Exhausted and Terrified

Ady Kiwi

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi everyone. I am so relieved to have found this forum. For the last few weeks I have been getting more and more exhausted. This is so unlike me. I am used to doing plenty of exercise each day and having enough oomph for all the things I need to do. The answer seems to have come yesterday by way of a blood sugar result - it is 49. I am very frightened by it and so confused from conflicting information on what to eat. I have had a binge eating disorder for years and consumed vast amounts of sugar but now need to stop that and eat the right things to turn this situation around. If anyone has any suggestions for an eating programme to follow I would be hugely grateful!
 
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Guzzler

Master
Messages
10,577
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Poor grammar, bullying and drunks.
Hello and welcome to the forum. First let me say I know nothing about Eating Disorders.
There is a Low Carb Programme right here on the site to help people with Pre Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes.

I will tag @daisy1 for the welcome pack offered to newbies, it is full of great information and useful links.
Have a read around the forum and ask as many questions as you like, there is a wealth of knowledge and support to be had.
 
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Ady Kiwi

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello and welcome to the forum. First let me say I know nothing about Eating Disorders.
There is a Low Carb Programme right here on the site to help people with Pre Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes.

I will tag @daisy1 for the welcome pack offered to newbies, it is full of great information and useful links.
Have a read around the forum and ask as many questions as you like, there is a wealth of knowledge and support to be had.

Thank you so much!
 

EllieM

Moderator
Staff Member
Messages
9,209
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
forum bugs
The answer seems to have come yesterday by way of a blood sugar result - it is 49.
Is that a blood sugar reading from a meter in mg/dL (approx 2.7 mmol/L which is very low) or an HbA1C (just into diabetic range but not outrageously bad)?
Have you been diagnosed with diabetes (T1/T2??) or reactive hypoglycemia????
 
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Guzzler

Master
Messages
10,577
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Poor grammar, bullying and drunks.
Is that a blood sugar reading from a meter in mg/dL (approx 2.7 mmol/L which is very low) or an HbA1C (just into diabetic range but not outrageously bad)?
Have you been diagnosed with diabetes (T1/T2??) or reactive hypoglycemia????
As the OP posted in the 'PreDiabetes' section of the forum I would say it is an HbA1c result. A result of 49 would imo suggest borderline Pre Diabetes/Type 2 Diabetes.
 
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Happyhomelands

Well-Known Member
Messages
171
Hi everyone. I am so relieved to have found this forum. For the last few weeks I have been getting more and more exhausted. This is so unlike me. I am used to doing plenty of exercise each day and having enough oomph for all the things I need to do. The answer seems to have come yesterday by way of a blood sugar result - it is 49. I am very frightened by it and so confused from conflicting information on what to eat. I have had a binge eating disorder for years and consumed vast amounts of sugar but now need to stop that and eat the right things to turn this situation around. If anyone has any suggestions for an eating programme to follow I would be hugely grateful!
Hi
I read your post and it reminded me of my situation. I was reacting to stress by eating as much as I could lay my hands on. This included lots of junk food, so yes binging. My Hbac1 was 50 and my pre and post meal glucose did not look good. Exhaustion was shocking. I used this forum to learn more about diabetes and am now doing moderate low carb diet.
My daily glucose is down to normal limits and I'm about to get the Hbac1 repeated.

The big difference for me is the increase in energy.

My advice is take this seriously, get whatever help you need to make the changes. Go for it and feel better. Good luck, you will have loads of support here.
 

daisy1

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

Hello and welcome to the Forum :) Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

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 235,000 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

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 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
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 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.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

  • Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why

  • Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
 

NewTD2

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,563
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi everyone. I am so relieved to have found this forum. For the last few weeks I have been getting more and more exhausted. This is so unlike me. I am used to doing plenty of exercise each day and having enough oomph for all the things I need to do. The answer seems to have come yesterday by way of a blood sugar result - it is 49. I am very frightened by it and so confused from conflicting information on what to eat. I have had a binge eating disorder for years and consumed vast amounts of sugar but now need to stop that and eat the right things to turn this situation around. If anyone has any suggestions for an eating programme to follow I would be hugely grateful!

Hope this helps
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb
 
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SockFiddler

Well-Known Member
Messages
623
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Stress is a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy: you worry that you're not well, you start getting stressed about it, the hormones produces when you're stressed start to negatively impact your health, confirming and intensifying your fears and so on it all goes.

The first thing, before you do anything else, is to break that cycle of worry. You've identified your problem and a proposed course of action - that's a fab first step. You've found your way here and asked for advice - that's two positive steps already! Now take a breath and give yourself some time to read about other people's experiences, maybe look up some LCHF, Newcastle and other dietary stuff and keep asking questions.

Joining a community like this one will confirm lots of positive things:

1.You're not alone!
2. You're not crazy!
3. It's entirely possible to take control of your health (and life) with minimal willpower (important! We're not superheroes!)
4. Your journey is not laid out before you: you still have choice and power.
5. Everything is an experiment and you get to find out what works for you and what doesn't.
6. You still have lots of time to figure things out.

Particularly as I'm T2, I'd also add that you're far from alone in having a "binge eating disorder", and many, many people here will be able to relate to the issues you've faced.

Give yourself some time to look around these boards. Ask all the questions you need. Look at what people who cut out carbs are eating and what the impact on them has been. Understand you're not alone. Brace for any number of e-hugs from Forumites. Consider starting a blog to help organise your thoughts and chart your journey (I find this INCREDIBLY useful). Not everything you read will be useful to you, but there is nothing you're facing that hasn't been dealt with by someone here already.

And, more practically, read Daisy's post a few times - it's incredibly info-rich - and follow that link to the Low Carb programme. It's an excellent, free, web-based, no-stress introduction to LCHF.

Welcome - it's good that you're here. Now take a breath and know that everything's okay.

Sock xx
 
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Alison Campbell

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,443
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Welcome to the forum @Ady Kiwi from another with prediabetes. Lot of good information already given. There is no right diet plan just one that works for you and is sustainable long term keeping your sugars at healthy levels.
 

SockFiddler

Well-Known Member
Messages
623
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
(The Low Carb programme isn't free anymore?! Am I understanding you correctly?)
 

lindijanice

Well-Known Member
Messages
433
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hey Ady Kiwi, welcome to the forum. Agree with the posts above - especially SockFiddler's post. One breath at a time, one step at a time and keep looking forward - the past is the past and you can't change it - but you can change your journey now for the better. Sending you hugs!! Blessings/L
 

JoycieW

Active Member
Messages
30
Hi everyone. I am so relieved to have found this forum. For the last few weeks I have been getting more and more exhausted. This is so unlike me. I am used to doing plenty of exercise each day and having enough oomph for all the things I need to do. The answer seems to have come yesterday by way of a blood sugar result - it is 49. I am very frightened by it and so confused from conflicting information on what to eat. I have had a binge eating disorder for years and consumed vast amounts of sugar but now need to stop that and eat the right things to turn this situation around. If anyone has any suggestions for an eating programme to follow I would be hugely grateful!
I found Bitten Johnson's series of lectures on Sugar Addiction on Dietdoctor.com really useful. It applies to carb addiction too. It really helped me to quit the harmful carbs.
 

Ady Kiwi

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi
I read your post and it reminded me of my situation. I was reacting to stress by eating as much as I could lay my hands on. This included lots of junk food, so yes binging. My Hbac1 was 50 and my pre and post meal glucose did not look good. Exhaustion was shocking. I used this forum to learn more about diabetes and am now doing moderate low carb diet.
My daily glucose is down to normal limits and I'm about to get the Hbac1 repeated.

The big difference for me is the increase in energy.

My advice is take this seriously, get whatever help you need to make the changes. Go for it and feel better. Good luck, you will have loads of support here.

Thanks so much. I am being really tough on what I am eating. Feeling very strange I guess because of the lack of sugar that I usually have but looking forward to my energy coming back.
 
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Ady Kiwi

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
I found Bitten Johnson's series of lectures on Sugar Addiction on Dietdoctor.com really useful. It applies to carb addiction too. It really helped me to quit the harmful carbs.

Thank you so much. I shall get onto those asap!!
 

Ady Kiwi

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hey Ady Kiwi, welcome to the forum. Agree with the posts above - especially SockFiddler's post. One breath at a time, one step at a time and keep looking forward - the past is the past and you can't change it - but you can change your journey now for the better. Sending you hugs!! Blessings/L

Thank you soooo much. It is fantastic to be connected with others walking the same road!!
 
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Ady Kiwi

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Welcome to the forum @Ady Kiwi from another with prediabetes. Lot of good information already given. There is no right diet plan just one that works for you and is sustainable long term keeping your sugars at healthy levels.

Thank you. I am actually surprised at how many things I can eat. It has been interesting reading up on it all.
 
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