Hello I am new to this...told I am prediabetes ... need to lose approx 3 Stone ... just joined Slimming World.... am I doing correct thing... any help or advice most welcome... if being honest I have not been managing my eating habits BUT now know I need to get real about it... unfortunately I have a very sweet tooth NIGHTMARE!!
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HELP! I am New to all of This
- Thread starter BAK
- Start Date
Bluetit1802
Legend
Hello and welcome,
You have certainly done the right thing by coming to this forum! It is the best place to be for help and support as we are all diabetics of one sort or another with a wealth of experience we are willing to share.
Slimming World and Weight Watchers are personal, and useful if you prefer group support. However, you need to adapt their dietary suggestions. They are aimed at weight loss, but not at diabetes. These are not the same things. Certainly you need to lose weight, but you also need to control your blood sugar levels, so you need to find a suitable and sustainable diet that will do both of these things, and not just in the short term, but forever.
First of all, I strongly advise you to buy a blood glucose monitor and plenty of test strips. Without one you are working blind and guessing. A monitor will guide you in all your food choices because you can test immediately before you eat and again 2 hours after first bite to see what your reaction has been to the food eaten. If your rise in levels from before to after is too much, it gives you the chance to tweak and amend that meal.. This may mean small portion sizes of the carbs or eliminating some completely.
You also need to learn how to read nutrition labels on packaged food, and find the Total Carbohydrate amount (ignore the of which sugars). You may have a big shock when you look through your cupboards at some of the packets in there. Anything with more than 10g per 100g (10%) is very dicey. (unless of course you are only going to eat a teaspoonful) ALL carbs turn to sugar once eaten.
I am tagging @daisy1 as she has very useful information for newcomers. Meanwhile, have a good look round and read as much as you can. Ask questions - that is how we learn, and there are no silly questions.
You have certainly done the right thing by coming to this forum! It is the best place to be for help and support as we are all diabetics of one sort or another with a wealth of experience we are willing to share.
Slimming World and Weight Watchers are personal, and useful if you prefer group support. However, you need to adapt their dietary suggestions. They are aimed at weight loss, but not at diabetes. These are not the same things. Certainly you need to lose weight, but you also need to control your blood sugar levels, so you need to find a suitable and sustainable diet that will do both of these things, and not just in the short term, but forever.
First of all, I strongly advise you to buy a blood glucose monitor and plenty of test strips. Without one you are working blind and guessing. A monitor will guide you in all your food choices because you can test immediately before you eat and again 2 hours after first bite to see what your reaction has been to the food eaten. If your rise in levels from before to after is too much, it gives you the chance to tweak and amend that meal.. This may mean small portion sizes of the carbs or eliminating some completely.
You also need to learn how to read nutrition labels on packaged food, and find the Total Carbohydrate amount (ignore the of which sugars). You may have a big shock when you look through your cupboards at some of the packets in there. Anything with more than 10g per 100g (10%) is very dicey. (unless of course you are only going to eat a teaspoonful) ALL carbs turn to sugar once eaten.
I am tagging @daisy1 as she has very useful information for newcomers. Meanwhile, have a good look round and read as much as you can. Ask questions - that is how we learn, and there are no silly questions.
Mal37
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 282
- Location
- Staffordshire
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Social situations
Welcome to the Forum ... and you will finde out so much on here .. although it all takes time to digest.
Guzzler
Master
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- 10,577
- Type of diabetes
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- Diet only
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- Poor grammar, bullying and drunks.
Welcome to the Forum ... and you will finde out so much on here .. although it all takes time to digest.
I see what you did there
shelley262
Expert
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Hi and welcome to the forum @BAK
You may find it useful to look at this thread
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today.75781/page-708#post-1774095
Us low carbers write down what we eat that day and also share successful ideas and recipes including sweets and treats that can keep you going that’s if you decide to go down the low carb healthy fats route - by which method those of us who follow it have lowered both our blood glucose and weight / maintained weight loss in some cases.
You may find it useful to look at this thread
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today.75781/page-708#post-1774095
Us low carbers write down what we eat that day and also share successful ideas and recipes including sweets and treats that can keep you going that’s if you decide to go down the low carb healthy fats route - by which method those of us who follow it have lowered both our blood glucose and weight / maintained weight loss in some cases.
daisy1
Legend
- Messages
- 26,457
- Location
- Switzerland
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Cruelty towards animals.
@BAK
Hello BAK and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it both interesting and useful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will try to 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 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:
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
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
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.
Hello BAK and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it both interesting and useful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will try to 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 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
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
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
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.
Welcome @BAK . You are doing the right thing if you want to try to slow or stop the progression into diabetes. You are lucky that you are at the pre-diabetic stage and so the adjustments you need to make are less than if you have been diabetic for a number of years without knowing. For many years the advice to diabetics was to cut down their carbohydrate intake because all carbs are turned into sugars as part of the digestive process. What you need to do is make your body use the fat it stored, slow and steady wins that race.
I would echo the advice of @Bluetit1802 to buy and use a monitor and suggest that you keep a note of the readings, I still use a simple spreadsheet. I also kept a note of exercise, mood and what I had eaten. It is a bind initially but it soon becomes a habit, and you will be able to spot patterns of sugar rises more easily. We are all different, some can eat bread others can't, some have to cut out all grains; some can tolerate a small portion of below ground vegetables others find it more difficult. You need to find what is right for your body, it is quite a rollercoaster ride at the start but hang in there, ask questions and for support on here and you will win through.
I would echo the advice of @Bluetit1802 to buy and use a monitor and suggest that you keep a note of the readings, I still use a simple spreadsheet. I also kept a note of exercise, mood and what I had eaten. It is a bind initially but it soon becomes a habit, and you will be able to spot patterns of sugar rises more easily. We are all different, some can eat bread others can't, some have to cut out all grains; some can tolerate a small portion of below ground vegetables others find it more difficult. You need to find what is right for your body, it is quite a rollercoaster ride at the start but hang in there, ask questions and for support on here and you will win through.
Daibell
Master
Hi and welcome. In general the diet advice to lose both weight and blood sugar highs is to keep the carbs down but have enough fats and proteins to keep you feeling full. SW tend to offer diets to suit 'everyone' rather than just focussing on carb reduction so be aware when following any of their diet approaches. The main value of SW, WW etc is the group spirit otherwise just having the right diet is all you need. Once you reduce the carbs and increase the fats and proteins you will find you don't feel the hunger for carbs that we have all been thru. BTW if anyone tells you to go 'Low-fat' don't take any notice as fats don't make you fat despite what we have all been told.
Resurgam
Master
- Messages
- 10,205
- Type of diabetes
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Was any reason given for you having to lose weight?
When I dropped my test results below diabetic levels the 'education' team were baffled because I had not lost more than a few pounds and they 'knew' that to get normal readings that is what I should do - so if you have been told that normal BG levels require you to lose such a specific amount of weight - that is just nonsense, but it is typical of what a lot of HCPs spout as gospel.
When I dropped my test results below diabetic levels the 'education' team were baffled because I had not lost more than a few pounds and they 'knew' that to get normal readings that is what I should do - so if you have been told that normal BG levels require you to lose such a specific amount of weight - that is just nonsense, but it is typical of what a lot of HCPs spout as gospel.
NewTD2
Well-Known Member
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- 1,563
- Type of diabetes
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- Tablets (oral)
CherryAA
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 2,170
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
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- Diet only
The one additional thing I would suggest is that for me personally my breakthrough in health came from the understanding that I need to avoid seed oils at all costs .That automatically switched my diet from any thing packaged to natural foods. Both Slimming World and Weight Watchers do not get this - so you will find many of their recipes include " healthy" packaged goods - all of which are to my mind probably poisonous because of the seed oils.
If you check out dietdoctor.com, and the recipes on this website, you will find real foods and those make it far easier to both control your carb cravings and improve metabolic health.
Pinkorchid
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 2,927
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Hi and welcome if you think that you would benefit from the support of a slimming group then that is fine. It is being with others doing the same thing and having the face to face chats and a cuppa that does help people a lot I think with Slimming World if you tell the leader of the group that you have diabetes they will adapt the diet to suit you. Contrary to what a lot of people think you do not have to buy their ready made foods My daughter..not diabetic.. swears by SW she only needed to loose just over a stone in weight and she never had their ready meals and neither did many others in the group because they were encouraged to cook meals from fresh She used their recipes and cooked meals which really suited all the family. She lost the weight and she still eats the SW way as they say it is not a diet it is a life style change and she has never put the weigh back on
