Anybody else in the same boat?

Wren88 said:

Hi, i'm Jenny i'm 29 and I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes 8 years ago. When I was first diagnosed my BMI was 28, overweight but not obese. Initially I didn't take it in and ignored it for a few years, I guess I was in denial. After a few years I got the cycling bug and got my BMI down to 23.5, my diabetes went into remission and all was good. However recently my BMI has gone up to 25 and my diabetes is making an almighty come back with my HBA1c going from 32 two years ago to 80 in june! I have lost 6Ibs and my BMI is 24.6. Despite this my HBA1c has risen to 90. I haven't had the time or commitment to cycle like I would like to and plan to make this change now I have finished my degree. I saw my doctor yesterday as I am feeling really unwell, my doctor advised that she feels that losing weight will no longer control my diabetes as currently I am not overweight and my diabetes continues to worsen. She also feels that as I was never large that my diabetes isn't caused by my weight and is what she referred to as a 'true diabetes'. I said that I planned to lose weight to control it again and she said that as I don't have much to lose as i'm already a healthy weight she feels now the issue is that my pancreas has began to slowly die. I feel so conflicted with what I read about the causes of type 2 and my doctors advise. I don't like the idea of taking medications, however I'm at a point where I can no longer continue with my high sugar levels, its effecting every element of my life. I have started Metformin and have a plan for the next 4 weeks to go to the maximum dose. I just wondered if theres anybody else out there my age with a similar situation. It feels so unfair that i'm a normal weight, more active than most people I know yet i'm lumbered with the disease. Any feedback would be great. Many thanks

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I see that someone asked about your food/diet, and so I would suggest that this is where you may need to look. I'm male and double your age and I've had diabetes for almost 20 years, I've been on Insulin for about 18 months. The worst thing you can do now is to deny there is a problem, or not to do anything about it.

Recently I've cut down dramatically on carbs, for example a few years ago I would have had 3 or 4 potatoes with my evening meal, bread twice a day (sandwiches, toast, muffins, crumpets), Pizza, fish & chips, rice and pasta at least once a week (and quite large portions). If I have any of these now it is a small portion, a carb free option (where possible) and I monitor my BG levels afterwards.

I have combined my carb reduction with exercise, I try to walk or cycle for up to an hour a day, and once in a while a really good walk of a couple of hours or more. I've found that it is the physical action of exercise that counts, not 'how much have I sweated' today! My weight has dropped and although I'm still overweight and trying to lose some more weight (I'm currently 13 1/2 stone and 5' 10" tall) I'm not on the obese BMI scale anymore, and best of all my HbA1c results have been fantastic for over a year.

So my recommendation is cut carbs and exercise more, and start now!

Good luck.

Wren88 said:

Hi, i'm Jenny i'm 29 and I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes 8 years ago. When I was first diagnosed my BMI was 28, overweight but not obese. Initially I didn't take it in and ignored it for a few years, I guess I was in denial. After a few years I got the cycling bug and got my BMI down to 23.5, my diabetes went into remission and all was good. However recently my BMI has gone up to 25 and my diabetes is making an almighty come back with my HBA1c going from 32 two years ago to 80 in june! I have lost 6Ibs and my BMI is 24.6. Despite this my HBA1c has risen to 90. I haven't had the time or commitment to cycle like I would like to and plan to make this change now I have finished my degree. I saw my doctor yesterday as I am feeling really unwell, my doctor advised that she feels that losing weight will no longer control my diabetes as currently I am not overweight and my diabetes continues to worsen. She also feels that as I was never large that my diabetes isn't caused by my weight and is what she referred to as a 'true diabetes'. I said that I planned to lose weight to control it again and she said that as I don't have much to lose as i'm already a healthy weight she feels now the issue is that my pancreas has began to slowly die. I feel so conflicted with what I read about the causes of type 2 and my doctors advise. I don't like the idea of taking medications, however I'm at a point where I can no longer continue with my high sugar levels, its effecting every element of my life. I have started Metformin and have a plan for the next 4 weeks to go to the maximum dose. I just wondered if theres anybody else out there my age with a similar situation. It feels so unfair that i'm a normal weight, more active than most people I know yet i'm lumbered with the disease. Any feedback would be great. Many thanks

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Have you tried a low carb high fat diet? Works for me and I don't get hungry. Am slowly putting my diabetes into remission....

Hi I agree the way forward is low or no carbs. I was diagnosed with t2 two months ago. Since then I have monitored my bs levels regularly throughout the day especially 2hrs after meals. Most days I have no carbs at all. My bs is under control with no meds. It's not easy but worth trying.
QUOTE="Freema, post: 1576409, member: 329519"]We are many here in the same boat, it doesn’t hurt to loose a bit more weight so if you want that Then keep on the fine job you are doing , but that said the main road to lower numbers of blood glucose is and will remain being eating a lower number of grams of carbs in total in a day untill there is found a real cure for type 2 diabetes.

Try changing to a breakfast of almost NO carbs , and lower your carb levels in all other meals you eat in a day and try if a total number of 150 grams of carbs is low enough to lower your numbers or go even lower like under 100 grams a day , Then I Think you can get your numbers den effectively[/QUOTE]

Has your doctor done any tests like an ultrasound of the pancreas? I had a diagnosis of type 2 which was helped by exercise initially then needed medication, then went off dramatically. Rising sugar levels and feeling ill. Turned out I had cysts in my pancreas. Helped enormously by insulin, followed by surgery. I now feel like a new woman.

Wren88 said:

Hi, i'm Jenny i'm 29 and I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes 8 years ago. When I was first diagnosed my BMI was 28, overweight but not obese. Initially I didn't take it in and ignored it for a few years, I guess I was in denial. After a few years I got the cycling bug and got my BMI down to 23.5, my diabetes went into remission and all was good. However recently my BMI has gone up to 25 and my diabetes is making an almighty come back with my HBA1c going from 32 two years ago to 80 in june! I have lost 6Ibs and my BMI is 24.6. Despite this my HBA1c has risen to 90. I haven't had the time or commitment to cycle like I would like to and plan to make this change now I have finished my degree. I saw my doctor yesterday as I am feeling really unwell, my doctor advised that she feels that losing weight will no longer control my diabetes as currently I am not overweight and my diabetes continues to worsen. She also feels that as I was never large that my diabetes isn't caused by my weight and is what she referred to as a 'true diabetes'. I said that I planned to lose weight to control it again and she said that as I don't have much to lose as i'm already a healthy weight she feels now the issue is that my pancreas has began to slowly die. I feel so conflicted with what I read about the causes of type 2 and my doctors advise. I don't like the idea of taking medications, however I'm at a point where I can no longer continue with my high sugar levels, its effecting every element of my life. I have started Metformin and have a plan for the next 4 weeks to go to the maximum dose. I just wondered if theres anybody else out there my age with a similar situation. It feels so unfair that i'm a normal weight, more active than most people I know yet i'm lumbered with the disease. Any feedback would be great. Many thanks

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@Wren88

I've been following Geoff and www.fixingdad.com who had T2DM for 10 years and was about to get a foot cut off. His sons stepped in and got serious about helping their cranky old dad get back into shape. This http://www.fixingdad.com/watch-the-film film should be watchable from the UK.

Inspired by Geoff I've become much more serious about cycling and I've powered my way through 7000 miles in the last 12 months. I've had good control of my T2DM but when I checked my FBGs in the morning they could still be a bit up and down, but not completely wild. I usually ride a minimum of 16-17 miles in the evening. What I've done differently over the last two days is however, that I'd have had a late lunch time meal then around 4pm-ish get on my bike and cycle.

Yet now when I ride, I drink water, but eat no food at all after my cycling. By the time I get home, I've 2-3 hours (to effectively fast) then into bed. I've woken with an FBG of 5.9 mmol/l yesterday and 5.7 mmol/l today. Earlier this week I've ranged from 6.7 to 7.6 mmol/l. That to me is about 20-30% improvement. I'm going to continue doing this and see how I get on longer term. I felt the difference in my body this morning even over the day before. 5.7mmol/l is just over the threshold of a diabetic number, yet extremely good control. I know it sounds obvious now to me, but I used to come back from a ride with the munchies and sabotage the good work that I'd done on the 17 mile rides I had been doing. Now after 4.30pm I'm effectively cleaning my liver of glycogen and then giving my body 14-15 hours to try to repair the damage I've done to the liver and pancreas over the years.


Have a watch of the above video, Its the latest interview I've found from Professor Taylor.. He is extremely good at explaining what is going on with T2DM. We will all be grateful for his work come the new study he's publishing in December. 2017

Come and join the https://www.strava.com/clubs/FixingDad Fixing Dad team on Strava with your cell phone and log your cycling miles. Each and every week I'm inspired to keep going to keep my health up.

Good luck to you!

LBB