Good Evening All
Firstly, I'd like to say how happy I am to have discovered this forum, it has helped me enormously improve my understanding of diabetes and I am already so grateful to the members who have posted in the threads I have read.
A bit of background: I'm in my early fifties and always been sporty (football, running, gym) and I believe my diet has always been healthy, certainly much better than average in my opinion. I don't have a sweet tooth, don't drink much alcohol and very rarely eat takeaways. I must admit I did take my 'eye of the ball' over the last couple of years and my exercise became less consistent (although I was still walking the dog 5 times a week even when I wasn't doing any 'activities') and the number of 'treats' started becoming an almost daily habit. The result was I did put some weight on especially around my belly area, although I still wouldn't have classed myself as 'fat'
I had a routine blood test as part of my 'well man check' at my doctors last November and the blood tests came back saying I was pre-diabetic (44mmol) and I must admit I hardly paid any attention to it (in my naivety) thinking a few tweaks to my lifestyle would reverse it. I upped my exercise and started cutting back on the treats although I never deprived myself of anything if I was out, on holiday etc. I didn't think I needed to, as most of the things suggested in the literature I was given, I was already doing. eg/ I have always eaten brown rice and wholemeal pasta, I very rarely had white bread, I was having 'healthy' cereals for breakfast. I went back to the doctors for a blood test at the end of July feeling very confident I had 'reversed it' so imagine my surprise when it came back as 48mmol and I was now type 2 diabetic.
I struggled to arrange a follow up appointment with my doctors (yes it is that hard to get in) to discuss my results and eventually gave up anyway after discovering this forum. I was shocked to read that a lot of the diet changes they were suggesting were not actually great advice; the meal plans shown in the literature were advocating weetabix and porridge as a recommended breakfast!
So after discovering this forum I made some big lifestyle changes. I have cut down drastically on my carbs; I still have them almost everyday but I'm making more informed choices and having less quantity. I'm also exercising more: going to the gym 6 times a week plus 4 or 5 hour long dog walks a week and most importantly I've purchased a blood glucose monitor.
So, this is where I'm starting to get a bit confused as I've tested 3 times a day for the last 2 weeks and my readings are always 'good'. My lowest fasting reading is 5.2 with a high of 6.4. I have also been testing just before and 2 hours after my main meal everyday and 'working my way' through various different carb based meals: brown bread, cereal, chips, pasta, lentils and even after a couple of pints of lager. These readings have been between 5.0 and 6.5 with the highest spike being 1.2 after a plateful of chips and scampi. I know its not a massive sample but nothing appears to be spiking my blood sugars significantly and all my readings are below (I think) diabetes range. I'm confused!! Do I have diabetes? Have I reversed it already? or isn't it as simple as that and I'm not understanding something.
Sorry for the long post
Firstly, I'd like to say how happy I am to have discovered this forum, it has helped me enormously improve my understanding of diabetes and I am already so grateful to the members who have posted in the threads I have read.
A bit of background: I'm in my early fifties and always been sporty (football, running, gym) and I believe my diet has always been healthy, certainly much better than average in my opinion. I don't have a sweet tooth, don't drink much alcohol and very rarely eat takeaways. I must admit I did take my 'eye of the ball' over the last couple of years and my exercise became less consistent (although I was still walking the dog 5 times a week even when I wasn't doing any 'activities') and the number of 'treats' started becoming an almost daily habit. The result was I did put some weight on especially around my belly area, although I still wouldn't have classed myself as 'fat'
I had a routine blood test as part of my 'well man check' at my doctors last November and the blood tests came back saying I was pre-diabetic (44mmol) and I must admit I hardly paid any attention to it (in my naivety) thinking a few tweaks to my lifestyle would reverse it. I upped my exercise and started cutting back on the treats although I never deprived myself of anything if I was out, on holiday etc. I didn't think I needed to, as most of the things suggested in the literature I was given, I was already doing. eg/ I have always eaten brown rice and wholemeal pasta, I very rarely had white bread, I was having 'healthy' cereals for breakfast. I went back to the doctors for a blood test at the end of July feeling very confident I had 'reversed it' so imagine my surprise when it came back as 48mmol and I was now type 2 diabetic.
I struggled to arrange a follow up appointment with my doctors (yes it is that hard to get in) to discuss my results and eventually gave up anyway after discovering this forum. I was shocked to read that a lot of the diet changes they were suggesting were not actually great advice; the meal plans shown in the literature were advocating weetabix and porridge as a recommended breakfast!
So after discovering this forum I made some big lifestyle changes. I have cut down drastically on my carbs; I still have them almost everyday but I'm making more informed choices and having less quantity. I'm also exercising more: going to the gym 6 times a week plus 4 or 5 hour long dog walks a week and most importantly I've purchased a blood glucose monitor.
So, this is where I'm starting to get a bit confused as I've tested 3 times a day for the last 2 weeks and my readings are always 'good'. My lowest fasting reading is 5.2 with a high of 6.4. I have also been testing just before and 2 hours after my main meal everyday and 'working my way' through various different carb based meals: brown bread, cereal, chips, pasta, lentils and even after a couple of pints of lager. These readings have been between 5.0 and 6.5 with the highest spike being 1.2 after a plateful of chips and scampi. I know its not a massive sample but nothing appears to be spiking my blood sugars significantly and all my readings are below (I think) diabetes range. I'm confused!! Do I have diabetes? Have I reversed it already? or isn't it as simple as that and I'm not understanding something.
Sorry for the long post
