Newly diagnosed and desperate for remission…

[T2Disnot4me!]

Is this normal? It’s all I think about! Diagnosed with hba1c of 79 mid August and two weeks later it was 72. I’ve refused medication as I want to see how far I can get by myself. From the day I got the 79 result, I’ve changed my diet drastically and added more exercise, even though I was already pretty active (always doing 10000 steps per day before diagnosis). I weighed 93kg or 14 st 9lbs at diagnosis and now am exactly 2 stones lighter. Is it typical to be this obsessed in the early days? My husband thinks I’m being over the top… booked my retest for mid November today and am so desperate to be back to normal levels but keep thinking I’m being unrealistic. Would love to know of anyone who was or is in a similar position/state of mind… thanks for reading

 

[Dishevelled]

I'd say that a test 2 weeks after diagnoses does little other than confirm the first one. Your next one will be much more useful and from the sounds of what you've done so far, I'd hope you have a good reduction.
As for is it normal to be desperate to be healthy, no, of course not. Good on you for the weight loss and the drive to improve your health.

 

[Martin.A]

The short answer to your question is yes. I was pretty much in the same frame of mind after my diagnosis but after discovering that it didn't necessarily mean I had to take a pill or pills I was determined, through losing weight, being more active and - most of all - adopting a low carb diet, to get my BG down to the point at which I would be classed as being in remission. It took me 10 months, but I started from a much higher HbA1c than you. Others have managed it too, though it's not guaranteed. Your follow-up HbA1c should be after around 3 months if it's to reflect any significant reduction in your BG level.

 

[T2Disnot4me!]

I'd say that a test 2 weeks after diagnoses does little other than confirm the first one. Your next one will be much more useful and from the sounds of what you've done so far, I'd hope you have a good reduction.
As for is it normal to be desperate to be healthy, no, of course not. Good on you for the weight loss and the drive to improve your health.

Thank you for taking the time to reply. The test 2 weeks after the first was actually as you say, simply to confirm the diagnosis as I had had none of the typical symptoms and it was only picked up on a full blood count routine check for an unrelated issue.

 

[T2Disnot4me!]

The short answer to your question is yes. I was pretty much in the same frame of mind after my diagnosis but after discovering that it didn't necessarily mean I had to take a pill or pills I was determined, through losing weight, being more active and - most of all - adopting a low carb diet, to get my BG down to the point at which I would be classed as being in remission. It took me 10 months, but I started from a much higher HbA1c than you. Others have managed it too, though it's not guaranteed. Your follow-up HbA1c should be after around 3 months if it's to reflect any reduction in your BG level.

Thanks for replying. I feel that I probably have become rather obsessed. I’m tracking my food intake and have drastically cut refined carbs. I was eating a pretty horrendous diet before and knew it! I do love exercise so that part isn’t a problem at least. Well done for your remission!

 

[Drummer]

Thanks for replying. I feel that I probably have become rather obsessed. I’m tracking my food intake and have drastically cut refined carbs. I was eating a pretty horrendous diet before and knew it! I do love exercise so that part isn’t a problem at least. Well done for your remission!

I spent some time after being told I was a very bad diabetic snarling 'I blankety blank told them carbs made me feel ill, but oh no they knew better.'
I have found that even crude carbs have to be counted - and by testing after meals I found I can extract more carbs from beans and peas than their 'official' value, almost double.

 

[T2Disnot4me!]

I spent some time after being told I was a very bad diabetic snarling 'I blankety blank told them carbs made me feel ill, but oh no they knew better.'
I have found that even crude carbs have to be counted - and by testing after meals I found I can extract more carbs from beans and peas than their 'official' value, almost double.

Problem is I like carbs and although I’m glad I’m seeing the weight loss benefits currently, when that slows I know I’ll find it very hard to keep them low…

 

[rebrascora]

Yes, I was pretty "gung ho" on trying to push it into remission when I was first diagnosed. I had a lot of negative feelings of guilt that I had done this to myself and I was ashamed, but I used those bad thoughts to motivate me to do much better, especially when I was feeling tempted to eat something I shouldn't.I don't regret those feelings of guilt because they helped me turn my diet around and that has improved my health in many other aspects. I draw the line at saying I was obsessed, but I was certainly determined and very focused which may have looked like obsession to others. Unfortunately remission wasn't for me as it turned out I am Type 1 and not Type 2 so I had to start on insulin, and I will confess I cried that day because I felt I had failed, but not had any tears since then. 4.5 years later, I manage my diabetes to the very best of my ability and I am still pretty strict with my food intake but know when to relax it a little. Some might still think I am a bit obsessed, but it is subjective and to me I am just focused.

 

[rebrascora]

Problem is I like carbs and although I’m glad I’m seeing the weight loss benefits currently, when that slows I know I’ll find it very hard to keep them low…

I also loved carbs. Bread and potatoes particularly but I was also a sugar addict and chocoholic. What I love about going low carb is that the cravings have stopped and I don't need those foods now. I eat tasty satisfying food and on the odd occasion when I have bread or even chips, I am usually a bit disappointed. My tastes have really changed and the less carbs I eat, the less I want which has been an absolute blessing. However the times that I have a few more carbs, like funerals or social events where it would be rude or awkward not to eat what is offered, I find that I will crave for a day or two afterwards before it settles down again. I find it is actually a relief to get back on track with my low carb way of eating rather than being hard work. The only difficult bit about it is the planning really. I am not saying this happened overnight but after a couple of months I found I was eating a lot less and just not craving food like I used to and often skipped lunch if I was busy and I wasn't even particularly hungry by the time I got to my evening meal. Eating more fat was key to changing things and being satisfied with less.

 

[T2Disnot4me!]

Yes, I was pretty "gung ho" on trying to push it into remission when I was first diagnosed. I had a lot of negative feelings of guilt that I had done this to myself and I was ashamed, but I used those bad thoughts to motivate me to do much better, especially when I was feeling tempted to eat something I shouldn't.I don't regret those feelings of guilt because they helped me turn my diet around and that has improved my health in many other aspects. I draw the line at saying I was obsessed, but I was certainly determined and very focused which may have looked like obsession to others. Unfortunately remission wasn't for me as it turned out I am Type 1 and not Type 2 so I had to start on insulin, and I will confess I cried that day because I felt I had failed, but not had any tears since then. 4.5 years later, I manage my diabetes to the very best of my ability and I am still pretty strict with my food intake but know when to relax it a little. Some might still think I am a bit obsessed, but it is subjective and to me I am just focused.

Thanks for your honest reply and it has resonated with me as I think I too am ashamed. I haven’t told anyone apart from my husband and 2 adult children. I have sworn them to secrecy. I am close to my family and have not told them, despite diabetes being common on both my dad and mums sides. Perhaps I hope it will just go away and then I don’t have to tell anyone. When people notice my weight loss I just say thanks and that I’ve been trying, then leave it at that. Some of my colleagues have joked about type 2 being a fat disease (one of my other colleagues is type 1 which came on extremely quickly and they were not overweight) and I know this is a common thought so this is probably at the heart of my embarrassment or feelings of shame…

 

[Drummer]

Problem is I like carbs and although I’m glad I’m seeing the weight loss benefits currently, when that slows I know I’ll find it very hard to keep them low…

I don't exclude carbs though - I cook swede in a pressure cooker (to save energy) and mash it with cream, and sometimes put it into a dish with cheese grated on the top, or I mix in cream cheese, or eggs and then fry it and eat it with bacon which makes it hard to miss potatoes.
I make a small amount of bread dough and let it rise, then add in lots of low carb ingredients. very gently and let it rise again as long as it needs to regain the volume.
I have chocolate with high percentages of cocoa rather than the shovels of sugar in the ordinary bars.
I have seen a considerable amount of weightloss but also size loss, and a restoration of some of my former strength - enough to allow me to go back to work servicing knitting machines.
If you start to make the right swaps, bit by bit, it becomes normal to eat a low carb diet and I find I feel so well now that I would never want to go back to the starchy foods I was always being pushed to eat because they were 'healthy'.

 

[Leadinglights]

Like wise with the carbs, I don't feel the need to go back to eating the high carb foods that I was before as I enjoy the swaps I have made and it is just my new normal, it is not NO carbs.

 

[Gwynn]

Yes!!! I was 'obsessed/determined' at the start and every day of the three years since diagnosis (which they got wrong) - ( but HbA1c was 140). I am still 'obsessed'.

Because of the wrong diagnosis (T1) I was put on insulin and loads of stuff. I felt really ill.

Several weeks later after diagnosis, with my BG plummetting to dangerous levels I got agreement from someone on 111 to stop all meds. I did , and everything started to settle down again. I didn't know what I was doing!!! But I did know that on all the meds things were going badly wrong.

So...

I undertook to obsessively read up and understand what I was up against and started a new life. New diet. New exercise. New understanding. New determination.

And it worked...within weeks my HbA1c had plumnetted into the 40's, within months it was in the 30's. Weight had dropped significantly too.

I felt well again and had energy. Still do, HbA1c is now 38 and I am officially in remission.

My biggest 'assets/help'...gaining knowledge about the condition and about me and how/if I react to carbs; a blood test meter (essential to see/know how things were going); an App to see the essentials about the food I was eating every day; an mp3 player to help me exercise and not die of boredom; and joining this forum where I was put on the right track several times when I messed up or misunderstood things and, most importantly, gained some friends, great support and understanding.

Notice I didn't mention the NHS, doctors, or nurses for good reason too, but I won't go into that here.

Best thing you can do is take personal control and know 'you' so that when you talk to the 'proffessionals' you will know far more than they will and can have an intelligent, informed discussion about you.

Good luck

 

[T2Disnot4me!]

Yes!!! I was 'obsessed/determined' at the start and every day of the three years since diagnosis (which they got wrong) - ( but HbA1c was 140). I am still 'obsessed'.

Because of the wrong diagnosis (T1) I was put on insulin and loads of stuff. I felt really ill.

Several weeks later after diagnosis, with my BG plummetting to dangerous levels I got agreement from someone on 111 to stop all meds. I did , and everything started to settle down again. I didn't know what I was doing!!! But I did know that on all the meds things were going badly wrong.

So...

I undertook to obsessively read up and understand what I was up against and started a new life. New diet. New exercise. New understanding. New determination.

And it worked...within weeks my HbA1c had plumnetted into the 40's, within months it was in the 30's. Weight had dropped significantly too.

I felt well again and had energy. Still do, HbA1c is now 38 and I am officially in remission.

My biggest 'assets/help'...gaining knowledge about the condition and about me and how/if I react to carbs; a blood test meter (essential to see/know how things were going); an App to see the essentials about the food I was eating every day; an mp3 player to help me exercise and not die of boredom; and joining this forum where I was put on the right track several times when I messed up or misunderstood things and, most importantly, gained some friends, great support and understanding.

Notice I didn't mention the NHS, doctors, or nurses for good reason too, but I won't go into that here.

Best thing you can do is take personal control and know 'you' so that when you talk to the 'proffessionals' you will know far more than they will and can have an intelligent, informed discussion about you.

Good luck

Thank you for replying, these personal experiences all give me hope that I can tackle this and hopefully get through without medication and into remission. Glad things have gone well for you since you took the control back!

 

[Felinia]

When my friend was first diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes she too became totally obsessed, checking everything and refusing most foods. When I caught up with her a few months later I noticed she was much more relaxed. She told me she had learned that what you do has to be sustainable and sensible. She had learned to monitor her intake, and what had affected her, by testing. She taught me what I have since applied - moderation, not total abstinence.
There is no shame in being Type 2, just a learning opportunity. You have already been honest with yourself by admitting your diet was poor, and have taken steps to modify your food, so well done. Many people admit their diagnosis was the first step to a healthier lifestyle - it certainly has been for me.
Because I knew several people with diabetes before my diagnosis, I've never had a problem telling people. I refuse when cakes, biscuits etc are passed round, just saying "sorry I'm diabetic" and that's usually the end of it. You will get well meaning people saying "you can't eat that", or "go on - one won't hurt" to which I reply " I can eat it only if I've already allowed for it (and I haven't)". I used to be a great pudding person but now I find they are just too sweet and sickly, so my tastes have changed.
You'll read many people posting they have achieved remission but I know (from experience) how easy it can be to slip back to your old eating habits. 4 years down the line I still monitor my food daily and it's just a healthier way of life.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hope you get a positive outcome from all the effort you have been putting in @T2Disnot4me!

But I also hope you can make peace with your healthcare situation, and the ’journey’ you are currently on. Diabetes of various types, but perhaps especially T2 can be a source of very regrettable stigma (Diabetes UK have reducing stigma as a focus of work in the current plan). The shame you have been feeling is unjustified, and you should not feel you need to carry it.

 

[T2Disnot4me!]

Hope you get a positive outcome from all the effort you have been putting in @T2Disnot4me!

But I also hope you can make peace with your healthcare situation, and the ’journey’ you are currently on. Diabetes of various types, but perhaps especially T2 can be a source of very regrettable stigma (Diabetes UK have reducing stigma as a focus of work in the current plan). The shame you have been feeling is unjustified, and you should not feel you need to carry it.

Thank you for your kind words. Maybe it’s just too early for me to be fully accepting of my health situation as I know I have only myself to blame for poor diet over recent years. I am ashamed it has come to this. I have always been active and assumed that would see me right and cover up my bad habits with food, which is did physically for many years. I do however feel a million times healthier from having lost 2.5 stone and have appreciated the nice comments that have come with it, so it’s not all bad! I wish you well on your journey too!

 

[Drummer]

Thank you for your kind words. Maybe it’s just too early for me to be fully accepting of my health situation as I know I have only myself to blame for poor diet over recent years. I am ashamed it has come to this. I have always been active and assumed that would see me right and cover up my bad habits with food, which is did physically for many years. I do however feel a million times healthier from having lost 2.5 stone and have appreciated the nice comments that have come with it, so it’s not all bad! I wish you well on your journey too!

Unfortunately the advice given about diet is wrong if given to someone unable to deal with carbohydrates.
Despite a test being flagged as high glucose ten years before I was diagnosed I was constantly pushed to eat 'healthy' carbs, and had been consistently following a low fat diet for almost 2 years, putting on weight and feeling unwell all that time, only to be told that I was a very bad diabetic.
I went back to low carb eating from that moment, and the type 2 was pretty much fixed in a matter of weeks.

 

[AndBreathe]

Problem is I like carbs and although I’m glad I’m seeing the weight loss benefits currently, when that slows I know I’ll find it very hard to keep them low…

I bet you won't find it so difficult to resist. It gets easier as you discover new things to bring you joy.

Over time, lower carbs just become how it is, plus you will have reinforcement from a (all things being likely) a reduced HbA1c, and the trimming up.

I am 10 years in now. My numbers are in my signature, except I had an A1c test a week or so ago, in preparation for a hospital appointment today (for my thyroid). My A1c was 33.

It can be done, with some work, application and a dollop of luck. Not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to recover so well, but many do, but you do have to do your bit.

Keep up the good work.

 

[NeoUser]

I also loved carbs. Bread and potatoes particularly but I was also a sugar addict and chocoholic. What I love about going low carb is that the cravings have stopped and I don't need those foods now. I eat tasty satisfying food and on the odd occasion when I have bread or even chips, I am usually a bit disappointed. My tastes have really changed and the less carbs I eat, the less I want which has been an absolute blessing. However the times that I have a few more carbs, like funerals or social events where it would be rude or awkward not to eat what is offered, I find that I will crave for a day or two afterwards before it settles down again. I find it is actually a relief to get back on track with my low carb way of eating rather than being hard work. The only difficult bit about it is the planning really. I am not saying this happened overnight but after a couple of months I found I was eating a lot less and just not craving food like I used to and often skipped lunch if I was busy and I wasn't even particularly hungry by the time I got to my evening meal. Eating more fat was key to changing things and being satisfied with less.

You make a valid point about craving more carb type foods when you've had more than you usually would. What does a typical day look like for you? What sort of foods/meals would you have for breakfast, lunch and dinner? I'm needing inspiration to mix things up.