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Antonia51

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Type 2
Hello, I’m a newbie to forums, I’ve just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and have been trying to lose weight before going for my second hbac1 blood test tomorrow to see if my number has come down. If not, I’ll be out on medication.

Not sure if this information is relevant to the forum.
 
Hi Antonia and welcome to the forum. I found the forum at the beginning of the year and have been a regular visitor and contributor since and it has been a big factor in improving my understanding of diabetes and the practicalities when it come to managing it. I do not think I would have made the progress I have without it. So, read and join in is my suggestion. Your experiences are as valuable as anybody elses.

What was your hba1c on diagnosis and what sort of weight loss are you looking for?
 
Hello, thanks for your welcome note. On February 22nd I was diagnosed with diabetes type 2. After a blood test my doctor told me my hbac1 test came back as 50. I had been prediabetic for quite some time. I asked if I could control it with dieting because I had put on around 5 stone over the last 10 years when I gave up smoking on 11 June 2009. She reluctantly said yes and I should have another blood test and come back to see her. She said if the number didn’t come down I would have to go onto medication which I’m not happy about going on. I’m already taking a tablet for BP and Cholesterol. I had already started losing weight before my diagnosis and I’m at the hospital today waiting for a blood test. I’ve got an appointment to see my GP next Friday. I’ve managed to lose 1st 5Ibs so far. I would like to eventually lose the 5 stone I had put on. I now weigh 14.6 3/4Ibs I started out at my heaviest at 15st 11Ibs.
 
The weight loss to date looks good so lets hope that begins to bring your hba1c back below 50. You may have picked up by reading contributions to the forum that one way of getting both weight and blood glucose down is to focus on your carbohydrate intake and in that context, carbohydrate means all carbohydrates not just sugars. You might do that either by eliminating some things from your diet completely or by reducing portion sizes. I did both although I am in the "not overweight" category and watch my weight to make sure it does not go too low. If you read around other peoples contributions some common themes will emerge which will give you pointers for the food items to think about.
 
Hi Antonia and a big welcome from me as well. As Docb says low carb is def the way to go. Losing weight and low carb is key to getting your bg levels down, though thankfully yours at present don’t seem too high but nevertheless it does take you into the full diabetes range. I was diagnosed in Jan this year and again like Docb have found this forum invaluable, I still ask questions so don’t be afraid to ask anything at all, there is always someone who can help. We are not professionals but are all going through a similar journey so experience is key. I am still adapting my diet as I am also not overweight, in fact trying to keep my weight steady, and still finding which foods are good/bad for me. We are all different so what is good for one is not necessarily good for another but you will learn this quite quickly. All the best to you Antonia and stay in touch
 
PS very well done on your weight loss so far
 
Hi @Antonia51, welcome to the forum. Your HbA1c of 50 isn't massively high, so with weight loss and reducing starchy carbs (bread, rice, pasta, potatoes etc) you have a good chance of control. Have a read around the different threads - there are lots of tasty recipes in the food & recipes threads to get you going. Well done on the weight loss so far 🙂

Do ask any questions you may have, nothing is daft, and we'll try and help. Let us know how you get on, and all the best for your appointments!
 
I hope that your Hba1c test shows improvement - though it is more likely that weightloss will be as a result of getting control of blood glucose levels rather than the reverse. Many people on this forum and elsewhere have seen weightloss once their blood glucose and Hba1c have been lowered by eating a low carb diet.
 
Hi and welcome from me too.

I too would recommend you focus more on reducing your starchy carbohydrate intake (bread, pasta rice etc) to lower your Blood Glucose rather than concentrating on losing weight. Most weight loss diets are low fat and that is not always helpful with diabetes. Cutting out the carbs usually results in weight loss because it is where we get the majority of our calories. It takes a bit of getting your head around but it works in practice.
 
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