Newbie - Type 2

[Ian.H]

Hi all, literally fresh from the docs having been confirmed as type 2. I’m sure I’m no different to all you guys, but to be honest, I’m still reeling from the diagnosis. I’m 52 and about as fit as I’ve ever been. I walk, cycle & sail race regularly I’m pretty much on target weight. I’ve been vegetarian for around 4 years. (I did love the odd cheeky doughnut though). When the doctor called me in and told me, the perception of overweight, sedentary, sugar eaters immediately sprung to mind and I thought, but that’s not me!

Obviously I’m now looking to explore as much as poss, to learn as much as I can quickly so this doesn’t stop me leading my life as normally as I can and continue to do the sports i enjoy. (Particularly interested in this bit!)

anyway, that’s me - hi….

 

[Docb]

Hi @Ian.H. Your are not the only one who gets a T2 diagnosis and does not fit the stereotype image portrayed by some parts of the popular media.

First and obvious question is what was your HbA1c result? Did your GP give you the number? If not call your surgery and ask for it because that will tell you where you are on the diabetic scale and will colour the way you might proceed.

Whatever you do, don't stop the sports is my first thought.

 

[Ian.H]

Hi @Docb - thanks for the response. You're right - after i questioned it, my GP said he'd got far thinner patients than me - so clearly the stereotypical instant reaction! The GP showed me the results - it was 57 which was intimated to be pretty high (TBH - I'd started to glaze over a bit at this point).

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi @Ian.H and welcome to the forum.
Astually57 isn't high so far as T2 diabetes is concerned, some only get diagnosed when over 100 !
However it is high enough to do some damage to your body over the years, so bet deal with it now.

T2 Diabetics have an intolerance of carbohydrates in the quantities and forms (highly processed) that are in the typical modern diet. All Carbs turn into glucose when digested, so all the brown/whole grain varieties do is to very slightly delay the inevitable Blood glucose spike maybe spreading it out a little.

Best foods to eat are fish, meat, eggs, cheese, nut, above ground veg. Cut down on bread, pastry, tropical fruit, fruit juice, grains, potato.

A healthy breakfast for a Type 2 would be eggs, or bacon and eggs rather than porridge or breakfast cereal - so not what most people expect. The Blood Glucose meter is an impartial guide to the foods your body handles well and to those it can't handle well which is just as well because we are all different in the detail of how we handle carbs, so some can eat an apple or a small portion of porridge where others can't -or at least shouldn't !

 

[Martin.A]

Hi @Docb - thanks for the response. You're right - after i questioned it, my GP said he'd got far thinner patients than me - so clearly the stereotypical instant reaction! The GP showed me the results - it was 57 which was intimated to be pretty high (TBH - I'd started to glaze over a bit at this point).

As @ianf0ster has said, 57 actually isn't that high and I would be surprised if you aren't first given the opportunity to turn things around without medication, principally through changes to diet along the lines suggested as exercise and weight loss don't appear to be relevant in your case. My HbA1c was in three figures at diagnosis but by going low carb I was able to come off medication after a few weeks and my HbA1c was back into normal range after 5 months, where it has thankfully stayed, and others have done the same from a similar starting position. I would also back the case for self-testing as it proved invaluable in managing my diet and tracking my progress.

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi @Docb - thanks for the response. You're right - after i questioned it, my GP said he'd got far thinner patients than me - so clearly the stereotypical instant reaction! The GP showed me the results - it was 57 which was intimated to be pretty high (TBH - I'd started to glaze over a bit at this point).

With some changes to your diet there is no reason why you should not be able to reduce your HbA1C. Many find that a low carb approach successful in achieving that however as you do not really need to lose weight then it is important to make sure you replace the carbs with enough protein and healthy fats otherwise that is likely. Have a look at this link as there are some good principals that you could adopt for making the changes. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Ian.H

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, and feeling rather shocked and overwhelmed is perfectly natural.

Diabetes is a serious condition, but it is also one which can usually be managed well with a few tweaks and changes to your menu - and don’t worry there‘s no need to restart eating meat if you don’t want to. It’s perfectly possible to have a varied, interesting, and enjoyable diabetes-friendly vegetarian diet 🙂

If you decide to experiment with lowering your carbohydrate intake a little you might find some of the suggestions about lower carb veggies on this thread interesting. Things like cauliflower ‘rice‘ and swapping all or some potato for swede/celeriac can be a very effective way to reduce the ‘carb load’ of some meals. 🙂

The A to Z of Vegetables (from DSF)

Kindly shared from the former DSF (diabetes support forum) with permission from @Pattidevans

forum.diabetes.org.uk

 

[Carlos]

Hi Ian. Welcome to the forum from a type 1 cyclist. This is a vee helpful and friendly place, and I am sure you'll find it useful to hang around.

BTW, are you by any chance in cyclechat with a similar name?