Hello all. I'm a 49yr male who has had type 2 diabetes for 5 years but recently my test levels have increased and I don't know what else to do to manage it back down. I weigh 68kg. Exercise regularly and eat healthy foods gave up alcohol a couple of years ago and don't smoke. I'm on 1000mg of metformin twice a day.
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Hello and any thoughts welcome
- Thread starter Tizza
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Hi. Last tested by Doctors 2 weeks ago was 72. Before that 80 in May and 88 last year but it was 48 in 2016 and 54 in 2017.
I'm pretty good watching my carbs too. I cook a lot of fresh food myself. 99% vegetarian. Quorn mince, beans, dahls etc. I really don't know what else to do other than additional medication which I really want to avoid. I guess I'm just a bit frustrated that weight, lifestyle, food etc aren't enough.
Docb
Moderator
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Can I suggest you do some carb counting on your meals and get a handle on how much you are eating? Until you do some carb counting you will not see just how heavily carbs figure in what is considered to be a "healthy" diet. Also, have you done any before and after eating readings to see what rises you get?
My experience, and of many others, is that to get blood glucose down you have to ignore conventional ideas of what is healthy and focus on carbohydrate content. Personally Quorn, beans, dahl would not figure much in my diet because I am quite sure they would put me back in the diabetic range simply because of their carb content. The normal sort of carb input from a normal diet is around 250g per day which is what I was eating when my HbA1c hit 88. Cutting that to about 100g got things back under control. Like you I cook everything myself, but I am an omnivore, so I have plenty of options for swapping out carby things for something else. It's harder for a vegetarian and I would not want the challenge of doing it as a vegan.
My experience, and of many others, is that to get blood glucose down you have to ignore conventional ideas of what is healthy and focus on carbohydrate content. Personally Quorn, beans, dahl would not figure much in my diet because I am quite sure they would put me back in the diabetic range simply because of their carb content. The normal sort of carb input from a normal diet is around 250g per day which is what I was eating when my HbA1c hit 88. Cutting that to about 100g got things back under control. Like you I cook everything myself, but I am an omnivore, so I have plenty of options for swapping out carby things for something else. It's harder for a vegetarian and I would not want the challenge of doing it as a vegan.
grovesy
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I am surprised more medication has not been suggested as your last 3 HBA1C, are all above the target which should be around the 48 mark.
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Welcome to the forum @Tizza
Sorry to hear your frustration about the way your diabetes is changing, and about your slightly elevated HbA1c.
I can understand how difficult this must be for you, but it isn‘t at all unusual. All T2 was once felt to be inevitably ‘progressive’ and while some people are finding they can slow or stop the progression of their diabetes, this isn’t the case for everyone. And as frustrating as this is for you, you mustn’t feel bad, or thunk you’ve necessarily done anything ‘wrong’. T2 diabetes is now understood to be an umbrella term for perhaps dozens of slightly different conditions, so it can very much depend on which sub-type you have.
Taking a food diary to see how much carbohydrate you are currently eating on average for different meals might give you ideas about some swaps and tweaks you could make to your menu though?
Sorry to hear your frustration about the way your diabetes is changing, and about your slightly elevated HbA1c.
I can understand how difficult this must be for you, but it isn‘t at all unusual. All T2 was once felt to be inevitably ‘progressive’ and while some people are finding they can slow or stop the progression of their diabetes, this isn’t the case for everyone. And as frustrating as this is for you, you mustn’t feel bad, or thunk you’ve necessarily done anything ‘wrong’. T2 diabetes is now understood to be an umbrella term for perhaps dozens of slightly different conditions, so it can very much depend on which sub-type you have.
Taking a food diary to see how much carbohydrate you are currently eating on average for different meals might give you ideas about some swaps and tweaks you could make to your menu though?
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