-
Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
-
Learn more about joining the Diabetes UK Support Forum team here: https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/volunteering-opportunities-why-dont-you-join-us.112862/
Hello all
- Thread starter Silverfox
- Start date
- Status
Martin.A
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi, and welcome. As a newbie would you be happy to share some information such as how you came to be diagnosed (you had symptoms or was it the result of a blood test for something else), what your HbA1c was (this will determine how much you need to do to manage your T2), any diabetes meds, given any advice about diet (my money's on your answer being 'no') or told to exercise more or to lose weight? Apologies if that all sounds a bit intrusive but since we are all different it does enable us to tailor any advice to your particular circumstances.
Hi, yes no problem, I was diagnosed after I went for my annual check up, then after another blood test I was told I had type 2 diabetes.
Unfortunately I cannot remember any reading being given to me.
No medications offered to me, not that I really wanted any medication at this point in time, as my intentions are is to try and reverse it.
I was given no advice about diet, just a general conversation about what do I do, exercise wise, my alcohol consumption, and weight etc. I was given a booklet to read re: diabetes.
Unfortunately I cannot remember any reading being given to me.
No medications offered to me, not that I really wanted any medication at this point in time, as my intentions are is to try and reverse it.
I was given no advice about diet, just a general conversation about what do I do, exercise wise, my alcohol consumption, and weight etc. I was given a booklet to read re: diabetes.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Welcome to the forum @Silverfox
You should be able to ask at your GP reception for your results, and ask them for the specific number rather than something vague like ‘normal’ or ‘elevated’. Your HbA1c will have been measured in mmol/mol and for a diabetes diagnosis will be a number 48 or above.
Some newcomers arrive just a whisker over the threshold, while others are into the hundreds. Knowing your starting point can help you gauge how significant the changes you may need to make are likely to be, and also helps you see progress from one appointment to the next.
There are two main approaches to diabetes management that are popular on the forum (with many variants among them). One is to focus on weight loss, particularly weight around the abdomen which can indicate visceral fat built up around organs like the liver and pancreas, stopping them working properly. Many members using this approach find that glucose levels improve naturally as their weight reduces - particularly if using a short term intervention such as the Newcastle Diet.
The other approach is to focus on blood glucose management with a lower carbohydrate way of eating (typically less than 130g of carbohydrates a day). Reducing portions of all carbohydrates, not just the obvious sweet and sugary things, but bread, pasta, potatoes, grains, rice, and many fruits. Many members using this approach find that weight reduces naturally as their glucose levels improve.
Of course there are some that use a combination approach too!
One of the things about diabetes is that it can be very individual. And the same approach may not appeal, or work as successfully for two different people - so it’s really a question of experimentation, and developing a ‘diabetes toolkit’ of strategies and approaches that work for you, and which you can sustain long-term 🙂
Exercise and activity can be really helpful as part of the mix too.
Good luck, and let us know how you get on 🙂
You should be able to ask at your GP reception for your results, and ask them for the specific number rather than something vague like ‘normal’ or ‘elevated’. Your HbA1c will have been measured in mmol/mol and for a diabetes diagnosis will be a number 48 or above.
Some newcomers arrive just a whisker over the threshold, while others are into the hundreds. Knowing your starting point can help you gauge how significant the changes you may need to make are likely to be, and also helps you see progress from one appointment to the next.
There are two main approaches to diabetes management that are popular on the forum (with many variants among them). One is to focus on weight loss, particularly weight around the abdomen which can indicate visceral fat built up around organs like the liver and pancreas, stopping them working properly. Many members using this approach find that glucose levels improve naturally as their weight reduces - particularly if using a short term intervention such as the Newcastle Diet.
The other approach is to focus on blood glucose management with a lower carbohydrate way of eating (typically less than 130g of carbohydrates a day). Reducing portions of all carbohydrates, not just the obvious sweet and sugary things, but bread, pasta, potatoes, grains, rice, and many fruits. Many members using this approach find that weight reduces naturally as their glucose levels improve.
Of course there are some that use a combination approach too!
One of the things about diabetes is that it can be very individual. And the same approach may not appeal, or work as successfully for two different people - so it’s really a question of experimentation, and developing a ‘diabetes toolkit’ of strategies and approaches that work for you, and which you can sustain long-term 🙂
Exercise and activity can be really helpful as part of the mix too.
Good luck, and let us know how you get on 🙂
- Status