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Crying

C

CazzaW

Active Member
Messages
31
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
My Hba1c was 47 at the last test. A new test taken this week is 59 despite me being on the Newcastle diet for three weeks and losing over a stone. I’m already on 2000mg metformin a day and hoped to reduce that rather than the doctor now lecturing me and saying I’m not trying hard enough.
What have I have done wrong please? I’m in tears here
 
I’m having a 200-calorie shake for breakfast and for lunch, then a small meal (chicken or fish with some veg) for dinner. My bloods are always 4-6 and I’ve had no potatoes, bread, rice, pasta for alcohol for three weeks now. I’ve been using Prof Taylor’s book and using the recommended meal replacements.
 
What is the carb content of the shake? I once bought the SlimFast shake without reading the label - I thought 230 calories per shake - awesome! But in the end I couldn't have any of it because just one portion has 38g of carbs. So, if I had them twice a day, that's 76g of carbs just from these shakes!
 
I was using Slimfast so maybe that’s the problem? I’ve decided to switch to Exante but I’ll check that too. That’s the one Prof Taylor put his patients on. Thank you.
 
Hi, @CazzaW . The HbA1c is an indicator of your blood glucose levels for the last 2 or 3 months. If you have only been using the Newcastle diet for the last 3 weeks, the HbA1c will not be a good assessment of the effects of that last 3weeks. If your recent daily testing is showing readings of 4 -6, that suggests that whatever you were doing prior to this is the reason for the raised HbA1c. How long ago was the HbA1c of 47? And what was your diet before Newcastle diet?
Your weight loss is to be applauded. Your doctor should not be telling you you are not trying.
 
The HbA1c is an average of the past 3 months... These past 3 weeks make a dent, most likely, so odds are you were higher before that. Also, it's entirely dependent on the carbs in the shakes too... Calories are nice and all, but they make no difference in blood glucose: carbs do. So you want to check the content of the shakes. Maybe have a read here too: https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html (my own little quick-start-guide).

All in all, do NOT let ANYBODY get you down. It's your health, you're trying your best to get this thing licked, and no-one gets to judge you. Especially not someone who hasn't walked so much as an inch in your shoes. Being a T2 is hard. And while there are sort-of fixes, they're not going to show up in your bloods practically overnight. They can't ask the impossible of you. You keep at it, ask questions when you have them, and do NOT give up. You can do this, you ARE doing this, and they don't get to sit in judgement. They just don't.
HUGS,
Jo, PO on your behalf.
 
First of all, don't cry. Diabetes is a long-term thing and you need to be patient.

Secondly, you have been on the diet only for 3 weeks. It is great that you have lost weight. However, the HbA1c reflects sugar levels over the past 2-3 months i.e. from before you started the diet. It could be that your sugar levels were higher before you started the diet and this is being shown in the HbA1c.

I would suggest you don't become too disheartened, but instead carry on with the diet and get the HbA1c tested again after a couple of months.
 
Thanks everyone, you’ve made me feel much better and I won’t give up. Yes the Slimfast shakes have 38g carbs each, but the Exante 16 so I’ll switch right away. My ultra skinny doctor can do one, I’m determined to reduce or one day stop taking my meds, rather than being forced on to more. You’re all awesome x
 
You could just switch to low carb foods rather than shakes, you'd end up even lower. Besides, you'd have to after the diet ends, to maintain good blood sugars. Would just have to spend more time in the kitchen again. (I'm doing 20 grams of carbs or less per day, myself, of real food, not processed stuff for the most part. But that's not for everyone. )
 
Yes that’s the long term plan. I’m a teacher so a quick shake works for lunch. I know it’s working as I’m losing weight and my daily blood tests are all good.
 
CazzaW said:
Yes that’s the long term plan. I’m a teacher so a quick shake works for lunch. I know it’s working as I’m losing weight and my daily blood tests are all good.
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Then keep that in mind... You're making progress, and good progress at that. No-one can argue with a meter and the scales. Yay, you!
 
@CazzaW, I have used Lipotrim meal replacements, which included weekly monitoring at pharmacy of weight, blood glucose and ketone levels. Also used Shake that Weight products. Great success with both, and they give daily carb content of 50 - 60g.
Best of luck if you decide to continue with meal replacements, but remember this isjust the start of the Newcastle plan. You need to have a follow on plan for after the calorie restriction phase, and I would recommend Low Carb, as has already been mentioned.
Best of luck with it all.
 

So rather than say 'Well done, you've lost a stone in THREE weeks', he's telling you off! I despair sometimes, very well done to you, that truly is a fab achievement in such a short space of time. x
 
KK123 said:
So rather than say 'Well done, you've lost a stone in THREE weeks', he's telling you off! I despair sometimes, very well done to you, that truly is a fab achievement in such a short space of time. x
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I know! And thank you! Changing GPs and in stubborn mode now to prove him wrong!
 
@CazzaW

Nothing to add other than to express my disbelief at your doctor and to reiterate what others have said about your diet for the past three weeks not having a major impact on your HbA1c due to more than two months being on your previous diet. Don't despair. If your day-to-day personal readings are within acceptable limits, then an HbA1c in two months' time will reflect that.
 
My two pennyworth. I think you are doing amazingly well. I would have had to sit on my hands sharpish, to avoid poking the doctor in the eye.
 
xfieldok said:
My two pennyworth. I think you are doing amazingly well. I would have had to sit on my hands sharpish, to avoid poking the doctor in the eye.
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Haha! He’s a cold fish and it’s given me the necessary kick up the bum to change surgeries.
 
Good for you. If you are testing your glucose levels with a meter, download the mysugr app to track. Record your food, carbs and readings. After a few days it will give you an estimated hba1c reading. Highly motivating.
 
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