Hello

[bionsen]

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Chris. I am a 57 year old male diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes back in late August. I was born in Kenilworth in Warwickshire and still live here as I stayed to care for my parents who had dementia.

I am a Chartered Engineer by trade but my speciality, if i ever had one, is Metallurgy, although my career has mostly been as a jack of all trades. My last role was aftermarket technical support for gas turbines. I gave up work after 29 years to look after my surviving parent and haven't gone back since. I survive OK on a small pension and my savings.

My HbA1c was 89 in late august and I got that down to 44 by mid december by cutting down a lot on carbs. I think it would have been lower but my doctors surgery put me on statins which increased my fasting blood glucose. I have slowly increased my carbohydrate intake by eating more pulses, fruit, vegetables and wholemeal rice. I still enjoy the odd bottle of red wine and a large VAT (vodka and Tonic). I am taking 2 Metformin 500mg twice a day and seem to have been side effect free luckily. The statin on the other hand made me feel awful in the mornings as well as affecting my blood glucose. I also have been diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia and I'm on 'watch and wait' so no treatment.

Most of my travel has been for work and I haven't had an overseas holiday since my teenage years! I own two motorcycles but haven't riden for a while. I need to get back in the saddle! I like to read and luckily my last retinal scan was clear of any impact from the diabetes. I have a wide taste in books, everything from factual books about science and nature to fictional escapism and Terry Pratchett!

I have recently been nominated by my doctors surgery for the NHS Digital Weight management programe and i must say my heart sank when I saw the options available. They're the same ones all the fat people i know have been on for ages and they're still fat if not fatter. I'm putting off making a choice for now but I suspect I will get a follow up from the surgery if I don't make a choice. I'm happier on a low carb diet but I do need some help to increase the options available to me.

 

[SweetDany]

Hi Chris, it’s great to have you here! I’m also new to the forum, and I’m an engineer too, but I haven’t been working in the field for 5 years.

 

[Felinia]

Hello and welcome. Thanks for the very thorough introduction and well done in the great reduction in your HbA1c. Have you been losing weight through your low carb approach? What are you currently eating on your low carb diet? Does your current eating fit in with any of the options on the NHS Plan? I've tried various approaches over the years and now have an app which records daily calorie and carb counts, which I plan each morning.
As for statins, I too had a severe reaction, despite trying different ones. My GP took me off them and advised me to have a cholesterol reducing drink each morning. I got a 17% reduction. I also researched and there are other medication options to statins, which never seem to be mentioned these days.

 

[Docb]

Hi @bionsen and welcome to the forum from a fellow metallurgist although like you I drifted off to all sorts of other stuff through my career.

 

[bionsen]

Hi Chris, it’s great to have you here! I’m also new to the forum, and I’m an engineer too, but I haven’t been working in the field for 5 years.

Seven years for me! I was going to try going back to work and then.....COVID!

 

[bionsen]

Hello and welcome. Thanks for the very thorough introduction and well done in the great reduction in your HbA1c. Have you been losing weight through your low carb approach? What are you currently eating on your low carb diet? Does your current eating fit in with any of the options on the NHS Plan? I've tried various approaches over the years and now have an app which records daily calorie and carb counts, which I plan each morning.
As for statins, I too had a severe reaction, despite trying different ones. My GP took me off them and advised me to have a cholesterol reducing drink each morning. I got a 17% reduction. I also researched and there are other medication options to statins, which never seem to be mentioned these days.

Thanks for the welcome. When I realised that I was diabetic, I went into panic mode and cut all obvious carbs out. I was probably down to 60g of carbs a day and whilst it brought down the glucose levels very quickly it had an unfortunate effect on my 'regularity'! I will say no more! I realised that I needed to introduce more fibre to replace things like wholemeal bread etc. Also I tried Kefir to kickstart things. Now I eat more pulses, vegetables, fruit and seeds which I feel much better on and it seems to have restored my natural rythms! I live alone since my dad died and cooking for one is always difficult but i discovered that the microwave is a brilliant tool for making filling and nutricious meals on a budget. This morning I used it to make a brussels sprout omelette for breakfast!! Odd i know, but I like them, they're very cheap frozen, filling, full of fibre and provide Vitamins C, K and most B's apart from B12. I also have mixed veg, spinach and peppers in the freezer to add bulk to meals. I don't count calories per se but have a good idea of what calories/carbs I am consuming. I need to start a diary really!

I haven't been measuring my weight. I only know what it is because the Haemotology dept did a height/weight check at every appointment so far. I have fished the scales out of the box they were in and as soon as I can find the right batteries i will start! I'm just worried that scales are so de-motivating sometimes. I am also worried that a lot of traditional diets are lower in iron and as I have blood cancer......

I am going to try having more natural yoghurt and introduce chia seeds for breakfast rather than so many eggs. None of this is very structured or scientific but apart from first ten minutes in the morning, I am feeling better. I just need to be more active now.

Sorry for the rambling reply but too much coffee!

 

[Leadinglights]

Thanks for the welcome. When I realised that I was diabetic, I went into panic mode and cut all obvious carbs out. I was probably down to 60g of carbs a day and whilst it brought down the glucose levels very quickly it had an unfortunate effect on my 'regularity'! I will say no more! I realised that I needed to introduce more fibre to replace things like wholemeal bread etc. Also I tried Kefir to kickstart things. Now I eat more pulses, vegetables, fruit and seeds which I feel much better on and it seems to have restored my natural rythms! I live alone since my dad died and cooking for one is always difficult but i discovered that the microwave is a brilliant tool for making filling and nutricious meals on a budget. This morning I used it to make a brussels sprout omelette for breakfast!! Odd i know, but I like them, they're very cheap frozen, filling, full of fibre and provide Vitamins C, K and most B's apart from B12. I also have mixed veg, spinach and peppers in the freezer to add bulk to meals. I don't count calories per se but have a good idea of what calories/carbs I am consuming. I need to start a diary really!

I haven't been measuring my weight. I only know what it is because the Haemotology dept did a height/weight check at every appointment so far. I have fished the scales out of the box they were in and as soon as I can find the right batteries i will start! I'm just worried that scales are so de-motivating sometimes. I am also worried that a lot of traditional diets are lower in iron and as I have blood cancer......

I am going to try having more natural yoghurt and introduce chia seeds for breakfast rather than so many eggs. None of this is very structured or scientific but apart from first ten minutes in the morning, I am feeling better. I just need to be more active now.

Sorry for the rambling reply but too much coffee!

Your diet sounds as if it is a good one for managing your blood glucose and I am surprised that it hasn't resulted in weight loss. I have a suspicion that a NHS weight loss program would focus on low fat and higher carbs than you currently have (I may be maligning them).
This is a link for a program aimed at weight loss and reducing blood glucose designed by a surgery who found the standard NHS approach did their patients no favours. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
Another person only a stones throw from Coventry.

 

[SweetDany]

Seven years for me! I was going to try going back to work and then.....COVID!

Have you tried looking for work online, @bionsen? I couldn't find a related work that can be done at home. The work that I am doing now is very far from my profession, but at least I can work at the comfort of my home.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Also I tried Kefir to kickstart things. Now I eat more pulses, vegetables, fruit and seeds which I feel much better on and it seems to have restored my natural rythms!

Glad to hear you have found ways to get your gut going again. Some members here use psyllium husk as a source of fibre without the attendant carbs that many sources have.

Welcome to the forum! And congratulations on your terrific HbA1c reduction 🙂