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Help and advice needed

R

Robhj73

Member
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi, I'm failing miserably in managing my type 2 diabetes which I've had for 2 years now, my main issue is anger, not violence I'd like to add just terrible mood swings which effect my relationship with my wife and 2 to young children who are aged 1 and 3, i really need to take hold of this problem and I'm reaching out for any advice on eating and most of all how to keep on the right path without being tempted and telling myself it won't hurt this time, I'm thoroughly fed up with failing and just don't know where to turn, I gave up smoking 4 years ago and just can't seem to find the same will power I had then, help anyone??
 
Robhj73 said:
Hi, I'm failing miserably in managing my type 2 diabetes which I've had for 2 years now, my main issue is anger, not violence I'd like to add just terrible mood swings which effect my relationship with my wife and 2 to young children who are aged 1 and 3, i really need to take hold of this problem and I'm reaching out for any advice on eating and most of all how to keep on the right path without being tempted and telling myself it won't hurt this time, I'm thoroughly fed up with failing and just don't know where to turn, I gave up smoking 4 years ago and just can't seem to find the same will power I had then, help anyone??
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Hi @Robhj73

Welcome to the forums. You're in the right place for advice mate.

You need to be aware that all carbohydrates turn into glucose in the body. So think about the bad boys, rice, pasta, bread and potatoes. Don't cut them out straight away but think carefully about reducing portion sizes.

Do you have a test meter? If not, think about getting one to monitor your glucose levels.

For about 3 years before being diagnosed I was always losing my rag with the missus, looking back I don't know how she put up with it. But do realise that it's likely to have something to do with high glucose levels, especially if you were a thoroughly nice chap before.

As for the temptation thing. I'd suggest that you give in to it! What I mean by that is, make sure you give yourself a reward for your hard work. You don't have to go mad, just a bit of chocolate or whatever your vice is. You have something to look forward to and it helps to keep you sane.

Keep asking questions and good luck. I will ask @daisy1 to give you some extra info.
 
urbanracer said:
Hi @Robhj73

Welcome to the forums. You're in the right place for advice mate.

You need to be aware that all carbohydrates turn into glucose in the body. So think about the bad boys, rice, pasta, bread and potatoes. Don't cut them out straight away but think carefully about reducing portion sizes.

Do you have a test meter? If not, think about getting one to monitor your glucose levels.

For about 3 years before being diagnosed I was always losing my rag with the missus, looking back I don't know how she put up with it. But do realise that it's likely to have something to do with high glucose levels, especially if you were a thoroughly nice chap before.

As for the temptation thing. I'd suggest that you give in to it! What I mean by that is, make sure you give yourself a reward for your hard work. You don't have to go mad, just a bit of chocolate or whatever your vice is. You have something to look forward to and it helps to keep you sane.

Keep asking questions and good luck. I will ask @daisy1 to give you some extra info.
Click to expand...

Hey @Robhj73,

As urbanracer said - Rewards do work a great deal. I was struggling to control my mood swings and anger as well since I had to give up the things I loved to eat. But rather than giving them up entirely I slowly cut them down to smaller portions and later to rewards (mini - portions now).

Now my BG levels are stable within a range (120-200mg/dL). Still high I know, but I'm getting there slowly. And if you feel you need to vent or getting seriously angry then try to walk it off. It works wonders believe me. Plus it helps to lower BG too. So it's a win-win.

Hope my advice helps.
 
I've found doing something helps - something to distract you from your thoughts. Either that or if you can go out for a walk - clear your head and get some exercise at the same time. Sounds like you had things under control before so hopefully you can do it again.
 
Robhj73 said:
Cheers mate thanks for taking the time to respond, much appreciated
Click to expand...

Just a quick additional bit of info.

Depending on your information source, the government's reference value for daily carbohydrate intake is 250/260grams. So it's something to bear in mind if you do start counting carbs - you can at least make an assessment of your current diet. When looking at carbs on food labels, ignore the of which sugars bit, it doesn't matter to us.

As a T1 on insulin I eat about 120g (give or take a few) but many T2's on the forums here have a much lower intake. Look at the Low Carb High Fat section of the diet and nutrition area and see if it's right for you, - it may not suit everybody.
 
Hi and welcome Rob. Loads of friendly advice, no question too small, and definitely no judgements, so you're at the right place. Don't worry about "failure", you've made the effort to join a forum and try and get some help so all will be well. What kind of problems are you having? As mentioned, a meter is vital in keeping track of your blood glucose levels, and it really helps to figure out what you can eat safely, and what might affect you - we do have a tendency to disagree with the standard NHS dietary advice here, primarily because it doesn't work for a lot of us. And actually makes things worse..

Is it meals or snacks or both that you're struggling with?
 
@Robhj73

Hello and welcome to the forum :) As mentioned above, here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find this is the sort of advice on diet you are looking for. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to 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 over 150,000 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

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

LOW CARB PROGRAM:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/low carb program


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 bloodglucose 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.
 
Do you get more angry when you are hungry? If you are able to test blood sugar levels you may find it relates to low blood sugars and /or carb crash. My husband is amazed by how much more of an even keel i've been on since giving up sugar and cutting right down on carbs (now eating the low carb high fats way and loving it).
Will power doesn't seem to be an issue on the LCHF eating plan as I have never felt hungry since starting this way of eating - now a lifestyle choice. also feel much healthier all round which helps to make it easy to stick with.

I deal with any feelings of deprivation by not depriving myself of anything but trying to keep them for 'off-plan days' so maybe once a week i relax and have whatever I like (although I rarely crave carbs nowadays). Then it's not a failure but a planned deviation from my course and I get right back on it afterwards. I do allow myself a couple of squares of dark chocolate on a daily basis and a glass of red wine and knowing I can have these treats keeps me sane. Good luck on getting everything under control. You're in the right place for support and getting answers to any questions.
 
ladybird64 said:
Hi and welcome Rob. Loads of friendly advice, no question too small, and definitely no judgements, so you're at the right place. Don't worry about "failure", you've made the effort to join a forum and try and get some help so all will be well. What kind of problems are you having? As mentioned, a meter is vital in keeping track of your blood glucose levels, and it really helps to figure out what you can eat safely, and what might affect you - we do have a tendency to disagree with the standard NHS dietary advice here, primarily because it doesn't work for a lot of us. And actually makes things worse..

Is it meals or snacks or both that you're struggling with?
Click to expand...
Hi,
Many thanks for your help and advice, if I'm honest I'm not coping at all with knowing what I can and can't eat, my gp refused to give me a meter saying it wasn't necessary, so I guess I'm better off buying my own, again I wouldn't know what kind, my lifestyle doesn't help, I do shift work which consists of nights and days and also have 2 toddlers aged 1 and 3 so sleepless nights is something that is not going to go away for a while, my eating times are irregular so I need to nail a routine with the right foods to feel as good as I can, all in all it adds up to mood swings, tiredness and feeling down, I want to turn things around for my wife and girls as much as for myself but need a starting point with the right information, joining the forum was a cry for help as I feel even my doctor doesn't understand the life changes only the symptoms, I look forward to reading any advice you you may be able to offer and thank you in advance
Rob.
 
Serious question: what do you do to relieve stress?

It sounds like you have a lot going on in your life (some good and some bad) that would make anyone stress out.

Fortunately, part of my diabetes management also happens to be some of my stress relievers. If I have a bad day at work or at home, I'll go to the gym. The good thing about a set of dumbbells is that you can be as angry and rude as you want to them and it won't hurt anything. Plus, the meaner I am towards them, the better I feel the next day.

If I'm not up to going to the gym, I'll go for a run. That usually gives me about an hour of time to think through all of my frustrations until I eventually work them out, get bored of myself, and head back to the house.

Don't get me wrong, I haven't always been this way throughout my adult life. I had to learn how to make those things my outs and I've had my fair share of anger and stress issues.

EDIT- I'm currently trying to make cooking another way to relieve stress. There's something artistic about being able to cook a meal. Plus, what's better than art that you can eat?
 
@Robhj73 on the information that daisy posted there is a link to a low carb programme. This maybe a good starting point for you. If you go to the low carb section of the forum there is a thread , low carb everything you need to know in 60 seconds, this has a link to a brilliant website. There is also the thread, low carb- what have you eaten today. Reading the posts on this will give you ideas of what other people are eating. I use myfitnesspal website to track my calories and carbs. I hope you find the help you need. Ask questions as there are always people here who will help.
 
Robhj73 said:
Hi,
Many thanks for your help and advice, if I'm honest I'm not coping at all with knowing what I can and can't eat, my gp refused to give me a meter saying it wasn't necessary, so I guess I'm better off buying my own, again I wouldn't know what kind, my lifestyle doesn't help, I do shift work which consists of nights and days and also have 2 toddlers aged 1 and 3 so sleepless nights is something that is not going to go away for a while, my eating times are irregular so I need to nail a routine with the right foods to feel as good as I can, all in all it adds up to mood swings, tiredness and feeling down, I want to turn things around for my wife and girls as much as for myself but need a starting point with the right information, joining the forum was a cry for help as I feel even my doctor doesn't understand the life changes only the symptoms, I look forward to reading any advice you you may be able to offer and thank you in advance
Rob.
Click to expand...

Hi Rob. I've been diagnosed T2 for about 4 yrs now, but have now finally decided that I have to take control of the diabetes and not it of me. I've been on the LCHF diet for just over a week and it has helped me greatly. I don't want to kill my husband anymore! My mood swings have decreased, I do get the odd urge to throttle him, but not on an hourly basis :) I have just got the SD Codefree meter and am waiting until my old testing strips run out on my old machine to use it. This machine is a fraction of the price for lancets and the machine purchase won't need a bank loan either! I got mine from Amazon
Codefree Blood Glucose Monitor/Monitoring Test/Testing Kit+Strips+Lancets+Case - in mmol/L

from SD Biosensor
cost me £12.99 plus I got 100 testing strips for £13.99
100 Strips - SD Codefree Blood Glucose Monitor/Monitoring Test/Testing Kit Replacement Strips

from SD Biosensor

The strips for my old machine are £13.99 for 50 from Amazon and £27.08 locally!

Remember to take time for yourself and also maybe you and your wife could have 'time out' from the kids too! Ask your wife to look at this forum and she can understand more about this condition.
 
Another one here who has been told I am much easier to live with since I have been eating low carb and have my blood sugars under some form of control, I also feel so much better and happier (even with the diagnosis!).

Torq makes a really good point about stress relievers, we all need to do somethng that acts as go to "me time" in times of stress. I have taken up swimming and walking and find that that time to my self (just half an hour will do it) makes a real difference.

Really recommend the dietdoctor website. They do a two week low carb challenge which is a fantastic introduction and effectively tells you what to do.

Good luck and keep asking questions, this lot are a great help and very knowledgeable.
 
berylc said:
Hi Rob. I've been diagnosed T2 for about 4 yrs now, but have now finally decided that I have to take control of the diabetes and not it of me. I've been on the LCHF diet for just over a week and it has helped me greatly. I don't want to kill my husband anymore! My mood swings have decreased, I do get the odd urge to throttle him, but not on an hourly basis :) I have just got the SD Codefree meter and am waiting until my old testing strips run out on my old machine to use it. This machine is a fraction of the price for lancets and the machine purchase won't need a bank loan either! I got mine from Amazon
Codefree Blood Glucose Monitor/Monitoring Test/Testing Kit+Strips+Lancets+Case - in mmol/L

from SD Biosensor
cost me £12.99 plus I got 100 testing strips for £13.99
100 Strips - SD Codefree Blood Glucose Monitor/Monitoring Test/Testing Kit Replacement Strips

from SD Biosensor

The strips for my old machine are £13.99 for 50 from Amazon and £27.08 locally!

Remember to take time for yourself and also maybe you and your wife could have 'time out' from the kids too! Ask your wife to look at this forum and she can understand more about this condition.
Click to expand...
Hi, thank you very much for your advice, I've been overwhelmed with the amount of responses I have had I definitely made the right choice joining this site. I have now ordered my meter from amazon and look forward to getting some control.
Thanks again
Rob
 
Lindy1706 said:
Another one here who has been told I am much easier to live with since I have been eating low carb and have my blood sugars under some form of control, I also feel so much better and happier (even with the diagnosis!).

Torq makes a really good point about stress relievers, we all need to do somethng that acts as go to "me time" in times of stress. I have taken up swimming and walking and find that that time to my self (just half an hour will do it) makes a real difference.

Really recommend the dietdoctor website. They do a two week low carb challenge which is a fantastic introduction and effectively tells you what to do.

Good luck and keep asking questions, this lot are a great help and very knowledgeable.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for your advice, I've struggled with being a moody sod as it's not me and my wife is delighted I joined this site as it proves it can be managed!
Thanks again
 
Robhj73 said:
Hi, thank you very much for your advice, I've been overwhelmed with the amount of responses I have had I definitely made the right choice joining this site. I have now ordered my meter from amazon and look forward to getting some control.
Thanks again
Rob
Click to expand...

Nice one, keep in touch.;)
 
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