Hello

[Katnip63]

I have recently been diagnosed with T2DM and new to forum, just found it today actually. No idea what im doing, have just been told to take metformin and go look at diabetes my way website! There is a LOT of info on all the websites its overwhelming really. GP has referred me to Desmond course but still waiting since end of March when i got my diagnosis, very little help from GPetc and am struggling to work out what to do.

 

[Lobsang Tsultim]

Check out Jo's blog - it's the advice that worked for me.
The Nutritional Thingy

To go into a bit more depth and for some meal planners, have a look at
Freshwell Low Carb Project

Have a look at the success stories - it IS possible to take control of this condition.
Success stories and testimonials

 

[KennyA]

hi Katnip63 and welcome to the forums. We've all been exactly where you are right now - newly diagnosed and unclear about what to do. Unfortunately the advice you get from the NHS isn't always the most helpful, and the internet is full of confusing and misleading opinion and factoids.

It's why this forum is important. People here largely post from their own experience, or information found from reputable sources. For example, I can't tell you much about taking metformin, having never been on it, but there are plenty who can. Many of us here have found that a low-carb lifestyle has a huge positive impact on blood glucose levels and diabretic symptoms and complications. There's no single "right" way to do this - it's best if you find the path that works for you and gives you the results you want.

Couple of questions, which will help people respond to you: what was your HbA1c level at diagnosis? And are you using a glucometer to test your blood glucose before and after eating?

 

[Katnip63]

H

hi Katnip63 and welcome to the forums. We've all been exactly where you are right now - newly diagnosed and unclear about what to do. Unfortunately the advice you get from the NHS isn't always the most helpful, and the internet is full of confusing and misleading opinion and factoids.

It's why this forum is important. People here largely post from their own experience, or information found from reputable sources. For example, I can't tell you much about taking metformin, having never been on it, but there are plenty who can. Many of us here have found that a low-carb lifestyle has a huge positive impact on blood glucose levels and diabretic symptoms and complications. There's no single "right" way to do this - it's best if you find the path that works for you and gives you the results you want.

Couple of questions, which will help people respond to you: what was your HbA1c level at diagnosis? And are you using a glucometer to test your blood glucose before and after eating?

Hi Kenny, thanks for answering my post,
I cant actually remember what the nurse said on the phone about my HnA1c level just remember she said it was in the range that i definitely had T2DM, when originally she thought it was pre diabetes level. I havent been given anything at all or told to check anything just given the metformin. My mum had it too and she was attending a diabetic clinic and had a nurse specialist and they gave her the wee machine with the strips and the finger prick thingys but she passed away 19 years ago. I have had no advice or input since being told over the phone i had diabetes.

 

[KennyA]

H

Hi Kenny, thanks for answering my post,
I cant actually remember what the nurse said on the phone about my HnA1c level just remember she said it was in the range that i definitely had T2DM, when originally she thought it was pre diabetes level. I havent been given anything at all or told to check anything just given the metformin. My mum had it too and she was attending a diabetic clinic and had a nurse specialist and they gave her the wee machine with the strips and the finger prick thingys but she passed away 19 years ago. I have had no advice or input since being told over the phone i had diabetes.

Unfortunately not that unusual. I wasn't told that I had raised blood glucose (despite a good number of symptoms) until being formally diagnosed as diabetic (with an HbA1c of 50) : the official attitude is still that T2 is a progressive disease and the only thing that can be done is to manage and maybe slow the progression.

It's worth finding out what your HbA1c level actually is if only to give you a starting point. Some people have been able to reduce >100 starting A1c results to normal range (38-42) in a matter of months. I think planned finger prick testing is essential to work out which foods raise your blood glucose the most - these will be carbs but we don't all react to the same carbs the same way.

The usual schedule is to test before eating and then two hours later: by this time your system should have been able to return your blood glucose levels to where (very roughly) they were prior to eating.

In that two hour period your body will have digested carbohydrate to glucose, and moved it into your bloodstream. Everybody's blood glucose rises after eating carbs - non-diabetics have changeable blood glucose levels too. Insulin then moves (or is supposed to anyway) the glucose out of your blood into muscle cells for energy. As T2s we are often insulin resistant - we've got plenty of it but it has reduced effect. This means that instead of being used for fuel the glucose gets converted to bodyfat, and/or hangs around in the bloodstream, leading to weight gain, high blood sugars, and physical damage.

Testing before and after eating shows you how efficient your system is at getting glucose out of your bloodstream. It helps you cut out of your diet the things that cause the biggest blood glucose rises.