7 weeks post T2D diagnosis and struggling

[Captain Crunch]

I was diagnosed with type 2 on December 8th 2019 and I'm severely struggling with it from a diet point of view. Food was always a great pleasure to me but that's been effectively denied now.

In short:

I'm sick of having food always on my mind. I'm always thinking about what I can have to eat.

I'm sick of continually buying fresh produce only to throw most of it away as it goes out of date before I can use it all.

I'm sick of reading nutritional labels only to be repeatedly disappointed by the carb/sugar content.

I'm sick of spending so much time cooking. I do batch-cook and freeze stuff but it's still a chore to me.

I'm sick of so many recipes being 'fussy'. Finely chopping veggies/herbs is not my forte.

I'm sick of having insufficient storage/fridge/freezer space for food.

I'm sick of having poultry for virtually every meal. I don't like fish or eggs so protein sources are limited. I do occasionally have red meat but I'm fearful of my fat intake.

I'm sick of taking bagfuls of food to work. I often work 12-hour shifts so I need to take 2 meals and some snacky things. Gone are the days when a trip to the vending machine or sandwich shop would satisfy the munchies.

I'm sick of the limited choices available to me when eating out. Planning a meal out is a major undertaking involving studying nutrition lists to see if the establishment has anything I can have.

On the plus side, I do feel physically better and I've lost about a stone and a half (21 lbs) in weight. I just don't think I can maintain this. A major carb orgy is very tempting right now but the potential long-term health consequences aren't appealing.

Apologies for the rant but hopefully you'll understand where I'm coming from. This diagnosis has had a major impact on my former lifestyle and it's taking some getting used to.

 

[bulkbiker]

I'm sick of having poultry for virtually every meal. I don't like fish or eggs so protein sources are limited. I do occasionally have red meat but I'm fearful of my fat intake.

Red meat is fine and the "fat intake" will be what keeps you full..
Revel in pork, lamb and beef as well as chicken. Veggies are optional so have them as and when you fancy them.
Why do you need to "fine chop" anything.. just eat them in their natural state.

Pork scratchings could be your work time saviour..

 

[Brunneria]

Lots of us go through this.

For me, there was a day when a switch flipped in my head and I suddenly started to see lower carb food choices in terms of what I can eat not what I can’t.
Part of that was getting over Fat Fear and social conditioning.

it stopped being about deprivation and misery, and started being about foodie heaven.

 

[SMR1]

Captain Crunch,
you don't have to do it all at once. I'm T2 diagnosed last March I got my sugars down to near normal in three months from a very high level, hated the food that i was allowed, didn't eat well at all. I went down to just over nine stone from over twelve stone in same period of time only to suffer some nerve damage (lost it too quickly). over the last three months I have put back on some of that lost weight and feel all the better for it. I'm pretty strict about what i eat still but not ridged if you know what i mean?
when first diagnosed it felt like my life had been stolen, with dogged determination and commitment I'm getting my life back you can do this too... I had many down days but knew that i had to get through them and you will too.

• you have lost some weight which is good, set yourself small and achievable targets.
• occasional treats are good but don't binge.
• Lots of exercise.
• Nuts have fairly high levels of protein.
• Red meat is ok, no need to worry about the fats.

best wishes, Mark

 

[ianf0ster]

I'm sick of having poultry for virtually every meal. I don't like fish or eggs so protein sources are limited. I do occasionally have red meat but I'm fearful of my fat intake.

I'm sick of taking bagfuls of food to work. I often work 12-hour shifts so I need to take 2 meals and some snacky things. Gone are the days when a trip to the vending machine or sandwich shop would satisfy the munchies.

I'm sick of the limited choices available to me when eating out. Planning a meal out is a major undertaking involving studying nutrition lists to see if the establishment has anything I can have.

Hi Captain Crunch,
It really doesn't take long before you instinctively know which things in a supermarket are Low carb and which ones you need to check the label - unless you keep on shopping at different supermarket chains.

From reading between the lines it appears that you have a fear of fats. Many of us have found that Fat is our Friend. I had followed the standard advice and was eating very High 'brown' Carbs, very Low Fat way of eating for over 10yrs before my health really started to nosedive. It was only after both my 3x Coronary Artery Bypass and then my T2D diagnosis that I realised that I couldn't trust that dietary advice. I switched to LCHF, reduced my HbA1C into the pre-diabetic range and lost 23lbs in 4 months despite being slim (a TOFI) in the first place.

Your weight problem is likely best solved by avoiding snacking - keeping the periods of higher Insulin as short as possible with as long a period as possible between higher Insulin levels. Eat to satiety at each meal so that you can minimise snacks. If you must have snacks, most nuts make good, handy snacks ( Macadamia, Brazil, Walnut, Almond, Hazelnut, Pecan, Pistachio and even peanuts - which are really a legume). Hard Cheeses also make good handy snacks as well as being useful in full meals.

Eating out isn't great since so few restaurants cater for Low Carb, but there are many places where you can eat fish or meat.
I have eaten low carb in Chinese restaurants, in Indian restaurants (- just avoid the rice/noodles), in European food places (- steak/lamb/pork/chicken/fish with a salad) and in Southern African (- Nandos).

 

[Captain Crunch]

Many thanks for your replies.

@bulkbiker - I'm reading conflicting opinions about fat intake. 'Official' sources don't recommend it, yet successful diabetics like yourself swear by it. I'm very confused. My GP has stated that my cholesterol is high but she wants to address that later.

Fine chopping is indicated in many recipes. In my case, it ends up being rather coarsely chopped .

I do take a Peperami as one of my work snacks.

@Brunneria - I'm hoping the foodie revelation hits me soon. I definitely don't see it at the moment and I'm the most miserable that I've ever been.

@SMR1 - I'm an all-or-nothing guy. Shades of grey are difficult for me to comprehend. Hence when I was diagnosed, I went on a zero-carb diet for a while. I've since relaxed that a little. I fear I may also have sustained some nerve damage as my fingers seem particularly sensitive to heat. You're absolutely right, it *does* feel like my life has been taken away. I just hope I can find a sustainable solution. I am exercising much more than I did before. I'm just shy of 60 and been largely sedentary for many a long year so my exercise regime is going for long brisk walks. Anything more strenuous could be dangerous I think. I seem to be feeling better for it though.

 

[Captain Crunch]

Hi Captain Crunch,
It really doesn't take long before you instinctively know which things in a supermarket are Low carb and which ones you need to check the label - unless you keep on shopping at different supermarket chains.

From reading between the lines it appears that you have a fear of fats. Many of us have found that Fat is our Friend. I had followed the standard advice and was eating very High 'brown' Carbs, very Low Fat way of eating for over 10yrs before my health really started to nosedive. It was only after both my 3x Coronary Artery Bypass and then my T2D diagnosis that I realised that I couldn't trust that dietary advice. I switched to LCHF, reduced my HbA1C into the pre-diabetic range and lost 23lbs in 4 months despite being slim (a TOFI) in the first place.

Your weight problem is likely best solved by avoiding snacking - keeping the periods of higher Insulin as short as possible with as long a period as possible between higher Insulin levels. Eat to satiety at each meal so that you can minimise snacks. If you must have snacks, most nuts make good, handy snacks ( Macadamia, Brazil, Walnut, Almond, Hazelnut, Pecan, Pistachio and even peanuts - which are really a legume). Hard Cheeses also make good handy snacks as well as being useful in full meals.

Eating out isn't great since so few restaurants cater for Low Carb, but there are many places where you can eat fish or meat.
I have eaten low carb in Chinese restaurants, in Indian restaurants (- just avoid the rice/noodles), in European food places (- steak/lamb/pork/chicken/fish with a salad) and in Southern African (- Nandos).

I know instinctively which supermarket aisles to avoid as nothing of value resides within . I do have a fear of fats having been informed all my life that fat is bad. Sorry to hear about your triple bypass despite following a low-fat diet. Maybe the so-called experts aren't really on the ball.

I'm so used to snacking that it's very hard to break the habit. I also was brought up to 'clear my plate' and that regime still applies. I've tried placing smaller portions on my plate but that just leaves me unsatisfied. I do chomp on nuts and cheese (I love both) but I'm aware that I shouldn't have too much of either per day. I've been bulking home-made meals out with (mostly) cauliflower and broccoli.

For me, eating out is usually confined to grilled chicken or meat and salad or veggies. That gets rather dull as it's not that different from my usual diet. I so miss potatoes, bread, pasta, rice, pastries, ice cream and chocolate.

 

[Brunneria]

You love cheese?
Then put grated cheese on your hot vegetables.
Or add grated cheese to coleslaw.
Make cauliflower or broccoli cheese to fill the potato shaped gap on your plate
Buy the wide flat field mushrooms and stuff them with smoked cheese or stilton or boursin

you love nuts?
Yup. So do I.
Put spoons of nut butter into greek yogurt and stir thoroughly. Enjoy.
Make satay sauces (v easy!)
https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/chicken-satay-sauce
Get 70% cocoa solid choc, melt it in the microwave, stir in brazil nuts, cashews or hazelnuts. Spread onto a baking sheet, cool, break and snack on the pieces.

look up low carb mug cake recipes (1min in the microwave) and you get a fresh hot portion of cake:
https://www.ditchthecarbs.com/low-carb-mug-cakes/

want cereal for breakfast?
Then google ‘low carb muesli’ and throw together a muesli mix, or buy some (there are plenty around nowadays).

want bread?
Most supermarkets do Burgen low carb/higher protein breads
Or buy bread mixes from Dr Almond or a paleo bread mix from Amazon

I can assure you that there is absolutely no reason to go hungry or feel deprived. You just need to shift to the new mindset.

 

[Captain Crunch]

You love cheese?
Then put grated cheese on your hot vegetables.
Or add grated cheese to coleslaw.
Make cauliflower or broccoli cheese to fill the potato shaped gap on your plate
Buy the wide flat field mushrooms and stuff them with smoked cheese or stilton or boursin

you love nuts?
Yup. So do I.
Put spoons of nut butter into greek yogurt and stir thoroughly. Enjoy.
Make satay sauces (v easy!)
https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/chicken-satay-sauce
Get 70% cocoa solid choc, melt it in the microwave, stir in brazil nuts, cashews or hazelnuts. Spread onto a baking sheet, cool, break and snack on the pieces.

look up low carb mug cake recipes (1min in the microwave) and you get a fresh hot portion of cake:
https://www.ditchthecarbs.com/low-carb-mug-cakes/

want cereal for breakfast?
Then google ‘low carb muesli’ and throw together a muesli mix, or buy some (there are plenty around nowadays).

want bread?
Most supermarkets do Burgen low carb/higher protein breads
Or buy bread mixes from Dr Almond or a paleo bread mix from Amazon

I can assure you that there is absolutely no reason to go hungry or feel deprived. You just need to shift to the new mindset.

Thank you so much for these suggestions. I have difficulty thinking out of the box on this matter as my previous eating habits are pretty deeply ingrained. I can't get used to not buying something to eat straight off the shelf and having to prepare so much in advance.

 

[Route 66]

I was diagnosed with type 2 on December 8th 2019

It's really early days for you and you seem to be doing really well so far.

We all have periods where we miss the old days and could murder that lump of chocolate cake, but it takes time to accept that it is no longer available to you.

As time goes by, each day will get easier. It's just like giving up smoking.

Some great suggestions on here that will help.

I am another who had a heart attack and angioplasty, and I would rather cut out the sweet stuff than go through that again.

Good luck.

 

[VashtiB]

hi @Captain Crunch ,

I totally understand how you feel- you describe it very well. I have now been diagnosed over 6 months and haven't had the foodie revolution yet. So I feel your pain- I've just had a couple of really difficult weeks- I went to a wedding and there was literally nothing I could eat- mains were lasagne and risotto. The entrees were similar- the choices couldn't have been worse. So I ate nothing. Then went out for my mother's birthday- I emailed and rang the restaurant to make sure there was something I could eat and was told- yes there would be low carb options only to be told on the day that there were none. I was able to have some cheese but telling me they could do mashed potatoes rather than roast potatoes was not helpful. Next week another dinner with my son's future mother in law- another place with nothing that I can eat-things like crumbed cutlets- I know I'll be able to order something but I am so not looking forward to it.

So I get where you are coming from- I am very fortunate to have a husband who will cook anything I want- he is ultra supportive- but before this I would eat red meat perhaps two or three times a year. I can say my cats and dogs are really happy with my new way of eating- many many more treats so no complaints from them at all lol.

Having said all that I don't feel the loss all the time- it is getting better so I go now for weeks- not necessarily ever enjoying my food but not having the grief that I had at first.- I am hopeful that the time between feelings of intense grief will keep getting longer and longer so overall I will feel better. But certainly food is now just fuel for my body rather than any pleasure. I also have my blood sugars under control so that is great,

Good luck- look at some of the recipes in the food section yo give you some ideas to vary your food.

Good luck

 

[Resurgam]

Chocolate - seek out the high cocoa bars and learn what it really tastes like - if you find it too much of a shock add grated chocolate to raspberries and cream or make real custard with eggs and cream and stir in grated chocolate.
If fat and red meat are such a problem - why are there no health benefits reported as consumption goes down? Why do people with higher cholesterol tend to live longer healthier lives - and should we look for conspiracies when articles explaining that those with higher LDL levels are likely to live longer are taken off the BMJ Open site?
I don't have storage problems, but I have two fridges and a freezer large enough to store a body - except I can't as it is full of food. The big freezer has been so useful all the time I have had it - do you have space for more storage?
My cooking is fairly basic - I don't do finely chopped except for a bit of onion. I don't do one pot cooking though, I prefer to keep
flavours separate. I do things such as starting to cook steaks in one pan, browning the onions in another , then move the steaks in with the onions, turning down the heat and putting on a lid, then cook the mushrooms courgette and sweet pepper in the empty pan so they soak up the juices. It takes a little more time to cook it gently, but it is so much tastier, and more tender than high heat frying.
Do experiment with herbs and spices - a small pinch of something extra in the dish can result in mouth watering scents and tastes.

 

[Ann10536]

Completely understand

I'm sick of having food always on my mind. I'm always thinking about what I can have to eat.

I'm sick of continually buying fresh produce only to throw most of it away as it goes out of date before I can use it all.

I'm sick of reading nutritional labels only to be repeatedly disappointed by the carb/sugar content.

I'm sick of spending so much time cooking. I do batch-cook and freeze stuff but it's still a chore to me.

I'm sick of so many recipes being 'fussy'. Finely chopping veggies/herbs is not my forte.

I'm sick of having insufficient storage/fridge/freezer space for food.

I'm sick of having poultry for virtually every meal. I don't like fish or eggs so protein sources are limited. I do occasionally have red meat but I'm fearful of my fat intake.

I'm sick of taking bagfuls of food to work. I often work 12-hour shifts so I need to take 2 meals and some snacky things. Gone are the days when a trip to the vending machine or sandwich shop would satisfy the munchies.

I'm sick of the limited choices available to me when eating out. Planning a meal out is a major undertaking involving studying nutrition lists to see if the establishment has anything I can have.

On the plus side, I do feel physically better and I've lost about a stone and a half (21 lbs) in weight. I just don't think I can maintain this. A major carb orgy is very tempting right now but the potential long-term health consequences aren't appealing.

Apologies for the rant but hopefully you'll understand where I'm coming from. This diagnosis has had a major impact on my former lifestyle and it's taking some getting used to.[/QUOTE]

 

[Tina321]

Bless you, I totally understand I've had many periods feeling exactly the same. Hang on in there x

 

[rolypolypudding]

Hi Captain Crunch,
It really doesn't take long before you instinctively know which things in a supermarket are Low carb and which ones you need to check the label - unless you keep on shopping at different supermarket chains.

From reading between the lines it appears that you have a fear of fats. Many of us have found that Fat is our Friend. I had followed the standard advice and was eating very High 'brown' Carbs, very Low Fat way of eating for over 10yrs before my health really started to nosedive. It was only after both my 3x Coronary Artery Bypass and then my T2D diagnosis that I realised that I couldn't trust that dietary advice. I switched to LCHF, reduced my HbA1C into the pre-diabetic range and lost 23lbs in 4 months despite being slim (a TOFI) in the first place.

Your weight problem is likely best solved by avoiding snacking - keeping the periods of higher Insulin as short as possible with as long a period as possible between higher Insulin levels. Eat to satiety at each meal so that you can minimise snacks. If you must have snacks, most nuts make good, handy snacks ( Macadamia, Brazil, Walnut, Almond, Hazelnut, Pecan, Pistachio and even peanuts - which are really a legume). Hard Cheeses also make good handy snacks as well as being useful in full meals.

Eating out isn't great since so few restaurants cater for Low Carb, but there are many places where you can eat fish or meat.
I have eaten low carb in Chinese restaurants, in Indian restaurants (- just avoid the rice/noodles), in European food places (- steak/lamb/pork/chicken/fish with a salad) and in Southern African (- Nandos).

I hate cooking too, and spend as little time as I can get away with in the kitchen. No way am I ever going to change. I also have binge eating disorder which I have to try and work round.I tried going down to 50 carbs per day but it was too much for me and it triggered a monumental carb binge which I am only just now getting a grip on after 4 months. So I've decided I will just concentrate on reduced portions of carbs and see how well I get along at next blood test.
If you can afford it, it's worth looking at some of the M&S ready meals which are low in carbs and really tasty such as Pork with Sage and Apple Butter, and Salmon done in a soy and ginger marinade. There are also some interesting looking lamb and plant-based dishes. All you do is get some ready prepared veg for roasting and bung it all in the oven. Easy peasy. As for food to take to work, some sandwiches made with stoneground wholemeal are not going to break the carb bank if you reduce carb intake at other meals. You could add a flask of soup.
My advice would be to concentrate on losing weight first and getting regular exercise, and see what that does for your blood glucose levels - then tackle the low carb later. One step at a time.

 

[Honeyend]

I agree its a different way of thinking and eating, but its a bit like learning to ride a bike, you think you are never going to get it and then it clicks. I had been eating low fat since the 1980's but just got bigger and my cholesterol was always in the higher range, it went down when I went low carb and I lost weight.
My husband is doing the cooking, I have been ill, and its nearly chicken every day, and a lot were ready meals, but he has learned to stir fry veg thank god. I love a good Tai meal, I just have more veg and if I eat out I just have meat and more veg.
There are low carb noodles, oomi,https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/g...VjbHtCh07cQEdEAYYAiABEgJuMvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
which today I had with mushrooms and a cheese sauce, I just treat them like pasta. I have rediscovered sausages, which I love, the best ones tend to be lower fat as well as low carb.
I think the hardest thing to replace has been savory biscuits, I now use low carb bread toasted. Cake is replaced with nut bars with dark chocolate, or just dark chocolate. I eat a lot of chocolate and nuts.
I used to work twelve hour shifts, I took loads of low carb snacks and a main meal of meat and salad or crustless quiche is also a good lower carb one. The more food I have the less deprived I feel.

 

[Valsal]

I was diagnosed with type 2 on December 8th 2019 and I'm severely struggling with it from a diet point of view. Food was always a great pleasure to me but that's been effectively denied now.

In short:

I'm sick of having food always on my mind. I'm always thinking about what I can have to eat.

I'm sick of continually buying fresh produce only to throw most of it away as it goes out of date before I can use it all.

I'm sick of reading nutritional labels only to be repeatedly disappointed by the carb/sugar content.

I'm sick of spending so much time cooking. I do batch-cook and freeze stuff but it's still a chore to me.

I'm sick of so many recipes being 'fussy'. Finely chopping veggies/herbs is not my forte.

I'm sick of having insufficient storage/fridge/freezer space for food.

I'm sick of having poultry for virtually every meal. I don't like fish or eggs so protein sources are limited. I do occasionally have red meat but I'm fearful of my fat intake.

I'm sick of taking bagfuls of food to work. I often work 12-hour shifts so I need to take 2 meals and some snacky things. Gone are the days when a trip to the vending machine or sandwich shop would satisfy the munchies.

I'm sick of the limited choices available to me when eating out. Planning a meal out is a major undertaking involving studying nutrition lists to see if the establishment has anything I can have.

On the plus side, I do feel physically better and I've lost about a stone and a half (21 lbs) in weight. I just don't think I can maintain this. A major carb orgy is very tempting right now but the potential long-term health consequences aren't appealing.

Apologies for the rant but hopefully you'll understand where I'm coming from. This diagnosis has had a major impact on my former lifestyle and it's taking some getting used to.

I understand all the above but my hubby has to add to all this, the fact that he needs to put weight on. Low carbs for type 2 does not achieve this. He is diabetic due to drugs for cancer

 

[HSSS]

I understand all the above but my hubby has to add to all this, the fact that he needs to put weight on. Low carbs for type 2 does not achieve this. He is diabetic due to drugs for cancer

Low carb can add weight without messing up blood glucose if you increase fats and proteins.

 

[Honeyend]

Most of the feeds and food supplements provided by the NHS are full of sugar and carbs, I was on a feed overnight for 7 weeks and even with insulin my sugars were high, but dropped as soon as I came off it. To maintain my weight I replaced as much as I could with meat and a sauce, veg, and nuts, and snacked a lot, which has enabled me to control my BS but not lose any more weight. I have yet to find a low carb ice cream that is not also low calorie, which is a shame because at one point its all I could eat.
I didn't want to eat much for a very long time, but I made sure I ate the protein part of what ever was put in front of me, because although it didn't have the most calories, it was the most nutrient dense, and kept my BS down.I can not eat a lot of fat but I find nuts easy to snack, and also on a low fat low carb chipolata sausage, cooked was always in the fridge.