Hello from me (type) two!

[mikej1973]

Hi there! Thought it time to introduce myself, as I've been lurking for a few weeks since diagnosis!

I think I'm more fortunate than many in that I haven't been diabetic for long. I have pilots licence and get tested for my medical every couple of years. The last once was clear, but my HBA1C result as part of a check up for Gout medication came back at 60. I have an OGTT next Thursday too.

Thanks to the forum and a constructive session with my diabetic nurse and a GP with a specialty in diabetes I'm starting to formulate a plan. In terms of weight loss i'm doing the 5:2 diet with great success. I've lost 2 stone since the turn of the year (1 stone of which post diagnosis). It's doesn't seem a common diet plan here so I'm hoping to give something back to the forum there!

I'm testing blood sugar a lot at the moment. With a prescription from my GP too! I seem lucky. Potatos, Chips, Bread, Porridge, fruit don't send my BS sky high at all. I've not been brave enough to try pasta and rice yet. One step at a time! I even got brave and tried some dark chocolate yesterday at was a cosy 4.9 after 2 hours. Best of all after 2 months without "sweets" I didn't even enjoy it all that much! So low carb dieting won't be for me.. at least not yet. But eating to my meter is a great lesson to learn from this place!

Look forward to working with you all!

 

[Clivethedrive]

Hi there! Thought it time to introduce myself, as I've been lurking for a few weeks since diagnosis!

I think I'm more fortunate than many in that I haven't been diabetic for long. I have pilots licence and get tested for my medical every couple of years. The last once was clear, but my HBA1C result as part of a check up for Gout medication came back at 60. I have an OGTT next Thursday too.

Thanks to the forum and a constructive session with my diabetic nurse and a GP with a specialty in diabetes I'm starting to formulate a plan. In terms of weight loss i'm doing the 5:2 diet with great success. I've lost 2 stone since the turn of the year (1 stone of which post diagnosis). It's doesn't seem a common diet plan here so I'm hoping to give something back to the forum there!

I'm testing blood sugar a lot at the moment. With a prescription from my GP too! I seem lucky. Potatos, Chips, Bread, Porridge, fruit don't send my BS sky high at all. I've not been brave enough to try pasta and rice yet. One step at a time! I even got brave and tried some dark chocolate yesterday at was a cosy 4.9 after 2 hours. Best of all after 2 months without "sweets" I didn't even enjoy it all that much! So low carb dieting won't be for me.. at least not yet. But eating to my meter is a great lesson to learn from this place!

Look forward to working with you all!

Welcome:) mikej1973,yes eating to the meter ,testing before you eat then 1 and 2hours after is a key! Keep posting and let us know how your doing

 

[daisy1]

@mikej1973

Hello Mike and welcome to the forum

It sounds as though you are doing very well, but be careful with those carby foods though - do lots of testing. Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will help.



BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 140,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.

 

[urbanracer]

Hello MikeJ - Welcome.

I was doing the 5:2 in the months prior to D day and I think it works quite well. I reached what I thought was a reasonable weight without trying too hard.

I then went into sudden uncontrolled weight loss, shedding another 10kg over about 3 weeks despite eating more. That was about 4 months ago now and I have not been able to put the weight back on with medium carb intake.

 

[mikej1973]

Thanks everyone!! I'm keeping a close eye on my meter when carbs are involved!! I did the Atkins diet many years ago. Lost a lot of weight and put it on again fairly quickly. I found for me, it turned me a little too obsessive! If I have to do such a diet to stay on top of diabetes then I'll do just that! However, I'm happy at the moment not to need that. Although the act of trying to lose weight and the fact of one my meter might say if I disrespect it and eat badly has naturally restricted my carbs anyway! After a mothers day lunch of aubergine to start, roast dinner with 2 Yorkies, parsnips 4 roast spuds AND Banoffee pie I'm 2 hours down with a 6.4! I shall be testing again in another hour!

Urbanracer - Did they get to the bottom of your weight loss? My dad died of cancer 6 months ago and that kind of weight loss would terrify me! I hope you're on the mend a little now

 

[Robinredbreast]

Hello and welcome to the forum

Best wishes RRB

 

[cath99]

welcome mike your in the club with us all now lol nice to meet you x

 

[Patricia21]

Hello and welcome.and all the best.

 

[mikej1973]

welcome mike your in the club with us all now lol nice to meet you x

Thanks @cath99 the club just got a lot better! pleased to meet you! Likewise Patricia thanks for the welcome!

 

[Kat100]

Hi mike nice to meet you , enjoy the forum ....best wishes ..Kat

 

[kimbo1962]

Hello and welcome Mike!