Confused.

[MikeTyphoon770]

Hi everyone, I need some help and a bit of advice please.
I’ll start by saying that I have Leukaemia, diagnosed 2 1/2 yrs ago but currently not on treatment. I had a heart attack on 29 August and during my stay in hospital I was told that I am now TP2 diabetic. I saw my cancer consultant last week. He told me that I was diabetic in January where my blood level had gone to 49,(nobody told me this in January) however my latest reading is 44 and he is confident that my levels should continue to fall with minor lifestyle changes. I’ve also seen the diabetic nurse who also confirmed this. She explained that any blood reading between 40 and 48 puts you in the at risk category, 49 and above means tp2 diabetic. Is this correct?
Since diagnosis early September I immediately changed my diet, no potatoes, rice, pasta or white bread. I am now eating more salad and green stuff, fish etc but I’ve noticed I’m starting to lose weight quite rapidly gone from 112 kg to 100 kg in 5 weeks without even trying to lose weight. My concern is, I am rather tall at 6’4” and I don’t want to end up looking like a stick insect. Is there anything I can do to maintain my weight while still having a healthier diet? I guess it could be a lot worse but the weight issue is causing me a lot of concern. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. I a 64 yr old male living in the UK.

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi everyone, I need some help and a bit of advice please.
I’ll start by saying that I have Leukaemia, diagnosed 2 1/2 yrs ago but currently not on treatment. I had a heart attack on 29 August and during my stay in hospital I was told that I am now TP2 diabetic. I saw my cancer consultant last week. He told me that I was diabetic in January where my blood level had gone to 49,(nobody told me this in January) however my latest reading is 44 and he is confident that my levels should continue to fall with minor lifestyle changes. I’ve also seen the diabetic nurse who also confirmed this. She explained that any blood reading between 40 and 48 puts you in the at risk category, 49 and above means tp2 diabetic. Is this correct?
Since diagnosis early September I immediately changed my diet, no potatoes, rice, pasta or white bread. I am now eating more salad and green stuff, fish etc but I’ve noticed I’m starting to lose weight quite rapidly gone from 112 kg to 100 kg in 5 weeks without even trying to lose weight. My concern is, I am rather tall at 6’4” and I don’t want to end up looking like a stick insect. Is there anything I can do to maintain my weight while still having a healthier diet? I guess it could be a lot worse but the weight issue is causing me a lot of concern. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. I a 64 yr old male living in the UK.

Welcome to the forum and sorry to hear of your diagnosis. Those numbers are just a point out of the accepted guidelines 42-47 mmol/mol prediabetes and 48 and over diabetic.
Given that you are actually in the prediabetic zone perhaps too strict a reduction in carbs without replacing with more protein and healthy fats has resulted in the weight loss, Usually when people reduce carbs the initial weight loss is fluids and then it will settle down. However if you don't need to lose weight then slow up on carb reduction and up the protein.
Given your other condition then a more personalised target would be more appropriate. The Guidelines are in this thread

J

Post in thread 'Need guidlines please'

Oct 10, 2024

Full Nice Guideline are here:

Recommendations | Type 2 diabetes in adults: management | Guidance | NICE

www.nice.org.uk

Makes an interesting read.

• JOV

 

[trophywench]

I'm not sure at all whether your blood would have all the completely normal complement of everything that completely normal blood is expected to have either just at the moment or in fact, ever again in your life and therefore don't know how reliable the standard HbA1c test is likely to be.

I like the sound of your oncologist's message - he seems to think your HbA1c test will most likely continue to drop towards 'normal' levels again anyway - but without cross examining the chap and finding out exactly why he says this (how many times has he personally experienced this with his own patients, how frequently in similar people to you, rather than researchers in deepest Africa reported this in a textbook he read at Uni) we're as much in the dark as you in that partic respect. But - what @Leadinglights has said about not cutting the carbs so hard and making sure you get enough of everything else on your plate, sounds correct to me.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @MikeTyphoon770

Sorry to hear about your leukaemia, and your heart attack. What a lot you’ve been through!

Yes those levels for ‘at risk’ 42-47 and a diabetes diagnosis with 2 checks at or above 48mmol/mol do sound right.

Were you prescribed a course of steroids as part of your recovery? Those can give a fairly hefty boost to your BG levels, which might ebb away once the course was finished.

In terms of maintaining a healthy weight once you've reached your target, you may find that as your weight reduces you have a greater ability to process carbohydrates efficiently (extra weight, especially visceral fat in the abdomen can negatively affect your insulin sensitivity and pancreatic function). So you may be able to eat more carbs without troubling your glucose levels too much. Additionally you could consider adding ‘good fats’ from things like avocado, olive oil, oily fish etc.