So depressed. I was diagnosed type 2 in November with HbA1c of 51. Four months on, after cutting way down on carbs and increasing exercise, my level is still the same. I have managed to lose only 6lb, which is pathetic. What am I doing wrong? So much contradictory diet info. High carb, low carb but not too low, etc etc. Help!!
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Ljc
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1.5 LADA
Hello @JaneyM . Please don’t be disappointed, 51 is really just over the Diabetes threshold of 48 .
I haven’t read your other posts so forgive me if I am asking questions you have already answered.
Can you give us an idea of what you are eating and are you testing to see which carbohydrates your body can and can’t tolerate as we are all very different in this respect ie porridge , nice and healthy right, sadly some of us have to avoid it like the plague.
Yes I agree their is a lot of mis information out there , we can even get it from the nhs, that Eatwell plate or whatever they call it now is one example.
Imo it’s a matter of experimentation to find out what foods not only what works well for you but what you can work with long term so it must be enjoyable
I haven’t read your other posts so forgive me if I am asking questions you have already answered.
Can you give us an idea of what you are eating and are you testing to see which carbohydrates your body can and can’t tolerate as we are all very different in this respect ie porridge , nice and healthy right, sadly some of us have to avoid it like the plague.
Yes I agree their is a lot of mis information out there , we can even get it from the nhs, that Eatwell plate or whatever they call it now is one example.
Imo it’s a matter of experimentation to find out what foods not only what works well for you but what you can work with long term so it must be enjoyable
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Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi JaneyM - don't lose heart! 😱 You're very much on the cusp with your HbA1c, so although it has remained the same it will take some time to adjust and at that sort of level it is unlikely that it will be causing you any long term problems. All your efforts so far have not been wasted, they are contributing to improvements in your overall health, so even if you don't feel as if you have made much progress, you have made that all-important start along the path 🙂 Are you following a testing regime to find out how different food choices impact your blood sugar levels? Are you feeling better for exercising more?
I’m not testing-just the HbA1c tests. No-one suggested some carbs would affect me in a particular way. I’m just counting grams of carbs. Sometimes I have porridge, sometimes granary bread with egg, rarely potatoes, brown rice or pasta (not very often) . The whole thing is just a nightmare
I’m feeling loads better for exercising after six months when I could do nothing except swimming due to a problem with my leg. I can’t run any more but am back to walking, spin class, Pilates etc.
I’m trying to avoid testing because I don’t want to become obsessed by all this. No help from GP although I am doing a diabetes education course.
Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Have a read of Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S in order to understand how testing can help you establish your own particular tolerances for things. There's research which shows that often our tolerances are down to our own unique collection of gut bacteria, which explains why tolerances can differ so widely 🙂 You won't need to test forever, just whilst you establish what works and what doesn't for you. For some people, porridge is fine, but for others it will 'spike' their levels up high. It all sounds complicated, but really not once you get to grips with it all. The cheapest meter we have come across is the SD Codefree Meter which has test strips at around £8 for 50. It only becomes obsessive if you test for no good reason, and you don't learn anything from it 🙂
But they tell me you should eat at least 130g carbs a day. I struggle to do that anyway.
So you need to test after every meal? Or after every meal containing carbs.
Madeline
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I test on waking.
Before every meal.
2 hours after every meal.
Bedtime.
It becomes habit after a while, and it was thanks to that excellent advice from everyone here that I was able to identify that I’m stupid sensitive to carbs and can’t really eat any without a reaction.
Before every meal.
2 hours after every meal.
Bedtime.
It becomes habit after a while, and it was thanks to that excellent advice from everyone here that I was able to identify that I’m stupid sensitive to carbs and can’t really eat any without a reaction.
Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
It's the effect of the carbs that you are trying to discover, so only meals with carbs, and if you already know how a particular meal is likely to affect you, you don't need to test that next time 🙂 It's a learning exercise. Eventually, you will have established all your favourite things that you tolerate well, and will then only need to test when you want to try new things, or for the occasional 'confidence check' to make sure you are still on track 🙂
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Who is this 'they' and who is 'you'?
To achieve normal numbers I was eating 50 gm of carbs a day all from low carb foods.
I could see that anything higher caused my blood glucose to spike.
I eat fewer carbs in the morning than the evening - as my insulin resistance was higher then - but I eat some, so as to stop my liver releasing glucose ad lib.
Now that my diabetes is just about negated, I am back to the state of putting on weight really easily, so I am eating less to try to reverse that. Down to under 40 gm per day.
SueEK
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi Janey, try not to be upset, it can all be very overwhelming at times and we all truly understand how you feel. As others have said we are all very different. I struggle at the moment to keep my carbs under 90g a day but am still getting good numbers except first thing in the morning but I’m very new to this. I do test when I have something new just so I get an idea of how it affects me and now know what I really shouldn’t have and what is ok/not too bad. I don’t think you would become obsessed with testing, it’s more a case of you being in control of your own diabetes. My last test HbA1c was 80 so yours is not too bad at all and sounds like your exercise regime is really doing you good so congratulations on that and carry on. All the best to you Janey
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