Teetering on the edge....

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Phantomdog

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Hi Everyone,

Another naive newbie here. I was going to say surprised, but that would be a lie. I (like I suspect many others) have ignored the warning signs to my health, and it's taken a locum doctor to actually pull no punches with me, and spell out the seriousness of my situation.

It was she that suggested I sign up here and start a dialogue, even though I'm not yet on meds or have a full blown diagnosis. I have an HbA1c of 48mmol/mol, so right on the edge, but apart from one thing, my weight, I have very low contributing factors. Taking the test here that shows risk of type 2 diabetes I would have a score of 11 if it weren't for my weight, and possibly even 6, but for some mild hypertension again associated with my weight. So she sees me as "saveable" and someone for whom change is possible to avoid my actually developing full blown type 2 diabetes.

I hope she's right, and that I can motivate myself to solve my weight problem. Something that I've conveniently swept under (albeit a very large) carpet up until now 🙂

Not sure how much anyone wants to know? But I guess in the spirit of full disclosure here goes:
I'm 55, male, and have always been a "big" person in the sense that I'm 6'2" with broad shoulders. My weight used to be pretty constant around the 18st mark (approx 250lbs), still too high, but somehow my frame pulled it off and I was pretty energetic, lots of cycling, walking etc. & healthy.

Then, about 3 years ago now I had kidney stone issues, and was laid up for a couple of months after some botched surgery where my ureter was split. I put on a good stone or more in that time and was very lethargic afterwards. Upshot I kept putting on weight until now I weigh the best part of 26st or around 350lbs! Those of you good at math will see my BMI is now 45.8, a rather terrible number :(

So as I was told, and clearly knew although have been ignoring, I need to reduce my weight drastically.

Positives - I don't drink or smoke, I like vegetables and fruit, and have a sunny disposition🙂
(Except for cucumber & rhubarb - spawn of the devil!!)

Negatives - I have a sweet tooth, never seem to feel full, and have a million and one excuses not to exercise (which to be honest now is difficult)

The plethora of diet information out there just confuses me, and I don't want just a "drink cabbage water" diet. I'd rather try and make some lifestyle changes than "diet" as such, so that it's sustainable, but equally I know I have a long way to go so if it makes sense to spend the first 6 months doing something more drastic then fine.

I guess I'm really looking for some advice from anyone that's been in a similar boat, and what advice the might have or pitfalls they encountered.

Anyway, that's me ..... hello 🙂 and thanks for any feedback or suggestions.
 
Hello and welcome to you.

You will get good advice and as sure as eggs is eggs things will improve.

I'm no expert, my starter is,, go slow and easy.
 
welcome Phantomdog, glad you came on here, you will definitely find you are not alone. The main thing we all look out for in terms of food are carbohydrates (of which sugar is one). It's the carbs that raise our blood sugars, some faster and higher than others. If you can, it can be a good idea to manage your carb portions (for example bread, pasta, rice, potatoes) and eat more protein, veg etc. This goes alongside the obvious cut down in biscuits, cake, pastries etc and any sugary drinks (including fruit juice). This should also help you loose weight. There are some fantastic recipes in the food section and I would recommend posting in the weight loss section to for a bit of moral support and good advice. Hopefully, by making substitutions instead of just going without, you can make sustainable change. I was amazed how many carbs normal people eat everyday - and what a difference changing them up made. best of luck and keep posting 🙂
 
Phantomdog said:
Hi Everyone,

Another naive newbie here. I was going to say surprised, but that would be a lie. I (like I suspect many others) have ignored the warning signs to my health, and it's taken a locum doctor to actually pull no punches with me, and spell out the seriousness of my situation.

It was she that suggested I sign up here and start a dialogue, even though I'm not yet on meds or have a full blown diagnosis. I have an HbA1c of 48mmol/mol, so right on the edge, but apart from one thing, my weight, I have very low contributing factors. Taking the test here that shows risk of type 2 diabetes I would have a score of 11 if it weren't for my weight, and possibly even 6, but for some mild hypertension again associated with my weight. So she sees me as "saveable" and someone for whom change is possible to avoid my actually developing full blown type 2 diabetes.

I hope she's right, and that I can motivate myself to solve my weight problem. Something that I've conveniently swept under (albeit a very large) carpet up until now 🙂

Not sure how much anyone wants to know? But I guess in the spirit of full disclosure here goes:
I'm 55, male, and have always been a "big" person in the sense that I'm 6'2" with broad shoulders. My weight used to be pretty constant around the 18st mark (approx 250lbs), still too high, but somehow my frame pulled it off and I was pretty energetic, lots of cycling, walking etc. & healthy.

Then, about 3 years ago now I had kidney stone issues, and was laid up for a couple of months after some botched surgery where my ureter was split. I put on a good stone or more in that time and was very lethargic afterwards. Upshot I kept putting on weight until now I weigh the best part of 26st or around 350lbs! Those of you good at math will see my BMI is now 45.8, a rather terrible number :(

So as I was told, and clearly knew although have been ignoring, I need to reduce my weight drastically.

Positives - I don't drink or smoke, I like vegetables and fruit, and have a sunny disposition🙂
(Except for cucumber & rhubarb - spawn of the devil!!)

Negatives - I have a sweet tooth, never seem to feel full, and have a million and one excuses not to exercise (which to be honest now is difficult)

The plethora of diet information out there just confuses me, and I don't want just a "drink cabbage water" diet. I'd rather try and make some lifestyle changes than "diet" as such, so that it's sustainable, but equally I know I have a long way to go so if it makes sense to spend the first 6 months doing something more drastic then fine.

I guess I'm really looking for some advice from anyone that's been in a similar boat, and what advice the might have or pitfalls they encountered.

Anyway, that's me ..... hello 🙂 and thanks for any feedback or suggestions.
Click to expand...
Welcome, i had the sweetest tooth ever, could drink tea with as much sugar as you could pile in it, min i had was 3😱 i now have sweetners.
I ate choc everyday😱 loved crsips although usually only had a packet weekend.
Being a lady, some would question that statement😛 i went to the doctors about the "change" my T2 was picked up then, i wont lie i was heartbroken:( the nurse suggested here, i came here and read night after night.
I am a big Martin Lewis fan and go on the forums there, on there there is a slimming world thread, i started reading and asking questions, after 2 weeks i joined slimming world, my weight loss is in my sig:D
I also low carb, at my 3 month check ALL my numbers are down, i am now border line T2 i still take metformin,my blood pressure is the lowest it has been for years:D:D i still have approx 18-21lbs to lose, if i can do it so can you😛 good luck on your journey
HTH
 
Welcome to the group, looks like a good wake-up call....

IMHO the first thing to address is your carb intake, once that is under control then the weight should come off naturally. The thing about carbs is that "Carbs Crave Carbs", the more you consume the more you want. so a good starting point is to cut or reduce carb sources (not just sweet sugary foods) such as Bread, Rice, Pasta, Cereals and starchy vegetables such as potatoes; instead replacing them with green leafy vegetables. For example, I love curry & probably make curry once a week, instead of the rice I often have mine on a bed of spinach.
 
Hello mate. Try not to get too hung up on the BMI, it's a crude measure and can throw some strange results.

Sounds like you know where you want to be (weight wise) and believe me your body will get better as the weight comes off. Things will be easier to do, you will be fitter, your body will work better.

Low carb matey has been phenomenal for me. No pasta, potato, rice, bread. Lots of salad, nuts, protein, berries.

See my signature below. Best of luck!
 
Hi Phantomdog - thats a long name would you mind if I call you PD?
A warm welcome to our friendly helpful & supportive forum.

I can recommend the book CARB & CALORIE COUNTER that will help you with your carborhydrate intake @stephknits. So be watchful of the carbs that you eat ie. White bread, pasta, rice and vegetables that grow beneath the ground as opposed above the ground.

Amazon sell the book for approx £10.There are over 1700 illustrated colour photo's and a section to help when eating out. A book worth investing particularly as you're endeavouring to lose weight. There's also a pocket size version called the POCKET COUNTER - again this can be obtained from Amazon. A book worth investing - I hope you find both books as usefuI as I have. Take care.
20170808_191420.jpg
 
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Hi Phantomdog welcome. I'm glad you saw that Locum doc it sounds like she is worth her weight in gold.
I see you have been given good advise already so I won't repeat it.

My advise is to take little steps at first, ie don't go mad and try cutting all those carbohydrates out, or down too low initially, you'll only be setting yourself up to fail, Do the same with exersize, ie go for short walks /rides etc everyday and as your stamina builds up increase things.

one of the best things you can do ,is learn how various foods affect you personally. You see we are all very different in what our bodies handle well, mostly the standard dietary advise given by those we expect to know, doesn't work for us. Ie some of us can eat porridge, others have to avoid it like the plague.
The only way to really know what carbs we can tolerate is by self testing our BG regularly.
Sadly a lot of gp practices don't provide the very equipment that's needed for T2s who are not on medications that can cause hypo's (low BG levels) to find out. often telling people they don't need to test sometimes for silly reasons, like it will upset you. In our opinion it's a short sighted cost cutting measure that's going to cost much more in the long run .
If you want to self test and are refused a glucose meter, the SD Codefree meter from Homehealth
http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/
Or Amazon
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073WHN...fm-21&linkId=cb802524a5a272370a22a66f9d54406e
Has the cheapest testing strips we know of around £7 for 50 rather than the £15+ from chemists.
We use the mmol/measurement in the uk and you're entitled to claim VAT relief.

Have a read through the T2 section on the useful links for people new to diabetes thread in the newbies say hello here forum
https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes.10406/
My apologies I do seem to have gone on rather a lot 🙂
 
Hi Phantomdog, welcome. This is a great place to come for advice, good call.

The best book I ever bought for weight loss is Tom Kerridge's Dopamine Diet. Ignore the Dopamine guff, that's bollards, but it's chock full of really tasty recipes. I lost a stone in 10 weeks. Tom Kerridge lost 11stone in 3 years. If you look at the photo on the back of the book, that's his old trousers he's holding up. I bet yours aren't much different. But it is by far the most enjoyable way to lose weight that I've found, even if you have a sweet tooth.

I posted this just to let you know that it's not just the ladies who want a svelte figure, or that it will be just ladies keeping you on the straight and narrow.🙂
 
Hi Everyone,

Thanks very much for all the helpful advice and words of encouragement. It looks like low carbs is the way to go then 🙂 I'll look at all your suggestions thanks.

Fingers crossed 🙂
 
Phantomdog said:
Hi Everyone,

Thanks very much for all the helpful advice and words of encouragement. It looks like low carbs is the way to go then 🙂 I'll look at all your suggestions thanks.

Fingers crossed 🙂
Click to expand...
Good man.

Low carb can be a bit of a shock at first, can leave you feeling a bit lacking in energy, hungry, and cold. If you feel any of this, then you know that you are in the right ball park. I think the first week is hardest as food is on your mind all the time and you almost are in mourning.

But don't punish yourself. A small handful of berries can push you through to your main meals. Nuts are good too, but calorie dynamite. Go easy on the nuts (especially salted ones)!

You can eat as much healthy veg as you like - like a horse! (but watch out for the sweet things like corn, peas, carrots, parsnips). Tuna is great protein, as well as beans. Check the food thread - I stuck a link in about edamame spaghetti. Amazing stuff.
 
Phantomdog said:
Hi Everyone,

Another naive newbie here. I was going to say surprised, but that would be a lie. I (like I suspect many others) have ignored the warning signs to my health, and it's taken a locum doctor to actually pull no punches with me, and spell out the seriousness of my situation.

It was she that suggested I sign up here and start a dialogue, even though I'm not yet on meds or have a full blown diagnosis. I have an HbA1c of 48mmol/mol, so right on the edge, but apart from one thing, my weight, I have very low contributing factors. Taking the test here that shows risk of type 2 diabetes I would have a score of 11 if it weren't for my weight, and possibly even 6, but for some mild hypertension again associated with my weight. So she sees me as "saveable" and someone for whom change is possible to avoid my actually developing full blown type 2 diabetes.

I hope she's right, and that I can motivate myself to solve my weight problem. Something that I've conveniently swept under (albeit a very large) carpet up until now 🙂

Not sure how much anyone wants to know? But I guess in the spirit of full disclosure here goes:
I'm 55, male, and have always been a "big" person in the sense that I'm 6'2" with broad shoulders. My weight used to be pretty constant around the 18st mark (approx 250lbs), still too high, but somehow my frame pulled it off and I was pretty energetic, lots of cycling, walking etc. & healthy.

Then, about 3 years ago now I had kidney stone issues, and was laid up for a couple of months after some botched surgery where my ureter was split. I put on a good stone or more in that time and was very lethargic afterwards. Upshot I kept putting on weight until now I weigh the best part of 26st or around 350lbs! Those of you good at math will see my BMI is now 45.8, a rather terrible number :(

So as I was told, and clearly knew although have been ignoring, I need to reduce my weight drastically.

Positives - I don't drink or smoke, I like vegetables and fruit, and have a sunny disposition🙂
(Except for cucumber & rhubarb - spawn of the devil!!)

Negatives - I have a sweet tooth, never seem to feel full, and have a million and one excuses not to exercise (which to be honest now is difficult)

The plethora of diet information out there just confuses me, and I don't want just a "drink cabbage water" diet. I'd rather try and make some lifestyle changes than "diet" as such, so that it's sustainable, but equally I know I have a long way to go so if it makes sense to spend the first 6 months doing something more drastic then fine.

I guess I'm really looking for some advice from anyone that's been in a similar boat, and what advice the might have or pitfalls they encountered.

Anyway, that's me ..... hello 🙂 and thanks for any feedback or suggestions.
Click to expand...
Hi Phantomdog... the best advice given to me was would not to rush...so take your time finding a routine that suits you... at your own pace...understand what you are dealing with in as much detail as you can...diabetes is a cunning little so and so...diet has to be individual to you...what is tolerated by one diabetic may not be suitable for another...that and a book recommended changed my whole perspective on diabetes control...Type 2 Diabetes The First year by Gretchen Becker ...herself type 2...takes you through her first year after her diagnosis...month by month...answers many of the questions we all have...why/how did it develop...is it our fault ( no it isn't)...explains the need to self monitor our blood sugars (home testing)...diet/lifestyle changes...what effect that has in reducing BG levels...well written...easy to read...there is a wealth of information available on what diet is best...can be overwhelming...what to choose...how to know if it's beneficial...try to read the book...particularly the part relating to home testing...that will demonstrate how your diet/lifestyle affects your blood sugars...many of us have been in the same position...need to lose weight...change diet...exercise...seems daunting initially...however...once you get started you'll be surprised how even the smallest changes bring positive benefits...good luck...keep us updated...be interested to hear your progress.
 
Welcome Phantomdog. I would echo Mikey B's viewpoint about Tom Kerridge's book. I have a copy of it. I also think the book by Dr David Cavan "reverse your diabetes" is very good too with some great recipes. When he says "reverse" he means keeping better control, as not everyone can reverse it. In fact, many doctors don't think it is possible at all. My Father in Law's neighbour lost some weight through worry about her husband and her blood sugars went back to normal levels from diabetic but her GP told her she would always be classed as diabetic.

I also like Michael Moseley's 8 week Blood Sugar Diet book, the Blood Sugar Diet Recipe Book and the Fast Diet by Michael Moseley. I cannot do the 800 calorie diet as I am underweight but I still find the recipes useful.
 
Hi and welcome to forum.
 
A warm welcome PD. Yes you are very very 'salvageable' with a Hba1c of 48. In fact some basic changes to your eating and you'll soon be down below diabetic level. It will look like a mammoth and confusing task just now but once you get into it and see the weight reduce and your health and energy levels revive, you'll wonder why you waited so long! So many of us have been there and we get it. Truth is you've caught this early and you're in a great position to crack it.
My best advice would be home testing even if you have to fund it yourself. It's worth eating by the meter.

It will take a while to tame that big appetite but stick at it, read all you can, ask questions and report your successes (and set backs). They're a great team on here and understood how tough the goal can be to reach.

Best of luck to you. You've taken the first, most important step so onwards and downwards with confidence! 🙂
 
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