What type am I?

[popdufc]

Diagnosed 4 years ago as diabetic. I had a nasty viral infection and at the end of it a blood test showed diabetes. I am 5' 8" and less than 12 stone. Exercise regularly and have a good day with mainly home cooked diet with no sugar added. Started off that fasting bloods were just over 5 ( whatever) and now I am on 1000 mg Metformin and usual fasting level is over 10. Where do I go?

 

[Diakat]

Back to your doctor to ask for further tests.
What do the home cooked meals involve?

 

[Rachox]

If you are a type 2 as your profile info suggests then a large part of control will be dietary. Can you give us an example of a day’s food please? We may be able to help you with some adjustment to your food.

 

[Bluetit1802]

I agree with the others. Type 2 is mainly controlled with diet, a diet that reduces all carbs. Home cooked is excellent, no added sugar is excellent, but as all carbs turn to sugar once digested, they also yhave to be cut down or sereiously reduced. Metformin is a mild drug that works mainly on the liver to reduce the amount of glucose it produces. It does very little to help blood sugars without a sustainable diet along side it. Diet is the key.

It seems like you test your morning fasting levels, but do you also test before and 2 hours after eating? Doing that will show you instantly what your food choices are doing to your blood sugar levels and gives you the opportunity to change things as appropriate. This, alongside a food diary, will help you enormously.

 

[popdufc]

If you are a type 2 as your profile info suggests then a large part of control will be dietary. Can you give us an example of a day’s food please? We may be able to help you with some adjustment to your food.

My wife is on a weight reduction diet and strictly following Slimming world. I have the same low fat/ sugar diet and NEVER eat sweets, cakes, biscuits etc. Active life going to gym 3 times a week and loads of walking. Sugar level is still, slowly, creeping up

 

[Bluetit1802]

My wife is on a weight reduction diet and strictly following Slimming world. I have the same low fat/ sugar diet and NEVER eat sweets, cakes, biscuits etc. Active life going to gym 3 times a week and loads of walking. Sugar level is still, slowly, creeping up

I am afraid to say that the Slimming World diets are for weight loss. They are not designed for type 2 diabetics and unless you adapt the recipes to reduce carbs such as potatoes, rice, pasta, bread pastry and starchy vegetables and fruit you are not helping your diabetes. What you do not need is low fat anything. Fats will never raise your blood sugar levels, and indeed have a beneficial effect. It is carbs that raise levels. As you lower your carbs you should increase your fats to provide the lost energy. It really is not just about avoiding sugar and sweet foods, nor is it all about exercise. As said, diet is the key. Can you tell us what your typical menu is in a day?

 

[popdufc]

I am afraid to say that the Slimming World diets are for weight loss. They are not designed for type 2 diabetics and unless you adapt the recipes to reduce carbs such as potatoes, rice, pasta, bread pastry and starchy vegetables and fruit you are not helping your diabetes. What you do not need is low fat anything. Fats will never raise your blood sugar levels, and indeed have a beneficial effect. It is carbs that raise levels. As you lower your carbs you should increase your fats to provide the lost energy. It really is not just about avoiding sugar and sweet foods, nor is it all about exercise. As said, diet is the key. Can you tell us what your typical menu is in a day?

Breakfast is corn flakes and fruit ( melon, berries)
Lunch is meat or cheese ( usually meat) with bread, crackers or a wrap. Bread is, usually, home made.
Evening meal is a Slimming world home made meal eg, turkey meatballs,in tomato sauce, with pasta. Always low fat and not a huge amount of carbohydrates.
Supper is a small packet of crisps or crackers and cheese. Bit of fruit and a couple of dates.

 

[popdufc]

Also... If I am having a coffee I sometimes have a couple of gullón sugar free digestives

 

[Rachox]

Breakfast is corn flakes and fruit ( melon, berries)
Lunch is meat or cheese ( usually meat) with bread, crackers or a wrap. Bread is, usually, home made.
Evening meal is a Slimming world home made meal eg, turkey meatballs,in tomato sauce, with pasta. Always low fat and not a huge amount of carbohydrates.
Supper is a small packet of crisps or crackers and cheese. Bit of fruit and a couple of dates.

Also... If I am having a coffee I sometimes have a couple of gullón sugar free digestives

Of the foods you’ve cited, a lot of us Type 2s using a low carb approach wouldn’t eat cereals, any normal bread, pasta, crisps, crackers, dates or a lot of fruits apart from berries.
Have a go at testing right before and two hours after each meal and see what these foods do to you. You might be surprised!

Edit to add Gullon sugar free digestive biscuits have the same amount of carbs as a McVities digestive!

 

[popdufc]

Of the foods you’ve cited, a lot of us Type 2s using a low carb approach wouldn’t eat cereals, any normal bread, pasta, crisps, crackers, dates or a lot of fruits apart from berries.
Have a go at testing right before and two hours after each meal and see what these foods do to you. You might be surprised!

Any links to a correct diet. I thought I needed carbs for its slow release energy properties. Should I just be eating different carbs. Don't want to go on an Aitkins type diet.

 

[Rachox]

Any links to a correct diet. I thought I needed carbs for its slow release energy properties. Should I just be eating different carbs. Don't want to go on an Aitkins type diet.

Here’s a link to info about low carb dieting from a really useful website. Carbs are not essential for energy, you can get enough energy from protein and fat. I have survived nearly two years on less than 50g of carbs per day and feel more energetic than ever. My HbA1cs are at non diabetic levels too. Well worth giving it a try.

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb

 

[Bluetit1802]

Breakfast is corn flakes and fruit ( melon, berries)
Lunch is meat or cheese ( usually meat) with bread, crackers or a wrap. Bread is, usually, home made.
Evening meal is a Slimming world home made meal eg, turkey meatballs,in tomato sauce, with pasta. Always low fat and not a huge amount of carbohydrates.
Supper is a small packet of crisps or crackers and cheese. Bit of fruit and a couple of dates.

May I suggest your diet is very carb heavy and not helping your diabetes at all. Cornflakes are FULL of sugar in addition to the cereal content. Have a look at the total carbs on the box, and then you have to add on the fruit (and milk?). Bread is very carb heavy as are crackers and wraps. Pasta is one of the main culprits in raising be levels, and the tomato sauce may. not help. Your suppers are not at all suitable - crisps, crackers, fruit and dates.

Being very blunt, I am not at all surprised your levels have crept up. Your diet is not good and if you want to control your levels you need a total rethink.

Do start testing before each meal and again 2 hours after first bite. Look at the rise from before to after. If this is more than 2mmol/l and preferably a lot less, there were too many carbs for your body to process.

Try bacon and egg for breakfast, eat meat and fish, especially oily fish, cheese, all dairy (not low fat alternatives), plenty of green veg, mushrooms, a tomato and salads. AvoidAor seriously reduce cereals, potatoes, rice, pasta, pastry and bread plus many fruits. Berries are best if eaten with cream or full fat yogurts.

 

[popdufc]

Also. Why are my levels increasing. I am eating better, even less carbs, than I was at diagnosis. Doing the same exercise and weigh the same. I was told that my diabetes was caused by auto-immune issues that I have.

 

[Mollyc1995]

I too follow slimming workd for weight loss, but I simply don’t eat all the free pasta, potatoes and rice you want,
I find I can have little portions of rice and wholewheat/lentil pasta with plenty of veggies, fruits and healthy fats and protein....I sometimes use my syns for healthy fats like nuts and avocado,

For me slimming world is so far working and helping my diabetes, I’m very new to this still but from what I’ve realised everybody with this condition is completely different and what one person can’t eat another might, some can handle more carbs than others, so do what works for you.
Slimming world may not help me in the long run and maybe it’s the best thing I’ve done...there’s a couple of people in my group that have t2 have reversed their diabetes with slimming workd just by losing 10% of their body weight, and they can eat a little rice, pasta here and there but it all about portion control and moderation.

 

[HSSS]

Any links to a correct diet. I thought I needed carbs for its slow release energy properties. Should I just be eating different carbs. Don't want to go on an Aitkins type diet.

A “correct” diet for most type 2 in this forum is low carbs. Slow release carbs are only marginally less bad for you than quickly released ones. They still have the carbs that raise your blood sugars. Low calorie and low fat diets aren’t going to address diabetes.

What do you mean about Atkins type diet and what puts you off it?

Have you seen this thread https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/success-stories-and-testimonials.43/ where people relate what’s worked for them.

 

[HSSS]

I too follow slimming workd for weight loss, but I simply don’t eat all the free pasta, potatoes and rice you want,
I find I can have little portions of rice and wholewheat/lentil pasta with plenty of veggies, fruits and healthy fats and protein....I sometimes use my syns for healthy fats like nuts and avocado,

For me slimming world is so far working and helping my diabetes, I’m very new to this still but from what I’ve realised everybody with this condition is completely different and what one person can’t eat another might, some can handle more carbs than others, so do what works for you.
Slimming world may not help me in the long run and maybe it’s the best thing I’ve done...there’s a couple of people in my group that have t2 have reversed their diabetes with slimming workd just by losing 10% of their body weight, and they can eat a little rice, pasta here and there but it all about portion control and moderation.

It may well be helping because it’s better than your original diet. Doesn’t mean there isn’t an even more effective method though. The ONLY way to see what your body tolerates is testing before and after the food.

Occasional small portions of carbs might not show up horrifically in an hb1ac but it may well be producing spikes that do nothing to improve insulin sensitivity and over time may keep the condition slowly deteriorating.

If you can steer well clear of the carbs slimming world encourages it may be somewhat beneficial and as you say each to their own.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Also. Why are my levels increasing. I am eating better, even less carbs, than I was at diagnosis. Doing the same exercise and weigh the same. I was told that my diabetes was caused by auto-immune issues that I have.

Type 2 is not an auto immune disease. It is a metabolic disease. If you suspect you are really T1, which is an auto immune disease, then you could ask for the relevant tests, which are a c-peptide test and a GAD antibodies test.

However, your diet is very carb heavy. All carbs raise levels so it really makes sense to rethink your food choices.

 

[Mollyc1995]

It may well be helping because it’s better than your original diet. Doesn’t mean there isn’t an even more effective method though. The ONLY way to see what your body tolerates is testing before and after the food.

Occasional small portions of carbs might not show up horrifically in an hb1ac but it may well be producing spikes that do nothing to improve insulin sensitivity and over time may keep the condition slowly deteriorating.

If you can steer well clear of the carbs slimming world encourages it may be somewhat beneficial and as you say each to their own.

I have a meter and often check my blood before and after meals and never rises more than 2mmol...I exercise regular to help increase insulin sensitivity...not everyone has too cut carbs so low, some do Keto, some have under 70/80g some have around 100g or a bit more.

I know if slimming world didn’t work I would change my diet again, low carb doesn’t mean no carb I have half the amount of the national average person eats

 

[briped]

Any links to a correct diet. I thought I needed carbs for its slow release energy properties. Should I just be eating different carbs. Don't want to go on an Aitkins type diet.

There's also this blog post by Jo that's well worth a read. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/jokalsbeek.401801/

 

[popdufc]

Type 2 is not an auto immune disease. It is a metabolic disease. If you suspect you are really T1, which is an auto immune disease, then you could ask for the relevant tests, which are a c-peptide test and a GAD antibodies test.

However, your diet is very carb heavy. All carbs raise levels so it really makes sense to rethink your food choices.

Diet is not carb heavy. On an evening meal plate the carbs are the smallest serving. I am now looking at the GAD test and think I'll ask for one. I have my 6 monthly nurse meeting next week. Allergies and auto-immune issues are still causing problems