Newbie needing some help to understand newly diagnosed T2

[rebrascora]

I am an all or nothing kinda gal, so I need to go hard or go home.

I have the wake-up call and I am now overhauling my entire diet and plan to stick to it no matter what.

I do miss pizza, though

Yes, I am an all or nothing girl too. Moderation is much harder.

I think it is easy to rule out other causes of your diabetes if you fit the "typical" Type 2 profile but when you have cut your carbs so drastically and are not seeing results in a week, that suggests you are possibly not typical. Just something to keep in mind at this stage though and keep trying other options but if they don't work then do push for further testing. The gall stones can cause inflammation of the pancreas which can then inhibit insulin production I believe but following a low carb regime where you are needing so much less insulin should have eased the strain and helped your system manage better.

If low carb is not producing results, another option is to go for the Newcastle/Fast 800 diet, particularly as you have been identified as having fatty liver. It is basically a meal replacement 800calorie shakes based diet although you can do it with real food but it takes more planning and prep. It is a short term very low calorie diet of 8-12 weeks which is designed to burn off the visceral fat. You then have to reintroduce real food and some people find the break from food helps them to moderate their diet when they return to normal eating. The key to long term success of remission is to maintain the weight loss. It has proven successful; in about 50% of cases and I think you would be in the cohort who are most likely to achieve success being relatively newly diagnosed with a bit of weight to lose, so worth considering if you don't see your BG levels coming down with the low carb regime you are following in the next week or so.

 

[LadyRara]

I have eaten the following in the last 3 hours - Greek yoghurt with strawberries and raspberries & 3 egg scrambled egg with 2 slices of LivLife bread with Flora ProActiv cholesterol lowering buttery spread - and have tested now at 7.2. This is the best result I have had so far, so I am wondering if I should test at this time of day and give the DN these readings?

 

[rebrascora]

No. Give the nurse your fasting readings as requested but you can also give her these post prandial readings. Ultimately the HbA1c is what they will go by but it is encouraging that your post meal readings are lower and suggests that if you keep on with your current low carb dietary regime, those fasting readings should eventually come down, but they are usually the last to show improvement, so it will take time.
If you want to learn a lot more about how your body responds, you could apply for a free 14day trial of Freestyle Libre which is the sensor that goes on your arm and samples your levels every few minutes day and night. You can learn a lot more about how your body responds to certain foods and exercise and stress etc and you will see when your levels start to rise on a morning and what they are doing overnight. It really is quite fascinating.... and a bit addictive 🙄 and in some respects it can help to give you motivation to do a bit of exercise or eat the right foods because you see more or less real time results. If you go to the Freestyle Libre website I am sure you will find the details of the free trial. The only qualifiers are to be diabetic and to have a suitable phone to scan the sensor.

 

[LadyRara]

No. Give the nurse your fasting readings as requested but you can also give her these post prandial readings. Ultimately the HbA1c is what they will go by but it is encouraging that your post meal readings are lower and suggests that if you keep on with your current low carb dietary regime, those fasting readings should eventually come down, but they are usually the last to show improvement, so it will take time.
If you want to learn a lot more about how your body responds, you could apply for a free 14day trial of Freestyle Libre which is the sensor that goes on your arm and samples your levels every few minutes day and night. You can learn a lot more about how your body responds to certain foods and exercise and stress etc and you will see when your levels start to rise on a morning and what they are doing overnight. It really is quite fascinating.... and a bit addictive 🙄 and in some respects it can help to give you motivation to do a bit of exercise or eat the right foods because you see more or less real time results. If you go to the Freestyle Libre website I am sure you will find the details of the free trial. The only qualifiers are to be diabetic and to have a suitable phone to scan the sensor.

Thank you so, so much. The DN did not ask me to do readings first thing, I just decided I would do that for ease. I do my BP, BS (assuming that means blood sugar and not the acronym I use for another word ) and weigh myself first thing in the morning. I am a little more relaxed now I have finally had an in range reading, because those high readings in the morning were proper stressing me out. I have lost 4 lb in 6 days, so the diet side is definitely working. I might look at the Freestyle Libre. Thanks, again. You've been most helpful 🙂

 

[LadyRara]

No. Give the nurse your fasting readings as requested but you can also give her these post prandial readings. Ultimately the HbA1c is what they will go by but it is encouraging that your post meal readings are lower and suggests that if you keep on with your current low carb dietary regime, those fasting readings should eventually come down, but they are usually the last to show improvement, so it will take time.
If you want to learn a lot more about how your body responds, you could apply for a free 14day trial of Freestyle Libre which is the sensor that goes on your arm and samples your levels every few minutes day and night. You can learn a lot more about how your body responds to certain foods and exercise and stress etc and you will see when your levels start to rise on a morning and what they are doing overnight. It really is quite fascinating.... and a bit addictive 🙄 and in some respects it can help to give you motivation to do a bit of exercise or eat the right foods because you see more or less real time results. If you go to the Freestyle Libre website I am sure you will find the details of the free trial. The only qualifiers are to be diabetic and to have a suitable phone to scan the sensor.

How often do you need to change the sensors on the Freestyle Libre? Looks like it could be costly, as I assume they will not cover this on the NHS.

 

[Leadinglights]

How often do you need to change the sensors on the Freestyle Libre? Looks like it could be costly, as I assume they will not cover this on the NHS.

Each sensor lasts 2 weeks and even people with Type 1 struggle to get them even though the guidelines say they should so not likely in the foreseeable would you get it funded.

 

[childofthesea43]

Good morning,

Sorry if there are multiple posts similar to this, but I guess this is personal to me and I am wondering if someone can explain something to me. I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes a year ago (HBA1C was 53) and I managed to get it back to pre-diabetic (HBA1C dropped to 47 or 48, I can't quite remember). However, I had another blood test the other day and my HBA1C has jumped up to 79. I am not overly surprised because I feel I got a little complacent and went straight back to my pre-diabetes diet. I am now testing my blood sugars daily with a Nexus machine and they have been as follows:14.1, 9.8, 10.4, 8.0,11.1, 10.6 and today 11.1. I have not consumed any 'white' carbs at all in the last 6 days and have not had much in the way of alcohol, so these readings are confusing me. My diabetic nurses are helpful, but no-one has explained to me why my readings are high considering I have significantly changed my diet since last seeing one of them last Tuesday. Can someone please explain to me a) why my readings are so high and b) what do I need to do to bring them down if diet is not changing things? Am I being a little premature and impatient? I am not presently on any medications and would prefer to try and reduce my HBA1C with diet if at all possible. I am testing first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything.

Thank you for reading my ramblings and if anyone would prefer to PM me to give me a little guidance, I would very much appreciate it.

Reducing insulin resistance and reinvigorating pancreatic functioning are not six-day jobs whatever you’re doing with eating adjustments. Give it three months and then take stock of progress.

 

[rebrascora]

How often do you need to change the sensors on the Freestyle Libre? Looks like it could be costly, as I assume they will not cover this on the NHS.

That is why I suggested you get the free trial. It will give you 2 weeks of useful data that you would not ordinarily have. But yes, it is expensive to self fund. Many of us did before we got it prescribed and many still are and all of us would say it is worth every penny for the info it provides, but unless you are an insulin user you would not be prescribed it and even if you are using insulin, many people still struggle to get it through the NHs, particularly Type 2 diabetics.

 

[Catbanj]

That is why I suggested you get the free trial. It will give you 2 weeks of useful data that you would not ordinarily have. But yes, it is expensive to self fund. Many of us did before we got it prescribed and many still are and all of us would say it is worth every penny for the info it provides, but unless you are an insulin user you would not be prescribed it and even if you are using insulin, many people still struggle to get it through the NHs, particularly Type 2 diabetics.

Like you, I am recently diagnosed T2 . I was soooooo lost a few months ago.

I've gone the glucose testing by fingerpricking route, along with a diabetes app to track sugar levels and Nutricheck app, to stick to 130g carb or less a day. (I know other people aim for a lot less but I wasn't ready to make such a drastic change .... slow and steady wins the race etc).

I got a Libre2 free trial from the website. It was really useful to see the patten of my sugar levels through the day. It fills in the bits between fingerpricking and I learnt a lot about how my body reacts to food eg. I have completely stopped grazing now.

I can't afford the cost of Libre but am really pleased I did the trial. Like fingerpricking, it is worth doing if you will change/improve something as a result or even just understand a bit more.

I am glad I left it for a while and got my head around the basics of being T2 before doing the trial - I feel I got more out of it than I would have done when newly diagnosed and completely overwhelmed ... but that's just me.

 

[Proud to be erratic]

The other bonus with Libre is that when you self fund, you can purchase as much or as little as you choose. Other CGM systems seem to lock you into a 90day transmitter with 10 day sensors, so once you start the first 10 day sensor, the expensive transmitter is then activated and potentially wasting away after the 11th day.

With Libre you purchase a 14 day combined sensor and transmitter, each purchase. So it can make great sense to have the 14 day free trial, and learn from those 14 days whatever you can. Then have nothing for a while (10, 20, 30 days perhaps and follow up with a purchased 14 day sensor over dates that might particularly suit some wider purpose for you. Again, learn what you can and wait another period (or just pause permanently!).

Libre gives you flexible permutations, unlike the other equivalent systems, that reveal how your body is managing the food that you eat. I'm insulin dependent and get my CGM from prescriptions. But if I had to self-fund I certainly would try alternating 2 weeks with and 2 weeks without.

 

[Catbanj]

The other bonus with Libre is that when you self fund, you can purchase as much or as little as you choose. Other CGM systems seem to lock you into a 90day transmitter with 10 day sensors, so once you start the first 10 day sensor, the expensive transmitter is then activated and potentially wasting away after the 11th day.

With Libre you purchase a 14 day combined sensor and transmitter, each purchase. So it can make great sense to have the 14 day free trial, and learn from those 14 days whatever you can. Then have nothing for a while (10, 20, 30 days perhaps and follow up with a purchased 14 day sensor over dates that might particularly suit some wider purpose for you. Again, learn what you can and wait another period (or just pause permanently!).

Libre gives you flexible permutations, unlike the other equivalent systems, that reveal how your body is managing the food that you eat. I'm insulin dependent and get my CGM from prescriptions. But if I had to self-fund I certainly would try alternating 2 weeks with and 2 weeks without.

That was my thinking .... I'll buy a sensor and do it again in a a couple of months to see if there are any changes.

Its another tool to help understand how our body reacts as not everyone is the same.

 

[LadyRara]

Thank you all for your input. I tested this morning, while still in bed, and my reading was 8.8 which is the best first thing in the morning to date. I have another question, that may or may not be a stupid one, and that is can you have a cheat day? When I take my elderly mother out for lunch, I find that there is very little on the menu which is carb-free, so I invariably end up having a salad, but I think long-term this would become a little tedious. I absolutely understand that it may be a slippery slope to going back to carbs and this is something that I will have to monitor very carefully.

 

[Leadinglights]

Thank you all for your input. I tested this morning, while still in bed, and my reading was 8.8 which is the best first thing in the morning to date. I have another question, that may or may not be a stupid one, and that is can you have a cheat day? When I take my elderly mother out for lunch, I find that there is very little on the menu which is carb-free, so I invariably end up having a salad, but I think long-term this would become a little tedious. I absolutely understand that it may be a slippery slope to going back to carbs and this is something that I will have to monitor very carefully.

You are right, the first thing that hits you on a menu is everything is with chips, pasta or rice.
But depending on where you go most places with swap the chips for salad or coleslaw with any of the dishes like steak, chicken or salmon.
Omelettes or gammon and ask for extra veg rather than chips or just leave some of the chips.
If you have a burger then only eat half the bun.
If you know where you are going then look at their web site and you can see what might be suitable.

 

[bulkbiker]

with 2 slices of LivLife bread with Flora ProActiv cholesterol lowering buttery spread

4 eggs would have been better without the bread or flora with some nice butter or cream in them.
In my opinion of course...

 

[bulkbiker]

I find that there is very little on the menu which is carb-free, so I invariably end up having a salad, but I think long-term this would become a little tedious.

I think it depends on your mindset.. I wanted to do everything I could to avoid blindness and foot amputation (and still do) so I have removed food as "entertainment" and look upon it as fuel.
I eat mainly meat which is almost zero carb and never gets tedious..

 

[LadyRara]

4 eggs would have been better without the bread or flora with some nice butter or cream in them.
In my opinion of course...

I did ask the DN about the cholesterol lowering spread and she said that should be fine. The LivLife bread is very low carb wise, so hopefully not too damaging. My BS were 7.2 after lunch. Such a minefield. I also find too many eggs tends to lead to being blocked up (polite way of putting it). Thanks all the same for your feedback 🙂

 

[LadyRara]

I think it depends on your mindset.. I wanted to do everything I could to avoid blindness and foot amputation (and still do) so I have removed food as "entertainment" and look upon it as fuel.
I eat mainly meat which is almost zero carb and never gets tedious..

Noted. I'm just thinking of how to manage the whole thing realistically but, as you say, not going blind or having limbs amputated is quite a good motivator 🙂

 

[Admiral Benbow]

The best advice anyone gave me on this forum was to get your BMI at or around 22 and Diabetes cannot really exist. That seems to have got my numbers down to a very good level.

My A1C test was 4.8% two weeks ago, and my FG went from 130mg/DL at the end of January to 93mgDL, and Trigs 210 at the end of January to 73, and a BMI of 25.1 to 19.9. Through research, I found out that the most effective way to get to that BMI level was significant carbohydrate restriction, intermittent water fasting of 48 hours every week (because after 24 hours the body goes into Ketosis -fat burning as glycogen stores are depleted), and exercise (I went running every Saturday and did 20 sprints on a track).

Here would be a typical daily diet:

Breakfast around 7:50 am -1 Apple
-Unlimited Water

Lunch around 12 am -2 eggs
-a handful of mixed nuts such as almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds and walnuts, and raisins (ideally in the future sometime no raisins or dried fruit because of the concentrated sugar)
-Unlimited water

Dinner around 7 pm - Roast Beef (or Chicken breast)
-Leafy Green salad, green beans, or broccoli
-purple rice (rice is questionable)
-a small steamed sweet potato (questionable, but lots of nutrition)
-half an egg
-Tofu
-Unlimited Water

Dessert around 8 pm -A bowel of blueberries or mulberries
-another handful of nuts
-Unlimited Water

That's what worked for me, hopefully, you'll find something that works for you. I also binged watched the following people on YouTube:

-Dr. Eric Berg
-Dr. Sten Eckberg
-Dr. Ken Berry
-Dr. Boz
-Beat Diabetes guy -Dennis Pollock
-Dr. Suneel Dhand
-Dr. Gundry
-Mastering Diabetes
-Dr. Mark Hyman
-BloodSugarKing
-Type 1 Talks
-Health Coach Kait (ok just started watching this one)
-Glucosegoddess (ok just started watching this one)

You'll see some common things and themes among them by watching all those channels. Good luck.

 

[Admiral Benbow]

I think it depends on your mindset.. I wanted to do everything I could to avoid blindness and foot amputation (and still do) so I have removed food as "entertainment" and look upon it as fuel.
I eat mainly meat which is almost zero carb and never gets tedious..

Yeah, the beat diabetes guy often just eats a rotisserie chicken for dinner and nothing else because there is nothing that says you cannot just eat meat for dinner.

 

[Leadinglights]

The best advice anyone gave me on this forum was to get your BMI at or around 22 and Diabetes cannot really exist. That seems to have got my numbers down to a very good level.

My A1C test was 4.8% two weeks ago, and my FG went from 130mg/DL at the end of January to 93mgDL, and Trigs 210 at the end of January to 73, and a BMI of 25.1 to 19.9. Through research, I found out that the most effective way to get to that BMI level was significant carbohydrate restriction, intermittent water fasting of 48 hours every week (because after 24 hours the body goes into Ketosis -fat burning as glycogen stores are depleted), and exercise (I went running every Saturday and did 20 sprints on a track).

Here would be a typical daily diet:

Breakfast around 7:50 am -1 Apple
-Unlimited Water

Lunch around 12 am -2 eggs
-a handful of mixed nuts such as almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds and walnuts, and raisins (ideally in the future sometime no raisins or dried fruit because of the concentrated sugar)
-Unlimited water

Dinner around 7 pm - Roast Beef (or Chicken breast)
-Leafy Green salad, green beans, or broccoli
-purple rice (rice is questionable)
-a small steamed sweet potato (questionable, but lots of nutrition)
-half an egg
-Tofu
-Unlimited Water

Dessert around 8 pm -A bowel of blueberries or mulberries
-another handful of nuts
-Unlimited Water

That's what worked for me, hopefully, you'll find something that works for you. I also binged watched the following people on YouTube:

-Dr. Eric Berg
-Dr. Sten Eckberg
-Dr. Ken Berry
-Dr. Boz
-Beat Diabetes guy -Dennis Pollock
-Dr. Suneel Dhand
-Dr. Gundry
-Mastering Diabetes
-Dr. Mark Hyman
-BloodSugarKing
-Type 1 Talks
-Health Coach Kait (ok just started watching this one)
-Glucosegoddess (ok just started watching this one)

You'll see some common things and themes among them by watching all those channels. Good luck.

Never seen mulberries on sale in the UK, only ever seen them as a mush on the pavement.