Hi I have been diagnosed as type 2 from gp last week but got to wait to see diabetes nurse at end of month lack of appointments!!! I've just got my code free meter to keep a record of sugar levels and changed my diet last week as well, I didn't have to change much as I don't like sugar and ate a lot of good stuff any way, I have been feeling unwell for ages , my readings are about 18 to 20, I'm still feeling tired and drinking a lot even with following the diet, I have fibromyalgia so it doesn't help and alopecia which is an auto amuine problem, any tips to help till I see the nurse? I feel fustrated as I feel let down by gp, he looked at me and said weight!!!! I'm 5ft 7 and 14 stone so yes I have to lose 2 stone, nothing has been said about drugs or medication!
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Long wait!
- Thread starter Maybug46
- Start Date
GrantGam
Well-Known Member
Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. The good news is that you've come to the right place for advice. @daisy1 can provide you with some basic info to get you started.
You say you've cut out sugar (which is a good thing), but are you aware of carbohydrates and their effects on your blood glucose?
All carbohydrates, apart from fibre, are converted into glucose for energy. Sugar as you see it in it's granular form is a simple carbohydrate. So equally, eating too much bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, etc can be just as bad as eating a box of quality streets unfortunately.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/nutrition/carbohydrates-and-diabetes.html
It's suggested that you try and minimise the quantity of carbs that you eat to improve glucose control. That limit varies from person to person, and this is something which your DSN can assist with or a dietician if you can see one.
Good luck and welcome to the forum
Grant
You say you've cut out sugar (which is a good thing), but are you aware of carbohydrates and their effects on your blood glucose?
All carbohydrates, apart from fibre, are converted into glucose for energy. Sugar as you see it in it's granular form is a simple carbohydrate. So equally, eating too much bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, etc can be just as bad as eating a box of quality streets unfortunately.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/nutrition/carbohydrates-and-diabetes.html
It's suggested that you try and minimise the quantity of carbs that you eat to improve glucose control. That limit varies from person to person, and this is something which your DSN can assist with or a dietician if you can see one.
Good luck and welcome to the forum
Grant
daisy1
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- Switzerland
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
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- Cruelty towards animals.
@Maybug46
Hello and welcome to the forum Here, to get you started on controlling your sugar levels, is the basic information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. This advice includes a lot of information about carbs. Ask more questions when you need to and someone will be able to help.
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 well over 210,000 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:
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
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.
Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.
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
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
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 blood glucose 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.
Hello and welcome to the forum
Here, to get you started on controlling your sugar levels, is the basic information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. This advice includes a lot of information about carbs. Ask more questions when you need to and someone will be able to help.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 well over 210,000 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
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
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.
Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.
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
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
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 blood glucose 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.
Oldvatr
Expert
- Messages
- 8,453
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
Definitely hit the ground running..... Good start, and good attitude to boot. I had levels like you, and drastically reduced them (and my meds), so it can be done.
Keep a log of bgl readings, times and mealtimes+ content, so you should see a drop soon, and you should take said log with you to appointments as it will be relevant to the medication you may be recommended, I use a laptop and Excel spreadsheet, but there are smartphone apps available too that may be more convenient to use and carry.
Tabbyjoolz
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- London
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
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Maybug, you're doing great so far! As for the tablets, not everyone needs them straightaway. I was offered them but said I wanted to try diet and exercise first. It's working, so, hopefully, it'll work for you too.
4ratbags
Well-Known Member
Hi and welcome to the forum
