New Diabetic with Type 2 - questions

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,850
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Past few days i have noticed i am starting to feel abit hungry before next meal so i have started to increase my fats at each meal. I am finding over 20 grams of fat is keeping me full for longer. I have 3 eggs for greakfast but thats 18 grams of fat so i had scrambled egg this morning cooked with a spoon full of clover butter and hope that will push me over 20grams fat or its going to have to be 4 eggs. Looks like a few things i was eating like frozen pollock got no fat in it is going to have to go
:)
I put fish into an oval dish, with a lid and add butter, then cook it in the halogen oven. I take the lid off and keep it warm to dry it out a little as the rest of the meal is sorted out and use the reduced buttery juice as a sauce.
The salad or veges get an oily dressing, so there is no need to rely on the protein to supply the fat as well.
 

KK123

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,967
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
that will push me over 20grams fat or its going to have to be 4 eggs. Looks like a few things i was eating like frozen pollock got no fat in it is going to have to go

Hi ultradad, you can keep eating your pollock, it's not compulsory to eat ONLY things with fat in. What's important is keeping the carbs low enough for you to manage your diabetes and then ensuring you don't become hungry by upping your fat intake.
 
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MrsA2

Expert
Messages
5,575
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
"How do you incorporate a low carb diet into low fat family meals?"
Either add carbs to theirs and/or add fat to yours.

For example spaghetti bolognaise in our house, I have bigger portion of the bolognaise with extra cheese grated on top. They have spaghetti and the sauce, no added cheese.

Ditto with curries, I have the main bit, the have rice, I dont. Same with chilli.

Meat and veg meals, they have potatoes I don't. I might have more green veg.

We are a household of 3 adults so the microwave packet sof rice and other grains are handy for adding to 2 of the plates.

I add extra cream to my sauces or drinks, and use olive oil as a dressing.

Mine like lasagne made with cabbage or cheese as a the lasagne sheets replacement

They might have a low fat flavoured yoghurt, I have full fat with real berries added.

Gradually though they are coming more to my way of eating. Our Sunday roast now come with no potatoes or Yorkshires but with extra fresh veg. Sometimes for variety I do a low carb Yorkshire.

Do have a cupboard and fridge shelf for your food that they must not touch else your goodies will disappear.

Challenge them to do 3 days without snacks. Most low fat diets actually are quite high in sugar. You will be able to not snack becuase fat keeps you satisfied, but they will cave.
 

aard

Well-Known Member
Messages
141
Why is your family on a low fat way of eating?


Buy yourself real fats, not highly processed chemical stuff. Swap the low fat salad cream for real mayonnaise. Your family doesn't need to eat it. Use proper butter, not low spread rubbish. Again, your family doesn't need to eat it. Eat proper cheese (hard cheese is best), eat fattier cuts of meat especially lots of bacon.

Good luck, and ask questions.

Isn't bacon these days highly processed with lots of chemicals especially nitrates?
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,850
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Isn't bacon these days highly processed with lots of chemicals especially nitrates?
I (like many in my family) boil bacon for a minute to remove the salt and other soluble substances, then sieve it out and fry as normal.
 

garyclark82

Well-Known Member
Messages
278
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Just an update from my first nurse's appointment since diagnosis a fortnight ago.

I've been given a Gluco/Rx meter now which I have used for the first time tonight before my dinner, and I'm at 5.9 which I'm led to believe is okay? (sample size of one test, granted)

I have now been seen, prescription exemption form and my food diary was apparently exemplary.

I am going to have an Indian takeaway tonight to celebrate a good appointment, although it will be a semi-healthy one (tandoori, no rice but I will be treating myself to some naan!)

I feel much happier about my situation now, and a lot of this is to do with this forum - you've helped me out of a bit of a dark place in the first few days of the diagnosis. Thank you so much. Back to the hard work tomorrow.
 
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garyclark82

Well-Known Member
Messages
278
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Ok, couple of questions arising from the meter I'm using to test now.

My levels were up to 7.2 almost two hours after eating last night (very delicious and needed treat) and having tested this morning before anything other than water, I'm down to 4.1.

The 7.2 was right in the middle of the zone my nurse suggested - figures weren't suggested for before eating, is 4.1 too low?
 

garyclark82

Well-Known Member
Messages
278
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Wow! I got myself a little worried, it seems for no reason. I'm only on Metformin although I'll be starting the slow release stuff when I fill my prescription later on (a couple of the side effects of the first lot were a bit... Unpleasant )
 

Andydragon

Well-Known Member
Retired Moderator
Messages
3,324
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Wow! I got myself a little worried, it seems for no reason. I'm only on Metformin although I'll be starting the slow release stuff when I fill my prescription later on (a couple of the side effects of the first lot were a bit... Unpleasant )
Hopefully that will help. Those levels you quoted look okay but a slight rise higher than recommended so might be worth looking at that food to see if it’s the best for you. testing before and 2 hours after first bite of food are recommended and a rise of no more than 2 shows the foods are tolerated well by you. Your rise was above this.

however, sone foods, especially those with combinations of fats and carbs in my experience can have impacts longer than 2 hours so it’s a good guide but not foolproof

As you work out what you can tolerate and your blood levels stabilise and hba1c hopefully drops you may be able to come off drugs altogether. Some on the forums like myself have (I’d been on meds for over a decade so thought of drug free was personally an achievement I wanted, but I’m not against a low dosage of metformin again if I need it)

Sone maintain a low dosage of metformin when their hba1c is suitably low where they tolerate it as it helps insulin sensitivity and can support some weight loss (but isn’t a weight loss drug itself) but your choice as you go through the journey. It can drop blood levels by a percent or so, so can also help reasonably well but dietary change needs to be used with it. It’s not a drug that by itself will have a massive impact generally. Unfortunately the diet changes can something the doctors/nurses can forget to tell you (or they recommend a Eatwell higher carb that many T2s will progress poorly on)
 
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garyclark82

Well-Known Member
Messages
278
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hopefully that will help. Those levels you quoted look okay but a slight rise higher than recommended so might be worth looking at that food to see if it’s the best for you. testing before and 2 hours after first bite of food are recommended and a rise of no more than 2 shows the foods are tolerated well by you. Your rise was above this.

Thanks. I don't understand about the rise of 2 etc - I was 5.9 prior to eating last night, and then went up to 7.2 (granted, I did have a naan bread with my tandoori, mushroom bhaji and onion bhaji), and then down to 4.1 this morning. Sorry if this sounds a silly question and perhaps I should already know about this, but it's all still pretty new to me.
 

garyclark82

Well-Known Member
Messages
278
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello - a quick question for you all.
I've been quite busy the last few days, and have sat in the armchair dozing for an hour. Woken up, and I feel very much not myself - concentration gone, feeling a bit shakey etc.

Done a meter test following this, and it was at 5.2.

I ate at about 8am this morning (hotel buffet breakfast of scrambled eggs, two sausages, two bacon) and then at about 1.30pm (pre-prepared piri piri chicken breast, salad, a few pickled items like gherkins and coleslaw followed by some yoghurt and dark chocolate). At breakfast I was 4.6 and two hours after breakfast, I was at 6.3 on my meter.

Does this sound like a hypo? Am I worrying too much?

Thanks in advance
 

Andydragon

Well-Known Member
Retired Moderator
Messages
3,324
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello - a quick question for you all.
I've been quite busy the last few days, and have sat in the armchair dozing for an hour. Woken up, and I feel very much not myself - concentration gone, feeling a bit shakey etc.

Done a meter test following this, and it was at 5.2.

I ate at about 8am this morning (hotel buffet breakfast of scrambled eggs, two sausages, two bacon) and then at about 1.30pm (pre-prepared piri piri chicken breast, salad, a few pickled items like gherkins and coleslaw followed by some yoghurt and dark chocolate). At breakfast I was 4.6 and two hours after breakfast, I was at 6.3 on my meter.

Does this sound like a hypo? Am I worrying too much?

Thanks in advance
To me it sounds potentially a false hypo, where your bloods are higher for a while, when they get to lower levels your body can decide it doesn’t like it and throw a bit of a tantrum

After a while levels stay at the new levels for a while your body calms down

I used to get them, now I’m drug free I drop much lower than that with no symptoms and feel fine. If you are on drugs and you go < 4 then that’s a issue but your levels look very good, those pre breakfast and post breakfast are fantastic levels

If you sustain those and your hba1c improves then when I was in your position my nurse moved me no drugs
 

KK123

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,967
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
So sorry about that but a friend of mine was also diagonised of the same type 2 diabetes and there was this medication she took that reduced her sugar levels instantly

What was it, do you know?
 

VashtiB

Moderator
Staff Member
Messages
2,283
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
So

So sorry about that but a friend of mine was also diagonised of the same type 2 diabetes and there was this medication she took that reduced her sugar levels instantly,and right now she's pretty healthy maybe you can chat me up ,just sharing the love ,get well soon.
If you are recommended any medication we strongly advise that you discuss with your medical team the implications prior to taking any. This includes 'natural remedies' as there may be complex chemical interactions that you are not aware of. In relation to this post we discourage PMs providing suggestions in relation to medications as this site does not have any information about these medications and does not endorse their use.
 

garyclark82

Well-Known Member
Messages
278
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello, me again. Sorry to pester you all with questions but I feel like I am still learning something every day.

After getting my blood meter last week, I have tried to test at least once a day (more if I can remember). This morning when I woke up, I took my fasting amount which was 6.4. Two hours after eating my standard breakfast of two butchers sausages (air-fried, no additional oil/spray), three egg omelette with a sprinkling of cheese and a cup of coffee, I tested myself again. Today, my levels had dropped to 6.1. Is that normal?

I did this yesterday (6.6, down to 6.2 after three hours). Should I be expecting a rise or a drop or to maintain?

When using the blood meter, should I be sticking to one finger for each test (pre/post meal) or one hand in particular? Would this make a difference?

I am on a DERIK course tomorrow online (https://spirit-hub.org/courses/display/252) via my GP surgery so hope to be able to learn more without hassling you guys.

Thanks
 

KennyA

Moderator
Staff Member
Messages
2,913
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello, me again. Sorry to pester you all with questions but I feel like I am still learning something every day.

After getting my blood meter last week, I have tried to test at least once a day (more if I can remember). This morning when I woke up, I took my fasting amount which was 6.4. Two hours after eating my standard breakfast of two butchers sausages (air-fried, no additional oil/spray), three egg omelette with a sprinkling of cheese and a cup of coffee, I tested myself again. Today, my levels had dropped to 6.1. Is that normal?

I did this yesterday (6.6, down to 6.2 after three hours). Should I be expecting a rise or a drop or to maintain?

When using the blood meter, should I be sticking to one finger for each test (pre/post meal) or one hand in particular? Would this make a difference?

I am on a DERIK course tomorrow online (https://spirit-hub.org/courses/display/252) via my GP surgery so hope to be able to learn more without hassling you guys.

Thanks
It is "normal" for me to have my BG lower after a meal than before - not always, but it's not uncommon for levels to stay the same (roughly) or fall. I fry in lard, ghee or olive oil usually. With what you describe the only question I would have re carbs is the amount of filler in the sausages - rusk or oatmeal etc, I would normally expect a reasonable 1.0-1.5 BG climb after sausages because of the filler - but it might be that there's very little in what your butcher makes. I vary the finger I use for testing as if you don't you'll get a wealth of little bloodspots otherwise. It's always left hand testing as I am so right-handed. It doesn't seem to make any difference at all and I've never read anything that suggests it might - it's the same blood regardless where you draw it from.

Good luck with the course - they can be extremely variable and on mine there was a DN showing hostility to low-carb in the same room as a dietitian happily endorsing it. Made things very confusing. If you've been reading background on here you will be better prepared.