• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Curious new diabetic

clairebear63

Member
Messages
8
Location
Minworth Warwickshire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi everyone
I am now on the healthy eating following my diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.
Quick query...i had porridge this morning and with a banana in it which was yummy....an hour later i felt hungry ?
just curious to find out why ?
Any help appreciated...i have diabetic nurse 15th november as i was diagnosed 2 days ago
 

I assume you are not on any diabetes medication yet?

Porridge and banana is a very high-carbohydrate meal by the way.

Hunger is a typical symptom of un-treated diabetes.

Also, in some people, eating carbs creates a craving for more carbs. (Edited to add: I don't know if there is a scientific basis for this, but it is often said.)

Just some thoughts ... it is early days for you and you will understandably have lots of questions. We are here to help.
 
Your breakfast was very carb heavy. Carbs do not satisfy hunger. It is fat and protein that does that. Carbs make you crave even more carbs and you feel hungry.
 
No not on any medications..GP said diet controlled...as i said i have appointment with diabetic specialist nurse on 15th,i am over weight and need to be eating more healthily;hence starting re-educating and healthy eating.
My blood sugars have been creeping up for 4 years looking at past results with my GP.I haven't had the best of diets over the years,love chocolate and crisps and all the bad stuff so its going to be tough to change my ways.
Thing is i always have porridge before i goto work and as i do 12 hour nursing shifts it does give me a kick start in the mornings...the information from yourselves has made me realise thats why i am hungry after a short time and have been for months so this is all a great new learning curve for me. Thank you for the support...i apologise in advance i may post some daft questions...bear with me please x x x
 
You could try having a few eggs for breakfast. I boil 6 at a time and just take 2 out the fridge for a quick option or have some bacon as well when I have more time.
 
clairebear63 said:
No not on any medications..GP said diet controlled...
Click to expand...

The fact that you are being offered diet-control without medications is very good news (and I know that nothing sounds like good news to you right now, but believe me, it is).

The first thing you should know, if you don't know it yet, is that there are two broad approaches to diet-only treatments:
  • A "balanced diet" including calorie reduction and low-fat.
  • A "low-carbohydrate" diet.
If you are in the UK it is quite possible that the second option (low-carb) will not be "offered" to you when you meet the nurse. It has, however, been extremely successful in "reversing" diabetes for some people, including many members of this forum. It is not suitable for everyone, but if you are not on medications, you may be a good "candidate" for it.

If you can possibly try this option, I strongly recommend at least trying it out. You have little to lose by trying it for a few months to see what happens, and potentially a lot to gain.
 
The high carb breakfast will have resulted in an insulin spike which you really want to avoid..
I start the day with coffee with double cream or tea but as @Mark_1 above has said eggs and bacon are far better than porridge (and yes they do help with weight loss as you will be fuller for longer).
I found that skipping breakfast and only eating twice or sometimes once a day really helped with lowering my blood sugars. I also eat ultra low carb (ketogenic) which causes less insulin spikes and lower more regular blood sugar levels.
Don't worry about daft questions.. there are only daft answers and we have all been there at the start.
What you think of as "healthy" food might not be so great for Type 2's so watch out!
Good luck though and welcome.
 
Like @bulkbiker I generally eat twice a day but have breakfast and a dinner. I find breakfast is easy to have low carb even when eating in a canteen or cafe I just order a full English without toast or beans. My other breakfast option is a slice of quiche made with 6 eggs, peppers, bacon, cheese or whatever I have in the fridge, no crust.
 
Hi @clairebear63,

I agree with what was said above. A breakfast containing no or only very few carbs should leave you feeling full longer.

Below I inserted a graphic by Dr. Ted Naiman, which explains why we feel hungry after a high-carb meal.

 
Hi. As other posts have pointed out, a high-carb diet isn't necessarily healthy. It's based on a Western world view of diet influenced in the background by the food industry lobby who love cheap carbs (our Eat Well Plate in the UK was sadly driven by the food industry). So, go more for fats and proteins and less carbs. Fruit can be good but not tropical ones. I do have them occasionally of course.
 
Porridge; guaranteed to have me prowling for food within an hour of eating it and once I start, I can’t stop. I love the stuff too but not one oat flake has passed my lips for ten years. Ivor Cummins calls bananas ‘sugar sticks’.

Claire, I hope your appointment will be positive but it’s likely you will be encouraged to eat ‘everything in moderation’ and that’s a Bad Thing.

You can now eat all the lovely things you’ve been avoiding for years and it will get rid of that burning desire for all those goodies that you can’t resist.

Butter, cheese, eggs, non-lean meat, bacon, full-fat yoghurt, cream cheese, patè, deli meats... no more draining the fat off your mince and drinking skimmed milk. You may want to cook some of the tasty, low carb sweet treats you’ll find here but as time goes on, the desire will fade.

Let us know how you get on.
 
Tagging @daisy1 who will provide a very useful information sheet.
 
@clairebear63 The nurse will tell you to follow the NHS 'Eat well' guide, commonly known here as the 'Eat ill' guide

You will not be offered a Blood Glucose meter, but it is the best bit of kit I ever bought. Please get one (The Tee2 is free BTW and strips are £7.75 for 50), learn how to use it. Test before a meal, and two hours after. You are looking for a rise of no more than 2.0 mmol.
No matter what anyone else says 'EAT TO THE METER'
It won't flatter you or tell you fibs

It was the single most important piece of advice I ever got from this forum, or anywhere else for that matter
 
@clairebear63
Hello again Claire. Have a look at the links in my signature where you will find links to the Basic Information and to the Low Carb Program which I posted for you on your other thread. I expect you have seen them by now. I hope they will be useful to you.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…