as well as acting as an appetite suppressant which is good if you are overweight.
I expect that you will be told just to switch to eating whole grain carbs and no need to test by your surgery. Most of us on here would advocate a low carb diet. ( check out the low carb forum on here for more advice) and thus is become increasingly recognised as the better option for blood sugar control and cardiovascular health. I'd also say that it is important to test test test. Most of us have ended up buying own meter and strips as NHS won't pay - the SD codefree is a great low cost option via Home Health. Only by testing before meals and after can you learn how foods affect your levels and which to then avoid or eat less of.
Losing weight is the best thing you could do as there is a theory that it is excess fat in the liver and pancreas that is at heart of type 2 diabetes. Try exercising daily if you can as this helps with insulin resistance - even just ten minutes walk is a start.
I started on meds last May but with weight loss and exercise have been able to come off them so they aren't a forever or escalating solution. Good luck.

 

[MissPooh]

Thank you both so much.
If I'm honest I'm angry and annoyed with myself, but it's done now and I need to address the situation. I know losing weight will help both my high BP and sugar level, so there is hope.

 

[zand]

Thank you both so much.
If I'm honest I'm angry and annoyed with myself, but it's done now and I need to address the situation. I know losing weight will help both my high BP and sugar level, so there is hope.

Oh yes, I was angry with myself too! It's quite a good motivator if you use it to spur you on and not to beat yourself up

Let us know how you get on

 

[Sancho panza]

I think most of us were angry and disappointed in ourselves but as Zand says there's no point beating yourself up over it,
There's some great advice on here and with a little determination the new you starts here

 

[MissPooh]

Is it really possible to control BG and lose weight with a low carb high fat diet?!

 

[zand]

Is it really possible to control BG and lose weight with a low carb high fat diet?!

Oh yes! The main thing is to cut your carbs so that your BG's are under control. I think of the high fat bit to mean "eat healthy fats like butter, lard, cream, cheese" not low fat products which aren't really that good for you, they are manufactured, not natural. You don't have to stuff yourself with lots of fat, but if you are hungry that's the thing to increase.

I know it goes against everything we've been taught, but that's why we're here isn't it? If I had been told to cut my carb intake 25 years ago when I started to pile on the pounds I would have done so. Instead I wasted my time with low fat, low GI low GL and low calorie. Whilst some of these work for other people, none of them worked for me. LCHF did

 

[MissPooh]

I've never tried it, it's incredible to think a lot of the food I've been avoiding actually wasn't "that" bad! Obviously I'll have to try it and see, but what have I to lose, other than fat and excess blood sugars

 

[Spencer67]

Welcome to the diabetes club, If you love bread, most people with hi bg do, it may be an idea to cut down on it as this was a major stumbling block for me and i know alot of others, if you cant just cut it out go for Burgen 'soya and linseed' it has a much lower carb content than most other breads they have a money off coupon on the website too at the mo.

http://www.burgenbread.com/

 

[Daibell]

I've never tried it, it's incredible to think a lot of the food I've been avoiding actually wasn't "that" bad! Obviously I'll have to try it and see, but what have I to lose, other than fat and excess blood sugars

Yes, low-carb works. My wife has returned to her pre-marriage weight and is delighted and my son has gone down from 19 stone to around 11 stone (yes!) since going low-carb in September - amazing. Neither are diabetic but could see that it had kept my bs down although I have never been overweight. We have all been fed rubbish diet advice for many years and you can blame the powerful food industry for that - carbs are cheap and easy.

 

[Tm6t7]

Hi there, I'm only on day 2 but have embraced the lchf style. I was a massive breadfan and loved Danish pastries...those heady days are gone for me but a positive attitude and lots of people here to help means a lot keep strong

 

[DizzyChick]

Thank you both so much.
If I'm honest I'm angry and annoyed with myself, but it's done now and I need to address the situation. I know losing weight will help both my high BP and sugar level, so there is hope.

You are definitely in the right place for help & advice! I was diagnosed back in January and was put on metformin straight away. I have given up smoking & I'm eating a low carb diet. My bg levels have come down slightly but it is still early days and I have this forum to thank.

 

[Sooze]

I try to think of it as full fat rather than high fat. It's essential to keep hunger at bay if you're low-carbing. I started this way of eating beginning December just gone, and have lost 2.5 stones, gone down 2 dress sizes, and if anything under-eat as I rarely get hungry though I DO get the occasional piggy day and graze on cheese , ham, chicken, eggs and so on. When visiting my daughter in hospital today I took in a packet of ham and a couple babybels, which held me nicely till half an hour ago when I got home (vending machines are NOT our friends lol ). As for blaming yourself I hear ya - I keep telling myself it's self inflicted - but we can only look forwards and allow it to live with US not US with IT ....all the best

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

If you blame yourself, you may want to read this: http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14046739.php

 

[Mike d]

Good post @NoCrbs4Me