Hi new here and to diabetes

[Wulliemacd]

Hi,
Just been diagnosed type 2 and am not on medication yet would rather try to bring sugar levels down with diet and exercise
My G.P. practice nurse has just given me leaflets explaining what type 2 is all about no diet plan etc. I eat a healthy diet try to have three meals same time everyday and am trying to count the carbs but am unsure what amount I should be aiming for per meal. I am also quite active so do get exercise according to my B.M.I I should loose 7 lbs, my biggest downfall is portion sizes.
Could anyone give me a little advice

 

[Mike d]

Welcome What's your definition of "healthy" if I may ask? More often than not, the problem is what one consumes.

 

[SaskiaKC]

Hi,
Just been diagnosed type 2 and am not on medication yet would rather try to bring sugar levels down with diet and exercise
My G.P. practice nurse has just given me leaflets explaining what type 2 is all about no diet plan etc. I eat a healthy diet try to have three meals same time everyday and am trying to count the carbs but am unsure what amount I should be aiming for per meal. I am also quite active so do get exercise according to my B.M.I I should loose 7 lbs, my biggest downfall is portion sizes.
Could anyone give me a little advice

Welcome to the forums.

 

[urbanracer]

Hi @Wulliemacd and welcome to the forums.

I will tag some of our well known T2 members who may be able to help you.

@JoKalsbeek @Rachox @bulkbiker

 

[Wulliemacd]

Welcome What's your definition of "healthy" if I may ask? More often than not, the problem is what one consumes.

I eat mainly fish chicken veg wholemeal bread etc but like I said struggle with portion sizes

 

[bulkbiker]

I eat mainly fish chicken veg wholemeal bread etc but like I said struggle with portion sizes

Hi there and welcome.

Have a read of the intro to low carb eating which many of us have found helps enormously with bringing down blood sugar levels

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.26870/

The wholemeal bread won't be helping you much I'm afraid although the chicken fish and veg should be fine (veg best above ground rather than root or tuber).

Portion sizes are less of an issue once you start t eat the right things as lower carb and higher fat leads to great satiety so you don't feel so hungry. Have a read around some of the forum areas (especially the success stories) and you'll see what others have done to enter T2 remission. Feel free to ask anything as someone will usually be around to answer as we have members in most time zones.

 

[Rachox]

Thanks for the tag @urbanracer .
Hi Wulliemacd and welcome to the forum.
First let me post a link to our useful info for newbies:
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.17088/
One of the best ways to achieve control of type 2 is to drastically reduce your intake of carbohydrates, including brown or wholemeal varieties. I began by cutting my carb intake to 100g per day. I bought a blood glucose meter to test before and after meals to see how I responded to different foods. I gradually reduced my carb level until I achieved non diabetic numbers.

Edit to add, cross posted with @bulkbiker !

 

[Mike d]

I eat mainly fish chicken veg wholemeal bread etc but like I said struggle with portion sizes

Just trying to reconcile portion sizes against such a small loss of weight you're seeking to attain. Good luck )

 

[TriciaWs]

The is good evidence that going low carb soon after diagnosis increases the chance of you getting into remission.
Some GPs and diabetic teams know about this, some don't, and some dieticians are still fixed on the Eatwell plate - a disaster for Type 2 diabetics.
I already knew about low carb so told my GP I wanted to try this first before any drugs. I bought a meter and started on 100g of carbs a day, with extra fat instead.
As I was still getting slightly high reading in the morning I then cut it to 85g a day.
At first I weighed/measured everything and I tested first thing (fasting) plus before each meal and two hours after. Then I just tested before and after meals when I ate a 'new' food.
Now I don't always weigh everything but I try to test once a week over a day's meals to make sure I am not slipping back into eating too many carbs.

We are all different so some people need to go lower then 100g. And we can react differently to the same food, eg I discovered I could eat a slice of low carb bread (8g or 9g a slice) but not two, and that strawberries spiked my blood sugar a bit but I could safely eat a few raspberries - others can eat a small potato without any impact.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi,
Just been diagnosed type 2 and am not on medication yet would rather try to bring sugar levels down with diet and exercise
My G.P. practice nurse has just given me leaflets explaining what type 2 is all about no diet plan etc. I eat a healthy diet try to have three meals same time everyday and am trying to count the carbs but am unsure what amount I should be aiming for per meal. I am also quite active so do get exercise according to my B.M.I I should loose 7 lbs, my biggest downfall is portion sizes.
Could anyone give me a little advice

Hi @Wulliemacd, and welcome,

Here's another one who'll tell you portion sizes aren't the issue right now. The bread is, and whatever other carbs you're consuming. You can have a huge portion at every meal, even seconds, should you choose to, as long as there's little carbs in there. You'd lose weight and your blood sugars wouldn't spike. Mind you, the struggle with portion sizes usually is hunger.... Carbs are addictive, meaning that if you have some, you (or rather, your body will) want more, and soon after to boot. Cut the carbs, up the fats, and you'll be hungry no more... And likely cut down on meals a day as well, as you won't feel hungry. https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html <-- have a read. It's everything in a nutshell I wish someone'd told me when I was first diagnosed. You might also want to hit Dr. Jason Fung's The Diabetes Code, or his (free) online video's, dietdoctor.com and this forum's website, diabetes.co.uk (Not .org!).

There's lots of information out here, so you're not alone, and you don't have to do this by yourself. Give a shout if you have questions, there's usually someone online with an answer.
Jo

 

[VashtiB]

Hello and welcome,

You've been given some helpful hints so I will just welcome you to the site. Read around and ask questions people here are more than happy to help.

I also agree that cutting carbs is key- how many you can tolerate will be revealed by your meter.

Good luck and welcome.

 

[KennyA]

Hi, welcome to the forum. I was diagnosed in December and I've found the experienced folks on this website to be really good sources of advice. I have ignored the NHS "healthy eating" advice (which basically encourages us to eat exactly the sort of thing that causes T2s problems) and gone low-carb. It works. If you haven't got a meter, get one and test before and after meals. You'll see what food affects you most (and least) and get immediate feedback on how well you're doing in getting your blood glucose down. With a bit of luck you'll never need medication.