Thin Type two who exercises a lot and lower carbs

[Forgetful55]

Hello I am a bit confused as to what to do regarding low carb as I am nine stone 6 and not overweight already walk miles and go to the gym three times a week also swim but I have still managed to get Diabetes.. however had it in three of my pregnancies and it runs in the family. But I don't know how many carbs I should be eating.. did ask the diabetic nurse she just said you need your carbs and is sending me on the diabetic education course. Have been reading the David Cavan book and he suggests 30g of carbs with each meal ideally.. so is this a third of a plate? I have already lost three pounds in a month just cutting back on sugar in my tea and cake.. but don't want to go below nine stone really as I think I will start to look haggard and end up with a turkey neck.. also the weight is coming off everywhere but my stomach any suggestions please.

Thanks. So glad I found this forum.

 

[Ljc]

Hi @Forgetful55 , Welcome. Tbh the majority of T2s are not overweight, it's just the media really who have jumped on that band wagon.

How did you come to be diagnosed,ie what made you go to the gp, I'm asking because some people are misdiagnosed as T2.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hello @Forgetful55

Welcome to the forum.

I think it's a bit of a red herring to simply concentrate on numbers of grams of carb - because what you are really after, at the end of the day, is an approach to eating that keeps your BG in range for as much of the time as you can manage. While some people find low carb is their best weapon in that struggle, as you have found, there is no formal definition of what that means. And this is mostly because Diabetes is notoriously fickle and far more art than science.

Your best bet is to get a BG meter (either from your Dr if they are supportive, or an affordable one like the Codefree if you have to self-fund) and check your blood glucose immediately before and 1-2 hours after eating to see what the difference is. At this stage, the numbers themselves matter less than the difference. If you find that a lunch of x raises your BG my more than 3-4 mmol/L then look at the carb content of the meal and adjust it/swap things until you get a smaller rise. Within a few months you will have gone a long way to finding your own balance and can reduce the amount of BG checks to a more 'maintenance' level, or for when you are eating something new.

 

[Chris Hobson]

I was misdiagnosed as type 1 in May 2013 aged 54. My initial approach was to cut out all refined sugar and alcohol but eat a fairly normal healthy diet otherwise. I also started to take more exercise. By the following February I was off the insulin. I was then re-diagnosed as being probably type 2 and put on Lynagliptin for about a year. I have now been free of medication for just over two years. I am now a bit more lenient with myself regarding sugar and beer but I'm still careful. The amount of exercise that I do has increased year on year and I am currently training for a full 140.6 triathlon.

" also the weight is coming off everywhere but my stomach any suggestions please."
I found my fat tum took some shifting too. This was despite building a weights gym complete with sit ups bench. Literally thousands of sit ups later I do have a flat tum but still have slight moobs and two little love handles. I think that you just have to give these things time after all it has taken me four years.

 

[Andy HB]

Hi @Forgetful55 ..... Tbh the majority of T2s are not overweight.....

I apologise in advance, but I really must question that assertion.

Can you point me to anything, anywhere which supports it?

However, I'd say that you would be correct if you had said that weight was not the only factor in type 2 diabetes.

Anyhoo, welcome to the forum forgetfull55.

Andy 🙂

 

[grovesy]

I apologise in advance, but I really must question that assertion.

Can you point me to anything, anywhere which supports it?

However, I'd say that you would be correct if you had said that weight was not the only factor in type 2 diabetes.

Anyhoo, welcome to the forum forgetfull55.

Andy 🙂

I have just read Dr. Michael Mosley book and he said i think it was 35% are thin. But that is on the outside, he also says that there seems to be different fat thresholds in people that tip them over to being Type 2.

 

[Chris Hobson]

I was only about 10 kilos overweight when I contracted T2. At the time of diagnoses I had dropped to about 75 kilos but I'm assuming that was down to me failing to metabolise carbs. Once I was on medication my weight went straight back up. I'm now back down to 75 kilos due mainly to doing plenty of exercise.

 

[Andy HB]

I have just read Dr. Michael Mosley book and he said i think it was 35% are thin. But that is on the outside, he also says that there seems to be different fat thresholds in people that tip them over to being Type 2.

I have no problem with what Dr Mosley says. That seems reasonable to me.

It is quite apparent, anecdotally on this forum, that there is quite a range of weights when people are diagnosed. But it does tend more to the overweight level (as that single stat of 35% would seem to indicate).

Andy 🙂

 

[Forgetful55]

Hello

Thanks for the replies everyone. I first went to the GP because my daughter who is a nurse had checked my blood sugar one day and it was what we thought a little high after not eating that much (9) and I always knew I was high risk due to the gestational diabetes and it being in the family.. that GP sent me for an Hba1c which came back at 47 last August and the latest one to recheck it came back at 49. I agree that the blood sugar monitor must be the way to go.. I asked the diabetic nurse if I could have one she said NO YOU WILL ONLY WORRY? Well not having one is like the blind leading the blind so I intend to get the one mentioned above asap.

So far all I know is that if I have two pieces of toast and marmite and a boiled egg and two teas with one sugar lump in my bg comes back at 7.5 two hours ish later which the Diabetic nurse said was good. I am trying to drop the one sugar (already dropped down from two and already hate two in tea now after one month) but finding that hard.. bought sweetners although I don't like the aftertaste and my MIL also diabetic said don't have them they are bad for you just cut sugar back slow go to half a teaspoon then none. Is that feasible? I know its not just sugar but carbs and I don't really have huge portions of them usually anyway.

Another thing that is confusing after my Hysterectomy I gained a stone and a half and lost that three years ago when first diagnosed with a hiatus hernia as I had to cut my portion sizes to cope with that .. I wasn't diabetic then so I don't get that I weigh less than I did and still have it now I am lighter. I did mention the c peptide test to the diabetic nurse as I would like to know how insulin resistant I am but she said Oh the doctor wont want to do that?

I wonder if I am over thinking it all and should just read up as much as I can and try to keep to a healthy lowish carb diet and do the blood sugar tests to see what spikes me and what doesn't. Also what about alcohol? I don't drink much usually about four glasses of prosecco a week (not all at once) and I don't drink sugary drinks apart from the one sugar in my tea.

It will be interesting to see what they say on the Diabetes Education Course which I have to go to on Tuesday but I am guessing it will say eat lots of starchy carbs and not much protein?

Its all a bit of a minefield really.

 

[Andy HB]

Yep, it looks like you are on the right tack there (7.5mmol/L is good).

About the sugar, I agree with your MIL. Cut it back slowly and you'll eventually be surprised at how much you dislike drinks with it in eventually! The mind is a wonderful thing ..... easily led!!

 

[Ditto]

I wouldn't bother about carbs, I'd just measure each time you eat and especially for new foods. If it spikes you, give it up.

It worries me when people get D and they're not fat! Doesn't seem quite fair. 🙂

 

[DaveB]

Hi. Being slim often means you are a mis-diagnosed T1 and not T2. It implies you may be burning fat as you lack insulin. In general T2s will have some insulin resistance due to some excess weight and hence have excess insulin. So, I believe a proportion of slim T2s are mis-diagnosed and don't have excess insulin. This is an important point as the medication needed is different between the two conditions. The nurse isn't quite correct as you don't need any carbs in your diet but most people choose to and you need fibre. Just have enough protein and fat. If you continue to lose weight and you blood sugar is still high then T1 (LADA) becomes a possibility so ask the GP to do the two blood tests for that if needed.