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T2 - what should I be aiming for?

D

DannyB

Well-Known Member
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45
I am 53 and was diagnosed T2 at the beginning of Oct 2008. I have made several lifestyle changes (exercise, diet etc). I have Dr B's book and have read endless articles online.

I have not been prescibed any medication - ie I am an exercise/diet controlled T2.

The purpose of this thread is for me to try and establish exactly what I should be aiming for and to ensure that my understanding of my condition (t2) is correct. I would appreciate all and any feedback on this.

I believe that, as a T2, I need not worry unduly (at all?) about low BG. My focus is on keeping my BG as low as possible for as long as possible. What I am not sure about is what figures I should be aiming for. There seems to be many different views on this.

i) what fasting BG should I aim for?
ii) what pre-prandial BG should I aim for?
iii) what post-prandial (1 hr/2hr) should I aim for?
iv) how long after eating is it acceptable for my BG to be raised?

Reading Dr B's book he appears to suggest that we should, on a (very) low carb diet aim to achieve almost non-diabetic levels. As I understand that this means never (or almost never) going higher than 5.5/6.0 - is that a realistic aspiration/target for a diet controlled T2?
 
i have read that before ameal you should be between 4 and 7 2 hours after it should be betweem7&10.i know i have been on holiday for two months and let myself go so now i am back at ww.and the gym to bring it down exercise does help the sugar but not so much the weight.
 
If you've read Dr. B you will see that we should all aim for 85(4.7)at all times. The targets set by the medics are too high. Spikes are as dangerous as continuous slight highs.
The tipping point, where you go from safe to At risk of complications is 7.
It probably can't be done without low carbing.
 
As has been said time and time again on this forum, we are all different. We are not all low carbers and some of us have excellent results in managing our diabetes by other methods.
 
I'm following a low GI diet, my waking BG is regularly below 5 and I've had very few PP readings above 6.5. My weight has fallen by just under two stone since the end of October and my year end HbA1c was 5.7%, down from 11.5% on diagnosis in June last year.

Regards, Tubs.
 
Hi DannyB,

As the last 3 posters have rightly said, low-carbing is not the only solution, although for some type-2s unfortunately it is. An increasing number of experts are reaching the conclusion that all of us in the western world consume far too many unhealthy carbs (i.e. those that provide starch and very little else) so a reduction in starchy carbs would lead to a more healthy lifestyle for all of us, whether diabetic or not. However, if you don't fancy a low-carb or reduced carb lifestyle, then the alternative is to have only low GI carbs. This won't reduce your carb intake but will at least ensure that the carbs convert into glucose at a slower rate, thereby giving your insulin a better chance of being able to deal with the rise in blood sugar. Plus the lower GI foods generally have more to offer in vitamin and mineral content than the pure starches.

For those that do opt for a low or reduced carb regime, the carbs that are consumed are generally at the low end of the GI tables. However, the low or reduced carb route is preferred by many, particularly in the early days of diagnosis, because it provides a much faster way of reaching a lower BS level. Once you have reached that lower BS target then you can experiment with a wider range of carbs to see what level your body can deal with. Some people have found that after the initial drop in carbs they can go back to a higher level of low GI, some find they can't.
 
Hi Dennis
I hae had to drop to 20 carbs per day to get my weight off. I've lost over 2 stones and need to shift as much again, if not more. at 30 -50 carbs, my weight was stable. I do exercise almost daily, either water exercises or Health Walks
 
Thanks for the replies so far. I guess I am learning as I go along.

I have certainly reduced my carbs dramatically (since before I was diagnosed). The only carbs I eat now are in fruit and that is because I really don't like many vegetables at all. I guess I am probably eating a total of 140/150g (fruit) carbs per day (is that considered low?) and the indications are that I can achieve:

- 4.5/4.7 pre-prandial
- 5.0/5.4 post-prandrial (ie after eating fruit)

Granted my diet isn't very exciting but I am confident I can live with it.
 
Dennis said:
Hi DannyB,

As the last 3 posters have rightly said, low-carbing is not the only solution, although for some type-2s unfortunately it is. An increasing number of experts are reaching the conclusion that all of us in the western world consume far too many unhealthy carbs (i.e. those that provide starch and very little else) so a reduction in starchy carbs would lead to a more healthy lifestyle for all of us, whether diabetic or not. However, if you don't fancy a low-carb or reduced carb lifestyle, then the alternative is to have only low GI carbs. This won't reduce your carb intake but will at least ensure that the carbs convert into glucose at a slower rate, thereby giving your insulin a better chance of being able to deal with the rise in blood sugar. Plus the lower GI foods generally have more to offer in vitamin and mineral content than the pure starches.

For those that do opt for a low or reduced carb regime, the carbs that are consumed are generally at the low end of the GI tables. However, the low or reduced carb route is preferred by many, particularly in the early days of diagnosis, because it provides a much faster way of reaching a lower BS level. Once you have reached that lower BS target then you can experiment with a wider range of carbs to see what level your body can deal with. Some people have found that after the initial drop in carbs they can go back to a higher level of low GI, some find they can't.
Click to expand...

One of the better more rounded replies and possibly one of the best I have read so far, perhaps it should be quoted to others who ask.

DannyB said:
Granted my diet isn't very exciting but I am confident I can live with it.
Click to expand...

Well thats a start and if it works for you go for it. You can experiment a little when you get your BS down.
 
Just picked up this discussion as I was looking for some comments on targets to aim for.

I have just started testing using a FreeStyle Freedom Lite.
I am quite impressed because the stabby stabby thing is relatively painless - better than some other meters used on me by the medical profession.

It comes with CoPilot software which is pre-configured to show readings of 0-5 as low, 5-10 as within target, and 10+ as high.

From reading this discussion it looks as though the 'green' target should perhaps be a tad lower.

BTW I was diagnosed last March, and my last two HbA1c readings were 8.4 and 7.6.
I was expecting to go on Metformin (my GP had advised me to go for the pills when my reading was 8.4 and I had decided to wait a little) but my GP said that as my trend was downwards I could delay starting medication.

I am now trying to work out exactly what it was that brought my HbA1c down - I suspect that it was increased exercise over the summer which doesn't bode well for my next reading as my exercise has been reduced over winter.

Cheers

LGC
 
LittleGreyCat said:
I am now trying to work out exactly what it was that brought my HbA1c down - I suspect that it was increased exercise over the summer which doesn't bode well for my next reading as my exercise has been reduced over winter.

Cheers

LGC
Click to expand...

You and me both, it seems to have been a particularly long slow winter.

Have a good read around the stickies and the Success Stories thread, also especially

http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/2006/10/d-day.html

http://www.bloodsugar101.com/

http://www.dsolve.com/

Should give you some ideas for starters
 
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