Type 2 Clueless

[stevesellars]

Hi all, so I'm new to this diabetes thing, its started off when my doctor took bloods to check my iron levels, he phones me 3 days before my 44th birthday to inform me that all my bloods where fine apart from one, he informed me that i was type 2, 7.6%/60 not very high but higher enough to be diabetic. But my first appointment not till the 23rd, so I've done some research, however I've found a lot conflicting info about what i can and can't eat. My doctor was very forthcoming with info over the phone apart from i need to diet, I'm 6"5' and well buil, always on my feet and moving while at work.
Dose anyone know what my macros are meant to be?
And is there a food tracker app that i could link with my Samsung health?
As I'm not on insulin but do i need to check my blood glucose?

 

[NicoleC1971]

Hi all, so I'm new to this diabetes thing, its started off when my doctor took bloods to check my iron levels, he phones me 3 days before my 44th birthday to inform me that all my bloods where fine apart from one, he informed me that i was type 2, 7.6%/60 not very high but higher enough to be diabetic. But my first appointment not till the 23rd, so I've done some research, however I've found a lot conflicting info about what i can and can't eat. My doctor was very forthcoming with info over the phone apart from i need to diet, I'm 6"5' and well buil, always on my feet and moving while at work.
Dose anyone know what my macros are meant to be?
And is there a food tracker app that i could link with my Samsung health?
As I'm not on insulin but do i need to check my blood glucose?

Type 2 can be reversed with diet and exercise with the former definitely having the most impact!
Lots of people here have had success by trying low carb, high fat as a strategy. You are going to try and reduce the excess amount of insulin that your body is producing so that your metabolism can deal with yur food better. As a side effect you may reduce blood pressure and feel a lot better as having high sugars can mean you are not getting as much energy from food as you used to when insulin sensitive.
As carbs are the driver for insulin the advice here is usually something along the lines of filling up with fat, prioritising protein and being careful on carbs. It is easier to do that if you avoid overly processed food. The good news is you can put this into action by yourself and eat some really delicious food. How long you take to make any changes is up to you i.e. jumping in at the deep end or gingerly easing yourself in one meal at a time.
As you are relatively young and hopefully still with some muscle on your frame, I think its well worth making those changes to avoid taking meds that control the symptoms but not the root cause (that being a diet that doesn't suit your genetic tolerance for carbs).
You can track macros /calories on MyFitnessPal etc. but personally I find that tedious after a week or so. Alternatively think of carbs as like a side portion of veg and not the main event of any meal; this implies eating decent portions of animal foods and non carby veg (above the ground) plus quality fats (olive oil, fat that accompanies the animal foods but not the fat found in biscuits) but sugar may be a no no for now if you are a sugar addict?
See also the Diet Doctor site (low carb and ketogenic recipes plus plenty of educational videos). Avoid the Eatwell plate like it has Covid!!

 

[lessci]

The 1st (and best) advise I got from the forums was to "Eat to my meter" I self funded as many GP's won't prescribe unless you're on certain medications. You feel like a pin cushion at the start, but how else are you to know how any particular food affects your Blood Glucose (BG). Test just before you take your 1 bite, then after 2 hours, if your rise is less than 2 this is considered acceptable, although the smaller the rise the better. Another option is a Libre, but these are expensive one sensor is about £50.00 and lasts for 2 weeks, it's a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) that you wear all the time usually on your arm that takes a reading every 15 minutes. Many of us find a Low(er) Carbohydrate, High(er) Fat way of eating (WOE) helps with control too, some GP's/Diabetic Nurses (DN's)are more enlightened towards this, but many still push the "one size fits all" Eatwell plate with You must eat carbs with every meal, all fruit is good for you, fat is bad. I'm not saying drink a bottle of olive oil, but if you eat dairy have the full fat version, cream in your coffee, avoid pasta, rice, grains, bread (my personal downfall) potatos, yes even the brown versions (your pancreas don't know or care what colour they are). Lots of green leafy veg and make cauliflower your new best friend. Keep it simple and unprocessed and much as possible. Have a good mooch around the site, there's loads of good people and good advise here. Finally remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint and (hopefully) we've all got another 50+ years of heathy living in front of us