Diagnosed Type last week

[AndyinOrkney]

Hi folks,

Decided a month ago to ask for an NHS referral to Second Nature (low carb diet with coach, articles and a CBT approach) which I got and am down 12lb so far and loving it. (Started at 20 st). Am 58 and had a Well Man check and got results last week. V low cholesterol but HbA1c of 86. Shocked but not surprised given my size. They want to check again in 4 weeks due to changes to diet I have already made before deciding re Metformin. Still a bit shell shocked tbh but reading posts here has been encouraging.

Live in Orkney with my husband, work as a Minister in a desk based rather than local church role.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi folks,

Decided a month ago to ask for an NHS referral to Second Nature (low carb diet with coach, articles and a CBT approach) which I got and am down 12lb so far and loving it. (Started at 20 st). Am 58 and had a Well Man check and got results last week. V low cholesterol but HbA1c of 86. Shocked but not surprised given my size. They want to check again in 4 weeks due to changes to diet I have already made before deciding re Metformin. Still a bit shell shocked tbh but reading posts here has been encouraging.

Live in Orkney with my husband, work as a Minister in a desk based rather than local church role.

Hi @AndyinOrkney ,

So you started a low carb program while not yet diagnosed a T2? I'm guessing you went that route purely for weight loss then, not to treat your diabetes? Which you then entirely tackled by accident! A HbA1c, putting it very simply, measures how your blood glucose has been over the course of 3 months or thereabouts. You've made changes in that time, but the HbA1c also measured the remnants of how you ate before the dietary intervention... Your numbers might've been quite a bit higher if you'd been tested beforehand. Checking again in 4 weeks sounds sensible, I'm glad they're not immediately throwing metformin at you and calling it good... If you can keep a low carb diet up ad infinitum, you might never even need the stuff.

Congratulations on a good start, and hitting the ground running!
Jo

 

[AndyinOrkney]

Hi @AndyinOrkney ,

So you started a low carb program while not yet diagnosed a T2? I'm guessing you went that route purely for weight loss then, not to treat your diabetes? Which you then entirely tackled by accident! A HbA1c, putting it very simply, measures how your blood glucose has been over the course of 3 months or thereabouts. You've made changes in that time, but the HbA1c also measured the remnants of how you ate before the dietary intervention... Your numbers might've been quite a bit higher if you'd been tested beforehand. Checking again in 4 weeks sounds sensible, I'm glad they're not immediately throwing metformin at you and calling it good... If you can keep a low carb diet up ad infinitum, you might never even need the stuff.

Congratulations on a good start, and hitting the ground running!
Jo

Thanks! Yes referred myself to Second Nature for weight loss and figured it was about time I had a health check. So the diabetes diagnosis sure improves the desire to eat fewer carbs. I’ve been away in London and back home tomorrow and will pick up a blood testing kit at Boots.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Thanks! Yes referred myself to Second Nature for weight loss and figured it was about time I had a health check. So the diabetes diagnosis sure improves the desire to eat fewer carbs. I’ve been away in London and back home tomorrow and will pick up a blood testing kit at Boots.

Hope you had a good time in London! I know I usually do... Contrary to my usual, I don't skip breakfast there, but lunch. Just have a massive full English at the hotel in the morning, and it'll keep me going until dinner. Low carbing -even when on the road- really is quite doable, which I hope it something you'll find to be true for yourself as well. I hope you'll be pleased with whatever the glucose meter tells you! (I think you will be)
Jo