Any diabetic people about??? (UK)

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Ginge2016
Ginge2016 Posts: 19 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hiya peeps, I've recently been diagnosed with pre diabetes, Dr told me that to have type 2 my blood sugars will be 45 and above and I'm sitting at 43! Would love to have some buddies who's in the same boat as me and will give guidance etc to a pre diabetic newbie lol xx

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  • empy22
    empy22 Posts: 33 Member
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    Hello fellow Brit
  • empy22
    empy22 Posts: 33 Member
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    Hmm sorry I'm losing most of my post
  • scoii
    scoii Posts: 160 Member
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    Fortunately type 2 is reversible and you won't have to count carbs, I take it you're holding a bit of extra weight. Get it sorted before its too late. The impact on your organs can be rapid with high sugar levels.

    My mother is type 1 so I'm pretty well versed in how to deal with the good and the bad.

    Fortunately a good diabetic diet is just a good diet. Even half a stone loss of fat will have a big impact. I don't know the sugar scale you use the one I know is that 5 to 7 is normal, anything in 2 figures and you could be ruining your organs and reducing life span.
  • CurlyCockney
    CurlyCockney Posts: 1,394 Member
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    Ask for a referral to a dietician or your local NHS diabetes clinic (where you'll see a dietician and a diabetes nurse). I was diagnosed pre-diabetic last year, and since implementing the changes recommended by the clinic I've got my levels back to normal.

    Weight loss and exercise should help - although in my case it didn't due to other health factors - and following the eating guidelines will also help. There isn't a specific 'diabetic diet', NHS now say it's the same advice they give everyone for healthy eating. Lowering the GL of my meals worked, as recommended by the dietician, which doesn't mean cutting anything out but does mean watching what combinations I eat within a meal and how I cook it (for example: roast sweet potatoes aren't low, but boiled are, and always have protein with carbs).

    You can get free blood glucose monitors from the manufacturers (I got mine from Bayer), but research the cost of the replacement strips before committing to one. Some Health Trusts supply one via the diabetes clinic, mine only supplies for type 1 diabetics.
  • cooldad999
    cooldad999 Posts: 2 Member
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    I was diagnosed as being pre diabetic about three and a half years ago (blood sugar level of 43). That gave me the incentive to start to eat healthier and I lost 47 pounds over a 6 month period. This didn't involve any "special" regime, just eating a balanced diet and trying to keep to my daily net calories as set on MFP. As a result of the weight loss, my blood sugar level dropped back to 33. This shows that losing a bit of weight can have a dramatic effect.

    The trick is to avoid thinking you've got it cracked and then slipping back into old habits (I did, re-gained most of the weight and recently had a blood sugar level of 50). I have been advised that type 2 diabetes tends to be progressive as either your pancreas becomes less efficient at producing insulin or your body becomes more insulin resistant with age. So the best advice I can offer is to try to reduce your blood sugar levels by eating healthier and exercising more, then aim to maintain this lifestyle change.

    Good luck.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    I got to an HbA1c of 40 mmol/mol and am backing off from that by restricting carb intake. My blood glucose level in the morning tends to be high. Have seen 7 and above but with effort can get it below 5.
  • Richard_Cork
    Richard_Cork Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi - Another fellow Brit here with a recent diagnosis of type 2 (3 weeks ago). Funny thing is that I actually went to the doctor because I was losing weight steadily (22 LB in a year) and I had no idea why. It turns out that as the glucose was staying in my blood my body had started breaking down fats and muscle.

    I'm not underweight, yet, but I can't afford to keep on losing it at this rate. So I need to cut out free sugar from my diet and do exercise while keeping the overall calorie count up to maintain my weight. Is anyone else in that position?
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    I have prediabetes too. I'm over in Canada, but if you can get it I highly recommend the book, Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solutions. It's a low carb plan for diabetics created by a T1 dibetic who invented home BG testing. Hi goal is normal BG and A1C for all diabetics. Not high-normal that most doctors seem resigned to, but completely normal BG tests. It's a good book that can really help.

    If you don't have one already, I would get a blood glucose metre. If you check yourself before and after all meals, you'll soon learn what foods are a problem.

    And consider joining the Low Carber Daily group if you choose to go low carb. There are many of us in there who have insulin resistance problems.

    Good luck!

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