Joining the Club

[KateTheGreat]

Hi everyone! I'm unfortunately joining the diabetes club. I've suspected it was in the pipeline as I've got a family history of diabetes (it doesn't run in my family, more like gallops), had GD with 2 of my 3 pregnancies, middle age and overweight...basically tic all the boxes). I was actually the one to go to my GP and request being tested for it, as I wanted to make sure I caught it early. Turns out, it was already here. So I'm glad I took the initiative. I got the call with my numbers, and my Hb1ac was in the 80s, however I couldn't get a GP appointment until the 15th (almost a month after). So I haven't officially been diagnosed, but just a formality. I immediately got online and found this forum and you lovely people. I quit carbs/sugar etc cold turkey (which was probably too sudden, it was like going through withdrawals...and things were rough for about a week, I'm feeling much better now). On the advice of this forum, I ordered a blood monitor, and was waiting for me when I got home from work, so I used it for my dinner.

My reading before eating was 6.2 (not sure how typical it is, but I walked home from work...got my 10,000 steps), which is a decent reading, right? And the reading 2 hours post was 8.0. So I'm within the 2 points, which means I handled the meal okay, right? Should I be trying to get that number down even further? Or is that what I'd like to see?

I'm very curious to see what my fasting sugar is, if I've been low carb/high(ish) fat for a week now, will that make a difference in the fasting sugars? What about intermittent fasting, which I've started as well?

Thanks for all the help you guys provide, I've got a list of questions/information for my GP, as well as solid ideas of how to tackle this (and get it in remission, hopefully), I'll have a few weeks worth of BS readings to take to her as well.

So thanks for everyone's willingness to answer questions and guide us newbies through this.

 

[HSSS]

Hi everyone! I'm unfortunately joining the diabetes club. I've suspected it was in the pipeline as I've got a family history of diabetes (it doesn't run in my family, more like gallops), had GD with 2 of my 3 pregnancies, middle age and overweight...basically tic all the boxes). I was actually the one to go to my GP and request being tested for it, as I wanted to make sure I caught it early. Turns out, it was already here. So I'm glad I took the initiative. I got the call with my numbers, and my Hb1ac was in the 80s, however I couldn't get a GP appointment until the 15th (almost a month after). So I haven't officially been diagnosed, but just a formality. I immediately got online and found this forum and you lovely people. I quit carbs/sugar etc cold turkey (which was probably too sudden, it was like going through withdrawals...and things were rough for about a week, I'm feeling much better now). On the advice of this forum, I ordered a blood monitor, and was waiting for me when I got home from work, so I used it for my dinner.

My reading before eating was 6.2 (not sure how typical it is, but I walked home from work...got my 10,000 steps), which is a decent reading, right? And the reading 2 hours post was 8.0. So I'm within the 2 points, which means I handled the meal okay, right? Should I be trying to get that number down even further? Or is that what I'd like to see?

I'm very curious to see what my fasting sugar is, if I've been low carb/high(ish) fat for a week now, will that make a difference in the fasting sugars? What about intermittent fasting, which I've started as well?

Thanks for all the help you guys provide, I've got a list of questions/information for my GP, as well as solid ideas of how to tackle this (and get it in remission, hopefully), I'll have a few weeks worth of BS readings to take to her as well.

So thanks for everyone's willingness to answer questions and guide us newbies through this.

That sounds like an amazing start. The meal sounds ideal. Now it’s about checking your other meals and seeing if they are equally good. The fasting might be starting to show some improvement but it is usually the last to fall into line and can take many months, sometimes even remaining a little stubbornly high if you are low enough carb (but that’s not necessarily an issue, just don’t worry too much for now). Intermittent fasting kind of happens naturally for many of us as we get off the carb rollercoaster and have more filling meals we often find meals stretch further out and apart. For right now I’d say let it happen by itself til,you are more settled on low carb then add it in deliberately once that step has been mastered. It’s much easier once fat adapted, ie after a month or two has passed on properly low carb

I hope your GP is enthusiastic and supportive. Have a little bit of you prepared for an outdated and less than enthusiastic response though. If they suggest medications (diabetic or statins) in your shoes I’d ask for a review in a couple more months bearing in mind the huge changes you’ve already been making. Usually there’s a second test to confirm diagnosis anyway unless you have significant symptoms so at the very least ask for that if they are reluctant to wait a while. Many are though if they can see you are being proactive.

Did you want to run your questions passed us first or happy to wait?

 

[KateTheGreat]

Thanks so much for your reply, HSSS I really appreciate it. I'll know to not stress too much over my fasting sugars if they're not coming down enough to my liking. I'll be interested to see what they are and how the rest of my meals work. So if I'm already feeling pretty good with intermittent fasting, should I keep at it? It was kind of tough at first, but like you said, I really don't feel too hungry until about lunch time. But if it is a better idea to have something small for breakfast, that's not a big deal either. Might be a good idea to get an idea of how I tolerate breakfast? Or maybe see what my pre-lunch looks like. Today could have been skewed from my walk home from work (which I do often). So I guess it's a bit of test and see what happens.

And reading these posts have helped me be prepared for my GP to not be the most helpful. I haven't seen her for much, but she's been pretty good when I have seen her, so I'm optimistic. The questions I have have to do with my other blood results (I only got the Hb1ac), like cholesterol and whatever else they tested for. As well as questions about whether I need to go on meds, or like you said, see if I can try to control it by diet for a few months and then have a follow up test. I'm hoping I'll have some decent meter results to back me up giving it a try (except fasting maybe).

I can't stress how helpful this board has been in helping me come to grips with this. The success stories give me (and many others as well, I'm sure) hope that this is something that I can control and make sustainable lifestyle choices.

 

[Antje77]

my Hb1ac was in the 80s

My reading before eating was 6.2 (not sure how typical it is, but I walked home from work...got my 10,000 steps), which is a decent reading, right? And the reading 2 hours post was 8.0.

An hba1c in the 80's means your average blood glucose in the months before diagnosis was likely somewhere between 12.5 and 15 mmol/l, so whatever you're doing seems to be working amazingly well!

 

[KateTheGreat]

An hba1c in the 80's means your average blood glucose in the months before diagnosis was likely somewhere between 12.5 and 15 mmol/l, so whatever you're doing seems to be working amazingly well!

Oh, that's very interesting to know...and thinking about it that way makes it a bit more real. But now I can see that is a decent result. Again, it's only one meal, but hopefully the other readings follow suit. I'm a researcher by heart (and profession), so while I don't want this, I am kind of looking forward to gathering data...I love raw data. I've also seen some weight loss this week. I hadn't weighed myself in ages, but needed a good baseline (more data for the GP) and I'm already down 4lbs, which isn't typical, but not unusual for someone to lose more at the start of different eating/diet etc. So I don't think it'll keep dropping off, but hopefully a slow and steady decline. This has been a good wake up call for me.

 

[ajbod]

If you are eating low enough carbs, you may see the weight continue to go quite quickly. If you tell your doctor that you are low carbing, and she is relatively enlightened, she should support you, and probably book a second Hba1c for 2 months time, ie 3 months after the first. I think you may find that one considerably lower than the first.
As to fasting numbers, don't sweat it. Your body decides if and when they will drop, so fretting is pointless, provided your numbers are good the rest of the time then you're definitely winning.
With the second Hba1c, even if showing non diabetic or prediabetic, with an initial test of 80, diagnosis will be confirmed without a follow up necessary for diagnosis.
Keep up the good work, and NEVER be afraid to ask questions, between all of us here, we'll usually know the answers.

 

[KateTheGreat]

If you are eating low enough carbs, you may see the weight continue to go quite quickly. If you tell your doctor that you are low carbing, and she is relatively enlightened, she should support you, and probably book a second Hba1c for 2 months time, ie 3 months after the first. I think you may find that one considerably lower than the first.
As to fasting numbers, don't sweat it. Your body decides if and when they will drop, so fretting is pointless, provided your numbers are good the rest of the time then you're definitely winning.
With the second Hba1c, even if showing non diabetic or prediabetic, with an initial test of 80, diagnosis will be confirmed without a follow up necessary for diagnosis.
Keep up the good work, and NEVER be afraid to ask questions, between all of us here, we'll usually know the answers.

Thanks so much for this. I would like the weight to continue to fall off. It seems to be holding strong and even going up a bit, but since it's a certain time of month, not too surprised and it should go back to normal/lose even more. Even me just cutting out sugar and carbs has to make things improve. I tend to snack and the snacks weren't great. This has been a wake up call for sure, and I'm actually surprised at how little I miss it.

And I'm planning on suggesting to my GP that I take another one in 2 months time, to see if there's been any change. If it's still high, then I'd be more amenable to going on meds (I'm not totally against it, if that is what will help, but I do want to try this first). Can my Hba1c numbers be within normal range, even if my fasting is still high?

And speaking of fasting numbers, I did one this morning when I woke up and it was 9.2. Not great, I know, and not where I want it to stay, but I (maybe wrongly) expected it to be higher, I could be totally wrong on that and it's horrendous, but as you said, not much I can do about it. I can work on keeping my day levels in check. Which will be a bit of hit or miss in these early days I'd guess, as I see what my body can handle and can't.

Everyone has been so lovely, I really appreciate all the encouragement and advice.

 

[HSSS]

Thanks so much for this. I would like the weight to continue to fall off. It seems to be holding strong and even going up a bit, but since it's a certain time of month, not too surprised and it should go back to normal/lose even more. Even me just cutting out sugar and carbs has to make things improve. I tend to snack and the snacks weren't great. This has been a wake up call for sure, and I'm actually surprised at how little I miss it.

And I'm planning on suggesting to my GP that I take another one in 2 months time, to see if there's been any change. If it's still high, then I'd be more amenable to going on meds (I'm not totally against it, if that is what will help, but I do want to try this first). Can my Hba1c numbers be within normal range, even if my fasting is still high?

And speaking of fasting numbers, I did one this morning when I woke up and it was 9.2. Not great, I know, and not where I want it to stay, but I (maybe wrongly) expected it to be higher, I could be totally wrong on that and it's horrendous, but as you said, not much I can do about it. I can work on keeping my day levels in check. Which will be a bit of hit or miss in these early days I'd guess, as I see what my body can handle and can't.

Everyone has been so lovely, I really appreciate all the encouragement and advice.

Yes you can have normal hba1c even if fasting remains a bit high. The test is like an average so if the rest are good a few not so great times won’t make too much difference. (Actually it measure the way red blood cells are exposed to glucose over their roughly 12 week lifetimes).

Have a read of dawn phenomenon. All humans dump glucose from the liver into the body in times of need and after a long sleep energy is needed to get up and going as a prime example. as you sort out the rest of the day this will improve somewhat. Give it some time and don’t stress about that one for now. Focus on the rest of the day and the food etc.

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi @KateTheGreat and welcome to the forum.
What a great start you have made!
I don't know how often you are checking your weight, but It will naturally fluctuate, so I don't see any point in checking it more than once a week.
Also the BG meters have a surprisingly large tolerance level of +- 15% so don't get too concerned about any single reading which might actually be either better or worse than it tells you. But you can rely on trends both for BG and for weight.

You say things were rough at first on low carb, I hope you are/were getting enough electrolytes which can be a problem since you retain less water on low carb which would have held electrolytes (sodium, potassium and magnesium). Some people use bone broth for this, some use supplements or foods high in those minerals (but not bananas). Personally I use generous quantities of 'Lo Salt' (2/3 rds potassium chloride) to season my food and I take a magnesium glycinate supplement (the cheaper magnesium citrate is best for those with constipation if you see what I mean).

You will know if/when you become fat adapted because you just won't feel hungry at a normal meal time. This is a great way to ease into intermittent fasting. Different people prefer to skip different meals, for me its easiest to skip breakfast, though it felt troubling at first because of rising BG due to Dawn Phenomenon ( I found a zero carb meal like boiled eggs would stop my DP in it's tracks). Now my DP is lower, but still higher then 'normal' even after 3 yrs of T2D remission!

Finally, there is unlikely to be cause for concern about Cholesterol. It's the full Lipid Profile rather than just LDL that matters more and on a Low Carb way of eating that almost always improves i.e. HDL rises and Triglycerides fall. So my Lipid profile is much better than before diabetes even though I have gone Low Carb and ditched statins (despite an earlier triple bypass). My HDL is approx twice as high and my Trigs half as high, though my LDL has risen I'm not concerned since it is still lower than the initial study on statins suggested for the initial intervention level.

 

[HSSS]

Now my DP is lower, but still higher then 'normal' even after 3 yrs of T2D remission!

You might want to consider physiological insulin resistance aka adaptive glucose sparing. A non pathological adaptation to long term low carb eating. It’s quite common apparently, but used as an ill informed way to bash keto etc often.

 

[KateTheGreat]

Hi @KateTheGreat and welcome to the forum.
What a great start you have made!
I don't know how often you are checking your weight, but It will naturally fluctuate, so I don't see any point in checking it more than once a week.
Also the BG meters have a surprisingly large tolerance level of +- 15% so don't get too concerned about any single reading which might actually be either better or worse than it tells you. But you can rely on trends both for BG and for weight.

You say things were rough at first on low carb, I hope you are/were getting enough electrolytes which can be a problem since you retain less water on low carb which would have held electrolytes (sodium, potassium and magnesium). Some people use bone broth for this, some use supplements or foods high in those minerals (but not bananas). Personally I use generous quantities of 'Lo Salt' (2/3 rds potassium chloride) to season my food and I take a magnesium glycinate supplement (the cheaper magnesium citrate is best for those with constipation if you see what I mean).

You will know if/when you become fat adapted because you just won't feel hungry at a normal meal time. This is a great way to ease into intermittent fasting. Different people prefer to skip different meals, for me its easiest to skip breakfast, though it felt troubling at first because of rising BG due to Dawn Phenomenon ( I found a zero carb meal like boiled eggs would stop my DP in it's tracks). Now my DP is lower, but still higher then 'normal' even after 3 yrs of T2D remission!

Finally, there is unlikely to be cause for concern about Cholesterol. It's the full Lipid Profile rather than just LDL that matters more and on a Low Carb way of eating that almost always improves i.e. HDL rises and Triglycerides fall. So my Lipid profile is much better than before diabetes even though I have gone Low Carb and ditched statins (despite an earlier triple bypass). My HDL is approx twice as high and my Trigs half as high, though my LDL has risen I'm not concerned since it is still lower than the initial study on statins suggested for the initial intervention level.

That's good advice. I'm feeling perfectly fine now, but that could have been part of it. I tried to make an extra effort to drink more water to stay hydrated, but didn't really think about the electrolytes, so I'll look into what I can do about that. I've been skipping breakfast, and today did it again, my pre-lunch level was 6.6, so to me that seems like it's not affecting things too bad. Of course, I also did a 3 mile walk between my fasting testing and pre-lunch. I tend to not walk as much on weekends, so we'll see what tomorrow looks like without a big walk influencing things. I'm curious to see my post-lunch, as I had one slice of the lowest carb bread I could find at Tesco, I know it's not perfect, but fingers crossed I can tolerate it.

Also thanks for the info on cholesterol, that is something I'd thought about, but also don't feel very knowledgeable about. So thanks for breaking it down.

 

[KateTheGreat]

Yes you can have normal hba1c even if fasting remains a bit high. The test is like an average so if the rest are good a few not so great times won’t make too much difference. (Actually it measure the way red blood cells are exposed to glucose over their roughly 12 week lifetimes).

Have a read of dawn phenomenon. All humans dump glucose from the liver into the body in times of need and after a long sleep energy is needed to get up and going as a prime example. as you sort out the rest of the day this will improve somewhat. Give it some time and don’t stress about that one for now. Focus on the rest of the day and the food etc.

That is super useful information. Thanks!

 

[KateTheGreat]

That is super useful information. Thanks!

Post lunch was 7.3! So looks like could handle that one piece of bread...dare I try for two next time? Either way, I'm feeling really positive about things, at the very least it looks like my meal choices have been good so far.

 

[HappyPumpkin]

Dare I say welcome to the club?
Lots of really useful advice from people here. I'm a newbie too.