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Recently Diagnosed Type 2 Newbie

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
S

Sugar Free Steve

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi All,

I went to the doctors yesterday with a bad back and it was quickly established that I had a very high sugar content in both my Urine and Blood. This morning I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I was advised that my HbA1c showed my level was at 96 mmol/L. This is all very new to me and a shock since I had started a much healthier lifestyle back in January, I guess it was a bit too late. Now I need to continue this and develop this further with far more reductions in Sugar and more exercise. I have to admit, I am a little scared at the prospect of being a Diabetic but I'll have to work through it with a positive attitude and manage it.

Thanks for the welcome.

Regards,

Sugar Free Steve
 
I always feel a bit hesitant about admitting that I went from a Hb1ic of 91 down to normal in 6 months, without really trying, I just stopped eating the high carb foods recommended, and 3 stones in weight just fell off somewhere.
 
Hi Steve - It's a drag getting saddled with the big D, but if you have to have a chronic medical condition it's probably the one to pick 🙂 Treat it as a spur to get healthier.

Everybody's different, but you'll find lots of stories from people who went from your kind of levels to "normal" in a few months. For me it was mainly just losing some weight, though not really overweight to start with, and that's an approach with lots of medical evidence backing it up. Low-carb approaches get more air-time and maybe the right thing for you, but they're certainly not the only game in town, and involve their own drawbacks.

Take your time to research, think, listen to your HCP's and try to focus on advice coming from actual experts, rather than Internet nonsense.
 
Agree with Eddy with a bit of a caveat on his last four words... Only half the stuff on the internet is nonsense. The problem is figuring out which half.
 
Hi Steve, I agree with the others, it’s not as scary once you get your head around it, personally it’s been a good thing for me, I also have a dicky ticker and had become a bit of a misery guts glued to my sofa waiting for something to happen 😳 well it did...I became diabetic and it was the kick up the butt I needed, my starting point was 22.5 (around 198!!) but like Drummer, I had it under control within 6 months by going low carb and borrowing my neighbours dog to make me go for a walk. Now a year on, I’m about to come off my metformin so I’m only diet controlled, I absolutely love what I eat and would never go back to my old diet :D
 
Hi Steve and welcome. It is certainly a shock when diagnosed isn’t it, it takes some time to get your head around it. I agree with all the above, certainly low carb is the best thing for you to do. I have found it harder than some because I’m such a fussy eater, having said that I have, like others, managed to reduce my level from 90 to 51 in 3 months by upping my exercise and diet, although I am on 4x500mg Metformin so obviously that has something to do with it!! Good luck to you Steve and feel free to ask any questions at all
 
Bronco Billy said:
Hi Sugar Free Steve, welcome to the forum. A diagnosis can hit hard, especially if it’s unexpected. Have a read of a let from a lady call Maggie Davey, which she wrote as a message to everyone who is diagnosed. As many on this forum will confirm, type 2 can be controlled. Some have even gone into remission. It takes hard work and discipline, but it can be done. Good luck.

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/maggie-daveys-letter-to-newly-diagnosed-type-2s.61307/
Click to expand...
Thanks Bronco Billy, some really useful information there and you are not the first to have recommended that. Thanks again
 
Drummer said:
I always feel a bit hesitant about admitting that I went from a Hb1ic of 91 down to normal in 6 months, without really trying, I just stopped eating the high carb foods recommended, and 3 stones in weight just fell off somewhere.
Click to expand...

Good work that Drummer. This is what I am hoping. I started the Slimming World Diet in January to support the wife loose weight and we both cut out white bread, white rice etc.... and now eat seeded and wholegrain along with cutting out crisps, chocolate and other carbs. So, I do feel like I am half way there really. I hate to think what my levels may have been prior to January.
 
Eddy Edson said:
Hi Steve - It's a drag getting saddled with the big D, but if you have to have a chronic medical condition it's probably the one to pick 🙂 Treat it as a spur to get healthier.

Everybody's different, but you'll find lots of stories from people who went from your kind of levels to "normal" in a few months. For me it was mainly just losing some weight, though not really overweight to start with, and that's an approach with lots of medical evidence backing it up. Low-carb approaches get more air-time and maybe the right thing for you, but they're certainly not the only game in town, and involve their own drawbacks.

Take your time to research, think, listen to your HCP's and try to focus on advice coming from actual experts, rather than Internet nonsense.
Click to expand...

Thanks Eddy. As I've said to Drummer I started the Slimming World diet way before I was diagnosed so there isn't a huge amount of adjustment. I am upping the exercise though so this should help. And I take onboard what you say re the internet and Docb is right........ filtering the nonsense is the challenge. Thanks again.
 
SueEK said:
Hi Steve and welcome. It is certainly a shock when diagnosed isn’t it, it takes some time to get your head around it. I agree with all the above, certainly low carb is the best thing for you to do. I have found it harder than some because I’m such a fussy eater, having said that I have, like others, managed to reduce my level from 90 to 51 in 3 months by upping my exercise and diet, although I am on 4x500mg Metformin so obviously that has something to do with it!! Good luck to you Steve and feel free to ask any questions at all
Click to expand...

Thanks Sue. I used to be quiet fussy but not so much now. I've started to up my exercise so I'm hoping that and the carb adjustments I can get there.
 
Sugar Free Steve said:
Good work that Drummer. This is what I am hoping. I started the Slimming World Diet in January to support the wife loose weight and we both cut out white bread, white rice etc.... and now eat seeded and wholegrain along with cutting out crisps, chocolate and other carbs. So, I do feel like I am half way there really. I hate to think what my levels may have been prior to January.
Click to expand...
I don't understand what benefit eating seeded or wholemeal carbs might have - can you explain the reasoning for having them in your diet?
I do eat the protein bread from Asda - but that is under 8 percent carbs.
 
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