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Newby T2

bookmite

bookmite

Well-Known Member
Messages
222
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi guys,

I'm very pleased to have found a great source of information and tips

I was diagnosed with T2 in June this year after having 2 readings of 68 . I have just had a review and my blood sugars are down to 58.

I'm a 58 year old male, My weight at diagnosis was 17st -11 fully clothed, and at the review I'm down to 16-10..I was informed I didn't need metamorphin. The diagnosis wasn't a shock really knowing how much weight I had piled on due purely to living on a really bad diet, I wasn't getting anything like enough exercise and stress levels through the roof . Anyway enough harping, I'm determined to get a grip on this.

I've searched my soul and discovered where my dietary faults lie , realising controlling this is not just about controlling how much sugar you actually eat but how carbs have an even more profound effect on your levels. I was blissfully ignorant whilst out shopping just being careful with the amount of sugars per portion, not giving a second thought to the carb side of things.

Carbs are a conundrum for me, I hate salads and I'm now ploughing the recipes for low carb alternatives, also I'm sure ( correct me if im wrong please ) the LCHF diets are more akin to the Atkins which was not recommended due to also having CHD , so I'm thinking to continue to lose weight AND get my sugar levels under control I need to do more research into dietry control and if you have any good links or sources, I will add them to my bedtime reading list.

And just so you know, I live in York, am semi retired, have a loving and supportive partner and family....oh and loving wearing the clothes I havnt worn for years :-)

Thanks in advance
 
Your first comment regarding the need to lose more weight is spot on. Dunno what height you are, but that would be my first goal, accompanied by better food choices and banning processed foods, pastas, rice and breads.

good luck
 
Hi bookmite and welcome to the forum :)

Congratulations on your weight loss - keep it up. This is the information @zand mentioned which we give to new members. I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will help.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

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 over 100,000 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

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

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 bloodglucose 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.
 
Hi bookmite and welcome to the forum :)

Congratulations on your weight loss - keep it up. This is the information @zand mentioned which we give to new members. I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will help.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

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 over 100,000 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

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

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 bloodglucose 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.
 
Hi bookmite, welcome.

You've made a good start, keep it up!
 
Hello Bookmite. Welcome. Don't worry there is lots you can eat apart from salad. I'm not a great salad fan but have managed to low carb for 11 weeks without problems. You've made a great start. :)
 
Hi Bookmite and welcome.

You have made a great start, and with some more effort will improve even further. Lose that weight and reduce your carbs and you will see a big difference. I'm not a salad fan either, but am now enjoying it smothered in Hellman's Real Mayo (no carbs). Others use Olive Oil, but I'm not keen. It isn't all salads either although they do make a handy and convenient lunch. It's amazing what you find you do like after 60 years of believing you don't.

Stick around and ask as many questions as you wish. Good luck.
 
Thank you very much for your kind words and warming welcome.

I take on board the wise words, I do have a couple of niggling confusing points tho ...

I have decided to self monitor and have started to look at BG monitors, - what a minefield:-) it looks like I will be paying more for the strips than the fuel I put in the car every month ...youch! ....How do we afford to be healthy?. I have booked a phone consultation with my GP, I will ask him for a prescription and let you guys know what transpires.

Can I ask a simple question regarding blood sugar measuring, ( just to clarify )

when I had my initial meeting with the diabetic nurse at my GP surgery, I was told both my readings were "68" which was 20 points higher than the accepted level, therefore this was the definitive diagnosis that I have T2.

My subsequent delving on this forum and watching the videos talks of mmlol/l , percentages and mg of BG. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it when I start monitoring, but it would seem we are initially tested on a different "scale" to what is more widely and commonly used. So it's all a tad confusing:-( . So can someone point me in the right direction please

One other matter , which seems quite profound, is that for a while now ( maybe a year or more) come mid afternoon I have noticed that I often get weary, sleepy even and sometimes I get what feels like the shakes. Being semi retired I often took myself off for a short nap accompanied by a mug of tea and a few biccies! Now my point is, are these events just me being an old duffer :-) or could they be hypo events ? Or am I being over sensitive? ....anyway hence my desire to monitor.

Thanks again for your comments and wish you well
 
Thanks for the heads up Rosie, the strips I saw today were £30 a pop...I might hold off buying bulk lol
 
bookmite said:
Thanks for the heads up Rosie, the strips I saw today were £30 a pop...I might hold off buying bulk lol
Click to expand...

The SD Codefree from the link Rosie gave you are the cheapest strips. If you use the code and buy a box of 10 tubs (500 strips) they work out at just over £5 for 50.

To help clarify the different measurement units.

The HbA1c (the 3 month average test used to diagnose you) is measured in mmol/mol and results in a figure like your 68. (Mine was 53). This has been in force for about 3 years. Previously the measurement was a percentage and resulted in a figure of eg. 8.4%

Our meters and the blood glucose tests done at the docs are measured in mmol/l in the UK

In the USA and some other countries they use a measurement unit of mg/dl on meters and blood glucose tests. This might result in a figure of eg. 150.

These are some conversion charts
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/hba1c-units-converter.html
http://www.soc-bdr.org/rds/authors/...version_glucose_mg_dl_to_mmol_l/index_en.html
 
Hi again,

Well my GP confirmed that he will NOT prescribe me for a BG Monitor or strips, I explained my case for wanting to measure the effects of my diet regime is having, ie, periods of extreme tiredness, weakness (fatigue ) dizziness etc. He explained that the local policy was not to regular monitor for T2 unless you are insulin dependent... He suggested that it would be more prudent to boost my insulin production by prescribing me metamorfin at the lowest dose for 2 weeks, then appraise again.:---- --so be it ! Other than that he is pleased with my initial progress ( So am I ) :-}


I have ordered a code free monitor and strips anyway and will see what happens.
 
Typical response, but you tried and that's all you can do.
Come back with questions about testing if you are struggling.
 
Thanks, I will ...I am really surprised at the level of information given at the GP level and what's available here.
 
bookmite said:
Thanks, I will ...I am really surprised at the level of information given at the GP level and what's available here.
Click to expand...
Welcome. I know what you mean. I was seen when in hospital for a few days by a diabetes nurse who came to.the hospital just for me. Gave me loads of stuff printed off diabetes uk web site and told me to go online and find the info because I could find out more then she could tell me. Surprisingly, this is the best professional diabetes advice I have been given.
 
It's appalling...people are dying because of this, not everyone has access to the Internet...it makes my sugar rich blood boil
 
Buy the Codefree meter as above. They have a very speedy delivery service. The meter is handy and easy to use. I have had mine a week now. Today having slightly higher readings than last week. I think it's because I'm a bit stressed today. Since being diagnosed I have learned more via this forum than from my doctor. Also everytime you do a search on Google for a diabetic question the no 1 site for answers is this one. Hope your sugar rich blood stops boiling soon and you get everything under control.
 
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