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Diet and Exercise- how quick?

M

MarkLond

Member
Messages
7
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi- just diagnosed T2, BG reading of 18.2 two weeks ago, immediately started diet and daily walking. Have lost almost a stone in 2 weeks. Second reading, last Friday, was 10.2, at first visit to the DN this Wednesday reading was 9.3.
Initially nurse wanted to put me on medication- I said I'd like to see how I get on with diet/exercise so I have another appointment in 3 weeks time to see how I have got on.
How much of a drop might I reasonably expect over the next 3 weeks? Is it possible that diet and exercise won't lower the readings enough? Also, as I'm eating very carefully and having very little carbs/sugar, what is keeping my levels high?
Sorry for all the questions...new to this!
 
Hi Mark. Tell us what you're eating and drinking and we may get a clue to your BG levels. They're coming down, which is good.
 
Those are all very "how long is a piece of string" questions really.

You can only do what you can do. What sort of eating style have you adopted?

Our bodies are extremely clever things. We have all sorts of regulating mechanisms going on every day, without even knowing it. Because our bodies work, to a large extent, a bit like a turning wheel, when something changes, or in your case, you change something, your body tries to retain the status quo. So, our livers, and other organs try to look after us by releasing glucose from our personal stores into our bloodstreams for a while.

Over time, our bodies give in to the changes and modify how they react to the new normal. How long that takes is very individual.
 
Hi- diet at moment is fat free Greek yogurt with nuts and blueberries for breakfast, cheese sandwich (wholemeal bread- 2 slices) for lunch, small vegetable based meal for dinner, eg tofu stir fry. Also have coffee at various times with skimmed milk. Might also have half a grapefruit or an orange each day.
 
You need to bring your levels down slowly, rather than a sudden fall.
 
 
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3 weeks is almost impossible to predict. You body may plateau after the initial shock to the system or it may carry on as it has over the past 2 weeks. My advice would be to take a more medium term approach and have a target in mind for 6 months ahead. I think the point to underline is the lifestyle change that you need to implement for the rest of your life rather than shock your system into losing the weight and blood sugar levels and then revert back to the bad habits of before. As someone who has done that yo-yo I can tell you that you want to avoid it for the pain it causes.
 
It's a marathon, not a sprint! As s_k_s has said its a lifestyle change and if you do it to quickly your body will react in a different way! Nice and easy does it!
 

Hi, welcome

Well done on the weight loss! You should get a meter to see what different foods do to you. I would be wary of the bread and the citrus fruit. Low fat products often have more sugar than full fat.

But have a read around and keep asking questions. You may find the links in my sig of interest.
 

Hi, hope I'm not butting in here but v good questin that I have been wondering about too, and all these answers helpful. Diagnosed a month ago with ha of 53. Now got metre and avreadings between 6'and 8. Highest is always first of the day. Not much increase after meals at all, sometimes goes lower. So does that mean I'm probably now eating the right things, just need to wait for my body to get the message for readings to go lower? Any thoughts v welcome!
 
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Possibly, maybe. (Helpful, non?) Sorry to appear to be obtuse.

Now you have a meter, you should be able to plot your scores, then see any emerging trends. Initially, this thing needs quite a bit of attention to the admin (recording your scores), as well as the action (eating and testing).

Recommended ranges are here (taken from this site), including the "after meal" scores.:



My personal targets will always be for non-diabetic levels, but I've been diagnosed a year now, and have had excellent results from my own dietary and lifestyle changes. Not everyone's body is able to achieve non-diabetic levels on their own, for a plethora of reasosns, so don't think that's an absolute must.

Do a bit more reading, testing and where necessary adjustment. You're in a long game, and seem to be making excellent progress, so don't get too stressed over it all.
 
Thanks so much, v helpful. Think id like to get to non diabetic readings if I can. Was a bit non plussed when I asked diabetic nurse what would be good to aim for and she said 53, which is what I was a month ago when diagnosed. Maybe I misunderstood, was first appointment and was a bit gobsmacked by it all! Seeing her for second appointment today so will ask her again!
 

Unfortunately, some people's expectations aren't great for diabetics. Your diagnostic score of 53 is at the lower end of the diabetic ranges (48 or greater). My numbers are in my signature, and you can see my starting point was quite a bit higher than yours.

I wasn't actually set any targets, although my circumstances at diagnosis were a bit unusual, so that may have accounted for that anomaly. Initially, I just wanted to see numbers within the T2 range, which I achieved very quickly, then, although I harboured a desire to get to non-diabetic levels, I persuaded myself my personal targets should be around developing a way of eating I could sustain, to be active, and to stay off meds, and I contracted myself to waits and see where my first re-test took me before too much more.

That's me. that's not necessarily you or anyone else, so don't necessarily adopt that as your way forward. You have to find yourself a place where you can settle physically and mentally, to just get on with the job at hand.

I'm a data monster, so I can lap up the grunt work of recording food and scores. But, I would say that's important, as that's where you gather knowledge about yourself. That someone else can eat x, y or z is all very nice, but that's for them. Your reactions to those identical circumstances could differ. Diabetes is definitely a self-help condition. If you leave your major decisions to others, you may end up in a place you never wanted to visit.
 
Your numbers, or more the lack of them, are great.

Yep,nlike you I'm keen to get to tests 3.months in and then take stock. Sustainable it has to be!

Thanks again. Have a good day.
 
Daffodils1 said:
Your numbers, or more the lack of them, are great.

Yep,nlike you I'm keen to get to tests 3.months in and then take stock. Sustainable it has to be!

Thanks again. Have a good day.
Click to expand...

You too.
 
OK, I eat full fat everything including yoghurt, no bread, pasta or rice, no cows' milk at all atm but double cream now & then, no fruit that doesn't end with -berry. We are all different in what we can tolerate but the low-carb-full-fat option may work for you too. Cheese and nuts are good, stir-fry is great but you have to be careful what goes in it. Anything pre-packed is suspect.
 
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