• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Hello Everyone!

@Pritster hello and welcome! Drag up a chair and make yourself comfortable. Any questions? Feel free to ask. I'll tag in @daisy1 who will provide you with some really useful information.
 
Hello :) welcome to the forum, have a wander around and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.
 
@Pritster

Hello Pritster and welcome to the Forum :) Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will help.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

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 235,000 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 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. Most of these are 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.
 
Hi @alphabeta hello and welcome! I don't think we've met before, but please come and join me on the sofa and we'll have a chat. I'll put the kettle on and open the zero carb cookies.......
 
Hello,

I am also new and I have no idea what I am doing.

I’m very overwhelmed and don’t know where to start.
 
missklp said:
Hello,

I am also new and I have no idea what I am doing.

I’m very overwhelmed and don’t know where to start.
Click to expand...
Well, you don't have to start anymore, because you just did. So, number one step, taken! First thing's first; you will be okay. Honest. Secondly, if you have any questions, give a shout. Someone'll answer. Most likely, multiple someones. And @daisy1 too if course, with her invaluable info pack. If you are comfortable doing so, the more info you share, the more specific our answers can be. Though we're not medical professionals, we do know a thing or two.

Welcome. And breathe. You're going to be fine.
 
JoKalsbeek said:
Well, you don't have to start anymore, because you just did. So, number one step, taken! First thing's first; you will be okay. Honest. Secondly, if you have any questions, give a shout. Someone'll answer. Most likely, multiple someones. And @daisy1 too if course, with her invaluable info pack. If you are comfortable doing so, the more info you share, the more specific our answers can be. Though we're not medical professionals, we do know a thing or two.

Welcome. And breathe. You're going to be fine.
Click to expand...

Thank you! That’s very kind. I nearly fell off the chair yesterday when my gp told me.

I’ve been prescribed metformin and I am petrified of the side effects! I know this is a common tablet to be given so any help is appreciated
 
missklp said:
Thank you! That’s very kind. I nearly fell off the chair yesterday when my gp told me.

I’ve been prescribed metformin and I am petrified of the side effects! I know this is a common tablet to be given so any help is appreciated
Click to expand...

Metformin is a mild drug, right at the bottom of the list of possible drugs. Not everyone has side effects (usually tummy upsets) but for those that do have this, it should go away in a week or two. If you feel really bad and it goes on for a while, ask your GP for the slow release version as these are supposed to be kinder.

All you have to do is start your own thread on this forum to ask as many questions as you like, and read round all the threads to see how we all manage and control diabetes. Look for the Type 2 threads because the Type 1s have different ways of managing and that will only confuse you. Take some deep breaths, this condition is not as bad as you think. :)
 
missklp said:
Thank you! That’s very kind. I nearly fell off the chair yesterday when my gp told me.

I’ve been prescribed metformin and I am petrified of the side effects! I know this is a common tablet to be given so any help is appreciated
Click to expand...

Metformin is basically any doc's default. It's the first pill they try, but it is by no means the only one they can give you. So if it doesn't agree with you, you've got options. For me, Metformin was... Not good. They gave me gliclazide when after several weeks I was still absolutely miserable. (...I lived in the loo). But I think there's almost 20 medicinal options out there.

I was lucky: I was diagnosed when absolutely everyone was on vacation, and I had to figure this whole diabetes thing out by myself while they were gone. Would've gone a lot quicker if I'd found this place then, but the Dutch equivalent wasn't much help, so I didn't think to try the UK forums for help. My mistake. In any case... I read a lot about various T2 diets, and the one thing they all had in common was a reduction in carbs. Which makes sense, once you know all carbs turn to bloodsugar. Not just straight sugar, but starches too. And we can't process that back out again, so it just floats around in our bloodstream, doing damage. And it doesn't have to. Just eat less carbs. (It really is that insanely simple, believe it or not.). After 3 months I could stop the gliclazide, and even my cholesterol was better, so I could drop the statins as well. Two years on I've had a non-diabetic HbA1C (average of 3 months, one of the tests you'll want the numbers of) for almost all that time. When I started the diet I didn't quite know what I was doing, so there were a few stumbles, but.... I never went back up. So practically speaking, what does that mean for meals? Skip the carbs. Potatoes, bread, cereal (including wheetabix, muesli, oats), rice, pasta, corn, fruits, (save for berries, in moderation, especially good with double cream or full fat greek yoghurt, as fats slow down carb uptake and will prevent or lessen a sugar spike), basically anything that comes from wheat, besides the obvious sugars. Yeah, that's a big chunk of your menu gone eh, I know. But. There's still meat, fish, eggs, butter, cheese, leafy greens and above-ground veggies, nuts, avocado, olives, and extra dark chocolate. (Lindt 85% is nice!). Meals could look like this: Eggs with bacon, cheese, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, spinach or whatver tickles your low-carb fancy. Salmon maybe? That's a big breakfast that'll tie you over till lunch, which could be a salad with canned tuna (don't eat the can!), mayo, capers, olives and avocado. Another rather filling meal. Dinner? Meat, fish, whatever's not overly processed or breaded. Check for additives, sometimes meat gets bulked up with sugar, flower or crumbs of something or other. I've found cauliflower rice remarcably versatily, it's replaced pasta, rice and spuds in our house. Broccoli-rice is good too. Usually toss cheese and bacon in both varieties, and whatever spices I feel like throwing in. All those meals are low carb and won't spike you. Snacks? Walnuts, pecans, extra dark chocolate, cheese, olives, salami... Sound good?

I mentioned spikes a few times now and that brings me to the next point: as a T2 your doc isn't likely to provide you with a meter (NHS doesn't pay for them unless you use insulin or take hypo-inducing drugs), so like most people on this forum, it's really worth it to self-fund. That way you know where you're starting from and where you're heading, what foods agree with you and which don't... Test before a meal and 2 hours after first bite: If your bloodsugars (BS for short here) go up more than 2 mmol/l, that's a spike. And if you stay under 2 mmol/l, that meal was absolutely perfect and can be put on your safe list. It's a lot of testing in the first months, but it's an invaluable tool.

So... Bottom line, you've got options. There are more meds than just metformin, which is fine for some people, not so fine for others, and you won't know until you try it of course. Just keep in mind that only medication, without a change in diet, meansT2 is still a progressive disease and while bloodsugars may be under control, there's still a risk of diabetic complications. When you add a change in diet to the mix, remission and who knows, maybe even going med-free while avoiding complications, is actually in the cards. I'm in remission, so are quite a few people here... I'm still a T2, I'll always be diabetic, and if I eat a piece of birthday cake I'll have a sugar spike that'll make my head spin, but.... I don't feel like I'm missing out with the foods I eat, my BG is non-diabetic and has been for almost 2 years now, no complications. I have more energy than I used to have, I lost over 25 kilo's, I can walk proper distances now, which I couldn't do for years, my cholesterol is good, liverfunction and kidey are fine... They weren't before, I was a wreck... But I'm doing pretty good now. And I'm not alone here: there are many, many people like that here.

Diabetes is no joke, and yeah, it'll take a while for the diagnosis to sink in. Grief over it is perfectly normal, confusion at the load of info to process too... But you're not alone in this. You'll get there.
Good luck,
Jo
 
JoKalsbeek said:
Metformin is basically any doc's default. It's the first pill they try, but it is by no means the only one they can give you. So if it doesn't agree with you, you've got options. For me, Metformin was... Not good. They gave me gliclazide when after several weeks I was still absolutely miserable. (...I lived in the loo). But I think there's almost 20 medicinal options out there.

I was lucky: I was diagnosed when absolutely everyone was on vacation, and I had to figure this whole diabetes thing out by myself while they were gone. Would've gone a lot quicker if I'd found this place then, but the Dutch equivalent wasn't much help, so I didn't think to try the UK forums for help. My mistake. In any case... I read a lot about various T2 diets, and the one thing they all had in common was a reduction in carbs. Which makes sense, once you know all carbs turn to bloodsugar. Not just straight sugar, but starches too. And we can't process that back out again, so it just floats around in our bloodstream, doing damage. And it doesn't have to. Just eat less carbs. (It really is that insanely simple, believe it or not.). After 3 months I could stop the gliclazide, and even my cholesterol was better, so I could drop the statins as well. Two years on I've had a non-diabetic HbA1C (average of 3 months, one of the tests you'll want the numbers of) for almost all that time. When I started the diet I didn't quite know what I was doing, so there were a few stumbles, but.... I never went back up. So practically speaking, what does that mean for meals? Skip the carbs. Potatoes, bread, cereal (including wheetabix, muesli, oats), rice, pasta, corn, fruits, (save for berries, in moderation, especially good with double cream or full fat greek yoghurt, as fats slow down carb uptake and will prevent or lessen a sugar spike), basically anything that comes from wheat, besides the obvious sugars. Yeah, that's a big chunk of your menu gone eh, I know. But. There's still meat, fish, eggs, butter, cheese, leafy greens and above-ground veggies, nuts, avocado, olives, and extra dark chocolate. (Lindt 85% is nice!). Meals could look like this: Eggs with bacon, cheese, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, spinach or whatver tickles your low-carb fancy. Salmon maybe? That's a big breakfast that'll tie you over till lunch, which could be a salad with canned tuna (don't eat the can!), mayo, capers, olives and avocado. Another rather filling meal. Dinner? Meat, fish, whatever's not overly processed or breaded. Check for additives, sometimes meat gets bulked up with sugar, flower or crumbs of something or other. I've found cauliflower rice remarcably versatily, it's replaced pasta, rice and spuds in our house. Broccoli-rice is good too. Usually toss cheese and bacon in both varieties, and whatever spices I feel like throwing in. All those meals are low carb and won't spike you. Snacks? Walnuts, pecans, extra dark chocolate, cheese, olives, salami... Sound good?

I mentioned spikes a few times now and that brings me to the next point: as a T2 your doc isn't likely to provide you with a meter (NHS doesn't pay for them unless you use insulin or take hypo-inducing drugs), so like most people on this forum, it's really worth it to self-fund. That way you know where you're starting from and where you're heading, what foods agree with you and which don't... Test before a meal and 2 hours after first bite: If your bloodsugars (BS for short here) go up more than 2 mmol/l, that's a spike. And if you stay under 2 mmol/l, that meal was absolutely perfect and can be put on your safe list. It's a lot of testing in the first months, but it's an invaluable tool.

So... Bottom line, you've got options. There are more meds than just metformin, which is fine for some people, not so fine for others, and you won't know until you try it of course. Just keep in mind that only medication, without a change in diet, meansT2 is still a progressive disease and while bloodsugars may be under control, there's still a risk of diabetic complications. When you add a change in diet to the mix, remission and who knows, maybe even going med-free while avoiding complications, is actually in the cards. I'm in remission, so are quite a few people here... I'm still a T2, I'll always be diabetic, and if I eat a piece of birthday cake I'll have a sugar spike that'll make my head spin, but.... I don't feel like I'm missing out with the foods I eat, my BG is non-diabetic and has been for almost 2 years now, no complications. I have more energy than I used to have, I lost over 25 kilo's, I can walk proper distances now, which I couldn't do for years, my cholesterol is good, liverfunction and kidey are fine... They weren't before, I was a wreck... But I'm doing pretty good now. And I'm not alone here: there are many, many people like that here.

Diabetes is no joke, and yeah, it'll take a while for the diagnosis to sink in. Grief over it is perfectly normal, confusion at the load of info to process too... But you're not alone in this. You'll get there.
Good luck,
Jo
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for commenting with all the advice! Appreciate it and good to know where to come for help!

Where can you purchase testing kits from?

I currently have torn ACL which limits what type of exercise I can do due to it being unstable. But I am defo 200% going to attempt something at least as well as a complete lifestyle and diet overhaul.

Thank again

Kelly
 
Back
Top