Diabetes Banished

I am participating in a course at present, not the one named here.
We are a small group and we are lectured on what to eat and why certain foods are not good. I find it quite patronising but continue to attend but the class halved in size between week one and two so others must feel the same way.
I was not informed by my GP that there was a problem, had they done so I would have taken steps to rectify it. The first notification I had was from a company in Birmingham telling me I had a raised blood sugar.
I went to the GP and got a print out of my blood tests and it transpires that it is not as bad as this company made out, blood sugar was raised less than one point above normal.

Thank you Jane43 and NantheWiser, I have only just seen your posts.
My friend is seeing the (supposedly) top consultant in this area, but still not getting to grips with it all and losing weight still.
She will be seeing him again shortly and I hope they can stabilise her. I think she is panicking which won't help.

Benjamin701 Welcome to GN. your first ever posting didn't quite make the grade. Better luck next time.

I was warned I was close to being pre- diabetic. DH has had type 2 diabetes for many years but it is very well managed. At his recent annual review he was informed that his levels were absolutely fine, especially his cholesterol, so I am not worried about him. However, we both eat the same things, more or less. We cook from scratch, and don’t have puddings unless it is a yogurt or fresh fruit. He eats several biscuits a day which I don’t. My problem is IBS. If I were to eat more fruit and veg to replace carbs I would be forever dashing to the loo. No medical advice has been given as to how to get the right balance. I know on the side of too many carbs..

I admire those who bite the bullet and take back control like this. Well done!

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Jalima, there is a slight possibility that your friend has developed Late Onset Type 1 Diabetes, which is often missed or wrongly diagnosed as T2, the rapid weight loss and hospitalisation should ring alarm bells. As she is under a consultant, no doubt this has been ruled out, one would hope.

Yes Jalima1108 it can be very daunting when you first try to get to grips with your diagnosis and all the information can be confusing. I regret to say that some of the information from the diabetes nurse was outdated, e.g have some carbohydrate with each meal. We decided to just go with the low carb advice and in particular the work of Dr Michael Mosley. It has worked for him and to the extent that our GP rang him to congratulate him on his achievement. He is now trying to lower his cholesterol through his diet.

I think when she sorts out what she can and cannot eat from all the advice she has received (from many sources!) she will start to put on a bit of weight again.
Thank you Jane and holdingontometeeth* and everyone

Jalima1108 my DH has the same problem, if you can call it a problem. He weighs himself every Sunday and was losing weight every week despite his BMI dropping to around 20. He slightly increased his intake of calories until his weight stabilised. He also has a problem with his cholesterol so can’t eat too much cheese and can’t have cream both of which are high in calories and probably would help to stabilise his weight. He has nuts, oat cakes, a couple of squares of dark chocolate and one piece of fruit, usually a pear or an orange as snacks. He also started havng a glass of red wine a few times a week. His weight has been stable for the last three weeks and although it is difficult it can be done.

Hi Jalima, was your friend not advised by the doctor?
Yes, she has seen a consultant, been hospitalised too. Perhaps she may get more sense out of the dietitian when she sees her.
Thank you for the link, I will let her know.

Diabetes is never "banished", it is just managed. I wouldn't get too excited about it. You have to maintain the diet for it to be successful, so good luck in the future.

www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/

Hi Jalima, was your friend not advised by the doctor?
There are many Diabetes forums on the web, here’s one where you can ask your question
.https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/
Each health Authority has a dedicated Diabetes team so for a more personal service perhaps contact them.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/health-46363869

That baked potato insight was a killer. It is often mooted as the healthy option.
Perhaps healthier would be more apt.
I was pleased that I was selected for the shakes option, as per my OP.
It eliminated temptation for me, though I faltered on more than a few occasions, but I was still Diabetes free after my 12 week blood test.
This study and others have been so successful that it is going nationwide now with 5000 places.
All participants are given access to follow ups with various specialists like I am.
That for me is the difference between success and failure.

What would you do if you had been diagnosed as type 2 diabetic but rapidly lost weight and can't put it back on? Diabetes not stabilised at all either. They have never eaten processed meals, just good fresh food and it is a mystery why this has happened.
Any tips which I could pass on please?

Jane43 is right. It’s not just carbs from sugar but carbs from bread, rice, pasta, and foods and drinks that contain sugar such as biscuits, cakes, fresh orange juice, etc.

You only need a high carb diet if you are burning off excess through exercise. Low carb is the way to beat type 2 diabetes and prediabetic conditions.

Of course you can lose weight by exercise alone! Exercise burns up calories. I took up running in my 50s started with 5k Race for Life, progressed to half marathons. I lost a lot of weight and I was eating a bit more than usual as I needed the carbs.

If you are diabetic or prediabetic it is carbs as well as sugar that you have to moderate. There is also sugar in fruit, berries, apples and pears are best and tropical fruits should be avoided. There was an excellent programme on tv a few months ago The Truth About Carbs. Apparently for a diabetic, carbs are the same as sugar, they showed some carb foods and the equivalent amount of sugar they contain and a baked potato contains the equivalent of 12 teaspoons of sugar. It shocked me so much I have only had one since watching the programme. I know people have had a lot of success on the meal replacement shakes but there can be a problem when coming off them and eating ‘regular’ food. Personally I would prefer to have 800 calories of ‘normal’ food rather than the shakes but clearly they work for others so it’s fine. Michael Mosley’s book The Blood Sugar diet has been very good for us since my DH was diagnosed in March and there are some very good low carb eating websites.

I am sure you will get there.
Unlike me you realise the seriousness of the possible consequences should you carry on regardless.
Here’s another link.
www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/blood-test-shows-prediabetes.122657/
You can never have too much knowledge about this subject as so many of us suffer from it.
I am good with the theory, practicing what I know is the difficult part! www.gransnet.com/emo/te/1.gif
Let us know how you get on after your next blood test.

Ahh ,i see now what you meantholding yes i know its my sweet tooth that is the problem, but thinking about it,i have 2 sons returned home, at seperate times and had a few takeaways that i wouldnt normally have so now they are both gone again, i think i will lose a bit of weight, i only need to lose a few pounds really ,or my face suffers
I will try to walk the dog a bit more often, dont want to take her too far all at once,she is an oldish lady too,but she could do to lose a bit as well, bless her,shes ready for bed before i am

You cannot lose weight by exercise alone. Exercise only works when part of an effective weight loss eating pattern.

valeriej43 I probably didn’t word it right.
With you cooking from scratch it can only be your sweet tooth causing the problem.
I just passed a comment re the cup of soup. Going from memory they are a chemical mixture but I haven’t had one for years.
As henetha has shown, upping your exercise reduces the weight, though there is no mention whether it effected the HbA1c readings.

I'm pre-diabetic and found it really difficult to lose weight no matter what diet I used. But then I started walking daily, gradually further and further, and at last I'm losing weight steadily.