Recently diagnosed - self test readings seem too good to be true?

[PaulLa]

Hi. I was diagnosed with T2 around 8 weeks ago (HBA1C of 51). Without symptoms I believe I should have had a second test within 2 weeks for to confirm diagnosis? but that never happened. I was told to try diet and exercise control without meds which I'm doing.

It hit me pretty hard.....correction really hard - but I got straight down to losing weight and getting more active and lost 2 1/2 stone in 7 weeks, restricting carbs to around 90 to 140g per day.

While in the chemists just over over a week ago the pharmacist offered to do me a random glucose test - it was 6.2 mmol/l.

A week later I got my own meter (SD Codefree) and on Monday gone got a pre-meal value of 5.8 and post meal 2 hours later of 6.1. The meal was beans on toast with around 43 carbs.

Following morning I got a 12 hour fasting reading of 5.2.

Today at 5 pm I had a meal of 57 carbs (including brown rice) and thought Id try a post meal test 2 hours later. Result was 6.7. Total carbs consumed up till then was 147g.

I don't plan doing too frequent testing as I'm trying my best not to dwell on it all too much as I'm finding it very self consuming.

Checking blood glucose range guidelines, these seem to be with the normal range (albeit at the upper end for some) and I'm cautiously optimistic - but my pessimistic side is telling me 'don't get carried away - I must be missing something!' and I'm thinking things like if I had a sunday lunch roast followed by treacle pud it would be a different story! and maybe the meter is reading low' - although looking through the forum it seems the SD Codefree has more of a tendency to read high.

I've still a long way to go with weight loss and hope to improve the blood levels further. Should I be celebrating or am I right to view all this with caution?

Thanks
Paul

 

[Eddy Edson]

Readings look pretty "normal" to me - seems like you're doing the right thing.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Today at 5 pm I had a meal of 57 carbs (including brown rice) and thought Id try a post meal test 2 hours later. Result was 6.7

Hi Paul and welcome to the forum.
Looks as if your weight loss has worked wonders for you plus a car reduction.
Don't be fooled by the 6.7 two hours after eating rice though as it does take a lot longer to hit your blood sugars 🙂

Great numbers though keep up the good work.

 

[PaulLa]

Thanks Sue and Eddy for the welcome, reassurance and encouragement.

I'll certainly take on board about the rice - next time I'll test well beyond 2 hours as well.

 

[trophywench]

If I eat carbs with, I'll say the word grease - and I'm thinking firstly of pizza cos of the cheese, but it applies to eg rice with a curry, which has ghee round the outside of the dish, so you stir it in to the sauce, or pasta with a cheesy or creamy sauce - it can and does spike my BG around 5 hours later.

Obviously us lot using injected insulin perforce must test at least before every time we decide to eat anything containing carbs, so we do find more out about things such as this which wouldn't be at all obvious to such as yourself. All I'm saying is - it's worth doing random tests at various times after you eat such stuff.

But anyway - your caveat that if you ate that whole roast dinner with several Yorkshires, boiled and roast spuds with a dessert of treacle sponge - then things would be different! So although at the moment your BG seems excellent, because you certainly do have a problem with carbs if you let them get out of hand and put the weight back on - it will most likely come back and bother you again. Hence let your new menu be the way forward into the future.

It won't necessarily mean it will never return even with the dietary and exercise changes maintained - but it will help to delay that day IF it's going to happen. Well done so far !

 

[Eddy Edson]

Really, the only worthwhile advice is to test a lot to work out yr own way through the maze.

Only for the little it's worth, my levels are down to around the same as yours now with the same kind of muted signs of insulin resistance. I eat about 150g - 180g of carbs a day but 30g-45g of that is fibre, which for me has made a big difference. Fruit, veggies, quinoa seeds, oats, endamame (soya beans), lots of nuts, fish, chicken, some dairy, occasional veal & kangaroo (I'm in Oz).

Rice: I've added some brown rice into the mix, for convenience when dining out etc. It does seem to have a delayed BG impact but really not very much, in moderate quantities. Spuds: I don't really see much impact from roast spuds, in moderation.

As always, yr mileage will certainly vary!

 

[PaulLa]

Some really good advice thanks Trophy and Eddy. What is coming over as key, is that although Ive had good results Ive still a load of work to do to figure out the best foods and their amounts to try and stay in control.

Im also realising that ongoing close diet control is a must...I particularly worry about when I get to the point of when I must stop losing weight (still plenty time to try and figure that one though!!).

Your food examples are very useful Eddy as I've been avoiding the likes of potatoes in all carnations like the plague whereas you have shown that may not always be necessary. I have no real diet plan and struggle with finding more of a variety of dishes with good carbs I actually like. I'll look at inclusion of high fibre too.

I've still got a good amount of weight to lose so hope I might be able to do more to reduce insulin resistance through continued calorie restriction (Newcastle diet has crossed my mind but Im not sure of the health risks with going that extreme).

Thanks again everyone for your help and support.

 

[Drummer]

I could eat more carbs than the limit I set myself as I seem to have negated the diabetes - but if I did I would soon see an increase in weight, as I have always put on weight very easily.
I achieved normal BG levels on no more than 50 gm of carb a day, but now I am down to 40gm - but i was huge after eating all the stodge on a diet to reduce cholesterol - which was utterly miserable and did not work.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Some really good advice thanks Trophy and Eddy. What is coming over as key, is that although Ive had good results Ive still a load of work to do to figure out the best foods and their amounts to try and stay in control.

Im also realising that ongoing close diet control is a must...I particularly worry about when I get to the point of when I must stop losing weight (still plenty time to try and figure that one though!!).

Your food examples are very useful Eddy as I've been avoiding the likes of potatoes in all carnations like the plague whereas you have shown that may not always be necessary. I have no real diet plan and struggle with finding more of a variety of dishes with good carbs I actually like. I'll look at inclusion of high fibre too.

I've still got a good amount of weight to lose so hope I might be able to do more to reduce insulin resistance through continued calorie restriction (Newcastle diet has crossed my mind but Im not sure of the health risks with going that extreme).

Thanks again everyone for your help and support.

I did the Newcastle diet, which seems to have reversed my diabetes.
After diagnosis I did a low fat calorie controlled diet, and lost a lot of weight.
BG wasn't quite back to normal, so I finished off with the Newcastle diet, which seemed to do the job.
Exercise also played a part in it.

I now seem to be happy eating most things, I try to stick to a Mediterranean diet, and don't really need to count anything.
Still fairly low fat, and I tend to avoid saturated fats when I can.
I don't overeat, so portion control (by eye) works, coupled to getting on the scales.

 

[PaulLa]

I did the Newcastle diet, which seems to have reversed my diabetes.
After diagnosis I did a low fat calorie controlled diet, and lost a lot of weight.
BG wasn't quite back to normal, so I finished off with the Newcastle diet, which seemed to do the job.
Exercise also played a part in it.

I now seem to be happy eating most things, I try to stick to a Mediterranean diet, and don't really need to count anything.
Still fairly low fat, and I tend to avoid saturated fats when I can.
I don't overeat, so portion control (by eye) works, coupled to getting on the scales.

That's really useful traveller. Great results. How long were you on the ND and how did you find doing it - did you get any kind of health monitoring? You have managed the transition from the ND to sustainable diet really well...that bit worried me as it seems to be one of the things that people seem to stumble on.

 

[PaulLa]

I could eat more carbs than the limit I set myself as I seem to have negated the diabetes - but if I did I would soon see an increase in weight, as I have always put on weight very easily.
I achieved normal BG levels on no more than 50 gm of carb a day, but now I am down to 40gm - but i was huge after eating all the stodge on a diet to reduce cholesterol - which was utterly miserable and did not work.

Thanks Drummer..good to hear you've achieved normal blood levels and now found a way to balance your diet to maintain this and control your weight. I hope I can do the same when I get to the point where Im down to a good weight.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

That's really useful traveller. Great results. How long were you on the ND and how did you find doing it - did you get any kind of health monitoring? You have managed the transition from the ND to sustainable diet really well...that bit worried me as it seems to be one of the things that people seem to stumble on.

I actually did it for six weeks rather than eight, but that was because I had a personal thing I needed to do.
The Newcastle diet resets your eating habits.
That was actually one thing that put me off LCHF. The eat until your are satiated. I wasnt. Ever.
So not eating gave me a reset.
Now it's very easy to simply realise I've eaten enough and stop.

 

[PaulLa]

I actually did it for six weeks rather than eight, but that was because I had a personal thing I needed to do.
The Newcastle diet resets your eating habits.
That was actually one thing that put me off LCHF. The eat until your are satiated. I wasnt. Ever.
So not eating gave me a reset.
Now it's very easy to simply realise I've eaten enough and stop.

I am definitely considering doing the ND while I still have plenty to lose. I am getting good numbers now do may see if these continue to improve as I lose more on my current diet...If not then Ill likely try the ND,

 

[Deleted member 21371]

I am definitely considering doing the ND while I still have plenty to lose. I am getting good numbers now do may see if these continue to improve as I lose more on my current diet...If not then Ill likely try the ND,

I had a lot to lose.
I did a low fat diet for a year, watching the calories, which did get me back to a normal BMI. (I lost around 4 stone).
But I still was quite showing a normal glucose response.
I did the Newcastle diet, and lost another stone or so, which did normalise things,

I had lost a bit too much weight though, I did look quite ill, since then I have put a little bit back on, but still haven't tipped back to being diabetic.

I think there is certainly a difference in the types of fat you lose, depending on the type of diet, and speed of loss, and then there is a difference in where you start to put the fat back on initially as well.
I also became much more active over the year, this certainly made a difference to me as well.

 

[PaulLa]

I had a lot to lose.
I did a low fat diet for a year, watching the calories, which did get me back to a normal BMI. (I lost around 4 stone).
But I still was quite showing a normal glucose response.
I did the Newcastle diet, and lost another stone or so, which did normalise things,

I had lost a bit too much weight though, I did look quite ill, since then I have put a little bit back on, but still haven't tipped back to being diabetic.

I think there is certainly a difference in the types of fat you lose, depending on the type of diet, and speed of loss, and then there is a difference in where you start to put the fat back on initially as well.
I also became much more active over the year, this certainly made a difference to me as well.

This is really useful thanks. I lost weight quickly (2 1/2 stones in 7 weeks) but although I'm getting good glucose readings I'm not totally convinced (just did a 2 hr post meal of 6.8mmol/l - ate 60 g carbs (Inc baked beans and sweet potatoes). There is meter accuracy to factor in too. I've still at least another 3 stones to go so plenty of scope to do ND if need be. Did you do it with support from your gp or did you go it alone? Thanks again.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

This is really useful thanks. I lost weight quickly (2 1/2 stones in 7 weeks) but although I'm getting good glucose readings I'm not totally convinced (just did a 2 hr post meal of 6.8mmol/l - ate 60 g carbs (Inc baked beans and sweet potatoes). There is meter accuracy to factor in too. I've still at least another 3 stones to go so plenty of scope to do ND if need be. Did you do it with support from your gp or did you go it alone? Thanks again.

All sorts of things affect accuracy.
Apart from the meter, and temperature, whether you have moved or not, whether your finger is hot or cold, among many others.
6.8 is very good either way,

I won't say I exactly did it alone, as I told my GP I was going to do it.
I've never left them out of the loop, as I believe they can't treat me effectively if they don't know what is happening, and we have worked together.
Having said that, there wasn't a lot they could do to support me, i used Tesco shakes, and my scheduled annual Hba1c was due at the end of the diet anyway.

 

[Eddy Edson]

lthough I'm getting good glucose readings I'm not totally convinced

Why not? It seems most likely that you've worked out how to control yr BG down to "normal" levels & you've earned some satisfaction for that. Tho I guess it's good to avoid complacency.

I'd (purely) guess that your speed in getting excellent BG control is a good omen for a Newcastle attempt.

Note that the Newcastle people are starting up a new trial for non-obese subjects, following on from previous encouraging lab work. I've worked my BMI down to 22 from 25 at diagnosis, aiming for 21, as an experiment to see whether that's enough to tip me into remission ...

 

[PaulLa]

I won't say I exactly did it alone, as I told my GP I was going to do it.
I've never left them out of the loop, as I believe they can't treat me effectively if they don't know what is happening, and we have worked together.
Having said that, there wasn't a lot they could do to support me, i used Tesco shakes, and my scheduled annual Hba1c was due at the end of the diet anyway.

Didnt realise that Tesco did such shakes...handy to know. Like you Id like to keep my GP and team in the loop too. Having just had a reading of 5.5 after 2h 15m to 3hrs after a 55g approx carb meal out (took I while to bring both courses!) I believe stress can up BG levels and having just being out with friends I was very chilled when I tested this time which hopefully explains the lower readings rather than accuracy issues.

I might consider monitoring myself for a more couple of weeks to see if what Im doing is sufficient to get further improvements and fall back on ND if I need to do more. I do observe all the rules to get the most accurate reading I can. Great to hear your experiences and successes....very inspiring.

 

[PaulLa]

Why not? It seems most likely that you've worked out how to control yr BG down to "normal" levels & you've earned some satisfaction for that. Tho I guess it's good to avoid complacency.

I'd (purely) guess that your speed in getting excellent BG control is a good omen for a Newcastle attempt.

Note that the Newcastle people are starting up a new trial for non-obese subjects, following on from previous encouraging lab work. I've worked my BMI down to 22 from 25 at diagnosis, aiming for 21, as an experiment to see whether that's enough to tip me into remission ...

Thanks for the encouragement...very motivating. A big well done with your BMI...numbers I can only dream of! And the very best of wishes for you to achieve remission (something Im also hoping for too but Im not sure Id know how to recognise it!). Keep us posted on your progress.

 

[Sharron1]

Hi,

Just read all the posts - you certainly have worked hard in a short time. I am now 3 months in to this new world. I have a selection of low carb meals which do appear to work and now I am only testing when I find something new. I was able to have Shreddies yesterday - previously they weren't too good about 6ish when I tested, but I had them at lunch and it was a 4.8. Today I have had porridge for breakfast and am going to test to see what the BGL is for that. I find the low carb ok ,but sometimes I do get a bit hungry so a cracker and some cheese helps. I am much calmer about the eating now as I understand better - portion size. Good luck and do keep on posting progress. Might try some brown rice next. What are these Tesco shakes?