-
Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
Newbie
- Thread starter KEB27
- Start date
- Status
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Welcome to the forum, you will get lots of ideas and help here.
A good start is to read around some of the posts and also have a look at the Learning Zone as it may fill in some gaps in your knowledge.
Even in 6 years ideas have changed about what is successful in reducing blood glucose and keeping it well managed so this link may also help. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
If you would like to post some information, what your HbA1C is and are you on any medication then people will be more able to make appropriate comments.
Is there anything you would like to ask at the moment that would help you.
A good start is to read around some of the posts and also have a look at the Learning Zone as it may fill in some gaps in your knowledge.
Even in 6 years ideas have changed about what is successful in reducing blood glucose and keeping it well managed so this link may also help. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
If you would like to post some information, what your HbA1C is and are you on any medication then people will be more able to make appropriate comments.
Is there anything you would like to ask at the moment that would help you.
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I was diagnosed late 2016 and am in remission thanks to low carb eating.
I am really sensitive to carbs, have been all my life, but it took almost half a century to stop the advice to eat lots of 'healthy' carbohydrates from my GP and other HCPs.
I am a very ordinary type 2, and don't need medication if I stick to the low carb and don't catch Covid - I am just on the 4th time around with the virus, I did see higher Hba1c once, but was not told about it until a year later when it was back to normal.
I started low carb a long time ago, and found Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution very useful for ideas, recipes and carb levels. It used to be possible to get a copy of the 2003 edition for pennies but it might be rarer now.
I am really sensitive to carbs, have been all my life, but it took almost half a century to stop the advice to eat lots of 'healthy' carbohydrates from my GP and other HCPs.
I am a very ordinary type 2, and don't need medication if I stick to the low carb and don't catch Covid - I am just on the 4th time around with the virus, I did see higher Hba1c once, but was not told about it until a year later when it was back to normal.
I started low carb a long time ago, and found Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution very useful for ideas, recipes and carb levels. It used to be possible to get a copy of the 2003 edition for pennies but it might be rarer now.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Welcome to the forum @KEB27
How have things been going for the past 6 years? Do you take any meds to help with your blood glucose levels, or have your been managing your diabetes with diet and exercise so far?
Hopefully the forum will give you a wealth of shared experiences, moral support, encouragement, hints and tips 🙂
Are there any things in particular you are finding tricky or frustrating at the moment?
How have things been going for the past 6 years? Do you take any meds to help with your blood glucose levels, or have your been managing your diabetes with diet and exercise so far?
Hopefully the forum will give you a wealth of shared experiences, moral support, encouragement, hints and tips 🙂
Are there any things in particular you are finding tricky or frustrating at the moment?
For the first few years my diabetes was controlled by diet and exercise but then in 2020 the doctor put me on Metformin. I felt so unwell that
I swapped to slow release Metformin, however this still made me unwell so I am now on Dapagliflozin. This seems to suit me much better.
In 2019 my HP1AC was 54, in 2020 it was 52, in Sept 2021 it was 53 and in February 2022 it was 51.
I am finding it so so frustrating and confusing and don’t really know what to eat. I have just started reading The Diabetes Code by Dr Jason Fung and am even more confused about it all. Do I do intermittent fasting, follow a keto diet or just carry on the way I am? I only see my GP once a year for a HP1AC check and don’t get any support from them. I have asked whether I should be checking my blood regularly during the day but have been told I don’t need to. This worries me as how am I supposed to know how well I am managing.
I am relatively active and do have a healthy diet. I try to walk a minimum of 20 miles a week- most weeks I achieve this apart from recently due to the hot weather. I also cycle and when I go for a ride I tend to do a minimum of 20 miles.
I gave up chocolate and sweets 4 1/2years ago and try not to eat cakes, biscuits etc. I do sometimes have the odd biscuit (rich tea) or a little bit of cake. I have stopped drinking wine and have the odd gin and low calorie tonic. I have to have some treats. I do eat brown low carb bread and occasionally brown pasta and brown rice but do watch the portion size. I also occasionally eat new potatoes but try to cook them, allow them to cool and then reheat them so that the amount resistant starch is less.
Low carb confuses me - I want to reduce the amount I have but don’t know what is the daily amount I should have. Can anyone help me with this? I am just so confused and don’t know what to do.
I swapped to slow release Metformin, however this still made me unwell so I am now on Dapagliflozin. This seems to suit me much better.
In 2019 my HP1AC was 54, in 2020 it was 52, in Sept 2021 it was 53 and in February 2022 it was 51.
I am finding it so so frustrating and confusing and don’t really know what to eat. I have just started reading The Diabetes Code by Dr Jason Fung and am even more confused about it all. Do I do intermittent fasting, follow a keto diet or just carry on the way I am? I only see my GP once a year for a HP1AC check and don’t get any support from them. I have asked whether I should be checking my blood regularly during the day but have been told I don’t need to. This worries me as how am I supposed to know how well I am managing.
I am relatively active and do have a healthy diet. I try to walk a minimum of 20 miles a week- most weeks I achieve this apart from recently due to the hot weather. I also cycle and when I go for a ride I tend to do a minimum of 20 miles.
I gave up chocolate and sweets 4 1/2years ago and try not to eat cakes, biscuits etc. I do sometimes have the odd biscuit (rich tea) or a little bit of cake. I have stopped drinking wine and have the odd gin and low calorie tonic. I have to have some treats. I do eat brown low carb bread and occasionally brown pasta and brown rice but do watch the portion size. I also occasionally eat new potatoes but try to cook them, allow them to cool and then reheat them so that the amount resistant starch is less.
Low carb confuses me - I want to reduce the amount I have but don’t know what is the daily amount I should have. Can anyone help me with this? I am just so confused and don’t know what to do.
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Low carb is regarded as being less than 130g total carb per day but some people find they need to go lower than that to keep blood glucose where it needs to be. They determine what their body can tolerate by testing using a home blood glucose monitor as that will enable them to see what foods/meals are not tolerated well. Testing before you eat and after 2 hours when an increase of no more than 2-3mmol/l will indicate that meal was OK. Keeping to those increases and no more your overall blood glucose level should start to come down and then you can aim at no more than 8-8.5mmol/l 2 hours post meal.
Peoples tolerance to carbs is very individual so no one size fit all works.
Have a look at this link for ideas for modifying your diet. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
Whenever I hear that the GP says you do not need to test then I think 'would they drive their car without a speedometer.
I must admit I found The Diabetes Code made lots of sense though I know some people criticise it.
With the medication you are on you need to make sure you drink plenty of fluid otherwise you can become dehydrated.
Peoples tolerance to carbs is very individual so no one size fit all works.
Have a look at this link for ideas for modifying your diet. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
Whenever I hear that the GP says you do not need to test then I think 'would they drive their car without a speedometer.
I must admit I found The Diabetes Code made lots of sense though I know some people criticise it.
With the medication you are on you need to make sure you drink plenty of fluid otherwise you can become dehydrated.
Hi @KEB27 and welcome to the forum.
When I read that you controlled your Blood Glucose using diet and exercise, I assumed that you actually knew how to do so. It's very sad when people make the mistake of thinking that the government health advise applied equally to T2 diabetics because all you need is a Blood Glucose monitor in o9rder to see that it most definitely does not!
Exercise has less effect than what (and when) you eat, though it probably has more effect than does metformin alone.
All carbohydrates digest into glucose (both starches and sugars), so they affect your blood glucose. Medicines attempt to open up a valve to remove excess glucose, but dietary approaches limit the incoming amount of glucose by reducing the foods our bodies have trouble with. Exercise tries to use up the energy provided by the glucose - so only works at the edges unless taken to extremes and even then as soon as you have to stop you are n trouble again.
The main culprits for starches are bread/flour, potato, pasta, breakfast cereals, rice and other grains (whole as well as refined).
The main culprits for sugars are sugar, honey, foods/drinks with added sugar, tropical fruit, fruit juices.
Carbohydrates are the only non-essential macro-nutrient meaning our bodies can make more than we require from fats and proteins. Thus you can theoretically (but don't need to) live on zero carbohydrates. Some people eat 'carnivore ' style and so do almost eat zero carbs, but most of us eat rather more - just a fair bit less than the government health guidelines. Anything below 130gms of carbs per day is considered to be low carb, anything below 50gms per day is very low carb, and anything below 20gms per day is 'keto'.
We all have slightly different in how our bodies handle carbs (otherwise we wouldn't have this T2 problem), this varies between different foods (even with exactly the same theoretical carb content) and even can vary between different times of day. Breakfast is usually the time when we need to reduce carbs most because most of us are more sensitive to carbs in the morning. Unfortunately breakfast for most people is usually a very heavy carb meal with breakfast cereals, sugar, bread, tropical fruit or juice etc.
Low/no carb foods include eggs (great for breakfast), meat, fish, cheese (and full fat dairy - low fat has higher carbs), above ground veg, nuts, berries.
When I read that you controlled your Blood Glucose using diet and exercise, I assumed that you actually knew how to do so. It's very sad when people make the mistake of thinking that the government health advise applied equally to T2 diabetics because all you need is a Blood Glucose monitor in o9rder to see that it most definitely does not!
Exercise has less effect than what (and when) you eat, though it probably has more effect than does metformin alone.
All carbohydrates digest into glucose (both starches and sugars), so they affect your blood glucose. Medicines attempt to open up a valve to remove excess glucose, but dietary approaches limit the incoming amount of glucose by reducing the foods our bodies have trouble with. Exercise tries to use up the energy provided by the glucose - so only works at the edges unless taken to extremes and even then as soon as you have to stop you are n trouble again.
The main culprits for starches are bread/flour, potato, pasta, breakfast cereals, rice and other grains (whole as well as refined).
The main culprits for sugars are sugar, honey, foods/drinks with added sugar, tropical fruit, fruit juices.
Carbohydrates are the only non-essential macro-nutrient meaning our bodies can make more than we require from fats and proteins. Thus you can theoretically (but don't need to) live on zero carbohydrates. Some people eat 'carnivore ' style and so do almost eat zero carbs, but most of us eat rather more - just a fair bit less than the government health guidelines. Anything below 130gms of carbs per day is considered to be low carb, anything below 50gms per day is very low carb, and anything below 20gms per day is 'keto'.
We all have slightly different in how our bodies handle carbs (otherwise we wouldn't have this T2 problem), this varies between different foods (even with exactly the same theoretical carb content) and even can vary between different times of day. Breakfast is usually the time when we need to reduce carbs most because most of us are more sensitive to carbs in the morning. Unfortunately breakfast for most people is usually a very heavy carb meal with breakfast cereals, sugar, bread, tropical fruit or juice etc.
Low/no carb foods include eggs (great for breakfast), meat, fish, cheese (and full fat dairy - low fat has higher carbs), above ground veg, nuts, berries.
Thank you. That’s really helpful.
When you count carbs do you just count starchy foods or absolutely everything e.g. fruit, veg?
Thank you so much.
Thank you. I will see if I can get hold of that book.
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Can I also recommend the book or app Carbs and Cals as that will give you at a glance of carb values for various portions of foods and meals.
What things you count depends on how strict you want to be but certainly you should count all starchy foods including veg and fruits, there are very few things that have no carbs, the ones that do not have carbs are mainly meat, fish, eggs, cheese, cream and leafy veg, fruits such as berries are the lowest carb. Even milk has carbs.
Gwynn
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
@KEB27 quote 'I have asked whether I should be checking my blood regularly during the day but have been told I don’t need to. This worries me as how am I supposed to know how well I am managing.'
Exactly. How can anyone manage anything without proper feedback. Guesswork just cannot do. And ignoring things cannot help aiming for success.
If the GP won't fund a test meter and test strips then they have to be self funded. If you can get a test meter and use it then that might help you best.
Don't expect any real help from your GP but do push for a test meter and test strips. They can be a bit stubborn but be determined, be relentless, get the sense and reasoning together and hit them with it...
To me it is a no brainer. To them it's a cost but they ignore the greater cost if you cannot get things under control. And more and more drugs is expensive and not the best way to go.
Good luck getting a test meter...oh, by the way, if you have been diagnosed as a diabetic then the test meter (Spirit Tee2+) is FREE. Just ring spirit Healthcare on 0800 881 5423 and explain things. They will get you registered and send you the meter free. You would have to buy suitable test strips though.
Exactly. How can anyone manage anything without proper feedback. Guesswork just cannot do. And ignoring things cannot help aiming for success.
If the GP won't fund a test meter and test strips then they have to be self funded. If you can get a test meter and use it then that might help you best.
Don't expect any real help from your GP but do push for a test meter and test strips. They can be a bit stubborn but be determined, be relentless, get the sense and reasoning together and hit them with it...
To me it is a no brainer. To them it's a cost but they ignore the greater cost if you cannot get things under control. And more and more drugs is expensive and not the best way to go.
Good luck getting a test meter...oh, by the way, if you have been diagnosed as a diabetic then the test meter (Spirit Tee2+) is FREE. Just ring spirit Healthcare on 0800 881 5423 and explain things. They will get you registered and send you the meter free. You would have to buy suitable test strips though.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Those are pretty good results @KEB27
48mmol/mol is the point at which you get a diagnosis with diabetes, and with results in the low 50s you may well find that a little gentle portion-control might see that gradually drop towards non-diabetes numbers, or might allow your Dr to review your meds?
Well done on your progress and the changes you’ve made 🙂
- Status