What would you do?

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Margo5

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I was diagnosed with type 2 last week. My level is 48 and I have been told that I don't need medication for my diabetes and I'm going to change my diet and be more active.
A month ago I booked to take my parents to The Ritz for afternoon tea for their 80th birthdays in July. Is this now a completely inappropriate idea? With cutting down on carbs and sugar, afternoon tea is a complete opposite as it's all carbs and sugar!!
This is something I thought would be a really special experience for mum and dad but it's now turned into a crazy idea! I think they would also think I was being irresponsible.
What would you do?
(I've possibly answered my own question by writing this!)
 
I’d take them @Margo5 It’s a treat for them. You could either forego it all together or have moderate amounts of things. It seems sad to cancel it.

And welcome 🙂
 
Personally I would not think a special afternoon at the Ritz would be irresponsible nor now a stupid idea. A one-off treat is fine - life has to be lived and treating your folks is one of those living moments!

Because it is the Ritz you will certainly be able to establish exactly what is on the menu and identify the seriously high carb items to avoid or ask for lower carb alternatives - either just for you or for all of you. If the afternoon tea includes a glass of champagne just ask for a dry or semi- dry champagne (= low carb) and there will almost certainly be an option for you to take home an upmarket doggy bag of those choices that you really don't want all on one sitting.

So some adjustment along with some small compromises on your part "Go for it". Yes you are officially diabetic but with an HbA1c of 48 you ate literally just one point above the prediabetic diagnosis.
 
July is a long way off anyway and one afternoon tea will make little difference. The only thing you may find is that by making dietary changes in the meantime to reduce sweet things that some of those cakes will taste far too sweet, but the sandwiches, scones with cream will be OK.
 
A few small crustless sandwiches and a chocolate eclair shouldn't break the bank as it were, if you decide to go but take it easy and maybe just one cream scone.... would be rude not to. Or you could see it as a complete one off and have whatever you want because you have been good pretty well every day up to that point. I would not cancel.

Chocolate eclairs are one of the lowest carb cream cakes, which is worth knowing for special occasions.
 
@Margo5 It is months away, and it is a special occasion - eat low carb for now and with any luck you'll have been in normal numbers for some time by the day - so just enjoy the day.
As your HbA1c is the lowest possible number to be diabetic you could well have reversed back to normal long before July. It took me 6 months but I started off with a HbA1c of 91 and got to 41 in that time.
You might find that things which are 'normally' sweet are rather too cloying, and alcohol makes you all giddy, and you are humming a tune about angels and nightingales on the way out - it will be fine, I'm sure.
 
Hi @Margo5
I too vote for keeping the occasion. I was lucky enough to be treated to an afternoon tea there many years ago. Something to treasure. I also think with a few weeks of low carb before and after your HbA1c will survive 🙂
My DSN thinks I am doing amazing but I still have the occasional spike and it is not squewing my figures too much..
 
Margo5 said:
I was diagnosed with type 2 last week. My level is 48 and I have been told that I don't need medication for my diabetes and I'm going to change my diet and be more active.
A month ago I booked to take my parents to The Ritz for afternoon tea for their 80th birthdays in July. Is this now a completely inappropriate idea? With cutting down on carbs and sugar, afternoon tea is a complete opposite as it's all carbs and sugar!!
This is something I thought would be a really special experience for mum and dad but it's now turned into a crazy idea! I think they would also think I was being irresponsible.
What would you do?
(I've possibly answered my own question by writing this!)
Click to expand...
Hello, & welcome. I would advocate keeping your booking. Do what you need to do regarding your food choice & enjoy the event with your folks. Hope you all have a great time!
 
I'm really overwhelmed with all of your kind, helpful and positive replies. Thank you all so much!
I was ready to cancel but as July is a long way off and I'm hoping my levels will be lower by then. You still have to live and it will be a one off. I might email and ask if it's possible for my food to have a few tweaks like open sandwiches using brown bread...
It's a real treat for my parents' 80th and I don't think they should miss out! x
 
Margo5 said:
I'm really overwhelmed with all of your kind, helpful and positive replies. Thank you all so much!
I was ready to cancel but as July is a long way off and I'm hoping my levels will be lower by then. You still have to live and it will be a one off. I might email and ask if it's possible for my food to have a few tweaks like open sandwiches using brown bread...
It's a real treat for my parents' 80th and I don't think they should miss out! x
Click to expand...
I would just go with the flow rather than ask for anything special, after all I expect there will be plenty of choice on the day.
 
Margo5 said:
I'm really overwhelmed with all of your kind, helpful and positive replies. Thank you all so much!
I was ready to cancel but as July is a long way off and I'm hoping my levels will be lower by then. You still have to live and it will be a one off. I might email and ask if it's possible for my food to have a few tweaks like open sandwiches using brown bread...
It's a real treat for my parents' 80th and I don't think they should miss out! x
Click to expand...
Yes do seek tweaks. The Ritz chefs will, I am so sure, do their best to help you. Tell them you are T2, need to keep your carb intake down (but NOT completely out) and would be grateful if your needs weren't too intrusive to the fun and expectations of the event along with celebrating your parents 80th birthdays. They will have more than their fair share of older visitors with various catering needs.

I suspect the Ritz takes a lot of pride in catering for people so their vistors (clients) get total delight from being there. Afternoon tea at the Ritz is a long standing highlight for thousands over many decades and while it is a steady cash earner for the Ritz, they know they have a reputation that is easily lost if not well managed!
 
Margo5 said:
I'm really overwhelmed with all of your kind, helpful and positive replies. Thank you all so much!
I was ready to cancel but as July is a long way off and I'm hoping my levels will be lower by then. You still have to live and it will be a one off. I might email and ask if it's possible for my food to have a few tweaks like open sandwiches using brown bread...
It's a real treat for my parents' 80th and I don't think they should miss out! x
Click to expand...
You might find it useful to check the effects of various options once you settle into post diagnosis.
I know that brown bread is not much different from white in its effects on my blood glucose.
 
Margo5 said:
I'm really overwhelmed with all of your kind, helpful and positive replies. Thank you all so much!
I was ready to cancel but as July is a long way off and I'm hoping my levels will be lower by then. You still have to live and it will be a one off. I might email and ask if it's possible for my food to have a few tweaks like open sandwiches using brown bread...
It's a real treat for my parents' 80th and I don't think they should miss out! x
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum @Margo5

Glad you have found the responses from forum members helpful.

Diabetes is a marathon, not a sprint - and you have a good few months to try to make some glucose-friendly adjustments to your ‘new normal’ way of eating. Which should mean that occasional one-off treats like this can be accommodated as part of your overall plan.

Hope you have a smashing time at the Ritz 🙂
 
I would say one afternoon tea would not matter too much as long as you keep low carb most of the time. In my view it would only be a problem if you did it on a regular basis. I would have thought anyone who had afternoon tea on a regular basis could find themselves in trouble though.

I had afternoon tea at the Ritz a few years ago courtesy of the surgeon I worked for at the hospital. It was wonderful. You will have a great time.
 
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