Why Can't I Sort Myself Out?!

xfieldok

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,182
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I f you want ideas for snacks, 30g peanuts, read the packet and weigh them out. Walnuts, not cashews. Cheese, olives, pork scratchings.

Make sure you are drinking plenty of water.
 

Geoffno6

Well-Known Member
Messages
524
I’ve found keeping carbs down fairly easy, it’s the fact that my BG numbers are high that’s annoying
 

Phoenix55

Well-Known Member
Messages
577
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Why not prepare a sandwich box with your choice of salad the night before? It takes 5mins. Then grab from the fridge in the morning. Mixed leaves, cucumber, full fat coleslaw, a couple of cherry toms, some olives then meat/fish/cheese of choice. This year I have been having a large pot of ready soup, (chicken, ham and pea, cream of mushroom - check the carbs /serving on the pot) and having that cold for lunch across 2 days. A couple of spoons of full fat yoghurt with a handful of berries and a mug of black coffee makes a breakfast that I can sleepwalk my way through.
 
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jocoll

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I swapped crisps for peanuts but need to check the amount. Not keen on olives but can definitely see from here some more swaps I can do,thanks!
Have been testing blood but only every now and again, have ordered a new meter so will step it up once it arrives.
Thanks for all the help and support, much appreciated x
 
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xfieldok

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,182
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
When your strips arrive, download the mySugr app. Use it to record your readings immediately before eating and 2 hours after the first bite. Also record the food consumed. You are aiming for a rise of no more than 2. After you have entered about a weeks worth of data it will give you an estimated HbA1c. It is a really handy gadget to have, and it's free.
 

Geoffno6

Well-Known Member
Messages
524
Good luck, ive found testing really helps and it’s stopped me eating things like porridge which spiked me up to 14 when testing 2 hours after eating it
 
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Rachox

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
15,808
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
.... a flavoured milk type drink like Yazoo.
If you still fancy a ‘milk shake’ type drink how about unsweetened almond milk with sugar free Crusha milkshake syrup. All flavours, apart from the chocolate, will give you a mugful for 0 - 1g carbs. The banana is the best IMO :hungry:
 

bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Aww thought they were the slightly better ones, maybe not then!
Not sure I can skip breakfast but boiled eggs etc and sarnie fillings without the sarnie sound good. Looks like I need to play around with combinations of foods to see what suits x
Indeed... we seem to be stuck in this idea that "breakfast" has to be some special meal of sugar and carbs (thanks Mr Kellogg). Whereas it can be some meat and green stuff just like every other meal.. or alternatively every other meal can be eggs and bacon too. Skipping breakfast s probably easier than you think too.
 

xfieldok

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,182
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I make a big pan of mushroom soup. Mushrooms, onions, pork and mushroom stock cubes. Absolutely nothing wrong with having a bowl for breakfast.
 

Mbaker

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,339
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Available fast foods in Supermarkets
The cards are stacked against everyone, with the relative ease with which convenience food is available. This is usually over processed, delicious and not good. Your resolve seems in a better place due to the great posts above. In your position I would clear my cupboards and fridge. Next I would get some foods that are simple, quick and tasty. Nothing wrong in keeping it simple, here's a couple of meals I have, the second today whilst home alone:

(use 2 pans, takes 5 minutes)
Eggs, bacon, mushrooms (in butter and garlic), cherry, plum or regular tomato. User black pepper, a little salt, interchange this seasoning with smoked paprika or cayenne pepper to vary the taste and or change the way you cook the eggs, to make a mentally different variation.

(takes around 25 minutes, mainly oven time for a 2 course meal)
One or two butchers beef burgers - dry fry seal on both sides for a couple of minutes, wrap in foil and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, also bake some asparagus (again season or not). Serve with some black bomber cheese (an amazing flavouring for any meat or fish dish which can be interchanged with blue cheese). For dessert put several different nuts in bowl, add a quarter to half a tin of coconut milk (I use Duns river), this is tasty enough and really filling; but to take it to another level (I should charge for this tip as it is so tasty) add a tablespoon and a half of cocoa powder (I use Belbake from Lidl, 8.7 carbs per 100, but the amount in this recipe is miniscule).

Some other ideas, on maybe a Saturday roast a whole chicken and pork at the same time. This can be used as the base for up to 2 weeks of different meals, from the simple roast with gravy (half a stock pot), or simple curries, perhaps with cauliflower rice or asparagus, English mustard and cold salad items.

If you want more ideas, just ask and others will "chip" in.
 
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xfieldok

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,182
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Belly pork! Gorge on the crackling, nothing better than re-fried pork the next day.
 

derry60

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,196
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Rudeness,people being unkind
I will have some hard-boiled eggs in the fridge, baby gherkins, chicken drumsticks, baby bell cheese, tomatoes, frozen berries thawing in the fridge and add fresh cream to them or plain yogurt with vanilla extract and a little sweetener, cooked cold sausages, cucumber, sweet peas, or chopped up celery, green pepper, radishes, cucumber stick and dip into a tomato salsa. I also like courgettes cut into chips with olive oil rubbed into them garlic powder thyme chili flakes and grated cheese then cooked in the air fryer. They make a lovely snack. I also do this with Celeriac. I have mixed nuts with spice seasoning on done in the oven.
 

ickihun

Master
Messages
13,698
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Bullies
Hi all,
I was diagnosed a few years ago as type 2 and have been trying to manage it on diet alone since then, unsuccessfully :(
I have been lurking here since diagnosed, I have read all the info, re testing, low carb diets, starter pack etc but for some reason just cannot stop myself eating **** that I shouldn't!
My levels are always really high, now my last eye test showed the beginnings of retinopathy. I have been losing weight, gradually but people have started to mention it, most people think its great but I know its because of the diabetes.
I have admitted defeat and agreed to start metformin, I took my first one today but I am worried about taking them as am scared of the side effects (more scared of this than diabetes complications, how does that work lol).
I'm a well educated adult, who knows what to do to get my levels down, why can't I just get on and do it?!

Sorry to come on and moan in my first post, just wanted to get it off my chest, feeling pretty upset and frustrated today for some reason and can't really say all this to anyone irl.

Thanks
Get yourself frozen veg and empty your house of sugary carbs. Check all labels of over 10g carb per 100g and bin them.
Just til you've given your body's chance to change. 6-8wks should do it.
Cook veg everyday and make a protein based meal with veg. No potato, rice, bread or pasta. Or cereal. For now.

Once you've got BACK TO BASICS you can add different low carb meals from there.

I often have to restart from scratch as these high carb foods seek into the house.
 

ickihun

Master
Messages
13,698
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Bullies
Thanks all, I think I needed this bout of upset and frustration to kick myself up the bottom to start to make a proper change, more than the little things I did when first diagnosed.
I get anxious when I look at the food alternatives as I don't like many of them and sometimes they look like they take a lot of effort to prepare when I haven't got much time but I am going to make a list of all the low carb foods I do like and go from there.
Thanks for the support x
You can do this. Many people are doing it now. Not just diabetics.
Snubbing the carbs is hard as they are addictive.
Give it all your might, you won't regret it.
 

Geoffno6

Well-Known Member
Messages
524
Wow so many great ideas, thanks!
Will get the app, sounds really useful
X
Unsweetened almond milk and sugar free banana milk shake now on the shopping list!
BTW I've just had my second meeting with my doctor and he's referring me to an endocrinologist. As I was a newbie when diagnosed in June i didnt ask for my Hba1c figure but in 27th June ita was a wopping 120 !!
 
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Ross.Walker

Well-Known Member
Messages
291
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
sprouts, evil things
Hi

Odd question to ask but how do you see yourself in the future?

Ross
 

Mbaker

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,339
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Available fast foods in Supermarkets
I will have some hard-boiled eggs in the fridge, baby gherkins, chicken drumsticks, baby bell cheese, tomatoes, frozen berries thawing in the fridge and add fresh cream to them or plain yogurt with vanilla extract and a little sweetener, cooked cold sausages, cucumber, sweet peas, or chopped up celery, green pepper, radishes, cucumber stick and dip into a tomato salsa. I also like courgettes cut into chips with olive oil rubbed into them garlic powder thyme chili flakes and grated cheese then cooked in the air fryer. They make a lovely snack. I also do this with Celeriac. I have mixed nuts with spice seasoning on done in the oven.
Stop ! I still have 2 hours to my one meal a day, worked out fine fasted, but reading your post has my mouth watering. A long 2 hours now.
 

purplepenguin

Well-Known Member
Messages
319
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I am in the same position. Have been diagnosed 10 years now and have been on and off for all that time. I had a fab year last year and lost 3 stone, went low carb and felt amazing. Then personal circumstances changed and it all went wrong. I was diagnosed with background retinopathy and I then got two bouts of thrush (OUCH!) I am now back in a good place and today is day one.
Try Ditch the carbs website, there are some amazing recipes on there. I made the chicken nuggets and malaysian beef ones today so I have enough food to grab quickly when I'm hungry rather than deciding what to eat when I'm ravenous. Sunday is batch cooking day for me, but I will always have a steak and mushrooms at least once a week.
Good luck with your journey and keep asking questions here. I neglected this site, neglected to test and got myself into all sorts of mess.
 

RAPS_od

Well-Known Member
Messages
144
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi, jocoll. I'm glad you're here.
One thing that I haven't seen mentioned here is Diabetic Grief. This is a period occurring after diagnosis where a diabetic has trouble accepting the diabetic lifestyle and dietary restrictions. There's an article within this site called Coping With Your Diagnosis: Emotional impact and grief. It explains how your diabetes diagnosis is like going through the five stages of grief. There's another article called, Grief, A Necessary Part of Accepting Diabetes, that I would recommend.
The reason I recommend these articles is that I am a T1 who has many T1 and T2 friends. Each diabetic I've spoken to has gone through these same issues as I did, mostly untreated. If I had realized sooner what this grief could do, I may have saved myself many years of mismanagement and complications.
The important thing is to forgive yourself for shortcomings and seek help if need be. None of us are perfect, but we can live longer, happier lives when the grief and accompanying issues are addressed.