Hello everyone!

[Andercot]

Hi there. Have been pre-diabetic and was doing ok, then COVID hit, I ended up shielding, and haven't left the house since then. Lucky enough to work from home, but my diet quickly became poor, and coupled with the lack of exercise, well. Spoke to my nurse this morning, who had sent me a panicky text following my last check up and bloods. Currently at 11.8% for my HBA1c. Which apparently is not a good thing. She has referred me to a diabetes clinic to discuss insulin, wants to start me on statins, and is worried about my blood pressure.

On a more positive note, since I got the initial text telling me that she was bringing my appointment forward because she was so unhappy with the results, I have mentally kicked myself up the behind, and am on day 5 of eating nothing but healthy. Hello hunger my old friend.

One thing I do know, is that I tend to do better as part of a group, and am hoping that you all will provide me with the motivation, community and comraderie to do better! Looking forward to exploring the forums more and seeing what is what!

 

[Drummer]

If you are just a plain ordinary type two, like me, then you should soon see, and maybe feel the benefits of eating low carb.
Do you test your blood glucose? I found that really beneficial, as seeing the numbers high or low is the best evidence of what you need to eat.

 

[Christy]

Lots of people here to provide help and support and no need to be hungry. We can't give you medical advice but I agree with Drummer that if you test your blood sugar you can work out what suits you. Lots of info in the Learning zone too. Good luck!

 

[Leadinglights]

Many people have found themselves in your situation but have faced it head on and managed to start to turn things around. I assume as you were shielding you have other medical issues as just diabetes has not necessarily meant people have been shielding. A low carbohydrate approach does seem to work for many people and if you can start to increase exercise even if it is just walking that helps as well.
Have a look at the Learning zone and you might want to look at the thread What did you Eat Yesterday for ideas of the sort of meals Type 2 folk have. There is no need for your diet to be tasteless and boring, basing your meals on meat, fish, eggs, dairy, veg and salads but watching your intake of high carbohydrate foods like bread, potatoes, rice, pasta and starchty veg and some fruits like bananas, and tropical fruit. and obviously cakes and biscuits and sugary drinks. Portion size of those is something to look at.
The book or app Carbs and Cals is useful to give you a guide of the carb value of a whole range of foods and meals and will help you make better food choices.

 

[Cherrelle DUK]

Hi Andercot, welcome to the forum.

Yes, a very familiar story re Covid and being at risk of diabetes. It sounds as though you're off to a good start so feel free to share your numbers such as your HbA1c and finger prick results. It's just good to have things down on 'paper' so you can track your progress.

We have a really good Food section that might help you to create a meal plan that's more filling. Do let us know if there's anything specific we can help with.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Andercot

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis.

Goodness that was quite a leap from being ‘at risk of diabetes’ with only moderately elevated glucose levels, to 105mmol/mol (11.8%)

Did you unintentionally lose any weight on the run-up to your diagnosis? Does T2 run in your family?

Well done on the positive changes you have begun to make already. When it comes to managing your diabetes, it can be helpful to make changes to your menu and activity levels fairly gradually (especially in terms of carb reduction) - partly because they need to be sustainable long term, but also because very rapid and sudden changes to average blood glucose levels are harder on the fine blood vessels, and changing things more gently will give your body time to adapt.

Keep us posted with how you get on, and ask away with any questions. The forum is a mine of information!