Borderline

[jonty1]

I was newly diagnosed in July as being type 2, however I am diet controlled as they had said I was borderline so did not need medication. I only overheard this from a senior nurse and do not know what this actually means. Can anyone help please.

 

[Squire Fulwood]

I was newly diagnosed in July as being type 2, however I am diet controlled as they had said I was borderline so did not need medication. I only overheard this from a senior nurse and do not know what this actually means. Can anyone help please.

Firstly it means that you are not going to be given pills or drugs of any kind.

Diet controlled means that you will have to watch what you eat in order to keep your blood sugars in check. This means that sugar in fizzy drinks and in tea is out. Also out is flour based products for the most part. I will come back to this.

Rice and potatoes can also be a problem but you may find that reducing the amount of rice and eating new potatoes will not increase your blood sugar to an unacceptable level.

After sugar, flour is the thing most likely to spike you. Some things made with flour are tolerable in small quantities. Mostly, shop bought bread is not. The occasional flour thing with some fat in will be ok. I have eaten freshly cooked dumplings (yesterday's leak the fat out and are not good). I made bread with 1.5 oz lard in the mix and one slice was fine and two slices were nearly as fine.

At all costs avoid ready meals made of flour and sugar. I did some tests and one kiev raised my sugar as much as one Mars bar.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. It's possible you are a bit overweight and therefore have insulin resistance? If os, having the sort of diet Squire Fulwood has recommended i.e. low-GI carbs and keeping portion sizes smaller will help reduce weight and get blood sugar back under control. This can often be done without medication and if you can maintain a sensible diet you may be able to go for years without meds. Try to get hold of a glucose meter to monitor your bloods occasionally to find out what foods affect you most.

 

[jonty1]

Thank you Squire and Daibell. I started controlling carbs as soon as I was diagnosed so after 8 Weeks I am feeling so so much better. I monitor my blood from time to time mostly 5 or just under, fasting I was 7.2 this morning. I am not overweight in any way however over the past few years started to get weight round my middle. Since low carbing this has all gone no belly and very happy.

It was just the borderline I did not understand is that borderline prediabetes to type 2.. ?

 

[elaine77]

Hi Jonty.

it's nearly always borderline type 2 with the NHS as they automatically assume most people are type 2 even when they might not be! Two fasting BG levels of over 7 mmol is diagnostic of diabetes so if you get consistent morning readings of 7 or above its actually enough to be diagnosed as diabetic.

Finding out ur pre diabetic though is good because it means you have time to turn things around before you need any meds or anything (presuming you are type 2 of course)

Also, everyone is different when it comes to tolerances. Flour is actually ALOT worse for my BG than sugar is! If I eat a wrap or something like that I am over 10mmol (hence why i don't eat them) but when I have the odd chocolate or something like that I rarely go above 9!

It depends alot on the fat content too... I ate a mars bar the other day (in rebellion, no excuses I'm afraid) and I was 9.3mmol afterwards but when I had a few chips one day at my mother in laws house (and I mean a few) I was 14.4mmol 2hrs later! That is literally how different people can be with diabetes lol


Diagnosed with GD in 2010, Completely disappeared postpartum. Re-diagnosed December 2012 with type 1.5 diabetes, age 26, BMI 22 currently controlled by only Metformin, 500mg twice a day.