The results are in...again.

[What the..?]

I just wanted to share my latest HbA1c result as I'm so very happy, and very grateful to this forum for all the support I've had, particularly when I joined after my Type 2 was diagnosed.
So, my reading at diagnosis last November was 53 (and you may recall my GP wanted to just put me on tablets and not consider doing it by diet and exercise alone), but I gave it a go without medication. My next test in January was 46, which I was very happy with but knew I had to stick at it. And my latest one is 41. I am very, very, thankful and it does go to show that sometimes you can do it without the tablets...so far at least. I know it isn't as fast a decrease as some have managed, but I can honesty say I haven't felt hard done by once doing it my way. I have had the occasional 'treat' but know full well that I have to stick primarily to the lower carb way of eating and increased exercise. I am only restricting to about a hundred carbs a day or less, which I know is a moderate reduction, and I'm lucky to be someone who it has worked for. My cholesterol readings are a bit higher than 'ideal', but I am not overly concerned as there seems to be a lot of conflicting opinion on how they should be interpreted.
I suppose the point is, if anyone out there is newly diagnosed, and feeling scared - don't be. I can say this has worked for me, and I feel healthier than I have done for years. Thanks again to everyone here.

 

[Cherrelle DUK]

Hi What the..?, congratulations on your latest results!

I think making moderate changes consistently is a great approach as you reduce the risk of complications and increase the likelihood that you'll maintain the results.

Thank you for sharing this with as I know many newbies wonder if it's possible to get back to a healthy range once diagnosed and you have shown that smart work pays off.

 

[rebrascora]

Many congratulations to you for your sustained progress and your first "normal" HbA1c. One of many I am sure. I hope your HCPs are suitably impressed. Well done for holding your ground and doing it without medication. Most importantly, you don't feel deprived and feel fitter and healthier.
WELL DONE YOU! .... and thanks for posting as I am sure your story will inspire others.

 

[Gwynn]

Yup congtatulations. Yet another that shows it can sometimes be done without meds.

 

[What the..?]

Thanks - I'm sure I couldn't have done it without this forum x

 

[What the..?]

Many congratulations to you for your sustained progress and your first "normal" HbA1c. One of many I am sure. I hope your HCPs are suitably impressed. Well done for holding your ground and doing it without medication. Most importantly, you don't feel deprived and feel fitter and healthier.
WELL DONE YOU! .... and thanks for posting as I am sure your story will inspire others.

Thanks Rebrascora, and thanks for your wise words and understanding over the months. It would be nice to think there'd be some acknowledgment that maybe reaching for the prescription pad isn't always the best first response, but I suspect my HbA1C result will be conveniently put to one side as they pounce on my cholesterol levels. I may be doing them a disservice, and if so I'll happily report back to that effect.

 

[Ljc]

Congratulations.

 

[What the..?]

Yup congtatulations. Yet another that shows it can sometimes be done without meds.

Thanks Gwynn - and well done on the single-minded way you've tackled your diabetes/not diabetes/maybe something else...that must all have been very frustrating, and you've come through it terrifically.

 

[Molly M]

@What the..? - fantastic - well done

 

[Annieshar]

I just wanted to share my latest HbA1c result as I'm so very happy, and very grateful to this forum for all the support I've had, particularly when I joined after my Type 2 was diagnosed.
So, my reading at diagnosis last November was 53 (and you may recall my GP wanted to just put me on tablets and not consider doing it by diet and exercise alone), but I gave it a go without medication. My next test in January was 46, which I was very happy with but knew I had to stick at it. And my latest one is 41. I am very, very, thankful and it does go to show that sometimes you can do it without the tablets...so far at least. I know it isn't as fast a decrease as some have managed, but I can honesty say I haven't felt hard done by once doing it my way. I have had the occasional 'treat' but know full well that I have to stick primarily to the lower carb way of eating and increased exercise. I am only restricting to about a hundred carbs a day or less, which I know is a moderate reduction, and I'm lucky to be someone who it has worked for. My cholesterol readings are a bit higher than 'ideal', but I am not overly concerned as there seems to be a lot of conflicting opinion on how they should be interpreted.
I suppose the point is, if anyone out there is newly diagnosed, and feeling scared - don't be. I can say this has worked for me, and I feel healthier than I have done for years. Thanks again to everyone here.

I'm newly diagnosed and feel scared! Could you give me an insight into your diet? GP and nurse are saying healthy balanced, yet on her and other forums I see different advice....low carb and full fat. Any help would be appreciated. My reading was 51 and I'm not on medication.

 

[Leadinglights]

I'm newly diagnosed and feel scared! Could you give me an insight into your diet? GP and nurse are saying healthy balanced, yet on her and other forums I see different advice....low carb and full fat. Any help would be appreciated. My reading was 51 and I'm not on medication.

You are just in the diabetic zone so it should be perfectly possible to get your HbA1C down without medication by making dietary changes. You are right that there are different approaches which you will see advocated by different people but at the end of the day it has to be YOUR decision what you choose as that choice has to be sustainable essentially for life. Given that carbohydrates increase blood glucose and fat and protein don't then many people feel that the low carb NOT low fat regime is what works for them. It is then a matter of how low carb they choose to go and that is something that they can really only determine by testing foods and meals to see what they can tolerate. So the rule of thumb people tend to use is 130g per day carbs as a maximum but you will see some people do need to do go much lower.
A good starting point is to keep a food diary to see how much carb you are having then over a period of a few weeks gradually reduce the amount down to a level where you are not seeing increases in blood glucose 2hrs after meals of more than 2mmol/l or more than 8mmol/l. Testing is the key.
The 'healthy balanced diet' pushed by the NHS is generally far too high in carbohydrates for most people who are Type 2 to tolerate unless they are on bucket loads of medication.
Have a look at the thread What did you eat yesterday for ideas of what people have for meals, just note some will be on meds or insulin so may be higher carb than would be suitable for you personally.
Sorry for the waffling but I'm afraid the advise not to test really annoys me.

 

[Annieshar]

Thank you! That was really helpful and very much appreciated.

 

[What the..?]

I'm newly diagnosed and feel scared! Could you give me an insight into your diet? GP and nurse are saying healthy balanced, yet on her and other forums I see different advice....low carb and full fat. Any help would be appreciated. My reading was 51 and I'm not on medication.

Hello Annieshar, I was scared too, very scared, but I think the crossness I felt at not being given any real support soon bolstered me and made me determined to prove 'them' wrong. And this forum was very instrumental in helping me do just that. If you're interested you can have a quick look at my post when I was first diagnosed.
As Leadinglights has said we are all different, and what suits some won't suit others. The trick is to try and adapt your diet in a way that will be sustainable and not leave you feeling too hard done by.
I haven't, so far, tried testing myself, but that's a personal thing, and there's nothing to say I won't do so in the future. Although I do know that it isn't something encouraged by the NHS and I think is advised against in the NICE guidelines. However I have seen how much it helps people. I chose not to take medication, but again if things change, or something happens that makes me think it would be helpful then I would do so.
I am trying to be measured and not sound too evangelical about doing it with diet and exercise - but actually I do feel quite evangelical about it - for me. And perhaps it would work for you too.
Keeping a diary of what you eat and how much exercise you get is definitely a good thing. It gave me reassurance, a sense of being 'in control', and also was something to show the nurse when I eventually saw her - although frankly she really wasn't interested. But it might be different in your case.
So, what to eat? I was a real carb monster - nothing makes (or made) me happier than a thick slice of white bread carved from a good loaf, smothered in butter. I work from home (always, not because of the pandemic), and breakfast was toast, lunch was usually more toast, maybe with a lump of cheese, or a bowl of soup with...yes, bread. I usually cook from scratch, what would be considered healthy stuff, but soon came to realise that evening meals were very carb-heavy. So I did as advised here. Limited my bread intake, hardly any potatoes, zero pasta, rice, couscous etc. I love cauliflower so it was no hardship to have cauliflower 'rice' or 'couscous', I've discovered celeriac which makes a great replacement for chips or roast spuds. I have berries not bananas (which I also ate quite regularly), eat lots of salad and green vegetables, enjoy omelettes for lunch, and am happy adjusting what's on my plate, even though I cook as usual for my husband and son. And it truly doesn't feel like a hardship, because I know it is doing me good.
And sometimes, if I really want to, I'll have something that I 'shouldn't'. If we have fish and chips from the chip shop I just have half a dozen chips off my husband's plate. Sunday roast? Maybe a couple of roast spuds if I want a treat, but I'll factor that in to what I eat the rest of the day.
I'm sorry for going on a bit - but it really is very straightforward once you get used to taking a slightly different approach, and give yourself some time to get over the shock. You'll be fine.

 

[Annieshar]

Thank you so much for this! This does fill me with hope and does sound very similar to myself in terms of both your previous diet and the changes that you have made. I feel reassured that there are alternatives, without depriving myself of everything...I said that I'd felt that the sunshine had gone out of my life when I found out, but I just need to make some better choices and good swaps....I think! I've tried so hard all week; I've had 2 slice of wholemeal bread, salads for lunch and eaten more berries. I think I've discovered that pasta isn't good for me or I really need to control the portion size. I've just had a kitkat but now feel guilty that I've let myself down
It's very early days for me and I completely appreciate all of the advice I've been given...I'm sure I'll get there!

 

[Leadinglights]

Thank you so much for this! This does fill me with hope and does sound very similar to myself in terms of both your previous diet and the changes that you have made. I feel reassured that there are alternatives, without depriving myself of everything...I said that I'd felt that the sunshine had gone out of my life when I found out, but I just need to make some better choices and good swaps....I think! I've tried so hard all week; I've had 2 slice of wholemeal bread, salads for lunch and eaten more berries. I think I've discovered that pasta isn't good for me or I really need to control the portion size. I've just had a kitkat but now feel guilty that I've let myself down
It's very early days for me and I completely appreciate all of the advice I've been given...I'm sure I'll get there!

Things like kitkat or a square of dark chocolate are Ok if you regard them as treats to be had occasionally rather than a regular thing and if you count them into your carb allowance not extras. But it sounds as if you are doing really well with some of your choices, it is early days so don't lose heart and you have not let yourself down.

 

[Annieshar]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate the advice you have given to me today and I'm going to bed feeling much more positive than I thought I would. I'm so glad that I decided to join this forum!

 

[What the..?]

Good morning Anneishar - hope you had a good night's sleep and are feeling upbeat today.
Do let us know how you are getting on. And do ask if you have any queries - we all need a bit of guidance from time to time, and I've found people on here to be very happy to help.
Also, please don't dwell on things if you have a difficult day. We all have them from time to time, diabetic or not, and the odd Kit Kat isn't going to harm you long-term, as Leadinglights has said. Interestingly I had a battle with the chocolates left over after Christmas, it was as if they were calling to me, despite the fact I've never been that bothered about chocolates and sweets. It could have been psychological, but I do think in my case it was my body reacting to the reduction in carbs. When the urge struck I had just one or maybe two, then walked firmly away and after a few days the urges passed. The big plus of testing is you will be able to see exactly how your body reacts to what you are fueling it with.
Wishing you well over this settling-in time, and hope your next HbA1c shows a result that reflects all your efforts.

 

[mage 1]

Well done

 

[Annieshar]

Good morning Anneishar - hope you had a good night's sleep and are feeling upbeat today.
Do let us know how you are getting on. And do ask if you have any queries - we all need a bit of guidance from time to time, and I've found people on here to be very happy to help.
Also, please don't dwell on things if you have a difficult day. We all have them from time to time, diabetic or not, and the odd Kit Kat isn't going to harm you long-term, as Leadinglights has said. Interestingly I had a battle with the chocolates left over after Christmas, it was as if they were calling to me, despite the fact I've never been that bothered about chocolates and sweets. It could have been psychological, but I do think in my case it was my body reacting to the reduction in carbs. When the urge struck I had just one or maybe two, then walked firmly away and after a few days the urges passed. The big plus of testing is you will be able to see exactly how your body reacts to what you are fueling it with.
Wishing you well over this settling-in time, and hope your next HbA1c shows a result that reflects all your efforts.

Thank you so much. I'm sure I'll be back on here looking for advice and hopefully sharing positive updates. I've an appointment with the nurse on Tuesday so hoping that will also help too. Hope you have a lovely Saturday. Congratulations on your amazing achievement and thank you for taking the time to support and encourage.

 

[NotWorriedAtAll]

Thank you so much. I'm sure I'll be back on here looking for advice and hopefully sharing positive updates. I've an appointment with the nurse on Tuesday so hoping that will also help too. Hope you have a lovely Saturday. Congratulations on your amazing achievement and thank you for taking the time to support and encourage.

I just wanted to share my latest HbA1c result as I'm so very happy, and very grateful to this forum for all the support I've had, particularly when I joined after my Type 2 was diagnosed.
So, my reading at diagnosis last November was 53 (and you may recall my GP wanted to just put me on tablets and not consider doing it by diet and exercise alone), but I gave it a go without medication. My next test in January was 46, which I was very happy with but knew I had to stick at it. And my latest one is 41. I am very, very, thankful and it does go to show that sometimes you can do it without the tablets...so far at least. I know it isn't as fast a decrease as some have managed, but I can honesty say I haven't felt hard done by once doing it my way. I have had the occasional 'treat' but know full well that I have to stick primarily to the lower carb way of eating and increased exercise. I am only restricting to about a hundred carbs a day or less, which I know is a moderate reduction, and I'm lucky to be someone who it has worked for. My cholesterol readings are a bit higher than 'ideal', but I am not overly concerned as there seems to be a lot of conflicting opinion on how they should be interpreted.
I suppose the point is, if anyone out there is newly diagnosed, and feeling scared - don't be. I can say this has worked for me, and I feel healthier than I have done for years. Thanks again to everyone here.

First - well done What the..? Fantastic result and brilliant you can get there with 100 carbs a day! That's five days worth for me LOLS

Second - Hello Annieshar - I am another one who now gets 'normal' readings and I've kept mine that way for over two years now and I started with just concentrating on sorting my food choices out and no exercise (not the best way but it was the best way for me - I am a one thing at a time sort of person) and now I am exercising too and enjoying it all - food and exercise.

I needed to bring my carbs way down to under 20g a day - probably because of not moving much - to get my levels under control but that was ok because I love cooking and it led to me becoming very focussed on finding ways to eat all the things I love without them having carbs in them. I am also a very contrary sort of person so when I am told something cannot be done it just makes me more determined to find a way of doing it.

Anyway less about me and more about you - I hope you Annieshar are feeling less frightened because many of us, like What the..? are actually finding that the diagnosis and then subsequent changes we made to our lives have resulted in us feeling like we are healthier and happier than we were before the diagnosis. Personally I have never enjoyed my food so much and I always used to enjoy it in the first place. I hope you will also have a similar journey and in a few months time you will be here encouraging someone else with your own success story x