Your thoughts would be appreciated

Neilysqueely

Member
Messages
6
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi, I’m a newbie, I was diagnosed the prediabeties (score of 48) 2 years ago. Without waffling I’ve a few other issues, high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea and yes you’ve guessed it I’m overweight. I’ve dabbled with diets and fitness regimes but never stuck to anything for very long. I’m 50 this year so thought I needed to get my act together. I started weight watchers with my wife In January and have lost just over a stone, happy days I thought but that’s all one crashing down around me as I’ve just had another set of blood tests done as I’m trying to get life insurance sorted and they insisted on fresh results. My score is now up to 58 and I’ve had to start taking metaformin. I feel totally devastated as with the weight coming off I was hoping to see some improvement in my score. So my question is as follows.. is weight watches the answer for me? and if it is where am I going wrong?? All replies will be very much appreciated
 

Antje77

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
19,284
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Hello, and welcome! Congratulations on your weight loss :) . Diabetes is all about managing the carbs you eat, I'll tag @daisy1 for you, she will post a very useful information pack on this thread. Read it through and then come back with questions. No need to panic, there are lots of people on this forum who managed to get much higher hba1c's back in range by changing the way they eat, I hope you will be the next one. Good luck!
 

smw99

Well-Known Member
Messages
109
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Well done on losing the stone! I think that it is possible to lose weight by calorie restriction following weight watchers. The trouble is that if you are still eating foods with lots of carbohydrate like fruit, bread, rice, starchy vegetables these will be raising your blood glucose. Many people on this site eat fairly low carb to control their blood glucose, eat high fat for energy and tend to lose weight and get their HbA1C to pre diabetic or normal levels. The message that whole grains and so called healthy carbs are fine is probably no longer true for you. Read the info from @daisy and that should help. people on this forum are incredibly knowledgeable and helpful and understanding!
 

rom35

Well-Known Member
Messages
431
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
is weight watches the answer for me?
Diabetes II type is roughly about liver, pancreas, muscle mass, visceral fat mass and insulin resistance, thus 5 variables. As you can see, it is very complicated function.

So the answer is: weight is only one of the parameters.

See the @daisy1 information pack, read this forum and start to make a plan for targeting all of the variables :) It can be done - see the success stories on this forum.
 

Sam50

Well-Known Member
Messages
228
Type of diabetes
Don't have diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
hi @Neilysqueely and welcome to the forum. I joined last year to support Hubby when he was diagnosed T2 in June (started off with an HbA1c of 98 ad now down to 54 through diet and exercise (no meds) He follows the low carb mode of eating and lost 2 stone ( I followed suit to keep him company and also lost 2.5 stone) He has got his BP back in the normal ranges for the first time in decades and quite honestly has never looked or felt better !

Diabetes is a complex disorder and different for everyone. Main thing to remember is that diabetics (Ts) are carb intolerant and their bodies can only cope with small amounts. Not the 'healthy' amounts that we are always told is good for us so......less bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, pizza , all cereals and sugary fruit and veg. Don't worry there is still plenty that you CAN eat ! It's not just about cutting out the obvious sugary drinks and cakes/biscuits.

Take a look at www.dietdoctor.co.uk for recipe ideas and buy yourself a blood glucose meter so you can test yourself to see how you react to different foods.

And ask whatever you need to know here on the forum-it's a very supportive place x
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I think your first job now is to buy your own blood glucose meter. Without one you are working blind. They are excellent guides that help us with our food choices. We test before we eat and again 2 hours after first bite so we can see at a glance what that food has done to our levels. Using a food diary including portion sizes is also important. We can record our before and after levels alongside and look for patterns. It will show us what our danger foods are. They are very likely to be bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, pastry, flour and fruit. Then we can tweak the food, reduce the carb portion sizes or eliminate some completely. All carbs turn to sugar once eaten, it doesn't matter what colour the bread, rice and pasta are, they are all the same.
 
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ziggy_w

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,019
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi @Neilysqueely,

Welcome to the forum. Don't despair. Many of us have been able to achieve non-diabetic blood sugar levels by changing our diets and cutting out carbs. Mine have gone from 100 mmol to now 31 mmol.

It's doable. Just stick with us. Have a read around the forum and ask questions. There lots of knowledgeable, friendly and helpful members around.
 
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Rachox

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
15,811
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi and welcome! Long story short I’ve lost 5 1/2 stone since my diagnosis 11 months ago. How? By low carb eating, self monitoring and Metformin. My HbA1c has been non diabetic since last September. All from reading and asking questions here. Lovely bunch of people!
 

Alexandra100

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,738
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I’ve a few other issues, high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea
Hello, I am a fellow sufferer from OSA. But for over a year now I have been sleeping with a ventilator (similar to the better known CPAP machine but more sophisticated). At my last sleep test I was having 30+ "events" per hour, so obviously my sleep was not restful, to put it mildly! Now it varies, but is quite often under 5, which is the goal of the therapy. Needless to say I feel a lot better.

Before I got the machine, I had a different treatment with a device in my mouth that brought my lower jaw forward and also helped. But that is only suitable for mild to moderate OSA. I can recommend both, but I did find the CPAP type mask hell to get used to. I nearly gave up and I think a lot of people do, but I'm so glad I persevered.
 

Neilysqueely

Member
Messages
6
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hello, I am a fellow sufferer from OSA. But for over a year now I have been sleeping with a ventilator (similar to the better known CPAP machine but more sophisticated). At my last sleep test I was having 30+ "events" per hour, so obviously my sleep was not restful, to put it mildly! Now it varies, but is quite often under 5, which is the goal of the therapy. Needless to say I feel a lot better.

Before I got the machine, I had a different treatment with a device in my mouth that brought my lower jaw forward and also helped. But that is only suitable for mild to moderate OSA. I can recommend both, but I did find the CPAP type mask hell to get used to. I nearly gave up and I think a lot of people do, but I'm so glad I persevered.

Appreciate the reply, I’ve actually been on CPAP for around 5 years and I’m averaging less than 1 event a night, whereas I was around the 80 mark so it’s a big thumbs up it’s definitely working for me. Yes there are nights where I could easily have thrown it through the wall.
 

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@Neilysqueely

Hello Neilysqueely and welcome to the Forum :) Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask more questions when you need to and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

  • Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why

  • Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
 

Freema

Expert
Messages
7,346
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi, I’m a newbie, I was diagnosed the prediabeties (score of 48) 2 years ago. Without waffling I’ve a few other issues, high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea and yes you’ve guessed it I’m overweight. I’ve dabbled with diets and fitness regimes but never stuck to anything for very long. I’m 50 this year so thought I needed to get my act together. I started weight watchers with my wife In January and have lost just over a stone, happy days I thought but that’s all one crashing down around me as I’ve just had another set of blood tests done as I’m trying to get life insurance sorted and they insisted on fresh results. My score is now up to 58 and I’ve had to start taking metaformin. I feel totally devastated as with the weight coming off I was hoping to see some improvement in my score. So my question is as follows.. is weight watches the answer for me? and if it is where am I going wrong?? All replies will be very much appreciated


hey welcome , well now you are diabetic... it doesn´t just go away even when we wish it would go back to normal where we can eat just whatever we want..

the good news is that most can get normal blood glucose levels if they count their dayly amount of carbs and stay under 150 grams of carbs in total daily... you can learn a lot of this eating style in this forum and keep asking for specific knowledge , generally people in here are very helpful .. hope you´ll end up enjoying to be a member here
 

Lally123

Well-Known Member
Messages
231
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hello, I am a fellow sufferer from OSA. But for over a year now I have been sleeping with a ventilator (similar to the better known CPAP machine but more sophisticated). At my last sleep test I was having 30+ "events" per hour, so obviously my sleep was not restful, to put it mildly! Now it varies, but is quite often under 5, which is the goal of the therapy. Needless to say I feel a lot better.

Before I got the machine, I had a different treatment with a device in my mouth that brought my lower jaw forward and also helped. But that is only suitable for mild to moderate OSA. I can recommend both, but I did find the CPAP type mask hell to get used to. I nearly gave up and I think a lot of people do, but I'm so glad I persevered.
I have never used cpap so don't know whether it's true or not but someone once told me it was like sticking your head out of a car window going at 70mph! I've never tried that either but it doesn't sound too nice!
 

NewTD2

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,563
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi, I’m a newbie, I was diagnosed the prediabeties (score of 48) 2 years ago. Without waffling I’ve a few other issues, high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea and yes you’ve guessed it I’m overweight. I’ve dabbled with diets and fitness regimes but never stuck to anything for very long. I’m 50 this year so thought I needed to get my act together. I started weight watchers with my wife In January and have lost just over a stone, happy days I thought but that’s all one crashing down around me as I’ve just had another set of blood tests done as I’m trying to get life insurance sorted and they insisted on fresh results. My score is now up to 58 and I’ve had to start taking metaformin. I feel totally devastated as with the weight coming off I was hoping to see some improvement in my score. So my question is as follows.. is weight watches the answer for me? and if it is where am I going wrong?? All replies will be very much appreciated

Hope this helps -
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb

And welcome!
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,850
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I have never used cpap so don't know whether it's true or not but someone once told me it was like sticking your head out of a car window going at 70mph! I've never tried that either but it doesn't sound too nice!
I used to ride motorbikes, and I now use a CPAP machine - there is no similarity there, but I have never put my head out of a car window at any speed.
The CPAP machine only goes over the nose, and it ramps up in pressure at the rate you set it to. It is perfectly comfortable to use if it is adjusted to your requirements and ensures a good night's sleep for the wearer and those around them.
 

jayney27

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,643
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello and welcome, you are not alone in your diagnosis as everyone here either has it, or lives with someone that has it. I agree with what’s been said already, initially I followed the NHS advice of a lower calorie balanced diet, I lost a stone over a 6 week period. I then decided to try the low carb lifestyle as followed by many people here, wow, I’m so glad I switched. I’ve lost 4 stone in total, at my last check up my HbA1c came back at the pre diabetic level, by the way this was also my first check up since diagnosis so you can see positive results in a fairly quick time frame. This said I appreciate that we are all different and our bodies respond to diet, medication or exercise in different ways, but please give low carb a try, I do miss some high carb foods but I love the eggs, bacon, cream, cheese I now consume without guilt. Hopefully you will get the results you hope for and everyone here will be routing for you and willing to offer our support.

Good luck
 

Antje77

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
19,284
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
I asked my dog (the little one in my neck on my picture) and she said sticking your head out of a car window at 100km/h is the best! Haven't noticed any breathing problems during sleep either, so it must be working.
 
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