Happy Birthday…. Not!

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Pudding

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
So I’m 61 on Saturday and today I received an early present from my GP - a diagnosis of T2 diabetes.
I shouldn’t be surprised, as an obese and inactive sloth it was only a matter of time until some weight related illness caught up with me!
Now here I am at 1.30am scrolling through the mind boggling minefield of information about diabetes, trying to get my head around it all. One thing is clear, my lifestyle needs a complete overhaul. I’ve got an awful lot of weight to shift for a start. My GP has prescribed Trulicity for my diabetes and says this should also help weight loss by suppressing appetite - what are other people’s experiences with this? Exercise is an issue, I used to love walking, but my knees are now shot and because of my weight I get crippling back ache after walking a short distance - a bit of a vicious circle really.
So anyway, hi everybody, I’ve had my wake up call and now I’m ready to pull my (very) big girl pants on and sort myself out. x
 
Hmmm, at diagnosis I too was somwhat overweight, knees and back were shot, no energy, constantly tired...

So I changed my diet and started to try to walk. I could only do a very short walk to start with and it really hurt during and after the 'exercise'.

But I persisted and the length of walks slowly increased as the weight and pain decreased. After a year....

My secret? Good walking shoes and an mp3 player to ward of the boredom!!!

No pain now and no diabetes either (but not officially stated)
 
A thought from me.... @Gwynn illustrates well that doing the obvious, simple things and being doggedly persistent can be the most effective way of getting things under control. The interweb will offer magic cures of all sorts, most of which are trying to sell you something, some of which might have some merit and others are outright scams. The more you look, the more confused you will become simply you have yet to gain the basic understanding needed to sort out the odd good bit from all the dross.

Anyway, this forum tries to be a bit of an oasis in all the confusion. Read around it and you will be able to tap into the experiences of people who have been in your position and turned things round. Ask questions and you will get ideas from people who understand because they have been there.

I'll ask you a question. Do you know what your HbA1c was? Its a good starting point from which to work out a plan for a way forward that suits you.
 
Hi, for several years it’s been in the low 40s so I was pre diabetic for ages. In Feb it had shot up to 60 and on a repeat test a fortnight later it was 67 ☹️
 
Gwynn said:
Hmmm, at diagnosis I too was somwhat overweight, knees and back were shot, no energy, constantly tired...

So I changed my diet and started to try to walk. I could only do a very short walk to start with and it really hurt during and after the 'exercise'.

But I persisted and the length of walks slowly increased as the weight and pain decreased. After a year....

My secret? Good walking shoes and an mp3 player to ward of the boredom!!!

No pain now and no diabetes either (but not officially stated)
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I know, baby steps and all that. I won’t be signing up for marathons anytime soon but I’m going to try and walk a bit further every day. It’s no point making drastic changes I can’t sustain so I’ll cut down on carbs to start with and hopefully if the weight drops a bit the walking should get easier. Well done on getting your diabetes under control, that’s my goal too
 
Dear Pudding-- of course Docb is right! In principle, it's simple: eat healthy food, not too much of it, and take up exercise-- for your general physical and mental health as well as beating T2. But of course in practice, all sorts of problems crowd round and can seem overwhelming ...

Regarding exercise-- it's great that you used to love walking! Until weight-related problems got in the way ...

If your knees and back aren't too too bad, just try Gwynn's method! Start with very short walks but keep at it, every day. (I don't have a weight problem, but, when I thought I'd try jogging, I found I could only barely do 10 seconds at a time!! I was horrified, and it would have been easy to give up-- but I kept at it, and gradually, bit by bit, over the months and months got better and better.)

If your knees and back are currently in really bad shape, such that walking even a bit is currently a serious problem-- what you need is a bridge: a form of exercise that can help you get back to the point of being fit enough to get back to walking.

Swimming or 'aquafit' classes would be ideal; no strain on your back or knees but excellent for building muscle strength and aerobic fitness. (See for example https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/activity/aqua-aerobics ) And enjoyable! Do you have a decent pool anywhere you can get to?

Even if you dislike swimming or can't swim or don't think you'd like aqua aerobics-- could you give aquafit a try, just once or twice? You might find you enjoy it after all. And, if you have a chat with the instructor, s/he might have more tips about ways to get back into exercise.

Alternatively, or also: is there a decent gym or sports centre you can get to? Remember-- you are not alone!! If you speak to someone at your local gym or sports centre, they will have seen and advised lots and lots of people like you-- people suffering from obesity and related joint and back problems-- and they will be able to advise you on exercises you can safely do, and a plan to build up your strength and fitness gradually.

So-- happy birthday, and not not! With some help, you can turn this into a turning point for a happier, healthier life. Very best wishes!
 
Pudding said:
Hi, for several years it’s been in the low 40s so I was pre diabetic for ages. In Feb it had shot up to 60 and on a repeat test a fortnight later it was 67 ☹️
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Thats what happened to me.

I took the bit of everything route... reduced carbs by nurdling my diet rather than making drastic changes, bit more exercise, lost a little weight (I was not overweight to start with), and took the medication. Having reduced the medication I am now up in the high rather than low 40's. If it gets higher, then controlling it by losing more weight is not sensible, at my age options to increase exercise are limited and I really don't want to head for an ultra low carb diet. As a result I anticipate re-introducing medication in the next couple of years.
 
Pudding said:
I know, baby steps and all that. I won’t be signing up for marathons anytime soon but I’m going to try and walk a bit further every day. It’s no point making drastic changes I can’t sustain so I’ll cut down on carbs to start with and hopefully if the weight drops a bit the walking should get easier. Well done on getting your diabetes under control, that’s my goal too
Click to expand...
Do you have a step counter, they are a big motivator for me ,baby steps like you say,will give you a number to aim for everyday and I’m sure once you start seeing the steps improve you will want to do more, good luck,
 
I certainly found a low carb way of eating both helped me lose weight and reduce my HbA1C, I followed the principals in this link
lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk

Freshwell Low Carb Project - Home

lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk
The main thing is to recognise which are the foods which are the big hitters carb wise, not just the obvious cakes, biscuits, and sugary drinks but foods like potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, breakfast cereals and tropical fruits which would all be healthy options for somebody who is not Type 2 diabetic. Portion size is also important.
I found the book (there is also an app) Carbs and Cals really useful for making better food choices as it gives carb values for various portion sizes of a whole range of foods and of course there is always the back of packets and the internet for finding out the total carbs of the foods you are planning to have.
It is suggested that no more than 130g per day total carbs is a good starting point and keeping a food diary with an estimate of the carbs in everything you eat and drink is a good idea for seeing where you are compared to that and where you can make some savings.
Any exercise you can do will help as well so walking, gardening even housework. Some people have found walking poles help with walking and posture.
I had a knee injury 18 months ago (OMG was it really that long ago) and it has severely affected my walking but I try to do as much as I can but it is a big difference form the 3 miles a day I was doing before.
 
I think it's about eating the elephant (OK, wrong metaphor I know!) slice by slice. Little bits and bites each day and every day.

Why not start a journal? Keep a record of blood glucose levels (I do recommend a monitor, and many find them helpful, I did most certainly), which is also a food diary, and an exercise diary.

That I would hope gives you a greater feeling both of purpose, and of control, and of achievement as well.

You'll find some aspects of the 'Fight Back' easier than others, and it is so important I think to try and work 'with' your body, and also your 'body type' as well, and what is easier/worse for you is worse/easier for others. No absoulte rights and wrongs, just whatever works best.

Sustainability is key, and though at first we can be new brooms,, that can ebb away, so allow for lapses and slackening of effort, but then to be able to 'recharge' the determination is key. A lapse does not mean throwing in the towel - it means picking it up again and keeping going.

As you start to see improvements - in lower weight, feeling better, lower BG levels, better fitness etc etc - it will both reassure you, reward you and keep you going.

All the very best with it - LOADS of support and encouragment and huge amounts of of experience and expertise here on this site from all those here who have been in the Diabetes Game for much much longer than you and me!
 
Pudding said:
I’ll cut down on carbs to start with and hopefully if the weight drops a bit the walking should get easier.
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That's the best way to do it..

Diet is key, exercise is just the icing on the cake in my view.

Walking the dog became easier but I haven't really increased exercise at all.
 
Just to say that if you are afraid that going low-carb, and in particular, low-starch-carb, will leave you feeling hungry (because starch is nice and bulky and makes you feel nicely full) (though it can trigger dips later on if we don't get another helping, alas), then I can assure you that if you 'substitute' bulky starch with both protein and fibrous veg, that those two will make you feel 'full'. Protein is very good at 'sating' appetite, and bulky/fibrous veg can 'fill you up'.

There's a bit of a carb issue with bulky veg like root veg (carrots/swedes/turnips), as they have some sugar as well as fibre (but not that much, compared with starch, which all turns to sugar in our systems)

I believe beetroot is out for low-carb eaters (sadly, as it's good for the heart)(I think?)

For losing weight, of course, low fat is also good, but as and when you no longer need to lose weight, only manage the diabetes (if you still have it by then!), then ironically fat becomes 'safe' because it is non-carb!!!
 
Beetroot is about the same as peas, slightly more than carrots, I certainly have beetroot but you have to decide if the carbs are worth it for your enjoyment and it fits in with what you are allowing yourself for your meal. You can always test.
What would be nicer than a salad with beetroot and feta cheese, overall pretty low carb.
 
Welcome to the forum @Pudding

Try not to feel too disappointed about your diagnosis, and be too hard on yourself. Many people on the forum have later reflected that their diagnosis was a sort of pivotal moment for them - a catalyst which prompted them to make positive changes towards a healthier and more active life. Perhaps changes that they had been intending to make for years.

Erratic and elevated blood glucose levels can be exhausting and are linked with low mood, but this may have come on quite gradually, so you may not gave noticed. Making a few positive changes can give you more energy, a clearer mind, and a brighter outlook. Some on the forum say they haven’t felt so ‘healthy’ in years! Plus the regular checks you get after a diagnosis with diabetes mean that any potential problems may be spotted earlier, and can be sorted out sooner.

Just take things gradually, little by little - and let us know how you get on.
 
Leadinglights said:
Beetroot is about the same as peas, slightly more than carrots, I certainly have beetroot but you have to decide if the carbs are worth it for your enjoyment and it fits in with what you are allowing yourself for your meal. You can always test.
What would be nicer than a salad with beetroot and feta cheese, overall pretty low carb.
Click to expand...
Thank you about beetroots. I 'quite' like it - sometimes I just on impulse used to buy cooked but non-vinegar beetroot at the supermarket, an just munch one up on its own - and, as I say, it gets a good recommendation (heart disease?), but is it worth the carbs??? I'd probably opt for carrot in that case. Luckily, peas I don't like!
 
Callista said:
Thank you about beetroots. I 'quite' like it - sometimes I just on impulse used to buy cooked but non-vinegar beetroot at the supermarket, an just munch one up on its own - and, as I say, it gets a good recommendation (heart disease?), but is it worth the carbs??? I'd probably opt for carrot in that case. Luckily, peas I don't like!
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I grow my own beetroots and they are worlds different to bought precooked beetroots. I use them both cooked and grated in salads so yes it is worth the carbs.
 
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