Badly controlled fed up T2

[steamerdave]

hI all Im Dave, 51, Smoker, HGV Driver. Now thats me, I have been diagnosed with angina as well and have undergone angioplasty a few years ago and now looking at another session soon. Try as I might its hard work trying to regulate sugar levels when in my occupation start times vary from one day to another, boredom sets in so you start munching while you are driving, normally all the wrong stuff but thats whats available at the time. As for the smoking I did the Champix about 2 years ago and managed 9 months without a cig, then stress hit hard one day and its only a fag that helps so there I was back on the weed again. Another angina attack last week, another lecture from the cardiologist, so its time to stop again. Sugar levels tend to hover around the 9.0 to 15.0 so they need to come down drasticly. On top of all this I am a fussy eater, only eat peas and potatoes on the veg side of things and am not to bothered about fruit. Out of this lot I somehow have to find some control in my diet, excercise? well I run up and down stairs when I get up or go to bed and thats about it, cant stand sport of any sort so hobbies are very passive.
Mum is type 2 on insulin, Dad died at 68, heart attack, all in all a pretty black picture, as I am now off work for the next three weeks waiting for an agiogram I have had a mooch around the internet and found this site. TIME FOR CHANGE no more fags and having read some of the stories on here regarding diet I know I can change my diet to bring sugar levels down to respectable levels.
Be Back soon
Dave

 

[krs1958]

Hi Dave
You can make the change. Its not to late. Im 52 with angina, T2, and a heart problem. I was over 22 stone in December 2011. Im now 20 stone and heading for 12.5 stone.

My bg is under control and I feel loads better. You have made the first step to improving things.

If I can do it anyone can.
Good luck and you can do it.

 

[cugila]

Welcome to the Forum.

Here is some information which Sue and I put together which may help you to gain control of your Diabetes.

Here is the advice we usually give to newly diagnosed diabetics. We hope that these few ideas gained through experience help you to gain control and give you some understanding of Diabetes. This forum doesn't always follow the recommended dietary advice, you have to work out what works for you as we are all different.

It's not just 'sugars' you need to avoid, diabetes is an inability to process glucose properly. Carbohydrate converts, in the body, to glucose. So it makes sense to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat which includes sugars.

This is NOT a low carb diet suggestion, just a reduction in your intake of carbohydrate. You have to decide yourself how much of a reduction will keep your blood glucose levels in control.

The main carbs to avoid OR reduce are the complex or starchy carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, starchy root veg and also any flour based products. The starchy carbs all convert 100% to glucose in the body and raise the blood sugar levels significantly.

If you are on Insulin you may find that reducing the carb intake also means that you can reduce your dose of insulin. This can help you to keep weight gain down as Insulin tends to make you put on weight and eventually cause insulin resistance. This should be done slowly so as not to cause hypos.

The way to find out how different foods affect you is to do regular daily testing and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks. If you test just before eating, then two hours after eating, you will see the effect of certain foods on your blood glucose levels. Some foods, which are slow acting carbohydrates, are absorbed more slowly so you may need to test three or even four hours later to see the effect that these have on your blood glucose levels.

Buy yourself a carb counter book (you can get these on-line) and you will be able to work out how much carbs you are eating, when you test, the reading two hours after should be roughly the same as the before eating reading, if it is then that meal was fine, if it isn’t then you need to check what you have eaten and think about reducing the portion size of carbs.

When you are buying products check the total carbohydrate content, this includes the sugar content. Do not just go by the amount of sugar on the packaging as this is misleading to a diabetic.


As for a tester, try asking the nurse/doctor and explain that you want to be proactive in managing your own diabetes and therefore need to test so that you can see just how foods affect your blood sugar levels. Hopefully this will work ! Sometimes they are not keen to give Type 2’s the strips on prescription, (in the UK) but you can but try!!

If you are an Insulin user in theory you should have no problem getting test strips.

The latest 2010 NICE guidelines for Bg levels are as follows:
Fasting (waking and before meals).......between 4 - 7 mmol/l...(Type 1 & 2)
2 hrs after meals........................no more than 8.5 mmol/l.....( Type 2)

2hrs after meals......................... no more than 9 mmol/l ......(Type 1)

If you are able to keep the post meal numbers lower, so much the better.

It also helps if you can do 30 minutes moderate exercise a day. It doesn't have to be strenuous.

The above is just general advice and it is recommended that you discuss with your HCP before making any changes. You can also ask questions on the forum on anything that is not clear.

Ken / Sue

 

[angieG]

Dave,
I know what you mean about munching on the road, I am a coach driver also with erratic meal times.
Nuts aren't bad for picking at.....don't try handfuls at a time though as they are fattening!! Tesco Water biscuits are quite low in carbs and are a bit like cream crackers, a couple of them aren't too bad for a snack between meals.
If you find stuff you are not so keen to keep nibbling you don't tend to eat so much so often!!
Feel free to keep asking questions, we are all here to help.
Try and keep good control, it's harder work driving when your levels are high I find and also DVLA are a bit funny if you end up on some medication as a Group 2 licence holder!! And insulin would be a no-no (until they get the laws changed) so that in inself was a good enough incentive to do the best I could as I didn't fancy losing my PSV & HGV licences on their say so.
Safe trucking
Angie

 

[viviennem]

Hi Dave

I'm Type 2, 61 and overweight - I don't weigh quite as much as you, but nearly :shock: !

Read the advice that Cugila has given you - it works. Get a carb counter book, and use it. I'm afraid you're going to have to stop being so 'fussy' about veg - peas and potatoes are high-carb and both are no-no, as far as I am concerned anyway. You don't have to eat fruit - much of it is high in sugar and carbs - but berry fruits are good, and strawberries and raspberries are good 'pick at' foods. Also cherries and small plums.

Snacks you can eat at any time are cold meats and cheese. Why not buy yourself one of those plastic lunch boxes and fill it full of cubes of cheese, corned beef, ham, chicken legs, slices of turkey, hard-boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, strips of pepper and cucumber - a tablespoon of real mayonnaise in one corner to dip into. Take that with you when you're driving, and I guarantee you won't be hungry!

The diet I follow is on the Low-carb Forum - search for 'Viv's Diet', and it's the first post. A long as you can cope with the amount of fat you won't be hungry, you'll enjoy it, and you WILL lose weight. Once the weight starts to come off, exercise will be easier.

In all honesty, what's the alternative? Going blind, kidney disease, and having your feet amputated? My choice is, none of those. How about you?

Lots of help and support on this forum, so give it a go, and don't be afraid to ask questions. That's what we are all here for!

It will do your heart good, too - promise!

Viv