Morning, I'm here to introduce myself.
I was diagnosed T2 on 7th June with an Hba1c of 126 along with high cholesterol at the age of 49. It was not a surprise as I'd had symptoms creeping up on me over the last year with blurring vision in low light and a growing thirst (although I've always been thirsty). It was the repeated infections and slow healing which took me to the doctor, along with excessive tiredness. I'd also been losing weight as I'm pretty active, but was losing it a bit quicker than I felt reasonable. I was 111kg at diagnosis, down from a 134kg peak a couple of years before. With hindsight, there are possible symptoms that go back more than a year.
My weakness is food. I love food, but due to my job in education I wasn't eating well or consistently looking after myself for years due to high stress and excessive hours. I'd often skip meals during the day and then fill up on carbs and junk. I'd easily eat vast portions, healthy foods or less healthy. I'd put work before chasing down concerns around my health, with the exception of occasionally cycling on my commute and being fairly active. More structured exercise was sporadic. The only other significant change I'd made was changing employer and role a couple of years ago, resulting in less stress (although this can still be high) and less hours.
So, I'm now on Metformin 500mg x4 a day, Lipitor 20mg x1 a day. I've also got a blood glucose testing kit. I reduced myself to 1800 calories a day and read up what Taylor and Mosley had to say about diets and as a result have reduced my carbs further and calories to 800 a day for 8 weeks (Blood Sugar Diet). As I turn into an ogre on such low calories I've subsequently increased back to 1000-1200 a day. Unfortunately, I cheat at least once a week and it takes two-five days to recover. However, I'm now 105kg, the lowest weight I've got recorded since I started noting it down in 2012. I'm using Huel shakes at lunchtimes due to the ease at work, a routine I'm maintaining in the holidays, and making sure I'm actually taking a lunch break for the first time in years.
Other changes are embedding the increase in activity following the decision to first see the GP about my symptoms. So lots more walking, increase in the swimming and doing more cycling. I already had a Strava subscription and that's shown the increased activity. I was careful around activity when first starting the diet and am now building it up again.
I suffered three weeks of blurry eyes as the sugar reduced in my system (blood glucose is coming in as normal to low diabetic depending on what I've been eating), but my eyes are back to normal now. Healing is quicker. No new infections. Dry skin is clearing up. I'm only now realising how thirsty and tired I was. I've dropped from 46" waist to 40" and had to get some new clothes. My fitness is improving significantly across several measures.
Short term I want a better Hba1c in September. I'll start building the calories back up at the end of August, well before I hit my weight goal, but will stay lower carb. Long term the goal is medication reduction followed by potential remission and 80-85kg weight, which is at the top end of my 'normal' BMI. I'd like my waist to be in the 30s". I'm also going to make sure I continue to focus on my health as a priority.
I was diagnosed T2 on 7th June with an Hba1c of 126 along with high cholesterol at the age of 49. It was not a surprise as I'd had symptoms creeping up on me over the last year with blurring vision in low light and a growing thirst (although I've always been thirsty). It was the repeated infections and slow healing which took me to the doctor, along with excessive tiredness. I'd also been losing weight as I'm pretty active, but was losing it a bit quicker than I felt reasonable. I was 111kg at diagnosis, down from a 134kg peak a couple of years before. With hindsight, there are possible symptoms that go back more than a year.
My weakness is food. I love food, but due to my job in education I wasn't eating well or consistently looking after myself for years due to high stress and excessive hours. I'd often skip meals during the day and then fill up on carbs and junk. I'd easily eat vast portions, healthy foods or less healthy. I'd put work before chasing down concerns around my health, with the exception of occasionally cycling on my commute and being fairly active. More structured exercise was sporadic. The only other significant change I'd made was changing employer and role a couple of years ago, resulting in less stress (although this can still be high) and less hours.
So, I'm now on Metformin 500mg x4 a day, Lipitor 20mg x1 a day. I've also got a blood glucose testing kit. I reduced myself to 1800 calories a day and read up what Taylor and Mosley had to say about diets and as a result have reduced my carbs further and calories to 800 a day for 8 weeks (Blood Sugar Diet). As I turn into an ogre on such low calories I've subsequently increased back to 1000-1200 a day. Unfortunately, I cheat at least once a week and it takes two-five days to recover. However, I'm now 105kg, the lowest weight I've got recorded since I started noting it down in 2012. I'm using Huel shakes at lunchtimes due to the ease at work, a routine I'm maintaining in the holidays, and making sure I'm actually taking a lunch break for the first time in years.
Other changes are embedding the increase in activity following the decision to first see the GP about my symptoms. So lots more walking, increase in the swimming and doing more cycling. I already had a Strava subscription and that's shown the increased activity. I was careful around activity when first starting the diet and am now building it up again.
I suffered three weeks of blurry eyes as the sugar reduced in my system (blood glucose is coming in as normal to low diabetic depending on what I've been eating), but my eyes are back to normal now. Healing is quicker. No new infections. Dry skin is clearing up. I'm only now realising how thirsty and tired I was. I've dropped from 46" waist to 40" and had to get some new clothes. My fitness is improving significantly across several measures.
Short term I want a better Hba1c in September. I'll start building the calories back up at the end of August, well before I hit my weight goal, but will stay lower carb. Long term the goal is medication reduction followed by potential remission and 80-85kg weight, which is at the top end of my 'normal' BMI. I'd like my waist to be in the 30s". I'm also going to make sure I continue to focus on my health as a priority.
