First post

Welcome! I will tag @daisy1 who can provide a very helpful blurb for newcomers.

You have come to the right place.

A couple of questions:

• You mentioned tablets, what are they? (If you don't mind telling us)
• Were you given any dietary advice?

You mentioned Atkins and low-carb, those may be appropriate but it helps to have a little more information.

By the way it is not unusual to have Type 2 diabetes (T2D) for a long time prior to diagnosis.

kay1165 said:

Thankyou nice to know not alone fairly scary at the begining but I am determoned to tackle this

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It is normal to be scared at this time. Actually, it is a healthy response because this is a serious chronic disease. Try to hold onto that feeling, or at least to remember its power in the future, because it is a powerful motivator in dealing with the disease.

Now the good news. Most of us who have Type 2 diabetes are able to bring it under control in a way that not only does not prevent us from doing most of the things we want to do, but also drastically reduces the risk of "diabetes complications."

When I was diagnosed nine months ago I thought my life had come to an end. Looking back at it now, it was just the start of a learning process. Within two months I had the disease under control -- by which I mean, blood glucose stable, and at non-diabetic levels. It is quite likely that you will be able to achieve the same thing, not necessarily in a short time frame but eventually.

kay1165 said:

Sorry ref tablets which I collect in the morning are Melfornin 500g tablets one to be taken twice a day. Similar age 57

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Good. Did the doctor give you a blood test result called the "HbA1C"? If so, what was it, if you don't mind sharing. This is key.

Atkins has done the job for me - I'm in the normal range for blood glucose and Hba1c and eat around 50 to 60 gm of carbs a day, but I don't go any further than the alcohol rung of the carb ladder in OWL - later rungs spike my glucose and stop weightloss. I have a small amount of alcohol, one drink a week at the folk club, but I walk there and back.

You are right about the exercise, and about losing weight. The Metformin will also help.

But diet is much more important, and you will probably lose weight anyway when you get the diet right. Now that you have diabetes, the diet will be more like a lifetime commitment -- not something you can do for a few weeks or a few months just to lose weight.

Unfortunately, the subject is controversial. The NHS tends to advocate a "balanced diet" or the "eatwell plate" (which is why I asked you if you have been given diet advice by your doctor).

Many of us on this forum find this advice, when given to people with Type 2 diabetes who have been recently diagnosed, to be not just unhelpful but plain wrong. The problem is that such a diet contains plenty of carbohydrates. These foods are not just counterproductive in controlling blood glucose in many people with Type 2, but also a problem because eating them tends to create a craving for more.

If you decide to try the low-carb route you have several choices:

• Low-carb: 100 grams per day.
• Very-low-carb: 50g per day.
• Ultra-low-carb: 20g to 30g per day (sometimes called "ketogenic" or "keto").

Any of these options will help control blood glucose (BG). It's a personal choice, guided by what you find out about your own body and its reaction to food.

I chose to go straight for the "ultra" option and it worked for me.

Some people, perhaps most people on this forum, will suggest that you also obtain a personal blood glucose meter so that you can find out which foods "spike" your glucose and avoid them. This is a very good idea. (I don't have a meter. The choice is up to you.)

The "diet-only" (or in your case, diet-and-Metformin) option is not for everyone. It is tough to comply with it, at least initially, and it may not work for everyone.

You may well also get strong pushback from your health care providers. It takes some determination to ignore, or countermand, what your doctors are telling you to do. You will find a range of views on this forum, and I suggest you take the opportunity to research the broad range of views and experiences here.

Remember I asked you if you have the result of your HbA1c blood test?

Here is an explanation of what it means: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/hba1c-test.html.

Welcome! I'm now five months from diagnosis. Once I was over the initial shock, I saw it as the proverbial kick up the bum to get healthier. I was started on Metformin and tolerate it well now after a bit of stomach upset in the early days. I wasn't advised to eat low carb by my GP or Diabetes education course, but stumbled on this forum by chance and took up a low carb life style with self monitoring (self funded). I started by eating less than 100g carbs/day and after 6 weeks reduced it to 50-70g/day. The best way to see what foods suit you is to test right before a meal and then two hours after the first bite, you’re looking for a rise of no more than 2 mmol/l and to be within these recommended ranges http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html This has worked for me, to date I've lost nearly 4 stone and got my HbA1c down to a non diabetic level, all due to the fantastic support and advise I got here. I'm sure you'll find a way to do it too!

Hi kay1165, welcome to the forum. I was told that I'd probably had diabetes for five years before I was diagnosed, so it's not uncommon. This beginning period can be stressful - you're coping with something scary and unknown, and also being bombarded with conflicting advice. So - take your time. No need to get it 'right' straight away - certainly my own experience is that it took me a couple of years (some of us are slow learners ...) to find my way to a point where I seem to be able to keep things really stable, off medication and with non-diabetic sugar levels. And the good news is that, keeping things stable helps protect eyes, feet, kidneys, etc. - my eyes and feet were definitely affected (though I didn't realise it at first), but I have noticed that, as my levels have dropped and stabilised, they seem to be slowly improving as well. Good luck on the journey.

Hi @kay1165, and welcome to the site. There's plenty of initial advice been given in the posts above,so I won't add to that for now, coz I remember when I was new it took time to get over the shock, and then to start taking in the things that people were saying. Browse around the various topics and threads, not forgetting the 'Home' page for the site (via the tab at the top) - there's tons of info there, including a list of about 20-odd different "ways of eating" - so there really is plenty of sources around and information to help during the early days.

I notice in your first post that you mention your job means that you often spend time travelling up & down UK, so I would guess that means that mealtimes (maybe lunch especially ??) can be - rushed/grab what's there/easily portable carb-heavy. Add to that sitting down driving for however long. Can't be easy, controlling food diet and weight in those conditions. There are folks here who've been through similar things, and can share their experiences; may not be right for you, but it all helps to give people options to consider. Any questions - just ask away. There's usually somebody around who can help, or at least point in the right direction.

KathyCP said:

I was told that I'd probably had diabetes for five years before I was diagnosed, so it's not uncommon.

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In America, where I am, the headline figure is that one-third of people with diabetes are un-diagnosed. Many millions of people in other words. The details lurking under the headlines are a bit more subtle (depending on how you count those with "pre-diabetes") but the overall message stays the same. More details here: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/one-third-of-diabetes-in-the-u-s-is-undiagnosed/.

Among some ethnic groups, the undiagnosed rate is higher than one-third -- closer to half.

Edited to add: We are often told about the diabetes epidemic, or something. But apparently part of the increase is just an improvement in diagnosis, with fewer people going un-diagnosed.

Grateful said:

In America, where I am, the headline figure is that one-third of people with diabetes are un-diagnosed. Many millions of people in other words. The details lurking under the headlines are a bit more subtle (depending on how you count those with "pre-diabetes") but the overall message stays the same. More details here: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/one-third-of-diabetes-in-the-u-s-is-undiagnosed/.

Among some ethnic groups, the undiagnosed rate is higher than one-third -- closer to half.

Edited to add: We are often told about the diabetes epidemic, or something. But apparently part of the increase is just an improvement in diagnosis, with fewer people going un-diagnosed.

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Hi @kay1165 nice to meet you. I was probably diabetic for a few years to. Even last year, when my symptoms were bad, I remained undiagnosed. Just held onto the hope it would go away. Actually getting diagnosed is in some cases, like mine, a major hurdle to overcome before you can get treated, and learn to manage it. I'm really glad I was diagnosed, and am learning to manage it well. Plus it has brought me into contact with the wonderful people here on this forum.

@kay1165

Hello Kay and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask more questions when you need to and someone will help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 250,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.

A big welcome to the forum from me. I'm definitely diabetic. You mentioned that your 18 stone and 6ft 1. That's close enough to my statistics. I can't really offer you any advice right now as I am still going through the motions of diabetes but what I would say is listen to the people on this forum. They have a wealth of experience and can pretty much get you through anything.

kay1165 said:

Thanks already hooked,

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Sorted

kay1165 said:

Ref the hba1c I understand my reading was 55.

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I'm jealous. That is firmly in the diabetes range, but you have a smaller "gap to close" than many of us.

kay1165 said:

Ref work I am Head if Compliance for an aviation catering company so on the road. Don’t normally stop off sometimes leaving home anytime between 04:30 - 05:30 to reach some of our sites. Generally stay in hotels tues- thurs and I know some of them have gyms but generally to shattered at the end o& the day and sometimes doing work till around 9pm ish. Trying to be good now with food at the hotel,howve4 staff canteen has little or no choice ,so generally have a couple of slices of toast. Only have one sugar in tea or coffee but no onto sweetness and aim to drop these off so no sugar in drinks.
Dave

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When I was diagnosed it followed a period of work-related stress, lack of sleep, and lack of exercise. It is hard to say whether this helped bring on the diabetes (I was not overweight and had no symptoms). However, I can tell you for sure that work circumstances can make it a bit harder to cope with the disease once you have been diagnosed. Pre-preparing your own food and bringing it to work is one option. In hotels, buffets can be good because you can pick-and-choose.