Newly diagnosed, scared and confused

Red_river_

Well-Known Member
Messages
124
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only

Grateful

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,398
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I looked at diet doctor website just now. A cup (24 cml) of Vegetable juice gives you 11 gr of carb, when a potion only allows us 15gr. All this carb counting do my head in and makes me feel low again :(

I did a lot of carb counting at the beginning. Unfortunately it is part of the learning curve. Now, not so much. Once you've figured out entire recipes and entire meals, it just gets more instinctive.

Another thing is that the "counting" is not, in the end, what matters. In the long term (and in your daily testing, if you decide to do that) the only thing that matters is results. You end up with a "feel" for what works.

Let me try an analogy. Until your diagnosis, you probably felt you knew what was healthy food (and prior to your diagnosis, it was indeed the recommended, healthy food). Did you spend all day looking at the nutrition labels? Probably not. You "knew" what was "good" and what was "bad" without having to set up a spreadsheet or something.

Well, life has thrown you a "curveball" as they say here in America, but after a while the meal-planning (and food shopping) becomes fairly instinctive -- just like is was before, it's just that the foods are different.

I hope that makes sense....
 

Red_river_

Well-Known Member
Messages
124
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
A tip for you Low fat normally means added sugar it is likely to be higher in carbs than a full fat one. So as I am on a low carb diet I eat full fat greek yoghurt. Check out the food labels to see what carbs are in it i.e. the detailed stuff NOT what bit on the front. I generally only buy food that is under 5g of carb per 100g.

Once I have lost the weight that I want to then I'll up the fat content of my diet.
I am surprised to hear low fat often means more sugar! Thanks for the tips I will check from now.
The more I read about what food is good for diabetes the more confused I get. First I simply thought I will have whole or brown instead of white. It appears that even whole wheat still loads with carb. So I try not to have any rice, bread or potato altogether, substitute by beans. I had chickpeas for dinner tonight, only to find out after that a cup of chickpeas means double of carbs for a potion. I had porridge with milk for breakfast, and just learnt that porridge can send bg through the roof!! I thought I was doing ok, now it's all wrong!! Can somebody tell me what number to look for when shopping for stuff please! And how much is a potion? Why morning is when bg is highest? So many questions my head hurts now!!! I guess I can find the answers online but as I am here and was encouraged to ask questions... This evening I had a crave for pizza!! You know when you know you can't have sth then you'd die for it!, I always make pizza from scratch with anchovies and olive, no cheese. Would a slice be okay? Seems since I go for low carbs, I've got kinda light headed feel a lot of time. Is it normal? Anybody experienced the same thing?
I felt much better last two days and now I feel rubbish again. One week today since I was diagnosed, or is it two weeks? I can't even remember now.. Sorry to pour all this frustration out on you lovely people
 

Red_river_

Well-Known Member
Messages
124
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Personally sweet potatoes spike my BG. It worth testing if that's the case for you as well.
Any winter squash does the same for me.
I would have thought so. I can't understand how sweet potato can be better than white potato? And all squash are quite sweet too. I have an odd sweet potato here and there instead of white potato. As you say, it's worth a test. But test means needle... Oh no.. I still try to delay it..
 

Rachox

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
15,809
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
This evening I had a crave for pizza!! You know when you know you can't have sth then you'd die for it!, I always make pizza from scratch with anchovies and olive, no cheese. Would a slice be okay?
Give Fathead Pizza a try, it’s as good as any carb loaded pizza I’ve ever made :hungry:
Here’s one example, but Google and you’ll find many recipes. I use ground almonds when almond flour is called for as it’s cheaper and just as good.

https://www.ditchthecarbs.com/fat-head-pizza/
 

Red_river_

Well-Known Member
Messages
124
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I did a lot of carb counting at the beginning. Unfortunately it is part of the learning curve. Now, not so much. Once you've figured out entire recipes and entire meals, it just gets more instinctive.

Another thing is that the "counting" is not, in the end, what matters. In the long term (and in your daily testing, if you decide to do that) the only thing that matters is results. You end up with a "feel" for what works.

Let me try an analogy. Until your diagnosis, you probably felt you knew what was healthy food (and prior to your diagnosis, it was indeed the recommended, healthy food). Did you spend all day looking at the nutrition labels? Probably not. You "knew" what was "good" and what was "bad" without having to set up a spreadsheet or something.

Well, life has thrown you a "curveball" as they say here in America, but after a while the meal-planning (and food shopping) becomes fairly instinctive -- just like is was before, it's just that the foods are different.

I hope that makes sense....
Sounds easy but not so when do. My head is hurting!! I just learnt a PWD is allowed 15gr Carbs a potion. Can I ask how many potions are we allowed a day? How often? Say, if I have 15gr carb meal at 6.30pm, can I have another 15gr carb at 9pm for example? Can I have a slice of say papaya after a meal? I feel distraught I can't have pizza ever again!! So all I can eat is just meat fish and some vegs?? I walk up and down the stairs for 15' an hour after a meal, is it a right thing to do?? I am going to be done now but will come back tomorrow with tones more of questions..
 

brassyblonde900

Well-Known Member
Messages
331
Type of diabetes
Type 2
The Carbs and Cals book says Papaya is 4g of carbs in a 80g serving so not to high...I would eat it ... and not as high as apples which can be 10gms and lots of other fruit are much higher. As well as berries I do eat clemetines satsumas plums and kiwis. they are the lower end of the carbs scale I am more moderate carbs but of course many here who are very low carb would not eat them
I don't trust any of the books or labels. I reweigh and I use the USDA https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2305?manu=&fgcd=&ds= They do their own testing so are more accurate.
So many times I look up a nutrient value and I see that what the manufacturer has listed is so off the mark.
I am very precise with nutrient value. For me, it has dire consequences to understate things like Carbs or Sodium. as I am eating the ketogenic way, and I retain water if I eat over 2000mg of sodium a day.
That Papaya is 10.82grams of carbs for 100grams so 80grams should be 8.66grams.
Papaya being a tropical fruit they do tend to be high in sugar. I also know it has quite a high water content, so its lower than most but certainly not 4grams of carbs for 80grams.
There USDA food database has an app for mobile devices too.
 
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Red_river_

Well-Known Member
Messages
124
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Give Fathead Pizza a try, it’s as good as any carb loaded pizza I’ve ever made :hungry:
Here’s one example, but Google and you’ll find many recipes. I use ground almonds when almond flour is called for as it’s cheaper and just as good.

https://www.ditchthecarbs.com/fat-head-pizza/
Thanks for this Rachox. But you know why I had that pizza crave? Because I looked at that link . Pizza with almond flour? no no I love the strong white flour for pizza base.. Ah, now I have a question for you : can I use gluten free flour? Is gluten free good for diabetes?
 

Grateful

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,398
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I felt much better last two days and now I feel rubbish again. One week today since I was diagnosed, or is it two weeks? I can't even remember now.. Sorry to pour all this frustration out on you lovely people

It's a horrible cliché but it comes up on this forum quite a lot. You are engaged in a marathon, not a sprint. My mood swings in the first couple of months after diagnosis, and before knowing whether I was getting things right, would make the graph of Bloody Monday on Wall Street look sane.

It is confusing. We are all trying to help, but you will find conflicting/confusing advice. There are all sorts of reasons for this, and the more you deal with this diabetes thing the more you will understand why it is like that. However the key reason is that medical systems in many countries fall short of providing enough advice, or even the right kind of advice, to people with diabetes.

Dealing with the disease (especially the Type 2 version), if you are someone who can handle it mainly with lifestyle changes, is perhaps 90 percent personal education and determination, and 10 percent actual medical treatment.

You have done the right thing by already placing the emphasis on self-education. It will get easier over time.
 
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brassyblonde900

Well-Known Member
Messages
331
Type of diabetes
Type 2
I looked at diet doctor website just now. A cup (24 cml) of Vegetable juice gives you 11 gr of carb, when a potion only allows us 15gr. All this carb counting do my head in and makes me feel low again :(
Don't feel low.
Start off with looking at what YOU CAN EAT for now, Then find 'work-arounds' for the ones that you love but cannot have 'as-is'
Eventually you will get to a place that you will be OK with.
You will get to appreciate that you are blessed to have a condition in which you can influence outcome.
Its so confusing at first.
I see it as migrating to another culture where I have to make new food choices.
You know how to cook. You should be fine.
See it as eating mostly low carbohydrate Vegetables with awesome 'creative' sauces and as you acclimatize to the newness of it all, you can start venturing farther afield into your new culinary ecosystem of carb control.
 

Red_river_

Well-Known Member
Messages
124
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
It's a horrible cliché but it comes up on this forum quite a lot. You are engaged in a marathon, not a sprint. My mood swings in the first couple of months after diagnosis, and before knowing whether I was getting things right, would make the graph of Bloody Monday on Wall Street look sane.

It is confusing. We are all trying to help, but you will find conflicting/confusing advice. There are all sorts of reasons for this, and the more you deal with this diabetes thing the more you will understand why it is like that. However the key reason is that medical systems in many countries fall short of providing enough advice, or even the right kind of advice, to people with diabetes.

Dealing with the disease (especially the Type 2 version), if you are someone who can handle it mainly with lifestyle changes, is perhaps 90 percent personal education and determination, and 10 percent actual medical treatment.

You have done the right thing by already placing the emphasis on self-education. It will get easier over time.
You are so kind and understanding, thank you..
 

Grateful

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,398
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Sounds easy but not so when do. My head is hurting!! I just learnt a PWD is allowed 15gr Carbs a potion. Can I ask how many potions are we allowed a day? How often? Say, if I have 15gr carb meal at 6.30pm, can I have another 15gr carb at 9pm for example? Can I have a slice of say papaya after a meal? I feel distraught I can't have pizza ever again!! So all I can eat is just meat fish and some vegs?? I walk up and down the stairs for 15' an hour after a meal, is it a right thing to do?? I am going to be done now but will come back tomorrow with tones more of questions..

I know exactly what you mean. I can really only speak from personal experience. After my diagnosis, I bought six or seven diabetic cookery books. I trawled the web. The more I researched this thing, the more confused I got. I bought a couple of books with extreme diets in them, including one called "The End of Diabetes" that advocated a "nutritarian" approach (basically, eat humongous quantities of vegetables; you may have to buy an extra fridge, it was said).

You start out with an advantage over me, and over many others with T2D: you found this forum soon after your diagnosis. You are getting a lot of advice. You will find your own way, choosing or rejecting advice that does or doesn't make sense to you. As long as you make a significant reduction in the carbs you eat, then a few months down the road when you get your next HbA1c test there is a reasonable chance of progress. Dozens, nay, hundreds, perhaps thousands of people on this forum have managed to do this.
 
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Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Sounds easy but not so when do. My head is hurting!! I just learnt a PWD is allowed 15gr Carbs a potion. Can I ask how many potions are we allowed a day? How often? Say, if I have 15gr carb meal at 6.30pm, can I have another 15gr carb at 9pm for example? Can I have a slice of say papaya after a meal? I feel distraught I can't have pizza ever again!! So all I can eat is just meat fish and some vegs?? I walk up and down the stairs for 15' an hour after a meal, is it a right thing to do?? I am going to be done now but will come back tomorrow with tones more of questions..
That is just nonsense - it is not a case of allowing or portions being an amount of carbs - you really need to know how high your blood glucose is - you are driving blind at the moment.
You can eat meat fish shellfish, eggs some cheese, as they are not carbs. You can then chose from low carb foods as a basic diet - salads, mushrooms, sweet peppers, celery - loads of different foods are 'allowable' depending on how many you can tolerate at any one time. I stick to 10 percent carbs or less for my usual foods - but you can make all sorts of foods such as pizza from various different things - just not bread as it is so high carb. There are loads of recipes for low carb versions of foods.
 

Red_river_

Well-Known Member
Messages
124
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Don't feel low.
Start off with looking at what YOU CAN EAT for now, Then find 'work-arounds' for the ones that you love but cannot have 'as-is'
Eventually you will get to a place that you will be OK with.
You will get to appreciate that you are blessed to have a condition in which you can influence outcome.
Its so confusing at first.
I see it as migrating to another culture where I have to make new food choices.
You know how to cook. You should be fine.
See it as eating mostly low carbohydrate Vegetables with awesome 'creative' sauces and as you acclimatize to the newness of it all, you can start venturing farther afield into your new culinary ecosystem of carb control.
I know it's a long road, and difficult. We have no choice but continue walking it.. Thank you for giving me assurance... I have to go to bed now to sleep my cry off.. Good night.
 

Hotpepper20000

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,065
I know it's a long road, and difficult. We have no choice but continue walking it.. Thank you for giving me assurance... I have to go to bed now to sleep my cry off.. Good night.
You are very fortunate, you found this forum and there will always be someone to help you.
 
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Rachox

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
15,809
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Thanks for this Rachox. But you know why I had that pizza crave? Because I looked at that link . Pizza with almond flour? no no I love the strong white flour for pizza base.. Ah, now I have a question for you : can I use gluten free flour? Is gluten free good for diabetes?
Almond flour? Don’t knock it til you keep tried it! ;) I’m afraid gluten free flour is high carb
 

Prem51

Expert
Messages
7,393
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
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Can somebody tell me what number to look for when shopping for stuff please! And how much is a potion? Why morning is when bg is highest?
@Red_river_ All this is confusing at first and takes a bit of time to get to grips with.

When buying foods look for the total Carbohydrate content, try to get foods with less than 5 gms or less of carbohydrates per 100 gms - ie 5% or less.

NHS guidelines are that a 'portion' is a serving no bigger than the size of your fist.

Morning fbgs are often higher because of 'Dawn Phenomenon' where your liver dumps stored glucose into your blood as you wake to give you energy to get going. It is quite common and non-diabetics can get it too.
 
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Ixarix

Well-Known Member
Messages
350
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi, nice to meet you. I was recently diagnosed with diabetes too. Within the last six weeks. I had a rougher time than you as my diabetic journey began in the hospital with very high blood sugar. I was calm about things while in the hospital, but shortly after I got home, I had a meltdown. I felt like I just won't be able to cope. But I managed to pull things together. Taking charge of my diabetes management helped, tracking my blood sugar with a monitor helped to provide a routine to my day. I also kept a journal of my meals, this was another thing that provided me with some structure. Lastly, finding this forum and interacting with its member has been very helpful. You probably have noticed that there a lot of friendly people who have a lot of experience dealing with diabetes, having this as part of my support network has been an important part for me being largely positive about things.
Good luck
 
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woodywhippet61

Well-Known Member
Messages
489
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I don't carb count. I eat to my meter. I test before I start eating and then 2 hours after. I aim for a bgl's of,7.5 or less 2 hours after eating. Others aim for a rise of no more than 2 by the 2 hour test.

Last night I had a meal of pork chop with sage and apple butter, bearnaise sauce, cauliflower cheese and green beans. That little lot gave me a rise of .2. That's right my bgl hardly rose at all. For me the meal was too light on green veg but it tasted good.