World Hereafter
Well-Known Member
Just had my first 3-month review...
HbA1C down from 8.4 (at diagnosis Nov 2012), now 7.0
Lost just over a stone in weight.
Cholesterol is 5.8, was 5.3 two years ago, so that needs some attention.
HDL has gone up to 1.3 (was 1.0), LDL is up though too unfortunately, at 3.75 (ouch!) and Trigs 1.7 (gone down a lot!).
My (new) Diabetes/Practice Nurse was pleased with my progress and wanted to know what Id been eating and doing to get the levels down. I went through my food diary with her (record of daily Carbs, Sugars and Cals of everything I eat/drink). I also showed her the phone app I use, "On Track" (which is great!), showing her the CLEAR link between my total daily Carbs intake and my BG levels over past 90 days - the graphs of each show at a glance how my BG levels directly reflect the amount of carbs I eat on a day to day basis. She was very interested and seemed a bit surprised at how the graphs are so clearly linked.
I mentioned the Desmond and NHS dietary advice, and how it seemed to be pushing T2's onto a diet which in reality could be 'suicidal' for many T2s (my words) ... she seemed to try to let me know that she agreed, yet was being very careful how she worded her response! As I was leaving, she said she'd also "drastically reduced the carbs" some years ago, and "cut out bread altogether". I think that was her way of letting me know I am doing the right thing, without breaching any NHS protocols or guidelines.
I'm being allowed to continue on diet/weight for the time being, no meds, plus a limited supply of strips on prescription to allow me to continue self-monitoring and assessing which foods are ok/not etc.
I will now be sticking to the eating plan I've followed the past 3 months... i.e. not the 'full-fat' Low Carb diet as quite a few recommend (am wary of increasing my LDL/Trig levels... plus I need to lose a few stone), but my 'trial & error' or "Sort Of" LCHF diet, as follows -
under 150g Carbs (that's maximum limit or my BG's spike up v.high.. .I do try to stay under 130g per day)
under 1500 Calories
for fats I can't quite get my head around going FULL Fat, so I'm mostly using:
Full fat plain/Greek Yoghurt and Soft Cheeses.
Reduced or half-fat Hard Cheeses and half-fat Creme Fraiche.
Butter only as an occasional treat, mostly use Olive Oil, or Olive Spread.
and I eat 30g Almonds/Walnuts every day.
Many thanks to the folks on this forum all the really useful and invaluable advice and info.. especially re: carbs and self testing ... :thumbup: without this forum I would have certainly ended up with an HbA1C at the same level or even higher than at diagnosis, because I'd have just accepted the NHS/DESMOND advice to eat "plenty of wholegrains/starchy carbs at each meal" ("30% of plate" we were told on the Desmond course!). Ironically, this is EXACTLY how I'd been eating for the past 10 years anyway.. lots of lovely "healthy low Gi" foods, yet I STILL ended up Diabetic AND gained weight!).
You live and you learn!
HbA1C down from 8.4 (at diagnosis Nov 2012), now 7.0
Lost just over a stone in weight.
Cholesterol is 5.8, was 5.3 two years ago, so that needs some attention.
HDL has gone up to 1.3 (was 1.0), LDL is up though too unfortunately, at 3.75 (ouch!) and Trigs 1.7 (gone down a lot!).
My (new) Diabetes/Practice Nurse was pleased with my progress and wanted to know what Id been eating and doing to get the levels down. I went through my food diary with her (record of daily Carbs, Sugars and Cals of everything I eat/drink). I also showed her the phone app I use, "On Track" (which is great!), showing her the CLEAR link between my total daily Carbs intake and my BG levels over past 90 days - the graphs of each show at a glance how my BG levels directly reflect the amount of carbs I eat on a day to day basis. She was very interested and seemed a bit surprised at how the graphs are so clearly linked.
I mentioned the Desmond and NHS dietary advice, and how it seemed to be pushing T2's onto a diet which in reality could be 'suicidal' for many T2s (my words) ... she seemed to try to let me know that she agreed, yet was being very careful how she worded her response! As I was leaving, she said she'd also "drastically reduced the carbs" some years ago, and "cut out bread altogether". I think that was her way of letting me know I am doing the right thing, without breaching any NHS protocols or guidelines.
I'm being allowed to continue on diet/weight for the time being, no meds, plus a limited supply of strips on prescription to allow me to continue self-monitoring and assessing which foods are ok/not etc.
I will now be sticking to the eating plan I've followed the past 3 months... i.e. not the 'full-fat' Low Carb diet as quite a few recommend (am wary of increasing my LDL/Trig levels... plus I need to lose a few stone), but my 'trial & error' or "Sort Of" LCHF diet, as follows -
under 150g Carbs (that's maximum limit or my BG's spike up v.high.. .I do try to stay under 130g per day)
under 1500 Calories
for fats I can't quite get my head around going FULL Fat, so I'm mostly using:
Full fat plain/Greek Yoghurt and Soft Cheeses.
Reduced or half-fat Hard Cheeses and half-fat Creme Fraiche.
Butter only as an occasional treat, mostly use Olive Oil, or Olive Spread.
and I eat 30g Almonds/Walnuts every day.
Many thanks to the folks on this forum all the really useful and invaluable advice and info.. especially re: carbs and self testing ... :thumbup: without this forum I would have certainly ended up with an HbA1C at the same level or even higher than at diagnosis, because I'd have just accepted the NHS/DESMOND advice to eat "plenty of wholegrains/starchy carbs at each meal" ("30% of plate" we were told on the Desmond course!). Ironically, this is EXACTLY how I'd been eating for the past 10 years anyway.. lots of lovely "healthy low Gi" foods, yet I STILL ended up Diabetic AND gained weight!).
You live and you learn!