Completely Confused Mess About Diet

[Ojustaboo]

Hi all. New here, please bare with me.

At the moment I am a confused mess as to what sort of diet to follow. I'm a man who weighs about 125kg (19 1/2 stone) and am 54.

Bearing in mind at 34 I also weighed about this and have spent the last 20 years on and off trying every single diet under the sun, and while I can loose a stone or two very very quickly on almost any diet, I can put it back on extremely fast as soon as I stop following one.

I was diagnosed with Type 2 a couple of weeks before Christmas 2017 but also have numerous other health issues and haven't been able to work for a long time now. I take Metformin 3 times a day.

Some of these are CFS/ME, chronic back pain, sleep problems due to pain and depression, and any sort of stress physically exhausts me (part of my CFS/ME), plus a few other problems.

I'm also in a lot of debt (due to health issues) and get zero benefits (long story).

So the reality is, I can stick to any diet for a few days, then I get a letter/email from one of my many creditors or debt collection agency, by the time I sort that out, I'm so stressed and tired that I think "whats the point in living if I'm getting this **** every day and I cant enjoy myself, sod it" and eat stuff I shouldn't eat, and drink what I shouldn't drink, just as a way of coping.

That's the brief outline of my health.

A few weeks before I was diagnosed, he GP sent me to their in house dietitian who I was seeing every two weeks. SHe doesn't want me to follow any diet plan as such, just record what I eat, try to eat things that are low fat (green labels on food) and for instance suggested something like

Poridge for breakfast

Omlett of some kind made with 3 egg whites but only 1 yolk

Two potatoes that each fit in the palm of my hand, veg and whatever, but try to limit red meat to two or three times max a week.

And over time I lost 1/2 stone, put it back on, lost it again and now must have put it back on.

My GP sent me to a diabetic course called Desmond which I had in March, and while I found it interesting and useful, as far as diet goes, I'm not too sure.

Desmond told me to look at the Carbs on any item of food, divide that by 3, that roughly give the sugar carb amount, and keep the result under 70 a day

When I started doing this on the diet sheet my dietitian wanted me to fill out, she was totally confused, admitted she knows nothing about what Desmond teach, but also commented that instead of dividing the carbs by three and not exceeding 70, wouldn't it be easier to not divide and not go over 210.

I stopped going to her a couple of months ago due to me being really down and depressed, I could go back at any time, but I know she wont/doesn't understand/ doesn't agree with the diets I've been reading and watching about regarding Type 2, she is really friendly and supportive though..

I understand that Desmond is talking about the carbs turning into sugar, but it's still sort of confusing.

Desomnd say I can eat 70 carbs of sugar a day (210 total carbs in food divided by 3)

Looking at the internet, it appears 1 gram of sugar = 1 carb
It also appears 1 teaspoon of sugar = 4 grams of sugar (or 4 carbs)

So 70 divided by 4 mean s that according to Desomnd I can eat 17.5 teaspoons of sugar a day.


So I finish my second week at Desmond, get home, read the BBC news page and the first thing that catches my eye is an article that says a blueberry muffin contains 8 teaspoons of sugar when the recommended intake for adults is 7.

So BBC say 7 max, Desmond say 17.5, I realise Desmond are talking about carbs turning into sugar, but this and everything else doesn't help.


Now I come to diet.

My blood pressure is normally fine despite my weight.

Last time I had a check, HbA1c was 55, and my blood pressure was 135/72

I cant remember how much, but my liver levels were also raised

My Cholesterol is OK now but I am on tablets

I need to get into gear, take my diet seriously, and stick to it.

So I start hunting for advice. I watch the recent thing on the TV where they feed patients horrible looking shakes for 8 weeks and think NO

I read this forum and they seem to recommend a low carb diet (haven't yet worked out how low yours is compared to what Desmond told me).

While I appreciate people need to make a living and normally have no qualm about paying for things, I have zero money at the moment, cant even afford to pay creditors £1 a month token payment, so it's kind of annoying coming to a diabetes forum for support and having to pay to get access to the diet they are pushing (but do understand we cant expect people to work for nothing).

I also see on this forum, a lot of support for low carb high fat (a sort of Atkins?) diets.

One of the many problems I have with diets over the years is no matter how many people tell me once my pallet gets used to abc, I will stop craving for xyz, it simply isn't like that for me. I could follow a vegetarian diet for 3 years and would still dream of the day I can have a pork pie or chip shop fish and chips.

I like the taste of fatty food. A joint of meat cooked with no fat on is flavourless.

And I read one site that says I don't have to worry about cholesterol in egg yolks at the same time my dietitian is telling me to limit the yolks to 1 due to cholesterol.

Etc etc etc, I hope you can see why I'm a confused mess.

Part of me thinks low carb high fat will suit me very very well. But if I've already got a bit of a fatty liver (I think the GP mentioned fats) wouldn't that likely cause me more harm?

I also have to see my GP fairly regularly, she's going to moan at me not seeing their dietitian, neither will approve of low carb high fat, both go on about a balanced diet, plate split into veg, carbs etc.

Any ideas what I should try next as it's 8 months since I was diagnosed and I probably haven't lost an ounce?

Many thanks for your time.

 

[Guzzler]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Tagging @daisy1 for the info pack offered to all newcomers.

Wow! In the year I have been a member of this forum I have never heard of so much conflicting and just plain rubbish advice. Stick around, you are about to learn what you can do to improve your overall health as well as manage your Diabetes.

P.S. if you love meat with fat on it come sit by me!

 

[Terrytiddy]

Hi @Ojustaboo welcome to the forum/group. Sorry about all the troubles that you are going through but you are in the right place for help, advice and support. I find that Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) works well for me. I fast 18/6 so no food after 20.00 till 14.00 next day, with only black tea, coffee and water during fast. I have also reduced my carbs right down to 5% or less per day. In last 2 months I've lost 2 1/2 stone and my Blood glucose has dropped from 16.6 to 4.9 average over 30 days .I would cut the porridge and the potatoes as full of carbs! You can use cheaper cuts of meat (go to supermarket when it has been reduced to save more money) so can eat quite well for less. Have a look at other threads on the forum such as "Low Carb Diet" also "what have you eaten today?" to give you some ideas. You will be fine, most of us have been where you are at the moment so any questions ask away. You will get there!

 

[Rachox]

Hi Ojustaboo and welcome! I was overweight for more years than I can remember before my diabetes diagnosis, which has been a blessing in disguise. I discovered this forum the night of my diagnosis and started low carb eating straight away. Not only have I got my Diabetes under control but I have lost a shed load of weight. It is a great shame that the low carb program now has a charge, but it has recently been approved by Qismet for GPs to prescribe but I’m not sure when this will happen. In the meantime try this website, there’s a free trial but a lot of info is available without signing up:
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb

 

[Resurgam]

Hello there. What a good thing you have found the forum.
I would have happily stuck to my way of eating - the Atkins diet was the vindication of all that I had realized was right for me, but as you found out, nurses advise us that we should eat carbs and become fatter and more out of control all the time.
The numbers given to you by your nurse appear to be absolute rubbish - there is probably an amount of carbs you can eat and have normal blood sugars - but you need to discover what it is for yourself as no one else knows.
For me, 50 gm of carbs a day from low carb foods - ones with 10 percent or less carbs sorted out my diabetes, but I have now dropped down to 40 gm per day to try to lose body fat.
I eat whole eggs - no messing about with separating off the yolks - that is, after all the good bit. The cholesterol in eggs is not quite exactly the same as the cholesterol found in a Human - but no one bothered to check - it was just assumed to be the same stuff. When they had people eat loads of eggs and then checked their cholesterol - oh dear. There seems to be some discrepancy between what was thought and what has been found.
I eat any meat, any fish, shellfish, cheese - salads and veges as long as they are low in carbs. I have lost weight, but the shrinking of my waist is the most pleasing part - if was not until after I had control of my blood glucose, but suddenly all my clothes were falling off.
It is over 18 months since I was diagnosed now and I have eaten low carb and moderately high fat ever since. My middle has shrunk down and my liver - if I remember my anatomy, is much smaller and softer. I do not eat grains or potatoes, and limit starchy veges and sugary fruits.
My doctor has been sulking for months.

 

[Mbaker]

No wonder your confused, the recent programmes on TV tell close to truth, your Desmond course said 70 grams of carbs, whilst my diabetes course had a minimum of 90 grams, both of which fit low carb (total); yet your dietician is consistent with the established view of low fat and the like. Healthier eating on a budget can be done. Here's some options that you might want to consider:

liver and bacon (tasty, fatty, full of nutrients and cheap)
mackerel
smoked herring (tasty, fatty and cheap)
Meat offers
Beansprouts (cheap)
Asparagus (good filler and nutritious)
Mushrooms (good alrounder)
Eggs
Cabbage
Cauliflower / Broccoli
Tomatoes

I get in trouble with my wife, but whenever there is for example cheap wild salmon, I buy this in put it in the freezer (I always consume rather than hord)

The best amount of carbs is the least you can get by which might be below 50 grams per day. The 7 teaspoons of sugar is "added", the average consumed is in the region of 25 additional per day, well over.

 

[flexi06]

Ah bless you, the nhs is in a right state of confusion over diabetes and it makes little sense. I do not understand why they are not putting all their collective weight ( excuse the vernacular) behind low carb for diabetic cases. Anyhow, I paid for the low carb program and wish I had not bothered. Basically you have to do a lot of research, Dietdoctor, Jason Fung, Dr Benjamin Bikman, low carb high fat. These are some terms to research. Look on this forum for “what did I eat today” for ideas. Test your blood before and after meals, and in the morning. ( fasting) joking some forums you like the look of on here- these people are great for helping. We shop at Lidl and our new low carb shopping is cheaper than our previous ready made stuff. The real Change for me has been lots more food prep and washing up, but now eating much more healthily. I recommend lchf and test, test, test your blood to find what does it for you. Keep asking questions on here and basically ignore your diabetic nurse

 

[KK123]

Ojustaboo, you sound afraid to give low carb, high fat a go but why don't you just do it, say for a month at first? What have you got to lose, it sounds like everything you have tried so far hasn't worked. The people on here will testify to its benefits, lots of lovely tasting food! If money is tight I think that fatty cuts of meat can be cheaper etc, and eggs and food like that aren't too expensive, I say go for it, you clearly want to do something which makes you a sensible bloke!

 

[Lamont D]

My horror story is so similar to yours!
In the previous ten years before diagnosis, I had tried every diet under the sun and got no where and gradually put weight on.
I was also struggling for cash from month to month, getting in a deeper debt hole.
I can't claim for my disabled wife despite working all my life, she did as well.
Won our court case and still couldn't claim!
I was lucky I found this forum and started going low carb, higher fat.
I also started intermittent fasting, I only have to get two or three meals prepared for each day. Instead of the five or six recommended to me.
You can shop wisely, finding the low cost cuts of meat, prepare and if too much save the left overs for another meal the next, I make homemade meals, low carb soups and curries, freeze them.
The low carb forum is full of great ideas and recipes.
Do read the forums, read the success stories forum threads, they are very persuasive.

I now have a full time job again, because the lifestyle change worked.
I have my life back, you can too!

 

[jayney27]

Hello and welcome @Ojustaboo
As already advised it is worth trying a low carb high fat diet, I personally don’t like that word, but can recommend it. Hopefully you will find that by making the change to eating this way you will gain control of your blood glucose levels, you will loose weight and this might also help with some of your other health issues as I found that my energy levels increased and my sleep improved dramatically, my taste buds also changed quite quickly too. Yes you might always dream of eating fish and chips and pork pies but you may find that your attitude to food and what effect it has on your health outweighs the desire so much so that saying no to these types of foods becomes easier, I have certainly found that, on the odd occasions that I have had something naughty I havent liked seeing the effect it has on my blood sugars so don’t repeat them very often.
There are quite a few things that you can eat that that don’t cost the earth and are more filling, better for you and cheaper than fish and chips, the DietDoctor website has lots of recipe ideas and you don’t need to pay to gain access to them.
The thread on the forum https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/posts/1831369/ is a great place for inspiration, there are several of us who post our daily menus and generally support and motivate each other, that may be a good place to start, read through what we eat and pick and choose from there to get you started.
Good luck on your journey, you are not alone, we are all travelling it together.

 

[briped]

Anyhow, I paid for the low carb program and wish I had not bothered.

Me too. I don't think I learned anything yet that I didn't know already from this forum.

 

[shelley262]

Welcome @Ojustaboo first things first:
You do have to pay for the low carb programme but the good news is that you can find out the information you need free of charge both from this forum and it’s members and also the www.dietdoctor.comwebsite ( most info on site is free to access you don’t need to pay for membership to find out the important information. ) I did the low carb programme which used to be free and it’s main benefit is guidance and advice to take things step by step but it’s not essential.
I’d advise you to take a similar path as the low carb programme and take it step by step - it sounds like you are already cutting your carbs and you can go as low as you feel comfortable with. It is an issue that many carbs are cheap but if you go for fatty meats and fish, full fat cheese, bacon and eggs as the basis for most of your meals( soundslike you enjoy this type of food anyway so may well suit you) they tend to be cheaper than the lean cuts of meat and white fish and you can mix in with a few veggies I use a lot of frozen cauliflower , spinach and broccoli as they are often cheap and you only need a few bits with each meal. You could also save money by eating fewer meals which may suit you. It’s odd, I know, but when you eat few carbs you don’t have the rebound hunger. Shops like Aldi and Lidl are great for staples. I have rediscovered stuff like belly pork and lard with this way of eating - all cheap.
Read as much as you can on this site and diet doctor especially the success stories - lots of people by eating this way have lost so much weight and got their lives and health back.
Why not give it a try for a week or two and see how you feel about it. My bet would be you’ll enjoy the food and love the effects so much you won’t look back. Good luck and keep asking questionswe can help.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

Just to add to the above, fatty liver (i.e. non-alcoholic fatty liver disease - aka NAFLD) is not caused by too much dietary fat, but too much carbohydrate intake. A low carb high fat diet got rid of my NAFLD and lowered my blood glucose levels to normal, non-diabetic.

 

[Energize]

Hi @Ojustaboo

Welcome to the forum here To start with, just take one step at a time. There's a lot to get your head around, and that's without all your other problems! We all had to start somewhere

Now, I can really understand what you're saying about finding it difficult to care for yourself re diet etc when you're depressed. I've had similiar issues. I've been 'on the wagon' and then something happens and whoa, fall off totally, wondering if it's worth the bother etc. Yes, it's a very real issue and difficult to get out of this spiral. Only those who've experienced it can truly appreciate how hard it is.

Regarding your financial situation, have you been to Citizen' Advice to see what help might be available? Another route is CAP (Christians Against Poverty) and, most likely, a local Church will be associated with such a resource. I would strongely recommend seeking help as there is a lot they can do to take the pressure off.

Another thing that occurred to me when reading your post was if your GP has checked your Vit B12, Folate, Ferritin and Vit D levels. It's possibly not an issue but worth checking. Vit B12 deficiency and/or Folate deficiency can give rise to many of your health issues and, unfortunately, Health Care Professionals do not appreciate how such deficiencies can impact on your life, or even be diagnosed as other conditions. In spite of very low levels B12, my GP was adamant I was not deficient. So, eventually, I decided to self inject and, 1 yr on, he can't believe the difference in my wellbeing!!! If I'd 'believed' him, I would have gotten worse over time and had a miserable life.

So, take heart. As you've read in the posts above, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Try to keep as optimistic as you can, especially on your better days, and take satisfaction knowing you have a load of genuine support on here

Oh, and by the way, I'll tag @daisy1 who will post some excellent information regarding diabetes etc which you may find helpful

Take care

 

[Ojustaboo]

Many many many thanks, wasn't expecting such an awesome response or so quick

Low carb high fat it is.

The fasting is interesting, another thing Desmond told me was not to miss any meals under any circumstances and even added that if we could control what we eat, grazing all day is the best form of diet as it stops your sugar levels going up and down.

I'm lucky (or not depending how you look at it) in that there's very little I can't eat. Put something in front of me and there's a 99.9% chance I am happy to eat it.

The things I really cant stand are coconut (not allergic, but taste makes me feel sick), any dried fruit, dates, prunes and figs.

Almost anything else I can eat. Obviously I prefer some things over others, but give me a few recpies to try, and there's not a lot I wont give a go.

I will weigh myself tomorrow (think I might have put a bit on) and look through your suggestions and make up a few recipes to get going.

Whats the cheapest kit to regularly test my blood please?

again, many thanks

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi all. New here, please bare with me.

At the moment I am a confused mess as to what sort of diet to follow. I'm a man who weighs about 125kg (19 1/2 stone) and am 54.

Bearing in mind at 34 I also weighed about this and have spent the last 20 years on and off trying every single diet under the sun, and while I can loose a stone or two very very quickly on almost any diet, I can put it back on extremely fast as soon as I stop following one.

I was diagnosed with Type 2 a couple of weeks before Christmas 2017 but also have numerous other health issues and haven't been able to work for a long time now. I take Metformin 3 times a day.

Some of these are CFS/ME, chronic back pain, sleep problems due to pain and depression, and any sort of stress physically exhausts me (part of my CFS/ME), plus a few other problems.

I'm also in a lot of debt (due to health issues) and get zero benefits (long story).

So the reality is, I can stick to any diet for a few days, then I get a letter/email from one of my many creditors or debt collection agency, by the time I sort that out, I'm so stressed and tired that I think "whats the point in living if I'm getting this **** every day and I cant enjoy myself, sod it" and eat stuff I shouldn't eat, and drink what I shouldn't drink, just as a way of coping.

That's the brief outline of my health.

A few weeks before I was diagnosed, he GP sent me to their in house dietitian who I was seeing every two weeks. SHe doesn't want me to follow any diet plan as such, just record what I eat, try to eat things that are low fat (green labels on food) and for instance suggested something like

Poridge for breakfast

Omlett of some kind made with 3 egg whites but only 1 yolk

Two potatoes that each fit in the palm of my hand, veg and whatever, but try to limit red meat to two or three times max a week.

And over time I lost 1/2 stone, put it back on, lost it again and now must have put it back on.

My GP sent me to a diabetic course called Desmond which I had in March, and while I found it interesting and useful, as far as diet goes, I'm not too sure.

Desmond told me to look at the Carbs on any item of food, divide that by 3, that roughly give the sugar carb amount, and keep the result under 70 a day

When I started doing this on the diet sheet my dietitian wanted me to fill out, she was totally confused, admitted she knows nothing about what Desmond teach, but also commented that instead of dividing the carbs by three and not exceeding 70, wouldn't it be easier to not divide and not go over 210.

I stopped going to her a couple of months ago due to me being really down and depressed, I could go back at any time, but I know she wont/doesn't understand/ doesn't agree with the diets I've been reading and watching about regarding Type 2, she is really friendly and supportive though..

I understand that Desmond is talking about the carbs turning into sugar, but it's still sort of confusing.

Desomnd say I can eat 70 carbs of sugar a day (210 total carbs in food divided by 3)

Looking at the internet, it appears 1 gram of sugar = 1 carb
It also appears 1 teaspoon of sugar = 4 grams of sugar (or 4 carbs)

So 70 divided by 4 mean s that according to Desomnd I can eat 17.5 teaspoons of sugar a day.


So I finish my second week at Desmond, get home, read the BBC news page and the first thing that catches my eye is an article that says a blueberry muffin contains 8 teaspoons of sugar when the recommended intake for adults is 7.

So BBC say 7 max, Desmond say 17.5, I realise Desmond are talking about carbs turning into sugar, but this and everything else doesn't help.


Now I come to diet.

My blood pressure is normally fine despite my weight.

Last time I had a check, HbA1c was 55, and my blood pressure was 135/72

I cant remember how much, but my liver levels were also raised

My Cholesterol is OK now but I am on tablets

I need to get into gear, take my diet seriously, and stick to it.

So I start hunting for advice. I watch the recent thing on the TV where they feed patients horrible looking shakes for 8 weeks and think NO

I read this forum and they seem to recommend a low carb diet (haven't yet worked out how low yours is compared to what Desmond told me).

While I appreciate people need to make a living and normally have no qualm about paying for things, I have zero money at the moment, cant even afford to pay creditors £1 a month token payment, so it's kind of annoying coming to a diabetes forum for support and having to pay to get access to the diet they are pushing (but do understand we cant expect people to work for nothing).

I also see on this forum, a lot of support for low carb high fat (a sort of Atkins?) diets.

One of the many problems I have with diets over the years is no matter how many people tell me once my pallet gets used to abc, I will stop craving for xyz, it simply isn't like that for me. I could follow a vegetarian diet for 3 years and would still dream of the day I can have a pork pie or chip shop fish and chips.

I like the taste of fatty food. A joint of meat cooked with no fat on is flavourless.

And I read one site that says I don't have to worry about cholesterol in egg yolks at the same time my dietitian is telling me to limit the yolks to 1 due to cholesterol.

Etc etc etc, I hope you can see why I'm a confused mess.

Part of me thinks low carb high fat will suit me very very well. But if I've already got a bit of a fatty liver (I think the GP mentioned fats) wouldn't that likely cause me more harm?

I also have to see my GP fairly regularly, she's going to moan at me not seeing their dietitian, neither will approve of low carb high fat, both go on about a balanced diet, plate split into veg, carbs etc.

Any ideas what I should try next as it's 8 months since I was diagnosed and I probably haven't lost an ounce?

Many thanks for your time.

I got lucky; I found out about the diabetes when everyone was on holiday and I had to figure the diet out on my own. By the time two dieticians and a diabetic nurse got to me, I was already on LCHF and had lowered my HbA1c to almost normal levels on my own. Fat was packed so densely on my liver they couldn't tell if it was fat or cancer. Needed multiple tests, scans and echo's to rule it out. Just months after diagnosis I was in the non-diabetic range, off meds, (cholesterol too), and with an improving liver as well. So here I am, two years later, upping the ante by going keto; even less carbs than before, 20 or less a day. Mostly I average 10 grams. I eat bacon, eggs, mushrooms, meat (without sugary marinades or breading!), cheeses, fish, olives, avocado's, mayo, cauliflower-rice, broccoli-rice, leafy greens and above ground veggies. I cut out all bread and baked goods, cereal, pasta, potatoes, fruit (fructose is a fatty liver's enemy, sadly), rice, corn etc... If it's carb-heavy, I avoid it. My HbA1c is currently 34, liver's still improving, cholesterol is fine. Check dietdoctor.com for recipies, no need to become a paying member. You got a lot of conflicting info and it would drive anyone up the wall. But know this; all carbs turn to sugar once ingested. And we as T2's, can't process carbs properly. So reducing the intake drastically will help. With the fatty liver too. I went to McD's today and ordered a huge burger... All the trimmings. And just 4 grams of carbs. Because I ditched the bun! (Which would've added about 30 grams of carbs). It was all patty, bacon, lettuce and tomato. Yum. There are solutions. Really.
Good luck!
Jo
Ps: falling off the wagon won't end the diet. Just get back on asap! Most of us are a little more relaxed around holidays, events or occasions. A lifestyle change needs to be sustainable for a loooong time. Just so you know.

 

[Ojustaboo]

Hi @Ojustaboo

Welcome to the forum here To start with, just take one step at a time. There's a lot to get your head around, and that's without all your other problems! We all had to start somewhere

Now, I can really understand what you're saying about finding it difficult to care for yourself re diet etc when you're depressed. I've had similiar issues. I've been 'on the wagon' and then something happens and whoa, fall off totally, wondering if it's worth the bother etc. Yes, it's a very real issue and difficult to get out of this spiral. Only those who've experienced it can truly appreciate how hard it is.

Regarding your financial situation, have you been to Citizen' Advice to see what help might be available? Another route is CAP (Christians Against Poverty) and, most likely, a local Church will be associated with such a resource. I would strongely recommend seeking help as there is a lot they can do to take the pressure off.

Another thing that occurred to me when reading your post was if your GP has checked your Vit B12, Folate, Ferritin and Vit D levels. It's possibly not an issue but worth checking. Vit B12 deficiency and/or Folate deficiency can give rise to many of your health issues and, unfortunately, Health Care Professionals do not appreciate how such deficiencies can impact on your life, or even be diagnosed as other conditions. In spite of very low levels B12, my GP was adamant I was not deficient. So, eventually, I decided to self inject and, 1 yr on, he can't believe the difference in my wellbeing!!! If I'd 'believed' him, I would have gotten worse over time and had a miserable life.

So, take heart. As you've read in the posts above, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Try to keep as optimistic as you can, especially on your better days, and take satisfaction knowing you have a load of genuine support on here

Oh, and by the way, I'll tag @daisy1 who will post some excellent information regarding diabetes etc which you may find helpful

Take care

Thanks, Vut D has been checked and was low and I was prescribed a massive dose for a few weeks and now take a normal Vit D supplement daily.

I've had numerous blood checks and blood counts over the months, Vit D was the only one they mentioned as it was so low.

Thanks for the debt advice, I was with Stepchange but am now doing my debt management plan myself with help from experts in a debt forum. Stepchange and others are great if the creditors go along with their suggestions, but if a creditor refuses, or wont lower/freeze interest, Stepchange etc can not contact them on my behalf, I have to do it myself. It ended up with me contacting them so much I took the advice from the debt forum and ran it myself.

They are also no help if you have zero money to offer your creditors.

I'm getting there though

 

[Rachox]

Here’s some info about meters, the Code Free is the cheapest for strips if you use the discount codes below:

Taken from a post by @Bluetit1802 as she wrote it so nicely:


The most popular meters for self funding T2's are the Codefree and the Tee2 because the strips are much cheaper than other meters, and you need a lot of strips. You can't buy them in pharmacies.


Try here for the Codefree meter


http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/

Showing as out of stock at the moment but also available from Amazon, link below.


and here for the extra strips


http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/sd-codefree-test-strips-to-be-used-only-with-the-sd-monitor/


There are discount codes if you buy in bulk.


5 packs 264086


10 packs 975833


The Tee2 is here and the meter is free.


http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product-category/shop/tee2/


Amazon link to Code Free:


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Codefree-G...F8&qid=1530778189&sr=8-2&keywords=sd+codefree



Don’t forget to check the box that you have diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for either meter)

 

[Energize]

This is from a post by @bulkbiker re blood glucose monitors and test strips, considered to be reliable and the lowest cost etc

"https://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/

(or telephone: 01923 711511)

for the SD Codefree meter, which costs £12.98 or:

http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/

(or telephone: 0116 2865000)

who distribute the TEE 2 meter, which is free.



The cost of testing comes down to the ongoing charges for test strips and lancets.

For the SD Codefree, the strips are £7.69 for a pack of 50 and there are discount codes available for bulk purchases:

5 packs x 50 use code: 264086 .. cost is £29.49

10 packs x 50 use code: 975833 .. cost is £58.98

For the TEE 2, the strips are £7.75 for a pack of 50 .. but there are no discount codes currently available

Make sure that you tick the appropriate box on the on-line order form and you won't pay VAT on your meter or strips. For the bulk discount on strips for the SD Codefree, you need to complete the order (check the boxes to confirm that you are diabetic and the number of packs that you want). Then click on view basket and on the left hand side of the window you will see two boxes .. Coupon Code and Apply Coupon. Enter the relevant discount code in the first box and then click the Apply Coupon box. This applies the discount and adjusts the price .. and finally, you then proceed to checkout.

I should add many thanks to @AM1874 Who compiled this useful guide."

The post can be found here - https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/got-my-diagnosis-today.153678/#post-1830153 Post #9

 

[Energize]

I would seriously recommend finding somewhere that runs CAP. I can't imagine they would turn you away because of having no money for your debtors.

Also, they can arange for people to contact them, rather than yourself, which takes a lot of pressure off you.