Newbie with a few questions

[Poppie]

Hi all

I have introduced myself in the Newbie section but would like to ask a few questions here.

I have not been diagnosed as anything yet regarding Type 2 etc but I have been random testing myself in this last week or 2 as Type 2 runs in my family. I have had a couple of high readings one of 7.3 before breakfast and a week later another one of 11.3 after breakfast which was 2 slices of Rye bread with butter.
Clearly things are not right and I am not due to see GP with annual tests until November. My last test for fasting BG with the GP was last April 12 and it was 6.0 and I have not tested again until now.

I would like to see if I can get these levels down before going in November if possible.

I have an underactive Thyroid and I was wondering if this, or the meds for it, can have any impact on BG levels? Is there anyone on here who is also underactive and have you found it has an impact at all?

How often do you think I should be testing now - I will have to order more strips/lancets etc to accommodate this? What is the most important reading of the day - would that be the fasting one in the morning?

I have managed to lose a few pounds over the last couple of weeks as I am overweight and also trying to incorporate some exercise.

When you are looking at carbs on packets of things do you go by the 100g level or the actual portion size you will be having? What figure would be classed as high carb? Is the sugar part of the Carb reading of any significance?

After reading a lot on this very helpful site for a couple of weeks I am intrigued as to why DUK do not recognise about the low carb regime in helping keep BG levels down - does anyone know why they choose to not give that advice?

Well I hope I have not bombarded you and no doubt there will be many more questions but would appreciate any advice etc.

Is there anywhere on here where you can tick a box to receive an e-mail when a post has been answered or do you have to keep checking the site?

 

[LeeLee]

Hello Poppie, welcome. I hope this weekend's forum database problems don't put you off - not a frequent occurrence!

I wouldn't delay going to the doctor until November - you really need to know what's going on now. Improvements to your diet, plus increased exercise, will be beneficial to you whatever the diagnosis turns out to be.

How much weight do you need to lose? Do have a look round the Weight Loss boards for inspiration and support. For me, weight was the major factor in controlling my diabetes. By concentrating mainly on that (with a low dose of metformin), I've lost 6 stone and reduced my BG to non-diabetic levels.

 

[Poppie]

Hello Poppie, welcome. I hope this weekend's forum database problems don't put you off - not a frequent occurrence!

I wouldn't delay going to the doctor until November - you really need to know what's going on now. Improvements to your diet, plus increased exercise, will be beneficial to you whatever the diagnosis turns out to be.

How much weight do you need to lose? Do have a look round the Weight Loss boards for inspiration and support. For me, weight was the major factor in controlling my diabetes. By concentrating mainly on that (with a low dose of metformin), I've lost 6 stone and reduced my BG to non-diabetic levels.

Hi LeeLee

Many thanks for the advice - I do need to lose a good 3 stone . So hard work ahead for me.

I am impressed by your weight loss - you must have worked very hard to achieve that.

I am hoping there are others on here who may have a dodgy thyroid too and can advise how it has affected them etc.

I am going to have a look at the board to do with weight loss when the site is working better as I have had a difficult time in just typing this reply to you - so hoping that it will go through ok.

Poppie

 

[Copepod]

I'll just answer your question about what figure to use from nutrition information on food packs - really it's more about comparing what is the best option of the things you are choosing between eg a small biscuit with a relatively high carbohydrate / calorie content may be a better choice than several slices of crispbread, for example. You need to be careful about portion size - sometimes a portion is 1 biscuit, other times 2 or 3, and can be particularly confusing if eg you buy a multi-pack of smaller packets each of which contains 2 or 3 biscuits - it's easy to think a portion is a pack of 2 or 3, when actually it's for a single biscuit.

Weight loss section of this forum is great for ideas and support about food and exercise. The key is to find activity that suits you, that you enjoy etc. Walking and cycling instead of driving or using bus / train etc can be good for all reasons, including more calories expended, less money spent, more trees and flowers seen etc. Or gardening or DIY etc. Doesn't have to be gym / swimming / football / running etc - unless that's what you enjoy.

Hope the forum gremlins have departed now...

 

[DeusXM]

I have an underactive Thyroid and I was wondering if this, or the meds for it, can have any impact on BG levels? Is there anyone on here who is also underactive and have you found it has an impact at all?

An underactive thyroid will slow down your metabolism which will make it challenging to lose weight and may have an impact on insulin sensitivity. There is also a correlation between hypothyroidism and Type 1 diabetes but I don't know if that's relevant here.

When you are looking at carbs on packets of things do you go by the 100g level or the actual portion size you will be having? What figure would be classed as high carb? Is the sugar part of the Carb reading of any significance?

The carbs per what you eat. Carbs that stay in the packet won't affect your blood sugar level! What is classed as high or low carb really varies according to the individual and if you are looking at carb control, go with what works for you, not what someone says it should be. As for the sugar part, this can give you a vague clue as to how quickly the food will raise your blood glucose but it's largely irrelevant. All carbs are sugar, at the end of it.

After reading a lot on this very helpful site for a couple of weeks I am intrigued as to why DUK do not recognise about the low carb regime in helping keep BG levels down - does anyone know why they choose to not give that advice?

I can only speculate but there's a variety of possible reasons.

Firstly, low blood sugar is a lot more problematic in the short term than high blood sugar. If DUK recommended low-carb and then someone died from a hypo, it'd get traced back pretty quick. High blood sugar takes a while to cause problems so there isn't quite such a simple paper trail to follow back to dietary advice.

Secondly, DUK has been banging the 'stuff yourself full of carbs' drum for decades, largely because until about 1990, you would have to do that with the insulins available. A u-turn on their position throws them wide open to everyone dxed prior to now with complications suing them for bad advice.

Thirdly, there are a lot of vested interests in maintaining the 'fat is bad, carbs are good' general diet advice. We all 'know' that fat is bad and the most fun you can have with a dietician is going through the biomechanics of what insulin does to carbs and then asking why it's the fat we're supposed to cut down on. The doublethink is amazing.

Finally, two of the largest doners to DUK are Kelloggs and Pfizer, one of whom has a business model dependent on people eating a lot of carbs, the other has a business model dependent on fixing the consequences of high carb intake. He who pays the piper calls the tune....

 

[MargB]

I have an underactive thyroid and have been taking medication for around 16 years now. Was diagnosed with T2 diabetes 3 years ago so although I can see hypothyroidism and T2 seem to go together I cannot say my T2 was brought on by the thyroid situation. My weight did creep up over a few years before diagnosis and I believe pre-diabetes can cause weight gain or at least slows down the metabolism so weight creeps on. There is no proof though and I do not have any medical training whatsoever.

Since diagnosis of T2 I have lost over 3.5 stone. 12 months ago I retired and since then my blood pressure has come down significantly. My HbA1c figures have been so good over the last 2 years that I have been able to come off Metformin and I think as long as I keep my weight under control I should be OK.

Losing weight is hard. Very hard. My T2 diagnosis scared me so joining Slimming World around the same time helped me lose the weight and keep it off. Different things work for different people. I find keeping the weight off is almost, if not more, difficult than losing it in the first place.

 

[Caroline]

Can't add to good advice already given except to say don't delay seeing your doctor with your concerns

 

[Poppie]

Sorry I have not been on to thank you all for your replies but have not been able to get on to this site at all over the last few days due to gremlins or something.

Thanks Marge for answering my thyroid query - I have heard so many people say, who have been overweight, that it has been losing the weight that has made the difference.

I am booked into see the GP so we will see where I go from there.

Still trying to get my head around things - I guess it will take a while though.

Many thanks again

Poppie