new to type 2

kepli

Member
Messages
8
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello,
I have recently been told I'm type 2 diabetic and that I should be able to manage it with diet. I'm very over weight (around 30 stones, 198cm tall, male) and have so far lost 12 kg to try and bring it all under control.
I'm a uk resident but originally from Denmark and have only been here some years so not sure what to expect health care wise. My GP have got me in on eye check and foot check up and I think there is another blood test due in 6 months time or so.

There is a lot of information out there and I'm struggling to take it all in and pick the things that I need to know right now.

I have always had this weird feeling when I'm getting hungry, but with the diabetic it seems to get more pronounced. I guess my first question is how big a deal is it?
I get headachy, feeling a bit woozy and like a shaky feeling inside, but my hands are actually steady. I also get this depressed/black feeling where I cant be ***** do much and I'm fairly cranky/negative. Should I be doing something different or can I do something? I have read about hypos I think its called and eating sugar etc... but I dont want to do it if its the wrong time?

I dont have one of those needle things to measure blood with, do I need one?
The nurse that giving me an introduction speach to the subject at my local gp told me not to buy diabetic products, so im wondering how about snacks? I mean im cutting down/moving away from them, but 100% removal will be difficult. So should I go for sugarfree ones?

The last bit is alcohol, I think its hard to find some good advice on this, on a weekly average I drink 1.5-2 bottles of wine and usually 2-3 rum based drinks, but its all in the weekend, and none during the week. can I still do this? I use diet sodas for mixer.

sorry for all the questions and I hope it makes sense as english is my 3rd language.
 
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DeejayR

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,375
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Hiya, welcome, you're in the right place now so try not to worry. I got similar sensations before I was diagnosed and suppose they were Type 2 false hypos but they've gone away now. I'll ask @daisy1 to give you her great guide to managing your diabetes which will give you a structured look at what it's all about.
I'm sure you'll find what you need and keep on asking questions.
Do you know what your blood sugar levels were when you were diagnosed?
We find meters useful in checking our blood sugar before and after meals so we know what we can safely eat and drink. More about that in due course.
Don't buy diabetic products -- that's correct. Have a look on the low-carb eating thread to see what we do.
I'm TT but I think wine is ok. It's beer that's the sugary one. Diet soda ok, and rum? Dunno.
Stick around.
*edit* Third language? You foreigners are so cosmopolitan :D
 
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Reactions: 6 people

sanguine

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,340
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Intolerance, career politicians, reality TV and so-called celebrity culture, mobile phones in the quiet carriage.
Hi @kepli, welcome and well done for your weight loss so far :)

Your English seems fine to me!

The fundamental tools for management that most are successful with are diet (reducing carbohydrates, especially bread, pasta, rice and potatoes as well as the obvious sugars); and a blood glucose meter. The latter is essential to see what impact different foods have on your blood sugar. Many use the SD Codefree because the strips are cheapest.

As for alcohol, generally red wine and dry white wine are OK, and spirits (but watch out for sugary mixers). Beer is best avoided.

Lots to take in, but there are positive things you can do. Have a read around, including the links in my signature below, and ask any questions.
 

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@kepli

Hello Kepli and welcome to the forum :)

To add to the good advice above, here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will help. You really are doing very well already.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 150,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
 
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Reactions: 2 people

kepli

Member
Messages
8
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi @kepli, welcome and well done for your weight loss so far :)

Your English seems fine to me!

The fundamental tools for management that most are successful with are diet (reducing carbohydrates, especially bread, pasta, rice and potatoes as well as the obvious sugars); and a blood glucose meter. The latter is essential to see what impact different foods have on your blood sugar. Many use the SD Codefree because the strips are cheapest.

As for alcohol, generally red wine and dry white wine are OK, and spirits (but watch out for sugary mixers). Beer is best avoided.

Lots to take in, but there are positive things you can do. Have a read around, including the links in my signature below, and ask any questions.
@kepli

Hello Kepli and welcome to the forum :)

To add to the good advice above, here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will help. You really are doing very well already.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 150,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.



-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wow thanks guys, thats alot of good advice, I will read up on all the stuff and see if I can get my paws on a testing thingie.
I must say the support and welcome here is amazing!

thanks again and see ya around :)

all the best
 
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Reactions: 4 people

kepli

Member
Messages
8
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hiya, welcome, you're in the right place now so try not to worry. I got similar sensations before I was diagnosed and suppose they were Type 2 false hypos but they've gone away now. I'll ask @daisy1 to give you her great guide to managing your diabetes which will give you a structured look at what it's all about.
I'm sure you'll find what you need and keep on asking questions.
Do you know what your blood sugar levels were when you were diagnosed?
We find meters useful in checking our blood sugar before and after meals so we know what we can safely eat and drink. More about that in due course.
Don't buy diabetic products -- that's correct. Have a look on the low-carb eating thread to see what we do.
I'm TT but I think wine is ok. It's beer that's the sugary one. Diet soda ok, and rum? Dunno.
Stick around.
*edit* Third language? You foreigners are so cosmopolitan :D
_______________________________________________________

heya,

whats a TT?

cheers
Kepli
 

kepli

Member
Messages
8
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
What a great thread. Just been a member for 20 minutes and learned important facts. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 4 years ago. I was very depressed but ignored it and eat whatever I like. But slowly felt the effect. So I'm here to read every thread to learn what is good for all of us.

____________________________________________________________________

yea its amazing all the advice, lots more than I got from my gp! he just told me yea your 2nd bloodtest confirms you are now officially diabetic, and we should treat you accordingly. So you will get an appointment to see a nurse that can tell you more....
 
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Reactions: 2 people
Messages
18,448
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Bullies, Liars, Trolls and dishonest cruel people
Hello and welcome to the forum

Best wishes RRB
 
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Reactions: 2 people

Alzebra

Well-Known Member
Messages
604
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
_______________________________________________________

heya,

whats a TT?

cheers
Kepli


It's short for teetotal, someone who doesn't drink any alcohol. Your English is very good by the way :joyful:
 

kepli

Member
Messages
8
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hiya, welcome, you're in the right place now so try not to worry. I got similar sensations before I was diagnosed and suppose they were Type 2 false hypos but they've gone away now. I'll ask @daisy1 to give you her great guide to managing your diabetes which will give you a structured look at what it's all about.
I'm sure you'll find what you need and keep on asking questions.
Do you know what your blood sugar levels were when you were diagnosed?
We find meters useful in checking our blood sugar before and after meals so we know what we can safely eat and drink. More about that in due course.
Don't buy diabetic products -- that's correct. Have a look on the low-carb eating thread to see what we do.
I'm TT but I think wine is ok. It's beer that's the sugary one. Diet soda ok, and rum? Dunno.
Stick around.
*edit* Third language? You foreigners are so cosmopolitan :D
_____________________________________________________________________

heya,

I didnt get the levels from the doctor when I was diagnosed but just phoned to ask, I remember they did 2 test but they could only see the results of the last one, it was 57. I havnt read enough about it all yet to know how bad/good that is :)
 

kepli

Member
Messages
8
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
It's short for teetotal, someone who doesn't drink any alcohol. Your English is very good by the way :joyful:
________________________________________________________________________

ahh lol something new learned today, never heard about TT or teetotal before.
hehe thanks :D
 

sanguine

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,340
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Intolerance, career politicians, reality TV and so-called celebrity culture, mobile phones in the quiet carriage.
_____________________________________________________________________

heya,

I didnt get the levels from the doctor when I was diagnosed but just phoned to ask, I remember they did 2 test but they could only see the results of the last one, it was 57. I havnt read enough about it all yet to know how bad/good that is :)

The 57 would be your HbA1c in mmol/mol, this is the 2-3 month 'average' level used for diagnosis at present. That's actually not bad at all, 48 and over is diabetic, 42-47 is prediabetic and under 42 is non-diabetic. I was 65 when first diagnosed. You may be able to manage that back down by diet alone.
 

kepli

Member
Messages
8
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi guys

So the major thing I take away from this is that there is hope at the end of the tunnel and its not as bad as I feared if I put my will to it and really work on it. Also that I need a blood measure thingie.
I have seen the SD codefree being mentioned, just so I dont burn cash on the wrong thing, is the below suitable?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Codefree-Glucose-Monitor-Monitoring-Testing/dp/B0068JAJFS
http://www.amazon.co.uk/50-Strips-Codefree-Monitoring-Replacement/dp/B00690WTY0

The low carb diet looks interesting, I will give that a go.

thanks again

Cheers

Kepli
 
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Reactions: 2 people

AnnInDenmark

Well-Known Member
Messages
383
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello fellow Dane, and welcome.

Keep asking questions and good luck.
I hope you will soon feel better.

Ann
 

kepli

Member
Messages
8
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello fellow Dane, and welcome.

Keep asking questions and good luck.
I hope you will soon feel better.

Ann
_______________________________________________________________
ahh great, another Dane lol, Heya Ann :)
thanks alot and the same to you.
 

AnnInDenmark

Well-Known Member
Messages
383
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I already feel better, thanks to the advice I got from the nice people in this community.
I can only recommend you to stick around. :)
 

DeejayR

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,375
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi guys

So the major thing I take away from this is that there is hope at the end of the tunnel and its not as bad as I feared if I put my will to it and really work on it. Also that I need a blood measure thingie.
I have seen the SD codefree being mentioned, just so I dont burn cash on the wrong thing, is the below suitable?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Codefree-Glucose-Monitor-Monitoring-Testing/dp/B0068JAJFS
http://www.amazon.co.uk/50-Strips-Codefree-Monitoring-Replacement/dp/B00690WTY0

The low carb diet looks interesting, I will give that a go.

thanks again

Cheers

Kepli
Go to http://www.homehealth-uk.com/medical/blood_glucose_monitor_testing.htm and use these codes for a discount.
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833