• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

2 tests

L

lordburnside

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Pronouns
He/Him
I had ordered a private test as I was told my next NHS test was in May. I got a 47 from the private test and a 46 from the much earlier than expected NHS test following a week of abstinence.

I knew I had strayed slightly from the path of low carb over Christmas so the results were just pre-diabetic.

The practice nurse say I shouldn’t be too hard on myself but to my thinking I am quite close to being diabetic. I am told I can have two slices of bread or 2 small potatoes a day and this shouldn’t do any harm.

Personally I am being stricter with my diet and much less alcohol plus walking 25miles a week - weather permitting!

Everyone is different but has anyone remained pre-diabetic on the borderline for years?
 
I was pre-diabetic about 3/4 years ago, then popped into diabetic (51) just for a look and didn't like it, then back to Pre (46), now trying to get back into the Non Diabetic range.

I think I will be popping in and out for years to come

Aint life fun
 
I hovered in the prediabetes zone for about 5 years but when I retired I was doing less exercise and having that piece of cake with the afternoon cuppa whereas when I work I often didn't even get time for lunch so crossed that threshold to a diagnosis at 50mmol/mol. Adopted a low carb approach and got back down to 42 in three months and to below 40 in another six months where I have stayed by sticking with my new way of eating. Sadly the exercise is a problem as I had an accident and damaged my knee in 2021 which is still giving problems.
 
I think if I were to continue walking 25 miles a week and eating almost perfectly I would not be even pre diabetic.
However I like a drink and chocolate etc etc so I will never get there and never get to 40 mmol/mol as life has to have some pleasures. I have been teetotal for 10 days I would say and feel better for it and no whiskey means no Twixes!

This morning I had one inch of bread which had broken off a loaf with a dollop of Lurpak and the tiniest bit of marmalade. It was devine.

Tonight salmon and broccoli - whoopee.

The practice nurse told me to eat 85% dark chocolate because it would put me off chocolate for life! might try that trick.
 
lordburnside said:
The practice nurse told me to eat 85% dark chocolate because it would put me off chocolate for life! might try that trick.
Click to expand...
That's my favourite. In any case, extra dark chocolate, ie 70% or more, is regularly promoted for its health benefits. I think you'll find lots of us on here like extra dark chocolate.
 
lordburnside said:
The practice nurse told me to eat 85% dark chocolate because it would put me off chocolate for life!
Click to expand...
While it may put you off 25% milk chocolate with lots of sugar, our tastes can change and you may find you start to enjoy dark chocolate. I would certainly not suggest 85% put me off chocolate.
I would also say there is 85% super bitter grainy chocolate and 85% super smooth delicious 85% chocolate. Unsurprisingly, the former is usually cheaper.
 
I have been on a journey since May with HBA1c 92. Sept 44. Dec 42. I lost 15kg in 10 months and was walking 10,000 steps on average a day. Had mri’s on Pancreas and thankfully no nastiest.
My Fitbit broke, Christmas came and my routine out the window.
Before I had 2 slices of bread a week. No fizzy drinks and g&t on a Saturday night ( which also stopped the munchies)
I am finding it hard to stop the sugar and carbs and have put on about 5 kg.
The nhs app was helpful with the guidance and advice and I need to get back on track with no excuses to myself.
I am just hungry all of the time.
 
Good to hear you’ve kept under the diagnostic cut-off @lordburnside

Hopefully is a few tweaks you’ll be able to gently steer a little further away from that 48mmol/mol line.

Sounds like you may not be altogether thrilled with the BG-friendly menu you’ve developed? Do you think there might be some things you could do to make it more enjoyable for you?
 
Last edited:
Lisaaa said:
I have been on a journey since May with HBA1c 92. Sept 44. Dec 42. I lost 15kg in 10 months and was walking 10,000 steps on average a day. Had mri’s on Pancreas and thankfully no nastiest.
My Fitbit broke, Christmas came and my routine out the window.
Before I had 2 slices of bread a week. No fizzy drinks and g&t on a Saturday night ( which also stopped the munchies)
I am finding it hard to stop the sugar and carbs and have put on about 5 kg.
The nhs app was helpful with the guidance and advice and I need to get back on track with no excuses to myself.
I am just hungry all of the time.
Click to expand...
This link may gibe you some new ideas for low carb meals which are filling and shouldn't leave you hungry. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
You were doing so well so just need to get back on track and find some alternatives which you can enjoy.
 
Lisaaa said:
I am just hungry all of the time.
Click to expand...
Believe it or not I actually once read an article with the headline 'Why Are Type 2 Diabetics Always Hungry?'

If I start to feel hungry between meals I grab a handful of nuts - barely any carbs, mostly fat but predominantly the 'good' unsaturated kind, and a decent portion of protein. It's not an option for everyone, of course, as some people have a nut allergy, but it does the trick for me. Peanuts, Almonds, Pecans and Walnuts are my regular choices.

I also crush a handful of walnuts or pecans and sprinkle them over my breakfast of berries and Greek yogurt. It fills me up to the extent that I rarely need anything else before lunch.
 
Martin.A said:
Believe it or not I actually once read an article with the headline 'Why Are Type 2 Diabetics Always Hungry?'

If I start to feel hungry between meals I grab a handful of nuts - barely any carbs, mostly fat but predominantly the 'good' unsaturated kind, and a decent portion of protein. It's not an option for everyone, of course, as some people have a nut allergy, but it does the trick for me. Peanuts, Almonds, Pecans and Walnuts are my regular choices.

I also crush a handful of walnuts or pecans and sprinkle them over my breakfast of berries and Greek yogurt. It fills me up to the extent that I rarely need anything else before lunch.
Click to expand...
I suppose it depends what eating habits you have been used to having. In my 40 years of working in labs there was no possibility of eating willy nilly and even sometimes we were too busy to have lunch. So I was used to having breakfast, maybe lunch, and dinner and actually never feel hungry.
 
I have been pre-diabetic, normal, pre-diabetic and now normal again. I am lucky in that I never feel hungry now unlike when I was on a high carb diet and was hungry the whole time.

I am lucky in that I don't work and so am able to research food and recipes and do lots of cooking. I try to be careful when I eat out too. I find my food much more enjoyable now.

I was also very lucky in that I was taking part in medical research when the high sugar level was found by researchers. My GP was informed and arranged hba1c then called me in to say I was pre-diabetic. Without that I would have had no idea and would not have had the opportunity to try to improve things.
 
I am having a weeks holiday so that means beer and chips but a lot of walking 70 miles in a week (or 2lbs in weight)
I hope to be the same weight on my return.
Then I start being good again again in earnest.
 
lordburnside said:
I had ordered a private test as I was told my next NHS test was in May. I got a 47 from the private test and a 46 from the much earlier than expected NHS test following a week of abstinence.

I knew I had strayed slightly from the path of low carb over Christmas so the results were just pre-diabetic.

The practice nurse say I shouldn’t be too hard on myself but to my thinking I am quite close to being diabetic. I am told I can have two slices of bread or 2 small potatoes a day and this shouldn’t do any harm.

Personally I am being stricter with my diet and much less alcohol plus walking 25miles a week - weather permitting!

Everyone is different but has anyone remained pre-diabetic on the borderline for years?
Click to expand...
Ask for the winner of the 2:30 at Kempton - if she can predict how a person reacts to carbs then horse racing tips should be a cinch.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top