Hello Everyone,
My name is Krishen and I am 33 years old. I got diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes 3 days back. I was quite shocked to see the results, as I never imagined that I will get diabetes. I was ill-informed that it's mostly about genes, and people with a family history of diabetes normally get it. Now that I have processed the news a bit, I have come to realize the reality - I am overweight (weight: 110 kgs, height: 181 cm), as a result of depression. My HbA1c is 9% and my cholesterol is quite high too.
The doctor informed me that I have Metabolic Syndrome and advised me to take Metformin ER. I am not sure if I should go with medications straight away. After doing some research, I saw that losing weight and bettering one's diet can improve the condition.
I have a few questions:
I'm sorry if these questions sound absurd or rather basic. It's just that I am overwhelmed with the information I have seen thus far, and some of it has been contradictory. Please help, as I am kinda lost in this plethora of information.
- Can I avoid taking Metformin for now and just go with a diet and exercise?
- Can anyone suggest to me a proper diet that would be beneficial for me?
- Is it okay to fast?
Sorry to hear you have been under the weather. Hope you are feeling much better now.Dear @Goonergal, @Debandez, @BravoKilo, @Outlier, @valann, and @MrsA2,
Thank you all for your responses. Apologies for the delay in response; I was down with a fever. I planned to reply to each one of you separately but that would have been repetitive for the most part, so I decided against it.
Based on all your suggestions, I have decided to give up fruits altogether. I might reintroduce them later with the help of the meter. I am learning things day by day. I did make a blunder - consumed semolina idlis (a South Indian dish). It raised my blood sugar to 160. So, that is also out of the list. I have been experimenting with food items with the help of the meter and creating a list of my own. The reality is dawning on me bit by bit - I have to give up many food items.
Do you go for cheat meals once a month or so, or this is just the lifestyle for you now - don't take the food items you have given up?
Again, thank you so much for all the love, help, and support. It means a lot!
Wow, that link for the Idli helps me with my Indian cravings..Sorry to hear you have been under the weather. Hope you are feeling much better now.
The meter is helping you enormously. Great inventions and definitely my best investment to date. Your blood sugars went up with the semolina idlis and you have therefore popped it on your list of food to avoid. I had a quick look online to see if there was a low carb version and came across this:
No Rice Idli || High Protein Low carb Idli || Weight loss Idli - Subbu Cooks
Spread the Love.!No rice Idli is a recipe where we use no rice at all in making the idli batter. This is to avoid carbs from the rice, since many people these days are trying to reduce the intake of carbs. For this No rice…subbucooks.com
Recipes can be adapted to make them low carb so you dont have to miss out on your favourites. For example I loved Lasagne and Moussaka but both 'normal' recipes involved pasta. The ingredient that my body struggles with would be the pasta - the meat, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions chili, garlic and herbs not so. So I swap the layers of pasta for corgettes or aubergines.
You can usually find a low carb option online. Just add your favourite dish and add low carb. Go for the recipe with the highest amount of good reviews
Although I avoid the culprits that put my blood sugars up still eat lots of different delicious meals - so much more variety now than before my diagnosis when I would really only rotate around a few meals (which did mainly involve rice, pasta, potatoes and bread!). I make use of herbs and spices more. I now have a favourite recipes folder for both savoury dishes and sweet.
I personally don't do cheat meals once a month. My reason for this is that I try to avoid the spikes as I'm aware that the constant spikes can cause health issues. Low carb way of eating for me became a lifestyle.
Many t2d have seen improved insulin resistance and as such can tolerate more carbs. Again the meter will guide the way.
Reflect that if you "cheat" you are not winning a competition. You are instead setting back your health. You would only be cheating yourself. So fire up your pride and aim for success! You CAN handle this and we will help and support you all the way.
Sorry to hear you have been under the weather. Hope you are feeling much better now.
The meter is helping you enormously. Great inventions and definitely my best investment to date. Your blood sugars went up with the semolina idlis and you have therefore popped it on your list of food to avoid. I had a quick look online to see if there was a low carb version and came across this:
No Rice Idli || High Protein Low carb Idli || Weight loss Idli - Subbu Cooks
Spread the Love.!No rice Idli is a recipe where we use no rice at all in making the idli batter. This is to avoid carbs from the rice, since many people these days are trying to reduce the intake of carbs. For this No rice…subbucooks.com
Recipes can be adapted to make them low carb so you dont have to miss out on your favourites. For example I loved Lasagne and Moussaka but both 'normal' recipes involved pasta. The ingredient that my body struggles with would be the pasta - the meat, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions chili, garlic and herbs not so. So I swap the layers of pasta for corgettes or aubergines.
You can usually find a low carb option online. Just add your favourite dish and add low carb. Go for the recipe with the highest amount of good reviews
Although I avoid the culprits that put my blood sugars up still eat lots of different delicious meals - so much more variety now than before my diagnosis when I would really only rotate around a few meals (which did mainly involve rice, pasta, potatoes and bread!). I make use of herbs and spices more. I now have a favourite recipes folder for both savoury dishes and sweet.
I personally don't do cheat meals once a month. My reason for this is that I try to avoid the spikes as I'm aware that the constant spikes can cause health issues. Low carb way of eating for me became a lifestyle.
Many t2d have seen improved insulin resistance and as such can tolerate more carbs. Again the meter will guide the way.
It is a massive learning curve - lots to take in for sure and you're doing really well.I am feeling quite well now, thank you
Thank you for sharing the link. I am looking for alternative ingredients to my favourite dishes. It's just a bit hard for me at first, as my diet has mostly been carbs-oriented before this. I'm happy with the progress I am making mentally. With time, this will all be normal for me.
Alright, If it isn't okay to do cheat meals once in a while, I am gonna stick with the low-carb routine moving forward.
Yes, the meter has been quite helpful thus far. I'm experimenting quite a bit with my meals now and check their response.
Reflect that if you "cheat" you are not winning a competition. You are instead setting back your health. You would only be cheating yourself. So fire up your pride and aim for success! You CAN handle this and we will help and support you all the way.
It's all thanks to your love and support. This community is wonderful!It is a massive learning curve - lots to take in for sure and you're doing really well.
It really is.It's all thanks to your love and support. This community is wonderful!
Hi krishk,
Sorry to hear you have been unwell but really pleased to hear you are now well again.
You have done so well in a relatively short time so feel proud of yourself [clapping]. I personally wouldn't think of cheating yet, in fact I'm not intending to cheat at all for some time to come (it has been less than 3 months for me on low carb), but may in the coming months but if I do it will be a small amount of whatever and I will still test.
Low Carb for me now is definitely a lifestyle change.
That's amazing progress and I congratulate you for it, and for your determination.
Wonderful news.Hello Everyone,
I am sharing my results with you all, as this progress would not have been possible without your help.
HbA1C went from 9% to 5.6%.
I also lost 22 kgs.
ALT and AST are within limits too.
I need to work on my Cholesterol levels, as they are still out of range, but not by much.
I went to see my doctor, and he said: "No treatment is required, just be active and keep healthy habits."
At first, It was difficult to ditch the foods I loved, but now, I don't miss them. I am enjoying this new life and quite happy with the results. Thank you so much for all the help.
Thank you so much, means a lotWonderful news.
All credit to you for trying AND sticking with it
So very pleased for you .
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