Instant success

[Maryannonsilk]

I'm still a little stunned!! I was diagnosed as Type 2 in April 2011 and was confused as I am only about 4 kilos more than I should be, am very active re gym and yoga and very health conscious .... oh well tough luck and I resolved to be more pro active ... my diagnosis was made in South Africa and I was given what my doctor called an AbH1 reading of 7.7 ... with daily workouts and even stricter dietary control and a prescription for 2 x 500mg of Metformin per day my next reading was 6.3 ..... I then returned to UK and had a reading of 6.2 .... the Doctor and DN both declared that they were totally happy with this and to continue with what I was doing .....
Well I just felt this wasn't good enough so went into research mode ....
I came across Dr. Bernsteins book and then your site with all it's forums ... amazing and really impressive ... thank you all so much for this life raft!
Only 5 days ago I began a committed low carb regimen and this is where 'stunned' comes in ...
I have dropped 2 of those 4 kilos and my BS varies between 4.6 and 5.3 .... I am truly excited that I might have a chance of sustaining normal BS but have a fear that this will prove to be short lived .... I love fish, chicken, veg and salad plus a glass of red wine in the evening .....
I would love breakfast suggestions because I do enjoy eggs but don't want them every morning ... any suggestions?
Is low carb really the answer it appears to be?
Do most of you take statins ... my Doc seems to be insistent!

 

[viviennem]

Hi Maryann.

They seem to have caught your Type 2 fairly early, and your reaction on a low-carb diet is not unusual . The first weight loss is usually quite high (mostly fluid) and your BG readings can drop quite dramatically.

About 20% of Type 2s are not fat - you must be one of those. Your problem may be losing too much weight ( oh, how I wish!), so you may need to adjust your carb intake to find the balance between good BGs and weight loss. If you want to stay very low carb (you didn't say how low you have gone) you can increase the amount of fat in your diet - no need to be afraid of good natural fats. Otherwise add in more low GI carbs eg from extra veg and some fruits. Berries are good.

As for statins - do you know what your cholesterol is a present? The NHS are trying to get every diabetic on to statins, but some of us have had bad experiences and won't take them any more, other people can take them with no problems at all. Do a search on this site for statins - you'll find differing opinions and heated arguments! Ask your GP for your full lipid profile instead of just your total cholesterol - much more informative.

Now breakfasts - I can eat Lizi's Granola, available at most supermarkets, in small quantities for breakfast. It's fairly low-carb, and doesn't spike me. I love my eggs, though, and have two most days. You can have bacon, sausage (low carb), eggs, tomatoes. I often eat salad for breakfast in the summer - chicken salad is very refreshing! but I tend not to eat until I've been up an hour or so. If you fancy something like that but are in a rush, prepare a bowl of bite-sized chunks of meat, cheese, baby toms, strips of pepper, radishes, cucumber etc, cover and leave in the fridge overnight. Then just get it out in the morning and grab a bit every time you pass while you're getting ready. Other people eat yoghurt (low-carb) with berries, seeds and nuts.

Hope this helps! and well done on your weight and BG levels

Viv 8)

 

[Maryannonsilk]

Thanks so much for all the breakfast ideas .. I especially love Greek yoghurt and berries so I was pleased to see you write that ...
Dr Bernstein advocates no fruit not even tomatoes so I was aiming for that initially but I love to cook with tomatoes so I'm hoping that I'm going to be OK with going back to that ...
I was only given my total cholesterol which was 3.2 and prescribed Simvastatin ....
My doc won't prescribe testing strips because he claims it is 'only a snapshot at that moment so not really indicative of my status' ... his precise words.
Lovely to have you reply Viv ... as a newbie I really appreciate it ... thanks again :thumbup: MaryAnn

 

[viviennem]

Dr Bernstein knows what he's talking about from his own experience, though he's a bit extreme even for me. I'm a bit undisciplined and prefer Atkins - just my opinion!

I would take a total cholesterol of 3.2 as being very good indeed, and I wouldn't think you need statins - but again, my personal opinion. I'm not medically qualified so you shouldn't accept my opinion :wink: . Have a good read round before you take them, and make your own mind up. No-one can force you to take anything.

Tell your GP that you want to test before and 2 hours after meals so that you can tell how different foods affect your blood glucose levels. That you want to be pro-active in the management of your diabetes, and that you think testing at the beginning, until you get accustomed to your new lifestyle, would really help you get control. Some of us get a meter and test strips on prescription - I'm one of the lucky ones. Others have to buy them, but if you can afford it, it's really useful to start with. Eventually, when you get used to foods, you hardly need to test at all - just every now and again to make sure everything's okay, or if you eat something different.

Many GPs are anti low-carb, so take care how much you tell him :wink:

I think you're doing very well as you are. You can always add tomatoes back in later!

Viv 8)

 

[Maryannonsilk]

Thanks Viv .... I sense that Dr Bernstein is extreme but his book is certainly an inspiration and came at the right time for me ... by following a lot of what I'm reading here I can see that I will be able to modify his approach ... I like your words for my Doc re testing ... I understand the cost dilemma but I can also see how vital the testing is to control and understanding your own response ... we are all different and the possible complications really frighten me ....
How amazing this forum is ... so excited to have found it and all the advice .... some light in the confusion .... MA

 

[viviennem]

Tell your doctor that you think testing is cheaper than amputation!

I respect GPs a great deal, but that's what they are - General Practitioners. They can't know everything about everything, and I wish more of them would admit it. I'm lucky in that mine treats me like an intelligent adult - and sends me away to look things up on the internet, 'cos he knows I will anyway :lol: . But even he makes mistakes.

Viv 8)

 

[Maryannonsilk]

I think my doc is also constrained by Practice Policy and he's a fairly junior partner so is maybe toeing the party line .... yes I will mention the line I picked up here somewhere which was something like ... 'I want to die with my feet on'
I have checked out your 'modified diet' Viv and I really think I can work with it ... clarifies and makes sense of the whole low carb approach ....
Well done for making it so clear :clap: