Newby retired firefighter requires rescue programme

johnjo 2

Member
Messages
8
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Help
Diagnosed last friday with Type 2 diabetes following a routine blood test.
It’s all a bit of a shock really, I’m an active 64 year old, been active all my life.
At 14 stone 4lb, 6 ft with my boots on, I didn’t think I was on the list for diabetes.
My blood sugar level was 22, they took some blood for testing, not sure what happens next.
Apparently, I can’t have any beer, cake, biscuits, pasta, bread, or spuds anymore.
They want me to lose 10% of my body weight.
I’ll have to cut me leg off.
The wife is already using this condition to nag and control my very being - I’m on a low cab diet with eggs
Eggs, scrambled, poached, fried, hard boiled, sunny side up, over easy, and kicked in every direction around the kitchen
And; I’m told, diabetes can make you a little grumpy, although I’ve not seen any of that yet.
Is there any good news??
johnjo2

Edited by a Mod.
 
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archersuz

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,213
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi @johnjo 2 Welcome. I'll tag @daisy1 who will give you some information.
Good news? Yes I think there is good news. I have followed a low carb diet for 5 months since being diagnosed and I have lost 3 stone, reduced my blood level from 53 to 35 and can now walk for 2 hours and enjoy it! I am fitter and more active than I have been for many years. I enjoy my food and don't just cram it down my throat is quickly as I can!
I eat butter on my veg and have double cream in my coffee. I eat strawberries all year round with the excuse that although they are expensive, they are the only fruit that I can eat freely.
It's not all doom and gloom. Learn to cook, go shopping and enjoy your food!
 

urbanracer

Expert
Retired Moderator
Messages
5,186
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Not being able to eat as many chocolate digestives as I used to.
Help
Diagnosed last friday with Type 2 diabetes following a routine blood test.
It’s all a bit of a shock really, I’m an active 64 year old, been active all my life.
At 14 stone 4lb, 6 ft with my boots on, I didn’t think I was on the list for diabetes.
My blood sugar level was 22, they took some blood for testing, not sure what happens next.
Apparently, I can’t have any beer, cake, biscuits, pasta, bread, or spuds anymore.
They want me to lose 10% of my body weight.
Jesus, I’ll have to cut me leg off.
The wife is already using this condition to nag and control my very being - I’m on a low cab diet with eggs
Eggs, scrambled, poached, fried, hard boiled, sunny side up, over easy, and kicked in every direction around the kitchen
And; I’m told, diabetes can make you a little grumpy, although I’ve not seen any of that yet.
Is there any good news??
johnjo2

Add rice to the list, or not if you don't want the missus to know!

Welcome to the forums @johnjo 2 , I'll ask @daisy1 to give you the new joiners info.

Seems like you've got the measure of the carb's issue, so good luck and please ask any questions you need to ask.

Good luck.
 
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jcbman

Well-Known Member
Messages
263
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Newcastle diet mate, that'll sort you out.
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Apparently, I can’t have any beer, cake, biscuits, pasta, bread, or spuds anymore.

Add rice to the list, or not if you don't want the missus to know!

and add most fruits to the list!

The good news is you can still enjoy red wine, dry white wine and spirits with sugar free mixers. Not to mention bacon and eggs, strawberries and cream, steaks and high cocoa content dark chocolate!
 

Rachox

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
15,808
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
A lot of us Type 2s aren’t provided with a blood glucose machine, but we go ahead and buy our own. Testing just before and two hours after the start of your meal will let you see what meals you can and can’t tolerate.
 

eggs11

Well-Known Member
Messages
638
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Help
Diagnosed last friday with Type 2 diabetes following a routine blood test.
It’s all a bit of a shock really, I’m an active 64 year old, been active all my life.
At 14 stone 4lb, 6 ft with my boots on, I didn’t think I was on the list for diabetes.
My blood sugar level was 22, they took some blood for testing, not sure what happens next.
Apparently, I can’t have any beer, cake, biscuits, pasta, bread, or spuds anymore.
They want me to lose 10% of my body weight.
Jesus, I’ll have to cut me leg off.
The wife is already using this condition to nag and control my very being - I’m on a low cab diet with eggs
Eggs, scrambled, poached, fried, hard boiled, sunny side up, over easy, and kicked in every direction around the kitchen
And; I’m told, diabetes can make you a little grumpy, although I’ve not seen any of that yet.
Is there any good news??
johnjo2
Hi @johnjo 2 - welcome to the forum. I would say what is great news is that you've already been directed to a way of eating that for many on here has improved their blood sugars relatively quickly - and therefore you aren't going to getting frustrated trying the usual high carb, low fat approach that is often promoted by GPs, but which doesn't suit a lot of us. Keep up the low carb diet and not only will your sugars improve but you may be surprised at just how much more energy you'll have - check out the low carb forum for delicious food ideas - my forum name may suggest it's all eggs, eggs, eggs but there are so many other filling, tasty options to enjoy. I can honestly say low carb has been the easiest eating plan I've ever followed and I don't get hungry any more - before I was eating all the time and still starving. Best of luck - keep asking questions and the good folk on here will help you out!
 
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paulus1

Well-Known Member
Messages
843
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
get the book carb and Calorie count from amazon. you can eat amazingly well on a low carb diet. it does mean the missus will need to do more home cooking. you need to set a start number of carb units say 100-150 and slowly cut back to where your bg is in range andyour losing weight slowly. exercise will speed this up if you can. there are other diets like jcbman says the most current being the newcastle diet. this is an extremely low calorie diet with meal replacement shakes. now your wife means well but its your condition you need to understand that a well controlled condition is annoying at times. but a poorly controlled one will cripple you. once your head is sorted get started on your choice of diet. ps your missus loves you so you have a good supporter.
 
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bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Help
Diagnosed last friday with Type 2 diabetes following a routine blood test.
It’s all a bit of a shock really, I’m an active 64 year old, been active all my life.
At 14 stone 4lb, 6 ft with my boots on, I didn’t think I was on the list for diabetes.
My blood sugar level was 22, they took some blood for testing, not sure what happens next.
Apparently, I can’t have any beer, cake, biscuits, pasta, bread, or spuds anymore.
They want me to lose 10% of my body weight.
Jesus, I’ll have to cut me leg off.
The wife is already using this condition to nag and control my very being - I’m on a low cab diet with eggs
Eggs, scrambled, poached, fried, hard boiled, sunny side up, over easy, and kicked in every direction around the kitchen
And; I’m told, diabetes can make you a little grumpy, although I’ve not seen any of that yet.
Is there any good news??
johnjo2
Pork belly.. pork scratchings.. bacon. Steak, cream, butter, cheese all those things that were meant to be so bad for us but actually aren't. Enjoy them all.
 

Mbaker

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,339
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Available fast foods in Supermarkets
Hi @johnjo 2 at first it seems like a life of water and basic food....but there is a substitute for most foods. Initially you might want to concentrate on lowering your numbers with basics such as bacon, eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes. Meats and Fish, with above ground vegetables cooked with coconut / avocado oils, butter and lard.

To demonstrate life is just beginning below is all food I have been tucking into with the family in the last 2 weeks. There are dinners with celeriac chips, steak, salmon, mushrooms and other vegetables. Bread, roles (fibreflour). Coconut pancakes, cheesecake, muffins with fruit and greek yogurt, sesame biscuits.

The only downsides are that you may become evangelical wanting to tell everyone you can about what you have found. You may need to spend additional money on new clothing (I have lost 16 kg and around 8 inches off my waist). You may also find that you are too full, I went from 3 meals a day to 1 on at least 5 out 7 days (this was a side effect of my body switching from requiring carbs to survive over to burning my own body fat and the fat eaten:

Desserts.jpg


BerryMuffinCeleriacChips.jpg


Bread.jpg


Dinner.jpg
 

Sue192

Well-Known Member
Messages
594
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I second all the above posts, with copious amounts of drool caused by @Mbaker's fab meals. But I'd just say double cream in coffee and strawberries and clotted cream. Absolute decadence. The cream in coffee has been my saviour while adapting to LCHF, although be prepared for astonishment from the low fat brigade! Welcome to the Forum @johnjo 2 - don't despair, have a good old browse and good luck! Life isn't all eggs.... :)
 
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cocobee.2017

Well-Known Member
Messages
80
For me, giving up bread + all the yum carbs was hard at 1st but more mentally hard, not so much physically hard. I had to change my mindset in order to improve my health. I'm delighted at how much slimmer I am now, free of cravings + feeling more energetic with exercise too.
 
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daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@johnjo 2

Hello Johnjo and welcome to the Forum :) Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will be able to 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 well over 235,000 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.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

  • Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why

  • Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
 

JoKalsbeek

Expert
Messages
5,937
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
The up-side; Barbecue! Careful with the condiments, and no bread, but hey, meat & fish are your friends. (Salads & veggies too, of course... ;) ). There's more in the low-carb world to eat than eggs. Be sure to tell the mrs as much. ;)
 
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BB8.HG

Well-Known Member
Messages
101
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I really mourned carbs when first diagnosed (which to be fair wasn't that long ago). But adding butter to things where it would have seemed unjustifiably decadent pre-diagnosis is one of life's new great joys.
2 weeks ago I would have run across the M1 for a baguette, now broccoli done in butter with garlic and fresh chilli with a juicy steak makes that baguette seem like bulky rubbish.

So TLDR is....Butter. Turns out it's the source of all happiness.
 

Alexandra100

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,738
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
You can get one off this site.
But only if you want to pay serious money for a meter you can get free from these people:
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/
If you want a different meter, either order the Codefree direct from these people:
https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/
Or if you want a different meter again, eg the Accuchek, that too is dearer here on this site than you would pay on Amazon or maybe at Boots. Buyer beware!!!
 
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