# Newly Diagnosed after sudden onset symptoms



## imran999 (Sep 1, 2020)

Background : Age 44, 5'10, average weight over last year, 17-17.5st , high blood pressure for which i take tablets. Family history of diabetes and heart disease.  My diet is probably very carb rich, and diet drinks.
After feeling pretty poor the last 2 weeks (general fatigue, severe thirst and high urination.  Also noticed this past week, blurred vision and weight loss), i got full bloods done by the doc.

Nurse phoned Monday and said my Hb1ac was 90, and my morning fasting blood test was 20.
She has prescribed metaformin once a day first week, and moving to twice a day second week onward
My first consultation is on Thursday where i think they will tell me the dos and donts.

Tuesday (today), I took a brisk walk for 50mins, then got home and had dinner at 7.30pm....Took my first metaformin tablet just after dinner.  I then had a jaffa orange at 9.30pm

My mum popped over with her meter and did prick test (10pm), which came back at level of 30.
Not really sure what it all means , but mum was really panicked.

Can anyone advise/help?
What should i be avoiding food wise...are fruits bad?


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## Madeline (Sep 2, 2020)

With a result of 30mmol I’d wash my hands and retest. If it’s still that sort of level I’d go to A&E.


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## Drummer (Sep 2, 2020)

Oranges are high sugar - if you had any of the juice on your finger it would give a high reading. However - when I was diagnosed I went low carb and got back to the top end of normal in 6 months - but oranges were not on my list of foods to chose from.


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## imran999 (Sep 2, 2020)

i have retested just now after washing hands , and reading is at 25.  Will retest first thing in morning and take metaformin tablet with breakfast


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## grovesy (Sep 2, 2020)

Your onset, weight loss and high levels sound more like Type 1.


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## Docb (Sep 2, 2020)

Hi @imran999, and welcome to the forum.  Those readings are well into the "red" zone when it comes to a diabetes diagnosis.  A few (me included) on here have been there or thereabouts on diagnosis and have got themselves back into the green zone, so don't panic, but you need to recognise that time has come to do something sharpish.

Read around the forum and the learning zone and you will be able to get yourself informed about ways to go about it but, more important, it will enable you to have a decent conversation with your GP/Diabetic nurse in devising a plan to get things back under control.  

Good luck and let us know how you get on with your consultation.


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## imran999 (Sep 2, 2020)

I am wondering why the GP/nurse is not showing more concern.   She called yesterday to request a second urine sample to check for ketones.  The first came back clear.

Morning blood level after waking up was 16.1
I usually skip breakfast, does this do more harm then good for BG?


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## Docb (Sep 2, 2020)

@imran999, if you read around the forum you will find that the reaction from GP/nurse to a diabetes diagnosis varies a lot. Some show a lot more concern than others, some maybe are concerned but do not show it. The fact that she called back asking for a second urine sample says to me that they are thinking about your case and want to get as much information together before your consultation tomorrow.

Skipping breakfast?  Like everything else diabetes, it depends.....  A carbohydrate heavy breakfast on top of a 16.1 waking blood glucose is obviously not a good thing so skipping it is good.  Making up for no breakfast by having morning coffee and biscuits and then a large lunch could easily undo the benefit.  

If your GP is on the ball, your consultation should focus on three things.  Getting your weight down, looking at what you are eating and support from medication.  It's a lot to cram into a consultation slot which is likely to focus on medication - unless as I say your GP is really switched on.   It's in the eating/weightloss area where looking at the collective experience of forum members can be very helpful in working out a plan that suits you because you can take it at your pace and not that dictated by a GP with a busy schedule.


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## rebrascora (Sep 2, 2020)

Hi and welcome from me too.
What did you have for dinner last night. Yes the Jaffa orange was not a good choice but I am guessing you also had carbs with your dinner... maybe potatoes or pasta or rice? Those things will also spike your levels and can keep them high for hours. Even the likes of baked beans contain a lot of carbs without thinking about the toast. 

A year and a half ago I was like you. Sudden onset symptoms, high HbA1c (114) and weight loss. I had 6 weeks on increasing doses of Metformin and Gliclazide and gradually cutting all the carbs out of my diet before they started me on insulin and referred me to a consultant and 2 months later before I was tested for Type 1 and confirmed. I also think it is likely you are Type 1 but starting to cut the carbs now will help to bring down those dangerously high levels more effectively than the Metformin. 
You say that diabetes runs in the family, is that Type 1 or Type 2?


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## imran999 (Sep 2, 2020)

Parents were Type 2 diabetics; Their sugar levels rarely went over 12 even  after food


For dinner last night , i had 2 white floor chapati, with a chicken curry with water. (going to change to wholemeal flour)

This morning, 16.1mg BG before breakfast....for breakfast, 2 white piece of toast (will change to brown bread) with a boiled egg. plus water and then metaformin tablet.  I had a piece of wrigleys cool breeze sugar free gum at 10.40

I have now tested after 2hr 10mins  (12.10pm) and my BG ishowing as 27.6!
Think i will need to skip lunch

phoning doctors right now to see what thy say...


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## trophywench (Sep 2, 2020)

Imran - the body doesn't actually care what colour carbohydrates are - it turns every bit of it into blood glucose - though I freely admit, I'd rather eat a wholemeal chapatti than a white one cos I prefer the taste LOL

But anyway, the chapatti's are carb, so here's a guide, do yours weigh more or less than the ones they tested? in which case you'll need to adjust the amount of carb according to the weight.









						Calories in Chapati and Nutrition Facts
					

There are 68 calories in 1 piece of Chapati. Get full nutrition facts and other common serving sizes of Chapati including 1 oz and 100 g.




					www.fatsecret.com


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## Docb (Sep 2, 2020)

Phoning the doctor is exactly the right thing to do, a bit of urgency seems to be needed.

TW beat me to it on whether changing from white to wholemeal flour is likely to be of benefit.


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## Largesse1! (Sep 2, 2020)

Hi,

you’ve had good advice so far. I just wanted to add that I had a similar presentation to yours and after cutting carbs to under 60g a day (I get most of my carbs from over the ground veg these days. - lots of cabbage and kale) I got my levels right down. Even whole meal, slow release carbs like brown rice and  whole meal bread would bring me right up. lots of great Keto diet advice on here and on diet doctor.com which you won’t get from doctor. Worth watching Fat Fiction too if you have Netflix.


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## MAC2020 (Sep 2, 2020)

> imran999 said:
> Background : Age 44, 5'10, average weight over last year, 17-17.5st , high blood pressure for which i take tablets. Family history of diabetes and heart disease. My diet is probably very carb rich, and diet drinks.
> After feeling pretty poor the last 2 weeks (general fatigue, severe thirst and high urination. Also noticed this past week, blurred vision and weight loss), i got full bloods done by the doc.
> 
> ...


Hi Imran and welcome to the forum! Sorry to read of your T1/T2 diagnosis.

I notice your BMI is 35 or there abouts (https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/bmi-calculator/) which puts you in the Obese category and you are also South East Asian or Indian (forgive me if I am wrong) which makes you more susceptible to health issues. But it's not too late!!  You're relatively young and can make a successful U-turn.

NHS conclusion:
Your ethnicity means you will be at high risk of health issues at a BMI of 27.5 and above.

Losing and keeping off 5% of your weight can have health benefits, such as lowering your blood pressure and reducing your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

You should work towards achieving a healthier weight over time. We suggest you visit your GP to discuss.

Aim to lose 12lbs
Recommended daily calorie intake:
2051 - 2637 kcal
To lose 1-2lbs a week stick to the lower end of the range."

You've got your GP appt tomorrow so the "discussing with your GP" part you've got covered.

Now for the weight loss.

Here on this DB forum we treat carbs as the enemy. Carbs includes all added sugars, syrupy treacle-like Indian desserts, syrupy sugary sweet Greek/Persian desserts like baklava, honey, maple syrup, alcohol, soft drinks, fruit juices, smoothies, most fruit including exotic fruits (alas that's mangoes [boo!! ]) but excluding berries [yaa!!], all below ground veg, starchy veg e.g. potatoes, sweet - the clue is in the name - potatoes, orange flesh and white, then grains (flours, pastas, breads, chapatis, samosas, rice - white and brown [the body isn't racist and doesn't discriminate, it doesn't care about the colour or type of the carb!], barley, oats etc.) continental breakfasts- those pastries, croissants, Danishes, choc-chip or other types of muffins, cinnamon buns, all out, biscuits and breakfast cereals including Wheetabix, bran flakes and wholegrain organic rolled porridge oats. In fact anything where the carbohydrates per 100gms is > 5gms should be avoided! Therefore reading labels especially the carbohydrate content per 100gms, (_not_ the "of which sugars") on packaged foods becomes forensic and fanatical. Some on this forum now know with laser-sharp precision the carb content of any one food item.

What can you eat? Everything else! Curries, meat, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, seeds and veg, and yogurts, go for it, just leave out the poppadoms, the naan breads, potatoes and the rice. Low sugar sweetners like stevia, sorbitol, erythritol are fine. Eat as much green and cruciferous veg and salads as you can, mountains of it! Lots of fibre too. Saag aloo is out because of the potatoes, but Saag is in! Vegetable soups and meat stews with plenty of herbs and spices all good, as are meats, and, this may surprise you, ghee and butters! Counter-intuitive I know, but many on this forum report great success in weight loss and controlled T2 by consuming more fats, even saturated fats (who knew?!) in place of the carbs.

For desserts, leave out the syrup coated desserts and swap for a handful of raspberries, strawberries or blackberries. Anything full-fat yoghurty, full-fat dairy and cheese seems fine.

And Drinking? Good old fashioned plain water. Lots of it. Tap. Bottled. Mineral. Spring. If you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Drink before you feel thirsty. Aim for 2ltrs a day.

Oh, and do try to quit if you smoke.

Exercise. Walking. You've already started, great job! Keep it up. Just walking ten or twenty minutes a day makes a difference. The key is to *be consistent*. If you miss one day, don't give up and don't get demotivated. Just pick it up the next day. Your body will thank you for it. Aim for ten minutes every day for a week, then fifteen minutes a day the next week and so on. You'll soon be walking then running then doing half and full marathons before you know it.

Apologies if I sound prescriptive. Feel free to ignore everything I've written! I'm not a doctor so won't dare to advise you medically. I just know what works for me. The key is to find what works for you. Which is where the BG readings before and 2hrs after meals come in. but someone else will inform you on that, or just read around and you'll get the hang of it.

Look, you've said DB and heart disease run in the family. But I like to believe Genetics loads the gun but lifestyle pulls the trigger. And you, me, we all have control over our lifestyle....

I'm so excited because I know you can make great gains if you start now and believe in yourself. Believe that you can halt and reverse it and you will.


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## imran999 (Sep 2, 2020)

Thanks for all advice.  

went to doctors n submitted urine sample which showed ketones. Sugar level was still high.

Now sitting in hospital ward while they do battery of tests.


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## Deleted member 27171 (Sep 2, 2020)

Sorry you now find yourself in hospital, fingers crossed you’re not there too long. Hopefully they will get you some treatment that works a little better at lowering your bgl and have you feeling better soon. Do keep us updated.


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## SB2015 (Sep 2, 2020)

Hi @imran999 
With the high glucose levels, weight loss  and ketones it does sound like T1.
I am pleased that your Practice followed up with w second urine sample.
They so often ignore the possibility of T1 in older people. I was 53 at diagnosis
Keep in touch and let us know how you get on.


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## Docb (Sep 2, 2020)

Hi again @imran999.  Sorry to hear you are in hospital but full marks to your GP for getting your second sample, testing it straightaway and deciding that things needed a proper looking at.  

Keep in touch and let us know how things go.


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## imran999 (Sep 3, 2020)

Update: My 2nd urine sample showed double plus ketones(?) via the test strip...so doctor suggested i should go get checked at hospital for potential T1 and DK.   She told me go home, pack a bag, have some food then go into hospital.

At the hospital, where they checked my blood sugar n ketones.   Ketones were 0.8 and blood was 18...told i was type 2.
Monitored me for about 2 hrs and then sent me home and told me to speak to gp and have put me on  Gliclazide 80gm once a day plus the metaformin. GP has also given glucose meter and told to monitor my levels over next 2 weeks plus appointments booked in for diabetes specialist nurse, opticians, podiatrist and dietician.


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## imran999 (Sep 3, 2020)

MAC2020 said:


> Now for the weight loss.
> 
> Here on this DB forum we treat carbs as the enemy. Carbs includes all added sugars, syrupy treacle-like Indian desserts, syrupy sugary sweet Greek/Persian desserts like baklava, honey, maple syrup, alcohol, soft drinks, fruit juices, smoothies, most fruit including exotic fruits (alas that's mangoes [boo!! ]) but excluding berries [yaa!!], all below ground veg, starchy veg e.g. potatoes, sweet - the clue is in the name - potatoes, orange flesh and white, then grains (flours, pastas, breads, chapatis, samosas, rice - white and brown [the body isn't racist and doesn't discriminate, it doesn't care about the colour or type of the carb!], barley, oats etc.) continental breakfasts- those pastries, croissants, Danishes, cinnamon buns, all out, and breakfast cereals including Wheetabix, bran flakes and wholegrain organic rolled porridge oats. In fact anything where the carbohydrates per 100gms is > 5 should be avoided! Therefore reading labels especially the carbohydrate content per 100gms, (_not_ the "of which sugars") on packaged foods becomes forensic and fanatical. Some on this forum now know with laser-sharp precision the carb content of any one food item.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the advice....its a lot to take in.  i can honestly say, everything in my diet is carb heavy.
Binned all the snacks and sweets and going shopping tomorrow in sainsburies to see what i can buy that is healthy.

So when i am looking at the nutritional info, i want to avoid carb heavy and/or  sugar heavy? and ignore the fat content?
Is all fruit bad?  Grapes, apples, bananas?

Might be better if i create new thread to get more specific advise.


Thank you all for your input.


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## Ljc (Sep 4, 2020)

Hi.  I am so glad that your Gp seems to be in the ball and will hopefully keep a close eye on things. 

Diabetes is a funny thing, what carbohydrate foods are good for one person are not for another. 
Their is a  way of using your glucose meter to find this out. More ahoy that later.

The only thing I check out on the nutritional label on the back ,is the carbohydrate content I never bother checking the sugar content as it is a simple carbohydrate which is already included in the carb content.

Though healthy those nice juicy fruits have lots of fructose ( fruit sugar) in them which you may or may not be able to tolerate, many people find that they tolerate fruit that has berry as part of its name much better.  Bananas and grapes are high carb , in fact we call grapes little sugar bombs. 
Many have the same problems with porridge too. 
Breakfast cereals are usually high carb too. 
I don’t worry about fats either, good fats that is, as we do need some fats, it keeps us feeling fuller fir longer and often the low fat version of things has had extra sugar etc added to improve the taste and texture, so it’s higher carb than the full fat version. 

A good breakfast for us is the traditional full English minus the beans , potato products , fried bread .
Opt for high meat content sausages and burgers, 

Eggs cooked anyway you like . 

Some people have Greek yogurt and add a few berries to it. 

We honestly do not live on lettuce and fresh air, we enjoy a very tasty meals and snack , many if which will surprise you , chees and a few unsalted nuts are not  off the menu .

The food /carb query forum will give you loads of info and ideas , especially the recipe and what did you eat yesterday threads.

Though you may want too, it is not a good idea to bring your blood glucose levels down to quickly as that can cause some unpleasant symptoms including what we call false hypo’s, this is where you feel really horrid but you BG levels are nowhere near hypo levels 4.0 or below.

Testing to see what meals and snacks suit or don’t suit you involves testing just before eating then two hours after your first bite ,
If its no higher than 3.0 than your starting level then that meal etc was ok 
Initially you will find that you may be in double figures , but providing the hospital is right , that you have T2 (and tbh I still don’t think they are right) then your levels will start to come down.


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## Docb (Sep 4, 2020)

Good to get the update @imran999.  There is a lot to take in but your GP has put everything in place.

I suggest you take the revision of your diet methodically rather than rush at it.  Read around the forum and look at the recipes board and you will begin to get the idea of the better ways to go.

When it comes to nutritional information it is the total carbohydrate that is important - for the time being, ignore everything else.  Also, ignore the big labels on the front of the packet with all the buzz words trying to sell the stuff.  Things like low fat, healthy, organic are just plain wrong when it comes to blood glucose control.

When it comes to fruit different people react differently to different fruit.  Some can tolerate it others cannot or can tolerate it in small quantities.  Finding out how your system works is where the meter comes in.

Getting your testing regime organised will be helpful - doing tests at random is likely to cause confusion.

I test first thing in the morning and last thing at night.  The morning reading gives a sort of base line and the last thing reading gives me an idea of how my day has gone.  These days I do few tests during the day but at the beginning I tested immediately before eating and two hours afterwards to gauge how my body had reacted to whatever I had eaten.  Looking at the rise and comparing it with what I had eaten gave me all the clues I needed about what I should change in my diet. To help this I got myself a notebook and started a diary in which I wrote it all down.

What sort of things would you eat now for breakfast, lunch and evening meal? Knowing that would help members to point to things you can think about.

As @everydayupsanddowns ups and downs keeps reminding us, diabetes is a serious condition but it can be successfully managed to the point where it has minimal effects on our health and well being.  You need to work out a plan to deal with it that suits you and then stick to it.  We are here to help you do that.

Edit, just seen Ljc's post which echos mine.  Great minds eh?


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## everydayupsanddowns (Sep 4, 2020)

Glad you got checked out @imran999 

You’ve had some helpful suggestions of how to examine the effects of your current meal plan and move toward a more moderate carb approach (grated cauliflower can make a very effective low carb rice substitute as a meal accompaniment).

Hope the change in meds and the early menu tweaks begin to bring down your punishingly high BGs.

Interesting that the hospital defaulted back to T2. If the standard approaches continue to struggle, you may want to ask about a CPeptide test which will show how much insulin your body is able to 
produce and may suggest you need to move onto insulin if your pancreas is struggling with insulin production.

Losing weight will help your organs function efficiently again, so do apply some focus to weight loss over the coming months too. Hopefully the moderate carb diet will bring some natural weight loss of its own.

Keep in touch and let us know how you are getting on


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## grovesy (Sep 4, 2020)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> Glad you got checked out @imran999
> 
> You’ve had some helpful suggestions of how to examine the effects of your current meal plan and move toward a more moderate carb approach (grated cauliflower can make a very effective low carb rice substitute as a meal accompaniment).
> 
> ...


I agree.


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## Madeline (Sep 4, 2020)

Cauliflower is a fabulous sub for rice, we’ve even managed to make a very acceptable sushi with it, needed a little egg to bind it, and we microwave it as a ‘sheet’ to put on the nori.


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## imran999 (Sep 4, 2020)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> Glad you got checked out @imran999
> 
> Interesting that the hospital defaulted back to T2. If the standard approaches continue to struggle, you may want to ask about a CPeptide test which will show how much insulin your body is able to
> produce and may suggest you need to move onto insulin if your pancreas is struggling with insulin production.



Now that i am thinking about it, the hospital didn't actually say about type 1 or 2.  I've probably wishful thinked that i was type 2 as the hospital did not raise much of an issue after checking bloods.  Hospital advice was; new meds and see how they work and get referred to diabetes nurse in the community.

Surely they would have checked if i was type 1 in the hospital?
This mornings blood sugar was 13.4 on wake up (2hrs after wake up as had a long lie. Took sick day from work).

CPeptide test can this be done from gp or only hospital?


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## Bruce Stephens (Sep 4, 2020)

imran999 said:


> Surely they would have checked if i was type 1 in the hospital?



It does seem a bit surprising (to me, a layperson). There are issues: I understand the tests aren't cheap and don't necessarily give a definitive answer. And you're not young and a bit overweight and have a family history of Type 2.

On the other hand, it seems clear your BG isn't under control with the current medications and diet so regardless of what type you are they surely ought to be helping you more.

(The tests can be requested by your GP, I think.)


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## imran999 (Sep 4, 2020)

Not sure how quick the tablets work or how long they take to start bringing blood sugars down.  I'm guessing its not instant
I'm day 2 of glicizide (1 in morning)
and day 4 of metaformin (1 in morning)

One plus side....i'm not desperately thirsty anymore and not needing to go toilet as much.   No during night trips needed last night.


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## everydayupsanddowns (Sep 4, 2020)

Yes its not all that clear cut i’m afraid @imran999 

The tests that usually offer clarity are antibody tests (often GAD antibodies) and cPeptide. 

But antibodies, even in classic confirmed T1 can disappear over time, so you can have a definite T1 who tests negative. Or you may have a classic T2 with a trace of GAD, but is still T2. 

The best way to diagnose is still on clinical factors in the individual case... but for that you need an expert and experienced clinician, rather than a Dr who insists T1 only happens in childhood


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## Felinia (Sep 4, 2020)

Lots of helpful advice from everyone here.  When I was newly diagnosed I found what helped me most with managing my carb intake was a downloadable app like NutraCheck.  It has carb values of thousands of items and keeps running totals for you by meal, day and week.  It's free for a week so you can see whether it suits or not.  There are others which Forum members may suggest as I believe some allow you to record your blood glucose recordings as well.  I input my plan first thing each morning, keep digital scales on the kitchen top, and weigh and measure everything that goes in my mouth.  If you have a partner, it is best to get them on board with managing your intake, particularly if they are the cook.  Best wishes


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## imran999 (Sep 18, 2020)

Small update to my situation.

I am now taking 2 x metformin 500mg and 1 Glicizide 80mg in morning
and nurse has said to start taking one metformin with evening meal.

Blood sugars are getting under control this week and have come down to single figures.
My wake up BG is varying between 6.4 and 7.7, and last thing at night is averaging between 6.4 and 8.4 (depending how late i had dinner)
My eyesight has changed;  Gone from wearing glasses for 30 years, to now, not needing them at all.

Diet, i've cut out biscuits and sweets/ice cream....also carbs i have reduced significantly but not cut out entirely.
Exercise i have also increased.   Going for walks initially till i get my fitness levels back up.

Thanks for everyones help/thoughts/concerns.


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## rebrascora (Sep 18, 2020)

Well done! Sounds like you are getting things on track. Keep up the good work!


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## NotWorriedAtAll (Sep 18, 2020)

Hello @imran999 Sounds like you have got off to a good start now.
I have a Facebook page I started to share my experience and tips and wrinkles about changing my food choices when I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

There are lots of recipes and suggestions for swaps so you can make changes that will be enjoyable and then you can keep it up for a nice long lifetime because you enjoy the new way of eating more than the old way.

You can find the link in my information underneath this post.


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## everydayupsanddowns (Sep 18, 2020)

Thanks for letting us know how you've been getting on @imran999 

Great to hear that you efforts have resulted in such positive outcomes


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## grovesy (Sep 18, 2020)

imran999 said:


> Small update to my situation.
> 
> I am now taking 2 x metformin 500mg and 1 Glicizide 80mg in morning
> and nurse has said to start taking one metformin with evening meal.
> ...


Don't be suprised if you needed your glasses again after things settled.


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## MAC2020 (Sep 23, 2020)

imran999 said:


> Small update to my situation.
> 
> I am now taking 2 x metformin 500mg and 1 Glicizide 80mg in morning
> and nurse has said to start taking one metformin with evening meal.
> ...


Wow, wow, wow!!!
Well done! Gains upon gains!

The combination of Metformin, diet and exercise will see not only your BG return to normal levels (frankly to me you don’t seem that far off normal now) but also your weight loss will be dramatic. I’m expecting you to update us sometime in the next six months with your weight loss victories. 

Keep it up! You’re doing so well. We are all rooting for you!!


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