I didnt see it coming (Type 2)

Jim W said:

On my first interview with my local doctor I told her I was going to bring my blood sugar levels to a normal level but was told blatantly she does not know of anyone yet who has ever done this .

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Many T2's on these forums have done a very good job of bringing their numbers into a non-diabetic range using diet changes - though in most cases ignoring the recommended diet suggested by the NHS - those who have succeeded have generally gone onto a low carb high fat diet (so that means cutting out(or down on) not just the obvious sugars but anything with carbs - bread, pasta rice, potatoes etc have lots of carbs).
I'm sure some of the T2's will be along shortly to give more useful advice

Hi Jim and welcome to the forum.
Your Dr is plain wrong! I was diagnosed in May ‘17 with an HbA1c of 70 (or 8.6% in the units you’ve quoted). I take Metformin and eat a low carbohydrate diet. This bought my levels to non diabetic in the space of four months. I have maintained non diabetic levels ever since and have lost six and a half stone effortlessly. Here is a link to useful info for beginners:
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.17088/
Have a read and ask any questions that occur to you.

Your GP should do more reading.
I already knew about low carb, having tried it before but then slipped back into eating my favourite junk food, so I declined metformin and went straight for a low carb lifestyle.
I started on 100g a day, then down to 85g until all my blood tests were in the normal range. As a newly diagnosed T2 the initial drop was very quick but it took a few weeks to get all the blood tests into the normal range.
That was a year ago, and I am 'in remission'. My triglycerides are down, my cholesterol is fine - eating more fat has not adversely affected them, quite the contrary.
And while unable to exercise due to other conditions I've lost 5 st.

Jim W said:

Thanks I am in the supermarket not knowing what s good for me to help get through this. Mainly what to drink I have been drinking two litres of water now for years and feel if I go out I would like something with taste but not alcohol but I am unsure what is good or bad.

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Try adding slice of cucumber plus some mint to a jug of water, or even a few raspberries?

Welcome to the forum. I am type 1 but think Rachbox's example above is awesome and pictures tell the story!
This links to the great Diet Doctor site's visual guides to dirnks (non alcoholic). There are lots of great ideas on there: https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/drinks
As you are finding food choices can be overwhelming when you are swiitching from auto pilot to a new way so my advice would be to change up 1 meal at a time and cut snacks (this is my usual suggestion to my diabetes t2 walking group anyway). Don't try and change more than 1 meal at a time until you've mastered the first one! As you have a track record of making dietary changes and losing weight it sounds possible.

It is terrific news that you can reverse out of this condition and possibly before you have shed any excess weight and if your doctor argues that it doesn't exist please mention the Virta Health trials (US low carb approach), Direct study (low cal approach) not to mention all the anecdotes on Diet Doctor and this site.

Hi @Jim W welcome to the forum. You’re doctor is incorrect as many of us T2s have demonstrated. By cutting down on carby foods such as bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, cakes, some fruits and increasing low carb foods such as meat, eggs, butter, cream, full fat Greek yoghurt etc I have managed to maintain a normal blood sugar level for 5 years. I also bought a BS monitor (@Bluetit1802 or @Rachox have a good post on these) which I used to find out what effect certain foods had on my blood sugar and I was able to decide what I could eat and what I needed to either avoid or eat in moderation. Because we are all individuals what some of us can eat others find it increases their bs levels too much and vice versa. I am relatively lucky in that I can tolerate between approx 80 - 120g carbs per day however for some T2s this is far too high so you will need to find out what level is right for you. Have a read of the forums and ask questions if you’re unsure - we’re a friendly bunch and there will always be somebody who can advise you.

Jim W said:

Hello all My name is Jim. I like the rest of everybody on this site are inflicted with this problem.I don't know much about it apart from the information the NHS gave have me to read.Its a culture lifestyle shock to the body changing nearly everything you eat and drink .
I have only been diagnosed with Type2 since April where the first blood test showed 6.8 three months later 6.7 and have been struggling with the small food changes so far . I am on oral medication of 1000mg Metformin in the morning with breakfast and another 1000mg Metformin with dinner.
I have been pre-diabetic for a few years due to my weight. I am unable to hardly walk due to my Osteoarthritis and enjoy a swim at the local pool once a week. I had been making massive changes to my diet for quite a few years by cutting out granulated sugar in coffee s and not drinking fizzy juice ,or eating rubbish and I have cut out alcohol many years ago. The diabetes came as a shock and was convinced the doctors got it wrong My weight has been coming down slowly over a number of years .On my first interview with my local doctor I told her I was going to bring my blood sugar levels to a normal level but was told blatantly she does not know of anyone yet who has ever done this .

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Hi Jim and welcome
It's a shock when you get diagnosed. Especially tough for you having suffered a heart attack at the same time. Unexpected too as you have been losing weight and eating what you thought was healthy to avoid the diagnosis. When you were pre diabetic I presume the advice your Dr gave you was similar to most of us. Sadly it doesnt work.

It is indeed possible to bring your blood sugars to a normal level. I've attached an a4 sheet of results from must a few members. This info was collated in just a few days last year for a meeting we held. There are so many more people who have done the same. Not just on this site but many others. not just in the UK but all over the world.

When I was diagnosed in December 17 the diabetic nurse wanted to put me straight on metformin. I wanted to see if I could do it with diet first. I went home and Googled 'reversing diabetes ' and a low carb way of eating seemed to be the solution so I decided that day to give it a go. It worked. My diabetic nurse told me just last month I'm now in remission. No meds. Have a look at this link to what's good and bad food wise:

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/foods

You will find so much useful info on this site too. Just have a good read and ask as many questions as you like. People are very helpful and incredibly knowledgeable.

Have a look at the success stories thread:

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/success-stories-and-testimonials.43/

Jim W said:

.On my first interview with my local doctor I told her I was going to bring my blood sugar levels to a normal level but was told blatantly she does not know of anyone yet who has ever done this .

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Hey Jim,

*waves* I'm the only one in my GP's practice who's done it, but that's because everyone in the practice gets sent on to the same dietician, who doesn't know a carb from a calorie. Seriously, it can be done, as you've seen others reply here, and many more who haven't (yet), but have all gotten their numbers down. It's a steep learning curve, but once you know how... It's easy. Give yourself a moment to learn, eh!

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/the-nutritional-thingy.2330/ is a bit of a quick start guide I wrote, but more in depth stuff can be found on this forum's website, dietdoctor.com and Dr. Jason Fung's The Diabetes Code. And of course, you can simply ask.

As for what you can drink, water's fine (sparkling or still), tea, coffee... Dash of cream or butter in there. (NO honey or sugar of course. Swerve maybe?) I don't know how you respond to artificial sweeteners -I respond badly, alas- but diet soda could be okay for you, in moderation? Trial and error. That's what a meter is good for: So you know what affects you and how.

Ask questions, we're here for ya!

Jim W said:

.On my first interview with my local doctor I told her I was going to bring my blood sugar levels to a normal level but was told blatantly she does not know of anyone yet who has ever done this .

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PS: I now fully expect a report a few months from now, about your slack-jawed doc going over your test-results. You can DO this!

Jim W said:

Thanks I am in the supermarket not knowing what s good for me to help get through this. Mainly what to drink I have been drinking two litres of water now for years and feel if I go out I would like something with taste but not alcohol but I am unsure what is good or bad.

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I drink Robinson's "No Added Sugar" squash, lemon is my favourite.

@Daphne917 tagged me because I have information on a couple of blood glucose meters. I do urge you to buy one - without one you are working blind. With one you can see instantly what any meal has done to your levels and be able to tweak that meal accordingly. If you buy one, let us know and we will advise you on how to use it to your best advantage. My meter is my best friend.

The most popular meters for self funding T2's are the Codefree and the Tee2+ because the strips are much cheaper than other meters, and you need a lot of strips. You can't buy them in pharmacies.

Try here for the Codefree meter
http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/

and here for the extra strips
http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/sd-codefree-test-strips-to-be-used-only-with-the-sd-monitor/

There are discount codes if you buy in bulk. (applied at the check out stage)
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833

The Tee2+ is here
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product-category/shop/tee2/

Don’t forget to check the box that you have diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for either meter)

As @Daphne917 says a blood glucose meter will be invaluable in learning what foods you can and can not tolerate.....
And I’ll stop there as @Bluetit1802 has beaten me to it posting meter info!

There are squashes, and fizzy drinks which are very low carb - I buy mind in Lidl and look for those without aspartame if I can find any. I take a little bottle of squash with me if going out and buy a fizzy water and add the squash. It isn't wise to trust that you get a diet drink even if you explain why.
I was fully diabetic at diagnosis and not at all diabetic when tested six months later. I am really sensitive to carbs so I am eating under 40 gm per day, but don't mind that at all.

Rachox said:

Hi Jim and welcome to the forum.
Your Dr is plain wrong! I was diagnosed in May ‘17 with an HbA1c of 70 (or 8.6% in the units you’ve quoted). I take Metformin and eat a low carbohydrate diet. This bought my levels to non diabetic in the space of four months. I have maintained non diabetic levels ever since and have lost six and a half stone effortlessly. Here is a link to useful info for beginners:
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.17088/
Have a read and ask any questions that occur to you.

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I agree. The doc is unfortunate that they haven’t met anyone who has achieved normalising BG levels. I was Hba1c if 112 and three months later at the next test it was 36. All thanks to the wonderful support here and a LCHF then keto diet. Good luck

i was dx t2 @ 6.8% mmol/l march 15
jun 15 - a1c 5.1% totally non diabetic range,

so it can be done - all lc diet plus intermittent fasting - no meds