Confused and Scared

Take a step at a time Fencer.......

Are you type 1 or type 2? and what medicatiion are you on.

No reason to get yourself so worked up about the unknown in the future, as none of us know about this. WE just need to help you with now-which which help with 'then'. Honestly don't panic. You will be fine, a little adjustment along the way, but it is all ok, honest. Let us know what type you have and medications and you will get so much help honest, you aren't alone....
Sharon

Did you buy a carb counter book like it suggested in the Basic advice you were given ?

Sit down with it and look at all the foods you do like. Work out meals you like and keep testing to see how they affect you then adjust the portion size till you get a balance. It does not happen all at once !

Cook up meals and freeze them or keep in the fridge till next day then the 'to lazy to cook' excuse is out the window.

Aim for a certain amount of carbs for your day. If they make your Bg levels too high then cut down until your levels balance out. Some can get away with more than others.

Complications are NOT inevitable ! If you can control your Diabetes then you stave off the complications.

As for partners....the right one will not be bothered if you are a Diabetic or not...she will love you because you are you.

I know how you feel..I think most people felt the same way at the start.
It does get better .I feel we have to work with it and here is a good place tp start.Lots of good advice and very comforting to know that people are here for you.

I am quite sure your partner will want to help you..if not , then it is no loss for you

Hi Fencer

i know its hard trying to find the right thing to eat and make it varible during week so its not boring im hopefully doing well with my food highest ive had for last 2 weeks is 7.9 but thas was picking myself up from hypo with lucozade and g tabs and choc biccie.

but cant say i have problem finding good tasty meals for all my meals now yes it does take just over hour to do weekly shop rather than 30 mins just chuking bad stuff in my trolly and if i have to work late and i dont want to cook for myself i just pop into good chain pub for good meal and raid the salad cart :lol: except for lettuce if god wanted man to eat the stuff he would have gave us long ears and a tail

Fencer said:

I'm feeling really down about things right now. I was diagnosed just over a week ago now.

I don't understand what I should and shouldn't be eating so I know I'm not eating right. I don't enjoy food any more and no matter what I've tried, it sends my BG high even hours after my meals. I really can't stand the idea of grilled salmon again. As a result of this, I've been skipping meals and doing myself no favours.

I've been reading some of the potential complications and it's really scary thinking that I could lose my legs or become blind some day.

I'm worried that any potential partner will reject a longterm relationship when she finds out that I am diabetic or if she does accept it the problems that I will be bringing into someone's life.

I know this won't go away, but I just really wish it would. I wish I had done something to prevent this instead of eating c**p and being really lazy. Pathetic excuse after another - "oh, I've finished work late, may as well eat KFC rather than cook."

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It`s not your falt you have diabeties, No one knows what causes it, dont let the doctors Bully you, and find out all you can on the Internet, Speaking for myself N.H.S Staff have lied to get me to take drugs that are cheap, Get angry speak up for yourself Empower your self with Knowledge and treatment from the internet, it`s not all gloom,

Hi mate sounds like youve got your self a bit upset over this. I was diagnosed a couple of weeks ago and was feeling very low to say the least. Everything seemed so complicated and isolated. But after i joined the forum i very quickly realised that there are genuine good people on here and other sites too. Your probably feeling c**p as by the sounds of thing you have'nt settled into a routine yet (eating at set times etc.) .As for your concerns about foods i found a site that teaches you how to calculate your foods here is the link for you storetour.co.uk/Store.aspx .
This is a very simple way to calculate ( beginners like me and you ). Everyone is different but its a good start. Pre diabeties i only was eating one meal a day washed down with a stupidly dangerious amount of lager. I'm new to this too but once you get the swing of it you will settle down quicker than you think. I hope this helps you mate don't be afraid to ask anyone. As for the girlfriend bit don't worry about it your condition is your business. Stick in there buddy give me a shout anytime.

Things do get better, especially if you embrace the food thing instead of fighting it. I was lucky because I've always enjoyed cooking but I still hated the fact that I was going to be so restricted. 8 months down the line and it's really quite difficult to remember what I was getting all bent out of shape over. I've just had a gawjus beef stew with smooshed celeriac and savoy cabbage and carrots, braised rhubarb and single cream for pudding. In about a 1/2 sized portion what I would have had before diagnosis but it was really yummy, I'm replete and I know from having this previously it doesn't hit my bg too hard ( last time I had it my bg was 6.5 after 2 hours ). Have faith that you will be able to cope with all this. Read everything you can and know that we've all been there and are here to help you if we can.

Can I suggest you get your carb counter book, and write yourself a list ofow carb foods that you really like. I did that and it helped.
Good luck

Having just seen one posters mention of DUK's dietary advice .........I think many of us would think differently as many a Diabetic like myself has followed the DUK/NHS advice to the letter and has found it flawed. If I had continued using that same advice I would be 'pushing up the daisies by now.'

If you are able to cover many of the foods they recommend without Insulin or other meds ....fine. It just isn't a path I would recommend to any Diabetic. There are many ways to control your Diabetes but most usually involve a reduction in carbohydrate consumption which the DUK link certainly isn't !

I follow the advice we hand out on this website Diabetes.co.uk.........

Hi Fencer

It is early days as yet! Just follow the advice on this forum in order to get your numbers down to where they are safe and it will be quicker than you think if you work at it. You just need the advice to newbies posted by Ken and Sue and a carb book to work out what is the best food to eat. Then test! You will also find tons of ideas on the food forum and recipe ideas on THIS site. Where there is a will there is a way!
There is always someone on here so ask questions and get the advice you need! 8)

Have a look at my 'Viv's Diet' which is on the Low Carb Diet Forum somewhere - it's basically the Atkins diet, but as long as you can tolerate the fat (and some people can't) I think it's a very easy way to start low-carbing 'cos the basic diet has about 25 grams of carb per day, and it is surprisingly varied if you're not vegetarian.

Once you've become accustomed to that, with the help of your carb counter book you can add even more variety and even up your carbs a bit if you want to eat more than 25g. I sometimes go up to about 70g per day but never more than that.

It's not impossible, even if low-carbing, to eat ready meals. I always have some in the freezer for those days when maybe I have no time to cook. BUT - you must read the labels, go for the ones that are really low carb (less than 10g of carb per half pack is my criterion), and don't eat more than 1 a week 'cos it's an expensive way to eat. And they're still a bit junky 'cos of preservatives and stuff - but useful to have in!

My breakfasts are omelettes or bacon & eggs, lunch usually a salad - chicken or tuna mainly, sometimes smoked mackerel, tomorrow corned beef 'cos I really fancy some. Corned beef has 1 gram of carb per 100g. Sometimes I have cold meat, cheese or hard-boiled eggs for breakfast, but usually when it's warmer.

For tonight's supper I've eaten about 150g of rare breed fillet steak, cooked very slowly in the oven with butter, olive oil and garlic, and served with green beans - probably about 5 grams of carb all told, and I'm pleasantly full and won't get hungry again tonight. (I don't always eat like this - fillet steak is a rare treat! I had a roast duck earlier in the week which is also a rare treat - you can tell I just got my pension!)

For supper tomorrow I shall cook some meaty sausages (1 gram of carb per sausage - read the labels!) in the steak juice, served on mashed cauliflower instead of potato, with maybe a bit of grated cheese on top. Again, v low carb.

And my blood glucose will stay like a rock in the range 5 - 6.5, and I shall lose weight despite the fat!

Shopping does take longer 'cos of all the label reading. You will get used to it, you'll even enjoy it, and we're all in it together, so let us know how you go on. Keep testing!

OMG I'm beginning to sound like Brucie! :lol:

Viv

Type 2, diet + 3 x 500g metformin