New to Forum - Ruby/London

[Ruby/London]

Good morning everyone🙂

I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes at the beginning of May with an HbAlc of 48. I have been looking at various options to try and reduce this. Started off quite positively, confident that I would be able to reverse this by changing my diet. I am trying a low carb diet but struggling a bit. I decided to self test to monitor my progress but have a fasting bg level of around 8.4 most mornings and really struggle to get a decent blood sample to use with the monitor. I have looked at Michael Moseley's blood sugar diet and I am taking a stepped approach. Week 1, I didn't worry about calories but concentrated on reducing carbs. Week 2 I moved to reducing calories. Week 3 I am craving carbs and cheating myself by sneaking bread, (my weakness), back into my diet. Week 4 and I am feeling demoralised and continually exhausted. My GP has booked my on a DESMOND course and I am attending next week.

In changing my diet, breakfast was my weakest area and I have changed my croissant and flat white coffee for low carb Fage 0% Greek yogurt (approximately 3.0g grams of carbs per 100g) and a small helping of raspberries and blueberries. I have also restricted my fruit intake to a couple of pears a day. I tend to have omelettes for lunch and fish/chicken choices for dinner. I thought these were sensible choices but I am now wondering if my sugar intake from the yogurt and fruit is holding me back? At my request, the GP has agreed to hold off prescribing meds for 12 weeks to allow me to make some changes - same for blood pressure, which is also very high, so I am keen to make some progress.

I realise I need some chums and would appreciate sharing advice with others who are living well with this condition and a bit of mutual support and strategies if/when times get hard.

All best,
Ruby

 

[Northerner]

Hi Ruby, welcome to the forum 🙂 Please don't despair! It's still very early days for you and it does take some time for your body to adjust to the changes you are making, so patience is the key 🙂 Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint 🙂 How did your diagnosis come about? The HbA1c you quote is very much on the cusp of a diagnosis, so hopefully it will not take radical action to get yourself below that threshold 🙂

Good to hear that you are testing, it really is the best method of discovering what works for you and what doesn't, and building up experiences of how things might change throughout the day. Keep a food diary, recording what you ate, levels before and two hours after, and the amount of carbohydrate (in grams) in everything you eat and drink. Don't worry, you won't have to do this forever, but it will give you a good overview of where your particular problems and tolerances may lie. At this stage, please don't be over-concerned about the numbers, nothing drastic is going to happen to you if you get some high numbers whilst you assess things - it's all about gathering information so you can move forward 🙂

I would highly recommend reading Maggie Davey's letter and also getting a copy of the excellent Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker. These are both very positive guides to these early months, what you should expect, and how to improve things 🙂 For a good explanation of the logic behind efficient and effective testing, I suggest you read Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S .

You've already made a good, positive start! 🙂 What about exercise? Is there any activity that you could build into your daily schedule, that you would enjoy? A brisk walk each day, especially shortly after eating, can be the easiest thing, and effective in reducing your post-meal levels - you'll feel fitter and healthier too! Whatever you can manage will be helpful as it will make your body more sensitive to the insulin it is producing and improve your blood sugar control 🙂 Regarding the morning readings - are you taking these immediately on waking, or after you have been up and about for a bit? Levels will often start to climb as soon as you get up as you body readies itself for the day to come, so if you only test a little while after getting up, the reading may not be entirely representative of how they have been overnight. It's a good idea to test before bed also, for comparison with the morning readings.

As I said earlier, at this stage you are looking for information, so try not to worry too much about the numbers themselves, in time you will understand them better and what they reflect 🙂 Please feel free to ask any questions you may have and we will be more than happy to help 🙂

 

[Bubbsie]

I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes at the beginning of May with an Hb1Albc of 48. I have been looking at various options to try and reduce this. Started off quite positively, confident that I would be able to reverse this by changing my diet. I am trying a low carb diet but struggling a bit.

Ruby you've only been diagnosed a short time so don't despair with the results you've produced so far...it's a good start...as for diet I suggest you have a look at the recipe thread & the 'What did you eat yesterday' thread for some ideas on which are the best foods to lower your blood sugars...diabetes is confusing at times what I would tolerate fairly well may not suit you...and vice versa...one of the best ways is to try different foods...test before eating...then two hours afterwards...the expected rise we are looking for is no more than 2-3mmols prior to eating...I still eat bread...high protein bread lower in carbs...Burgen Bread again lower in carbs...I personally avoid low fat foods which tend to have added sugar to enhance the taste & use full (good) fat yoghurt...it is a steep learning curve &.can seem insurmountable...most of us feel like that initially...it does get easier to manage & understand so give yourself some time...better not to rush...the book recommended is a must...Type Two The First Year will answer so many questions for you...dispel some of the myths surrounding T2...you can preview it on Amazon before deciding to buy it...or borrow it from you library...if you have any questions post them here...there are many experienced type 2's who will be more than happy to give you the benefit of their experience...there are so many low carb alternatives you can make at home without too much difficulty...give yourself some leeway...find a routine that is sustainable long term...you will get there...good luck.

 

[Amigo]

Good morning everyone🙂

I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes at the beginning of May with an Hb1Albc of 48. I have been looking at various options to try and reduce this. Started off quite positively, confident that I would be able to reverse this by changing my diet. I am trying a low carb diet but struggling a bit. I decided to self test to monitor my progress but have a fasting bg level of around 8.4 most mornings and really struggle to get a decent blood sample to use with the monitor. I have looked at Michael Moseley's blood sugar diet and I am taking a stepped approach. Week 1, I didn't worry about calories but concentrated on reducing carbs. Week 2 I moved to reducing calories. Week 3 I am craving carbs and cheating myself by sneaking bread, (my weakness), back into my diet. Week 4 and I am feeling demoralised and continually exhausted. My GP has booked my on a DESMOND course and I am attending next week.

In changing my diet, breakfast was my weakest area and I have changed my croissant and flat which coffee for low carb Fage 0% Greek yogurt (approximately 3.0g grams of carbs per 100g) and a small helping of raspberries and blueberries. I have also restricted my fruit intake to a couple of pears a day. I tend to have omelettes for lunch and fish/chicken choices for dinner. I thought these were sensible choices but I am now wondering if my sugar intake from the yogurt and fruit is holding me back? At my request, the GP has agreed to hold off prescribing meds for 12 weeks to allow me to make some changes - same for blood pressure, which is also very high, so I am keen to make some progress.

I realise I need some chums and would appreciate sharing advice with others who are living well with this condition and a bit of mutual support and strategies if/when times get hard.

All best,
Ruby

Hi Ruby, it can be very hard and we all understand and are behind you with this. Low carb yoghurt for breakfast is fine but be careful about too much fruit. I’d be more inclined towards protein for breakfast to fill you up (I like boiled eggs and low carb toast). There’s too great a tendency to cheat if we are hungry.

You’ve got the right motivation and don’t despair if you have bad days. Just over 3 yrs on I have weak days but get back to it the next day. Good luck and hope the course helps. The book by Dr. David Cavan, ‘Reverse your diabetes’ really helped me at the beginning.

 

[Ruby/London]

Thank you all for your lovely replies. I also have Meniere's and have had a bad bout this week, so I guess that is just adding to my malaise.

Northern, my GP sent off for a test because my blood pressure was really high. My cholesterol came back high, too. I only went to see him about a minor ailment. Given that is was borderline, I was feeling very optimistic about reducing it. My main concern was getting my blood pressure down to a reasonable level from a systolic average of 175, monitored over 24 hours. I have a step counter and I am averaging about 6,000 steps a day, in and around work. Can't really do park walking at the moment because the pollen triggers my Meniere's and the air quality in London has been really bad this last few weeks.

Bubbsie, delighted to hear there is such a thing as low cal bread and will certainly be checking that out.

Amigo, I agree that hunger can be a saboteur and think I may have gone in too hard on the low carb front.

I will check out the reading you have all recommended and work at a steady pace.
At the end of the day a few minor health markers is not something to get depressed about and I am fairly healthy in all other respects.

Thank you all, very much ... it feels good to be part the Forum🙂

 

[Jeandp]

Hi Ruby and welcome. LOVE your name! Well it sounds like you are doing just fine, you are certainly on the right track. I would opt for full fat greek yogurt though, and as Bubbsie says Burgen bread is an option for a sandwich, I just use one slice and fold over. It's only £1 at Asda at the moment.

Be sure to ask if you have any questions or just want a chat. 🙂🙂

 

[Ruby/London]

Thank you Jeandp, It's great to receive feedback that I am on the right track. I was just a bit thrown by higher morning readings than my original test result - but I will follow Bubbsie's advice about the timing of my fasting test.

Low carb bread is a revelation but I guess we only know what we need to know when we need to know it.

I know I felt under pressure to make some progress before going back to GP later this month for follow up tests. As I mentioned, he has agreed 12 weeks to bring about some improvement before he wants to move to meds if nothing has changed.

Thanks for tip about full fat yoghurt🙂

 

[AdeleTurner72]

Welcome Ruby. It sounds like you are making a great start and doing everything right. You'll find loads of help and recipe ideas on here. Good luck on your journey!

 

[Ruby/London]

Thank you Adele🙂

... Just popped on to say I had a better day today after connecting with Forum members and looking through some of the threads.

... Discovered Peter's Yard sourdough crackers - life may not have to be that tragic after all!
... Started reading Diabetes 2: The First Year - the joy of kindle books. Sent off for Strong Women Stay Young from Amazon.
... Made courgette and parmesan soup for lunch. Fish and greens for dinner. Yogurt and fruit for breakfast. ...Decided against pear snacks.
... Balanced out cals and carbs and totalled approximately 1,000 cals to 45 carbs.
... Managed to complete 3 bg tests an hour or two after eating: 6.6, 6.3 and 6.4 - lowest yet.
... BP still skyhigh and tinnitus ringing louder than Bow Bells but feeling happy with progress today.
... Thinking of starting a monthly Sunday walking group in Central London to improve on fitness. Someone gave a book of historic walks in London and I might just try them out.

Thank you everyone for being so welcoming, supportive and inspiring🙂

 

[Amigo]

Thank you Adele🙂

... Just popped on to say I had a better day today after connecting with Forum members and looking through some of the threads.

... Discovered Peter's Yard sourdough crackers - life may not have to be that tragic after all!
... Started reading Diabetes 2: The First Year - the joy of kindle books. Sent off for Strong Women Stay Young from Amazon.
... Made courgette and parmesan soup for lunch. Fish and greens for dinner. Yogurt and fruit for breakfast. ...Decided against pear snacks.
... Balanced out cals and carbs and totalled approximately 1,000 cals to 45 carbs.
... Managed to complete 3 bg tests an hour or two after eating: 6.6, 6.3 and 6.4 - lowest yet.
... BP still skyhigh and tinnitus ringing louder than Bow Bells but feeling happy with progress today.
... Thinking of starting a monthly Sunday walking group in Central London to improve on fitness. Someone gave a book of historic walks in London and I might just try them out.

Thank you everyone for being so welcoming, supportive and inspiring🙂

Ruby, I’ve suffered tinnitus for years too and feel your pain. You may find once you get your levels down and the b/p under control, it will ease considerably. I certainly hope so. Well done on today’s results 😛

 

[Ruby/London]

Interestingly, since receiving my T2 diagnosis, I am questioning some of the symptoms that had previously been put down to Menieres, such as dizziness and tinnitus.

Ok, I'm seeing a bit of a pattern here.

Morning readings seem to problem area. I wake up feeling sluggish, lethargic and depressed and it takes a tremendous amount of willpower to get the day going. ...marked change from last night. Changed my testing routine a bit. Got up, fed the cat, put some washing on, emptied the dishwasher and brewed some tea while I settled down to take fasting bg level. The result was 8.7. I am not sure how to tackle this and would appreciate any feedback/insight anyone can offer.

 

[Bubbsie]

Interestingly, since receiving my T2 diagnosis, I am questioning some of the symptoms that had previously been put down to Menieres, such as dizziness and tinnitus.

Ok, I'm seeing a bit of a pattern here.

Morning readings seem to problem area. I wake up feeling sluggish, lethargic and depressed and it takes a tremendous amount of willpower to get the day going. ...marked change from last night. Changed my testing routine a bit. Got up, fed the cat, put some washing on, emptied the dishwasher and brewed some tea while I settled down to take fasting bg level. The result was 8.7. I am not sure how to tackle this and would appreciate any feedback/insight anyone can offer.

Ruby most members take their waking BG as soon as they get up...some even take it while still in bed...I've never managed that I always forget to take my testing kit with me...as soon as our feet hit the ground our BG will start to rise...so if you can I would recommend taking it as soon as you get up before moving about too much...you may see a real difference...waking numbers are an indication of where we start the day...overall it's really about how your body reacts to what you eat throughout the day...what spikes your BG...how you react to that...often the waking numbers are the last to come down...it's fairly common.

 

[Northerner]

Interestingly, since receiving my T2 diagnosis, I am questioning some of the symptoms that had previously been put down to Menieres, such as dizziness and tinnitus.

Ok, I'm seeing a bit of a pattern here.

Morning readings seem to problem area. I wake up feeling sluggish, lethargic and depressed and it takes a tremendous amount of willpower to get the day going. ...marked change from last night. Changed my testing routine a bit. Got up, fed the cat, put some washing on, emptied the dishwasher and brewed some tea while I settled down to take fasting bg level. The result was 8.7. I am not sure how to tackle this and would appreciate any feedback/insight anyone can offer.

Hi Ruby, as soon as you start to wake in the morning your liver will naturally start to release extra glucose into your blood in order to give you an energy 'boost' to start the day. The problem when you have diabetes is that the normal mechanisms to keep your levels within range don't kick in, hence your levels continue to rise. My levels can rise 2-3 mmol/l in the 5-10 minutes after getting up (I know this from using something called a Freestyle Libre, which provides a continuous reading of your levels). As such, the reading you are seeing after washing the cat, feeding the dishwasher etc. 😉 probably doesn't reflect your level overnight. This is a well-known phenomenon in diabetes and is referred to as Dawn Phenomenon. Try taking your meter to bed with you and testing the very first thing 🙂

 

[Ruby/London]

Thanks, Northerner, I will try that and drink more water in the mornings to try and clear the sluggishness, after testing. So many new changes from my carb loaded, sedentary lifestyle!

Cats looking worried and the dishwasher has just burped😛

New mantra: Keep going, keep positive ...

 

[Bubbsie]

Thanks, Northerner, I will try that and drink more water in the mornings to try and clear the sluggishness, after testing. So many new changes from my carb loaded, sedentary lifestyle!

Cats looking worried and the dishwasher has just burped😛

New mantra: Keep going, keep positive ...

Ruby you could also try a small snack right before bed...a little protein/carbs...possibly a handful of nuts or a small piece of cheese...that can sometimes help with the DP.

 

[HOBIE]

Welcome Ruby 🙂

 

[Ruby/London]

Thank you Hobie🙂

Thanks Bubbsie, all great tips and I never need an excuse to eat!

 

[Drummer]

Low carb eating is a very powerful tool for lowering blood glucose, but unfortunately you do have to eat low carb foods whilst on it - bread and a couple of pears would not really qualify as low carb.
However - your Hba1c is only just in the diabetic range, I am sure that rather than trying something drastic, simply altering your food choices will do the trick - maybe find some of your old shopping receipts and thinking about your normal daily menu will give you a clue about the changes you could make to reverse the problem.
Substituting lower carb veges for potato and a 'protein' bread for the 'normal' stuff might be all that it takes to turn things around - a check on sugar intake might be needed, though many people don't eat or drink that much sugar and their problem is the intake of all those 'healthy' carbs. The main culprit is fruit, as fructose is stored in the liver - but there is also a lot of fructose syrup used in processed foods - because it is cheap, mainly, and that makes our fruit intake all the more problematic.

 

[Brando77]

Ruby, I’ve suffered tinnitus for years too and feel your pain. You may find once you get your levels down and the b/p under control, it will ease considerably. I certainly hope so. Well done on today’s results 😛

Yep, I had irrigation to my ears before diagnosis and they warned me about getting tinnitus thru it, they were right. Got worse with high bg and bp but now getting better with meds and low readings.

 

[Lucy Honeychurch]

Hi and welcome 🙂