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totally at a loss

Grateful said:
Some of us, perhaps most of us, have been there. When I first got the diagnosis it felt almost as if my life had ended. I consulted the available descriptions of diabetes on the Internet, including the global figure that it shortens average life expectancy by 10 years, that you can go blind, lose limbs, etc. For my first doctor's consultation post-diagnosis I brought my wife along because I wasn't sure I would be able to "keep it together" otherwise. Your feelings are normal, they make sense, and (with all due respect) I don't think it necessarily has anything to do with high blood sugars as your GP is saying.

I was fortunate that I (so far) never needed medication. But from my research, and from numerous posts on this forum, it is clear that if you do start on medication, you can combine that with a low-carb diet and possibly reduce or eliminate the medication later. Your doctor's advice is fairly different from mine, but they are the professionals and we are all individuals with our own needs.

But, with the caveat that I have no medical training, I would still encourage you to consider having one last try at the diet/exercise route with no meds. Here's how I did it. It differs a little bit from the usual LCHF (and is rather more extreme):

For the first two months:
--Extremely low carb (less than 20g/day). So far, so standard.
--Low fat.
--Low calorie (less than 1500/day) achieved through strict portion control.
--Copious hydration (2 liters of water a day in addition to the usual drinks with meals).
--No booze.
--Vigorous walking, about 6 miles per day at about 12 or 13 minutes per mile. (Not everyone will be able to manage this, it depends on your initial state of health and whether you have enough "free time" obviously.)

I did not do any self-testing, so I have no idea what was happening to my numbers on a daily basis during those two months. It is quite possible that I was in ketosis, considering the results. I lost 10 kilos (I was quite thin already) and brought the HbA1c fully under control (see signature at bottom of this post).

The downsides: For the first few weeks I was ravenously hungry. I coped with this, in part, by snacking on low-carb nuts (pecans, macadamias, small quantites of Brazil nuts). For a while, I was also fairly muddle-headed, but after about a month this went away. Another downside: because I was not self-testing, I was under extreme stress for those two months because I frankly did not expect my blood glucose levels to improve, having been brainwashed into thinking that the low-carb route only works for a very small number of people.

After the first two months:
--Relaxed the carbs a little bit (it is now 30g to 50g per day).
--Abandoned the portion control.
--Added some fats, for instance by snacking on olives and adding an avocado to my lunch (which usually consists of a salad, occasionally supplemented by an omelette). Increased consumption of yummy cheeses, eaten on home-made low-carb crackers.
--Abandoned the tee-total regime; I now average one to two glasses of dry red wine per day.
--Reduced the walking to 3 miles per day, at a moderate pace.

As they say here in America, "your mileage may vary" -- as is abundantly clear from this forum!

I now think it is likely that as a result of my diagnosis, my life expectancy (and general level of health) have *improved* because I really had not been looking after myself. I'm a lazy kind of person and, frankly, it took the shock of being diagnosed with a nasty, incurable, chronic disease to boot me into doing what I should have been doing anyway.

I know that it does not feel that way to you right now. It took me many months to get into a "better place" mentally. It's complicated, but I hope that with a combination of lifestyle changes, possibly medications as advised by your doctor, exercise, and the passage of time, you could get to that place too. Remember that it is largely in your hands, albeit with the expert support of your doctor.

Sorry this is so long but diabetes is not simple.
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Thank you for your reply. As with all of them, this is really helpful.
 
Jo_the_boat said:
I opted to run away from housework - soon got fit!

Change your user name to Joeyplentyofmates, because you have on here. There are plenty of folk, including me, who really want to see you improve. One thing I will say is that you need to pretty disciplined, something I found very difficult in the past, but in my case, this change of regime is being driven by the fear of ending up in a messy heap. I've no idea where I will end up but by following people's advice on here I think I've made a positive start. I hope you can too. Best of luck.
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Thank you for this
 
This past week my doc told me she'd never seen anything like my bloodresults. I've been low-carbing for little over a year now, and have been without medication since 3 months after diagnosis, having headed straight into low carb after finding out I'm a T2. My HbA1c is currently 36. No gliclazide, metformin or insulin for me. No statins anymore either. Before, a cheese sandwich lunch would mean 18.5. Now I eat veggies for lunch and don't peak beyond 7. You might feel a little grotty for a few weeks while your body adjusts to the new regime, but it will. Give yourself some time. Like I said, my doc's claimed to never have seen anything like it; low carbing is relatively new and might hit resistance with traditional DN's and such. I know my dieticians weren't amused, and several healthcare professionals told me I'd never be able to keep it up... (Oh, ye of little faith!) But once you get a knack for it, it's easy! Good luck!

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Phoenix55 said:
A really good positive attitude @joeynomates1969. Low carb need not be expensive but you do need to be careful for the first few weeks shopping. Reading the tiny writing on packets and tins can take an age, look for where they list the nutrition for each 100g and try to keep the carbohydrate value around 10 or below. As a general rule vege that grow above the ground are OK, those from below ground treat with caution. If there is a market near you there may be a stall selling cheeses, there are a huge variety around and the fats will help you to feel full. Olives are also good for snacking, but be aware that the high fat content also means high calories so eat until that first sigh and then stop until the next meal. I make unsweetened Greek yoghurt which is good with a handful of berries for breakfast or to make your own salad dressings.
With the additional exercise take it easy at first, a walk around the block on a sunny day is lovely, or a walk in a park. When it is raining or time is tight try a 'Youtube' walk ( I type in Leslie Sansone and a lot of them appear including one that is just 5 minutes to start walking) Gradually you will build up the time, distance and speed. You will find that you will still have plenty of energy, if not more than usual, swollen ankles go down and you start to slowly lose weight as long as you watch the portion sizes.
Use you meter and keep a note of everything you eat and drink, that is enough to keep a meal simple for me, test just before you eat and 2 hours later. If you are not sure ask, no question is silly. Good luck.
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What I usually do is go online look at the food carb and sugar content, write down the shopping list then off I go. This way I am not spending all my time in the supermarket looking at the nutritional value of foods which takes an age.If I have been out for my walk I will order it online also.
 
derry60 said:
What I usually do is go online look at the food carb and sugar content, write down the shopping list then off I go. This way I am not spending all my time in the supermarket looking at the nutritional value of foods which takes an age.If I have been out for my walk I will order it online also.
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Carbs and Cals App might be useful.
 
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