Looking for answers

[frozenout]

First timer here. Diagnosed in 2019 with type 2 at age of 63 and scoring since between a 59 and 69 on the standard blood check system, I have now shot up to 103!!!!

I don't smoke or drink alcohol. I eat the right things and avoid the wrong things. I exercise regularly and my weight is just below my recommended weight of 13.11.

Banging my head off a brick wall as to what I can do next to arrest this sizeable increase in blood test thingy.

It's been suggested I might now be type 1. Is this possible as per moving from type 2 to 1 ? Can a person have both?

Not just in relation to the type 1 question but anybody any suggestions why my score has risen so much when I feel I'm doing all the right things.

Btw I don't have any other related issues. I'm seeing a practice nurse this week.

Suggestions appreciated.

 

[Felinia]

Hi and welcome
It is possible you could be slow onset Type 1 where you have been producing some insulin, but it is now stopping. I do have some questions that might be a guide to others more experienced than me.
What medication are you on for diabetes?
When was your previous HbA1c (so we can see if the rise has been sudden)?
Have you been ill with anything else like COVID as that can cause a rise?
I hope others might offer some suggestions

 

[helli]

Welcome to the forum @frozenout
Type 1 and type 2 are completely different conditions. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease where our body has decided that it doesn't like the cells that produce insulin and kills them off. LADA is a kind of very slow onset version of Type 1 where it takes some years for our bodies to kill off the final insulin producing cells.
This is the slow onset Type 1 which @Felina mentions.

Some doctors believe that Type 1 is a "childhood disease" but more people are diagnosed with it over the age of 20 than under - I have read about a 91 year old diagnosed with Type 1.

As for whether someone can have both Type 1 and type 2, it is possible for someone with Type 1 diabetes to have insulin resistance.

There are many things which can affect our blood sugars beyond food (or drink) - it is also affected by stress, illness, medication, ....

 

[PattiEvans]

I don't smoke or drink alcohol. I eat the right things and avoid the wrong things. I exercise regularly and my weight is just below my recommended weight of 13.11.

Hi @frozenout and welcome. Can I just ask what you think the "right and wrong" things are? If you are adhering to the NHS "eatwell plate" this may seem healthy, however it is anything but for a person with diabetes. The things that will raise BGs are carbohydrates aka starches such as potatoes, pasta, bread, baked goods, rice, breakfast cereals etc. Even brown versions of them. Perhaps if you told us what sort of things your daily diet includes we could make some suggestions for you.

 

[frozenout]

Hi and welcome
It is possible you could be slow onset Type 1 where you have been producing some insulin, but it is now stopping. I do have some questions that might be a guide to others more experienced than me.
What medication are you on for diabetes?
When was your previous HbA1c (so we can see if the rise has been sudden)?
Have you been ill with anything else like COVID as that can cause a rise?
I hope others might offer some suggestions

Hi and welcome
It is possible you could be slow onset Type 1 where you have been producing some insulin, but it is now stopping. I do have some questions that might be a guide to others more experienced than me.
What medication are you on for diabetes?
When was your previous HbA1c (so we can see if the rise has been sudden)?
Have you been ill with anything else like COVID as that can cause a rise?
I hope others might offer some suggestions

Hi,

Did you receive my reply yesterday as I'm not sure I sent it.

Kind regards,

Peter

 

[frozenout]

Hi @frozenout and welcome. Can I just ask what you think the "right and wrong" things are? If you are adhering to the NHS "eatwell plate" this may seem healthy, however it is anything but for a person with diabetes. The things that will raise BGs are carbohydrates aka starches such as potatoes, pasta, bread, baked goods, rice, breakfast cereals etc. Even brown versions of them. Perhaps if you told us what sort of things your daily diet includes we could make some suggestions for you.

Many thanks for reply.
I'm really puzzled as I thought the sugar free cereals I eat were good for me. Now it seems It's best I avoid .

Is it ok to eat brown bread ?

Basically I eat sugar free muesli and toast in morning ( white bread).

Midday I have soup, 2 slices of brown bread and light crisps.

Dinner is mostly baked potatoes, pasta, rice dish and occasionally meat Inc pastry ( steak pie). Fish too

Supper is 2 pieces of bread .

Seems I'm doing a lot of bad things believing that by avoiding sugar I was doing right .

Any more advice welcomed .

Peter

 

[frozenout]

Welcome to the forum @frozenout
Type 1 and type 2 are completely different conditions. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease where our body has decided that it doesn't like the cells that produce insulin and kills them off. LADA is a kind of very slow onset version of Type 1 where it takes some years for our bodies to kill off the final insulin producing cells.
This is the slow onset Type 1 which @Felina mentions.

Some doctors believe that Type 1 is a "childhood disease" but more people are diagnosed with it over the age of 20 than under - I have read about a 91 year old diagnosed with Type 1.

As for whether someone can have both Type 1 and type 2, it is possible for someone with Type 1 diabetes to have insulin resistance.

There are many things which can affect our blood sugars beyond food (or drink) - it is also affected by stress, illness, medication, ....

Many thanks for your reply. Very informative.

Peter

 

[Leadinglights]

Many thanks for reply.
I'm really puzzled as I thought the sugar free cereals I eat were good for me. Now it seems It's best I avoid .

Is it ok to eat brown bread ?

Basically I eat sugar free muesli and toast in morning ( white bread).

Midday I have soup, 2 slices of brown bread and light crisps.

Dinner is mostly baked potatoes, pasta, rice dish and occasionally meat Inc pastry ( steak pie). Fish too

Supper is 2 pieces of bread .

Seems I'm doing a lot of bad things believing that by avoiding sugar I was doing right .

Any more advice welcomed .

Peter

I'm afraid the only thing you mention in your list is the fish as long as it is without batter and meat but not in a pie. Everything else is very high carbohydrate and should only be included in very small portions if at all.
Check out the Learning Zone for lots of information or this link for giving you a way forward to finding a more diabetic friendly dietary regime https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/

 

[Felinia]

Hi,

Did you receive my reply yesterday as I'm not sure I sent it.

Kind regards,

Peter

Hi, No I didn't get a reply.

However I've just seen another post you made. It's a very common misconception that Type 2 diabetics just have to cut out sugar. In fact it is best to reduce total carbs, which turn to glucose in the blood, including sugary things. Looking at your diet you listed 6 slices of bread, along with crisps, potatoes, rice, pastry and pasta. Not a mention of any vegetables.

I am going to suggest you need to have a re-think about your food, but don't go overboard too quickly. It is best to reduce your carbs slowly, as too quickly can cause eye problems. One member suggests trying to reduce by a third for a few weeks, then another third until you reach the desired level. Replace carbs with vegetables and more protein, like baked fish, eggs, poultry (not in batter or breadcrumbs). It is suggested trying to eat less than 130gm carbs per day which you might like to aim for. You can download apps which measure carbs - some are free and some have a monthly charge. It will require you to measure your portion sizes as well. I have been using one since the day I was diagnosed. I experimented with daily carbs, between 50gm to 130gm per day and settled on 90gm. I also plan in advance and suggest you look at the thread "What did you eat yesterday" looking for Type 2 contributors.

To give you some idea of my diet, here is tomorrows plan:
Breakfast: 2 poached eggs with grilled mushrooms and tomatoes (no bread)
Lunch: Prawn and coleslaw salad (huge plate but no bread or potato salad).
Dinner: Grilled pork steak, cauliflower, runner beans, broccoli, 2 new potatoes, apple gravy
Snack: 80gm frozen strawberries and blueberries
Plus: Milk for drinks and lots of water

Alternatives: Sometimes I have one 23gm slice of Warburtons wholemeal bread. Omelettes or boiled eggs are also good. Another popular breakfast is a small portion of berries with Greek yogurt, sprinkled with seeds and chopped nuts. I occasionally have 25gm rolled oats (the proper stuff, not the dust you get in sachets) made up with unsweetened almond milk and topped with blueberries. But on any one day I would have oats, or bread or potato - not all three.
Sometimes I have my own home made vegetable soup, again without bread, but not thickened with flour or potato. I add one can of butter, cannellini, haricot or borlotti beans for a pot of 8 servings and part blend the soup to thicken. You can make a wrap from a thin omelette and fill it with lots of veggies, chopped chicken, tuna - all sorts.
I have a lot of cauliflower as it can be used as a substitute for potato or rice. I also puree carrots/swede instead of mash. Roasted squash or sweet potato slices make good chips.

At first I though I couldn't live without bread but I soon got used to going without. Also it was a shock to the system to learn just how small a portion size is! But the HbA1c and weigh are slowly coming down. Best wishes

 

[frozenout]

Hi, No I didn't get a reply.

However I've just seen another post you made. It's a very common misconception that Type 2 diabetics just have to cut out sugar. In fact it is best to reduce total carbs, which turn to glucose in the blood, including sugary things. Looking at your diet you listed 6 slices of bread, along with crisps, potatoes, rice, pastry and pasta. Not a mention of any vegetables.

I am going to suggest you need to have a re-think about your food, but don't go overboard too quickly. It is best to reduce your carbs slowly, as too quickly can cause eye problems. One member suggests trying to reduce by a third for a few weeks, then another third until you reach the desired level. Replace carbs with vegetables and more protein, like baked fish, eggs, poultry (not in batter or breadcrumbs). It is suggested trying to eat less than 130gm carbs per day which you might like to aim for. You can download apps which measure carbs - some are free and some have a monthly charge. It will require you to measure your portion sizes as well. I have been using one since the day I was diagnosed. I experimented with daily carbs, between 50gm to 130gm per day and settled on 90gm. I also plan in advance and suggest you look at the thread "What did you eat yesterday" looking for Type 2 contributors.

To give you some idea of my diet, here is tomorrows plan:
Breakfast: 2 poached eggs with grilled mushrooms and tomatoes (no bread)
Lunch: Prawn and coleslaw salad (huge plate but no bread or potato salad).
Dinner: Grilled pork steak, cauliflower, runner beans, broccoli, 2 new potatoes, apple gravy
Snack: 80gm frozen strawberries and blueberries
Plus: Milk for drinks and lots of water

Alternatives: Sometimes I have one 23gm slice of Warburtons wholemeal bread. Omelettes or boiled eggs are also good. Another popular breakfast is a small portion of berries with Greek yogurt, sprinkled with seeds and chopped nuts. I occasionally have 25gm rolled oats (the proper stuff, not the dust you get in sachets) made up with unsweetened almond milk and topped with blueberries. But on any one day I would have oats, or bread or potato - not all three.
Sometimes I have my own home made vegetable soup, again without bread, but not thickened with flour or potato. I add one can of butter, cannellini, haricot or borlotti beans for a pot of 8 servings and part blend the soup to thicken. You can make a wrap from a thin omelette and fill it with lots of veggies, chopped chicken, tuna - all sorts.
I have a lot of cauliflower as it can be used as a substitute for potato or rice. I also puree carrots/swede instead of mash. Roasted squash or sweet potato slices make good chips.

At first I though I couldn't live without bread but I soon got used to going without. Also it was a shock to the system to learn just how small a portion size is! But the HbA1c and weigh are slowly coming down. Best wishes

Many thanks for the time you have taken in your reply. Can see right away that I have been ignorant of Diabetes believing all I needed to do was keep away from jam and Danish pastries!!!!

Will take on board your comments.

 

[frozenout]

I'm afraid the only thing you mention in your list is the fish as long as it is without batter and meat but not in a pie. Everything else is very high carbohydrate and should only be included in very small portions if at all.
Check out the Learning Zone for lots of information or this link for giving you a way forward to finding a more diabetic friendly dietary regime https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/

Big thanks for your response. Will act on comments.