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richardmillar11 said:
Just to encourage you my hba1c was115 on diagnosis on 19th October 21 and by 22nd December 21 it was down to 55 with diet and exercise no meds. Three meals a day at the same time to snacking and eating late at night. Plan to be finished eating by 6:30 if you can and walk after if u can even it’s on 30 mins it will make a big difference. Although it is not advisable to reduce your levels really quickly as others have stated above. Slow and steady wins the race. You can do it.
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Honestly this is the message I needed to hear- thanks so much to everyone today you have all made a big difference. @richardmillar11 thats really really encouraging to hear actually makes me feel like I can do it just like the earlier message from someone who was 140

I’ve come along way in just a day- I’ve been out for 30 min walk after my lunch today and am heading to gym tomororw evening.
I’ve had my first tablet going to see how I react to it and also at my next session see if it can be reduced if my bloods come down. Plus I’ve bought a machine! On its way as we speak.
 
Moon.Star8 said:
Plus I’ve bought a machine!
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Let us know how you get on with your BG monitor and generally.
I couldn't work out how to get the lid off the lancet pen to put the lancet in, and it took me 4 goes to put the testing strip in the monitor the right way up. I can recommend looking on youtube or the manufacturer's website to see if there's a video you can watch. I found one on youtube for the gluconavii (the one I have) that set me straight about what I should have been doing.
My top tips are:
  • have warm hands, it's difficult to get a drop out if your hands are cold
  • Have a tissue ready to put on your finger after you've put the drop of blood on the test strip
  • put the test strip in the monitor the right way round and up
  • the blood drop goes on the end of the test strip, not the top (for gluco navii at least) and is sucked up the test strip
  • prick the side of the top of your finger as it's less sensitive than the tip
  • gently squeeze a drop of blood about the size of a pin head out
  • put the drop on the end of the strip
  • wait for the monitor to process it, then it should display the reading.
  • you may not get it right first time, it took me about 6 goes before I did
  • don't be downhearted if it's higher than you want, you can change that, as you are already
Any questions, you know where we all are. Best wishes, Sarah
 
Moon.Star8 said:
Honestly this is the message I needed to hear- thanks so much to everyone today you have all made a big difference. @richardmillar11 thats really really encouraging to hear actually makes me feel like I can do it just like the earlier message from someone who was 140

I’ve come along way in just a day- I’ve been out for 30 min walk after my lunch today and am heading to gym tomororw evening.
I’ve had my first tablet going to see how I react to it and also at my next session see if it can be reduced if my bloods come down. Plus I’ve bought a machine! On its way as we speak.
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Yes you can do this. There is no reason not to think positively at this stage. Really good advice here from Windy about the testing. The most important thing is not to panic if its not what you think or want it to be. Its early days and that will change. If your concerned do let us know and we can share our experience and reassure where possible. My readings did stress me out a lot at the start but what I didn't know until I talked to others on here that they were absolutely fine. They have been a good indicator as to what foods my body can't cope with. Wheetabix being top of the list which is on the diet sheet from the Health Centre for type 2 which I was given on diagnosis. Everyone is different but try not to crash diet too much as I did. Its puts you in really bad form and cause temporary changes with eye sight.

Let us know how you get on.
 
Yup 140 and rather overweight and no exercise and eating more rubbish than the bin collector takes away (!)... I felt ill, I looked ill, lacking any energy, no balance, pain in many joints, drinking water every minute, etc etc.

Within weeks of changing my diet I felt a lot better and the HbA1c had dropped significantly. Best part was coming off the diabetic meds. Everything settled down then.

I didn't start to do exercise for the first 6 months because I couldn't.

Adding exercise made yet another positive shift in everything. I actually have energy!!!!

So it can be a very good, positive thing if you can take control and understand what you are doing (ok that takes some time) and don't believe (challenge) everything the doctors and some diabetic nurses suggest.

Keep going and good luck.

All in all so far it has been a really good experience and I feel so well too.
 
Hello!

Just an update- I got a testing (bought myself) and I’ve been testing fasting and they have constantly been lower than the 106 I started out at when I first tested after I got diagnosed early last week. I know this won’t be my hba1c is low instantly but I’m getting 10k steps in a or as close to as possible. I’m going to the gym 3x a week and not eating after 7!

I had a home made chicken ceaser salad for lunch about 2pm today/ no croutons but 3 pork scratchings instead chopped up abs no sauce of course but a bit cheese! &my favourite cucumber soaked in vinegar! And I’ve just come back from a walk sat down to test my blood 2 hours after the meal and it’s read at 5.7 or 39 if not a percent ! I know it’s only one reading but I’m taking it as a positive and feel much more in control than I did when I first posted a week ago!!
 
Sounds all good to me. Positive steps but make sure the changes you make are sustainable. Don't try to make things too hard on yourself.

Well done. I am sure, if you keep it up, your next HbA1c result will reflect your efforts
 
Hiya-
I am really enjoying moving more and hitting the 10k steps( something I tried to do anyways before the diagnosis)
I don’t miss bread or crisps and there’s no way I’m giving up going to the gym because the buzz afterwards is great! I still have a can of Coke Zero a few times a week but it doesn’t feel like I’ve been doing it a week. It just feels second nature now - assuming that’s a good thing.

I haven’t had crisps or potatoes yet and only once had brown pasta I made open burgers with 5% fat mince with lettuce as the bun and mushrooms and spinach as a topping.

Everyone around me also says that don’t put too much pressure on but I’m coping ok - I feel in control and i want to be strict to help bring my weight down which will hopefully bring the A1c down too.
 
Moon.Star8 said:
Hello!

Just an update- I got a testing (bought myself) and I’ve been testing fasting and they have constantly been lower than the 106 I started out at when I first tested after I got diagnosed early last week. I know this won’t be my hba1c is low instantly but I’m getting 10k steps in a or as close to as possible. I’m going to the gym 3x a week and not eating after 7!

I had a home made chicken ceaser salad for lunch about 2pm today/ no croutons but 3 pork scratchings instead chopped up abs no sauce of course but a bit cheese! &my favourite cucumber soaked in vinegar! And I’ve just come back from a walk sat down to test my blood 2 hours after the meal and it’s read at 5.7 or 39 if not a percent ! I know it’s only one reading but I’m taking it as a positive and feel much more in control than I did when I first posted a week ago!!
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How are you converting the 5.7 fingerprick to a 39 hba1c? They aren’t measuring the same thing so you can’t calculate an hba1c from one fingerprick like this.
 
@Moon.Star8 - I do not think what you have done is correct. HbA1c used to be given as a % but is now given in mmol/mol and the converter you have converts one to the other. So what you were doing was converting an HbA1c of 5.7% into a HbA1c in mmol/mol, and not a finger prick reading of 5.7mol/l into an HbA1c. It only looked sensible because the HbA1c as a % is a number similar to what you get from a finger prick test.

All is not lost however. If you take a lot of finger prick readings at all times of the day and calculate your average reading, then this will give a guide to your likely HbA1c. Very, very roughly, an average of under 8 will give an HbA1c under 48 and an average of around 6 will give you an HbA1c around 40. On that basis, your 5.7 reading is a good start.

I have just stopped taking gliclazide because my DN was worried about my blood glucose levels were too low. My HbA1c had gone down to 36 and my long term average finger prick reading was just under 6. Since stopping the gliclazide, my average finger prick has climbed to near 7 and I reckon this will give an HbA1c somewhere in the mid 40's in a couple of months time.
 
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Moon.Star8 said:
I am really enjoying moving more and hitting the 10k steps( something I tried to do anyways before the diagnosis)
I don’t miss bread or crisps and there’s no way I’m giving up going to the gym because the buzz afterwards is great! I still have a can of Coke Zero a few times a week but it doesn’t feel like I’ve been doing it a week. It just feels second nature now - assuming that’s a good thing.
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Great to hear you sounding so upbeat @Moon.Star8 - and a big well done for all the positive changes you have been making.

That 5.7 after your meal is excellent!

Don’t worry about any confusion about the numbers - it’s almost designed to befuddle a newcomer… mmol/mol… %… mmol/L… and different numbers almost overlapping between spot-checks and much longer-term measures.

What matters more is how well you are doing, and the positive impact you can already see in your spot-check glucose values.

Keep going!
 
Moon.Star8 said:
Hiya-
I am really enjoying moving more and hitting the 10k steps( something I tried to do anyways before the diagnosis)
I don’t miss bread or crisps and there’s no way I’m giving up going to the gym because the buzz afterwards is great! I still have a can of Coke Zero a few times a week but it doesn’t feel like I’ve been doing it a week. It just feels second nature now - assuming that’s a good thing.

I haven’t had crisps or potatoes yet and only once had brown pasta I made open burgers with 5% fat mince with lettuce as the bun and mushrooms and spinach as a topping.

Everyone around me also says that don’t put too much pressure on but I’m coping ok - I feel in control and i want to be strict to help bring my weight down which will hopefully bring the A1c down too.
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See you can do it. A few small changes gives you encouragement to keep going!
 
It’s been a while since I’ve posted on here and I’m in a whole new mind set - I am on the slow release metformin albeit 1 per day heading up to 2 because I couldn’t stomach the standard release! So a bit switch around with meds but I’ve been out for meals (swapped carbs for salad or veg ) I’ve found alternatives and I’ve made my own bread with flaxseeds etc )

I’ve noticed and learnt some things too like that when I work out at the gym (I got 4x a week) that on the weight training days my BG is higher or if I haven’t drank enough water I get a higher BG.

I am perpelexed as I seem to get higher (7.8 this morning for example) reading on a morning even if I stopped eating at 6 the night before and had under 15g of carbs and walked after??? My BG does drop during the day from that and I normally hover anywhere from 5.8-7.5 usually after meals and before for the rest of the day.

I saw my first ever 4.6 on my BG machines the other day and thought I must be getting somewhere.
I do test a lot as in avg 50ish tests in a week! But right now I can A ) afford it and B) it’s helping me learn so much!!

My average test for the past 30 days from 186 tests is 7.2 and the past 7 days was an average of 7 out of 50tests.
I am hoping this means I will not be seeing that huge number of 106 or 107 that I saw in my HBA1C back in Jan!!
1st blood test is due on 12th of April keeping fingers crossed!!
 
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Moon.Star8 said:
I am perpelexed as I seem to get higher (7.8 this morning for example) reading on a morning even if I stopped eating at 6 the night before and had under 15g of carbs and walked after???
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Some of the glucose in your body is made by your liver, and some diabetics get "dawn phenomenan"/"foot on the floor" where their BG shoots up when they get out of bed. It's your liver trying to help you, by giving you a burst of energy to power your muscles etc when you get up.
Sounds like you're doing well though, diet and exercise wise. Let us know how your blood test goes, my fingers are crossed for you too! Sarah
 
Today is my 3 month blood test and I feel nervous , I know I’ve done everything I can to get this number of 107 or 106 down but I’m still so nervous that I wint get the number I want to see. My average BG of the past 30 days is 7.1 and that’s over 200 finger prick tests.

fingers crossed for today fingers crossed
 
In your position I would not be nervous at all. By far the best bet is that you will get confirmation that all the work you have done has been worthwhile. 🙂
 
Morning @Moon.Star8 8, glad to hear that you've been working on getting your HbA1c down, I suspect it will be loads better than before.
Even if it isn't the number you want to see, it's still a work in progress. You had a fairly high starting point at 107, so even with the brakes on, it'll take a will take a while to slow down, it's still progress.
Be kind to yourself if it's not what you wanted, you've still worked hard to get where you are. My fingers are crossed for you too!
Sarah
 
Morning @Windy , you are right- I have worked really hard to get where I am and since diagnosis in 20th jan I’m about 26lb down in weight too hoping that will have an impact.

I’m never the best at being easy on myself so will just have to let it be what it is as I can’t control it anymore than I have tried to these past few months.

Will post again once I know the outcome 🙂
Thanks everyone for the support!
 
Moon.Star8 said:
Hi, thank you ! my result was 106 so very very much diabetic according to my nurse - they took a second test today to make sure and also the other tests i need like kidney,liver etc and they have referred me for the feet and eye check. They have also advised me not to have home BG tester yet because they think it will make me panic more - im not sure what to do re that.

I was having what i thought were hormonal issues since sept and had a lot of stress and never had a blood test before but had been referred to gynecology and no blood test was offered so i pushed for one as i thought hormones were off or something that that and then all of a sudden i am diabetic.

They say they want me to have the tablets to bring in down quickly and then we can look at what they might be like once it comes down and when i have another test in around 2/3 months

Thanks again for your reply
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Hi there I understand just how you feel, I was diagnosed two weeks ago and my anxiety went through the roof!!! I’m on metformin now 3 x 500g daily , my blood was 92 at diagnosis
Your definitely not alone in your feelings hope this helps
 
Hi @Moon.Star8 - I've just been reading through this thread. Good luck for today but I think you will be very pleasantly surprised as you have clearly been really working hard on this. Fantastic weight loss too! I'm quite similar to @Julieheller, diagnosed 3+ weeks ago with an HbA1c of 95. I'm on Metformin 500mg 3 x daily and about to move up to 4. I'm loving my glucose monitor (weird!). My BG measurements seem very similar to yours but I am definitely having more carbs than you (I use My Fitness Pal and find it really useful for that) - so maybe, when you get your good results, you'll be able to increase your carbs a bit if you feel you want to - but maybe you won't. I think I reduced mine too quickly at the start and my vision went a bit blurry. What I'm learning is that everyone is SO different (as if we needed being told). So - keep up the good work 🙂 you can be an inspiration to other recent diagnosees (new word?).
 
Julieheller said:
Hi there I understand just how you feel, I was diagnosed two weeks ago and my anxiety went through the roof!!! I’m on metformin now 3 x 500g daily , my blood was 92 at diagnosis
Your definitely not alone in your feelings hope this helps
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Hi @Julieheller it’s completely normal and I know it’s easy for me to say it gets better but it does even tho I still have days where I cry and think I will never be able to do this or have that again but it’s not true I will get there.

I practically stopped eating for the first 1 and a half and stood in my kitchen thinking it’s all my enemy and then I started to learn and test!!!
I have just had my 3 month blood test so will see how much it’s come down! Fingers crossed.

@zippyjojo . too was supposed to get up to 4 metformin but never even got to three partly because it made me really sick and other side effects and then I swapped to slow release and partly because I don’t want to be on them and I wanted to be in control myself as I wasn’t given the option of just diet alone. * not advocating anyone follow me* follow your DN/DR advice


I have been really strict with the carbs I read the packets of everything because I want to get into remission as soon as possible if it’s possible- if that makes sense ha ha ! - I don’t track my carbs via an app I just keep it in my head and try to have less than 20g per meal

I’ve still had takeaways for family birthdays etc just ordered more veg and changed what I’ve ordered.

I found things like Chocologic high fibre chocolate for days that I really fancied it abs Cheetos puff crisps for days I was really wanting crisps (chips and crisps were my fave treat foods)

You are so right that we are all different and it’s crazy the types of things that have impact on your BG eg I go to the gym 3/4 times a week sometimes 5 abs the days I do weights my BG is high after the gym and you think hang on I’m doing something for my body why aren’t you doing down.

@Julieheller looking back to when I 1st got diagnosed the biggest lessons I’ve learnt so far is that it’s not a race (still learning), you can only control so much and don’t be at war with your body - I struggled in the beginning with hating myself because I was diabetic and being ashamed but it’s when you become more at one with it make your peace that you can manage it.
 
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