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Had Enough

southamptonsteve1959

Active Member
Messages
35
Location
Lymington
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Diabetes. Cancer.
Steve, sorry to confirm you’re type 2...
That was Jan 2020. It was like being given a death sentence, now 5 months on I’ve had enough of blood testing 5 or 6 times a day. I’ve had enough of trying to look after my diet, I don’t enjoy veg at all, all so boring. Nothing worse than looking at another bowl of badly cooked out of date tasteless veg.
I like jacket spuds, roast spuds and mashed spuds so thats what I’m going to have. I like my Friday night fish and chips with a couple of beers so I’m going to have that too.
I have lost my partner because of looking after my diet, she had enough of me with that diet. I can’t find a new partner because soon as I mention diabetic that’s the end of that.
I live alone so food prep and going to work is hard work, I don’t have time at 5.45 in the morning to mess about with the days menu. I don’t have breakfast, I go into a shop lunchtime to see everything I can’t have, I can’t eat fruit all the time it’s boring so on with the chicken sandwiches.

A dietitian would help but you try and get to see one. And why should we pay for a low carb on line menu, that’s a rip off.

I’m thinking of handing my meter back in, not taking metform and just enjoy what’s left of my life.
I’ve never been so miserable, ever.
I had cancer of the tonsil and was ok with that but this T2, it’s something else.
Anyone else feeling the same?
Steve.

HbA1c 90 in Jan then 78, then 60 in March.
 
I use cauliflower or celeriac mash to top things like cottage or shepherd's pie.

I have roast potatoes once a year on Christmas day.

Your hba1c is moving in the right direction so we just need to help you find alternatives.

There are low carb beers out there. Shorts and diet mixers are ok. I am partial to a drop of the red stuff.

A kebab would be preferable to a chippy.

If you're ok in the kitchen then look up fat head dough. Pizza!

Google keto chocolate mug cake. 90 seconds in the nuke machine, serve with double cream.
 
There is a carnivore sub forum you should have a look at.

Once you have found your way, and you are happy about your food choices, you will be a happier person all round. The girls will be flocking, but just a word of advice, don't date a vegan
 
southamptonsteve1959 said:
Yes I do like meat. I also like ice cream and chocolate.
Click to expand...
Meat is perfect, no carbs! Cream is fine as well
Both will fill you up without messing with your blood sugar. As for chocoalate, the high percentage cocoa ones are pretty low carb, if you like them. Milk chocolate is a bit more problematic, depending on portion size.
If you insist on having potatoes, what about just having a small portion with a double portion of meat? Skip the fruits, especially if you don't like it, it's almost all high sugar.
Bacon, eggs and cheese are a perfectly good staple if you like it, very filling and your diabetes will be happy.
southamptonsteve1959 said:
badly cooked out of date tasteless veg.
Click to expand...
Personally I like vegetables, but not when they're badly cooked or mouldy...
No need to eat lots of them, though, but if you do, why not have fresh ones with a spicy peanut sauce or a cheese gratin instead of out of date and badly cooked?

Here's the carnivore thread @xfieldok mentioned, if you'd like to have a look: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/carnivore-corner.164920/page-43
 

actually plenty of dieticians would shove you on a low fat high carb diet and watch your hb1ac rise again

loads of free online resources. I’ve never paid for any. Start with dietdoctor.com and Ditchthecarbs.com. No need to sign up for anything.

Lots of ideas re food not being limited to soggy bland veg, sandwiches and fruit above and in the websites. I’d be miserable if that’s what I was eating too....there’s no need to suffer this way.

I’d find it easier food wise to be single. Only me to please and cook for. More time to cook and prepare not juggling everyone else’s needs. Thinking ahead is the key here, not trying to grab stuff on the run, especially from convenience stores that are anything but for low carb options.

if a person leaves or won’t get involved because you are diabetic or taking care to improve your health then why would you want them anyway? Or could your mood/attitude be more of the issue possibly? Many of us find it tough being diagnosed and need to rant and have every right to be upset or angry. Letting that negativity dominate our lives for too long though isn’t good, in lots of ways.

The death sentence is doing nothing, eating the wrong stuff and watching complication after complication set in. Yes changing attitudes to food is hard. If you really can’t then (extra) medication helps - but isn’t as effective at limiting complications as diet even if it does help blood glucose levels. Sadly you are the only one who can make the changes, not drs,nurses, dieticians or partners.

It is your decision where you go from here, but we are all here to help make it easier if you want that.
 
Steve
You dont have to cook or prepare every day.
A breakfast ( or can be used for any meal)of seeds (flax, linseed or chia) with greek yoghurt can be stirred together the night before and left in the fridge to thicken overnight, and indeed enough for 3-4 days ahead at a time. Just add few berries for flavour or use different of the 'posh milks' such as almond or coconut to ring the changes.
Every soon often hard boil 6 eggs. They then keep well in the fridge and make easy snack or lunches. 10 minutes time for 3 meals
A celeriac makes into 4-6 good portions of mash, especially if you mix in cheese. It then freezes well so you've only cooked once for 4 meals. Reheat in microwave
A celeriac can also be cut into chips, rolled in oil and spices then frozen in portions. Cook just like frozen potato chips.

So in just an hour a week of prep you can have most of the week ahead sorted, just adding a chop or piece of chicken or steak of an evening
Easy.
And yes it's normal to be up and down and curse that everywhere only has carbs. Our local cafe keeps putting its menu through our door and there is nothing, absolutley nothing on there I can eat at all. The contents of a sandwich are not sufficient for me so all I can do is eat the filling of a quiche and leave the crust. Gutting.
 
xfieldok said:
There is a carnivore sub forum you should have a look at.

Once you have found your way, and you are happy about your food choices, you will be a happier person all round. The girls will be flocking, but just a word of advice, don't date a vegan
Click to expand...

Thank you taking the time to reply. I’ve never heard of oppo. I’ll look into this.
 

Many thanks for your reply. I will take a look. I do like chicken and beef.
 

Thank you for taking time to reply. I don’t think I’ve ever had celeriac, what does that taste like I wonder?
The yogurt not a bad idea and so are the eggs, think Ill have a go at those.
I have pizza and scrape the topping off leaving the bread.
I’m really not good at knowing what I should or should not be eating other than keep away from sugar and rice and high carb stuff.
I don’t understand why BS is 5.1 fasting, then I have only black coffee and 1 hour later....reading is 6.8. How come? Does my head in.

If I have porridge and 2 hrs later reading 8.2 does this mean I shouldn’t eat anything again until it drops back into the 5 zone?
I do need to get smart with meal planning when I’m working or I’ll go off track, sometimes feel like I don’t care then I get the guilt trip.
An evening class cooking for diabetics is what’s needed for me.
I’m going to email the TV stations to get diabetic food shows on the screen, there is nothing to encourage us at all.
Thank you again.
 

Thank you for replying. Some good advice. I guess my mood swings are up and down but I’m generally a calm and steady man. I do like food to be assorted but find I’m on the same old stuff and not a clue where to change it. Can handle chicken salad during summer but that doesn’t appeal in mid winter. I guess I’ll now spend weekends planning for the week ahead, as you mention the shops are stacked with most foods not suitable for grab and go at the best of times.
Adjusting is hard but looking at the comments on here is offering some light at the end of a long tunnel. I need to change something or I’ll waste all the effort put in.
Thank you.
 
Hi @southamptonsteve1959,

So sorry to read you're feeling down. I agree having to eat foods you don't enjoy is miserable. Only if you like the way you eat, will you succeed in the long run. (Just a question: Are you pursuing a low fat rather than a low carb diet?)

Honestly -- low carb doesn't have to be boring, complicated and difficult to maintain. I've been eating this way for five years and I honestly don't miss my former diet. Btw, my husband who's been observing the way I eat, always remarks that it definitely seems like quite a luxurious way of life.

Today, for example, I had half a keto roll with mayonnaise and smoked salmon plus a double espresso with heavy cream for breakfast, fillet of lamb with sauce bearnaise and cauli mash for lunch, 20g of 88% chocolate as a snack, and another half keto roll with chicken liver pate and a chicken wiener for dinner. I also enjoyed two glasses of red wine. All of this was less than 15g of carbs.

By the way, try switching to decaffeinated coffee (with heavy cream and possibly erythritol if you like) and see if this lowers your rise. Most don't react to caffeine, but I personally do. You might be the same. After making the switch, the maximum rise after coffee dropped from about 1.2 mmol to about 0.6 mmol.

Why don't you just tell us what you enjoy and we'll try to come up with alternatives which might work for you. You already received some great suggestions by @Antje77, @xfieldok, @HSSS, @MrsA2 and @bulkbiker.
 
I have a small wok shaped pan (from Lidl) hanging by the cooker, on the other side is a metal strip where the cheese grater lives. Pan on gas, butter or olive oil, eggs, stir, when almost cooked turn off the gas, grate the cheese and stir in, put thinly sliced tomato on top, place plate on top, carry to table, tip onto plate, eat - cooking takes about two minutes. We have a coffee percolator which will reheat the contents, so I start that off first of all, collect the food from the fridge then pour out cream and coffee, add cinnamon and a tiny amount of salt. I take the plate and wok back to the kitchen, wipe out the wok, put the plate and fork in the dishwasher, then carry the breakfast box back to the fridge. I am usually then set until evening. Eating low carb is very sustaining and it is all the good stuff.
 
I do similar but add in a dollop of cream, a squeeze of yellow mustard and sometimes some tinned fish of whatever type I have. A filling breakfast/any other time of day meal.

always cook big batches of anything and fridge or freeze portions for lunches and days you can’t be bothered

chilli con carne without the rice, Shepherds pie without the mash potatoes or swap the topping for a lower carb mash. A nice steak pan fried with butter and garlic with mushrooms and some shredded cabbage Or other green veg all in the same pan. Stir in some cream at the end if you like . Bags of stir fry heated (in almond oil maybe) with some sliced meat and bit of 5 spice seasoning
 
 
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