Concerns and Hello

WillUK said:

Good morning all,
My name is Will, i'm 27 in the UK. I suffer from Health Anxiety and have done particularly around Diabetes for many years.

I recently had a lot of concern I might be developing the condition (in July) and so asked to speak to my Doctor who let me have an HBA1c test performed. I've had these several times over the years and have always been told the results were "normal" though I forget the specific numbers. The test in July came back as 36 or 5.4%. At the time, the Dr told me this was nothing concerning, though losing weight would be a good idea (i've struggled with weight loss for all of my 20's). I was over 18 stone at the time this test was done, I have since lost weight (2 stone total as of today!).

Last night I had another anxiety attack about the condition again. Looking up on the internet suggested that although in the UK we use 6.0% as a marker for diagnosing Prediabetes, it seems in other countries it can be lower (5.7 in the US, some places even say 5.5). This caused me to have a full blown panic, as it made me feel I could well actually be prediabetic (or at least VERY close). I know it's a complex condition which is why these numbers vary and I know i've not had a concrete diagnosis but any help would be appreciated.

I don't have any close family members with type 2 (my grandmother does, but only developed it in her 80's, that's it) and am white and relatively young (though obviously still Obese, though hopefully not for long...). I went to the surgery today to collect meds and asked for a printout from those results and noticed the Dr had written on it "Review patient's personal risk and treat as 'high diabetes risk' as clinically indicated". This has got me more worried, as the Dr didn't mention this at all, but seems to confirm my worry that I am very close to prediabetic and it could happen any time.

My main question is this, should I just keep trying to lose weight as I am (which involves LOWER carbs but still having them, for example small amounts of potatoes, rice, etc) or should I immediately switch to low/null carb? I am going to talk to the doctors on monday but I know i'm going to be terribly anxious all weekend. Is it worth getting another HBA1c soon? Will my weight loss have helped with that?

Thanks everyone in advance

Click to expand...

Hi Will, and welcome,

Where to start? Your doc probably listed you as being "at risk" for diabetes because of your gran. I got it passed down through mine on my dad's side, and remain the only (blood-) relative to be blessed like that. We have a big family, as Roman Catholic families in Tilburg, The Netherlands, bred like rabbits back in the 50's, but like I said... It's just me. So while technically you are more at risk of T2, that doesn't mean you're doomed from the get-go, alright? Your numbers so far look quite good, so no concern there.

What I am concerned about is your weight and the method you're using to drop it. I don't know what you consider overweight (I was morbidly obese with a shocking BMI, but with no info on your height, I have no idea whether you're a bit heavy or downright rotund, like I was). So just want to make sure your anxiety isn't leading you towards an eating disorder. Just checking, to make sure. If you are thoroughly overweight, cutting back on carbs can/will reduce possible other issues you might have that can be weight related (I know I had a hard time walking, stuff like that), high blood pressure and whatnot, but you don't mention any of that, so... For now, I can tell you that we're not allowed to diagnose people on here, but your blood glucose sounds fine. Now, if you want to tackle your weight (I know you have to be really tall to not be considered overweight with the numbers you mention), going properly low carb certainly can help. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/the-nutritional-thingy.2330/ is geared to T2's, but it would help with your weight as well. Just skip the bits about the glucose measuring, as those don't apply. And if T2 is in your genes, it could well keep it from developing. Just don't go overboard. It's a lifestyle more than a diet, so it is easy to have low carbing take over your life if you're not careful. It can be a bit of a rabbit hole for those who suffer from anxiety. (Said the lass with generalised and social anxiety. I have too many conditions to have another check mark bother me much, strangely enough, so no health anxiety.). So anyway... Take it easy. Keep things sensible. And whether you're prediabetic or not according to various countries' benchmarks, feel free to ask on here about diet if you get stuck somehow, alright? We might be able to help.

As for a repeat of the HbA1c, it is a bit soon to have another one, but you could ask for one for your peace of mind. Then have one once every year, or once every two years, just to check and again, keep peace of mind going.

Good luck,
Jo

WillUK said:

Jo, thanks for getting back to me, it helps a lot. as for your questions;

I'm currently 226lbs and I am 6 foot tall. I was 254lbs in July. So my BMI was nearing 35 while now it is closing on 30 and I hope to pass below 30 soon. My diet is sort of a "slimming world" type diet, though I know that's often not considered sensible due to the carbs. But that's what I meant when I said i've been doing that but trying to have lower carbs as well. I am rarely having actual sugar either, so I am trying to restrict overall calories and snacking while also having fewer carbs.

I'm feeling very anxious at the moment, I just don't know how to react really. I've got a phone consult with the Dr on Monday who will hopefully be able to help.

Click to expand...

Okay, first off, breathe. You're mixing opposing diets, which is rarely a good idea. Slimming World has a decent track record for weight loss in people who don't have a metabolic condition, but keep in mind that a lot of people who follow it, regain the weight fairly quickly, regardless of whether they have a metabolic condition or not. With SW there seems to be a balance between having carbs and cutting fats, while with low carb, you cut carbs, keep protein moderate and fats relatively high... So that can clash some if you chuck those diets in a blender together, and might come up with disappointing results, malnutrition or yoyo-ing. So what's next? Pick one and stick with it for a while, see what it gets you. SW isn't good for diabetics, pre or full blown ones, but you aren't one, and may never be one. Low carb/high fat, carnivore and keto are good for T2's or people trying to avoid becoming one, and for weight loss and health improvement in general, so I know which one I'd go with (especially after seeing my aunt drop weight and gain it back double for the past 20 years on WW/SW and similar programs, which has done her health little good), but it's entirely up to you. So do your research before you dive in with both feet. Check out Dr. Jason Fung, the dietdoctor.com website, Dr. Ken Berry, Eric Berg and the like on youtube. No need to buy into any expensive programs or anything, just gather some info. Experiment, and see what it gets you.

Your highest BMI is just about what mine was, once upon a time. I was over 35 when I quit weighing myself in tears. I probably got heavier for a while before it got better, but I couldn't face the scales any more. I'm 25,-and-a-bit now, off the top of my head. Slightly overweight, all in all. No longer morbidly obese. I managed that by cutting carbs, going progressively from LCHF to keto, and then to carnivore, though I choose to believe extra dark chocolate fits into that diet. The diets I tried were all related to one another and were just another step on the ladder, rather than wildly conflicting philosophies. Find what works for you, physically AND mentally. You don't have to have all the answers before you speak to your doc, there's no pressure to get everything right overnight. Just... Try and find what fits you.

WillUK said:

Thanks for all the tips. I'm going to talk with my wife about maybe trying to move over to a LC/HF diet but I am worried how difficult it will be, i'm quite a picky eater and she is mainly the cook so I don't want to make more work for her

I will talk to my Dr on Monday, see what he thinks and look at getting another test to see what my HBA1C is now having lost 2 stone. That will give me a bit of a better idea of what I need to do I think.

Click to expand...

Picky eaters, food intolerances, not being able to tolerate certain textures... There's lots of reasons why getting on a dietary program that works for you can get complicated, and why some stuff you have to buy into just doesn't work, because it doesn't suit you. I can't cook to save my life. So I keep things really simple. Taking a day out of my keto diet years as an example: Three eggs with bacon and cheese in the morning, a green salad with tuna, salmon or warmed goat's cheese for lunch, (and mayo or olive oil as dressing) and in the evening I'd have cauliflower rice or broccoli rice with whatever herbs and spices I fancied, with more bacon and cheese to bulk it up, as well as some meat, fish or poultry. It was so simple, a kid could do it. This can be as easy or as hard as you want to make it. Some people come on here and list the things they can't abide, and everything they do enjoy (but often think is of the menu). It's a puzzle sometimes, but one worth getting into if one's health is at stake. Like I said, this is a lifestyle, not a diet.... And it's not going to be for life, if you hate what you're eating or it doesn't fit with your needs at all. If I had to eat some of the stuff others here have daily, I would've fallen off the wagon ages ago, as it might trigger migraines or rheumatism flares for me, for instance. It's a very personal thing and it takes time to figure out. That's why I said we could help if you run into any problems: we've done that before, we can do it again if you want us to. So give a shout if and when you want to, eh. Think about it, talk to your wife, and see what you can make work. Mind you, my husband has a very fast metabolism and he can and will eat anything.... He eats the same things I do though, except that I have more meat, fish and poultry, and I make spuds and veggies for him. I don't have to cook two different meals, I just add some spuds to his version of my meal, basically.

Let it sink in, take it easy, talk things over... Go from there.
Good luck!
Jo

I feel your anxiety, I really do.
Would it put your mind at rest if I told you that your HbA1c is probably as good as most the non-diabetic population.


You can also see how rare it is to have a HbA1c under 30.
Take a deep breath & realise you are normal.

Good luck

WillUK said:

Thanks for the help everyone. It does help to know that my HbA1C is probably not TOO bad right now, and the fact it's nearly the same as two years ago does help too. I am looking to get another one done soon and hopefully it will show lower (or the same) due to my weight loss and that can help with my worries.

I will definitely be looking to try and lower carbs further though anyway, it can only help with weight loss and if my body is becoming insulin resistant at least it can slow it. Thanks everyone for the help

Click to expand...

My view FWIW, is you’re right to be concerned, but not alarmed! I say concerned just because such a large number of adults >40 are either prediabetic or diabetic these days (up to 1 in 3), many don’t even realise it. You’re young still so plenty of time to modify your lifestyle in ways that reduce your risk.

What would I do in your shoes? Take positive action, that will help reduce your anxiety/stress. Reduce your carb intake by reducing portion sizes of things like pasta, rice, potatoes, breakfast cereal etc. There’s loads of food lists out there showing the ones which are high carb, take a look & see where you can cut back. You don’t need to cut them out altogether, just reduce, that’ll help with the weight & reduce the load on your pancreas.

Finally, if you don’t already, more exercise, 30 minutes a day for at least 4-5 days a week. It could just be a walk if necessary. Again great for dealing with anxiety & improving positivity. Also burns off any excess sugar floating around.

Good luck & try not to worry too much, you’ll be fine.

WillUK said:

Good morning all,
My name is Will, i'm 27 in the UK. I suffer from Health Anxiety and have done particularly around Diabetes for many years.

I recently had a lot of concern I might be developing the condition (in July) and so asked to speak to my Doctor who let me have an HBA1c test performed. I've had these several times over the years and have always been told the results were "normal" though I forget the specific numbers. The test in July came back as 36 or 5.4%. At the time, the Dr told me this was nothing concerning, though losing weight would be a good idea (i've struggled with weight loss for all of my 20's). I was over 18 stone at the time this test was done, I have since lost weight (2 stone total as of today!).

Last night I had another anxiety attack about the condition again. Looking up on the internet suggested that although in the UK we use 6.0% as a marker for diagnosing Prediabetes, it seems in other countries it can be lower (5.7 in the US, some places even say 5.5). This caused me to have a full blown panic, as it made me feel I could well actually be prediabetic (or at least VERY close). I know it's a complex condition which is why these numbers vary and I know i've not had a concrete diagnosis but any help would be appreciated.

I don't have any close family members with type 2 (my grandmother does, but only developed it in her 80's, that's it) and am white and relatively young (though obviously still Obese, though hopefully not for long...). I went to the surgery today to collect meds and asked for a printout from those results and noticed the Dr had written on it "Review patient's personal risk and treat as 'high diabetes risk' as clinically indicated". This has got me more worried, as the Dr didn't mention this at all, but seems to confirm my worry that I am very close to prediabetic and it could happen any time.

My main question is this, should I just keep trying to lose weight as I am (which involves LOWER carbs but still having them, for example small amounts of potatoes, rice, etc) or should I immediately switch to low/null carb? I am going to talk to the doctors on monday but I know i'm going to be terribly anxious all weekend. Is it worth getting another HBA1c soon? Will my weight loss have helped with that?

Thanks everyone in advance

Click to expand...

Getting stuck in a worry loop is just the pits. Gets you nowhere, makes you miserable, and believe me, I know. But here's the good news for the day: the antidote to worry is having a plan to address the problem, having the resources to execute it, and doing that successfully. And by making such good progress already to improve your metabolic health, you are doing just that. I doubt whether you need more tests to tell you how you're doing. How you feel day to day, and how you preform at work and at play, what your waist measurement is, and how your clothes fit you will tell you all you need to know about that. Your job is to keep putting in the work, not to worry about it - work is hard, but worry is useless. And here's something else: maybe dialling back a bit more on the refined carbs, switching up your fitness regime and watching that deliver more progress for you might help your mental well-being as well. Good metabolic health - getting off that sugar roller-coaster - tends to help with mood stability and management of anxiety. You have a great chance here to set your course for excellent health into the future. Your job is to get to work on your nutrition and your fitness to make that happen. I think that's the thing to address, not the anxiety. Do the work to get yourself fit and well and the the painful anxiety should look after itself. .
Good luck.