34 male and diagnosed as type 2

Hello @magern and Welcome to the Forum . Will tag @daisy1 who will provide you with some basic information that all new members receive on joining the Forum.

Hi and welcome to the forums @magern ,

Have a good look around and ask questions, people here like to help.

I was 36 when diagnosed type2. That was 27 years ago

Hi @magern

Welcome to the forums. Being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is a bit of a shock. Medication can help, but typically does not reduce blood sugars to the normal range. To do that you need to change your diet to cut out the foods that spike your blood sugar. This means a low carbohydrate diet. You need to cut out bread, potatoes, rice, pasta. Also cut out fruit drinks such as orange juice which contains a lot of sugar.

Many people on the forums have adopted a LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) diet. The high fat part is because as you reduce carbs, you need to increase fats to compensate. Fat raises blood sugar very slowly and make you feel full, so works well in a diabetic diet.

You blood sugar levels are not that high, so you may find that with the LCHF diet your sugar levels normalise quite soon.

I have noticed from reading this forum that more and more are being diagnosed with type 2 and prediabetes at a younger age and many are not overweight. I have a family history of type 1.5 (dad and grandmother) and my blood sugar levels started to rise at age 35 but this was caught early.

I was also diagnosed at 34, but I was very obese (less so now!)

It strikes me that when ppl are diagnosed who are not particularly overweight, then the finger points even more firmly at a diet with a lot of sugar and high GI carbs, prompting the pancreas to work harder and harder. Sugar, in particular, is problematic, because fructose is metabolised in the liver and turned into triglycerides. When too much comes at once, the liver can't get rid of it fast enough, so stores it locally. The result is fatty liver, which causes insulin resistance, which can eventually mean diabetes.

But cut way back on carbs and you will get an immediate reduction in BG because there's less coming in to deal with. And, over time, the ectopic fat stored in the liver and pancreas will be removed, reducing insulin resistance in the liver and improving insulin secretion from the pancreas.

Hi and welcome,

Type 2 is being diagnosed for young people all the time these days, even children. It isn't exclusively for us wrinklies.

I'll tag @daisy1 so she can post her very useful information for newcomers. Do read it and take note of the role of carbohydrates (not just sugar!)

Hi @magern .. and welcome
I was diagnosed T2 on 7th Feb .. and I was shocked, worried and feeling lost. Very quickly, though, the folks on this forum have given me so much info, advice and support that I am now much more confident about the journey. Still early for me but, in my experience, it gets easier .. very quickly

I agree 100% about taking up the LCHF lifestyle .. I committed to it on 16th Feb and, so far, I have lost 7.6Kg in weight .. and from an initial reading of 12.5, my BG is now around 5.5 to 6.5

You may also find the following post useful ...
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/taking-the-driving-seat.116651/
Hope this helps

magern said:

i'm 12st although not particularly tall at 5ft 6. my diet wasn't overly sugar high but more than now i suppose as i've now cut it out a lot. i now don't have sugar in my tea, i don't eat white bread, pasta or potatoes. i drink a lot of water aswell which on its own is making me feel better. i feel okish but the tiredness hasn't improved in the 3 months since i was diagnosed, could sleep all day easily! my hba1c worries me being 71, i had it checked again and it was 69. due another one in april which i'm hoping it's in the 50's (really hoping)

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It isn't just sugar that causes raised glucose levels, it is all carbohydrates, whatever colour they happen to be. Although wholemeal bread is better for us, it still converts to glucose once inside our systems. There are hidden carbs everywhere, so it always pays to read the full nutrition labels on packaged food very carefully, looking for the total carb amount.

Perhaps if you give us an idea of a typical days food, we may spot something to help you.

Thanks for that. I can spot a few problematic areas.

The Moma super seed porridge is 55.6% carbohydrate according to the nutrition label. (39g per sachet)

Wholegrain wraps are around 50% carbohydrate (maybe about 20g per wrap)

Muller Light yogurts have added sugar (about 7%)

Sweet potatoes (mashed) are about 20% carbs

A small apple is OK as part of a meal, but not as good as a snack due to the fructose. I don't think I need to comment on the Digestive biscuit.

So, maybe you can see that your diet is very carb heavy unless your portions are about right for a bird.

I suggest you test immediately before you eat and again an hour to 90 minutes after first bite, and then 2 hours after first bite and see what happens. If you want to control your diabetes you really need to start cutting down on these carbs. They all convert to glucose once inside the system. Keep a food diary including portion sizes, and record your levels alongside, then look for patterns. This way you can reduce your carb portion sizes or eliminate some completely.

A carb heavy meal will make anyone feel tired, as will high blood sugars. As your HbA1c was 71, (equates to 11.1mmol/l) you are spending a lot of time with high numbers, and possibly not catching these very high numbers on your finger pricking tests.

magern said:

My dad has had diabetes for many years now since he was 40ish. He was type 2 more recently he's now type 1.

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Type 2 diabetes does not progress into type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas and the sufferer needs to be treated with insulin injections. Type 2 diabetes is a portfolio condition and can comprise insulin resistance, weight, lack of exercise, unusual sleep patterns and shift work, high stress. Type 2 diabetes can require treatment with insulin injections. This does not mean it becomes or progresses to type 1 diabetes, it remains type 2 diabetes treated with insulin.

magern said:

ok great, thanks for that very helpful. what sort of things would you recommend are ok to eat as i struggle knowing what to eat and what not to?

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This website is excellent for food ideas. Read this page then follow the link to "what to eat"

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/60-seconds

catapillar said:

Type 2 diabetes does not progress into type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas and the sufferer needs to be treated with insulin injections. Type 2 diabetes is a portfolio condition and can comprise insulin resistance, weight, lack of exercise, unusual sleep patterns and shift work, high stress. Type 2 diabetes can require treatment with insulin injections. This does not mean it becomes or progresses to type 1 diabetes, it remains type 2 diabetes treated with insulin.

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But, Late onset T1 (LADA) is often mis-diagnosed as T2 so in these cases (and mine) It never was T2 but T1. The thing that confuses the medics is that it can come on slowly over several years with a well-known 'honeymoon' period as the pancreas fails. I agree that true T2 i.e. diabetes thru insulin resistance never becomes T1 but may eventually need insulin but only if the pancreas becomes damaged thru long-term high blood sugar.

magern said:

ok great, thanks for that very helpful. what sort of things would you recommend are ok to eat as i struggle knowing what to eat and what not to?

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Amongst other things look for no-added sugar yogurt or pure Greek style. I have Irish Yogurts no-added sugar fruit yogurts that use sweeteners; they are about the only brand available but worth searching for.

I started with a very simple rule: no grains, potatoes or sugar.

Breakfasts then become either egg-based, or full-fat Greek yogurt with nuts, or half an avocado with cream cheese.

Lunch is usually a salad with choice of protein, dressed with olive oil or home made mayo.

Evening meal: meat/fish and green veg, with berries and cream to follow.

Snacks: nuts, olives, cheese.

As I went along I hunted for recipes, went on low carb forums, tried things out, and have gradually learned and expanded my repertoire. I now eat a varied, interesting and tasty diet - still with no grains, potatoes or sugar. I've had T2D 19 years - last August my HbA1C was 62 (a few weeks after I had started LCHF) and 3 months later it was 40. My BG's now are in the normal range almost all the time.

You won't get it all right straight away, nor do you need to. But cut out grains, potatoes (including sweet potatoes - sorry) for a couple of weeks and see what a difference it makes. You won't want to go back.

I'm not sure whether your dad is a genuine type 1 (auto-immune) or a type 2 who became insulin dependent based on your post. Either way, it might be worth checking in with your doctor and getting a GAD and C-Peptide test. GAD is the one that finds out whether your diabetes is auto-immune or not, and C-Peptide checks how much insulin your pancreas is producing.

I am considered obese and was misdiagnosed as type 2 at age 26 myself, when it turned out I have LADA (slow progressing form of type 1 basically). My diabetic nurse had me tested because of a history with type 1, 2 and GD in my family - if your dad does have type 1 (the auto-immune kind) then it increases your risk for it too. Treatment for LADA/1 is very different so it's important to double-check what type you have and get the correct care.

Either way, the LCHF (low carb high fat) diet is useful for many diabetics, so I encourage you to explore it either way. You'll get this sorted, no worries!