Awaiting Diagnosis...

B

Bev123

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
At risk of diabetes
Hello everyone. I have been having a look at the various forums and some threads and I'm so glad I've found such a great resource and community. I think I might need it....

I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes in March 2020 and all was well after my daughter was born in June 2020. Gestational diabetes was fully diet controlled with no issues. During my pregnancy, I actually lost weight due to my lower carb diet but not to the point of concern for anyone. After pregnancy I was lighter than I've been in a long time.

Fast forward to today and I've re-gained all the weight. I had a fasting glucose test last week and the results came back a couple of days ago at 8.9 (my fasting bloods when pregnant were always 4-5). They’ve scheduled an HbA1c test in two weeks, and I’m bracing for a potential diagnosis based on the fasting blood results.

Initially I was devastated and angry with myself for not managing weight/diet better but I am now trying to stay positive and focus on moving forward. I can't undo the past so I must focus on where I go from here. In the short term, prior to the HbA1c test and results, I plan to make a start on getting my weight in check. Eating lower carb helped me loose weight and manage my blood sugar when pregnant so it seems a sensible place to start. I was extremely strict then however, knowing it was likely temporary and I don't think it is sustainable to continue in that way now, so will try and find a balance this time around that will be more sustainable.

It would be good to hear from people their own experiences at this stage. I have tried to focus on reading some success stories about remission/reversal in these forums which is positive and inspiring but I also know I have to be realistic about the journey I have ahead.

Thanks for reading!
 
Hello there @Bev123 and welcome to the forum. My fiencee's sister has Gestational Diabetes as well and it was a total shock to her when she was diagnosed..but she's remained positive throughout and it goes to read you're doing exactly the same.
 
Bev123 said:
Hello everyone. I have been having a look at the various forums and some threads and I'm so glad I've found such a great resource and community. I think I might need it....

I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes in March 2020 and all was well after my daughter was born in June 2020. Gestational diabetes was fully diet controlled with no issues. During my pregnancy, I actually lost weight due to my lower carb diet but not to the point of concern for anyone. After pregnancy I was lighter than I've been in a long time.

Fast forward to today and I've re-gained all the weight. I had a fasting glucose test last week and the results came back a couple of days ago at 8.9 (my fasting bloods when pregnant were always 4-5). They’ve scheduled an HbA1c test in two weeks, and I’m bracing for a potential diagnosis based on the fasting blood results.

Initially I was devastated and angry with myself for not managing weight/diet better but I am now trying to stay positive and focus on moving forward. I can't undo the past so I must focus on where I go from here. In the short term, prior to the HbA1c test and results, I plan to make a start on getting my weight in check. Eating lower carb helped me loose weight and manage my blood sugar when pregnant so it seems a sensible place to start. I was extremely strict then however, knowing it was likely temporary and I don't think it is sustainable to continue in that way now, so will try and find a balance this time around that will be more sustainable.

It would be good to hear from people their own experiences at this stage. I have tried to focus on reading some success stories about remission/reversal in these forums which is positive and inspiring but I also know I have to be realistic about the journey I have ahead.

Thanks for reading!
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forum
I think it quite likely you will get an HbA1C at a level that will indicate a diabetes diagnosis with a fasting blood glucose that you had. But well done for taking the attitude that what is past is past and it is finding a way forward from now on.
As low carb suited you before and you likely needed to be stricter because of your pregnancy, there is no reason why adopting that approach again should not be something that you can do and will still give you options for filling tasty meals. This link is a low carb approach which many have found successful and is based on real food so should suit family life, where you don't want to be cooking different meals. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
It would be a good idea to keep a food diary for a couple of weeks of everything you eat and drink with an estimate of the carbs you are having, that will give you a good idea of where you can start to make some savings by cutting out some high carb foods and reducing portion sizes.
The suggested amount of carbs per day as a good starting point is no more than 130g carbs not just sugar so from your diary you can see how far way from that you are.
I expect you must be fairly active with a little one to look after but if you can up your exercise that can also help, so walk rather than take the car, it doesn't need to be going to the gym unless that is your thing.
 
stephenS50 said:
Hello there @Bev123 and welcome to the forum. My fiencee's sister has Gestational Diabetes as well and it was a total shock to her when she was diagnosed..but she's remained positive throughout and it goes to read you're doing exactly the same.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your reply. I feel for her, it is an awful situation to be in. Not only are you concerned for your own health but also that of your baby. I'm glad she is staying positive and it will all be worth it when baby arrives
 
Leadinglights said:
Welcome to the forum
I think it quite likely you will get an HbA1C at a level that will indicate a diabetes diagnosis with a fasting blood glucose that you had. But well done for taking the attitude that what is past is past and it is finding a way forward from now on.
As low carb suited you before and you likely needed to be stricter because of your pregnancy, there is no reason why adopting that approach again should not be something that you can do and will still give you options for filling tasty meals. This link is a low carb approach which many have found successful and is based on real food so should suit family life, where you don't want to be cooking different meals. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
It would be a good idea to keep a food diary for a couple of weeks of everything you eat and drink with an estimate of the carbs you are having, that will give you a good idea of where you can start to make some savings by cutting out some high carb foods and reducing portion sizes.
The suggested amount of carbs per day as a good starting point is no more than 130g carbs not just sugar so from your diary you can see how far way from that you are.
I expect you must be fairly active with a little one to look after but if you can up your exercise that can also help, so walk rather than take the car, it doesn't need to be going to the gym unless that is your thing.
Click to expand...
Thank you for replying.
No gym is definitely not my thing. I've booked to take my girl to a trampoline park at the weekend though so that will help! I do have difficulty building in exercise between a full-time desk job, a uni course, childcare, caring responsibility for my mum and my husbands shift work. But if this doesn't give me the nudge I need, nothing will! My husband and I are looking at options to open up more self-care time for me.
I've gone right back to what I did managing my gestational diabetes and I started tracking my food yesterday. Then I had 150.1g carbs and today's is looking like it will be lower at around 110g. I find the carb cutting tricky being vegetarian and not being able to eat a lot of meat substitutes. I've conceded that I will just need to embrace the tofu though!
I'll have a look at the Freshwell link, thank you.
 
Bev123 said:
Thank you for replying.
No gym is definitely not my thing. I've booked to take my girl to a trampoline park at the weekend though so that will help! I do have difficulty building in exercise between a full-time desk job, a uni course, childcare, caring responsibility for my mum and my husbands shift work. But if this doesn't give me the nudge I need, nothing will! My husband and I are looking at options to open up more self-care time for me.
I've gone right back to what I did managing my gestational diabetes and I started tracking my food yesterday. Then I had 150.1g carbs and today's is looking like it will be lower at around 110g. I find the carb cutting tricky being vegetarian and not being able to eat a lot of meat substitutes. I've conceded that I will just need to embrace the tofu though!
I'll have a look at the Freshwell link, thank you.
Click to expand...
There is a veggie meal plan on there so hopefully that will give you some ideas. If you like pasta then I use edamame bean or black bean pasta as it is very low carb compared to wheat based or even the pea or lentil ones. There is also a noodle from edamame bean which work well in stir fry with veg and tofu.
 
Welcome to the forum - As leading lights mentioned the Freshwell diet plan has been really useful to me - I highly recommend the Lentil Bolognese and the Ratatouille from the budget meal planner, and the PDFs are full of great info on foods to avoid and eat - they also now have a smartphone app definitely on Android, possibly on iPhone too.

Walking has also been a really useful tool for me - I go for a short walk around my housing estate or office if I am there that day (approx 10 mins at a gentle pace) within 90mins of finishing a meal and I find that helps flatten spikes but everyone is different, find what works for you.

There is plenty of support here and as I was told when I joined - there are no silly questions so don't be afraid to ask anything 🙂
 
Tac0caT said:
Welcome to the forum - As leading lights mentioned the Freshwell diet plan has been really useful to me - I highly recommend the Lentil Bolognese and the Ratatouille from the budget meal planner, and the PDFs are full of great info on foods to avoid and eat - they also now have a smartphone app definitely on Android, possibly on iPhone too.

Walking has also been a really useful tool for me - I go for a short walk around my housing estate or office if I am there that day (approx 10 mins at a gentle pace) within 90mins of finishing a meal and I find that helps flatten spikes but everyone is different, find what works for you.

There is plenty of support here and as I was told when I joined - there are no silly questions so don't be afraid to ask anything 🙂
Click to expand...
Hi and thanks for the welcome. I'll definitely look at the Freshwell app.
 
Bev123 said:
I've never enjoyed it but I'll experiment more and I'm sure I'll learn to love it. I've heard of the others but never tried. Will have a look. Thanks.
Click to expand...
The plain ones don't have much flavour but take on flavours if you marinade it but there are others which are already flavoured and there does seem to be different types, smoked, silken etc.
You may need to try different ones to see if you prefer any.
But there is always Halloumi or Paneer.
 
Bev123 said:
I've never enjoyed it but I'll experiment more and I'm sure I'll learn to love it. I've heard of the others but never tried. Will have a look. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum @Bev123

I was a long-term tofu avoider, but I’ve been completely converted in recent years!

When my youngest was fully vegan for a while, silken tofu was great in veg stir-fries as a scrambled-egg substitute.

But Firm Tofu gives you even more options. A particular favourite is ‘crispy baked tofu’ which is really easy to make, and can be a foil for salads, or veggie dishes, and can be flavoured in many different ways.

1726254968035.jpeg

I can’t remember where I got the recipe from, but this works every time!

Block of Firm Tofu. Press it for 30 mins in kitchen paper.

Mix 1tbsp oil and 1tbsp soy sauce in a mixing bowl and then toss the cubed tofu in it.

Sprinkle over 1tbsp cornflour and stir round until no dusty bits remain.

Bake on a non-stick tray for 25 mins at 200C.

In that time make Some Sort Of Salad (TM).

Plonk the Crispy Tofu on top, drizzle with some sort of sauce out of the fridge (kimchi ketchup? Sweet chilli sauce?)

Eat.
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
Welcome to the forum @Bev123

I was a long-term tofu avoider, but I’ve been completely converted in recent years!

When my youngest was fully vegan for a while, silken tofu was great in veg stir-fries as a scrambled-egg substitute.

But Firm Tofu gives you even more options. A particular favourite is ‘crispy baked tofu’ which is really easy to make, and can be a foil for salads, or veggie dishes, and can be flavoured in many different ways.

View attachment 31508

I can’t remember where I got the recipe from, but this works every time!

Block of Firm Tofu. Press it for 30 mins in kitchen paper.

Mix 1tbsp oil and 1tbsp soy sauce in a mixing bowl and then toss the cubed tofu in it.

Sprinkle over 1tbsp cornflour and stir round until no dusty bits remain.

Bake on a non-stick tray for 25 mins at 200C.

In that time make Some Sort Of Salad (TM).

Plonk the Crispy Tofu on top, drizzle with some sort of sauce out of the fridge (kimchi ketchup? Sweet chilli sauce?)

Eat.
Click to expand...
Thank you, this sounds like an excellent starting point.
 
Leadinglights said:
The plain ones don't have much flavour but take on flavours if you marinade it but there are others which are already flavoured and there does seem to be different types, smoked, silken etc.
You may need to try different ones to see if you prefer any.
But there is always Halloumi or Paneer.
Click to expand...
I love both halloumi and paneer thankfully
 
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