Sweet spot blood levels vs lifestyle?

m_s_h

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi All,

What levels should I aim for vs lifestyle?

I was diagnosed Dec 2021. Bit of a shock given I’ve always gymmed, cycled, walked etc. I’d put on a stone when gyms closed during Covid, yet l had trained down to where BMI was bavk in normal range. Or so I thought, my body had started burning muscle and my HbA1c was 100. That said I always did like a dessert, or 3 and chocolate.

I’ve been put on metformin, made some serious diet swaps, no sugar in coffee, quit desserts, most meals weekdays low/no carb (steak/chicken veg) and morning numbers are now 6.5-7. I weigh 12 and half stone, 32 waist. I want to put muscle back on not lose more. Losing more weight to get numbers down won’t happen, I’ve not a huge amount of excess fat to lose.

I’ve had additional tests I’m type 2 (not LADA)

In some Facebook groups the aim is below 30 grams carbs daily, complete reversal

In others photos of chips/bread with loads of likes.

I have no idea where I should be aiming.

I like a few beers once a week (or used to I’ve done it twice in 4 months), I like a curry and rice, i like a 3 course meal once a week eating what I want, yet I don’t want to go blind or lose a limb.

Can I go out eat/drink once/twice a week, stick with a morning reading of 6.5-7 due to cycling/walking/gym 5 x a week and mon- Fri healthy eats, sacrifices and diet swaps. Or is 6.5-7 to high?

Or should I be going all out, sacrificing/dramatically changing my once/twice a week night out with guys, hardcore carb cut 363 days a year (birthday/Xmas) and trying to get under HbA1c of 5.6 and get off meds at all costs?

Opt a v b? Where’s the sweet spot?

Cheers

Mark
 
Last edited:

HSSS

Expert
Messages
7,465
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi All,

What levels should I aim for vs lifestyle?

I was diagnosed Dec 2021. Bit of a shock given I’ve always gymmed, cycled, walked etc. I’d put on a stone when gyms closed during Covid, yet l had trained down to where BMI was bavk in normal range. Or so I thought, my body had started burning muscle and my HbA1c was 100. That said I always did like a dessert, or 3 and chocolate.

I’ve been put on metformin, made some serious diet swaps, no sugar in coffee, quit desserts, most meals weekdays low/no carb (steak/chicken veg) and morning numbers are now 6.5-7. I weigh 12 and half stone, 32 waist. I want to put muscle back on not lose more. Losing more weight to get numbers down won’t happen, I’ve not a huge amount of excess fat to lose.

I’ve had additional tests I’m type 2 (not LADA)

In some Facebook groups the aim is below 30 grams carbs daily, complete reversal

In others photos of chips/bread with loads of likes.

I have no idea where I should be aiming.

I like a few beers once a week (or used to I’ve done it twice in 4 months), I like a curry and rice, i like a 3 course meal once a week eating what I want, yet I don’t want to go blind or lose a limb.

Can I go out eat/drink once/twice a week, stick with a morning reading of 6.5-7 due to cycling/walking/gym 5 x a week and mon- Fri healthy eats, sacrifices and diet swaps. Or is 6.5-7 to high?

Or should I be going all out, sacrificing/dramatically changing my once/twice a week night out with guys, hardcore carb cut 363 days a year (birthday/Xmas) and trying to get under HbA1c of 5.6 and get off meds at all costs?

Opt a v b? Where’s the sweet spot?

Cheers

Mark

(edit to add apologies for the long reply)

welcome. A question we all seek the answer to. And unfortunately the answer is incredible individual. Working through your post. Of course you’ll see likes for chips and bread. People like them and don’t want to give them up. But for any type 2 they are going to raise levels and if eaten regularise the risk of complications.
Being low carb doesn’t have to mean losing weight. Adding more proteins and healthy unprocessed fats will prevent that. Proteins help with muscle maintenance and gain if you support that with the right activity.

How many carbs depends how insulin resistant your body is and how active you are and potentially even which carbs they are. We usually recommend testing with a meter to see what effect your choices have. Test immediately before eating and then 2 hrs later. A non diabetic would be back to pre meal levels by then or close to it. So we aim for within 2mmol. A higher difference means you didn’t cope with the glucose (carbs) in the meal. If you can keep meals within these limits and ideally mostly under 7.8mmol you will reduce your hba1c to much more normal levels and hopefully minimise the risk of problems later.

Beer isn’t known as liquid bread for nothing. It’s high carb compared to other alcohols, cider is another high carb choice. There are lower carb options around but I don’t like the stuff so don’t know which ones they are. Red wines dry white and spirits are lower carb choices so long as you’re careful with the mixers.

as for curry if it’s out I’ll just have the curry and an extra side and no rice, at home I might make a low carb naan or cauliflower rice if I can be bothered. Or have more curry.

What the 3 course meal consists of will make a lot of difference. In time you will find taste buds change and you won’t want as much “sweet” as you do now. Online recipes are a saving grace for finding attractive tasty but better options.

whatever the morning reading is it will vary throughout the day. And to get a good overall level then it needs to be good choices overall. How much you can push that is individual. Questions to ask yourself are can I stick to just now and then or is it a slippery slope? And do I want to push the limits and “relax” more or ensure a healthy outcome? No one else can answer these for you.

Personally I spent 3.5 yrs going mostly all out as I find it hard to stop once I start and avoiding the rubbish is easier in the end than fighting cravings. I did make the effort to make “outings”as good as possible and focused on what I could have rather than what I couldn’t. Eg I’d go and drink wine not beer and ditch the rice but have the curry. It really wasn’t that hard as it became the new normal. The last 6 months - due to other struggles - I “relaxed” on the choices and frequency of treats and now have had an unwanted jump in hba1c and noticeable weight gain even though I remained lower than average carbs overall. Now I’m trying to claw the control back as I can definitely see the deterioration (sleepy, grumpy, digestive issues, reflux, sleep, skin, as well as weight) all of which I failed to notice I even had a problem with originally until I found how much better I could feel without those problems.
 
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MrsA2

Expert
Messages
5,575
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Get a meter. Test your results to the foods you like. It's far easier to cut them out (if necessary) once you've seen what spikes you.
Yes, you could get medication free if you low carb enough, but you will always be diabetic and have to watch things. Some carbs may not hurt, but carb creep is real and persistent.
As you get used to it your tastes will change.
There are plenty of swaps for favourite foods. Just Google and put "keto" in front eg keto chips will bring up chips made from celeriac ( a weird yet wonderful vegetable).
I've been out for a 3 course curry tonight : salmon tikka starter, mixed meats main swapped the rice for garlic spinach. Dessert at home was a homemade low carb brownie topped with a small 1 scoop portion real ice cream.
I didn't feel hungry, or deprived, or jealous of others. I was pleased I know I didnt have the urge to overeat or be greedy or to get huge headaches and stomach aches I used to.

Try not to look back on eating as it was. Look forward to eating food that feels right for your body, that you know isn't harmful to you in the longer term. You are likely to feel more energy, to sleep better and spend less time peeing so often.

Keep learning, it is a huge mindset change but so very worth it