Starting out, any advice?

[Holllly]

I got diagnosed as type 2 this week, with a reading of 7.9.
Dr is trying to get me on some educational programme in the new year, depending on spaces, and has given me till April to improve my numbers by lifestyle changes.
I've ordered a glucose monitor and a low carb cook book.
Any other suggestions?

 

[Resurgam]

I used to use a couple of shopping lists, alternating between them so as to have variation - even now I rarely have both tomatoes and mushrooms in the fridge at the same time.
I have a notebook with the low carb veges and berries listed, and a folder full of low carb baking recipes.
Once things become normal it is easy to eat low carb out of habit.

 

[MrsA2]

Join an informative and supportive forum...oh done that tick
Be realistic, bg is a weird thing, so is T2. Expect twists and turns, ups and downs.
Other free good recipes at dietdoctor.com and keto fitness club
Start adjusting to the idea this is for life, controllable and manageable but for life
Don't be afraid to ask questions

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi @Holllly and welcome to the forum.
You seem to be making a good start.
The main practical purpose of a Blood Glucose monitor for us Type 2's is for eliminating foods that we react badly to.
This is required because we don't all react exactly the same way to the same carbohydrates. So an apple would be OK for many, but perhaps not a bowl of porridge. Where for others it might be the other way around.
The rule of thumb is that any meal where the BG reading 2hrs after first bite is more than 2.0 mmol higher than the reading just before eating is too rich in carbs and needs to be adjusted or avoided. This may mean reducing portions or by making lower carb substitutions

This uses up a lot of test strips at first, because things aren't the same at different times of day, or even at the same time on different days. So you need to test even the exact same meal several times in order to be sure of its effect. However many people eat pretty much the same breakfast every (or almost every) day. And mornings are often the time when we are most sensitive to carbs, so Breakfast probably gives you the best 'bang per buck' of testing.

 

[Trevor vP]

A investment that you can make in yourself is the buy a copy of Carbs and Cals book https://www.carbsandcals.com/books/pocket-counter

They have a great App but it is now subscription based, so you have monthly costs,

The book is easy to use and gives you a quick reference how many carbs are in what portion of

From this you can work out what you like to eat but reduce your Carb intake.

Each person is different, some people feel they can easily stay under 100 Carbs a day and have seen fantastic results others under 150 Grams.

Personally am Type 1 I try stay between 120 and 150 Grams of Carb a day as it just makes managing my Type 1 and Insulin easier and I never feel I am missing out on something. I am endurance athlete in my spare time and this is plenty Carbs to feed my body. (6ft3 / 90 Kg)

wish you all the best on your journey

 

[Holllly]

Thanks all.
Had 2nd blood test yesterday and ..... they are going to go over the results with me in an appointment on 18th.
The suspense is like waiting to see if I'm getting coal or a bike for Xmas.
I've lost nearly a stone since diagnosis, and lowered amount of cholesterol, so fingers crossed for a drop in numbers!

 

[BoringBrian]

Congratulations on losing that weight, fingers crossed for your results.
Lots of good advice on this forum, from people who have achieved great results and managed to maintain them.
Finding what works for you and is fairly easy to manage for life is how I have been fighting diabetes.
Let us know how you get on.

 

[Outlier]

Excellent progress so far. Well done!

 

[Holllly]

Down from 7.9% in Dec to 7.0% now.
(So 63 down to 53 in new money).
Heading in the right direction, although slower than I would have liked.
Dr suggesting statins for cholesterol though :-( I am hoping to avoid that, if I carry on losing weight.

 

[Daphne917]

Down from 7.9% in Dec to 7.0% now.
(So 63 down to 53 in new money).
Heading in the right direction, although slower than I would have liked.
Dr suggesting statins for cholesterol though :-( I am hoping to avoid that, if I carry on losing weight.

@Holllly well done on your progress so far - remember though that living with, and controlling, diabetes is a marathon not a sprint. Re the statins research carefully before making the decision whether to take them or not as they can have side effects including raising BS. My hba1c rose from 48 to 54 when I started taking them but quickly reduced when I stopped taking them (with my GP’s consent) due to other side effects.

 

[pete o'dell]

I got diagnosed as type 2 this week, with a reading of 7.9.
Dr is trying to get me on some educational programme in the new year, depending on spaces, and has given me till April to improve my numbers by lifestyle changes.
I've ordered a glucose monitor and a low carb cook book.
Any other suggestions?

i would try changing your gp, type 2 at 7.9, what utter nonsense, did youi have a blood test for hba1c? had you eaten recently?

 

[EllieM]

i would try changing your gp, type 2 at 7.9, what utter nonsense, did youi have a blood test for hba1c? had you eaten recently?

There are two measurement scales for hba1c, 7.9% is 63mmol/mol, which is definitely diabetic.