In the normal world, three months is nothing; but from “D Day” (diabetes diagnosis day!), it’s a long time.
The thing I learnt within days was that the multiple diet sheets are good guides but that we are all very different. Due principally to this forum, I insisted that I needed to test my BG levels regularly and the Diabetic nurse accepted this. In addition, my doctor told me that my cholesterol was too high and that I needed to exercise daily.
The big thing that we have learned is that, whereas some people can get away with small portions of things like bread, pasta and rice; it doesn’t work for me. Even small quantities of any of these will push my levels towards 10, whereas if I remain relatively carb-free, I can stay below 6 – most of the time! I say “relatively” because, lunch during the working week pretty well demands eating sandwiches or similar. We have discovered that whole meal “wraps” are “OK” with two of them filled with meat and salad providing both a tasty lunch and also a BG of around 7. However, were I to substitute the wraps for bread; 9s and 10s would result.
The change in life style is the most pronounced thing I have had to come to terms with. Whereas restaurants were always places to decide what I “wanted” to eat; now, post D-Day, they are places which pose a real challenge where I scan for things that I may possibly be able to eat. It is very fortunate that I have always been a great lover of salads and vegetables!
I can now say that, after 3 months, my partner and I, have mostly worked out what works and what does not. I write this from the ferry from Santander where, last night, I enjoyed a delicious buffet of meats, fish, cheeses and salads; washed down with half a bottle of red wine. The BG result, 5.7. But, had I yielded to the (delicious) bread, pasta and deserts, the result would have been different.
I conclude from my 3 months since D-Day, that daily BG testing is vital in order to build a picture of what works for you as an individual. In addition, I have purchased the (excellent) Glucose Companion which runs on my i-Phone and provides a complete history and output reports for me to track and measure my “performance”. Without these tools (testing and recording) I would be relatively in the dark as to the real impact my carb free diet was having; at least from a BG perspective. From a KG perspective, I have lost more than 2 inches around the waist and my weight has dropped by more than 10kg. What I do not know is how far this weight drop will continue. However, at 5’ 11” and a broad frame, my current 97KG may still be frowned upon.
Blood pressure is now under control and within the target range; but again, daily readings have been required to make sure that the life style changes have had the necessary effect.
A close friend of mine has also been recently diagnosed as T2. She, however has not been told to (nor did she insist) to test her BG levels daily. As a result, she is uncertain as to her progress and, critically, uncertain as to which foods precisely impact her and in what way.
My conclusion at D-Day + 3m is that is was vital to make serious and disciplined changes to diet and exercise and that such changes have to be monitored using the right tools and records in order to manage the condition. If you do not do this, then the results are far less predictable and the HBa1C test may be a time of uncertainty. For myself, I will have the test with 3 months’ dally results to support and confirm the results which I expect to see.
Thanks as ever to this forum which has been, and continues to be, a vital source of information and advice.
John Stephen
Tunbridge Wells
The thing I learnt within days was that the multiple diet sheets are good guides but that we are all very different. Due principally to this forum, I insisted that I needed to test my BG levels regularly and the Diabetic nurse accepted this. In addition, my doctor told me that my cholesterol was too high and that I needed to exercise daily.
The big thing that we have learned is that, whereas some people can get away with small portions of things like bread, pasta and rice; it doesn’t work for me. Even small quantities of any of these will push my levels towards 10, whereas if I remain relatively carb-free, I can stay below 6 – most of the time! I say “relatively” because, lunch during the working week pretty well demands eating sandwiches or similar. We have discovered that whole meal “wraps” are “OK” with two of them filled with meat and salad providing both a tasty lunch and also a BG of around 7. However, were I to substitute the wraps for bread; 9s and 10s would result.
The change in life style is the most pronounced thing I have had to come to terms with. Whereas restaurants were always places to decide what I “wanted” to eat; now, post D-Day, they are places which pose a real challenge where I scan for things that I may possibly be able to eat. It is very fortunate that I have always been a great lover of salads and vegetables!
I can now say that, after 3 months, my partner and I, have mostly worked out what works and what does not. I write this from the ferry from Santander where, last night, I enjoyed a delicious buffet of meats, fish, cheeses and salads; washed down with half a bottle of red wine. The BG result, 5.7. But, had I yielded to the (delicious) bread, pasta and deserts, the result would have been different.
I conclude from my 3 months since D-Day, that daily BG testing is vital in order to build a picture of what works for you as an individual. In addition, I have purchased the (excellent) Glucose Companion which runs on my i-Phone and provides a complete history and output reports for me to track and measure my “performance”. Without these tools (testing and recording) I would be relatively in the dark as to the real impact my carb free diet was having; at least from a BG perspective. From a KG perspective, I have lost more than 2 inches around the waist and my weight has dropped by more than 10kg. What I do not know is how far this weight drop will continue. However, at 5’ 11” and a broad frame, my current 97KG may still be frowned upon.
Blood pressure is now under control and within the target range; but again, daily readings have been required to make sure that the life style changes have had the necessary effect.
A close friend of mine has also been recently diagnosed as T2. She, however has not been told to (nor did she insist) to test her BG levels daily. As a result, she is uncertain as to her progress and, critically, uncertain as to which foods precisely impact her and in what way.
My conclusion at D-Day + 3m is that is was vital to make serious and disciplined changes to diet and exercise and that such changes have to be monitored using the right tools and records in order to manage the condition. If you do not do this, then the results are far less predictable and the HBa1C test may be a time of uncertainty. For myself, I will have the test with 3 months’ dally results to support and confirm the results which I expect to see.
Thanks as ever to this forum which has been, and continues to be, a vital source of information and advice.
John Stephen
Tunbridge Wells
