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Struggling to get to grips with T2

M

MaviesDavies2

Active Member
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39
Hey
Hoping someone else out there can relate or support with my struggles….

Diagnosed with T2 in the last 12 m following some eye sight concerns. Also had gestations diabetes about 6 years ago.

My problem is: eating. And a love/hate relationship with exercise.

I am very overweight at the moment, but have also been slimmer and fit in the past. (Eg I was running during my last pregnancy, eating well etc). I’ve been on some psych meds since the birth which make weight loss super-hard.

Going on a diet/controlling or monitoring food is really triggering for me; I did the WW plan around the time of my diagnosis to help with my blood count and lost some weight but it was super-stressful for me, and I ended up putting the weight back on, and a wee bit more just for luck. Fan-bloody-tastic.

I guess I have a bit of an eating disorder, not bulimia or anorexia, just over eating or secret eating, without an internal ‘stop!!’ button.

My bloods are still too high, way too high, despite medication. The chances of me having a hypo are non-existent.

I am most definitely not in control of this condition. I know I should be eating low/no carb, high protein, veggies… but I don’t. I continue to eat sweet food in secret, eat loads of carbs, and pretend nothing is wrong despite my blood glucose readings.

The idea of losing limbs/eyesight and having poor health longer-term does not appear to be enough of a driver for change.

What should I do?! Can anyone else relate to this?
 
Maybe don't try to tackle the entire mountain. As you are clearly knowledgeable, you might attack one "bad" food at a time, by gradually lessening the intake? That would not shock your metabolism so much AND you would have some sense of achievement. Believe me, Type 1s have the same problem - been there, but didn't keep the T-shirt!
 
I am T2 as well and large woman however mine is t2 steroid induced.. my excercise is non existent as i am in wheelchair .. i love crisps and have cut down and dont really eat that many sweets.. my down fall is fruit as i eat tons of fruit.. so have had to cut down and i hate not eating fruit, not really into veg.. so i started with one fruit and started to cut that down and when it didnt bother i started on another.. i got my h1 down to 49.. then i had to go on steroids again and its shot up.. it seems everything i like diabetes doesnt
 
Wow. You’ve just described ME.

I love food - obsessively so and always feel like I deserve it! I don’t suffer with *any* guilt after overeating, just feel a bit full… Although I have noticed as of late that nothing seems to really satisfy me. A trip to the supermarket means two doughnuts in the car; a tough day at work means swinging by McDonald’s because you know, I deserve it. I could go on…

My recent HbA1C came back as 93. This is despite me being an intelligent, hard-working, well-read person who has known about keto and fasting since 2014. I even successfully brought my sugar levels down to the high 40s with a low carb diet in 2017! I knew my most recent result would come back high as I felt AWFUL. The doc prescribed a ‘sugar glue’ tablet (I forget the name now) and after reading 536 reviews I decided that there was no way this tablet would pass my lips. I’m happy to take the Metformin though as I’ve never had any issues with it. So, I had to have a stern word with myself: I either carry on the way I am - with zero energy- and risk amputation, blindness and God knows what else or take my own ‘tablet.’

For the last two weeks or so I’ve been low carbing. Not keto (might get there one day) but low carbing at about 60g a day. I’m the same as you: tell me I can’t have something and I want it. Now. But I have focused on eating higher fat and lower carb with the sole purpose of eliminating or at least controlling to some extent the constant need for food in my brain. No calories, no snacking, just eating lovely food that *I* like. Yes, it takes a bit of planning, but not a lot! There’s some things that have worked, some that haven’t but I’m getting there. And by no means have I been perfect but oh my goodness, do I feel better! I’m still big! I still have aches and pains because my sugars are probably still high but dammit, in 10 weeks, I want to go back to the doc and tell him I haven’t taken the new tablet but followed a low carb regime and I cannot wait to see the number.

I would say: you have to try something. And low fat and calorie counting might just trigger you into overeating but have a go at the low carb, simple lifestyle. Just about to have my burgers and avocado with some coleslaw. Let us know what you decide, if you do decide anything
 
I think we all have some vices. I still stay up too late at night and perhaps over train workouts...but I have been able to gradually reduce the amount of cheese, nuts and berries - the nuts I was doing at least a bowl a day at one time.

As I have accepted that higher cholesterol has the chances of keeping you alive and well just as much as so called "normal" or low, this has provided the route to some of my results, by letting meat out of jail. I now eat delicious breakfasts and dinner which provides full nutrition, satiety and maintains fat stability. There is no room in my lifestyle diet for garbage.

Today for breakfast: home made air fried seasoned burgers, lightly seasoned turkey with eggs
for dinner (at a clients office): More turkey, chicken makhani curry, eggs and pork puffs



OMG, the flavours. I purposefully no longer have berries after dinner and have no need to snack, as I have these with the meal. I do eat low carb veg, but not much, as meat and fish work for me.

The order of burning foods are:

  1. Alcohol
  2. Exogenous ketones
  3. Carbs
  4. Protein
  5. Dietary fat
  6. Body fat
I have had about half a glass of alcohol in 5 years, I really don't want it, so having the minimal carbs gets me to point 6 quickly. I have 100% dark chocolate most days, coconut pancakes, waffles and a favourite of mine is almond crumble with cold greek yogurt and strawberries. I suggest just find proteins you can eat lots of to displace other stuff.
 
Once you do a couple of weeks it really does get easier. I used to have chocolate and takeaways all the time but rarely think about them now. Good luck you can do it
 

Oh my, you have me in tears.

Yes. I do have to try something. I’m fed up with being exhausted (I can literally sleep all day between school runs, and sleep at night too). I really appreciate you coming back to me (and everyone else who has replied). It’s also reassuring (in a weird way) to hear that your journey has not been linear.

You are also right about low fat/calorie counting being a short cut to hell for me. I will do a bit of looking into your suggestions, thank you. Having to focus on doing everything at once (Lose weight! Eat better! Get exercising! Do it all now!) is also just overwhelming. If I could happily do all that, well, I probably wouldn’t flippin be in this spot would I? I’d much rather be sharing a bag of doughnuts in the car with you
 

As a T1 with some mild T2 genetics (thanks T2 dad) I struggle with my weight a bit, hovering on the overweight/obese borderline (currently on the right side of it but only just).

I long ago decided that I'd prioritise my blood sugar over my weight and by low carbing I can still snack when I'm hungry but keep my blood sugars and weight from ballooning out.
Sugar is addictive though, so it is totally understandable that you find it difficult to stop the cravings for it.

It's a journey, sometimes with some setbacks. Good luck with yours. Lots of virtual hugs.
 
MaviesDavies2 said:
The idea of losing limbs/eyesight and having poor health longer-term does not appear to be enough of a driver for change.

What should I do?! Can anyone else relate to this?
Click to expand...

For me the diagnosis alone was the trigger I needed, others differ, like yourself.
If you are not worrying about future complications I wonder if there's an undiagnosed depression at play.
Akin to an alcoholic, who knows what damage their doing, but cannot stop.

You need to find a reset button.
A major push for me was guy on Reddit who bemoaned the fact he couldn't get a Tinder date once he revealed he was on dialysis for uncontrolled diabetes.
Later he admitted he erectile dysfunction so he gave up on Tinder, blaming the women.
Finally I read he'd lost sight in one eye, the other was in difficulty, all he blamed was the diabetes, never himself, he was 33.

If that didn't shock me into action nothing would.
 
I started with concentrating first on what I ate. Low carb/keto. No grains, no root vegetables. You can always be more detailed as time goes on but start easy.
I didn’t start exercising in the formal sense at the same time. I just concentrated on what I ate. Once you feel better, not necessarily losing weight, just not as tired and thinking more clearly you can assess what kind of exercise you would like to incorporate into your day. It doesn’t have to be going to the gym or anything extreme. You can be healthy with walking and other light exercises.
 
Make lifestyle changes as easy as you can for yourself.

If it isn't in the home, you can't eat it. If you share the home with someone non-diabetic (I do) who likes the things you can't eat, make an arrangement with them to make it easier for you, however you do. You will find that carbs/sugar lose their addictive appeal quite soon as long as you see them as the enemy and have plenty of suitable things to eat.

Take cash when you go food shopping and only buy what is good for you. So easy to overspend with card/phone payments, so centering with cash. If the shop doesn't take cash, go to those that do.

Early stages need support, and we are all here to support you.
 

Haha! I bloody love doughnuts! I think I always will…


Lots of good advice here: don’t try it all at once. I would add to that not to let perfection get in the way of progress. Little bits here and there will all add up. I just went that little bit longer with the dog. I had a slice of lemon drizzle cake yesterday at work (I would normally put away a whole cake every few days so…) but when I got home I didn’t let it derail me. Things like that. But, worth adding that this is only possible because my foods are high in protein and to and extent, fat.

Yea - the sleep thing. I’m the same. And you know that’s not right. I can nap for Britain but that’s improving too


All the best! x
 

Hi MaviesDavies2,

Here is a quick First Aid guide, inspired by Dr David Cavan who wrote a great book called Reverse your Diabetes,
You can follow this guide by choosing at least 2-3 changes you can experiment and implement immediately to control your blood sugar levels, get you feeling better and set you on the path to taking control of your diabetes in less than 14 days.

Set yourself a goal for the next two weeks to implement 2-3 changes and stick to your commitment before adding other ones. If 2-3 is too overwhelming, try with 1 change for now.

You can generate quick wins through easy smart swaps and improvements (eat less sugar and starchy foods, get more active) that will make a huge difference in: your blood sugar levels, how you are feeling physically and emotionally, your weight.

Drinks:
Reduce or stop using sugar in tea or coffees use sweeteners like Xylitol or Erythritol
Stop drinking sweet drinks such as juices, squashes and soda drinks as they are packed with sugar. Make a smoothie instead with water or any unsweetened milk of your choice with fruits of your choice. Unlike fresh made juices, smoothies keep fibres which slow sugar absorption in the bloodstream preventing spikes.
Cut down on alcohol especially those highly concentrated in carbohydrates such as beer, cider or sweet wines.

Foods:
Reduce your consumption of cakes, biscuits, jam, sweets and chocolate have them as an occasional treat.
Eat less potatoes which includes fries and chips, rice, pasta and bread as they are high in carbohydrates.
Eat more fresh vegetables such as a broccoli, cabbage, red and green peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, lettuce, cauliflower and fresh fruit such as apples, pears, and tangerines
Start cutting down on the size of your usual portions, look at the food label typical serving size that is a good benchmark.
Reduce fruit yogurts and replace with plain Greek yogurt in combo with fresh fruits like blueberries, kiwis, plum, peach, apples


Exercise:
If you are not already active, try walking 15 minutes every day and gradually add 5 minutes as you ease into it.
Walk or cycle instead of using the car or public transport for short journeys
Use stairs instead of lifts or escalators where possible
Ideally you want to have ~ 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day to burn off that glucose you have in excess.

Some key messages here:
Nothing is banned, it is all about making the healthy choice the smart choice by swapping, cutting down, eating in moderation.
Progression over perfection
Incremental small changes can lead to a large cumulative effect.
Enjoyment and empowerment through conscious choices over frustration, resentment and guilt.

Hope this will give you some pointers to start your journey, any help or motivation that you need. Give me a shout!
Kind regards,
Malika
 

Thank you so much for this advice, I appreciate you taking the time to reply at length! I will print this out and read. First Aid is definitely required, and yes! I will seek you out for motivation. Thanks again.
 
I’m in the same boat. Was diagnosed 4 years ago and it shocked me into a low carb diet, and I lost around 3 stone. Gradually ‘treats’ crept back it and now my bloods are out of control, even though I’ve kept the weight off and eat nowhere near as badly as I used to.

I feel like I’m in denial. I don’t test my bloods and I’m always thinking “I’ll get back on track after this weekend, this tough time at work, when life has settled down etc” but I never do.

It feels like a moral failing and I’m ashamed of myself and worried about what the future looks like when complications enter the fray.
 
MaviesDavies2 said:
Thank you so much for this advice, I appreciate you taking the time to reply at length! I will print this out and read. First Aid is definitely required, and yes! I will seek you out for motivation. Thanks again.
Click to expand...

You're very welcome MaviesDavies2 ! Also, I wanted to share one thing about why aiming to lose weight is important to manage diabetes effectively and possibly achieve remission and particularly where exactly to lose weight as it seems like we don't talk about it enough. If you are on a journey to lose weight, try target in priority the fat stored around the organs in the abdomen especially the liver and the pancreas. This will allow the organs to work normally again and leading to reversal of type-2 diabetes and namely insulin resistance. Below are some information to explain the why behind it:

A research published in 2011 by Professor Roy Taylor of Newcastle University shows that excess fat in the liver is a significant factor contributing to the development of diabetes. When there is excess fat in the liver, it makes the liver resistant to insulin which means that insulin can no longer stop glucose leaving the liver and entering the bloodstream. Doctor David Cavan, a consultant Physician at Bournemouth Diabetes and Endocrine centre describes it as “the insulin tap becoming leaky letting glucose levels rise in the blood”.

Here is how the vicious circle begins: in order to compensate for this misfunctioning, the pancreas produces more insulin. One of the effects of high insulin levels is that even more fat gets deposited in the liver which in turn worsens the problem. Over time, not only does the liver become filled with fat but so does the pancreas. A liver full of fat cannot work properly and so does the pancreas which is filled with fat can no longer function properly in producing insulin.

In many people with type-2 diabetes, excess fat in the abdomen is what seems to be causing diabetes, first it makes the liver resistant to insulin so that blood glucose levels rise and then by affecting the pancreas so that it cannot produce any more insulin. Therefore, when aiming to lose weight, try target in priority the fat stored around the organs in the abdomen especially the liver and the pancreas. This will allow the organs to work normally again and leading to reversal of Diabetes and namely insulin resistance. Some exercises that can help to lose belly fat are: Walking at quick pace, Swimming, Plank, Side plank hip lifts, Lying Leg Raises, Standing abs, Crunches, Bicycle crunches, Russian twists, Burpees, Sprawls, Mountain climbers.

Hope this will give you some insights as to why losing weight is important to manage diabetes effectively and more so burning the fat around the abdomen.

Kind regards.
Malika
 

Well said Hotpepper20000, one step at a time, it is all about starting somewhere using intention and goals setting, taking small actions each day, every week that get you closer to where you want to be. Walking is the best exercise and starting point to a healthier you. For those who are aiming to walk more, there is the one million step challenge organised by Diabetes UK starting in July and running through September. They have a Facebook group discussion to help with accountability and motivation. I have joined the challenge and looking forward to it.
 
Replying to Leftpeg

I am so sorry to hear that! But you simply aren’t a bad person or a failure. We need food to survive, and steering clear of the less healthy stuff is hard, really flippin hard. If it was easy, we would all be the weight we wanted to be, and there wouldn’t be a million diet books and plans out there.

I don’t have the answer, obvs, but it’s a relief to hear that someone else is on the bus with me.
 
I can totally relate… I’m 2 months into a diabetes diagnosis…when I was told, it was not a surprise, more like I’d just been waiting for it. ‘Traditional Diets’ (WW, Slimming World etc) are a total scam… which I realised when I finally noticed that over all the years I’d been stopping and then re-starting at these diet groups I would ALWAYS end up seeing the same faces…because they don’t work! And the obsession with counting is just an invitation to disordered eating/attitudes to food. As to what will help, try reading The Obesity Code by Jason Fung, it’s an absolute eye opener and knowledge is power! As you’ve done low carb before you know the only way out is through…quit the sugar/processed carbs for a couple of weeks and you will be feeling so much better. Everything you’ve written is what I’ve experienced…now, for the first time in a very long time, my body feels ….calm… you know what to do, you just need to take that step.
 
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