Diabetes and me

Blood tests have come back. All the receptionist I spoke to could tell me was "Your medication is correct" so I arranged a follow up call with the pharmacist. Woohoo! Cholesterol has halved, liver function is good but the best news... Blood sugar is way down. I am now just at the upper end of normal. Not even pre-diabetic! They check again in 6 months but, for now, I am no longer on their Diabetic Patients list. But what does this all mean? Can I live life to the full, eating chips and pizza again? The NHS website says "type 2 diabetes is where the body does not produce enough insulin, or the body's cells do not react to insulin" so I quizzed the pharmacist. And no, it's not good news really. The fact that I have gone into the diabetic range, even temporarily, would indicate that something is wrong with my insulin system. I am currently keeping blood sugars under control by sticking to a fairly strict diet, so my insulin system can cope. That control means I...

My app set the target date for my 10%, or 10KG weight loss as 21st April. On Wednesday 21st I was, disappointingly, 90.8 Kg. However, on Friday 23rd I was 89.9Kg. I have no idea how I can lose 0.9Kg in three days so I assume I didn't, that I shouldn't take the scale readings as gospel and just take an average. Anyway, let's say I DID IT!!!! However, with a new BMI of 31.1 (down from 34.6), I'm still "Obese". The NHS website tells me I need to lose another 4.5Kg which I should do by eating between 1800 and 2300 calories per day. Considering my app allows me 1200 calories per day, I should smash it! So I have set my new goal at 13 stone, or 82.6 Kg. Let's see if I can keep this up. The problem being... today I had my blood test to check my blood sugar levels. If everything has gone according to plan, and I am no longer above that critical "diabetic" threshold, I need to watch my psychology. I have missed chips, pizza, crisps, etc so much that, if I...

8 weeks in. The walking is getting routine now. I have explored many paths around where I live that I never knew were there. Usually at least one of the family want to come with me - I'm not yet keen enough to leave my bed early for 10,000 steps before breakfast, though I could guarantee I would get to do that alone - so I'm only on my second audio book but I am averaging about 6,000 steps a day, for which I am credited with around 200 KCal, roughly equivalent to one poached egg on seeded bread - my breakfast. Food wise I'm coping. I don't get too hungry while I'm pottering during the day so lunch is usually fridge leftovers, which means I only eat one big meal per day. I try to keep the carbs low in that meal but inevitably there must be a spike. I'm not thinking about that too much though. I don't have any other diabetes symptoms - I'm not thirsty particularly, or tired, so I'm hoping everything is okay. We'll see what the blood tests in May co...

Over a month in to this journey now and starting to settle down. I have concluded that, if I have cereal for breakfast, I find it very difficult to stick below my total carbs for the day. However, if I have something else (mainly egg based, unfortunately) I can do it quite easily. I am now, more often than not, sticking well below my carbs for the day. I am also often under on total calories but well over on Sat Fats. Ah well! We have had another birthday in the house this week, including an Italian take-away and a birthday cake. I found something low-ish carbs on the menu, which was nice, allowing me to have a small piece of the cake, however my husband declared it a "Cheat Day" and stopped counting for the day. I subtly pointed out that diabetes doesn't have a day off but I'm not sure if it registered. He very much on the 'calorie counting to lose weight' diet and seems to forget the underlying condition of why I am controlling my diet. The exercise is going...

So the feet thing wasn't so bad. The nurse poked a few different areas around my toes and heels to check I could feel them, then used an ultrasound device to listen to the blood flow, and that was it. Took about 2 minutes. She also took out some blood, making room for the Covid vaccine to go back in later in the day! Very efficient. Diet wise, things are settling down. I am actually finding the low carbs easier to manage and am hitting or even keeping below my targets more frequently. I still haven't found a breakfast option that I like, that doesn't involve eggs, but I am getting more tolerant. I have done a couple of days with zero carbs for breakfast to see if I was starving an hour later, and I wasn't so I shouldn't be scared. It's just that a poached egg with no toast isn't right. I have bought silicon cake cases to make egg cups in, so we can see how that goes for a bit of variation. My daughter has given up chocolate for lent so made Eton Mess for tea...

I am cautious about saying the weather is improving. A week ago it was bitterly cold and getting any exercise was a mammoth undertaking. This week it has been easier and a quick 5000 steps after breakfast, before the kids get up, is perfectly possible. I have finished one book and discovered hundreds more for the days when my husband doesn't want to come with me. 5000 steps gives me and extra 140 calories for the day (according to the app) but then all extra movement during the day also counts, to the point where I can treat myself to a little chocolate if I fancy it. Tomorrow I have another blood test but I believe this one is not for blood sugar, more for kidney function due to the increased blood pressure dose. I also have an appointment with a nurse about my feet. I know diabetes causes problems in you extremities - hands and feet - but I have no idea what this appointment is likely to be. I'm not looking forward to it. I hate people touching my feet! I still haven't re...

Yesterday I downloaded an audio book to my phone and took myself off for a walk alone. I quite enjoyed it and especially enjoyed the extra calorie allowance my app gave me for doing those extra steps. I intend to do that more often however it has rained today and I'm not that keen. Maybe this is a good example of where I should try to change my attitude a bit! At least the afternoons are getting lighter so the possibility of later walks is opening up. Before I started on this journey, my husband and I were in the very poor habit of sitting on the sofa in an evening, watching some drama series or other on the telly, and eating crisps. I used to look at friends of mine who would regularly consume a bottle of wine in an evening and congratulate myself that I don't do that (I'm not keen on wine) thinking a few crisps is better than a bottle of wine. But now (ignoring the wine thing) we still sit on the sofa in an evening, watching some drama series or other on the telly and, m...