One Year Living With Type 2 Diabetes

Grateful

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,398
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
On the one-year anniversary of my Type 2 diabetes diagnosis, time to take stock.

First, an update: my annual medical was today, and within hours the HbA1c results came in at 31 (5.0%). My last two tests (three months ago, and six months ago) registered a 30 (4.9%) which is statistically the same as today's test, considering the margin of error. I'm also all set for a foot check tomorrow, and an eye check next week.

After sticking to a very-low-carb diet for the first 10 months post-diagnosis, I deliberately "eased off" slightly in the past couple of months, to see whether it would make any difference to the HbA1c. I was originally at fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day; in fact in the first two months after diagnosis it was also strictly portion-controlled and thus came in at below 30 grams.

Two months ago I started adding two things: a daily square of 85%-cocoa chocolate (4 grams of carbs) and, more substantially, a pint of good German Weissbier about five days per week (about 18 grams of carbs per pint). So my current diet, as of the past two months, is "fewer than 70 grams of carbs" per day.

About seven months after being diagnosed (and going on the low-carb diet) I discovered this forum. It really is a wonderful place to get information and, crucially, boost one's motivation to stick to a low-carb, moderate-exercise lifestyle. I dove in with both feet and very much enjoyed learning, and sharing. Eventually though I found that I was spending an awful lot of time thinking about diabetes. After "backing off" somewhat, I seem to have found a better balance.

One year after getting the dreadful news that I had T2, there are now some days when I don't think about diabetes at all -- something that would have been unthinkable a year ago!!! The low-carb, healthy-exercise lifestyle has become such a matter of course that I don't always remember that my changed lifestyle is really a "treatment" for a chronic disease.

I spend far less of my time obsessing about "why diabetes, why me?" and that's just as well because "life" has, coincidentally, become much busier on both the personal and business fronts (good news in both cases). The downside of being so busy is I have let my exercise routine slip (partly because of being busy, partly because it is so cold this winter in the USA and my exercise consists of walking); and I am stressed and not getting much sleep. It does not seem to have affected my HbA1c (yet!) but in the long run I do need to get back into a healthier routine.

Thank you so much for the help and support you have given me, and others, on this forum.
 
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hankjam

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,270
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I write this in the best possible way but..... you've been a good add to the forum.
May your future years carry on your good year.
 
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bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Great news and well done!
Don't be a stranger now pop in and see us otherwise we'll feel all left out.
 
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Grateful

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,398
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Thank you so much for your encouragement and the lovely posts. A couple of things worth mentioning:

Firstly, I was worried that the somewhat higher fat in the diet, and the greater consumption of things like eggs (which I never used to eat at all!) would affect my cholesterol (lipid) figures. In fact, the figures improved compared to a year ago, which I don't quite understand but who cares? I was nowhere near the supposed "danger zone" anyway (a year ago, and today) but at least that is one less thing for the doctors to obsess about.

Secondly, constipation. This went away completely, coinciding with the aforementioned daily addition of (a) a small quantity of chocolate and (b) a pint of beer. This is a not-insignificant lifestyle improvement, as it was quite a problem when I was "very low carb."
 
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Rachox

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
15,808
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Well done! Good to hear your news.
I have just one comment, the USA always seems to do things bigger. Your one square of 85% cocoa chocolate must be large! My one square of Tesco 85% chocolate is only 1.9g carbs! :joyful:
 

lindijanice

Well-Known Member
Messages
433
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hey @Grateful, I am so happy for you and glad you shared your success of today and along the way.....you have been so helpful with sharing your knowledge, posing great questions for discussion and given us some fun tid bits along the way too! I am a fan and wish you all the best! Blessings/L
 
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Grateful

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,398
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
My one square of Tesco 85% chocolate is only 1.9g carbs! :joyful:

Mine is Lindt 85%. It is 15 grams of carbs per "portion" which is defined on the packet as "four squares." Dividing by four and rounding up, it is 4 grams per square. I must say it is delicious with my after-lunch black coffee -- and I say this as someone who, pre-diabetes, didn't like chocolate and didn't eat it! Funny how one's tastes change. (Strangely enough, even though it is delicious I feel no urge to eat another square.)

I have just one comment, the USA always seems to do things bigger.

One square of that Lindt, bought in an American supermarket, measures 40mm by 35mm and is 4mm thick. It weighs 11 grams on my kitchen scales.

I don't suppose the carb difference with Tesco has anything to do with the difference in the way carbs are measured on the two sides of the Atlantic?
 

Rachox

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
15,808
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Mine is Lindt 85%. It is 15 grams of carbs per "portion" which is defined on the packet as "four squares." Dividing by four and rounding up, it is 4 grams per square. I must say it is delicious with my after-lunch black coffee -- and I say this as someone who, pre-diabetes, didn't like chocolate and didn't eat it! Funny how one's tastes change. (Strangely enough, even though it is delicious I feel no urge to eat another square.)



One square of that Lindt, bought in an American supermarket, measures 40mm by 35mm and is 4mm thick. It weighs 11 grams on my kitchen scales.

I don't suppose the carb difference with Tesco has anything to do with the difference in the way carbs are measured on the two sides of the Atlantic?

I’m in bed now, I’ll try to remember to measure a square of my Tesco chocolate tomorrow! :D
 
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pleinster

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,631
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
ignorance
On the one-year anniversary of my Type 2 diabetes diagnosis, time to take stock.

First, an update: my annual medical was today, and within hours the HbA1c results came in at 31 (5.0%). My last two tests (three months ago, and six months ago) registered a 30 (4.9%) which is statistically the same as today's test, considering the margin of error. I'm also all set for a foot check tomorrow, and an eye check next week.

After sticking to a very-low-carb diet for the first 10 months post-diagnosis, I deliberately "eased off" slightly in the past couple of months, to see whether it would make any difference to the HbA1c. I was originally at fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day; in fact in the first two months after diagnosis it was also strictly portion-controlled and thus came in at below 30 grams.

Two months ago I started adding two things: a daily square of 85%-cocoa chocolate (4 grams of carbs) and, more substantially, a pint of good German Weissbier about five days per week (about 18 grams of carbs per pint). So my current diet, as of the past two months, is "fewer than 70 grams of carbs" per day.

About seven months after being diagnosed (and going on the low-carb diet) I discovered this forum. It really is a wonderful place to get information and, crucially, boost one's motivation to stick to a low-carb, moderate-exercise lifestyle. I dove in with both feet and very much enjoyed learning, and sharing. Eventually though I found that I was spending an awful lot of time thinking about diabetes. After "backing off" somewhat, I seem to have found a better balance.

One year after getting the dreadful news that I had T2, there are now some days when I don't think about diabetes at all -- something that would have been unthinkable a year ago!!! The low-carb, healthy-exercise lifestyle has become such a matter of course that I don't always remember that my changed lifestyle is really a "treatment" for a chronic disease.

I spend far less of my time obsessing about "why diabetes, why me?" and that's just as well because "life" has, coincidentally, become much busier on both the personal and business fronts (good news in both cases). The downside of being so busy is I have let my exercise routine slip (partly because of being busy, partly because it is so cold this winter in the USA and my exercise consists of walking); and I am stressed and not getting much sleep. It does not seem to have affected my HbA1c (yet!) but in the long run I do need to get back into a healthier routine.

Thank you so much for the help and support you have given me, and others, on this forum.

That's great; I really enjoyed reading about your progress. I have eased off a little (ok...quite bit really) on my low carb diet too...I think things are creeping up a wee bit but nothing I can't handle. With you on the beer with dinner; a Franziskaner every few days is a lovely bonus.
 
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Grateful

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,398
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I have eased off a little (ok...quite bit really) on my low carb diet too...I think things are creeping up a wee bit but nothing I can't handle.

With the benefit of hindsight, perhaps I did it the right way (with diabetes ... with most of the rest of Life, not so expert!). If I have any advice to give, it would be to "go for the extremes" initially to find out what the low-carb + exercise regimen can achieve. Once this has happened, the (very interesting) question is: "Did I go too far?" Then it becomes a question of experimenting with one's own body, by selectively adjusting the diet. Scary really -- but at least with T2D some of us get the option to control this ourselves. There are lots of other chronic diseases where only the medical profession can deal with it....