Just introducing myself

[Dee81]

Hello everyone,

Hope you're all doing well!
I was diagnosed today with a HA1Bc result of 87mmol. It's not really a surprise as I had many risk factors.
I have been exercising (13,000 steps min per day and gym 3 to 5 times per week) since December last year. I managed to lose 3st but the weight loss stopped about 2months ago despite all the exercise, so I went for a blood test and this has come back.
I'm abit overwhelmed all in all, they haven't told me I'm not to test but followed a low carb diet on this site, but also a follow a diet suitable for those with higher cholesterol as mine was also raised. The 2 seem to totally contradict each other and between them there's VERY little I can eat which I can tolerate.
So I'm currently just not eating ‍♀️ I don't really know what else to do!
Anyways enough rambling! Have a fab day all!

 

[Drummer]

Hello everyone,

Hope you're all doing well!
I was diagnosed today with a HA1Bc result of 87mmol. It's not really a surprise as I had many risk factors.
I have been exercising (13,000 steps min per day and gym 3 to 5 times per week) since December last year. I managed to lose 3st but the weight loss stopped about 2months ago despite all the exercise, so I went for a blood test and this has come back.
I'm abit overwhelmed all in all, they haven't told me I'm not to test but followed a low carb diet on this site, but also a follow a diet suitable for those with higher cholesterol as mine was also raised. The 2 seem to totally contradict each other and between them there's VERY little I can eat which I can tolerate.
So I'm currently just not eating ‍♀️ I don't really know what else to do!
Anyways enough rambling! Have a fab day all!

Hello @Dee81 I eat a low carb diet and include natural fat. My cholesterol has actually reduced a bit since diagnosis and abandoning a low fat diet, but I now exclude seed oils and feel better for it - plus I don't burn in the sun any more.
I can't help but suspect that dietary fat is not exactly responsible for elevated cholesterol readings.

 

[Dee81]

Hello @Dee81 I eat a low carb diet and include natural fat. My cholesterol has actually reduced a bit since diagnosis and abandoning a low fat diet, but I now exclude seed oils and feel better for it - plus I don't burn in the sun any more.
I can't help but suspect that dietary fat is not exactly responsible for elevated cholesterol readings.

Hey @Drummer Thank you for replying 🙂
That's good to know, and well done on your weight loss and remission!
The issue I have is the natural fat sources on the diabetes list, all contradict the list on the cholesterol diet. And the things I can eat on the diabetes low carb diet are mainly things I don't like lol

 

[Leadinglights]

Hello everyone,

Hope you're all doing well!
I was diagnosed today with a HA1Bc result of 87mmol. It's not really a surprise as I had many risk factors.
I have been exercising (13,000 steps min per day and gym 3 to 5 times per week) since December last year. I managed to lose 3st but the weight loss stopped about 2months ago despite all the exercise, so I went for a blood test and this has come back.
I'm abit overwhelmed all in all, they haven't told me I'm not to test but followed a low carb diet on this site, but also a follow a diet suitable for those with higher cholesterol as mine was also raised. The 2 seem to totally contradict each other and between them there's VERY little I can eat which I can tolerate.
So I'm currently just not eating ‍♀️ I don't really know what else to do!
Anyways enough rambling! Have a fab day all!

Welcome to the forum. It is disappointing when you feel you have been doing all the right things but they don't seem to work or stop working.
Many do find that low carb naturally reduces cholesterol and actually people who have a normal/higher. fat diet manage to reduce cholesterol by keeping carbs low.
How many carbs are you having per day as your tolerance may have changed or you may be less tolerant of some carbs.
Testing with a home blood glucose monitor may help you identify any problem foods.

 

[snowball12]

Hi there, I follow a low carb diet too. I refuse to eat anything full fat, so I just carried on with my low fat alternatives and haven't had problems. Hope this helps and remember it's low carb not no carb. 🙂

 

[Leadinglights]

My personal opinion is you would be better to prioritise getting blood glucose down as high glucose levels for any length of time are more likely to cause more problems than high cholesterol which you can address once blood glucose is better managed.
Have you been prescribed statins to help with the cholesterol, how high is it?
Have you been prescribed any medication to help with your blood glucose?

 

[Drummer]

Hey @Drummer Thank you for replying 🙂
That's good to know, and well done on your weight loss and remission!
The issue I have is the natural fat sources on the diabetes list, all contradict the list on the cholesterol diet. And the things I can eat on the diabetes low carb diet are mainly things I don't like lol

I am 73 years old now, so when told that dietary fat increases cholesterol I smile, sigh and say, 'What a pity it doesn't work though - it seems so obvious, I suppose.'
After spending decades following the advice of those who should know better I can get a bit sarcastic.
I suppose I am lucky in that I like proteins and fats and use veges with spices and herbs mostly for variety and colour rather than nutrition.

 

[Dee81]

Welcome to the forum. It is disappointing when you feel you have been doing all the right things but they don't seem to work or stop working.
Many do find that low carb naturally reduces cholesterol and actually people who have a normal/higher. fat diet manage to reduce cholesterol by keeping carbs low.
How many carbs are you having per day as your tolerance may have changed or you may be less tolerant of some carbs.
Testing with a home blood glucose monitor may help you identify any problem foods.

Hi @Leadinglights , Thanks so much for the reply.
I haven't actually been counting carbs as I only found out my results yesterday. But basically the nurse said cut out all carbs except the bare minimum. She also said to cut all sugar out and stick with lean meat (very little red meat), fish, vegetables as long as they're not high carb and natural fats. But then reading the cholesterol guide on the BHF site says only low fat foods, which you cant have on the diabetes diet! Of the things I've worked out I could eat on both, chicken is about the only thing I can tolerate

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi @Leadinglights , Thanks so much for the reply.
I haven't actually been counting carbs as I only found out my results yesterday. But basically the nurse said cut out all carbs except the bare minimum. She also said to cut all sugar out and stick with lean meat (very little red meat), fish, vegetables as long as they're not high carb and natural fats. But then reading the cholesterol guide on the BHF site says only low fat foods, which you cant have on the diabetes diet! Of the things I've worked out I could eat on both, chicken is about the only thing I can tolerate

There really is no single diabetes diet, there is a dietary approach which need to be enjoyable and sustainable for the individual as everybody's tolerance to carbohydrates is different. You may well be having more carbs than YOU can tolerate which is reflected in your HbA1C.
I don't know which 'diet' you have been following but the DUK diets do tend to follow the standard NHS advice which is too high in carbs for many to tolerate which is why the GP surgery developed this program to support their Type 2 patients so have a look at this link for comparison to what you are doing. There are some dos and don's as well as some menu plans to suit various tastes but you will see there is plenty you can eat. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com

 

[Dee81]

Hi there, I follow a low carb diet too. I refuse to eat anything full fat, so I just carried on with my low fat alternatives and haven't had problems. Hope this helps and remember it's low carb not no carb. 🙂

That's my problem though, one site says low fat, the other says no low fat. So whichever way I go I'm going to cause health issues with my body.

 

[Dee81]

There really is no single diabetes diet, there is a dietary approach which need to be enjoyable and sustainable for the individual as everybody's tolerance to carbohydrates is different. You may well be having more carbs than YOU can tolerate which is reflected in your HbA1C.
I don't know which 'diet' you have been following but the DUK diets do tend to follow the standard NHS advice which is too high in carbs for many to tolerate which is why the GP surgery developed this program to support their Type 2 patients so have a look at this link for comparison to what you are doing. There are some dos and don's as well as some menu plans to suit various tastes but you will see there is plenty you can eat. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com

I've just been eating healthy to try to lose weight thriugh calorie deficit and exercise.
I did look at that site and I think for T2 it would be helpful, but for the raised cholesterol alot of the ad is goes against what's on the BHF site.

 

[Dee81]

My personal opinion is you would be better to prioritise getting blood glucose down as high glucose levels for any length of time are more likely to cause more problems than high cholesterol which you can address once blood glucose is better managed.
Have you been prescribed statins to help with the cholesterol, how high is it?
Have you been prescribed any medication to help with your blood glucose?

That was my opinion too but the nurse was adamant both need to be control. They said I didn't need tablets but would talk in depth about the cholesterol at my next appointment on 4 July. It was 5.5 on my blood test.
I've been given metformin 500mg and a plan to get to 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening

 

[Leadinglights]

That was my opinion too but the nurse was adamant both need to be control. They said I didn't need tablets but would talk in depth about the cholesterol at my next appointment on 4 July. It was 5.5 on my blood test.
I've been given metformin 500mg and a plan to get to 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening

5.5 actually isn't that high, I thought you meant you were in the realms of 7+.
Yes they do like cholesterol to be below 4 for people with diabetes, but the high glucose is likely to have a bigger detrimental effect.
I follow the Freshwell principals and take a low dose statin 10mg and my cholesterol is 3.2, I have full fat yoghurt, cheese, eggs, butter, cream but keep carbs to about 70g per day, less than suggested but I have found that is where I need to be to keep my HbA1C below 40mmol/mol and it is just my new normal way of eating.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

That was my opinion too but the nurse was adamant both need to be control. They said I didn't need tablets but would talk in depth about the cholesterol at my next appointment on 4 July. It was 5.5 on my blood test.
I've been given metformin 500mg and a plan to get to 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening

Sorry to hear you have been getting conflicting recommendations, which have sort of backed you into a corner without much left to eat

I can’t really comment on the various recommendations you’ve been reading. Suggestions coming from large organisations and health charities will almost certainly be based on a filtering of evidence, research, and years of dietetic knowledge.

But it is pretty unhelpful if that means you have next to nothing you feel you can eat!

However, I’m not sure you have to opt for ‘low fat products’ to successfully build a low fat menu? I think you can make real food choices (eg cold-pressed rape seed oil or olive oil). Veggies, oily fish, chicken, salads, pulses, nuts and seeds etc.

Would something like that work?

 

[Dee81]

Sorry to hear you have been getting conflicting recommendations, which have sort of backed you into a corner without much left to eat

I can’t really comment on the various recommendations you’ve been reading. Suggestions coming from large organisations and health charities will almost certainly be based on a filtering of evidence, research, and years of dietetic knowledge.

But it is pretty unhelpful if that means you have next to nothing you feel you can eat!

However, I’m not sure you have to opt for ‘low fat products’ to successfully build a low fat menu? I think you can make real food choices (eg cold-pressed rape seed oil or olive oil). Veggies, oily fish, chicken, salads, pulses, nuts and seeds etc.

Would something like that work?

Hi there
Thank you for the reply and I appreciate your words.
That's a big part of the problem of the things you listed I would literally only be able to eat chicken (maybe once or twice a week) and salad. I don't like any of the other bits.....so of the limited options available, I don't feel there's anything.
I'm clearly going to do everything I can but right now it feels very bleak. I've eaten nothing today and a few bites of salad yesterday, and I can't see it changing tbh.

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi there
Thank you for the reply and I appreciate your words.
That's a big part of the problem of the things you listed I would literally only be able to eat chicken (maybe once or twice a week) and salad. I don't like any of the other bits.....so of the limited options available, I don't feel there's anything.
I'm clearly going to do everything I can but right now it feels very bleak. I've eaten nothing today and a few bites of salad yesterday, and I can't see it changing tbh.

What did you eat before, I'm sure there is no need to starve yourself as that will do you no good either. Don't forget this has to be something you need to do long term. You can have chicken everyday if you want, it would just get very boring. Salad is good but why only a few bites?
Not eating often actually increases blood glucose as the liver releases glucose in the absence of food.

 

[Dee81]

What did you eat before, I'm sure there is no need to starve yourself as that will do you no good either. Don't forget this has to be something you need to do long term. You can have chicken everyday if you want, it would just get very boring. Salad is good but why only a few bites?
Not eating often actually increases blood glucose as the liver releases glucose in the absence of food.

I think I ate a relatively balanced diet, such as eggs & bacon, or similar ay breakfast, salad and protein at lunch, or noodles/rice, then meat and veg/salad with potatoes at dinner. Calorie wise I've been in deficit on average 700 calories daily.
I only had a few bites because it was so bland....and on the BHF website it says only low fat things whereas the diabetes website says no to low fat.....it's very contradictory.
I think I'm struggling mentally as my relationship with food has always been bad and this just makes it all the worse.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

That's a big part of the problem of the things you listed I would literally only be able to eat chicken (maybe once or twice a week) and salad. I don't like any of the other bits.....so of the limited options available, I don't feel there's anything.

Ah OK. That’s really tough

In which case, perhaps it might be helpful to start with what you would normally eat. Many new members find it can be really helpful stary to keep a brutally honest food diary for a week or two. Note down everything you eat and drink, along with a reasonable estimate of the total carbohydrate content in all your meals and snacks - it doesn’t have to be gram-perfect, the nearest 5-10g is fine.

It might sound like a bit of a faff, and will involve weighing portions, squinting at the fine print on packaging, and possibly looking up things on the internet, but it will give you a really good idea of which foods are the main sources of carbs in your current menu.

Once you can see which meals or snacks are your ‘big hitters’, and where carbs might be unexpectedly lurking, the process might also suggest some likely candidates for swaps, portion reductions, or using lower carb alternatives (eg celeriac or swede mash, or cauli ‘rice’). Additionally, with everything written down you’ll also be able to see where your fats are distributed, and how you may be able to tweak those elements to find healthier fat sources.

 

[Dee81]

Ah OK. That’s really tough

In which case, perhaps it might be helpful to start with what you would normally eat. Many new members find it can be really helpful stary to keep a brutally honest food diary for a week or two. Note down everything you eat and drink, along with a reasonable estimate of the total carbohydrate content in all your meals and snacks - it doesn’t have to be gram-perfect, the nearest 5-10g is fine.

It might sound like a bit of a faff, and will involve weighing portions, squinting at the fine print on packaging, and possibly looking up things on the internet, but it will give you a really good idea of which foods are the main sources of carbs in your current menu.

Once you can see which meals or snacks are your ‘big hitters’, and where carbs might be unexpectedly lurking, the process might also suggest some likely candidates for swaps, portion reductions, or using lower carb alternatives (eg celeriac or swede mash, or cauli ‘rice’). Additionally, with everything written down you’ll also be able to see where your fats are distributed, and how you may be able to tweak those elements to find healthier fat sources.

That's a really good idea! Thank you! And plus side I've been doing it for a week already as my GP asked me too before I had the blood test. So I just need to go back and have a look at the carbs etc.
Thank you so much for your reply and time 🙂

 

[Drummer]

That's my problem though, one site says low fat, the other says no low fat. So whichever way I go I'm going to cause health issues with my body.

Fat is not going to raise your blood glucose levels, and adopting a low carb diet has resulted in tests showing reduced cholesterol, good blood pressure and sorting out of fatty livers which all seem to be good news.