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Newly diagnosed Advice Needed

Eurobuff

Well-Known Member
Messages
359
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi, I was diagnosed about 3 weeks ago (hba1c 7.9), but only managed to get an appointment to see the diabetic nurse yesterday. I stared off eating the starchy foods/NHS diet and was testing with my mums meter. My BG was up (8.9). Started taking Cinnulin PF (600mg per day) & Chromium Picc (800mgs per day) & cut out bread & potato (I don't eat rice or pasta). My carbs are now down to about 80 per day, but calorie intake is down too (between 750-1000 each day). I have lost 8lbs In 3 weeks. I wasn't overweight (5ft 2 9 st 13 - now down to 9st 5). I checked on a website which reckons to maintain my weight I need to eat between 1500-1700 calories per day. I don't want to lose any weight or eat any more carbs. My BG has come down, now reading 6.8-7.8 2 hrs after eating (first bite). I don't feel hungry, but I'm bothered about losing any more weight. I was looking at protein shakes, to make up the calories, but I don't know if that's the right thing to do? I'm just wondering if anyone can help? Also when I saw the nurse yesterday she gave me a meter. I tested myself on my mum's meter and got a reading of 6.8, but when I tested on my meter it came out as 7.9??? This seems to be a big discrepancy, is there a way I can find out which meter is right?
 
G'day mate and welcome, this may sound strange but....
fat fat fat fat eat more fat fat fat fat
have normal protein, excess protein turns to sugar
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf

it would be a good idea if you do several tests on both meters because you can have upto a +/-20% and still be right, you can get a test solution,

forgot to give you this link, it will help with your testing and general knowledge
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php
 
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You may be eating too little calories and might get run down if you do not eat more. If you do not want to lose weight you will have to have more calories. Perhaps you could fill up on more protein which will keep your body functioning well and you will build muscle instead of fat. But real food not shakes. If you do not like eating too much have small portions throughout the day . A dietician can help but you can read up in the library or on the net.(Aswell as asking here ofc.)
 
I'd second what Jack has said regarding fat. If you are cutting right down on carbs then you definitely need to make sure you're eating enough fat to replace them for energy. If you eat enough fat (& adequate protein) then you should be able to maintain your weight.

Robbity
 
Hi. From what you say can I assume you have a normal BMI as you don't want to lose weight? I note also that you are quite young. There is a background possibility that you are actually a late onset T1 as one of the symptoms is a loss of weight around diagnosis and also not being over weight anyway. I would follow the advice others have given and increase the protein and fats via real food and continue to low-carb. If your weight continues to move down and your blood sugar moves up then consider your diagnosis for which there are two tests. Hopefully the extra protein and fat will put you on the right road, but having been thru the late onset T1 route myself with low weight and weight loss it's worth being aware of it. BTW meters have an accuracy of +/- 15% so don't be surprised by the difference between the meters. You can ask the manufacturers to send you some test solution if you want to calibrate your meters.
 
Thanks for everybody's help. Diabell, I only started to lose weight when I dropped the carbs, so I am assuming this is the reason? My BMI was normal but on the high end of normal, now it's in the middle which is where I'd like to keep it. I used to eat 4 slices of medium bread,croissants x 2, pitta bread x 2, chips (200grams), on alternating days, and this is what I've cut out. I've replaced this with almonds, celery, oatcakes. I eat tuna one day, chicken three days, fish/cod no batter 1 day. The other two days are peanut butter, and cheese (Philadelphia). So I'm struggling to find different proteins. What doesn't help is how I'm really fussy with my food.
 
Bacon and fried eggs. Was the greatest moment when I found out It was fine to have as much as I wanted. Within reason of course. 5 million eggs would be bad.
 
I used to like bacon, but had to stop eating it when I got TMJ, I'm ok with chicken or fish, but bacon/red meat would trigger my jaw pain to return. I have to avoid chewy things.
 
If you are going to cut carbs, you need to think how you can and not why you can't, worse case scenario is you put meat into vitamiser, personally I'd stew it for a couple of hours. get onto the low carb sites and here for recipes
 
Hi Jack. When I went for my healthy heart check my cholesterol was 6.1 (some people are telling me this is high). Taking this into account am I still better of looking for fat based foods or go for more protein?


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
https://www.google.com.au/#q=healthy percentage of fat in diet&revid=48028852
Some healthy diets, like the Mediterranean Diet, promote 40% of calories from fat, as long as it's from healthy olive oil [google healthy fat, there are many including butter]
Too much protein isn't good and I wouldn't go more than 20-30%,
Try say 30% protein + 40% fat and 30% carb and see how your BG goes and adjust carb up or down and add fat.
Long term I'd go 20% protein


https://www.google.com.au/#q=LCHF cholesterol
generally people have better cholesterol/lipids on LCHF, you have to make up your own mind based on the science, read up about it.
How do you feel about Statins? with LCHF I had to reduce them because my chol was 2.7


Even if you do LCHF, you could end up on insulin, who knows who progresses.
If you are going to eat carbs, you will need drugs/insulin to drop the BG, you can live a long healthy life and many do.
 
Thanks for that. The reason I'm against eating carbs is not only because of what I've been reading, but because of my mum'a experience. She was diagnosed in 2001 and told to eat plenty of baked beans, bread, rice and pasta (also bananas). Her BG's kept rising and she list her sight 2 years later. At the time she was telling the dietician that she must be eating the wrong foods but they were saying she was wrong. I have the same doctor/dietician as my mum. She stopped going to see the dietician in the end and ate what she seemed was right and her BG's came down. She does eat a few carbs though, but only maybe once a week. I've got an app now "Low GI" and when you put the food in it shows in percentage what protein etc that you've eaten, so that might make it easier to work out. Thanks

Re Statins. I don't want to go on them if possible. Since my mother went in them she's had no energy, my next door neighbour now has been told he has liver damage through taking them. I've read that Chromium reduces cholesterol as well as reducing BG but without the side effects of Statins. I've only been taking them for 2 weeks so far, so I'll see how that pans out.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
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