New here, Hello!

[LynneCH]

Hello, diagnosed about 2008, been on Metformin since 2016ish, and GbA1c been creeping up as I've got older.
Last October diagnosed with breat cancer (5mm anomaly found on routine mammagram!) removed Dec 2022. Last HbA1c shot up, now in mid 60s, no surprise with stress, wound infection and operation, moved house during that period!
Diabetic Nurse increased Metformin to 2gm daily split doses. Currently waiting for another blood test, and we will decide where to go from there. Currently walking each day with our dog, but can't seem to lose weight.
Anyhow, that's me and I hope to get support and advice here, even if it's a kind telling off!

 

[Ciara DUK]

Hello @LynneCH , welcome to the forum 🙂

Thanks for sharing your experience - really sorry to hear about all you've gone through with your health and other stresses.

It is encouraging that you're keeping up with the walking, and that your doctor is following up with another blood test - do feel free to check back in with these results, should you wish.

Thanks also for telling us how you're managing your condition - do you have any questions about management, or diet and exercise? If so, and if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask away! The forum is a lovely community, and we're always happy to help 🙂

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi @LynneCH and welcome to the forum.

How have you been trying to lose weight?

I ask because in the context of T2 Diabetes there are 2 methods which both lower HbA1C ( into remission even) and normalise weight.
1. The ultra Low Calorie diet in various forms . It's an 800Cal per day diet for 8 to 12 weeks only and is in various forms and known by various names. The study(ies) it is based upon is called DIRECT and it's initial success after 1yr was around 40%. Unfortunately the participants found it hard to keep Blood Glucose low and most re-gained weight, so that after 4yrs I think only around 14% still can be called successful. Other names for this diet include 8 Week Blood Sugar Det, Fast 800 etc.

2. The 180 T2D patients of a UK GP doing a Low Carbohydrate High(er) Fat 'way of eating' (no calorie restriction).This has an overall success rate of 51%, a 77% success rate even after several years in fairly newly diagnosed T2D's (less than 1yr since diagnosis), dropping to 20% for those already diagnosed over 15 years earlier.

Consensus report: definition and interpretation of remission in type 2 diabetes - Diabetologia

Improvement of glucose levels into the normal range can occur in some people living with diabetes, either spontaneously or after medical interventions, and in some cases can persist after withdrawal of glucose-lowering pharmacotherapy. Such sustained improvement may now be occurring more often...

link.springer.com

I and many others use this put our T2D into remission and keep it there (for nearly 4 yrs so far in my case) and kept weight off .

 

[Inka]

Welcome @LynneCH 🙂 You certainly won’t get a telling off from me. This is a friendly, supportive forum🙂

 

[harbottle]

No telling off here…

I found weight loss very quick and easy by going low calorie (Which was also low carb). This seemed to get the hba1c back into a decent range, but I remain on a low carb diet to keep blood sugar under control, with the occasional burger/potato/chips.

Walking is good. I got for a daily walk or two, but time it between 50-70 minutes after eating lunch (Gets me out of the office and also helps walks off any blood sugar rises.)

 

[LynneCH]

Losing weight - humph! Not so easy post menopause, and I am trying. No snacking, although I never was a biscuit/cake person with cuppa, I'm trying to also avoid munching on my ripening mini tomatoes when I go into the polytunnel, and goyt to say blackberry picking today was hard without having a few! But the dog was getting a few instead.
I generally have Tesco fruit n fibre cereal with milk about 8am, then some fruit lunchtime or some cheese n crackers. Tea is main meal, depending if hubby is home might be 6-8pm, so meat/fish with potatoes of some form. He doesn't eat vegetables! I'll have salad or peas, but I love potatoes! But today I thought I'd try 2 meals only, breakfast as usual then1gm metformin, 3 cups of tea/coffee in morning, water or squash (no added sugar) through afternoon. My tea was about 6pm 3 egg(small eggs) omlette with a yellow pepper, fresh tomato and 2 spring onions, topped with grated cheese - only small amount with 2 sliced bread rounds. Then my 2nd dose of metformin and a small banana.
I have no idea how many carbs that lot today was, but I also have no idea what BM readings I would have as never had a glucose monitor. Think I need to get 1 asap.
Been out walking today between 2-4pm, wasn't fast as was blackberry picking, but did walk all boundaries of our smallholding - 8.6 acres. Will be out again with dog later, similar distance.

Okay, dog walked again, must get my map my walk going again!

 

[LynneCH]

Hi @LynneCH and welcome to the forum.

How have you been trying to lose weight?

I ask because in the context of T2 Diabetes there are 2 methods which both lower HbA1C ( into remission even) and normalise weight.
1. The ultra Low Calorie diet in various forms . It's an 800Cal per day diet for 8 to 12 weeks only and is in various forms and known by various names. The study(ies) it is based upon is called DIRECT and it's initial success after 1yr was around 40%. Unfortunately the participants found it hard to keep Blood Glucose low and most re-gained weight, so that after 4yrs I think only around 14% still can be called successful. Other names for this diet include 8 Week Blood Sugar Det, Fast 800 etc.

2. The 180 T2D patients of a UK GP doing a Low Carbohydrate High(er) Fat 'way of eating' (no calorie restriction).This has an overall success rate of 51%, a 77% success rate even after several years in fairly newly diagnosed T2D's (less than 1yr since diagnosis), dropping to 20% for those already diagnosed over 15 years earlier.

Consensus report: definition and interpretation of remission in type 2 diabetes - Diabetologia

Improvement of glucose levels into the normal range can occur in some people living with diabetes, either spontaneously or after medical interventions, and in some cases can persist after withdrawal of glucose-lowering pharmacotherapy. Such sustained improvement may now be occurring more often...

link.springer.com

I and many others use this put our T2D into remission and keep it there (for nearly 4 yrs so far in my case) and kept weight off .

Very interesting reading, always have hated reading research papers even when I was a practising RGN. But the info you gave about the Low Carb Higher Fat diet is promising! off to thoroughly read this one!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Very interesting reading, always have hated reading research papers even when I was a practising RGN. But the info you gave about the Low Carb Higher Fat diet is promising! off to thoroughly read this one!

This NHS practice is often recommended as a starter for information on a low carb approach to managing diabetes

Freshwell Low Carb Project - Home

lowcarbfreshwell.com

Additionally Diabetes UK has a ow carb meal planner here which may give you some ideas to start you off?

Low-carb diet and meal plan

Eating a low-carb diet means cutting down on the amount of carbohydrates (carbs) you eat to less than 130g a day. But low-carb eating shouldn’t be no-carb eating. Some carbohydrate foods contain essential vitamins, minerals and fibre, which form an important part of a healthy diet.

www.diabetes.org.uk

Welcome to the forum!

 

[LynneCH]

This NHS practice is often recommended as a starter for information on a low carb approach to managing diabetes

Freshwell Low Carb Project - Home

lowcarbfreshwell.com

Additionally Diabetes UK has a ow carb meal planner here which may give you some ideas to start you off?

Low-carb diet and meal plan

Eating a low-carb diet means cutting down on the amount of carbohydrates (carbs) you eat to less than 130g a day. But low-carb eating shouldn’t be no-carb eating. Some carbohydrate foods contain essential vitamins, minerals and fibre, which form an important part of a healthy diet.

www.diabetes.org.uk

Welcome to the forum!

First thing I did was sign into the Freshwell app!