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Hello im new to the Forum

C

Chop1

Member
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Thank you for allowing me to join.
My Name is Peter, I am borderline/prediabetes looking at my NHS notes.
I'm 67 years young, I've always thought I was healthy, but the last few days has opened my eyes.
I'm going to see my Doctor on Tuesday morning, so I will know more then.
We have been and brought a Blood Glucose monitor, to check our blood glucose levels.
All the tests I've had done at the Doctors came out ok, except the borderline reading.
We decided to purchase the Blood Glucose Monitor, so I could show the Doctor I want to do something about it.
We have started to change our lifestyle, our food choices will change.
It's amazing the difference in the readings, it's a bit overwhelming.
Not knowing what you can, and can't eat, or the different foods that effect your body.
I've joined the group to hopefully learn about diabetes, what we can do to help make it better/easier to live with.
Over the next few days/weeks hopefully I'll understand about diabetes.
We've brought the blood glucose monitor on Thursday, and it's mind-blowing the difference in some of the readings.
Once I've been to see the Doctor on Tuesday I will know more, then I'll be able to post more and have a few questions.
The Monitor has shown us already, that changes need to happen, hopefully over the weeks/months our readings will level out, as we get our levels under control.
Once again thank you for allowing me to join.
Peter Butcher
 
Last edited:
Jaylee said:
Hi @Chop1 , (Peter.)

Welcome to the forum.

It’s great you invested in a meter.

I’ll tag in @Rachox @lovinglife @Pipp @KennyA to say hello & give a few tips diet wise to help lower those BGs.

Best wishes,

Jay.
Click to expand...
Hi JayLee
Thank you for your reply
I've got a lot to learn, the readings are erratic.
But I understand it can take months to get them under control.
But we're going to look at living a healthier lifestyle.

Peter
 
Hi Peter and welcome to the forum. If your prime concern is to keep your blood sugars in a normal range by modifying your diet. Here’s a link to a useful blog written by one of the members here:

Thread 'Jo's Nutritional Thingy'

There’s a few things you should know.

1. Practically all carbs turn to glucose once ingested, so not just straight sugars, but starches too. Food doesn’t have to taste sweet to make your blood sugars skyrocket.

2. A meter helps you know what foods agree with you, and which don’t. Test before and 2 hours after the first bite. If you go up more than 2.0 mmol/l, the meal was carbier than you could handle. (It’s easy to remember, as you’re a T2: all 2’s, all over the place!)

3. In case you didn’t know already, this isn’t your fault. It’s genetics, medication, decades of...

[Mod edit to insert correct link.]
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi @Chop1 and welcome to the forum.
While Blood Glucose levels do change during the day (and night), they mainly fluctuate due to the immediate impact of a meal or during strenuous exercise, though there are over 40 different factors which can affect BG. They include illness, injury, stress and lack of sleep. During the day our liver will try to keep our BG stable at a level it 'feels' comfortable with. So when our BG goes down a bit, due to eating fewer carbs or even due to exercise, it will try to put enough glucose into the blood so as to counteract that.
This makes initial reduction of BG slow until the liver is more accustomed to lower values. This can be a good thing, because too rapid a drop can cause temporary (or in a very few cases even permanent eye sight problems. Slow and steady is best - so reduce the carbs rather than trying to just cut them out even though in theory we don't need any carbs for fuel despite the brain requiring Glucose for some functions. This is because our bodies can manufacture glucose form fats ad proteins, so carbs really are a non-essential nutrient!
 
Chop1 said:
Hi JayLee
Thank you for your reply
I've got a lot to learn, the readings are erratic.
But I understand it can take months to get them under control.
But we're going to look at living a healthier lifestyle.

Peter
Click to expand...
Hi,

Even with a non-diabetic experimenting with either a meter or sensor BG reading can shift during the day. But it’s all about keeping in normal range zone? To help keep T2 managed..
Diet can help. You may even be pleasantly surprised at what you can eat whilst still managing your condition..?
If you thought you’d be cutting out a nice pork chop, eggs & bacon, side of beef or lamb cut? It may be your lucky day?

Ask as many questions as you need. There are plenty of pre-D & T2s with good advice that could work for you.

Kind regards.

[edit for typo.]
 
Last edited:
Thanks for tagging me, @Jaylee.
Sorry for late response @Chop1 .

With pre-diabetes you have a good chance of getting back good
, non-diabetes blood glucose levels by making a few adjustments to your diet.

As already mentioned, reducing the amount of carbohydrates in your diet can make all the difference.

Great to see you have purchased a blood glucose meter. To get best from that I would suggest the following regime. It worked well for me, and many of the members here..
Check and record BG level as soon as you wake up in the morning
Check again immediately before each meal, and two hours after starting each meal.
Keep a record of the readings and also what you have had to eat and drink.
You will soon be able to spot what foods are causing the increases.

There is some info for new members in my signature, below this post. Have a read, and come back with questions.

Well done on your proactive approach so far.
 
Hi Peter,
looks as if you have a hold on this already. Congratulations on your go-getting attitude.Read around
here and come back with any questions - we're a friendly bunch and talk from lived experience, not theory. Ask whatever you need to - no question is silly or trivial. Welcome
 
Good morning Pipp

I'm off to see the Doctor this morning, so I'll know more what I have to do.
But as I've said, we have made changes to our Lifestyle, changed our diet.
The monitor readings are mainly good, but there has been a few readings that have
been a little strange.
We had a wholemeal bread low fat Cheese and Tomato sandwich, and the readings were high.
We are learning what we can have, and not have, so that is a big part of keeping it under control.
Reading threads on here, it's going to take a while to get it under control, and keep it there.
We have started to understand what we have to do.

Thank you for your reply

Yours

Peter
 
Thank you .. I've learnt a lot since I've been on here ..
 
Hello Peter ,I,ve only been a member approx 2 weeks ,but diabetic over 25 years ,I have garnered more usefull information from here than any where else, because most I guess are talking from sound experiences and some by life long diabeties ,but I'm not saying ,ignore the Gps etc ,but i found this site very informative .
 
Hi David's
I've only been a member for a few days, and I've learnt a few things already.
I had an appointment at the Doctors this morning, to tell you the truth it was a little disappointing.
I told him I brought a BG monitor, and his reply was you didn't need to do that.
Then he proceeded to tell me that my BG readings haven’t changed since Last year, and I was Prediabetes last year.
He has now referred me to the diabetics clinic, as the Doctor said I only need help with our dietry needs.
Hopefully when I get the referral to the clinic, I'll have our diet choices under control.
I have learnt a lot from this group, and it's good to have people who have experience, and can help me on journey.

Peter
 
It isn't strange that bread put up your blood glucose levels - these days I would have tomato, ordinary cheese and one of the tiny apples I have a load of this year - but no bread. Two slices of bread can be up to 50gm of carbs - more than I have in a day.
For most type 2s carbs are to be avoided - think petrol in a diesel engined car - perfectly good fuel just not right for the device.
 
We have changed from 50/50 bread, to wholemeal.
We understand whatever you eat will change our BG readings.
But I was surprised how much it went up, we also have looked at low fat Cheese, now that is a minefield.
Looking at sites, we are changing our food options, so over time it should be better.
I've only been on the site for a few days, so I'm not disappointed,
By the time I've been referred to the dietary clinic, hopeful I'll be in a reasonable position.
We will see
 
All normal bread will send my sugar sky high. It doesn’t matter if it’s white, brown, wholemeal, seeded etc etc etc.

It is possible to buy low carb bread on line, although it is expensive.

No need to buy low fat cheese for your blood sugar, full fat is fine.
 
Hi Lakeslover
Thank you for replying, I understood wholemeal was better than white bread, not perfect but better.
So far we've done well looking at alternative options, but I'm sure over time we'll get better at it.
Thank you
 
I resemble that remark haaaaaa
 
Hi @Chop1
Welcome to you..

Whilst i understand the necessity to understand diet allow me to add my slightly different viewpoint.....in a good way hopefully.

As a type 1 of 50 years in good shape and control i rely on 3 things....insulin carbohydrates and activity ( i dont use the word exercise as it tend to put people off).

I average 15000 to 19000 steps per day but only through walking and nothing too exhausting.

Getting my insulin and carbs right with the help of keeping active i have achieved really good results.
Last hba1c was 39 or 5.7.

When i got my first freestyle libre sensor years ago i soon realised how good walking was for insulin absorption and lowering blood sugar levels.

I wish you well

Tony
 
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