Newbie - story so far!

[Nielh123]

Newbie here, really pleased I stumbled across this forum whilst trying to research T2 and thought I’d give a bit of background to my situation.

After being pre-diabetic for a few years I was diagnosed in 2019 aged 52. I was told I was only just “in range” and should be OK without medication, that there was no need to worry, just try to lose a bit of weight and get a bit more active and you’ll be fine.

At 25 stones I already knew I could do with losing a couple of pounds (!) so I joined a well-known slimming club and started walking more but thought little else of it as, with a HbA1C of 48, I’d only just “slipped over the threshold” the diabetes nurse had reassured me.

Fast forward a few months and that had gone up to 54, then by the start of 2020, it was 98. Why the dramatic increase after all this time I’ve no idea. I resisted the advice from my GP to start Empagliflozin, saying I wanted to step up my health and lifestyle changes first and give that a go. Started walking more each day – happy dog - and continued losing weight. By last summer my HbA1C was down to 67 and my weight down by 4 stones. GP agreed to give me another few months to continue my efforts but with lockdown and the temporary end of the slimming group, I was less active, demotivated, and the weight loss stopped. Levels went up to 77 then by March this year 88.

During the summer, I suddenly started experiencing problems with my usually superb distance vision. Really blurry, when walking the dog in the woods the trees seemed to merge into one. It would be worse some days, improve, then get worse again. Panicked, I went to the Optician, who said it was likely down to my blood sugar and felt it would get better when the T2 was under control.

Again, I resisted medication. Call it denial, but I was sure I could deal with it with exercise. I’ve spent the last five months doing 2-3 hours of brisk walking every day, joined a gym, lost another stone and feel lots fitter. I had a blood test two days ago and will get the results tomorrow. Unless I see a really dramatic improvement I’ll bow to the inevitable and start the meds.

Well if you’ve made it this far I hope I haven’t bored you too much!

Nielh123

 

[Drummer]

Not at all bored - but I wonder if you were told the way to reduce blood glucose was to reduce the amount of carbs you were eating - that is usually the key to sorting out type two and sending it packing.
All the weightloss and exercise possible is not going to have much effect if you are still taking in the very thing you can't cope with.

 

[Nielh123]

Not at all bored - but I wonder if you were told the way to reduce blood glucose was to reduce the amount of carbs you were eating - that is usually the key to sorting out type two and sending it packing.
All the weightloss and exercise possible is not going to have much effect if you are still taking in the very thing you can't cope with.

Thanks for the reply.

No, I've been given no advice at all regarding diet; it was actually that I was researching when I stumbled on this forum! I see there seems to be a lot of info on that here so I need to have a good read!

 

[Drummer]

Thanks for the reply.

No, I've been given no advice at all regarding diet; it was actually that I was researching when I stumbled on this forum! I see there seems to be a lot of info on that here so I need to have a good read!

I thought that might be the case - so many people seem to think that type two is all down to the naughty patients getting fat and lazy - an inability to deal with carbohydrate is just laughable, up until it turns out to be so very effective in resolving the problem.

 

[Nielh123]

I thought that might be the case - so many people seem to think that type two is all down to the naughty patients getting fat and lazy - an inability to deal with carbohydrate is just laughable, up until it turns out to be so very effective in resolving the problem.

I'm still new to all this, but I don't get why an inability to deal with carbs would suddenly manifest itself in my 50's .. I don't understand why this has all come on so fast and so dramatically :-(

 

[Drummer]

I'm still new to all this, but I don't get why an inability to deal with carbs would suddenly manifest itself in my 50's .. I don't understand why this has all come on so fast and so dramatically :-(

It is just how things progress as we are encouraged to eat those healthy carbs day by day, year by year until things start to collapse under the strain.

 

[ianf0ster]

It took me just over a decade of 5 a Day and Low Fat whole grain eating as advised by my GP , the NHS and almost every medical authority to increase my weight by 14lbs clog my arteries and need a 3x cardio artery bypass. But I was stubborn so I doubled down and in just 3 more years gained another 9 lbs and Type 2 diabetes!
Again I was told to eat less fat and to move more, but also to eat a little less junk food.
Now I realised that the advice didn't work at least not for me. I was already eating something like 5 portions of fruit and another 5 portions of veg per day cutting all fat off meat, avoiding fatty fish, eggs, cheese choosing low fat versions of everything and eating virtually no junk food whatsoever!

I read about British GP Dr David Unwin who had (at that time) a 40% remission rate in his patients (saving over £50,000 per year on medication) he was telling them to eat Low Carbohydrate and to fill up with more Protein and more fat.
I was already aware of the use of the 'Atkins Diet' for weight loss and decided to try it.

There are some people (even in this forum) who say that low carb doesn't work, that it is unsustainable, unhealthy etc.
Dr Unwin's latest figures are a remission rate (>2yrs) of 50% on Low Carb. His patients also experienced sustained weight loss (where needed), better Blood Pressure, less water retention, better kidney function and less depression and better lipid panel figures (cholesterol and triglycerides).

My HbA1C figure are non-diabetic and have been for over 1yr and I have lost all that extra weight I mentioned earlier - back to the BMI of 22 I was in my late 20's. My HDL is almost twice as high and my Triglycerides almost half as high- so my lipid ratios are improved. All this just a few months with no medication, no dieting, no calorie counting, no hunger, no additional exercise. Which is why I always suggest that Type 2's try Low Carb first - before Slimming Groups, medication, before bariatric surgery etc.

 

[ColinUK]

Welcome. And let’s see what the HbA1C is tomorrow.
I’d also suggest asking what the numbers are for cholesterol as the surgery as likely to have done that at the same time.
And don’t panic whatever the numbers are.

 

[helli]

Welcome to the forum @Nielh123

One thing you will quickly learn when reading around the forum is that we are all different. We have different intolerances (some people can eat porridge with no impact to their blood sugars whereas others can't eat any grains), we are different ages, have different lifestyles, have different abilities, have different mobility levels and find different things work for us to manage our diabetes.

There is no one correct way to manage diabetes. Medication is great if it works for you and not something to be ashamed of, diet (typically reducing carbs) works great for some but is really hard to maintain for others, exercise is really helpful for some but challenging for others, ...

It is often said that managing diabetes is a marathon not a sprint so take your time to work out what works for you and your life (yes, don't forget the reason you want to manage your diabetes is so you can have a life ... not the other way around).

There are some wonderful helpful people on this forum who can answer your questions, share their experience, listen to your frustrations and, sometimes, just have a laugh.

 

[Felinia]

Hi and welcome
You don't say which slimming group you joined, but if it was Slimming World, they do push carbs to fill you up. WW are a bit better as they do also advocate portion control. I tried both but now I use an app - NutraCheck which shows not only calories but carbs, and I use substitutes for the main carb heavy foods - bread, potato, rice and pasta. You can get low carb breads like Burgen, and Hovis also do them. Cauliflower is my best friend instead of mash or rice, and courgetti / boodles instead of spaghetti. You can get squash sheets instead of lasagne, and there are also zero/low carb alternatives. Some people like them - I personally don't, but it's a matter of taste.
I keep digital scales and a clear bowl on the kitchen countertop and it's a matter of seconds to weigh out a portion. It soon becomes 2nd nature. I also cook from scratch, portion up and freeze. When I was working, that was my job on a Sunday. You may find the part of the Forum for food/recipes helpful, and the thread "What did you eat yesterday" from Type 2 replies. Best wishes

 

[Leadinglights]

As I suspected from your first post you had not really made any dietary changes which are crucial to bringing down blood glucose, exercise alone will not hack it just as medication alone would not.
You doctor was very remiss in not making it clear than changes to diet would be necessary.
Many people are shocked that they are diagnosed with diabetes as they feel they eat a 'healthy' diet. Sadly what may be so for a non diabetic is not so when your body is unable to cope with the amount of carbohydrates you eat.
You have been given lots of information in the posts above so just read through and also the Learning Zone will give
you a lot of information so look at that in your own time and hopefully it will give you a better understanding.
Starting a food diary of what you currently eat and drink is really useful to see where you can make savings in the high carbohydrate foods.
Lets hope you HbA1C is not too bad.

 

[Nielh123]

My HbA1C figure are non-diabetic and have been for over 1yr and I have lost all that extra weight I mentioned earlier - back to the BMI of 22 I was in my late 20's. My HDL is almost twice as high and my Triglycerides almost half as high- so my lipid ratios are improved. All this just a few months with no medication, no dieting, no calorie counting, no hunger, no additional exercise. Which is why I always suggest that Type 2's try Low Carb first - before Slimming Groups, medication, before bariatric surgery etc.

That's amazing and very encouraging, thank you for the post. I'll discuss it with my GP on Monday when we discuss my latest results!

 

[Nielh123]

Welcome to the forum @Nielh123

One thing you will quickly learn when reading around the forum is that we are all different. We have different intolerances (some people can eat porridge with no impact to their blood sugars whereas others can't eat any grains), we are different ages, have different lifestyles, have different abilities, have different mobility levels and find different things work for us to manage our diabetes.

There is no one correct way to manage diabetes. Medication is great if it works for you and not something to be ashamed of, diet (typically reducing carbs) works great for some but is really hard to maintain for others, exercise is really helpful for some but challenging for others, ...

It is often said that managing diabetes is a marathon not a sprint so take your time to work out what works for you and your life (yes, don't forget the reason you want to manage your diabetes is so you can have a life ... not the other way around).

There are some wonderful helpful people on this forum who can answer your questions, share their experience, listen to your frustrations and, sometimes, just have a laugh.

Thanks! Yes, I feel I'm in for a real learning curve. Although I was diagnosed two years ago, I've not paid enough attention to it after being told "not to worry" and that there was nothing I needed to do dietary wise (other than try to lose weight) when I specifically asked the nurse whether I needed to change what I ate. I was basically left with the impression there was nothing I could do other than lose weight, get more active and take pills if that didn't work. I'm now seeing there is plenty of potential for being more pro-active in other ways too. Which is encouraging as I'm currently doing 3 hours walking a day and have lost 5 stone, but without impacting on my HbA1C levels!

 

[Nielh123]

Hi and welcome
You don't say which slimming group you joined, but if it was Slimming World, they do push carbs to fill you up. WW are a bit better as they do also advocate portion control. I tried both but now I use an app - NutraCheck which shows not only calories but carbs, and I use substitutes for the main carb heavy foods - bread, potato, rice and pasta. You can get low carb breads like Burgen, and Hovis also do them. Cauliflower is my best friend instead of mash or rice, and courgetti / boodles instead of spaghetti. You can get squash sheets instead of lasagne, and there are also zero/low carb alternatives. Some people like them - I personally don't, but it's a matter of taste.
I keep digital scales and a clear bowl on the kitchen countertop and it's a matter of seconds to weigh out a portion. It soon becomes 2nd nature. I also cook from scratch, portion up and freeze. When I was working, that was my job on a Sunday. You may find the part of the Forum for food/recipes helpful, and the thread "What did you eat yesterday" from Type 2 replies. Best wishes

It's SW, wasn't sure if I was allowed to name them! I've lost 5 stone with them so would be reluctant to leave but I might have a word with my SW consultant about how best to adapt their advice. I'll definitely look at the recipes, thanks! One thing in my favour regarding weight loss is that I'm such a bad cook, the more meals I cook from scratch the less I'm likely to eat coz they'll be awful 🙂

 

[Nielh123]

Welcome. And let’s see what the HbA1C is tomorrow.
I’d also suggest asking what the numbers are for cholesterol as the surgery as likely to have done that at the same time.
And don’t panic whatever the numbers are.

That's a whole other discussion for my GP! He wants me on statins for cholesterol, again I asked him to wait while I did a few months of walking miles a day and losing weight. Sadly there's not much improvement but I don't know if they are bad enough for me to take the medication he suggests:

TOTAL: 4.5 (down from 4.7 a few months ago)
HDL: 1.2 ( from1.3)
LDL: 2.9 (from 2.7)
TRI: 0.9 (from 1.4)

HBA1C 78 (from 86) - I'm trying to follow your advice not to panic!

 

[Nielh123]

As I suspected from your first post you had not really made any dietary changes which are crucial to bringing down blood glucose, exercise alone will not hack it just as medication alone would not.
You doctor was very remiss in not making it clear than changes to diet would be necessary.

I was specifically told when first diagnosed that I did not to change anything regarding my diet. Admittedly I was only just over the threshold but it's never been mentioned since. I know diabetics who watch what they eat but they are on insulin so I assumed that was why. I'm dedicating this weekend to reading and research!

 

[Nielh123]

So my results were disappointing. HBA1C has only dropped from 86 to 78 despite weight loss and exercise. So meds it is, and a lot of research into the dietary changes that are clearly needed. Thanks for your your replies everyone!

 

[Leadinglights]

You are under a misapprehension in thinking that it is only Type 1 diabetics who have to watch what they eat, with Type 1 they can eat a more or less normal diet because they can match what they eat with the insulin doses. However Type 2 it is fundamental to watch what you eat, and reduce all carbohydrates as they are converted to glucose which the body cannot cope with. Medications and exercise help but not without dietary changes.
So I'm afraid you have been badly advised and let down by your surgery.
With an HbA1C of 78mmol/mol you are well into the diabetic zone as the diagnosis level is 48mmol/mol. So you really do need to get a grip on making those dietary changes.

 

[Drummer]

I was specifically told when first diagnosed that I did not to change anything regarding my diet. Admittedly I was only just over the threshold but it's never been mentioned since. I know diabetics who watch what they eat but they are on insulin so I assumed that was why. I'm dedicating this weekend to reading and research!

It reads as though you need to carefully note down all you were told, and do the opposite. All possible weight loss and exercise you can manage will not help if it is not associated with lowering your blood glucose levels - and for a type two that is normally achieved by not eating the carbohydrate in the first place.
I was at a Hba1c of 91 at diagnosis and back to the top end of normal in 6 months, and I had lost weight and lowered my cholesterol too just for good measure. My GP hasn't spoken to me since.

 

[ianf0ster]

That's a whole other discussion for my GP! He wants me on statins for cholesterol, again I asked him to wait while I did a few months of walking miles a day and losing weight. Sadly there's not much improvement but I don't know if they are bad enough for me to take the medication he suggests:

TOTAL: 4.5 (down from 4.7 a few months ago)
HDL: 1.2 ( from1.3)
LDL: 2.9 (from 2.7)
TRI: 0.9 (from 1.4)

HBA1C 78 (from 86) - I'm trying to follow your advice not to panic!

It was advice from my GP that got me the 3x bypass and the T2D in the first place.
Carbohydrates are what farmers feed livestock in order to fatten them up. Why would anybody think ti would do the opposite in humans and actually slim them?

The sad truth is that if a medical condition is caused by what we eat, then the best solution (moderators won't let me say what I really think) is also a change to what we eat - doesn't that make sense?
It's just short-sighted to say eat fattening (carbohydrates) and move more. Carbohydrates make you more hungry, as does moving more - so you're just going to eat more of carbohydrates - the food proven to make things worse!