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Recently diagnosed not looking for sympathy but help please

Appollo

Appollo

Newbie
Messages
2
Hi folks well what can I say. In December I wasn't feeling great always thirsty and always going to the loo. Went to doctors who did blood tests and the next day i got a phone call in the evening to tell me I was type 2 diabetic.
My ha1bc or whatever it is called was reading 91 and was very high.
I was put on metformin medication taking 2 a day.
It came as a total shock and if I'm honest I'm still trying to get over that call.
I was in the military for 22 years and quite physically fit during that time. I have been out for nearly 6 years and I know that my lack of exercise and **** diet is out me in this situation. I work 6 sometimes 7 days a week and normally anything from 12 to 16 hours a day.
I am so tired when I get home that I don't have the energy or motivation to go to a gym. I don't have regular cooked meals, again due to my work hours.
I'm not saying all this for sympathy as I onky have myself to blame.
The hardest thing for me is trying to get my head around what is good to eat.
Since my first phone call I changed my diet and started eating lots of salad and fresh fruit, something I never used to eat a lot of. After a few weeks I got bored eating that bland food and slipped back into my old eating habits of sandwiches for lunch.
My hardest thing to quit is Pepsi max. I have cut down a lot compared to what I used to drink.
Yesterday I went back to get more bloods done and got a call from my nurse today to say that my hb1ac or whatever it is, is now at 101.
I'm at my wits end folks and I know I only have my self to blame but please please is there anyone who can offer any support or guidance as I'm not getting any at home and don't know what to do.
Thabks for being patient in reading this.
 
Hi @Appollo
The good news is that you can still have Pepsi Max. The bad news is the fruit might have to go.
Welcome to the forum. Tagging @daisy1 for some useful beginners info.
 
Appollo said:
Thanks for your quick reply.
See this is where I get really confused as I thought fruit was supposed to be good for you!!!
Click to expand...

No fruit is not as they are (mostly) high in sugars. Pineapples and grapes among the worst.

Sugars are murder for diabetics
 
Hi Appollo and welcome to the forum and thanks @Diakat for the tag.
I see daisy1 has been tagged in for her useful info post.
I too am on Metformin, but it is a very mild drug, diet will be the key here. You have to learn to look at carb content, not just sugars, because all carbs turn into sugars once you’ve eaten them. There are the obvious carbs like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and cereals, so try your best to eliminate these or atleast cut them down a lot. Fruit is difficult as many have loads of natural sugars, I stick to berries which are the lowest carb. Pepsi Max is OK you’ll be pleased to here, I continue to drink diet drinks. You might like to invest in a meter to test your blood glucose response to various meals. Here’s a useful link about low carb eating:
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb
 
Hello and welcome to the forum.

Aye, fruit has a lot of sugar (fructose) so limiting it to strawberries and rasperries even in the short term will help.
Fatigue is a common symptom for those undiagnosed or poorly managed but the good news is that this symptom can be dealt with within weeks. Lowering the amount of carbohydrates in your diet and raising the amount of healthy fats should see your HbA1c fall dramatically. So what are the Big Baddie carbs? Bread, pasta, rice and potatoes as well as anything made with table sugar or white flour. There are breads lower in carbs such as HiLo bread and Burgen which some find helpful though in small portions.

For lower carb recipes visit this excellent site https://www.dietdoctor.com

My eldest is ex forces and he used to complain bitterly about the food.

Have a wander around the forum and ask as many questions as you like. By the way, my HbA1c was 98 on diagnosis and I managed to pull that back with changes to diet and Metformin so it can be done.
Get yourself a glucometer and start testing your individual reactions to foodstuffs, you won't believe just how quickly you will start to feel better.
 
hi @Appollo

welcome to the best club you never wanted to join.
and your in the best place for good honest advice.

it all sounds so familiar.
but i've found a little prep can make most meals pretty quick.
i reckon many meals can be prepped n on the table i under 15 mins

steaks 5-10 mins cooking.
spinach 4 minutes..dinner is served.

lettuce, onion, tomato, burger...
a bunless burger.


its all about adapting.
and at the end of the day your are worth the effort.

i know i have more energy since i swapped foods

early days for me i wanted to know what others found useful to eat.
as it's all just such a huge change.

i posted this up a while back,
i hope it might of some use ?

****
not the worlds best cook, or most committed to the kitchen, but i do ok.

'snacks'..aka something to eat to keep hunger at bay, until you do cook your main meal.

for that i have
*greek yoghurt, a pot or lidl do 4 individual pots..(i like that)
* blueberries usually, sometimes rasp/black/straw berries.
* avocado
NUTS
*brazil nuts, pecan nuts, almonds, and
*seeds of some sort..(pound store do trail packs of different types)
once i open i place separately into plastic tupperware type things in fridge door.

all g = carbs per 100g
other have suggested , which i now also use
*biltong (Carbs: 5.5g x100g .25g pack enough )
.never considered it, it's now a staple in our fridge..when missus isn't nicking it.
*pepperami...similar can be bought, but peperami comes in individual strips,
great for a snack or to throw in and add to a packed lunch.
cold meats..
*chicken, ham, bacon joint..cooked by me or shop bought
all co exist and are usually gone by the use by date
( much less waste in our fridge since i changed diet)
*peanut butter..whole earth (7.4g)
*celery, great for fibre and suits creamy cheese and peanut butter, i've since discovered. (yum)
*boiled eggs..great, nice and simple
* ryvita..i no longer do bread :bigtears:..but ryvita provides the comfort blanket i sometimes need
i find i can tolerate it quite well..(red quinoa 1 slice 5.3g)
* olives.
* tomatoes
*cheeses (cream & hard)
*coleslaw
*salad/lettuce

i find milk (full fat ) helps when i'm hungry and want wait to eat

plus anything you can cook and keep in fridge for a day or so as you have done tonight.

most of my meals i cook that evening, as i never know what i fancy, and all the above can pad out
any bit of meat etc i do bring home.

i cook the one main meal, but divide that into two, one half tonight the other is tomorrow's lunch/dinner..
left overs are great too...if i cook swede and broccoli/cabbage/spinach, i fry the leftovers up next day and have with bacon, eggs, steak, etc..a meal in minutes.

Take care.
and good luck
 
Appollo said:
Hi folks well what can I say. In December I wasn't feeling great always thirsty and always going to the loo. Went to doctors who did blood tests and the next day i got a phone call in the evening to tell me I was type 2 diabetic.
My ha1bc or whatever it is called was reading 91 and was very high.
I was put on metformin medication taking 2 a day.
It came as a total shock and if I'm honest I'm still trying to get over that call.
I was in the military for 22 years and quite physically fit during that time. I have been out for nearly 6 years and I know that my lack of exercise and **** diet is out me in this situation. I work 6 sometimes 7 days a week and normally anything from 12 to 16 hours a day.
I am so tired when I get home that I don't have the energy or motivation to go to a gym. I don't have regular cooked meals, again due to my work hours.
I'm not saying all this for sympathy as I onky have myself to blame.
The hardest thing for me is trying to get my head around what is good to eat.
Since my first phone call I changed my diet and started eating lots of salad and fresh fruit, something I never used to eat a lot of. After a few weeks I got bored eating that bland food and slipped back into my old eating habits of sandwiches for lunch.
My hardest thing to quit is Pepsi max. I have cut down a lot compared to what I used to drink.
Yesterday I went back to get more bloods done and got a call from my nurse today to say that my hb1ac or whatever it is, is now at 101.
I'm at my wits end folks and I know I only have my self to blame but please please is there anyone who can offer any support or guidance as I'm not getting any at home and don't know what to do.
Thabks for being patient in reading this.
Click to expand...

Hello and welcome.

I see you have already had great advice. All I would add is ignore the NHS eatwell advice which is basically eat everything! This will not do your hba1c any good at all. The way to get your head around things is to think of your diabetes like a leak. You have a leak. Its not water though, its sugar. Your meds are moping up that sugar. But the only way to stop the leak is to turn off the tap. Cut right back on sugar which is obvious. And what might not be obvious is carbohydrates turn to sugar (I only found out on diagnosis). So going on a low carb diet will bring your hba1c right down. You should start to feel better straight away.

Lots of good food info here:

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today.75781/unread

Diet doctor and ditch the carbs websites are excellent.

Check out the success stories and testimonials thread.

Dont beat yourself up. Its really not your fault. The good news is you have come to the right place.
 
@Appollo
Hello and welcome to the Forum :) Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it both interesting and helpful.


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 220,000 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.
 
Appollo said:
I onky have myself to blame.
Click to expand...
Even if I don't agree with you, I'll still advice you to read this wonderful 'nutritional thingy' by Jo. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/jokalsbeek.401801/ It sums up dos and don'ts in a very legible way.
I agree with:
Do get yourself a meter to check your progress. Watch out for the ones with the cheaper strips.
Do read around here to get a good grasp of your condition
Do not despair. So many people here have managed to get their readings way down, and you will too.
 
I was diagnosed with Hba1c of 91 - after eating a supposedly healthy diet for almost two years so I don't think there is any need to blame yourself at all.
Luckily I was very familiar with low carb eating, so I went to 50 gm of carb a day - job done.
These days I am even lower as I want to lose weight for the tests I was told I am to have, but even so, dinner today was lamb with mushrooms and sweet pepper, cherries and cream and coffee and cream - but I could have added a salad or more veges if I had wanted them.
I thought that Pepsi max was low or no sugar so I am a bit puzzled as to why you think you need to stop drinking it.
Herbs and spices are great for pepping up food - so why were you eating bland foods?
It only takes a few minutes to make something nourishing but low carb if you do your shopping and then take things out of the freezer to defrost in time.
Simple stuff such as cauliflower - almost cooked, pile up in a hot dish - from the heated up oven - then you add cream cheese, grated hard cheese on top of that, then whatever else you might like with it adding parmesan as an extra layer, or a sprinkle of herbs - put it into the oven until the cheese melts.
A lot of things you can throw together and then leave to cook whilst you do something else - make coffee, take a shower - and they do tend to give you more energy. Doing something such as scrambled eggs with grated cheese and sliced tomatoes takes about three minutes.
You could do things such as roasted chicken thighs, high meat sausages or ham and cheese roll ups for your lunch - take along some pickle or mustard, to spice things up. Cook the previous evening along with your dinner, or have some for dinner and then take the rest for lunch.
A bit of forward planning works wonders - remember the five P's - or is that jargon too old?
 
jjraak said:
hi @Appollo

welcome to the best club you never wanted to join.
and your in the best place for good honest advice.

it all sounds so familiar.
but i've found a little prep can make most meals pretty quick.
i reckon many meals can be prepped n on the table i under 15 mins

steaks 5-10 mins cooking.
spinach 4 minutes..dinner is served.

lettuce, onion, tomato, burger...
a bunless burger.


its all about adapting.
and at the end of the day your are worth the effort.

i know i have more energy since i swapped foods

early days for me i wanted to know what others found useful to eat.
as it's all just such a huge change.

i posted this up a while back,
i hope it might of some use ?

****
not the worlds best cook, or most committed to the kitchen, but i do ok.

'snacks'..aka something to eat to keep hunger at bay, until you do cook your main meal.

for that i have
*greek yoghurt, a pot or lidl do 4 individual pots..(i like that)
* blueberries usually, sometimes rasp/black/straw berries.
* avocado
NUTS
*brazil nuts, pecan nuts, almonds, and
*seeds of some sort..(pound store do trail packs of different types)
once i open i place separately into plastic tupperware type things in fridge door.

all g = carbs per 100g
other have suggested , which i now also use
*biltong (Carbs: 5.5g x100g .25g pack enough )
.never considered it, it's now a staple in our fridge..when missus isn't nicking it.
*pepperami...similar can be bought, but peperami comes in individual strips,
great for a snack or to throw in and add to a packed lunch.
cold meats..
*chicken, ham, bacon joint..cooked by me or shop bought
all co exist and are usually gone by the use by date
( much less waste in our fridge since i changed diet)
*peanut butter..whole earth (7.4g)
*celery, great for fibre and suits creamy cheese and peanut butter, i've since discovered. (yum)
*boiled eggs..great, nice and simple
* ryvita..i no longer do bread :bigtears:..but ryvita provides the comfort blanket i sometimes need
i find i can tolerate it quite well..(red quinoa 1 slice 5.3g)
* olives.
* tomatoes
*cheeses (cream & hard)
*coleslaw
*salad/lettuce

i find milk (full fat ) helps when i'm hungry and want wait to eat

plus anything you can cook and keep in fridge for a day or so as you have done tonight.

most of my meals i cook that evening, as i never know what i fancy, and all the above can pad out
any bit of meat etc i do bring home.

i cook the one main meal, but divide that into two, one half tonight the other is tomorrow's lunch/dinner..
left overs are great too...if i cook swede and broccoli/cabbage/spinach, i fry the leftovers up next day and have with bacon, eggs, steak, etc..a meal in minutes.

Take care.
and good luck
Click to expand...
Awesome advice!!...just been diagnosed yesterday...and still trying to sort the carbs thing out...great info on meals, thanks
 
Resurgam said:
I was diagnosed with Hba1c of 91 - after eating a supposedly healthy diet for almost two years so I don't think there is any need to blame yourself at all.
Luckily I was very familiar with low carb eating, so I went to 50 gm of carb a day - job done.
These days I am even lower as I want to lose weight for the tests I was told I am to have, but even so, dinner today was lamb with mushrooms and sweet pepper, cherries and cream and coffee and cream - but I could have added a salad or more veges if I had wanted them.
I thought that Pepsi max was low or no sugar so I am a bit puzzled as to why you think you need to stop drinking it.
Herbs and spices are great for pepping up food - so why were you eating bland foods?
It only takes a few minutes to make something nourishing but low carb if you do your shopping and then take things out of the freezer to defrost in time.
Simple stuff such as cauliflower - almost cooked, pile up in a hot dish - from the heated up oven - then you add cream cheese, grated hard cheese on top of that, then whatever else you might like with it adding parmesan as an extra layer, or a sprinkle of herbs - put it into the oven until the cheese melts.
A lot of things you can throw together and then leave to cook whilst you do something else - make coffee, take a shower - and they do tend to give you more energy. Doing something such as scrambled eggs with grated cheese and sliced tomatoes takes about three minutes.
You could do things such as roasted chicken thighs, high meat sausages or ham and cheese roll ups for your lunch - take along some pickle or mustard, to spice things up. Cook the previous evening along with your dinner, or have some for dinner and then take the rest for lunch.
A bit of forward planning works wonders - remember the five P's - or is that jargon too old?
Click to expand...
7 P's....
 
Appollo said:
Hi folks well what can I say. In December I wasn't feeling great always thirsty and always going to the loo. Went to doctors who did blood tests and the next day i got a phone call in the evening to tell me I was type 2 diabetic.
My ha1bc or whatever it is called was reading 91 and was very high.
I was put on metformin medication taking 2 a day.
It came as a total shock and if I'm honest I'm still trying to get over that call.
I was in the military for 22 years and quite physically fit during that time. I have been out for nearly 6 years and I know that my lack of exercise and **** diet is out me in this situation. I work 6 sometimes 7 days a week and normally anything from 12 to 16 hours a day.
I am so tired when I get home that I don't have the energy or motivation to go to a gym. I don't have regular cooked meals, again due to my work hours.
I'm not saying all this for sympathy as I onky have myself to blame.
The hardest thing for me is trying to get my head around what is good to eat.
Since my first phone call I changed my diet and started eating lots of salad and fresh fruit, something I never used to eat a lot of. After a few weeks I got bored eating that bland food and slipped back into my old eating habits of sandwiches for lunch.
My hardest thing to quit is Pepsi max. I have cut down a lot compared to what I used to drink.
Yesterday I went back to get more bloods done and got a call from my nurse today to say that my hb1ac or whatever it is, is now at 101.
I'm at my wits end folks and I know I only have my self to blame but please please is there anyone who can offer any support or guidance as I'm not getting any at home and don't know what to do.
Thabks for being patient in reading this.
Click to expand...
Appolo hello...also served a looong time in hmf so know how your doing...as just been diagnosed myself...same as yourself...little excercise and **** diet after coming out...for eight years...you must be very disciplined in yourself?...i have used that training as my base stone and treat T2 as a military op, excercise or tour...the seven P's are essential...along with understanding the "estimate" in detail, putting it into diabetic terms...there is def a life change, a bit like going from civvie street to a recruit aged 18...BIG shock!!! but you adapted to what was required...its the same with diabetes...a pain in the **** but it's something you have to deal with...i find the positive is...getting fitter, healthy food, and a better way of life, and once its under control, I'm calling the shots...just like being in hmf...keep tabbing...

Edited by mod for poorly disguised profanities.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Appollo said:
I know that my lack of exercise and **** diet is out me in this situation.
Click to expand...
Appollo said:
I know I only have my self to blame
Click to expand...
Well as we all know exercise is good for you and eating well too but diabetes is not caused by the lack of these things alone. It probably takes many many years to develop, and whilst doing the above may help and delay it, if you dipped out in the genetics lottery then it was just **** bad luck. Those who got the golden tickets and fail terribly in the lifestyle stakes will still not get diabetes, though may be pretty unhealthy in other ways I agree.

Decades of eat low fat and high carb and high fructose advice have made things so much worse for those of us predisposed genetically to diabetes. Fruit as well as being high carb can only be processed in the liver and excess fructose can only be stored there. Contributing to non alcoholic fatty liver disease. Which is a factor in type 2 diabetes

So no you don’t only have yourself to blame.

In addition to the links above take a look at https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/success-stories-and-testimonials.43/ this will show you what can be achieved with an alternative look at lifestyle.

Edited by mod for poorly disguised profanity.
 
HSSS said:
Really? Edited for one letter? . I’ve seen plenty worse disguises unedited in here.
Click to expand...

Mods edit to comply with the forum ethos and rules.

Where you see poorly disguised profanity or other unacceptable language, please Report that post, which will bring it to the attention of moderators, so that we can edit it more quickly than if we have to come across it ourselves while reading the forum.

Of course, the simplest and easiest solution is for members to not use profanity and other offensive language in their posts, which would mean that mods don't have to tidy up after them.
 
Hello Appollo welcome to the forum. I just wanted to say that low carb is much easier than it appears when you first start looking at it, and if you do low carb high fat you'll quickly find new favourite foods that do you a world of good.

Even my relatively feeble attempts (I do lapse quite often) at low carb high fat with intermittent fasting have been successful in lowering and stabilising my blood sugars - when you've done your reading and investigating, choose a path and go for it - good luck!
 
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