- Messages
- 39
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
A couple of months ago I posted that I believed type 2 diabetes was probably down to weight. I also queried the need for monitoring blood sugar levels: if you felt o.k. after eating a particular food why bother to monitor. I was taken to task by a couple of posters who claimed that slim and normal weight people did suffer from type 2; also that HbA1c measurements didn't tell the full story, and it was the spikes in blood sugar that caused the problems - but what problems?
I didn't particularly dispute this but I decided to carry out my own experiment.
Before I was diagnosed in January this year I had already started a fairly intensive exercise programme. I'm an ex racing cyclist and wanted to get fit so I could once again enjoy my bike when the weather improved in the spring. My racing weight had been about 11st. 10lb. but owing to inactivity it had risen to 12st. 13lb. - not particularly overweight for my height, but there was definitely some excess there.
At around this time my HbA1c was 65, wheresas it should have been between 42 to 48. In addition to the extensive exercise on my trainer, I did pursue the low-carb diet. I even went to the extent of weighing my food in order to keep within a prescribed limit.
The weight dropped off and by April I was down to 11 st. and in May my HbAc1 was down to 46.
It was at this stage I began to conduct my experiment. I continued with my intensive exercise on the trainer and a couple of rides each week - between 30 to 45 miles. But I no longer religiously kept to the low carb diet. I did keep to a sensible diet: no sugar and only between two to four very thin slces of bread per week, but other than this I ate normally. I monitored my weight daily and it remained constant between about 10st.12lb. and 11st. 3lb. When I went for my HbA1c test August it had fallen even further to 39.
I'm not suggesting my type 2 diabetes is reversed, as some claim when it drops to these low levels, because the raised levels will come back if I stuff myself silly and don't exercise. But the point I am making, and what my experiment has proved (for me anyway) is that if you maintain a sensible diet (not necessarily austere) and exercise regularly to maintain a constant weight, your HbA1c levels should remain within the prescribed limits.
I didn't particularly dispute this but I decided to carry out my own experiment.
Before I was diagnosed in January this year I had already started a fairly intensive exercise programme. I'm an ex racing cyclist and wanted to get fit so I could once again enjoy my bike when the weather improved in the spring. My racing weight had been about 11st. 10lb. but owing to inactivity it had risen to 12st. 13lb. - not particularly overweight for my height, but there was definitely some excess there.
At around this time my HbA1c was 65, wheresas it should have been between 42 to 48. In addition to the extensive exercise on my trainer, I did pursue the low-carb diet. I even went to the extent of weighing my food in order to keep within a prescribed limit.
The weight dropped off and by April I was down to 11 st. and in May my HbAc1 was down to 46.
It was at this stage I began to conduct my experiment. I continued with my intensive exercise on the trainer and a couple of rides each week - between 30 to 45 miles. But I no longer religiously kept to the low carb diet. I did keep to a sensible diet: no sugar and only between two to four very thin slces of bread per week, but other than this I ate normally. I monitored my weight daily and it remained constant between about 10st.12lb. and 11st. 3lb. When I went for my HbA1c test August it had fallen even further to 39.
I'm not suggesting my type 2 diabetes is reversed, as some claim when it drops to these low levels, because the raised levels will come back if I stuff myself silly and don't exercise. But the point I am making, and what my experiment has proved (for me anyway) is that if you maintain a sensible diet (not necessarily austere) and exercise regularly to maintain a constant weight, your HbA1c levels should remain within the prescribed limits.