Rare? type two - not overweight, healthy life style?

WaG

Active Member
Messages
33
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Dear all

At 46, not being overweight and with a fairly healthy lifestyle but high cholesterol I was diagnosed with type two.

Six months on and having been put on two x 500 metformin a day my Hba1c is now 7.1% (dropped from 7.3...wow!) this is despite my having greatly altered my diet, exercising and reducing alcohol intake so I feel that I am doing the right things without making much difference.

My next steps are to increase exercise and reduce alcohol consumption further even to the degree of only on special occasions, currently I only drink about 4 units at any one time and then max three times a week.

I am also seeing my work re reducing stress levels as they do not help anything!

I would like to hear from other similar people as to how they are coping and what they are doing to combat it all.

Thanks alot

WaG
 

hanadr

Expert
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There are several "skinnies" on the forum, but what do you call a healthy lifestyle? what many of us have found over the years is that what the experts tell us is healthy, often isn't. Especially in the matter of diet. The so called healthy low fat high carbohydrate diet, is the cause of many problems and if you tried to eat a portion of unprocessed whole grains, you'd be very ill. Also eating cholessterol, doesn't put cholesterol into your blood stream. and eggs are GOOD for you.
 

Trinkwasser

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,468
We're supposed to be "rare" but actually skinny Type 2s outnumber Type 1s.

Since you have high cholesterol you're probably not a MODY: you probably have high insulin resistance without the overweight that often accompanies it, not uncommon in my family.

You might find the metformin doesn't do much yet and may need an increase to 1500 - 2500 mg, it's usual to start at a low dose and increase slowly. It works especially well with exercise.

Try this

http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/2006/10/d-day.html

a "healthy lifestyle" is probably too many carbs and not enough fat like it was for me
 

gbtyke

Well-Known Member
Messages
97
Have you actually asked for the tests to rule out Type 1?

I was diagnosed Type 2 but asked for the tests - which confimed Type 1.

My blood tests were looking OK on low carb diet but I felt something wasn't right.
 

Trinkwasser

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,468
gbtyke said:
Have you actually asked for the tests to rule out Type 1?

Good point, some forms of LADA actually progress slower than some forms of Type 2.

Some authorities are very unwilling to do the GAD 65 and c-peptide tests which are usually diagnostic. Failing that the lipid panel can be indicative, insulin resistance gives the typical pattern of low HDL, high LDL and sky high trigs which is much less common for LADA/Type 1
 

WaG

Active Member
Messages
33
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Many thanks to all

Depending on the results in six months time I will ask the doctor to look into type 1 and increasing/adding to my meds as she mentioned trying me on a glitazone (which I understand works on reducing insulin resistence) along with my current metformin as opposed to upping my mets.

My diet currently is the best it has ever been with reduced/low carbs (low GI) and better mixes of foods etc as per the education classes, which did not recommend high carbs.

It is good to get all this advice and support as I am still getting my head round it all, mind you who isn't?

WaG
 

croftmanor

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58
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Hi
I was the oppisate, skinny all my life then suddenly my waist size went from 33 to almost 40 in a matter of months
didn't really gain a lot of weuight just what gathered around the middle !!!
i was on metformin 500 for 2 years and got my waist back to 36, i suddenly felt as though my clothes had got tight again and on checking earlier this year i found i had gone back to 38 waist, i went to get a blood check in jan this year and found my GI was back up 9.6, with a reading on that morning of 14.8 !!, i was shocked, but when i looked into what i was actually eating and being really objective and honest then i couldn,t see why,
it would seem as others say its progressive and that despite awhat i thought was a good diet and meds regime it overtook me again, i am now on 2 x 850 metformin and never touch anything with more than trace sugar in it, last weeks blood test over the long term showed i was down to 6.9 overall, but with testing i still get spikes all through the day of anywhere up to 13.5,
mornings are worse for me, so i will see how my next test at the end of august turns out, if i have not got down lower on my GI i will be so dissapointed as i cant really do any more diet wise, will just have to find time for even more exercise
best regards to all
Andy
 

WaG

Active Member
Messages
33
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Andy

I to feel that I have done about all I can re diet apart from cutting out alcohol completely we will see what exercise does and it would be interesting to see how you and others get on with increased exercise.

One thing I would like to ask people is do they test their BG? and if so why? forgive me if this appears to be a daft question. Currently I am on meds (tablets) and I can not up and down them in accordance with how my BG is and find that when I have tested if it is high the lack of control that I have depresses me. so do I just rely on the Hba1c??

Over to you good folk out there.

WaG
 

Dennis

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,506
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
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Hi WaG,

You are correct in saying that type 2s on medication can't alter the dosage, but what tests show is what effect different foods have on your blood sugar. As you probably know all carbohydrate that you eat converts 100% into glucose. You mentioned that you are on a reduced carb diet, and the tests will show how successful that diet is at controlling your BS. If your tests show that your BS levels are not reducing, or are reducing very slowly, then this is a warning that you need to make further adjustments to your diet. If you wait for a 3 monthly or sometimes 6 monthly HBA1C test, the damage will already have been done - and if the level is found to be very high then it could be very serious damage.

Incidentally can I ask why you are cutting down so drastically on alcohol, and specifically what type? Alcohols that don't contain sugar (e.g. wines, spirits and pilsner lagers) actually have the side effect of reducing BS! Not that you should go overboard on it, or rely on alcohol to control BS, but in moderation it actually helps to reduce BS levels.
 

Trinkwasser

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,468
This protocol has been around for nearly a decade now and was devised by diabetics so naturally there has not been an RCT

http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/2009/ ... -test.html

Initially I tested a lot, if you read around Alan's site you will understand why: the key is to use the meter readings to drop the foods which spike you and eat more of the ones that don't. Once you have that down pat you can make further dietary adjustments to improve your nutrition. This also allows you to discover your diurnal variation which may be significant.

The vast majority of people who have followed this or similar protocols have made major improvements, and not only to their BG but lipids and BP too, and where necessary have often lost significant weight.

To a degree you may be able to walk or otherwise exercise off a spike, but in some circumstances this might make your BG higher: again the meter will allow you to find your own responses.
 

WaG

Active Member
Messages
33
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi all

I will start to monitor my BG after meals, boy it is a very complicated condition to have!!!

I often eat light meals in the day and then have a bigger meal at night all involve low GI carbs and reduced quantities at that, are there any schools of thought around pacing your meals or even eating little but more often?

As to how successful my diet is I was very disappointed with my Hb at 7.3 then going to 7.1 with meds I have tried hard but want to try to get it under control the best I can without any increase in tablets having said that if I have to I will of course.

On the alcohol front I was told to keep it down to 3 - 4 units in any one day and then have three clear days, whether this is just a general health thing or to reduce my BG I do not know. I normally like whisky or red wine and very rarely a beer but not all three I hasten to add!

Thanks again folks for the advice and the links I look forward to taking as much control as I can over this and still maintain a life.

WaG
 

Dennis

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,506
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
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WaG said:
As to how successful my diet is I was very disappointed with my Hb at 7.3 then going to 7.1 with meds I have tried hard but want to try to get it under control the best I can without any increase in tablets having said that if I have to I will of course.
The easy answer would be that you need to reduce the carbs in your diet a little more as the reduction you are getting from low-GI is not quite enough. But it's not as simple as that. You will probably find that there are some foods that you just can't tolerate and others that cause you very little problem. For example bread seems to have very little effect on my BS, whereas even the smallest amount of rice sends it through the roof. For many others the opposite is true.

So you will need to use that monitor to test what effect different foods have on your BS. The foods that cause the biggest rise in blood sugars are the starchy carbs, but as I said above, you will probably find that some are not as bad as others.
 

WaG

Active Member
Messages
33
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Dennis

Thanks again I will see what that and exercise do whilst monitoring my BG.

Gary
 

WaG

Active Member
Messages
33
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi again

I have been busily experimenting with food and testing my bloods, which come in at around between 6 to 7.5 depending on what I have eaten. What should I be aiming for?

One thing that I have found that influences it is stress I monitored my BG at 7.1 one morning two hours after breakfast and recorded it as 9.9 the next day, this was with the same food the only added factor was stress that led to heart palpitations, which is what caused me to visit the doctor and get diagnosed in the first place.

Another thing is that if I add pate to some low GI bread the readings go down from 7.1 to 5.7, much as I like pate I am aware that it is not the healthiest option but i does lower my readings I am wondering whether it is the fat or the protein that does this.

My HBa 1c is not for a while yet so in the mean time I wish to gain control.

WaG