Not diagnosed diabetic but advice please

[LeiLei]

Hi I am new to the site, I am a high risk for type 2 diabete, had gestational diabetes, family history and I’m overweight. Just had bloods done, I get them checked yearly. The nurse has wrote a letter to my GP saying everything is normal and no action needed. Hb1ac 39 but fasting blood glucose was 6.5 which I thought might be a bit high? I have a meter but haven’t tested for over a year since I was told that the gestational diabetes had gone. I get some symptoms of hypos regularly if I don’t eat for a few hours and migraines, so find it hard to lose weight. Just hoping for a bit of advice seen as though the GP surgery says everything is fine, thanks Leigh

 

[Guzzler]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Tagging @daisy1 for the info pack offered to all newcomers.

You have what is known as high normal A1c. Strangely, I love this type of post because it shows a person that is willing to step up to the mark when it comes to avoiding Pre Diabetes or Type 2 Diabetes. Good on You!

You are right that having had GD and a family history puts you at higher risk but with just a few changes you can lower that risk by miles. I used LCHF (Low Carb High Fats) to improve my Diabetes and many members here have put their Diabetes (T2) into remission using this lifestyle change.

Have a wander around the forum and ask as many questions as you like.

 

[LeiLei]

Oh thank you so much, I will have a good look around especially for some food advice, need to lose weight but find food that keeps me full so will take ideas on board, thanks again, leigh

 

[Tophat1900]

I echo what @Guzzler said, I'm also a low carber and this has done more to improve my health, diabetic health as well as overall health. Low carb high fat doesn't just improve diabetic rick factors, it has imo far reaching benefits.

 

[LeiLei]

I echo what @Guzzler said, I'm also a low carber and this has done more to improve my health, diabetic health as well as overall health. Low carb high fat doesn't just improve diabetic rick factors, it has imo far reaching benefits.

Thank you, it’s certainly a bit alien to me having base meals around low carbs, I eat far too much bread and pasta. Also I feel like falling asleep after a main meal I wonder if it’s the carbs. I will have a look for the low carb high fat diet advice, thanks Leigh

 

[Tophat1900]

Thank you, it’s certainly a bit alien to me having base meals around low carbs, I eat far too much bread and pasta. Also I feel like falling asleep after a main meal I wonder if it’s the carbs. I will have a look for the low carb high fat diet advice, thanks Leigh

Guzzler tagged daisy1 who will post a basic starter info page to this thread for you, so there will be some good advice coming.

 

[Rachox]

Hi Leigh and welcome. Another low carber here! Not only will you keep your blood sugars under control but you’ll probably lose weight too. Lower your carbs and increase fats to a level that stops you getting hungry. I’ve lost nearly 6 1/2 stone since my type 2 diagnosis The sleepiness after meals, I remember vividly, ‘carb coma’ I have heard it called, I don’t get that any longer. Migraines also benefit from lower carb diets, @Goonergal got rid of hers completely.

 

[LeiLei]

Guzzler tagged daisy1 who will post a basic starter info page to this thread for you, so there will be some good advice coming.

Ah great thank you

 

[LeiLei]

Hi Leigh and welcome. Another low carber here! Not only will you keep your blood sugars under control but you’ll probably lose weight too. Lower your carbs and increase fats to a level that stops you getting hungry. I’ve lost nearly 6 1/2 stone since my type 2 diagnosis The sleepiness after meals, I remember vividly, ‘carb coma’ I have heard it called, I don’t get that any longer. Migraines also benefit from lower carb diets, @Goonergal got rid of hers completely.

Ah wow well done for losing the weight! That’s great that you can change diet to get rid of the high sugars. I need to lose 3 or 4 stone so hopefully it will help me when I lower the carbs. Yes if I eat my main meal on a night I have to go to bed 10 mins later, it’s a running joke in my house lol! Thank you for the advice, Leigh

 

[KK123]

Ah wow well done for losing the weight! That’s great that you can change diet to get rid of the high sugars. I need to lose 3 or 4 stone so hopefully it will help me when I lower the carbs. Yes if I eat my main meal on a night I have to go to bed 10 mins later, it’s a running joke in my house lol! Thank you for the advice, Leigh

Hi LeiLei, I'm not sure that being so tired is necessarily down to the carbs you are eating, if you haven't already, I would mention it to your Doctor. I only say this because before diagnosis, I was having naps at odd times during the day to the extent that it became 'normal', once on medication though that went away entirely. I had put it down to the menopause but it was nothing to do with that. I note you are young in your 30's so as I say, it could be down to anything. x

 

[LeiLei]

Hi LeiLei, I'm not sure that being so tired is necessarily down to the carbs you are eating, if you haven't already, I would mention it to your Doctor. I only say this because before diagnosis, I was having naps at odd times during the day to the extent that it became 'normal', once on medication though that went away entirely. I had put it down to the menopause but it was nothing to do with that. I note you are young in your 30's so as I say, it could be down to anything. x

Hi thank you for replying, I mentioned it to the nurse who then ordered for a fasting blood test but maybe I could say to the doctor as well, been really tired for the last year, but put it down to having young kids. My folate was low last year so might be that again, hope you are keeping well, thanks again x

 

[LeiLei]

I guess as well I’m wondering should I start to check my blood sugar again every month or so to see if it’s ok, or not to bother? I remember after having GD my fasting was always in the 6’s. thank you all for your help, Leigh

 

[Bluetit1802]

I guess as well I’m wondering should I start to check my blood sugar again every month or so to see if it’s ok, or not to bother? I remember after having GD my fasting was always in the 6’s. thank you all for your help, Leigh

Once a month or so is not worth bothering. You need to test several times a day until you manage to sort out an eating plan that will stop you progressing to T2 diabetes, help you lose weight, stop you falling asleep after meals, and help with the migraines. Testing before you eat and again 2 hours after your first bite will show you instantly what that food has done to your blood sugar levels. Used alongside a food diary you will see patterns emerging that show you which foods your body is not coping with too well and give you chance to tweak some of your choices. Once you have sorted out your danger foods, you could progress to just testing your morning fasting level each day immediately you get out of bed and wash your hands - before any other activities. There is no point whatsoever in testing at any old random time as it teaches you nothing, and does not help.

 

[LeiLei]

Ah right thank you, I’m pleased I asked. When I had GD I tested similar to what you advise and got high readings after meals. I will take your advice and start doing the food diary as well as testing, just need to get sorted and feel better! Thank you again, Leigh

 

[Stephen Lewis]

Welcome LeiLei. I wish that I had the help and advice from the forum 13 years ago when I was first diagnosed as pre-diabetic. It would have saved a lot of drugs and a lot of health issues. To keep the story short, since going low carb last July I have lost about 20 lbs in weight, stopped using insulin and cut my medication in half. Most of this achieved with help from this forum and the Low Carb Program. Find out what works for you and stick to it. You will benefit a lot in future.

 

[LeiLei]

Welcome LeiLei. I wish that I had the help and advice from the forum 13 years ago when I was first diagnosed as pre-diabetic. It would have saved a lot of drugs and a lot of health issues. To keep the story short, since going low carb last July I have lost about 20 lbs in weight, stopped using insulin and cut my medication in half. Most of this achieved with help from this forum and the Low Carb Program. Find out what works for you and stick to it. You will benefit a lot in future.

Thank you for your reply, wow I’m glad you are doing better now and that’s great to know that there is great support here and the low carb plans, will definitely have to look at that more. Keeping a food diary sounds like the way to go as well, and try and look after myself more. I find if I miss a meal, I look for the nearest sugary thing to help me feel better as the shakiness can come on quickly. Thanks again, Leigh

 

[Stephen Lewis]

FYI The Low Carb Program has a database of thousands of food items and meals with their carb content. A very easy way to keep a food diary which I do for every meal and snack.

 

[LeiLei]

FYI The Low Carb Program has a database of thousands of food items and meals with their carb content. A very easy way to keep a food diary which I do for every meal and snack.

Great thank you will have a look at that

 

[daisy1]

@LeiLei
Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it interesting and helpful.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
  
  
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
  

 

[LeiLei]

@LeiLei
Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it interesting and helpful.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
  
  
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.

Great, thank you for the info and advice, Leigh