Fundamental Question: Do I have Diabetes?

[Mr_Pot]

did you know 1 potato is equivalent to approx 1 cup of sugar!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yes really....

Only if the potato weighs about 2.5 lbs

 

[Mr_Pot]

I am not sure it makes much difference where the cutoff point is set between pre-diabetic and diabetic, it is bound to be arbitrary on a continuous HbA1c scale. When it was assumed that diabetes was progressive maybe the cutoff point was thought to be the point of no return but by changing their diet people now move up and down the scale. If I have an HbA1c of 50 then I am a diabetic, if 6 months later I have an HbA1c of 46 I am still diabetic but with control but if I hadn't had the previous test I would be regarded as pre-diabetic.

 

[Alexandra100]

I had started a thread a bit ago as to just how strict do we need to be in our number ranges

That sounds a very interesting thread. Could you give us a link, or the title, please?

 

[lindijanice]

That sounds a very interesting thread. Could you give us a link, or the title, please?

It is on pg 11 Ask a Question, "How tight does our control really need to be?" Jan 17/18 I have been pondering this for a long time....L

 

[LittleGreyCat]

Hi Alexandra,

Thank you for your reply and data. My main concern is being unnecessarily on Metformin (which I have stopped taking) and ensuring that I eat a balanced and healthy diet that does not adversely affect my health.

I have attached my Glucose results for today; please bear in mind that I am experimenting and what I am currently eating does not necessarily represent my usual diet. I was on a ketogenic diet up until about three weeks ago.

My intake for today was:
07h33 Two fried eggs and 1.5 fried potatoes
10h15 One 40g packet of crisps
12h40 Homemade Chilli con Carne and half a baked potato
15h20 Half a bowl of Homemade Chicken, Lentil and Chorizo soup

I would be interested in your opinion.

Kind regards
Kate

Looking at your timings and the results in the .png file.

10:30 you were just below 6 and your BG was dropping. Let us take this as the time of your 40g packet of crisps.
The aim is to not rise more than 2 full points, and be back to where you were within 2 hours.
You peaked at over 9 by 12.02, so this is a higher peak than a normal insulin response.
At 12.27 you were still above 7, again this is higher than expected from a normal insulin response 2 hours after eating.
You then had a chili with a baked potato (and presumably some red kidney beans).
It was 15.23 before your BG was down below 5 again. That is 3 hours after the meal. Not a normal insulin response.
Crisps are not a good guide because the oil coating slows the glucose hit, however you would expect a delayed spike of not more than 2 units.

With the usual caveats, from the results you have posted you look to be at least pre-diabetic. That is, you don't appear to show a non-diabetic insulin response.

From other things that you have posted it looks as though you are matching many diabetics on this forum by maintaining near normal BG and HbA1c levels by low carbohydrate diet control.

Remember that good BG and HbA1c results mean that either you are not diabetic OR that you are a well controlled diabetic. I would guess that you are the latter.

I am not sure why you want to stop Metformin because there are many reported benefits so unless you feel that you are suffering from major side effects I would seriously consider keeping taking it.

It is a valid strategy to come off Metformin for 6 months and see what effect that has on your BG control.

It is a valid strategy to increase carbohydrates to see what that effect that has on your BG control.

Doing both at once leaves you not knowing which has made a difference, and if both how much each has contributed.

I am not a diagnostician so this is only my opinion, but I think you probably have at least pre-diabetes but you have been controlling it well.

By all means try out different carbohydrates to see how well you tolerate them, but be very wary about thinking that your diagnosis was wrong. This smacks of wishful thinking.

I will say that you don't seem to be obviously LADA, so I'm not sure where that diagnosis came from unless you had a C-peptide test or similar.
Edit: which you say up thread that you didn't.

 

[Alexandra100]

I am not sure why you want to stop Metformin because there are many reported benefits so unless you feel that you are suffering from major side effects I would seriously consider keeping taking it.

I agree with this. It is an irony of fate that many on this Forum have made it an aim to get/keep off Metformin, perhaps against the wishes of their doctors, whereas I would love to be on it but can't get it.

 

[Brunneria]

I agree with this. It is an irony of fate that many on this Forum have made it an aim to get/keep off Metformin, perhaps against the wishes of their doctors, whereas I would love to be on it but can't get it.

That makes 2 of us.

 

[JohnEGreen]

I after discussing it with my doctor persuaded him to put me back on it (metformin) because I thought even though I am in remission I would benefit from it.

 

[CherryAA]

I looked into the action of metformin and why its considered to be helpful for heart disease . The conclusion I came to was that it seemed that metformin has a similar effect to low carb in terms of changes to lipid profiles and blood sugars As such metformin appeared to me to be very useful for those eating carbs but if carbs are already being restricted then it isnt adding much further . That seems to be why it can be very useful initially but it doesn't necessarily help much once blood glucose has been brought under control.

 

[Daphne917]

Kate, oh dear,

did you know 1 potato is equivalent to approx 1 cup of sugar!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yes really....

One should not eat bread potatoes pasta or rice if wanting to try and control their blood sugars.

substitute these for example

bread, I make own seed crackers with sunflower sesame chia and flax
rice, I grate caulifour
bread, I eat moderate pumpkin portions
pasta, i spiralize courgette/zuchinni and use zuchinni for lasagna

yum yum much more healthy eating, to have fried potatoes, oh my goodness not good!!!!!! packet of crisps even worse I am affraid to say, this is very unhealthy style of eating.

Mallorca

I can eat bread, potatoes, pasta (although tend to use courgettes as courgetti or substitute lasagne) and rice albeit in small portions and have managed to maintain an hba1c of between 34 and 38 for the last 4 years. I even had pizza last night and was at 6.00 after 3.5 hours! I can eat most things in moderation but appreciate that many cannot. We are all individuals and what one can eat another cannot and vice versa that’s why I consider sweeping statements like ‘you cannot eat this or that’ are wrong.