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Dietician

PurpleK

PurpleK

Active Member
Messages
35
Location
Lincolnshire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
I was diagnosed type 2 a few weeks ago now and since then I have received lots of useful information from both here and diabetic friends. I am monitoring my blood levels, as I have for a week or so now and I am finally starting to see lower readings (under 10) than when I first started. I am also loosing weight steadily, have energy returning and actually feel rather well and happy.

The other day, a letter dropped on the mat, from the hospital. They want me to see a Dietician this wednesday at the Diabetes clinic. Can I ask though, is this appointment absolutely essential? Are they going to tell me what I already know?
 
Should you go? Probably yes

Will they tell you things that you already know? Probably no.

The chances are they they'll tell you that you should eat starchy carbs with every meal, and the you should get 50% of your energy from carbohydrates, while limiting your fat intake. In other words, they'll tell almost exactly the opposite of what most of the successful diabetics here will tell you.

I think that it will probably do you good to hear both sides of the argument, so that you can be properly informed before you decide how to tackle your diabetes.

There is also a small chance that you might get to see a more independently minded dietician, who could be a useful ally in managing your diabetes.

Good luck!
 
I'd go out of curiosity
do remember that they cannot force you to follow their guidelines if you fon't think they would help you
Hana
 
I would go you may be surprised mine I've seen a few times now and shes really nice and understands that I have some issues going on and didn't push eating loads of carbs just enough so don't hypo on insulin.
 
Go and see I guess is the answer. But if the dietician is as good as mine was, you'll need to carefully ignore all advice given. The highest readings I ever redcorded were when following her advice; when i found the guys on here and followed their advice, i immediately got things under control.
 
I would go, but don't enter into any sort of dicussion regarding low carbs, my experience is that if you do, it could well develop into an argument.

I found it better to nod and agree, accept the pre printed pamphlets and then go away and carry on doing what I do :D

It works for me.

H
 
Or you could always print out and bring along with you a copy of daisy's advice to new diabetics, or Grazer or Xyzzy's standard advice posts, and leave it with the dietician when you leave. It would give them something alternative to read, and perhaps help to get these things in circulation....
 
Definatly go and see the dietician, knowledge is power and any discussion with a professional is going to teach you something.

Besides who is to say what your dietician will say? Most of the people who assume that they will tell you to eat 50% carbs at every meal have never been to see a dietician, I have and she was very knowledgeable, well she would be wouldnt she having spent so long training, we are talking about a fully trained dietician here not some 'nutritionist' with a few made up letters after their name.

I was asked to bring with me something like 4 or 5 days food diary listing everything I eat, at the time I was eating about 60g of carbs a day a level which most would call low carbing I assume? My dietician studied the diary and then said that my diet was fine although she did add that I should try to include a little more oily fish in it - I personally dont like oily fish :thumbdown: -all in all it was a very good and informative meeting. I did go to it with an open mind though and I guess that if I had gone in with the attitude that every HCP was trying to kill me then I might have had a totally different experience. Or to put it another way if you go looking for a fight you will probably find one.

One last thing, at the end of the appointment she said to me that "Low carb is the way forward". I have also read other reports here of members reporting similar meetings with dieticians so dont believe all the doom and gloom some people tell you when HCP's are talked about, in general they are very professional and sympathetic and at the end of the day are there to help you.

Go, and make your own mind up :thumbup:
 
Sid Bonkers said:
Besides who is to say what your dietician will say? Most of the people who assume that they will tell you to eat 50% carbs at every meal have never been to see a dietician
Click to expand...

You'd need to qualify that. I went to see a dietician and that's exactly what she told me (she even told me off because I put a small piece of cheese on my food diary). I might have been unlucky, but judging by the reports that I see here, I was just getting the same standard NHS advice as almost everyone else.
 
borofergie said:
. I went to see a dietician and that's exactly what she told me (she even told me off because I put a small piece of cheese on my food diary). I might have been unlucky, but judging by the reports that I see here, I was just getting the same standard NHS advice as almost everyone else.
Click to expand...

Amazing how many of us have been "unlucky" with dieticians advice. My "fully trained" NHS dietician at the hospital clinic looked at my pre-diagnosis menu and told me I wasn't eating enough potatos for a big fella, the rice, pasta and pizza meals were all good, and that as christmas was coming a "few mince pies wouldn't do me any harm". Also, as it was Christmas, there was a tin of roses chocolates on the side that people could help themselves to. She also told me testing was a waste of time. Good job I ignored that bit otherwise I'd never have known how criminally poor her advice was. A few readings in the 14s after a meal or two from her healthy plate, with a few extra bouiled potatos as instructed, soon made me wise.
 
I have to say that over the last 15 years I have meet some very good HCPs and some very poor ones.. I am yet to meet a good dietician.. They are very good for an argument tho! last one tried to convince me that I was going to die because being a low-carber my brain wouldn't get enough carbohydrate..

That said some people do get good dietician's so it's always worth going along for a chat..
 
Thank you all for your replies. I sat and thought long and hard last night and for now I have decided not to go. Its the summer holidays and I don't live close to my local hospital so it means a 2 bus ride with 4 kids, which I don't relish as you can imagine so I have cancelled the appt. I am seeing my GP again in 4 weeks time so I will get him to refer me again if I feel the need. :)
 
The specialist I saw told me I must eat at least 200g / day even if it made my BG's unsafe and also told me to expect to put weight back on when I did, oh and that I could always choose to go on insulin. Luckily my GP and DSN see things differently and support my lchf lifestyle as they see it works. That doesn't mean all dieticians will give rubbish advice as some members have reported good things but they do seem to be the minority.
 
Mine told me I could eat scones, I've never eaten them in my life, lol but obviously they are fine now. She also told me that as I was following a low carb way of eating, bye bye, they couldn't do anything to help me.
 
Well, dawnmc, it does seem to be that 0-30 gms of carbs a day is the way to go, I've been doing this for 7 years now and controlling the dreaded levels of BS is now so predictably easy. I suspect that after a very long delay the medical ' profession ' will claim that low carbing has been their advocation all along ! Nothing changes ! You can foresee the food giants pumping out 'low carb' meals to 'save the nation' from the very food manufacturers /NHS blindness that created this plague of diabetes in the first place.

The point you made in your last sentence was so clear. 'They can't do anything more for you'......HOW TRUE.

There is so much vested interests in keeping people 'sick' that it makes me sick. The trust in our so-called health service is now being tested on so many health platforms. A little bit of what you fancy ' does you good'.

TTFN keep well all ,and eat and medicate to your meter...........

Superchip
 
To be honest I didn't feel the information I received from the dietician was much help. I told him I planned to cut carbs. He handed me leaflets which were selling the 'Eat as many starchy carbs you like and see how the Metformin will help' way of managing blood sugar.
 
I was dreading the visit to my Diabetic Nurse to tell her I was low carbing, but she was great. Very supportive and even gave me a one off prescription for testing strips so I can check my sensitivity when I am ready to re-introduce some carbs (not sure that I will but I travel loads on business so it will be helpful to know that I have some options that don't make me spike) I'm still waiting to see the dietician, it takes about 3 months to get an appointment ....
 
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