Newbie looking for support to follow "Blood Sugar Diet"

Megan84

Member
Messages
8
Hi Megan, you generally get 10 strips and lancets with a meter to get you started. The meter itself will last several years just need to replace the batteries when the warning symbol appears. Spirit Health Care provide batteries free if you add them to an order for strips. The strips do have an expiry date usually well ahead so you’ll have used them by the time they expire. Once opened the pot of strips needs to be used within a set period of time which varies according to brand but is several months up to a year. I think 5 x 50 would be a good start but it depends how often you plan testing. When I was first diagnosed I tested 8 times a day so each pot lasted around 6 days. See how you go and as you learn what foods are ‘safe’ you can change to just testing new foods/meals
Thank you so much Rachox, it is probably a good idea 5x50 if each pot doesn't expire for months ( I don't see DH really excited about the tests, I am the one pushing to have some kind of idea about "where exactly we are going towards"). I am wondering if I get the lancets and not the lancing device, should I order it separately to get started? I was just trying to figure out if actually a "starter kit" although small should contain everything we need in one go, instead of doing different orders.
 

Megan84

Member
Messages
8
Ok, I placed the order. I will see what is coming and what I have to order if I have anything left out. Thank you so much for all the advice on the monitor.
 
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Rachox

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
15,811
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Ok, I placed the order. I will see what is coming and what I have to order if I have anything left out. Thank you so much for all the advice on the monitor.

Oh I didn’t cover lancets did I? Sorry! There will be a lancing device in with the meter. The instructions will probably say to use a new lancet for each finger prick but many of us don’t, lancet changes range from every test to yearly (!), personally I change mine twice a week or they start to make my fingers sore
 

GreenNick

Newbie
Messages
1
May I make an additional suggestion. I started with metformin trusting my GP. I found that I started heart palpitations and so have ceased taking it. I now regularly use a blood sugar monitor to see how diet and, at least as importantly, exercise affects blood sugar. I have found that exercise is very useful, even vital, for getting the bloods in order. I do about an hour of brisk walking most days (about 4 miles), together with cycling when possible. My HbA1c has gone down from 87 to 47 between 3 month appointments and on showing the diabetic nurse my recorded blood sugar levels she expects me to be pre diabetic on the next appointment. So, yes diet is important, but do whatever aerobic exercise you can. Having asked around with other people with type two, yes use weights to help feel good about yourself in terms of body shape, but it doesn't cut the mustard compared with doing as much exercise as possible that gets you out of breath.
 

LINMARIE

Well-Known Member
Messages
53
Here comes one of the first confusion battles we had "8 week blood sugar diet" says "no carbs & 800 Cal x day" so, after making it clear to the nurse that it was our intention to follow that diet (and she was the one actually saying "oh, that is the 800 Cal. diet isn't it?") She said: "it is fine, you can take metformin and do the diet at the same time" we were given 2 tablets of 500mg twice a day. When we picked up the tablets from the pharmacy the next day, we checked the leaflet and 2 things came to our attention. "you cannot have metformin with diets with less than 1000 Cal" and "you are supposed to have CARBOHIDRATES throughout the day to avoid developing ulcer (?)". So we thought, exactly the principles of the diet is exactly what we CAN NOT do. Of course we didn't have at that time or even later anybody to ask, so now what do we do?

Another thing I found straight away frustrating is that we asked if we could have a follow up with the GP once a month or every few weeks (that is what the book said "Talk to your GP so he can support you and follow with regular checks"). Well, she just said that "no, the normal checks is one after 3 months of the original diagnoses and then every 6 months", (so " that you know, we are not gonna waste time with you" sort of...sounded to me).
Of course the idea of having an initial scan to see the amount of fat in the liver and pancreas and see the result in a few months time to see how much fat reduction there was, well, that idea, definitely got not a chance to discuss. So although I wanted to do the right thing and have the support of a GP, I couldn't find any encouragment at all.

Hi well your dr surgery may be mine as I fared no bettee So sounds like your hbac1 is a little high but if you cant go low carb on Metoform then as others suggest buy the machine strips and try for 3 weeka on low carb only Now i used the no sugar diet by Dr M it was good for getting gist of low carb eating but i upped portions as i wanted more more veg and salad on plate so wasnt bothered about 800 cals I didnt take Metformin tablets as prescribed but my Hbca1 was lower at 51 and 4 .months in looks like my reading gone down to 32! Awaiting confirmation from hosp on Friday as mine detected due to another endro condition and I have lost 2 stones!! I found the book very good but enjoyed the tips and foreword very comforting but you can tweak recipes a little once you get a good start on it all Ps i didnt do the fasting bit in it either Sometimes take what these nurses say with pinch salt as orhers said in past they quote from a text book This site and success stories have kept me going aa i was at complete loss and devestated when 1st told Good luck in your journey
 

Lobsang Tsultim

Well-Known Member
Messages
526
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I was recently diagnosed too. I wouldn't worry too much about calories, just knock the carbs out and eat so that you're not hungry. Doing that, I'm typically eating less than 900 kcal a day without trying. Since starting on this, I've lost weight and I haven't had any bs spikes due to food (well there was one close shave when I accepted some shop-bought coleslaw...). I found a cup of vegetable stock was great for getting rid of that woozy feeling in the first few days (its one of the things recommended for "keto flu", that period of adjustment after reducing carbs).
 
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