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feeling stuck and clueless.

V

VC888

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Hi all. I'm hoping for some help. Im 46 female, weight 13st 3 and 5ft 4. I was diagnosed with prediabetes in November 2021 and after an initially good start of carb and calorie counting with support from the NHS Oviva app i have lost weight and maintained that weight. However, at the start of April i caught covid and slipped back into old habits and I can not move forward. my go to comfort foods are always fatty (bread and butter) rather than sweet and when i get home from a busy day I'm finding I'm 'cheating' on a regular basis. I make no excuses, its my own fault and i know i can change it but i feel that where the app was enough to support me when i needed to share and 'stop' myself it just not enough. chats with a support person is now every 4 weeks. In addition, the doctors have not really told me anything so I don't really understand my condition and I don't actually know why I'm having to lose weight in a in-depth way. I want to, but I find I also need to understand the science behind it all. I don't check my blood sugars because I've don't know how nor do i know how to get the equipment to do so. In short, and without whining (which i acknowledge i probably am) I'm still as clueless as when I got my diagnosis and I'm finding myself very alone despite having a helpful busy family. Im off to the gp for further advice today, but in the meantime can anyone offer any advice and has anyone else felt isolated like this? Many thanks for listening.
 
Hello @VC888, and welcome.
First of all, I would say well done on reaching out here. Lots of useful info and friendly members to advise and support. Also, be kind to yourself. Covid is a nasty setback for you, but you have acknowledged the setback, and taken steps to seek the solutions.
Here is some info , provided by @Rachox, regarding blood glucose meters. Recommendation is that you test fasting levels on waking, then immediately before eating, and 2 hours after eating. Keep a record of what you numbers are, and what you have eaten, and you will see how various foods affect your blood glucose levels.

HOME HEALTH have the Gluco Navii, which is a fairly new model and seems to be getting good reviews if you use this link and select the meter plus 5 packs of strips and then add the code dcuk (all lower case) at check-out, you’ll get the meter free. So total cost for meter + 5 x 50 strips will be £31.76.

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-produ...ose-meter-test-strips-choose-mmol-l-or-mg-dl/

Links to the strips and the meter for future orders:

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-produ...ose-meter-test-strips-choose-mmol-l-or-mg-dl/

There are also discount codes for when you come to buy more strips - "navii5" and "navii10" will give you 20% off purchases of 5 packs of strips and 25% off 10 packs of strips respectively.

Then they sell the older SD Code Free, details to be found here!

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/

Discount codes for the Code Free strips



5 packs 264086

10 packs 975833


SPIRIT HEALTHCARE have a meter called the Tee2 + found here:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...e2-blood-glucose-meter?variant=19264017268793

with the strips found here:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...py-of-tee2-test-strips?variant=19264017367097

Some members have got a free Tee2+ by phoning up to order, with a large order of strips they often throw the meter in for free:

Phone number 0800 8815423

With more expensive strips is their Caresens Dual, this one has the advantage of glucose and ketone testing in one machine, it’s to be found here:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/collections/caresens-dual


If there is a choice of units of measurement then ‘mmol/L’ are the standard units in the UK, ‘mg/dl’ in the US, other countries may vary.

Don’t forget to check the box if you have pre diabetes or diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for all meters and strips)

Good news is that your preference for fatty foods as comfort eating is better than using sugary, high carbohydrate foods. Though not if your fatty foods are highly processed . So, nuts, cheese, are ok.

There are some links in my signature which are helpful to new members. Have a read. Come back and ask questions. You are not alone with this forum.
Best wishes
Pipp
 
There is nothing wrong with fatty foods as long as they are not combined with high carb.
I suggest preparing food in advance so that you have something right to eat rather than going for something which will raise your blood glucose.
I buy large packs of chicken thighs and cook them in the air fryer, or I have a roast chicken dinner and keep the rest of the bird in the fridge so I can make a salad or stir fry very quickly. I make sugar free jelly and add frozen berries, which I eat with cream for dessert.
Controlling blood glucose seem to bring weightloss too, so probably your GP has advised losing weight in the hope that it will also control blood glucose.
 
A few more tips for quick snacks.
I kept a pack of the small cheese packs (20g a portion) in the front of my fridge for the first few months - easier to grab that way! (and I know some people spread butter on their cheese)
You can make 90 second bread in a microwave using ground almonds - split in half and lightly toasted it goes well with cheese.
Home-cooked meats are great but try to avoid highly processed meats. Try rolling slices up in lettuce leaves?
Hardboiled eggs - I boil up a few and keep them ready to munch on.

Usually if you go low carb you can lose weight without calorie counting and there is no need to go hungry so try oily dressings or sugar free mayo on green salads and butter on your green veg.
 
Hi @VC888 .

I'd second that pat on the back for reaching out.

None of us are super human, able to cope with everything life throws at us .

So well done so far and thumbs up for knowing when you need a little more help & advice
.
Such a shame , I think far to many are left with either the wrong information or too little information once diagnosed

Like we just need to be told "sorry but you've got xyz, pop back In a few months or so.abd I'll tell you more about it mm

Good info on food from above posters

Might I take a different tack.?

Have You read up on T2D and what it is & why it affects us ?
Apologies if you have, BUT if you haven't
Might I recommend doing so.

In the spirit of forewarned is forearmed .

Just like visiting a place for the first time, I like to find out a good bit about it

Same with any 'possible' illness I might be likely to be affected by.

Why wait until diagnosed as xyz,
when a little attention now COULD help you avoid completely or at least stall it for as long as possible ?

Which is EXACTLY what you are trying to do, right.

So a little light reading of just what might lie in wait AND some reasons & methods to defer that diagnosis day long as possible

Jason Fung The Diabetes Code: Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally

Told me more about T2D then anything else has.

It sounds a dry old read, but it is in ordered chunks so you can easily pace yourself

And I found he placed most technical explanations into rather simpler forms I could follow and understand

Available in paperback or on kindle circa £10

Google on Amazon & read the reviews
I'm one who gave it 5 stars

If your not too sure if the books are for you, he has quite a few videos on YouTube if you prefer that route .


It's hard to get good results, if you don't know what to avoid ..
And knowledge IS Power

At the end of the day , YOU ARE WORTH IT.

Good luck on your journey
 
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