New Type 2

Mutineer

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6
Hi, I have just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I haven’t seen any medical professionals since my diagnosis and my appointment with the specialist nurse isn’t for another 8 weeks. My Hba1c was 132 mmol, which I know is 3 times above the norm. I am on metformin but have no idea what I should be eating. I don’t know if I am at risk of doing myself any damage. I have neuropathy in my hands and feet, I’ve lost 11kg since December and have a number of other symptoms. Can anyone offer any advice please.
 

urbanracer

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5,186
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Type 1
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Insulin
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Not being able to eat as many chocolate digestives as I used to.
Hi, I have just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I haven’t seen any medical professionals since my diagnosis and my appointment with the specialist nurse isn’t for another 8 weeks. My Hba1c was 132 mmol, which I know is 3 times above the norm. I am on metformin but have no idea what I should be eating. I don’t know if I am at risk of doing myself any damage. I have neuropathy in my hands and feet, I’ve lost 11kg since December and have a number of other symptoms. Can anyone offer any advice please.

Hi and welcome to the forums.

I will tag some friendly T2 gurus who I'm sure will be more than willing to stop by and lend a hand. Don't sweat it, it's (probably) not as bad as you think it is.

@Rachox , @JoKalsbeek , @bulkbiker
 

JoKalsbeek

Expert
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5,937
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi, I have just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I haven’t seen any medical professionals since my diagnosis and my appointment with the specialist nurse isn’t for another 8 weeks. My Hba1c was 132 mmol, which I know is 3 times above the norm. I am on metformin but have no idea what I should be eating. I don’t know if I am at risk of doing myself any damage. I have neuropathy in my hands and feet, I’ve lost 11kg since December and have a number of other symptoms. Can anyone offer any advice please.
Hello @Mutineer ,

Eight. Weeks. Seriously?! Let's give that nurse something to drop her jaw over then! As for damage... Neuropathy IS damage, and indicative that there's other problems developing elsewhere, most likely... You're already seeing complications. Reversible ones though, hopefully. Mind you, the neuropathy.... It could get worse before it gets better. As you get your bloodsugars under control, your nerve endings'll heal, and then they can hurt a lot more for a while than while they were on the fritz. @Jim Lahey 'll be able to tell you more about how he tackled his neuropathy though, so I'm tagging him in. (We're getting all hands on deck for you! :) ). Anyway... Getting those blood sugars down is relatively easy if you just get a blood glucose meter and, you know, change everything about how you eat. ;) Sounds a little more daunting than it is, honestly. Once you know practically all carbs turn to glucose once ingested, it's relatively easy to rule things out. No more bread, rice, spuds, corn, cereal, fruit (save for the occasional hand of berries), and underground veggies. Brown or white doesn't matter, wholemeal is as bad for you as over-processed whites. That seems like I just directed your whole pantry to the bin, but there's still plenty of other things available to you that won't up your blood sugars. https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html <-- has a list, and basically everything I wish someone'd told me when I was first diagnosed and absolutely every single thing I wanted to eat seemed to be straight poison. Once you get a bit of a grasp of the idea, get rid of the carbs in your home to avoid temptation (my husband takes all his candy and snacks with him to work. ;)), and sit down behind the PC to check your shopping list. What is too carby, what brands can be replaced with something less carby... It helps if you check at home, you don't want to be stuck reading the Nutritional Facts for hours on end in the shop.

You can turn this around. A HbA1c of 132 is high.... But I've seen people here come back from worse. You can do this. And you'll blow the nurse out of the water!!!!

I have every faith in you,
Jo
 
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@Jim Lahey 'll be able to tell you more about how he tackled his neuropathy though...

Cannabis for the pain (don't try this at home) and ketogenic grain-free eating with no processed food or seed oils.

You can turn this around. A HbA1c of 132 is high.... But I've seen people here come back from worse. You can do this. And you'll blow the nurse out of the water!!!!

Paging @Caeseji who I think came back from something like ~1000mmol/mol to non-diabetic in about ten minutes. Quickest diabetes u-turn in history :smug:
 
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Rachox

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I reversed my Type 2
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ianf0ster

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2,399
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exercise, phone calls
Hi Mutineer,
Diabetes remission from HbA1C of over 100 has been done fairly quickly by several members of these forums.
Some people try the crash diet , drastic Calorie cutting route (Prof Roy Taylor DIRECT study/Newcastle diet or the real food version of it - 800 Cal Blood Sugar Diet by Michael Mosely).
But most do it the more sustainable way which is probably easier for most Low Carb High(er) Fat 'Way of Eating(' which means it isn't required to go hungry or consciously restrict Calories. Eat real traditional food ditch carbohydrates, that means Sugars, Fruits (except for berries), fruit Juice, Starches, flour, potato (even sweet potato), rice, bread , pastry and even whole grains and root veg.

Don't fear fat: fatty fish, fatty meat (even Bacon), eggs, cheese, double cream (rather than milk), Full fat plain Greek Yogurt, avocados, olives and most nuts are good. So are above ground and leafy vegetables - especially Cauliflower and Broccoli both of which can be used as rice substitutes.
Get a Blood Glucose monitor and test your reaction to other possibly suspect foods- different people react differently to different foods.The Spirit TEE2 from Spirit health is the one I use, it is cheap one with cheap test strips (around £8) for a pot of 50. Strips are the main cost, since you will need to test before and the after every meal (2hrs after first bite) at first until you know how your body reacts to that food at that time of day. Start by aiming for an after meal reading to be no more than 2.0 mmol higher than the before meal reading. Later try to keep the highest daily reading down below 8.0 mmol, or 7.8mmol if being cautious.
Eat a full meal so that you don't need to snack. 1, 2 or 3 meals per day are good - don't eat if not hungry(e.g. just because it is 'breakfast time'.

If you can keep your Blood Glucose down then your Insulin levels will also come down which will enable you to 'burn up excess body fat'. I wasn't even overweight, but still had over 20lbs of excess body fat ( a TOFI). In that way you can move towards a healthier body weight and consistency without hunger or reducing your metabolism and the body fat used up will form part of your daily total calorie intake. I lost between 1 to 2lbs per week for the first 2 months.
 
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mouseee

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644
Technically now in remission from starting point of 101. Results today were 39. That's in 7 months.

All low carb and a bit metformin.

It's possible!

I didn't have my specialist nurse appt for 3 months after diagnosis and I'd dropped my hba1c to 46 at that point. She did a proper double take at the numbers!
 
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Mutineer

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Technically now in remission from starting point of 101. Results today were 39. That's in 7 months.

All low carb and a bit metformin.

It's possible!

I didn't have my specialist nurse appt for 3 months after diagnosis and I'd dropped my hba1c to 46 at that point. She did a proper double take at the numbers!
Wow, that’s encouraging. Thank you.
 

mouseee

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644
It's this forum that is the reason I have done it! Stick around, read, lurk, post and you will learn huge amounts quickly. It's hard work... but theres the best reward ever when you stick at it. You get to keep your feet and your sight!
 
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VashtiB

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Staff Member
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2,283
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Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello and welcome,

I'm another type 2 who has turned it around quickly by going low carb. I personally went ultra low carb to try to make the fastest difference possible. I am a carbolic and find it easier to have close to none- under 20 grams a day and usually well under that- then have more. But you have to find a way that suits you.

It is possible to turn this around. You will need a meter- that is something that is essential It is what will help you decide what food your body can tolerate. Stick around and read more on this forum. The people here are amazing and very generous with their time and experience. Most of all we have all been where you are- I think it took me more than 2 weeks before I wasn't crying every day. I'm now in a much better place emotionally but best of all my HbA1c was within the normal range within 3 months and has stayed there.

Best of luck and welcome.
 
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nomoredonuts

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1,848
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Hello and welcome to the forum @Mutineer
Team DCUK has been mobilised! As @VashtiB said you should get a blood monitor so you can test before and after meals to see what spikes your blood sugar. Then don't eat it again or eat less of it.
https://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/ This is the kind of thing, but there is a wide choice.
I started on Metformin, then slow release Metformin, but ditched it after six months by which time I was low-carbing successfully.
A word of caution, there are still a few dinosaurs lurking in the healthcare profession, who will suggest you pile your plate with carbs. Most of us believe carbs turn to sugar - because they do. Avoiding them can show rapid results in reducing your HbA1c. I certainly wouldn't wait eight weeks for the system to grind into action. @mouseee is right. Read, lurk and ask questions. You are good hands here. All the best, NMD.
 
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DJC3

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10,347
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Diet only
Hi @Mutineer and welcome. I second all the advice you’ve been given. It can seem very daunting to begin with, but you’ll soon get the hang of it.
I too have a TEE2 meter which is reliable and the strips are comparatively cheap. They’ll probably give you a free meter if you ring them up. 0800 881 5423
Don’t be surprised if your diabetic nurse tells you that you don’t need to test. Many HCPs seem to think it’s a waste of time, even though testing our BG before and after meals is the way most of us have got our numbers back to non-diabetic levels: Without knowing what particular foods do to us, we can’t tell what to avoid and which are ‘safe’.
You can make a huge difference in 8 weeks and I’ll be checking back here then to see what your DN makes of it. Stay with us, read and ask anything you want. Your new life awaits you.
 
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84green

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207
Hi. I’ve enjoyed reading these posts and especially the positivity! Some inspirational stories.

I have a question. I started the Prof Taylor Newcastle Diet on 4 Feb. I haven’t been 100% compliant but have been pretty good. Coincidentally, on the same day I had an HbAC1 test which came back at 56 mmol/mol. I asked my diabetic nurse to give me three months to see what I could do (I was diagnosed four years ago and take 4x500 Metformin daily). I was surprised that she had never heard of the diet but there we are. She took notes as I described it.

Since then I have lost 22 lbs on the diet (having already lost 14lbs just before starting it). My daily readings are now generally between 5.3 and 6.2 mmol/l with very occasional dips into 4’s and one 7.4. I’m happy with the way it’s going.

My question is that I have noticed some pins and needles particularly in my feet from time to time (foot checks always ok) in the past. But since my sugar levels have started to come down, I seem to be feeling more. Has this happened to anyone else and why?

I have just also started a 40mg statin dose (due to a heart condition) which has greatly reduced my cholesterol in quick time - I don’t know if this is relevant.

I’d also be grateful for advice on getting off the meds completely. I don’t get hung up about the terms “reversal” or even “remission” but my goal is to achieve and maintain non diabetic levels through diet and lifestyle alone. I appreciate that this will also involve identifying a sustainable life long diet. Any thoughts on getting off the meds and a long term sustainable diet (presumably low carb) gratefully appreciated.

Another goal is to get below HbAC1 42mmol/mol and present my DN with a copy of Prof Taylor’s book!

Thanks
 

84green

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207
Sorry, meant to add. I was also told not to worry about testing. But it seems to me there are two points:
1 To obtain a low base level; and
2. To identify sugar spikes and, more importantly, which foods cause (and don’t cause) them. Surely this can only be done by home testing? Or have I misunderstood something?
 
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Mutineer

Member
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6
Hi guys

just to update. HbA1c 139 in February. Today it is 41. I am thrilled. Have been eating low carb, checking my bloods periodically and have been on 3 different types of Metformin. First 2 didn’t agree with me . Been on glucophage for 2 weeks now and no ill effects. thank you for your support in the beginning. It was a scary place, but now I’m rocking it.
thanks again.
 

LaoDan

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Messages
993
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
The term “new normal “
Hi guys

just to update. HbA1c 139 in February. Today it is 41. I am thrilled. Have been eating low carb, checking my bloods periodically and have been on 3 different types of Metformin. First 2 didn’t agree with me . Been on glucophage for 2 weeks now and no ill effects. thank you for your support in the beginning. It was a scary place, but now I’m rocking it.
thanks again.
Fantastic!
 
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JoKalsbeek

Expert
Messages
5,937
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi guys

just to update. HbA1c 139 in February. Today it is 41. I am thrilled. Have been eating low carb, checking my bloods periodically and have been on 3 different types of Metformin. First 2 didn’t agree with me . Been on glucophage for 2 weeks now and no ill effects. thank you for your support in the beginning. It was a scary place, but now I’m rocking it.
thanks again.
"Now I'm rocking it". Yes, you are! Congratulations! :)
 
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