In denial with hba1c of 79

[Curlynurse]

I'm completely in denial, thinking dapa is controlling glucose! Gp told me my hba1c was 50,so I rewarded myself with crunchy nut cornflakes, chocolate etc etc, every day of covid, my hba1c was really 79,gp was looking at last year's results!!! Anyone got any kind advice, about how I can get my head around all this, and sort myself out x x

 

[DaveB]

Hi. First you need to get away from the idea of 'rewarding yourself'. The media goes on about this but it's best to think of the right diet as a lifestyle choice that isn't overly influenced by events. Ditch the breakfast cereals. Have eggs and bacon or similar if you can or just a small amount of no sugar-added muesli. Chocolates should not be below 85% Dark etc. You can celebrate events with those extra carbs but make them just occasional and not supermarket junk food.

 

[Curlynurse]

Thanks for your reply, I know rewarding myself is completely wrong, I know my diet choices are wrong, but how can I get this denial out of my head, please be kind, I'm very sensitive today x

 

[Type1London]

Hi @Curlynurse, welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear you're struggling, diabetes can be very hard to come to accept and get your head around. My only advice would be to try not to be too hard on yourself. Do some research on the best foods to eat and then try to view it as a good thing you are doing for yourself and your body, not as a punishment or restriction.

Can you get some support from your local GP or diabetes nurse at all?

 

[Madeline]

Would rewarding yourself with a non food type of reward work? I find a bit of self bribery very helpful, and switched to something I collect, a new book, and things like new brushes or paper for painting.

 

[MissDaisy]

Thanks for your reply, I know rewarding myself is completely wrong, I know my diet choices are wrong, but how can I get this denial out of my head, please be kind, I'm very sensitive today x

Hi Curlynurse,

I understand and only diagnosed Type 2 around 9 months ago. I used to treat myself as a form of comfort eating before I knew I was Diabetics so I totally get it! I have recently started counselling for a loss of self (ie was healthy now chronically ill with other illnesses too as well as Diabetes). I think this is helping me to stop this habit plus now my sugar reading slowly are down I don’t feel as hungry - less carb intake seems to make you feel this way after a few days and not so sluggish/fatigued after meals.

It is hard to work toward some acceptance, I know only too well however we are all here to support and suggest help with diet plus any eating habits. Maybe talking to someone close to you or looking into any counselling or health professionals might give an extra crutch to lean on until you feel more able to adjust. Try a few small changes like one slice of toast (not white) with 2 eggs & reducing rice/potatoes with evening meal.

I’ve found that if I cook pasta the day before then refrigerate to reheat the next day I can eat it without the BG reading going up to much.

I think with a little support you’ll get there and you will honesty feel better in the long run.

Take care

MissDaisy 🙂

 

[rebrascora]

The problem with diabetes is that it is pretty invisible a lot of the time (ie no obvious symptoms) so it is easy to pretend it doesn't exist except for every 3/6/12 months when you see the doc and get an HbA1c test and find that things are not good.
In my opinion, obtaining a Blood Glucose Meter and testing your blood regularly at home will show you on a day by day and meal by meal basis that things are not right or that you are making good progress and that can help to keep you focussed. Posting your daily readings here on the forum can also make you more accountable and help to keep you on track although we all have wobbles here and there so we do understand but it is important to keep it in control the majority of the time.
Testing before each meal and 2 hours after also allows you to see the effect that food had on your levels and as a result, adjust your menu and portion size to keep your readings in a healthy range. This enables you to tailor your diet according to your response the carbs you eat, which surprisingly can differ quite significantly from one person to another. Diabetes management can be very individual because we all have a different mix of gut microbes and different tastes and different levels of activity and routines.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Curlynurse

Sorry to hear you are struggling. But you have made a really positive step by joining here and making a post asking for help and support. That clearly shows that you know things need to change for you, and that you really want to bring that change about. So be encouraged. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step as the saying goes, and you’ve made 2 big steps already.

Getting hold of a bg meter can be a real help in transforming your way of eating, because rather than relying on general advice and ‘what often works for most people‘, you can base your decisions on what effect different foods have on you as an individual (and you may discover some pleasant surprises!)

Plus if you do give yourself an occasional treat you can see exactly what happens, and whether whatever it is is ‘worth’ that occasional BG upheaval.

By and large diabetes is a pretty slow-moving foe, so you have time to experiment and find your own way through the maze of food choices, finding out which ‘healthy’ options are a disaster, and which supposed ‘baddies’ leave your BG relatively unscathed.

Take a look in the ‘food and carbs’ section for some ideas and thoughts (perhaps the ‘what did you eat yesterday’ thread?)

And you may also find Maggie Davey’s letter a useful overview?

Maggie Davey's letter to newly-diagnosed Type 2s

This disappeared from the original site, but @Alan S has managed to track it down. Rather than risk losing that link I'm posting the text here. I've had to split it over a few posts, as there is a size limit for each post and it wouldn't all fit in one! :) An open letter to the newly-diagnosed...

forum.diabetes.org.uk

 

[Glenis]

I'm completely in denial, thinking dapa is controlling glucose! Gp told me my hba1c was 50,so I rewarded myself with crunchy nut cornflakes, chocolate etc etc, every day of covid, my hba1c was really 79,gp was looking at last year's results!!! Anyone got any kind advice, about how I can get my head around all this, and sort myself out x x

For over 30 years my Hb1ac has been about 80. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how careful I am with my food intake, my stress levels seem to alter things considerably.. Happy or sad or alters my blood sugar results. Last time was 71. Yippee

 

[Curlynurse]

Thanks for reply! I have been extremely stressed last 6 months, then working all through covid, wonder if that hasn't helped either x

 

[rebrascora]

For over 30 years my Hb1ac has been about 80. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how careful I am with my food intake, my stress levels seem to alter things considerably.. Happy or sad or alters my blood sugar results. Last time was 71. Yippee

Hi Glenis and welcome

It may be that the dietary advice you were given 30 years ago was not entirely helpful in reducing your HbA1c, as it is often still is not helpful, because the NHS persists with the "Eatwell plate".
Having such a high HbA1c for such a long period of time does put you at greater risk of diabetes complications, so well worth trying to reduce it further if you can