Just starting my journey with diabetes.

[AdeV]

Thanks Ade, I'm starting to understand that some foods that are promoted as good and healthy may not be as good and healthy for me now.
Weight in KGs? I'm far too old for that nonesense. lol🙂 Stones and pounds is my thing.
I have been as high as 18st over the last year, usually around 17st 10, I am now under 17st only a 1/4lb under but still I am pleased to be moving in the right direction. Also like to say well done you for losing a good amount of weight.
It certainly seems like getting a testing kit is the right thing to do so will look into this more.

Technically I'm too old for kgs as well (bloody French measures!), but I do find it easier to get a feel for the ups & downs when using a simple decimal measure. Just multiply everything by 2.2 to get it into American (lbs), then divide by 14 to get it into English. Basically, translated, I went from a bit over 22 stone at my peak, down to around 17st 2lbs (ish) now. Target is 15st approx. I'm a bit tall, at 6'5" in my undercrackers; I looked like a beanpole until I was about 15, when I started working on the pot belly...

I did lose a bit of weight (about a stone, or 5kgs) before I knew I was diabetic; back then I did a bit of 5-2 dieting, and calorie control. That took the better part of 2 years; it's taken me a little under a year to lose the next 25kgs (er, 4 stone? I'm getting suspicious of the unit converter I'm using...), that's _just_ cutting out "white" carbs & sugar from my diet (white carbs being: Bread, rice, pasta, potatoes). And I haven't even cut them completely, just mostly. Main thing is to check the meter, and if you see a big spike, don't have that again!

Good luck!

 

[Ralph-YK]

Well some of us are and have been members of that charity since 1972. Plus - who do you think organises and pays for the running costs of this forum? - it's Diabetes UK and that's no secret whatsoever.
However it is true that these facts do NOT mean we are only allowed to trot out 'the party line'

Well yes. 😳 There is a distinction between DUK, it's website and then this forum. Like you said, we don't have to toe the line. We are not speaking for DUK (as far as I 😉, except the couple of people who are on here as DUK staff (which is made clear).
This isn't a criticism of course. Just making the distinction that what is on the website and what is on the forum are completely different things. A couple of people in the past have been confused on this.

 

[AdrianB]

another exercise decision made today.
I work on the 7th Floor of an office block, there are 2 flights of stairs between floors (10 steps each flight) and 6 flights between ground and the first floor.
Instead of taking the lift I have decided to use the stairs...

when I leave the office 🙂

you didn't expect me to walk up that many flights did you? 😉

in all seriousness though I am going to start walking up the stairs, see how far I get before collapsing and then take the lift the rest of the way, in a few months I should be jogging up them. 🙂

 

[trophywench]

Excellent idea Adrian! Once you can easily walk up to your office, you'll have to go up an extra floor (or 2 or 3) and come down again. LOL Please let us know your progress every week, please so we can cheer you on!

 

[Eddy Edson]

another exercise decision made today.
I work on the 7th Floor of an office block, there are 2 flights of stairs between floors (10 steps each flight) and 6 flights between ground and the first floor.
Instead of taking the lift I have decided to use the stairs...

when I leave the office 🙂

you didn't expect me to walk up that many flights did you? 😉

in all seriousness though I am going to start walking up the stairs, see how far I get before collapsing and then take the lift the rest of the way, in a few months I should be jogging up them. 🙂

Excellent!

 

[HOBIE]

Hi,
It was just recently (18th Dec) confirmed that I have diabetes. I had 2 separate blood tests 2 weeks apart and the reading was 72 & 73, not entirely sure what this means although the Dr/Nurse did explain it to me along with giving me plenty of other info but I guess it was a bit of information overload.
A little bit about me, Early 50s and very overweight, not particularly active although I walk the dog and occasionally do a long walk 5 or 6 miles. Not the healthiest eater, I like big portions will eat a mix of home prepared food, to processed meals to the Fri/Sat/Sun takeaways. breakfast consisted of toast or 2 croissants followed by sandwiches for lunch and then dinner. I would often have a bar of chocolate and occasionally a bag of Haribo (when opened I will consume the lot in 20mins)
I also like a drink I will have a couple of pints every lunch time at work, and then drink 2 or 3 cans of beer most evenings at home and even more at the weekend.

So where do I go from here?
I haven't been prescribed medication and I have to go for another blood test end of March. I am guessing a decision will be made then if they think I should take any medication?
What I have done so far which was as a result of having a over 40s health check (end Nov) that has since diagnosed my diabetes is to make some lifestyle changes.
1. Stopped drinking at home.
2. Stopped my daily visits to the pub, but not giving up beer.
3. Changed my diet. Croissants are out and Porridge is in! and looking at healthier options.
4. Upped my exercise, I'm not ready for jogging but 3 or 4 mile brisk walks are in, in addition my daily commute involved a mile and a half bus journey to the train station, I now walk this.

I have lost probably 10 to 12lbs since the beginning of Dec and far from being down about my diagnosis, I am rather relieved I took the decision to have my health check.

Thanks

Welcome Adrien. My friend give up alcohol & eats more healthy foods. Now OFF all T2 meds 🙂 Good luck

 

[AdeV]

another exercise decision made today.
I work on the 7th Floor of an office block, there are 2 flights of stairs between floors (10 steps each flight) and 6 flights between ground and the first floor.

Hmm, you don't work where I do, do you? Also on the 7th floor, with 10 steps in 2 flights between each floor.....

Spooky!

We've only got 4 flights between Ground & 1st though (and a mezzanine floor between them). I used to walk up the stairs when I worked on the 2nd (3rd, really) floor... must admit, I've been too lazy since moving up to the 7th! I did walk down a couple of times, our lifts are sometimes worse than useless.

 

[AdrianB]

Haha, now that would be spooky, I have a colleague also called Adrian known as Ade but his initial for his surname is H and he is probably only 5ft 5.