Diagnosed for around a year

First of all, Shelby, don't be ashamed. Many people on here have had the same problems, and there is a lot of support and understanding. Don't worry about what has happened in the past, look forward and take one day at a time, and be kind to yourself, you are worth looking after and we can help you.

If you could use a continuous glucose monitor and could afford it, they are a really good way of looking at how what you eat is affecting your blood sugar. If not, have you tried finger prick testing? You can test before the first bite of food and then 2 hours later to see what effect the food has had on your blood sugar.

There are lots of people on here who can give you good advice on how to get back in control.

I eat a low carb diet and make sure I exercise every day, which really helps to get the blood sugar numbers down.

I have had to stop eating normal bread altogether as I have no self control when it comes to that, but I eat alternatives that give me good nutrition, rather than making me ill and the diabetes worse.

When you eat something with a lot of carbs in like bread, if you are Type 2 it can make your blood sugar go up rapidly, and lead to big differences in your blood sugar, which then makes you feel very hungry and leads to more of the same.

You can replace bread with foods that have enough protein and fats in to keep you feeling full, and stop your blood sugar going up and down so much.

My main thing at first was making 90 second mug bread, which is made with egg, almond flour and baking powder, and cooked in the microwave - it is great for a bread like replacement. I found it quick and easy, and it got me over the initial period of stopping eating the bread altogether.

The thing I have found that is the best bread replacement for me is chaffles - lots of recipes on youtube, which are waffles made with cheese, eggs and almond flour with baking powder, and they are really great for sandwiches and desserts, and cheese on toast done in the air fryer or under the grill. I make a big batch once or twice a week and keep them in a box in the fridge, and just get one out when I fancy a sandwich.

You can also buy low carb bread in many supermarkets these days, but I have not tried that myself.

As for portion size, I find it helpful to use smaller plates and bowls, as it still looks like you have a plateful, but there is a lot less food.