Newly diagnosed

[Finzi]

Hello everyone.
First off I find this site confusing............. I'm not replying............ I'm trying to communicate for the first time! Am I getting through? Will I find you again?
Last October I was told I was pre diabetic with a reading of 7 and 6 the year before, or perhaps the numbers were the other way around. Kidney test was normal. Since then I have become really careful with what I eat, no sugar, no or v little white carbs and trying to exercise more but the weight is actually coming off but v slowly. The news was really disappointing as I love beans, lentils etc, and have my own allotment so masses of vegetables were the norm. Bread was my downfall and I do miss it dreadfully. I'm 65 and about three stone overweight for the last 20 years or more. I was told nothing about glucose monitoring and the advice for another glucose test was next year with just the advice to lose weight and avoid sweet stuff
I take a v low dose statin and a v low dose high b pressure med. I feel well but do have fluttery feelings in my legs and sensations in my feet.
I would really appreciate advice. Should I go back to the GP? THanks, Hester

Hi Hester and welcome! You are getting through! But if you are able to work out how to post your own thread that would be even better because sometimes posts get a bit "lost" at the bottom of someone else's thread.

I think my advice if you haven't already got one is to buy a carb counting book like Collins Gem. You've been told to avoid sweet stuff, which is good as far as it goes, but there is a lot more to cutting down on carbs than avoiding sweet stuff. Continue having a read around the forum, particularly the section about low carb diet. You could try talking to your GP as well, but particularly since you are only pre-diabetic I'm not sure they will be a fan of glucose monitoring - some GP's even discourage diagnosed type 2's from monitoring. I'm not saying you shouldn't monitor though - but perhaps find out more about low carbing first, and adjust your diet if necessary, and then see how you do.

I think it's unlikely that the sensations in your legs and feet are related to diabetes, with the figures that you've got.


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[Yorksman]

Hi Hester,
I get flutters and pains and cramps in my legs. My GP said everyone gets those which made me think he was not taking it seriously. I tried coming off my statins, it didn't make much difference. I tried coming of the diuretics, again no difference and then I got diagnosed with diabetes. I thought that must be it. However, since the diagnosis I have been doing some fairly simple legs exercises and they have disappeared almost completely.

I have no idea whether it is due to improved circulation or carrying less weight but can imagine that doing less and less activity over the years caused the problem. Diabetes on the other hand appears to mostly affect the extremities, especially your toes. Your BG levels don't sound high and I think you have to have much higher levels for a long period of time before you get problems. Have a look on the web for some leg and calf stretching exercises, eg.

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/ ... tches.html

Give that sort of thing a go and see if it helps. I also eat a small banana every day. They are high in potassium which is good for blood flow.

 

[hester]

Thank you, those who replied. I'm happy to have been found! Yes, I'm obsessed with carbs but dont get the bit about fat......... seems recommended? That would be nice tho of course I understand the relationshipp to losing weight which I do need to take seriously. It is a wonderful thing to see the reduction nearly every day, and I nearly look forward to getting the feet on the floor and onto the scales!
I do feel I have'nt had much guidance from the nurse at my doctor's practice, ie was told I had rung before when I rang a second time after initially getting the fasting glucose result. I live in Ireland and at least was'nt told to eat lots of starchy stuff! Your NHS should be sued because of the advice they give out- people must be dying or at least v ill because of them.
I've been taking chromium and Vit B and eating cinnamon each day. I presume having a piece of cake in a friend's house occasionally is'nt too criminal?
Once again, thank you. I really feel the support. Hester

 

[Yorksman]

Yes, I'm obsessed with carbs but dont get the bit about fat......... seems recommended?

As far as I remember you have to be very strict on your carbs if you eat a lot of fat. Even if you are eating lower than usual amounts of carbs, the fat will cause you to put weight on. The basic idea is that by restricting carbs, your body is forced to burn body fat to obtain energy. This is a diet strategy though and not quite the same as low carbs for diabetes. Eating few carbs because of diabetes is about lowering blood sugar levels. The two methods are sort of going to achieve the same result but it is important to know which one you are doing and not pinch a bit from one diet and a bit from the other diet. But, what do know. I have a banana every day. Bananas are banned on just about every diet there is.

 

[Finzi]

Hester, as far as weight loss is concerned, I have a LOT more to lose than you, and I haven't particularly been shying away from fats (and have easily lost around 8kg in two weeks, without ever feeling hungry or having any cravings). What I don't know is whether it affects cholesterol/lipid levels - I had high triglycerides and LDL cholesterol prior to starting low carbing, was offered statins but am seeing whether taking Benecol every day will improve them, and when I have my next cholesterol check I will reevaluate.

On a low carb diet, a lot of the really bad fats like trans fats are likely to feature much less anyway - they are often in cakes and pastries and things like that. The fats I eat are healthy natural fats like olive oil, sunflower seeds, nuts, avocado. I'm certainly losing weight on them, without giving it any thought at all. Again, butter I would mostly have on bread, and now that I don't eat bread any more, it doesn't really arise. I might fry something in it occasionally, but that's about it.


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