Expecting improvement

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NearlyWellBeing

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Hi, I am expecting improvement, having seen my glucose graph and spoken to the nurse on Friday about blood results.

We think I can lose weight which will help my arthritis, and cut down on Metaformin which will help my routine, and ultimately reversible.

The problem I have is the condition is completely invisible, I don't feel a thing and hence never motivated to do much about it, so I have joined the forum to gain some momentum.
 
NearlyWellBeing said:
Hi, I am expecting improvement, having seen my glucose graph and spoken to the nurse on Friday about blood results.

We think I can lose weight which will help my arthritis, and cut down on Metaformin which will help my routine, and ultimately reversible.

The problem I have is the condition is completely invisible, I don't feel a thing and hence never motivated to do much about it, so I have joined the forum to gain some momentum.
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It might be that once you make a start and get your blood glucose levels down to around normal you will realise that things were not quite right, but that you had become used to them as they crept up on you.
If you have a meter to test blood glucose after eating that might act as an indication of improvement.
 
NearlyWellBeing said:
Hi, I am expecting improvement, having seen my glucose graph and spoken to the nurse on Friday about blood results.

We think I can lose weight which will help my arthritis, and cut down on Metaformin which will help my routine, and ultimately reversible.

The problem I have is the condition is completely invisible, I don't feel a thing and hence never motivated to do much about it, so I have joined the forum to gain some momentum.
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forum.
Would you like to share what the result of your HbA1C was and what dietary approach are you following in addition to the metformin. Diet is going to be just as if not more so than the medication.
The side affects of the condition may not be visible at the moment but without taking action may not remain so for long. We see posts from people suffering effects after only a short time with high blood glucose.
If you are only taking metformin then a low carb approach is one many find successful at both losing weight and reducing blood glucose, have a look at this link for a good explanation and some menu plans which may suit your tastes. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
This is based on the suggested no more than 130g carbs per day.
 
Hi @NearlyWellBeing

Having recently being diagnosed, I would echo the comments of LeadingLights, now I have a diagnosis I actually realise that some of the issues I have been having over the past 6 to 12 months are likely a consequence of undiagnosed diabetes. Having accepted that and making the decision to do something about it I already feel I have moved forward even though my diagnosis was only two weeks ago.

For me the driver is twofold, I want to keep running and damage to my feet has the potential to stop that and I have no desire to have my wife and two daughters have to look after me if I cannot do it myself. The simple threat of that irrespective of the fact that the illness is "invisible" has been sufficient for me to move to a low carb diet and worse still, to try my hand at baking low carb bread.

The Freshwell app which links to the lowcarbfreshwell website recommended by LeadingLights has proved a source of inspiration, including giving me the opportunity to actually have something "sweet" after meals occasionaly.
 
Leadinglights said:
Welcome to the forum.
Would you like to share what the result of your HbA1C was and what dietary approach are you following in addition to the metformin. Diet is going to be just as if not more so than the medication.
The side affects of the condition may not be visible at the moment but without taking action may not remain so for long. We see posts from people suffering effects after only a short time with high blood glucose.
If you are only taking metformin then a low carb approach is one many find successful at both losing weight and reducing blood glucose, have a look at this link for a good explanation and some menu plans which may suit your tastes. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
This is based on the suggested no more than 130g carbs per day.
Click to expand...
Leadinglights

53 HbA1c at the moment, which seems to be the average over time (sometimes I get 41 or 72).

The nurse says I can't absorb sugar so thats good enough to get my attitude straight, that if its tastes of sugar its pretty much a waste of time.

I stopped sugar in drinks immediately and might even be enough. Nurse also says I should also quit from the oranges for breakfast and go for something more protein based to reduce the sugar craving. I can manage that at the canteen, they do a good fry up.
 
A good fry-up is a perfect meal for a diabetic, as long as you skip the hash brown and toast/fried bread!
 
NearlyWellBeing said:
Leadinglights

53 HbA1c at the moment, which seems to be the average over time (sometimes I get 41 or 72).

The nurse says I can't absorb sugar so thats good enough to get my attitude straight, that if its tastes of sugar its pretty much a waste of time.

I stopped sugar in drinks immediately and might even be enough. Nurse also says I should also quit from the oranges for breakfast and go for something more protein based to reduce the sugar craving. I can manage that at the canteen, they do a good fry up.
Click to expand...
The threshold for a diabetic diagnosis is anything over 47mmol/mol so your current reading of 53 is not all that bad in the context of it having previously been as high as 72 but clearly not as good as being at 41mmol/mol. Having a dietary approach that will get your blood glucose down AND be one that you can maintain as yoyoing up and down is not kind on your body.
The HbA1C is in basic terms an average over the previous 3 months prior to the test.
I'm not sure what the nurse means by ' can't absorb sugar ' , and perhaps shows lack of understanding that it is all carbohydrates of which sugar is one, convert to glucose so if the intake of those carbs is more than the body can cope with because it is either not producing enough insulin or it is but it cannot be used efficiently by the body. So yes it is needed to cut out added sugar but also foods with high carbohydrates and that gives the body a better chance to cope.
Definitely people find having protein and healthy fats for breakfast which is low carb is better than breakfast cereals or toast. Many find that something like full fat Greek yoghurt and berries with seeds or nuts is a good breakfast option.
 
Welcome to the forum @NearlyWellBeing

Hopefully with a few modest tweaks and changes to your menu, and a slight, but consistent, reduction in your overall carbohydrate intake (not just ‘of which sugars’ but reduced portions of starchy carbs too) you’ll see a gradual and sustainable reduction in your HbA1c,

And hopefully you’ll feel a bit of a lift as a result (even if you didn’t think you were feeling off-colour beforehand)
 
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