So it looks like I’m type 2

[52soon]

Visited GP a few weeks ago mentioned didn’t feel right but couldn’t put my finger on what/why, checked by BP it was through roof, weigh/height done and blood tests ordered for following week, I left with a prescription for BP medication. Had results of bloods and told diabetic and make appointment for diabetic nurse, seen her Friday my results were habc1 was 50 and cholesterol 5.7, had another lot of bloods done and if same or higher then they’ll start me on medication, I get the results tomorrow. So I’ve read fast800 book and I’m doing 16/8 fasting, early days but I hope I can reduce my numbers without having to go on medication. Any tips/advice for newly diagnosed novice?

With an HbA1C of 50, you're only just in the diabetes type 2 zone. Which is good. And it means you are more likely to be able to control it with diet/ weight loss, rather than meds.

The advice I was given when I was first diagnosed was to lose weight - especially round my middle - by what ever means was sustainable for me, and to reduce the carbs in my diet - sugar, bread, potatoes, rice, pasta. I have not cut out carbs, just reduced them and my blood sugars (which is what is measured by HbA1C) have gone down. I have also reduced my portion sizes. Partly by using smaller plates and partly by logging my food and activity on the My Fitness Pal app.

The diabetes.org.uk website has some helpful information and has a discussion forum. Be warned: there is a lot of different/ sometimes conflicting advice around. Everyone with type 2 diabetes is not in the same boat, and what works for some people may not work for others.

The type 2 diabetes diagnosis can be a shock for some people. It took me a while to come to terms with it.

Thank you, my second bloods have come back with score of 47, so I scraped into pre diabetic range. The nurse is happy for me to work on weight/lifestyle changes and will re do them in 3 months. I have reduced carbs and keeping to 16/8 intermittent fasting. I have a lot of weight to lose but don’t want to be on a diet just to follow healthy eating for life.

The first med you would be put on is metformin which I wouldn't worry about too much.

Changing my lifestyle made a huge difference to my numbers. I ate a lot better, exercised more and increased my fitness. Unfortunately I lost the good control I had over lockdown but am not getting back on track.

Doing 5/2 really also helped my sugar levels even though I didn't lose any weight on the plan.

I was diagnosed a year ago with an HbA1c of 60. The diabetes nurse prescribed metformin, but I haven't taken it. Instead, I lost two and a half stone of weight, and cut out carbs as far as possible. I aimed for no more than 30g carbs a day, and my HbA1C is now 35.

I'd like to say that my diabetes nurse has been supportive, but she hasn't - just telling me that it's a progressive disease, I'll have to go on the drugs sooner or later, nobody can maintain a lifestyle choice and I'll be on insulin eventually. I've pretty much started ignoring whatever she says.

There does seem to be two schools of thought though. One cohort bemoans their lot, takes the drugs and constantly sneaks 'treats', while the other accepts responsibility and does something about it.

If you're in the latter group, then my advice would be:

1. start logging everything. Your weight, waist size, carbs eaten etc.
2. get a blood sugar monitor, and test before and 2 hrs after a meal. It will help you get an idea of how your body responds to food etc. Log these results in something like the Mysugr app.
3. If your blood sugar is high, then do something about it. Drink water, or go for a walk.
4. Read everything. The diabetes.org.uk website is good. Understanding what's going on in your body is important - and if you find something isn't as expected, will help you ask the right questions of your healthcare team. Which leads onto ...
5. Take control of your medical care. Push for the eye tests, foot care etc., and make sure you're getting regular (every 3 months) tests for the first year.
6. Change your diet. Reduce carb intake dramatically, but in a sustainable way. Try to replace your carbs with fat rather than protein. Look at labels - there are hidden carbs in everything.

Fasting is something I naturally do (tend to only eat an evening meal), but it's a bit contentious, and I'm not sure I'd recommend it. Cut out snacks though (which helps with the weight as well).

Good luck!

My diagnosis at the start of the year was a bit of a wake up call for me. I had put on weight (size 16/18, BMI 35). The weight had crept on - a combination of health problems limiting my activity levels, meds and menopause - but I hadn't been that bothered.

Realising that my weight gain had possibly permanently damaged my health (my HbA1C was much higher than yours and I had symptoms affecting my eyesight) was the kick up the arse I needed to do something about it.

Thank you everyone, I do feel like it’s been a kick up the bum to sort myself out. I’ve completely cut out snacking and am not eating after 6 or 7 and not missing it, also upped my water intake as I could go all day on just one coffee in work and one around 7pm with no drinking in between which also meant not much weeing. Early days yet but I’m feeling positive and want to make changes.

The diabetes.org website is a great resource. I would definitely recommend a monitor to identify which foods increase your blood sugars.

I was diagnosed a couple of years ago and drastically reduced carbs. I lost a bit of weight but am not overweight anyway. I reduced my HBA1C to pre-D levels, but six months ago I was back to diabetic levels sadly despite my efforts. So on the Metformin. Good luck with it all xx

@PaperMonster sorry to hear that you're back to diabetic levels. Was that while you were low carbing, or did you relax the lifestyle measures?

The bit of the disease I haven't yet got my head around is what's acting as the internal 'thermostat' for your sugar levels. We know that the body can auto-generate glucose, but what's actually telling your body to do this? If I sit at a desk and do nothing, then my sugar levels rise despite not eating anything. I can manage this for now by going for a walk and drinking water, but it worries me to think that my diabetic nurse might actually be right, and it is progressive. I really don't want to end up on massive doses of insulin.

@evilkitten - this was whilst I was low carbing. I was really disappointed as it had worked so well initially. However my mum had been on a low carb study some years ago, and the low carbing didn’t do anything for her. Since going on Metformin I have been a bit more relaxed in that I occasionally have a piece of garlic bread or a slice of my OH’s home made bread - and I need to stop this!! My DN had wondered if the months of insomnia I suffered last year had impacted my levels. I’ve had a HBA1C yesterday and I’m hoping that all my walking will have helped to bring it down!! I’m off work following an accident and to keep pain-free I walk a lot!! But tbh I’m expecting it to have risen.

Hi, I have also just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes - waiting for the results of a second blood test to confirm but the nurse said unless there was a lab mix up I will definitely be diagnosed as it was a high result. She said they would prescribe Metformin straight away.

I have struggled with my weight all my life and it's so scary to have it catch up with me. I had gestational diabetes twice and am currently obese so it shouldn't be a surprise but somehow it is.

DH and I don't eat meat and we do turn to the freezer special a couple of times a week (usually rice + something breaded). I tend to eat healthily during the day and then carb load in the evenings so I know some big changes need to be made. I guess the good news is there is a lot I can do to help myself now.

I'm confused about what to aim for with carbs - I've got MFP so am logging food on that. Their suggested carb intake is 150g but I'm thinking I should aim a lot lower and more evenly spaced during the day. I did a vlcd and lost 6 stone about ten years ago so I was thinking of trying that again.

A pp suggested replacing carbs with fat rather than protein but I'm struggling to think what that would look like! Any suggestions are very welcome. I was thinking of starting to eat chicken again as I am finding it so hard to make our usual veggie meals low carb.

MsJuniper, read fast 800 by Michael Mosley it made a lot of sense to me. I’m not sticking to 800 Cals but definitely reduced cals and also reduced my carbs, I’ve done 16/8 fasting for about 10 days so cut my evening snacking completely. I eat nothing after my evening meal until 11 or 12 the next day. I’ve lost 5-6lb but my clothes are looser around my midriff.

@MsJuniper I try for 50-100g per day. I try to be closer to 50 though! And some days I’m even less. I also found I could tolerate carbs more in a morning than during the rest of the day.

Thanks for the tips. I will definitely read the book and have adjusted MFP to 100g carbs max per day for now but aiming lower.

I have had confirmation of the diagnosis over the phone since my second blood test and the doctor is calling on Tuesday to arrange further checks and talk about next steps.

I had another appointment with diabetic nurse on Friday and I’ve lost 5KG which we were both pleased with, my blood pressure was also down into normal range. She wants to see me again in 4-6 weeks, hopefully I’ll have lost another 5KG.

Well done @52soon!

Another 'well done' from me! I trod a similar path last year - long-standing overweight, HBA1C 55. I was given the choice of startling metformin, or trying to lose 15kg and see whether the diabetes went into remission, I chose the latter.
My old eating habits were carelessly carby- muesli for breakfast, sandwich lunch, always pasta/rice/potato with evening meal.
I used 'diet doctor' website (the free bit) for info and recipe ideas, and logged with my fitness pal. For the first 3 months my daily carb was less than 50 - this was quite tough, never having bread, beer, sweet stuff, careful with fruit. I found substitutes though - breakfast is now egg, avocado, bacon, cream cheese; I make an almond flour bread roll which passes as a substitute bread roll; I made courgetti but also got used to having the protein/sauce part of a main meal without the rice/pasta.
I've lost the 20kg I've been lugging around for years, my diabetes is in remission, and this is the way I'll eat for ever now I think.
Good luck!

@Walkacrossthesand. Well done for losing all that weight. How long did it take you? I'm just starting out on this journey but I'm confused by the term remission. I wonder if you have clearer information from the doctors. Does remission mean that you can eat whatever you like and your body can produce enough insulin to deal with it as long as you keep the weight off. Or does it mean that you don't know need to go on medication but you will need to low carb forever? Or maybe they just don't know yet?

I know doctors hate to use the word cure but I'm really hoping that by losing weight, the fat clogging up my pancreas will disappear and my pancreas will start to work normally. Has anyone spoken to you about that?

Sorry if I'm asking questions that are too personal. Just ignore if they are. Thanks.

@missedopportunity remission is a rather misleading term I think. For type 2 diabetics, reducing your body fat (ie losing weight!!) helps reduce the 'insulin resistance' that is making your blood sugars run high, and makes it more likely that you'll be able to maintain normal sugars without medication.

Whether that goes as far as being able to have as much cake as you like, I would doubt. I think once you've 'tipped over' into type 2, the tendency will always be there.

I've known type 2s who could keep off medication as long as they followed a reasonably low carb diet and didn't regain their excess weight, and another (age 70+) who is trying hard to avoid progression onto insulin despite being of lean build and careful diet.

I lost 20kg in about 6 months, I'm called 'type 2 in remission' (because no meds) but I don't know what my future holds and I'm pretty sure that if I went back to my old way of eating, even if my portions were smaller and I didn't gain weight, my numbers would rise.

I don't monitor my sugars, I just watch what I eat and have twice yearly HBA1C. And weigh myself - but my scales broke, must get some new ones 😩

PS if you have normal HBA1C on no meds, your pancreas is working. Insulin resistance (when you're overweight) is in the tissues, and means the pancreas has to make super-amounts of insulin to overcome it.

Another check with the diabetic nurse today and am down another 5KG so 10kg in 12 weeks. I’m due back mid September for HBA1C retest and cholesterol hopefully they will have both gone down.

@Walkacrossthesand

Im so sorry for not getting back to you, I didn't see your reply. Thank you for that explanation. I do worry that my pancreas is only producing the right amount of insulin because the low carb intake I'm on is stopping it from doing too much work. I know I have to keep my weight under control but I'd really rather not be on this type of diet longterm. And I'm also concerned that the damage I've done to my pancreas,will cause it to work less effectively as I get older. But your attitude sounds great. Keep my weight under control, do exercise and have regular hbac1 tests. And not to worry about the future because there's not much I can do about it and stress just makes diabetes worse.
Thank you for your help. Your story us inspiring. 🤗

@52soon

Another check with the diabetic nurse today and am down another 5KG so 10kg in 12 weeks. I’m due back mid September for HBA1C retest and cholesterol hopefully they will have both gone down.

Well done you. You've done really well. 22lbs in 12 weeks is really impressive. 🥳 Let us know how you go on next month. I could really do with some inspiration at the moment.

@52soon well done! My HBA1C had come right down to pre-d levels, so happy with that!!

@Earlydancing I’m doing 16/8 fasting and it’s working for me, I only eat between 11-7 or 12-8, it has stopped me snacking in front of tv in evening, I now watch my carbs and have stopped eating what I thought were healthy bars but actually was full of carb/sugar. I still have meals out and the odd takeaway. I don’t calorie count or write anything down and it’s working for me at the moment.

@52soon. That's a great regime. Looks like it could be managed longterm. So proud to share a thread with you! 😊