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Good afternoon, my first post - quite excited.
I would like to understand how I find a good private dietician. I don't know what qualifications I should be looking out for or what questions to ask. I am not looking for weight loss or exercise advice but advice around small changes to bring improvements.
Hello, i am newish too. I have always used the dieticticians at my local hospital as part of the team along with nurses and consultant. I have no idea how you would find a private one, especially as i assume you need one with specific diabetes knowledge. Can you get any help from your gp or hospital? There is a wealth of information on this forum, and diabetes uk in general. Hope that you can get the information you need. Sue x
Over the decades I have been inflicted on various dieticians as my weight (not my fat) has always been a p for my GPs. They were always naturally thin young women with no idea that they ought to listen to what a patient is telling them, so you might be disappointed if you are wanting your questions answered, I'm afraid.
The dieticians I’ve seen have been very helpful - particularly the one I saw soon after diagnosis. I don’t remember whether she was “naturally thin” or “young” but she spent time listening to me and helping me plan a diet that worked for me and that I knew I could stick to. She also patiently and informatively answered my many questions.
I’m sure there are not so good dieticians, but I doubt their thinness or their youth has anything to do with their ability....
It was the other way round for me. The dietician I saw who specialised in diabetes and was a trained DAFNE educator, was an older lady who was extremely overweight. I was after advice about low carb/keto which was of course abruptly nipped in the bud by her. She was a lovely lady and really kind and gave me her mobile number if I needed any help with my diabetes but diet wise, it was no help at all for me as she was very much steeped in the low fat mantra that she had no doubt been expounding all her career since college.
Interestingly on my DAFNE course she seemed to be aware of the changes in scientific thought on fat and low carb and I do wonder if she ever came to the realization that perhaps she had been indoctrinated with somewhat dubious information which had possibly not been helpful to herself or her patients. I have sometimes felt like ringing her and initiating a discussion of Keto/LCHF now that I am more knowledgeable and can counter some of her arguments and see if I could tempt her to try the dark side!!
Thank you for your replies, I have made contact with someone via the BDA website. Im naturally thin, 30+years vegetarian and still can't control my sugars. I want to understand if there is something I am missing or if I just need to accept that it's medication for me. When I was newly diagnosed I attended a group session but it was focussed on weight loss and showing the plate with the portions on it. Helpful for many people in the room but not that relevant to me.
Thank you for your replies, I have made contact with someone via the BDA website. Im naturally thin, 30+years vegetarian and still can't control my sugars. I want to understand if there is something I am missing or if I just need to accept that it's medication for me. When I was newly diagnosed I attended a group session but it was focussed on weight loss and showing the plate with the portions on it. Helpful for many people in the room but not that relevant to me.
Hi, @Inka about 13 months and the last time I was tested I was 60 mmol/mol whereas it was 96 mmol/mol when I was diagnosed. I think my diet is appropriate; breakfast is yogurt with some muesli stirred in, lunch would be a sandwich, evening meal would be some veggie protein with vegetables and a small amount of carbs. Snacks might include fruit, or a single biscuit or a single packet of crisps - one of those rather than all!
Exercise by running, spinning 5 / 6 times a week. Walk everyday.
My GP was surprised with my diagnosis and I was referred to a specialist who did an MRI and CT scan to ensure it wasn't anything else. Conclusion was that I was unlucky it was just everyday T2 that couldn't be reversed by lifestyle changes.
I don't know specifically, I assumed that when I went to see an endocrinologist he tested for everything. I got extra blood tests, scans, examinations - took them a couple of months to say that it was nothing else other than T2. I could ask my GP again.
There are slim Type 2s 🙂 You could just be unlucky, as you sat. I think @Anitram is a slim Type 2.
Your diet and exercise regime sounds fine - the exercise particularly so. If you saw an endocrinologist, I imagine they did test you for late/slow onset Type 1 but it does no harm to ask. At least you’ll know for sure then.
You're right. In fact, when I saw my DN for the first time she said "Oh, you're quite slim" as though this was a surprise. The DN on my EXPERT course also said I didn't look like a typical Type 2.
I am also a thin Type 2 and have been told on numerous occasions by medics that I don't look like a diabetic... I smile and think they need to do some more reading on their areas of expertise.
Hi, @Inka about 13 months and the last time I was tested I was 60 mmol/mol whereas it was 96 mmol/mol when I was diagnosed. I think my diet is appropriate; breakfast is yogurt with some muesli stirred in, lunch would be a sandwich, evening meal would be some veggie protein with vegetables and a small amount of carbs. Snacks might include fruit, or a single biscuit or a single packet of crisps - one of those rather than all!
Exercise by running, spinning 5 / 6 times a week. Walk everyday.
My GP was surprised with my diagnosis and I was referred to a specialist who did an MRI and CT scan to ensure it wasn't anything else. Conclusion was that I was unlucky it was just everyday T2 that couldn't be reversed by lifestyle changes.
Your diet does seem very healthy. Do you weigh your portions of carbs? For example, 45gm muesli is around 30gm carbs, as is 2 medium slices from a wholemeal loaf, or a medium portion of boiled potato, or 45gm uncooked wholewheat pasta. A 200gm apple is 20gm, then there are also carbs in dairy products and vegetables. So it is easy to see how you can inadvertently exceed the 130gm of carbs daily that is recommended for diabetics. I can only suggest what I ended up doing, which was weighing all carbs, switching to a lower carb bread for a sandwich, or replacing the sandwich with home made vegetable soup or salad. I also got an online app which I fill in religiously every morning before eating and I usually end up around 90gm per day of carbs. But you have made great reductions to get down to 60 mmol/mol in a year so something is clearly working. Good luck
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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
