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Just Been Diagnosed with type2

Rog

Rog

Well-Known Member
Messages
256
Location
London
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Hello everyone my name is rog and today I was at the diabetic clinic and was diagnosed with type 2. I'm 55 and 6ft 2" tall and I had let my waste rise to 40". I'm not particularly overweight except their and I'm kicking myself for not preventing this.
Everything was explained to me at the appointment , my Blood sugar was 19.
I was given the following meds METFORMIN TABLETS 40mg one daily first week then twice a day the following week , and GLICLAZIDE 40mg twice a day . When I take out the cakes my diets ok, no macdonalds any more , I eat fish most nights and veg , not sure is half a baked potatoe is ok per night. I got the impression if I can get the waist down it could be a massive help . I'm taking my blood glucose twice a day. What's my chances guys?
 
Rog said:
Hello everyone my name is rog and today I was at the diabetic clinic and was diagnosed with type 2. I'm 55 and 6ft 2" tall and I had let my waste rise to 40". I'm not particularly overweight except their and I'm kicking myself for not preventing this.
Everything was explained to me at the appointment , my Blood sugar was 19.
I was given the following meds METFORMIN TABLETS 40mg one daily first week then twice a day the following week , and GLICLAZIDE 40mg twice a day . When I take out the cakes my diets ok, no macdonalds any more , I eat fish most nights and veg , not sure is half a baked potatoe is ok per night. I got the impression if I can get the waist down it could be a massive help . I'm taking my blood glucose twice a day. What's my chances guys?
Click to expand...
Your chances are excellent. You can make huge differences with diet changes. Carbohydrates are the enemy and hidden away in so many foods. You need to cut them down as much as you can and read up on here about the alternative ways of eating...for example the LCHF diet which a lot use and have great success with. It isn't easy to change how you eat but with a little thought and good advice you will do it. Read food labels and avoid pasta, rice, potatoes,cakes.bread and obvious things like cakes and cereals. It sounds like you already eat reasonably well so you might not have to change too much. Portion size is important too. You have lots to absorb and get to grips with...as I was told on day one ...baby steps and you will get there. Just ask any questions you have and someone will know the answer :)
 
Hello rog, welcome
Your fish and veg is a fantastic choice as long as the fish isn't covered in batter or breadcrumbs. The baked potato, even a half one would send my blood sugar much higher than I would be comfortable with. But we are all different and what gives one person a problem, would be ok for someone else. The only way you can know what foods you can tolerate is to use your meter. I'm afraid it means a lot more than 2 tests a day, but it's worth the sore fingers because you soon discover which foods are giving you the high numbers.
Have a look at this site, it explains how to use your meter to lower your blood sugar.
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php
 
Hello and welcome.
You will be surprised what diet does,I dont like to say diet as it sounds like starvation and it isnt at all ,its just eating the right things,and thats for life.
You may even be able to come off medication in time.
Spend time looking round the forum and there is lots to read.
All the best.
 
Hi and welcome
I found by cutting down on the carbs it helped a lot and by testing it helped me find what I can allow myself, I can take a small portion of spuds I have a lot of meat and veg and fish . So try to find out how you cope to different foods good luck
Keep well stay safe JJ
 
catinahat said:
Hello rog, welcome
Your fish and veg is a fantastic choice as long as the fish isn't covered in batter or breadcrumbs. The baked potato, even a half one would send my blood sugar much higher than I would be comfortable with. But we are all different and what gives one person a problem, would be ok for someone else. The only way you can know what foods you can tolerate is to use your meter. I'm afraid it means a lot more than 2 tests a day, but it's worth the sore fingers because you soon discover which foods are giving you the high numbers.
Have a look at this site, it explains how to use your meter to lower your blood sugar.
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for your comments they were very helpful , I was told at the clinic that two blood sugars tests at home was sufficient but you mentioned more often is better to see what works food wise, not sure what is right.
 
Patricia21 said:
Hello and welcome.
You will be surprised what diet does,I dont like to say diet as it sounds like starvation and it isnt at all ,its just eating the right things,and thats for life.
You may even be able to come off medication in time.
Spend time looking round the forum and there is lots to read.
All the best.
Click to expand...
P
 
Rog said:
Thanks for your comments they were very helpful , I was told at the clinic that two blood sugars tests at home was sufficient but you mentioned more often is better to see what works food wise, not sure what is right.
Click to expand...
If you test when you first get up you know what your fasting blood glucose level is. Testing before each meal and 2 hours after it show how food affects your blood glucose levels...it can help you spot if a particular food spikes your sugar so you can avoid it. Keep a food diary of everything you eat ...it helps you to see what affects your blood sugar. Testing at bedtime tells you how well your body has recovered from whatever your readings are....it all helps to build the bigger picture. Cutting carbs right down or out can make a massive difference to your blood sugar levels and testing will show you just how much
 
Just a quick hello and welcome from me. There is some great advice and support on the site, so have a good look round. Ask as many questions as you like, someone can always provide an answer of suggestion
 
Rog said:
Thanks for your comments they were very helpful , I was told at the clinic that two blood sugars tests at home was sufficient but you mentioned more often is better to see what works food wise, not sure what is right.
Click to expand...
Yes I was given some pretty useless advice by my Diabetic nurse also. At least they told you to test a couple of times a day. In my case I was told that there was no point in testing because I wouldn't understand the results and it would just cause me to worry.
She also said that I should eat carbs at every meal and plenty of fruit. If I had not found this forum I dread to think what my future would be.
 
catinahat said:
Yes I was given some pretty useless advice by my Diabetic nurse also. At least they told you to test a couple of times a day. In my case I was told that there was no point in testing because I wouldn't understand the results and it would just cause me to worry.
She also said that I should eat carbs at every meal and plenty of fruit. If I had not found this forum I dread to think what my future would be.
Click to expand...
Carbs spike me every time....if I ate as the NHS advises I think I would be in serious trouble. They need to catch up with the new thinking and way of eating as it very obviously works dropping carbs off our menu
 
Rog said:
Thanks for your comments they were very helpful , I was told at the clinic that two blood sugars tests at home was sufficient but you mentioned more often is better to see what works food wise, not sure what is right.
Click to expand...
Views vary on this. The main thing is to check spiking 2 hours after a meal and to learn what foods affect you most. I think if you are a T2 under reasonable control then 2 tests per day is fine. My average even on insulin is around 2-3 strips per day which would amaze some, but my bs is very predictable.
 
daddys1 said:
Hi @Rog,

What do you have for breakfast usually? & have you cut out the Pasta, Rice, Pastries, Bread, some Fruits, Veg from below the ground?

Neil
Click to expand...
Daddy

You must have esp , I was just about to ask about breakfast , my wife says I should have carbs but I'm not so sure. I had avocados on their own today. Incidentally just did my first DIY blood sugar test it came out at 11.3, it was 19 at the clinic yesterday , just started the tablets last night , not a bad start I thought .
 
Rog said:
Can I ask if any one was on meds and managed to come of them and how long for?
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Welcome to the forum :)

I was put on meds when I was first diagnosed (Metformin and am still on them), but the biggest difference I saw was when I changed my diet and cut right down on the carbs. Like you, I had a spare tyre round my waist and all that visceral fat was playing havoc with my health and probably contributed to my diabetes. (round the waist is absolutely the worst place to accumulate fat as it clogs up all your internal organs!)

I cut down to less than 20g of carbs a day for 6 months, dropped over 33kg in weight, lost 10 inches round my waist (removing the vast majority - possibly all - of my visceral fat) and now have much more stable blood sugar. LCHF (low carb, high fat) is a brilliant and easy way to lose weight and I had no cravings whatsoever.

The only issue I personally found is that I couldn't stop losing weight on LCHF so I re-introduced some carbs back into my diet. Due to my improved fitness and general health, I can now tolerate up to about 150g of carbs a day without a detrimental effect on my blood sugar, but if I hadn't taken the plunge 6 months ago and followed a very strict regime I'm sure I wouldn't be where I am today. My diet now is a well balanced one with plenty of fresh veg, no junk food (I include sweets, crisps, cakes and potatoes in the junk food bracket) and lots of exercise. The best advice I can give you is take things a step at a time and test regularly and often - without testing I wouldn't have a clue about what affects and doesn't affect my blood

As I said, I'm still on the metformin, but will probably discuss this with my GP at my next review: I don't get any side effects from the tablets so don't stress myself about being on them.
 
phil1966 said:
Welcome to the forum :)

I was put on meds when I was first diagnosed (Metformin and am still on them), but the biggest difference I saw was when I changed my diet and cut right down on the carbs. Like you, I had a spare tyre round my waist and all that visceral fat was playing havoc with my health and probably contributed to my diabetes. (round the waist is absolutely the worst place to accumulate fat as it clogs up all your internal organs!)

I cut down to less than 20g of carbs a day for 6 months, dropped over 33kg in weight, lost 10 inches round my waist (removing the vast majority - possibly all - of my visceral fat) and now have much more stable blood sugar. LCHF (low carb, high fat) is a brilliant and easy way to lose weight and I had no cravings whatsoever.

The only issue I personally found is that I couldn't stop losing weight on LCHF so I re-introduced some carbs back into my diet. Due to my improved fitness and general health, I can now tolerate up to about 150g of carbs a day without a detrimental effect on my blood sugar, but if I hadn't taken the plunge 6 months ago and followed a very strict regime I'm sure I wouldn't be where I am today. My diet now is a well balanced one with plenty of fresh veg, no junk food (I include sweets, crisps, cakes and potatoes in the junk food bracket) and lots of exercise. The best advice I can give you is take things a step at a time and test regularly and often - without testing I wouldn't have a clue about what affects and doesn't affect my blood

As I said, I'm still on the metformin, but will probably discuss this with my GP at my next review: I don't get any side effects from the tablets so don't stress myself about being on them.
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Hi Phil
Thanks for your post. I'm am going to nail this. What do you recommend for lunch as its day one on the tablets for me? How many blood sugar tests do you do a day? My reading at the clinc yesterday was 16.3 and on my inaugural test today before breakfast was 11.3, would you say that is encouraging ?

Regards Rog
 
Hello Rog. You're in the right place to get help. We're all in this for the long haul so easy does it. Over time a pattern of self-test results will tell you what's best for you to eat. Browse the low-carb & Type 2 eating threads for suggestions that work. My mission statement is "Everything I eat and drink helps me to manage my diabetes." My old brain won't take on board much more than that so it will have to do. I do my best and all is well. (that's another mission statement). Stick around and feel better!
 
Rog said:
Hi Phil
Thanks for your post. I'm am going to nail this. What do you recommend for lunch as its day one on the tablets for me? How many blood sugar tests do you do a day? My reading at the clinc yesterday was 16.3 and on my inaugural test today before breakfast was 11.3, would you say that is encouraging ?

Regards Rog
Click to expand...

That's definitely encouraging - your readings are similar to mine when I was first diagnosed (my reading when I was diagnosed was 17.9 and my fasting reading after my first day was 11.4)
I test before eating, 1 hour after and 2 hours after and 3 hours after if it's still high after 2 hours. It took me a couple of weeks to see any big stabilisation of my blood sugar but after that it went pretty smoothly.

Sorry I didn't see your post until now so it's probably a bit late for lunch but when I first started taking control, I reduced my carbs gradually: Initially to 100g a day, then to 50g, then to 30 and finally to < 20g per day. I found doing it that way made it easier and avoided the shock of dropping right down immediately.

Here are some typical menus from my diary back then

Breakfast: Bacon and cheese wrapped in an oatcake
Lunch: Tuna salad sandwich with wholemeal bread
Dinner: home made kedgerie with slim rice and salad
snacks: Cheese Strings, pork scratchings
1500 calories, 99g carbs


Breakfast: Bacon and eggs
Lunch: Tuna salad sandwich (wholemeal bread)
Dinner: Chicken breast stirfry with lentils, leeks and beans
snacks: pumpkin seeds, pork scratchings
1400 calories, 69g carbs


Breakfast: Bacon and mozzarella in a low carb tortilla (from Amazon)
Lunch: Ham and cheese salad wrapped in a low carb tortilla
Dinner: Chicken in peri-peri sauce served with salad, strawberries and double cream after
1355 calories, 29g carbs


Breakfast: Bacon and eggs
Lunch: Crayfish and avocado salad
Dinner: Chicken drumsticks with green beans
snacks: pork scratchings
1,155 calories, 10g carbs


Also, here's my menu from Christmas day (about a month after I'd been diagnosed)
Breakfast: Bacon and egg in a low carb tortilla
Lunch: Prawns in Mayo with avocado and salad followed by roast turkey, sprouts, leeks, cauliflower, one roast potato, beans, broccoli, Kale, Spinach and 1 pig in a blanket and a splash of gravy
Dinner: Turkey and ham salad
snacks: None (all those veggies filled me up!)
1,411 calories, 53g carbs
 
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