May 3rd 2012 - my 30th wedding anniversary and a day for celebrating until I got the call that no one wants, the Diabetes Nurse, telling me that my HBA1c results were back and at 58 or 7.5 in old dosh, not looking good, nor indeed was my cholesterol profile - I was very upset as you can imagine and I told her that I didn't have diabetes and wasn't going to get it and I didn't want any medications either. Very magnanimously she told me that she would give me 6 months to make some lifestyle changes and I would be re-tested in December.
I was cast adrift (fortunately for me) without any information as to what to do, or even what lifestyle changes to make.
I was 19st 4lbs,I was on meds for high bp and a committed white wine drinker, who had by and large maintained a low fat diet for the previous 25 years - what to do ?
By June I had found this forum and I want to thank, from the bottom of my heart, the following members although some are no longer here, Paul1978, Borofergie, Defren, Lucylocket, xxyzz, Librarising, Cobra, Pheonix, Fraddycat and WhitbyJet, through whose generous encouragement, support, personal stories and information bank I have learned, questioned and resolved so much more than I would have believed possible.
My first step and which was the key to freedom was the purchase of a bg meter.
I tested everything I ate until I learned what did and didn't affect my levels returning to 'normal' within the 2 hour slot.
It wasn't easy to bypass bread, pasta, rice, couscous, white wine, low fat yoghurt, loads of fresh fruit and veg not to mention wine gums and fruit pastilles (allergy to choccy things) and begin to eat things I had been brainwashed to believe were bad for me, eggs, butter, cream, beef dripping, any saturated fats, heaps of meaty goodness.
In fact when I began it was hard to look at a plate with 5 rashers of fried streaky bacon, fried egg and a few fried mushrooms and believe that I would
a) be full
b)lose weight
c) not affect my bg
Well I was full and the rest followed automatically.
For those with an interest in the numerical what follows is a then and now
April 2012
Cholesterol 6.3
Triglyceride 3.6
HDL 1.04
LDL 3.6
Chol/ HDL Ratio 6.1
Amlodipene 10mg
Losartin 100mg
Bendroflumethazide 2.5mg
Weight 19st 4lbs
HBA1c 56 ( 7.5)
December 2012
Cholesterol 6.7
Triglyceride 1.3
HDL 1.22
LDL 4.9
Cholesterol HDH Ratio 5.5
Amlodipene Nil
Losartin Nil
Bendroflumethazide Nil
HBA1c 36 (5.4)
If I cared about cholesterol (which having read Dr Kendrick - I don't) I would say that its changes have certainly echoed my dietary changes and about that - I'm happy
I wanted to add one very important point here, for those who still believe calories in equal calories out - I have never in the last eight months exercised, I don't walk (I have a bad knee) if I can't park close - I don't go has been my motto for many years
Not something I'd recommend to anyone else, its my own foible and one I hope to leave behind when my knee has about 4 stones less in weight to carry.
So to all of you here who have so generously contributed your time, your belief, pointers to information resources I thank you - if this account or any other small contribution that I have made along the way changes someone life as mine has changed then isn't life GREAT
I was cast adrift (fortunately for me) without any information as to what to do, or even what lifestyle changes to make.
I was 19st 4lbs,I was on meds for high bp and a committed white wine drinker, who had by and large maintained a low fat diet for the previous 25 years - what to do ?
By June I had found this forum and I want to thank, from the bottom of my heart, the following members although some are no longer here, Paul1978, Borofergie, Defren, Lucylocket, xxyzz, Librarising, Cobra, Pheonix, Fraddycat and WhitbyJet, through whose generous encouragement, support, personal stories and information bank I have learned, questioned and resolved so much more than I would have believed possible.
My first step and which was the key to freedom was the purchase of a bg meter.
I tested everything I ate until I learned what did and didn't affect my levels returning to 'normal' within the 2 hour slot.
It wasn't easy to bypass bread, pasta, rice, couscous, white wine, low fat yoghurt, loads of fresh fruit and veg not to mention wine gums and fruit pastilles (allergy to choccy things) and begin to eat things I had been brainwashed to believe were bad for me, eggs, butter, cream, beef dripping, any saturated fats, heaps of meaty goodness.
In fact when I began it was hard to look at a plate with 5 rashers of fried streaky bacon, fried egg and a few fried mushrooms and believe that I would
a) be full
b)lose weight
c) not affect my bg
Well I was full and the rest followed automatically.
For those with an interest in the numerical what follows is a then and now
April 2012
Cholesterol 6.3
Triglyceride 3.6
HDL 1.04
LDL 3.6
Chol/ HDL Ratio 6.1
Amlodipene 10mg
Losartin 100mg
Bendroflumethazide 2.5mg
Weight 19st 4lbs
HBA1c 56 ( 7.5)
December 2012
Cholesterol 6.7
Triglyceride 1.3
HDL 1.22
LDL 4.9
Cholesterol HDH Ratio 5.5
Amlodipene Nil
Losartin Nil
Bendroflumethazide Nil
HBA1c 36 (5.4)
If I cared about cholesterol (which having read Dr Kendrick - I don't) I would say that its changes have certainly echoed my dietary changes and about that - I'm happy
I wanted to add one very important point here, for those who still believe calories in equal calories out - I have never in the last eight months exercised, I don't walk (I have a bad knee) if I can't park close - I don't go has been my motto for many years
Not something I'd recommend to anyone else, its my own foible and one I hope to leave behind when my knee has about 4 stones less in weight to carry.
So to all of you here who have so generously contributed your time, your belief, pointers to information resources I thank you - if this account or any other small contribution that I have made along the way changes someone life as mine has changed then isn't life GREAT
