Am I worrying too much?

[Reg]

I have read so many posts on all these forums and realise a lot of people have got much worse diabetes than me. However as I really don't want to have to start taking pills (I react to so many tablets) I have thrown myself into taking on board all advice given.
I have bought the book Carbs and Cals (brilliant book!) also the one recommended called "The first year as a Diabetic Type 2".

I have bought a glucose monitor and that is where I need your help please! I am not sure how to interpret the results. I am testing before breakfast, before and after our evening meal. I know the result ideally should be between 4 - 7 and preferably a rise after the evening meal of no more than 2-3. My wife has been brilliant preparing most meals with low cabs and recording everything I am eating.

So my fasting BG range from 5.1 to 6.2 which is brilliant.
My pre evening meal is between 4.6 to 7.8 which is not too bad!
BUT then my post evening meal BG is 8.5 to 13.1.

I know some are high because I have had a little potato, chips or rice or even extras like an apple or a banana. My total carbs for the day vary from 128 to 179g.

Is it OK to have an occasional spike in the evening as overnight it comes down to a respectable level? Do I really need to watch what I eat morning, noon and night?

Sorry this is a bit long but must say this forum is brilliant!

 

[Kaylz]

Hi 🙂

That's quite a lot of carbs for a Type 2 trying to control it with diet and exercise only, I don't eat that much and I have the benefit of insulin, yes it is best to watch everything you eat (having to use an insulin to carb ratio I have to weigh everything with carbs to know what amount of insulin I need)

What kinds of things are you eating to be reaching that amount of carbs per day? I eat jumbo oats, a sandwich and potatoes everyday but I only reach 100g carbs and many Type 2's cant even handle that, you don't mention testing after breakfast or before and after dinner if you eat that (or you may call it lunch depending where your from) so if you are eating and not testing then the evening spikes may not be the only ones you are having
xx

 

[Pine Marten]

Hi @Reg, welcome to the forum.

As Kaylz says, what foods are you generally having? As type 2s we need to cut out or reduce the starchy carbs like rice, pasta, potatoes and bread, and eat more green leafy veg, good quality meat, fish, dairy, eggs and so on. But also 'healthy' fruits like bananas, apples, grapes can spike - berries are more easily tolerated but I know some people go carefully with these too. The basic line is to test different foods to see what effect they have, and again as Kaylz says you need to test before *and* after meals to see what the rise is like, aiming for no more than 2-3 numbers.

I see that your HbA1c is 51, so that's not desperately high (mine was something around 108, if I recall!), and with a few tweaks you should be able to get good control. You've made a good start, and it's good to see that Mrs Reg is so supportive!

 

[trophywench]

Well yes Reg - we DO have to watch what we are eating morning noon and night for the rest of our lives!

Diabetes is a chronic condition not a temporary one. Chronic - ie Lifelong.

 

[Reg]

Hi 🙂

That's quite a lot of carbs for a Type 2 trying to control it with diet and exercise only, I don't eat that much and I have the benefit of insulin, yes it is best to watch everything you eat (having to use an insulin to carb ratio I have to weigh everything with carbs to know what amount of insulin I need)

What kinds of things are you eating to be reaching that amount of carbs per day? I eat jumbo oats, a sandwich and potatoes everyday but I only reach 100g carbs and many Type 2's cant even handle that, you don't mention testing after breakfast or before and after dinner if you eat that (or you may call it lunch depending where your from) so if you are eating and not testing then the evening spikes may not be the only ones you are having
xx

Well I have realised that my normal 2 weetabix is 52 carbs!! ☹️☹️ I also used to have 2 pieces of malt bread each lunchtime which are 44 carbs! So I would say my downfall is the extras.
Also I have been ill with a chest infection/virus for 6 weeks so have not been able to exercise.
Thanks for your reply.

 

[Reg]

Hi @Reg, welcome to the forum.

As Kaylz says, what foods are you generally having? As type 2s we need to cut out or reduce the starchy carbs like rice, pasta, potatoes and bread, and eat more green leafy veg, good quality meat, fish, dairy, eggs and so on. But also 'healthy' fruits like bananas, apples, grapes can spike - berries are more easily tolerated but I know some people go carefully with these too. The basic line is to test different foods to see what effect they have, and again as Kaylz says you need to test before *and* after meals to see what the rise is like, aiming for no more than 2-3 numbers.

I see that your HbA1c is 51, so that's not desperately high (mine was something around 108, if I recall!), and with a few tweaks you should be able to get good control. You've made a good start, and it's good to see that Mrs Reg is so supportive!

I think that is where I have gone wrong, I knew what I should eat but should have got readings on those foods before testing foods I shouldn’t eat, like fajitas that added up to 100 carbs!!
Thanks for your reply.

 

[Reg]

Well yes Reg - we DO have to watch what we are eating morning noon and night for the rest of our lives!

Diabetes is a chronic condition not a temporary one. Chronic - ie Lifelong.

I think that is what has hit me - it has been a novelty the first couple of weeks now I am struggling with this thought. Going round the supermarket all I see is things I can't have. I know there are people who struggle with this condition in a really difficult way so I will stop moaning!!!

 

[Jha19]

Also I have been ill with a chest infection/virus for 6 weeks so have not been able to exercise.
Thanks for your reply.

A viral infection is likely to increase your blood glucose. When you've overcome that you might see a small improvement anyway. But you probably need to look at diet ,and reducing carbs a bit more long term. Others here are more expert in doing that than I am.

I don't think you need to worry though, just work through what you eat bit by bit making small changes. You'll get there ,and you may always experience occasional blips...

 

[Reg]

A viral infection is likely to increase your blood glucose. When you've overcome that you might see a small improvement anyway. But you probably need to look at diet ,and reducing carbs a bit more long term. Others here are more expert in doing that than I am.

I don't think you need to worry though, just work through what you eat bit by bit making small changes. You'll get there ,and you may always experience occasional blips...

And also having steroids probably hasn’t helped!!

 

[trophywench]

OMG - steroids always increase BG, Reg. (On their own they can even cause diabetes if they're very heavy duty ones eg the intravenous ones - but if you're ill enough to need them then it's life threatening enough anyway without a piffling thing like diabetes cos D will only kill us if WE let it by not treating it right day to day)

You can't remove carbohydrates from the diet even if you try really hard since even eg lettuce and cucumber contain them - but only negligibly since we only consume such small quantities of them, not half a ton at a time!

The frozen food freezers are very useful when looking to buy fresh eg vegetables in a supermarket - just go and look at the Nutritional info on a bag of eg frozen peas if you want to know what carbs are in fresh ones. Plus tinned anything - usually tells us 'per 100g' and eg per half tin, meaning half a tin of the thing is a normal serving. When looking at baked beans for instance (so compare them to a can of 'just' beans eg haricot or Borlotti beans - there's not very much at all in the actual beans, but WOW! the sauce is dreadful!

Buy your wife (if you don't own one already) a set of 'add and weigh' kitchen scales that you can 'zero' the reading after eg weighing the empty plate before you start putting cooked rice on it, or the spuds or whatever you are having for dinner today. Then you'll be able to gauge carb content easily knowing that you can only have say a spoon and a half of the thing instead of the 3 spoonfuls you used to have.

You'll get there, panic ye not!

 

[Deleted member 25429]

I think that is what has hit me - it has been a novelty the first couple of weeks now I am struggling with this thought. Going round the supermarket all I see is things I can't have. I know there are people who struggle with this condition in a really difficult way so I will stop moaning!!!

I have insulin to help me as a type 1 but I walk round supermarkets thinking is that worth sticking a needle in my leg so I know how you feel . I have always been a fussy eater , being low carb ( approx 50g per day ) has made me try new foods so many that I now love . Good luck it’s very confusing at the beginning . As my consultant said to me “ you need to take control not let it control you “

 

[Reg]

I have insulin to help me as a type 1 but I walk round supermarkets thinking is that worth sticking a needle in my leg so I know how you feel . I have always been a fussy eater , being low carb ( approx 50g per day ) has made me try new foods so many that I now love . Good luck it’s very confusing at the beginning . As my consultant said to me “ you need to take control not let it control you “

Thanks! All the best to you too.

 

[trophywench]

As has been said many times before - diabetes is a marathon, not a sprint. Hence, it can't possibly be completed without the proper training, can it?

If you've ever been on a management course - liken it to the task you may be faced with whether it's building a pyramid for the Pharaoh, or coming up with a method to eat a whole elephant. The latter is more appropriate here!

Divide this particular elephant up into bite-sized pieces!

 

[Lucylemonpip]

Hi Reg, I have recently been diagnosed with T2 as well. You saying about wandering through the supermarket, made me remember how I felt one day, a couple of weeks ago, doing pretty much the same thing. I wandered past the bread aisle, the cake aisle, the biscuit aisle and the sweet aisle, oh, and the crisp aisle. I have to say, it made me feel pretty cheesed off, no pun intended, although that said, when eating low carb, cheddar cheese, for example, is now not so much of a “no, no”, but a “yes please!” 😎

My first HbA1c, in Oct last year, was 50, so like you, we don’t have too far to go before we can, fingers crossed and a bit of discipline, get into a diabetes remission. Not a reversal or a cure, because now we have developed it, even if we go into remission, if we then start to increase our carbs and go back to anywhere near what we were eating prior to our diagnosis, we will raise our blood sugar and HbA1c results and end up reversing right back where we started. So it’s now a lifelong commitment of keeping our blood glucose in the good range and not eating foods that make our BG, rise, or “spike”, as it’s called, to a higher figure, as it’s these spikes that in the longer-term will cause what are called “complications”, such as retinopathy of the eyes and neuropathy of the hands and feet; in other words, damage to the nerves in the eyes and to the nerves in our hands and feet.

I know it all sounds scary and is upsetting to have got ourselves into this position, but that said, we are lucky that we got to know now and not after any “complications” manifested themselves.

I am trying to gain remission by losing weight by following a low carbohydrate diet, which in turn also has the benefit of keeping BG low. When I started to look at the nutritional information on packets of things like biscuits, cakes, bread and even things like baked beans etc, I never truly appreciated just how many carbs there are in them. It’s staggering. Luckily, what with the internet and supermarkets being online, you can sit at home and go through a shopping list to see what carb amounts are in which foods. I am trying to keep my total carb intake per day, at less than 50g. This means that I’m eating a lot of salads, along with things like cheese, bacon, ham, pork, chicken, fish and beef. You can even eat sausages, so long as they have a high meat content, as all of these foods have the lowest carb content. Eggs are also okay, as is butter and double cream. I’ve also discovered sugar free jelly, so I make some up and have it with some double cream. Full fat yoghurts are reasonable with carbs and you can factor in a slightly higher carb value with lower carb values, in a meal, so that you don’t feel deprived of something nice.

I hope my rather long posting has been of help. It is a minefield, I know and I’m still learning. My husband is amazed by my refusal of a mocha or hot chocolate, in favour of a flat white coffee or Americano, when we go out for a coffee, but I know it would be real easy for me to say to myself, “it won’t hurt, just this once”, but I know that “once” will end up as all the time, as in the past my willpower has been rubbish. The difference is, I now know what could happen if I carry on.

Oh, a blood glucose monitor is a good piece of equipment, even if your GP or Diabetes Nurse say not to bother (as mine did). The monitors are an excellent measure of how your blood sugars respond to different foods, so you’ll know what is tolerated and what will, or not, cause a spike. 🙂

 

[Lucylemonpip]

Just had a quick look at Weetabix (market leader) and it says that 2 x biscuits are 26g of carbs.

 

[trophywench]

But that only allows for 125ml of milk, Lucy which isn't even enough for ONE Weetabix for me.

 

[Neens]

@Reg it is a confusing time and as others have posted - the steroids/illness will all have raised your BG, as will stress - so hard though it sounds - try not to over worry. You have certainly chosen the right reading material - I have the Becker book and am hoping to buy the carbs/cals I have a sneaky feeling I may already have a copy somewhere - they are very useful. Things will become clearer, give it time. The forum is also great for support - as you know.
Your BG do not seem alarmingly high and you know the reasons behind the readings above 9. You're testing foods/tolerance which is the right thing to do.

I hope you find some food options that suit you well.

 

[SueEK]

Hi @Reg, I won’t offer any further advice as you have everything you need above. Just wanted to say that we are all in the same boat and I still watch every day what I’m eating, it’s a constant thought. Some days I’m not as good as others and I do struggle, can’t deny it, having said that my levels are down from 90 to 43, cholesterol is good, blood pressure good and these are the things we need to remember why we are doing this. All of us are trying to prevent further problems later on in life. Over time you will learn, with the benefit of your meter, what foods you need to avoid and it will become second nature but at the moment it is of course very new and a bit overwhelming but don’t fret you will get there especially with the help of your new friends here on this forum and your wife who sounds a star. Keep posting Reg and let us know how you are getting on. Sue x

 

[Felinia]

Hi Reg, You've had really good advice from everyone on this post. One thing I would suggest is getting an app and/or web membership which records all your foods (carbs, cals etc) and keeps running totals for you or Mrs Reg. Great to have when in the supermarket and you can plan your day in advance. Like you I realises my 2 Oatibix were 30gm carbs, and the 200ml of milk soon shoved it up past 50! I now have just one Oatibix with 125ml unsweetened almond or coconut milk, plus 40 gm frozen berries. I also get through a cauliflower a week, plus lots of carrot/swede puree and don't miss potatoes or rice. You are only just in the diabetic range, and my DSN told me once I got my level to 48, I could have the OCCASIONAL treat, so I do, and don't feel deprived. Best wishes

 

[Reg]

Hi Reg, I have recently been diagnosed with T2 as well. You saying about wandering through the supermarket, made me remember how I felt one day, a couple of weeks ago, doing pretty much the same thing. I wandered past the bread aisle, the cake aisle, the biscuit aisle and the sweet aisle, oh, and the crisp aisle. I have to say, it made me feel pretty cheesed off, no pun intended, although that said, when eating low carb, cheddar cheese, for example, is now not so much of a “no, no”, but a “yes please!” 😎

My first HbA1c, in Oct last year, was 50, so like you, we don’t have too far to go before we can, fingers crossed and a bit of discipline, get into a diabetes remission. Not a reversal or a cure, because now we have developed it, even if we go into remission, if we then start to increase our carbs and go back to anywhere near what we were eating prior to our diagnosis, we will raise our blood sugar and HbA1c results and end up reversing right back where we started. So it’s now a lifelong commitment of keeping our blood glucose in the good range and not eating foods that make our BG, rise, or “spike”, as it’s called, to a higher figure, as it’s these spikes that in the longer-term will cause what are called “complications”, such as retinopathy of the eyes and neuropathy of the hands and feet; in other words, damage to the nerves in the eyes and to the nerves in our hands and feet.

I know it all sounds scary and is upsetting to have got ourselves into this position, but that said, we are lucky that we got to know now and not after any “complications” manifested themselves.

I am trying to gain remission by losing weight by following a low carbohydrate diet, which in turn also has the benefit of keeping BG low. When I started to look at the nutritional information on packets of things like biscuits, cakes, bread and even things like baked beans etc, I never truly appreciated just how many carbs there are in them. It’s staggering. Luckily, what with the internet and supermarkets being online, you can sit at home and go through a shopping list to see what carb amounts are in which foods. I am trying to keep my total carb intake per day, at less than 50g. This means that I’m eating a lot of salads, along with things like cheese, bacon, ham, pork, chicken, fish and beef. You can even eat sausages, so long as they have a high meat content, as all of these foods have the lowest carb content. Eggs are also okay, as is butter and double cream. I’ve also discovered sugar free jelly, so I make some up and have it with some double cream. Full fat yoghurts are reasonable with carbs and you can factor in a slightly higher carb value with lower carb values, in a meal, so that you don’t feel deprived of something nice.

I hope my rather long posting has been of help. It is a minefield, I know and I’m still learning. My husband is amazed by my refusal of a mocha or hot chocolate, in favour of a flat white coffee or Americano, when we go out for a coffee, but I know it would be real easy for me to say to myself, “it won’t hurt, just this once”, but I know that “once” will end up as all the time, as in the past my willpower has been rubbish. The difference is, I now know what could happen if I carry on.

Oh, a blood glucose monitor is a good piece of equipment, even if your GP or Diabetes Nurse say not to bother (as mine did). The monitors are an excellent measure of how your blood sugars respond to different foods, so you’ll know what is tolerated and what will, or not, cause a spike. 🙂

I really appreciate your long post!! You do sound in a very similar situation to me and tackling it like I am. I have wondered if I am worrying too much as I have two friends with Type 2 and both do not eat or drink like a diabetic. They say "Oh yes we started off like that but don't worry too much and our HbA1c readings go up and down but nothing to worry about!" I am on warfarin and other tablets for my heart so don't want to take more if I can help it. I suppose the blood test in April will be interesting to see how I have done.
Thank you for your encouragement.