Diabetes Type 2

You need to take a low carb approach to diet. We normally send people over to dietdoctor.com. have a read of the link in my signature.

People have reported that a keto diet has improved/reversed their NAFLD.

When diagnosed I could not bend over, I was almost spherical and my waist - well - equator is a more truthful description was rock hard.
I lost 12 inches off my waist and could clean the bottom of the fridge again. It sorted out the diabetes too and now, over 4 years from diagnosis, I have normal blood glucose levels and almost normal Hba1c, just diet controlled.

Hi @GSDLOVER67 and welcome!

Assuming you’re using diet only or just taking metformin - shout if not - then the key will be to reduce the carbohydrates you eat. How much you need to do that will be a personal thing, but broadly, eating real, fresh foods with as few ingredients as possible is the way to go. So meat, fish, eggs, some dairy, above ground vegetables.

A good place to start is the dietdoctor.com website loads of recipes, information etc. No need to take the paid options (unless you want to).

Hi

I’m exactly the same, was diagnosed in November and had to lose weight then review 3 months later, although I’ve lost weight it hadn’t changed my blood sugar levels so now I’m on medication. I still can’t get my head around what I’m meant to be eating and feel I haven’t had much information from my diabetic nurse.

Dawnharris73 said:

Hi

I’m exactly the same, was diagnosed in November and had to lose weight then review 3 months later, although I’ve lost weight it hadn’t changed my blood sugar levels so now I’m on medication. I still can’t get my head around what I’m meant to be eating and feel I haven’t had much information from my diabetic nurse.

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There’s lots of good advice on these forums and things take time. Going onto medication isn’t a failure in my opinion, getting your bloods to a controlled level is important

nurses may not always give the best info, but low carb has worked well for many T2s to reduce blood levels and also lose weight. So, investigate, ask questions and there could be options that allow drug reduction or removal.

for type 2 of course

Thank you, I will give the low carbs a go.
Another question, should I be checking my levels?

Dawnharris73 said:

Thank you, I will give the low carbs a go.
Another question, should I be checking my levels?

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I would, else you have to wait another 3 months or even a year to be shown that things aren't working for you, but not which things. This is why so many people struggle to get a handle on diabetes and it just worse and worse.
With testing you can see within 2 hours if you've eaten something that sends you up too high.
I found that when I saw the raises it became much easier to say No to that food as I could see it was damaging to me, e.g cakes

It

Dawnharris73 said:

Hi

I’m exactly the same, was diagnosed in November and had to lose weight then review 3 months later, although I’ve lost weight it hadn’t changed my blood sugar levels so now I’m on medication. I still can’t get my head around what I’m meant to be eating and feel I haven’t had much information from my diabetic nurse.

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It is hard ain't it

Hello and welcome @GSDLOVER67

I'm going to assume the GSD is German Shepherd dag. Am I right? If so another GSD lover here- absolutely my favourite breed. Don't have one at the moment but hopefully again in the future.

Anyway welcome-I also found it incredibly hard to get my head around the diagnosis. I also found the medical profession unhelpful. I found this site and it literally changed my life.

So to start- many of the medial profession feel that type 2 diabetes is a progressive illness and if you follow the advice that many give that is probably true. It doesn't have to be. What it will mean though is a change in the way you eat. Those of us with type 2 diabetes have an intolerance to carbohydrates. You will need to dramatically reduce your carb intake if you eat what is a 'normal' diet.

The first thing you will need is a meter. This is the tool that will help you deal with diabetes. The meter will tell you the level of carbs your body can tolerate. I went very low carb to bring my levels down as quickly as possible. But then I am an all or nothing person and find it easier to have very low carbs (under 10 grams a day) then say low carb (under 100 grams a day).

What you will find here is help, advice and support. Take a breathe and know it will get easier and you have found a very valueable resource.

Good luck and welcome.

Type 2 is a bad illness and will take away most of the freedom. Take care and good luck.

Andi.Rampson said:

Type 2 is a bad illness and will take away most of the freedom. Take care and good luck.

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Not to say it isn’t, as it has its downsides but it can be managed, it takes changes but I don’t generally feel like my freedoms are impacted. If you are having issues then create a thread and maybe the forum members can help

Andi.Rampson said:

Type 2 is a bad illness and will take away most of the freedom. Take care and good luck.

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I would have to say I disagree with it- like @Andydragon says- it's not all great news but it does not take away most of your freedoms. I say this as an absolute carboholic. Thanks to everyone here most days I really don't even think about it. I'm in a new routine for food that rarely I need to think about. I've moved on from the grief for the most part and can focus on the positives. Do I miss carbs- absolutely- do I think about most days- no actually no.

I second Andydragons suggestion to start your own thread. There absolutely is a silver lining and maybe we can help you find it.

Andi.Rampson said:

Type 2 is a bad illness and will take away most of the freedom. Take care and good luck.

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Wow, this is such a positive start to the morning and great advice for a newly diagnosed.

Type 2 can be dangerous when uncontrolled. But by learning and becoming empowered with what to do to reduce blood sugars it doesn’t have to be the end.

Freedom from what may I ask? Yes, may not be able to eat that portion of chips, or bag of chocolate at night, but once your mindset is changed to what fuel your body can use without raising blood glucose then you’re not trapped, your free.

I didn't mean to offend. Okay,Leave the insulin apart. The main medicines used in modern diabetes management are Albiglutide, Dulaglutide, and Liraglutide. Some ingredients of these medicines are stem cells that come from the egg cells of female hamsters or other animals. These peptide medicine can periodically reduce the symptoms of the second stage, but type 2 cannot be completely cured. And, these peptide medicine are not cheap. That's why I say that's a bad illness.

Health management needs to be optimistic. I don't like exercise, but I running like an athlete. I eat vegetables while imagining fried chickens. I can't eat most of the fruits. There is no meat, no cakes, and no wine on my diet. But, I was a meat-eater.

For a type two the problem is often easily resolved just by not eating the carbohydrate foods which are not coped with, so returning the blood glucose and Hba1c back to normal (or almost so) with very little effort and no need for medication.

Andi.Rampson said:

Type 2 is a bad illness and will take away most of the freedom. Take care and good luck.

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Oddly enough since being diagnosed my health has taken a huge turn for the positive.. without the diagnosis I'd still be morbidly obese with GERD , sleep apnea, hypertension and NAFLD.. now however, thanks to low carb and intermittent fasting, I have none of those.

Andi.Rampson said:

Health management needs to be optimistic. I don't like exercise, but I running like an athlete. I eat vegetables while imagining fried chickens. I can't eat most of the fruits. There is no meat, no cakes, and no wine on my diet. But, I was a meat-eater.

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Wow I’d be unhappy too if I didn’t eat bacon, meat, eggs, and cheese.
I have non diabetic numbers. I Enjoy walking, swimming cycling, gardening all because I have the energy not as punishment for having diabetes.