Type 2 Newbie T2 overwhelmed by diet change

xfieldok

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,182
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
REDUCE carbs and ELIMINATE sugar. No potatoes,no rice, no pasta,nothing sweet,no processed snacks.
Nothing fried but boiled.
Two slices of brown bread daily cannot harm you.
Eat reasonable portions of fruits, but no juices at all.
Daily fat intake from cheeses,nuts and olive oil. (Do not eat saturated fats whatever they say, because they will clog your arteries).
Do not listen to keto diets, they are dangerous. Otherwise they would be suggested to children with T2 and they are NOT.
Sorry. load of tosh.
 

xfieldok

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,182
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I've tried posting on here, but get a silly artificial intelligence type message to say that the content is probably "too spam-like".

It then tells me to contact an administrator - I can't find one. Can an admin help me out? I'll gladly send you the post for you to moderate before it's published.
Reported your post. Hopefully a mod will help out.
 
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DCUKMod

Master
Staff Member
Messages
14,298
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I've tried posting on here, but get a silly artificial intelligence type message to say that the content is probably "too spam-like".

It then tells me to contact an administrator - I can't find one. Can an admin help me out? I'll gladly send you the post for you to moderate before it's published.

If you could take a copy of the message you see and send it to [email protected], along with whatever you were trying to post, and it'll be picked up.
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Two slices of bread and I'd have exceeded my daily carb allowance, so I don't eat it. Purely worked out on the basis of wanting normal levels of blood glucose and Hba1c.
I do eat large salads and stirfries, of low carb veges, which come with lots of micronutrients and flavours - I add herbs and spices too, and really enjoy my meals. I only eat twice a day as I don't need more. I drink a couple of mugs of coffee with cream, and a couple of times a week I have frozen berries with cream or yoghurt and sugar free jelly.
 
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Energize

Well-Known Member
Messages
810
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
REDUCE carbs and ELIMINATE sugar. No potatoes,no rice, no pasta,nothing sweet,no processed snacks.
Nothing fried but boiled.
Two slices of brown bread daily cannot harm you.
Eat reasonable portions of fruits, but no juices at all.
Daily fat intake from cheeses,nuts and olive oil. (Do not eat saturated fats whatever they say, because they will clog your arteries).
Do not listen to keto diets, they are dangerous. Otherwise they would be suggested to children with T2 and they are NOT.
Sorry. load of tosh.

Totally agree with you, @xfieldok

@ivan 2 - not sure where you got your 'information' from but I definitely question the source. If it's your personal view, then I suggest you post elsewhere as LCHF is very popular amongst very many of the members here. Of course, you are entitled to your own opinion but it would be more useful if you had added 'In my opinion'. If you feel this is 'fact', then you need to also quote your source(s) but I suspect members here will be able to inform you as to why it's not good advice. If this is what your HCP has been telling you, then I would advise you to do more research. Two slices of brown bread pushes my blood glucose up considerably. Fruit is FULL of sugar (disguised as Fructose, which, if you did some research, you would discover is really rather bad for people with diabetes. It's very contraversion regarding fats clogging arteries. Keto diets have yet to be proven to be dangerous. They probably haven't been recommended for children for the same reasons Keto is, as yet, rarely recommended to adults, by HCPs.

Please get your facts straight before posting such 'false' information and post supporting documentation for such claims. Thanks

However, I wish you well regarding your diabetes control. I hope you make good progress. Remember that we're all different / individuals etc :)
 
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Padraic1308

Member
Messages
7
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
First thing I would do is note down your numbers especially your HbA1C and your weight etc.
Don't try to do everything at once; you will just get sick of it quick.
Give yourself small targets e.g. try to cut out just bread first. Substitute with more vegetables (experiment with stuff you have not eaten before. if you are a big rice eater, ty cauliflower rice (comes in microwave packets, or frozen). Very little carbs compared to any other rice. See if you can go virtually sugar-free; the food companies have caught on and there are many sugar-free products out there now. If you are a big milk drinker substitute with sugar-free almond milk (nil carbs). ordinary milk contains hidden sugar in the form of lactose (50/50 glucose and galactose). Galactose also gets metabolized to glucose (so it's basically all sugar).
very important don't starve yourself! it is not necessary.
I guarantee you will lose weight, but do it slowly or your muscle mass will also decrease. This is why it's impotent to get plenty protein. DO NOT go fat-free and low carb at the same time as I did initially, or you will take on an emaciated appearance and could get vitamin and mineral deficiency as fat is needed to absorb many of the latter.
Important. don't despair if at first, you don't lose much weight; there are many variables, we are not all the same!
Good luck to you!
 
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Messages
34
I've recently been diagnosed with T2 and apart from my GP advising me to cut out sugar, reduce bread intake, and take more exercise, I've not received any professional advice about diet. I'm seeing my GP again next week and I'll request a dietician referral.

My eating habits to date haven't been the healthiest to be honest. Bread, potatoes and a sweet dessert formed part of most meals. I've been attempting (and failing spectacularly) at carb limiting to the extent that I'm neglecting the other food groups and feel very light-headed most of the time. I'm finding the whole diet thing really overwhelming and don't see how I can change. Cutting out sweet stuff won't be a problem, it's finding nutritious and filling 'main' foodstuffs that's the problem. N.B. I don't eat fish or eggs.

My question to experienced T2-ers is:- How did you manage the transition from 'normal' eating to carb-conscious eating?
 

mhr

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 2
You need to know the numbers of your cholesterol. Your GP's idea of "high" depends on which numbers he is looking at, and is probably the Total Cholesterol, which is meaningless. You can ask for a print out of your blood test results. This will tell you all you need to know, and I suggest you do this immediately so you have time to ask questions on this forum and do some research. Anything you don't understand, people on here will help and explain. You need your HbA1c, and your serum lipids (HDL, LDL and triglycerides) These are essential knowledge.

Would you please explain my HbA1c, HDL, LDL and triglycerides.

Thanks
 

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bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Would you please explain my HbA1c, HDL, LDL and triglycerides.

Thanks
Your HbA1c at 47 mmol/m shows you are at the high end of pre -diabetes 48 and more is "full blown" T2.
You have an incomplete cholesterol profile .. had you fasted before the blood was taken and if so how long for?
 

Alwyn

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
You need to be careful that you do not eat too much protein as your body can turn this to sugar just as it does carbs. You need Moderate protein, not high protein. Low carb High Fat with moderate protein is the best way I have found to go. It is not a miracle cure, nothing is but it will enable you to lower your weight and your blood sugars. Do not believe any doctor or nurse that tells you when you have lowered everything that you are no longer diabetic. You will be diabetic for life and will always have to be careful with what you eat. The journey is different for all of us and different foods react differently with everyone. Try everything and find what works for you. Good luck on your journey it will not be easy and you will fall over at times. When this happens pick yourself up dust yourself off and start again.
 
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alwaystry

Newbie
Messages
1
I think it is a case of diving in and you will soon find you adapt very quickly. I agree about doing your own research. The nurse at my local clinic keeps wanting me to eat a balanced diet (including carbs) and frowns on me checking blood sugar. Its got to the stage where I just tell her what she wants to hear.... The net result is that her doom and gloom predictions have not materialised, but not due to her advice.

Its a constant battle, even when you think you are on the winning side.
 

Norfolkmell

Well-Known Member
Messages
249
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Tattoos, carers calling me lovey or duckie when I've only just met them
Hello Captain Crunch and welcome.
The first rule to take on board is Don't Panic! You've taken the first step and found this forum and were motivated to post.
Practically everyone on here was diagnosed and faced the worry same as you. you will find that there is a huge wealth of knowledge and experience on here along with multiple ways to get your numbers down.
You need to know your numbers, if you don't have them tell your GP surgery you need them. It can help to sign up online with your surgery so that you can see your results quicker despite GPs and DNs saying the results will take a week to come back mine are available on line the next day.
Test results mean nothing unless you know what your BG is every day. Some GP surgeries will give or loan you a BG monitor and you should have lancets and testing strips put on repeat along with a yellow sharps disposal box. I bought my meter and my GP put the lancets, strips and box on repeat.
You need to test before and two hours after eating and record what you ate and what the readings are. Over time you will be able to see what spikes your BG and what doesn't. We are all unique, potatoes don't hugely spike my BG but carrots do. You have no way of knowing unless you test.
You didn't become type 2 overnight and you won't unless you're very lucky get your numbers down overnight. It takes time and without knowing what individual foods do to your BG you can't get a handle on things.
Most of us on here follow LCHF with varying amounts of carbohydrates, from practically none up to around 100. I keep mine between 50 and 80 g a day. That suits me, in three and half years I've lost over seven stones and my numbers steadily decrease. I keep to my LCHF 95% of the time. I can be 100% for weeks but I'm human I can fall off the wagon for one meal or one snack but then get straight back into plan. You do not fail if you get back onto LCHF again.
Make www.dietdoctor.com your friend put any foodstuff into search and you will find suggestions or reasons why it's not a good idea. There are recipes there for all sorts of things including chocolate fudge which is my favourite at the moment. You do have to pay to access after a free trial but I think it's worth it. There's meal plans, video, research results on there.
You've found this forum, explore some of the discussions you don't have to join in every time but there's always someone around to support you when you need it.
So hopefully you haven't run out of energy reading this!
Don't panic
Test and record BG and what you've eaten take it to every medical appointment you have
You probably didn't get diabetic overnight, getting it under your control will take time
Look around the forums
Have a look at diet doctor
Make a plan and try to stick with it 90-100% of the time
Don't panic.
Let us know how you get on
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Would you please explain my HbA1c, HDL, LDL and triglycerides.

Thanks

The only thing missing from your cholesterol/lipid profile is your LDL, but that is calculated rather than measured, and according to http://www.hughcalc.org/chol-si.php your calculated LDL is 3.29, which the "Powers that be" say should be under 3, so not bad.

The only one that is risky is your low HDL (good cholesterol). As carbs are known to diminish the HDL in some people, reducing your carb intake could sort this.

Your triglycerides are perfect, and those are the baddies, so well done on that score. :)

The ratio that matters is the trigs/HDL and yours is 1.1. This should preferably be under 1.74, and ideally under 0.87. This of course can be improved by increasing the HDL.

@bulkbiker has already explained your HbA1c by saying it puts you at the top end of the pre-diabetic range. Had it been 48 rather than 47 you would have had a diabetes diagnosis.

Try this https://cholesterolcode.com/new-report-tool-launched/

Hope this helps.
 
Last edited:

oldnevada

Well-Known Member
Messages
328
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Sugar, in all it's iterations.
My eating has changed drastically, and it's a re-training process. If you can do cardio/aerobic, it helped my stomach shrink, meaning, it's just doesn't want to be be full, and the desire to fill it diminishes. I have to stay away from foods found in the middle isles of the grocery store, here in Canada, anyway. I didn't start losing weight till I started seriously counting carbs. lowcarb website is a huge help. I counted calories for three years on MFP, but didn't help much. One has to realize, carbohydrates are essentially sugar. My body sees them as sugar, so I'm very very careful.. I do allow myself a treat to break the monotony. I keep a bag of crisps in the car. I spend very little time in the car BTW.
 
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Flora123

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,078
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
REDUCE carbs and ELIMINATE sugar. No potatoes,no rice, no pasta,nothing sweet,no processed snacks.
Nothing fried but boiled.
Two slices of brown bread daily cannot harm you.
Eat reasonable portions of fruits, but no juices at all.
Daily fat intake from cheeses,nuts and olive oil. (Do not eat saturated fats whatever they say, because they will clog your arteries).
Do not listen to keto diets, they are dangerous. Otherwise they would be suggested to children with T2 and they are NOT.

Really!!!??

Hmmm. Two slices of bread would send my BG sky high for hours. Fruit too and even berries have an (albeit smaller) effect but an apple is definitely off limits.

Fried is fine if not in seed oils.

Keto is NOT dangerous. Many Olympic athletes eat this way - Greg Rutherford admitted this in Celebrity Master Chef recently when he said it was strange cooking with carby foods as he’d been in ketosis for ten years.

Reduce carbs and eliminate sugars, I totally agree with.

The saturated fat thing has been debunked years ago, although I believe not a great idea to mix fats and very high processed carbs.

Having had blood tests done pre keto and a year in, Keto is most definitely working for me!!
 

Captain Crunch

Well-Known Member
Messages
187
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hello Captain Crunch and welcome.
The first rule to take on board is Don't Panic! You've taken the first step and found this forum and were motivated to post.
Practically everyone on here was diagnosed and faced the worry same as you. you will find that there is a huge wealth of knowledge and experience on here along with multiple ways to get your numbers down.
You need to know your numbers, if you don't have them tell your GP surgery you need them. It can help to sign up online with your surgery so that you can see your results quicker despite GPs and DNs saying the results will take a week to come back mine are available on line the next day.
Test results mean nothing unless you know what your BG is every day. Some GP surgeries will give or loan you a BG monitor and you should have lancets and testing strips put on repeat along with a yellow sharps disposal box. I bought my meter and my GP put the lancets, strips and box on repeat.
You need to test before and two hours after eating and record what you ate and what the readings are. Over time you will be able to see what spikes your BG and what doesn't. We are all unique, potatoes don't hugely spike my BG but carrots do. You have no way of knowing unless you test.
You didn't become type 2 overnight and you won't unless you're very lucky get your numbers down overnight. It takes time and without knowing what individual foods do to your BG you can't get a handle on things.
Most of us on here follow LCHF with varying amounts of carbohydrates, from practically none up to around 100. I keep mine between 50 and 80 g a day. That suits me, in three and half years I've lost over seven stones and my numbers steadily decrease. I keep to my LCHF 95% of the time. I can be 100% for weeks but I'm human I can fall off the wagon for one meal or one snack but then get straight back into plan. You do not fail if you get back onto LCHF again.
Make www.dietdoctor.com your friend put any foodstuff into search and you will find suggestions or reasons why it's not a good idea. There are recipes there for all sorts of things including chocolate fudge which is my favourite at the moment. You do have to pay to access after a free trial but I think it's worth it. There's meal plans, video, research results on there.
You've found this forum, explore some of the discussions you don't have to join in every time but there's always someone around to support you when you need it.
So hopefully you haven't run out of energy reading this!
Don't panic
Test and record BG and what you've eaten take it to every medical appointment you have
You probably didn't get diabetic overnight, getting it under your control will take time
Look around the forums
Have a look at diet doctor
Make a plan and try to stick with it 90-100% of the time
Don't panic.
Let us know how you get on
Apologies for being MIA for a few days but work things got in the way. I work in broadcast news and there was some major event in the UK on Thursday :).

I'd like to thank everyone who's contributed. In particular @Norfolkmell's post quoted here.

I was disturbed to read from @Alwyn that on a high protein diet, the protein can be converted into glucose as I've been living off chicken or beef with broccoli or cauliflower for a week or so now. I also have the occasional handful of nuts, 0% fat yoghurt, or fruit. This is one of the major problems I'm having with researching T2D - conflicting opinions.

I don't have a BG number as yet but I'm seeing my GP again next Friday and I'll get a figure from her.

I have to say I don't feel as fatigued during the day as I did. I still get moments of light-headedness though. My stomach feels a bit 'tight' after I eat (veg portions too large perhaps), but I've not experienced any major digestive upsets.
 

bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I was disturbed to read from @Alwyn that on a high protein diet, the protein can be converted into glucose as I've been living off chicken or beef with broccoli or cauliflower for a week or so now.

Its ok it doesn't for most of us. It's a demand driven process so if your body requires glucose it will be made from the ingested protein but too much doesn't automatically get turned into sugar.
That's quite an outdated belief.
 
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want_to_be_well_

Active Member
Messages
26
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
REDUCE carbs and ELIMINATE sugar. No potatoes,no rice, no pasta,nothing sweet,no processed snacks.
Nothing fried but boiled.
Two slices of brown bread daily cannot harm you.
Eat reasonable portions of fruits, but no juices at all.
Daily fat intake from cheeses,nuts and olive oil. (Do not eat saturated fats whatever they say, because they will clog your arteries).
Do not listen to keto diets, they are dangerous. Otherwise they would be suggested to children with T2 and they are NOT.
Fruit can really boost your blood sugar levels. Wheat Bread can be very boosting of insulin levels and can hurt you. So I don't agree with that. Are Keto diets really dangerous ? I am not sure about that. Re diets and children, the NHS still recommend Low Calorie low fat, and those are really dangerous. When I was on that diet I lost 3 stone, had constant hunger pangs, my metabolism ground to a halt, and I got really ill and put all the weight back on. With Low Carb I have lost weight, 3 stone again. don't get hunger pangs and my energy and health is really improved. And my blood sugar levels have been 40 or under since June 2018, and are down to 36 in November 2019. Trans fats are dangerous, but I am not sure about saturated fats. They were attacked but I believe new evidence shows that it is the demon that it is made out to be. Fasting can also be effective and I know do regular 24 hour water only fasting.
 
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Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I was disturbed to read from @Alwyn that on a high protein diet, the protein can be converted into glucose

Please don't let this comment disturb you. For the majority of us, this won't happen. The body will only convert protein to glucose as a last resort, and even then only the amount of protein that is not needed for its normal essential functions. Personally I have never restricted my protein.