Newly Diagnosed Type 2

[LieB]

Hi everyone, I was recently diagnosed with T2 and after my first Hba1C I took it upon myself to turn my life around. Radical changes to my diet, eliminating free sugars, 4-5 miles walking every day etc. I also invested in a Libre2 patch so I could get a sense of what my food and exercise routine was doing to my blood sugar.

And here is my conundrum - my CGM data from the last 2 weeks shows an average mmol/L of 6.5. I have spikes - especially after breakfast but after the 2 hour mark I’m always below 7 mmol/L. Often low 6/upper 5’s. And I’m on no medication/insulin.

Is that….normal? 3 weeks is hardly a lot of time for said changes to bed in and I find myself wondering if my hba1c was just skewed by appalling lifestyle/dietary choices.

 

[Martin.A]

Hi everyone, I was recently diagnosed with T2 and after my first Hba1C I took it upon myself to turn my life around. Radical changes to my diet, eliminating free sugars, 4-5 miles walking every day etc. I also invested in a Libre2 patch so I could get a sense of what my food and exercise routine was doing to my blood sugar.

And here is my conundrum - my CGM data from the last 2 weeks shows an average mmol/L of 6.5. I have spikes - especially after breakfast but after the 2 hour mark I’m always below 7 mmol/L. Often low 6/upper 5’s. And I’m on no medication/insulin.

Is that….normal?

Hi, sorry you've had to join us but welcome to the forum. Everyone's BG will rise after a meal, even non-diabetics, but of course those of us not using a CGM can't see it. Being below 7 after 2 hours is excellent. When you say 'spike' how high do you go?

 

[harbottle]

I don't think hba1c is skewed much by diet, if you're not diabetic. I've heard people in the prediabetic range to say, 'oh, I had a lot of sweets over christmas that's why it's high.'

A normal, healthy pancreas releases insulin in proportion to blood sugar levels and can release a lot of insulin to deal with a high carb load and bring levels down quickly, whether it's 10g or carbs or 150g of carbs.

People with T2D have lost this ability so levels can rise over along period of time and then fall slowly over a long period of time, which will be picked up by a hba1c test.

 

[LieB]

Hi, sorry you've had to join us but welcome to the forum. Everyone's BG will rise after a meal, even non-diabetics, but of course those of us not using a CGM can't see it. Being below 7 after 2 hours is excellent. When you say 'spike' how high do you go?

Hi Martin, thank you for your reply - it does vary pending what I eat. But within 45 mins of having breakfast it spikes to around 10.2 peak (usually high 8’s) but for lunch and dinner mid 8’s. But quickly drops to high 5’s/mid 6’s.

 

[LieB]

I don't think hba1c is skewed much by diet, if you're not diabetic. I've heard people in the prediabetic range to say, 'oh, I had a lot of sweets over christmas that's why it's high.'

A normal, healthy pancreas releases insulin in proportion to blood sugar levels and can release a lot of insulin to deal with a high carb load and bring levels down quickly, whether it's 10g or carbs or 150g of carbs.

People with T2D have lost this ability so levels can rise over along period of time and then fall slowly over a long period of time, which will be picked up by a hba1c test.

Thanks HB - your ‘siggy story’ is remarkable - how did you manage it without meds?

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi Martin, thank you for your reply - it does vary pending what I eat. But within 45 mins of having breakfast it spikes to around 10.2 peak (usually high 8’s) but for lunch and dinner mid 8’s. But quickly drops to high 5’s/mid 6’s.

If you are only looking 45mins after breakfast that would not be too unusual but your aim would be to be below 8-8.5mmol/l 2 hours after eating if it is more then your breakfast or any meal is too carb heavy.
Maybe this link will provide some ideas for meals which would be more suitable if those higher levels are a concern. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/

 

[LieB]

If you are only looking 45mins after breakfast that would not be too unusual but your aim would be to be below 8-8.5mmol/l 2 hours after eating if it is more then your breakfast or any meal is too carb heavy.
Maybe this link will provide some ideas for meals which would be more suitable if those higher levels are a concern. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/

Thank you Leadinglights - i have to be honest, I find this all quite overwhelming - so many variables to juggle.

 

[Leadinglights]

Thank you Leadinglights - i have to be honest, I find this all quite overwhelming - so many variables to juggle.

People often think that is is only sugar and food containing sugars that is the problem but overlook that it is all carbohydrates that convert to glucose and don't realise that all those foods that have been considered 'healthy' like bread, rice. pasta, potatoes, cereals are not so if one is Type 2 diabetic. Basing meals on meat, fish, eggs, cheese, dairy, nuts with plenty of veg, salads and fruit like berries with only small portions of high carb foods is more suitable.
That link I posted has good explanation.

 

[harbottle]

Thanks HB - your ‘siggy story’ is remarkable - how did you manage it without meds?

I was on 1000mg of Metformin for 3 months after diagnosis, but low carb diet/weight loss got it down to the 30s in 3 months. They reduced it to 500mg and hba1c has been in the 30s since. I think I slipped through the cracks and they realised I was still taking it and decided I should stop... that was a month or so ago.

So it'll be interesting to see what the next hba1c is.

I've upped the carbs quite a bit, some times eating 'normally'.

 

[Martin.A]

Hi Martin, thank you for your reply - it does vary pending what I eat. But within 45 mins of having breakfast it spikes to around 10.2 peak (usually high 8’s) but for lunch and dinner mid 8’s. But quickly drops to high 5’s/mid 6’s.

I wouldn't consider 10.2 to be much of a spike, and mid-8 would be good 2 hours after a meal let alone after 45 minutes. If we ate just breakfast, lunch and dinner with no between-meals snacking, as is recommended by some, our BG graphs would likely resemble a Toblerone bar.

 

[LieB]

Thanks all. I have begun, as part of my dietary shift, replaced breakfast and lunch with Huel Black edition. My ‘simple thinking’ is that I can augment this with fruit (berries), it’s high in protein and with fruit around 30g of carbohydrates and 35g of protein.

Are there any others that have experience with managing blood sugar levels and weight by utilising huel?

 

[rebrascora]

Are you viewing using Huel as a short term fix or a long term strategy. I personally have serious misgivings about people using the Ultra Processed Meal replacements. I believe that they do damage to your gut biome and don't teach you long term dietary strategies which means that when you resort to real food you are likely to slip back into old eating habits and then have to resort to the meal replacements again..... which is a great business model for the manufacturers to make money and have a regularly returning or long term client base, but not good for people's general health I think. Each person has to decide for themselves though as to what will work for them as an individual.

 

[LieB]

Are you viewing using Huel as a short term fix or a long term strategy. I personally have serious misgivings about people using the Ultra Processed Meal replacements. I believe that they do damage to your gut biome and don't teach you long term dietary strategies which means that when you resort to real food you are likely to slip back into old eating habits and then have to resort to the meal replacements again..... which is a great business model for the manufacturers to make money and have a regularly returning or long term client base, but not good for people's general health I think. Each person has to decide for themselves though as to what will work for them as an individual.

Thank you for your reply. I am utilising Huel as a weight loss tool alongside blood sugar management - effectively a dietary ‘supercharger’. My intention is to reduce my weight significantly and quickly, and then re-introduce ‘normal but healthy’ food but with my weight being lower to offset any potential rise. My supper is a normal meal (half a plate of non starchy vegetables, one portion of lean protein and something whole grain for fibre.

That’s the theory anyway!