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Help! Newly diagnosed and hungry!

Starfish18

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,080
Location
Sutton-in-Ashfield
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes on Friday and from Friday I've been trying really hard to be lchf but for the past 2 days I've been feeling hungry and I don't know what to snack on I'm trying so hard no to eat anything I shouldn't. Granted my diet is probably not the best yet as I try and get my head around it all and I've not got my meter yet (it's in order)
An idea of what I'm eating
*A bounce breakfast bar (no idea if this is a good idea or not it's 13g of carbs per bar and I have to have something quick due to me being up and out for work)
* lunch is 2 slices of hi lo (or Hovis Lower carb) bread with butter and meat (not sure having bread every day is a good idea but I don't know what else to have yet as I'm on the go all day, with work.and don't have access to a fridge so need something that would keep in my bag
* snack 25g of mixed nuts and maybe a bag of metcalfes skinny popcorn the cinema sweet one.
*dinner tonight I had an omelette made with 2 eggs
* snack walkers sensations poppadoms
Im not that hungry atm but if I did feel hungry again I was thinking of having a few berries (raspberries, blackberry and blackberry's) with double cream and I have some 85% dark chocolate to try
Please tell me where I am going wrong and point me in the right direction as I'm trying so hard to get this right without the need of medication
Tia.
 
Hi. That diet isn't too bad. Just keep going with the lower carbs. Set yourself a daily total of something below 150gm and possibly below 100gm if you can. Have enough fats and proteins to keep you feeling full. You new meter will guide you.
 
Daibell said:
Hi. That diet isn't too bad. Just keep going with the lower carbs. Set yourself a daily total of something below 150gm and possibly below 100gm if you can. Have enough fats and proteins to keep you feeling full. You new meter will guide you.
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Thank you. It's good to know I'm heading in the right direction at least. Im trying to stick to about 90g of carbs a day atm, that is low for me considering most of my food was carbs before I was diagnosed

I can't wait to get my meter...
 
Starfish18 said:
Thank you. It's good to know I'm heading in the right direction at least. Im trying to stick to about 90g of carbs a day atm, that is low for me considering most of my food was carbs before I was diagnosed

I can't wait to get my meter...
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It can take a couple of weeks to fully lose the carb cravings. Are you having enough fat to compensate for the reduced carbs? it will help with feeling full for longer too.
 
lucylocket61 said:
It can take a couple of weeks to fully lose the carb cravings. Are you having enough fat to compensate for the reduced carbs? it will help with feeling full for longer too.
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I'm probably not having enough fat atm no. what low carb fatty things could I eat? All I can think of is cheese atm
 
Charis1213 said:
How many carbs do you eat a day , I want up mine when i get my blood result back end of the month because want more variety in my diet ? please and thank you
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for variety look here: https://www.dietdoctor.com/

I have 80-100g of carbs a day, mainly from veg, as I have a digestive condition too. See what your meter results tell you when deciding how to eat and what to eat. Its the best way of knowing if something is OK.
 
thanks i deleted my post cos i saw you have quoted how many in your signature lol, okay i will try that when the time is right and see what happens . thank you .
 
Starfish. Your probably eating a day what I eat a week carb wise.

Popadoms, popcorn, bread are high and the breakfast bar will be bad carbs too.

Your hungry because your blood Sugars are up and down. High's followed by big lows which will trigger a hunger response.

Myself. Greek youghert some cream as bfast and a small tuna salad with mayonase will see me from 5 am to 7pm.

Granted I have chosen the more extreme end of things eating maybe 20g a day. I have only started to feel hungry now my body fat is low. Increasing my dietary fat slightly has stopped it.
 
Hi

I am fairly new to this too. I started LCHF on the 3rd of January and before my diagnosis my whole day was spent eating carbs, chocolate etc. I was always hungry. I'd lay in bed at night planning what to have when i woke.
Now I can hand on heart say I have lost my cravings, I'm no longer hungry, I feel so much better more energy and so on.
I went all in and cut all bread, rice, pasta, cakes, chocolate on day one and generally stick to 30g a day now. It took a week to kick in and most days now I fast for at least 16 hours without even trying.
Just trying to give you a perspective from a newcomer...this forum is amazing and they all are so helpful and encouraging.
Good luck
 
I have been lchf since November last year, i also went straight into and cut all carbs , I do get hungry sometimes I have to admit , but I have a coffee made with double cream and a 25g of dark chocolate and this satisfies me , the chocolate does not raise my numbers either which is good . I love milk chocolate but I have got used to 70 percent dark chocolate (cannot tolerate higher ) makes me ill .
 
Hi @Starfish18 ,

Do you have a meter? Because you can't really tell if the amount of carbs you're ingesting is low enough to impact your diabetes as much as you want it to, if you don't. If you test before a meal, and 2 hours after first bite, you shouldn't see a rise of more than 2.0 mmol/l. Anything higher than that means the meal was carbier than you could process. As for hunger, the pangs will go, especially if you, as others mentioned, up the fats. Snack on cheese (BabyBel, Laughing Cow?), boiled egg, bag of pork scratchings (I prefer mine with mayo), bifi sausages, extra dark chocolate, nuts, that sort of thing... (The poppadoms and popcorn aren't doing you any favours, carb-wise). Thing is, if you eat carbs, you'll crave carbs. As in, you'll be hungry again a few hours after. Try compensating with fats and maybe hot tea or something, anything that'll make your stomach fill up.

Not a fan of bread either, but then, I have the luxury of being around my kitchen 80% of the time. Can see how being on the move could make things difficult. Ever thought of wrapping ham and cheese together with some butter in between? Cold omelet used as a wrap with cold cuts, salad, whatever? In any case... I hope you'll find some excellent ideas over on dietdoctor.com too, and feel better soon! Being hungry all the time's no fun.
 
Google keto muffins. You can make savoury egg and bacon to keep in the freezer. Grab as you go out the door! All sorts of options open to you.

You are only just starting on this journey so baby steps. It is a steep learning curve but it will all fall into place.

Your meter will be your new best friend. I found with the hi lo bread was that one slice was fine but two slices gave me a huge spike. We are all different and you will find your own way.
 
Hi. Are you able to tell us your HbA1c on diagnosis? This would give us a reasonable ballpark idea of your insulin sensitivity. If it’s a fairly low number then you may be able to effectively manage your condition on a reasonably low carb diet that allows some leeway. If it’s extremely high then normally a much more intensive or even ketogenic approach may be preferred.
 
Hello my Hba1c was 95 on diagnosis so quite high
 
Crikey that is some number.

Get that meter and check everything. You can bring it down. Just needs some commitment.

And.. .. Probably ignore 90% of your doctors diet advice as it will most likely be the standard shpeil that is wrong.
 
@Starfish18 do you have a M&S food hall or Simply Food (at many BP garages) anywhere near you? They have a good range of low carb deli things to grab and eat on the run, eg. serrano ham and Manchego rolitos, protein pot with hardboiled egg and spinach, cold meats (their corned beef is moist and fab), small salad pots and lots more. All the best.
 
Starfish18 said:
Hello my Hba1c was 95 on diagnosis so quite high
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Gee. Ok. That is quite a high number. Without wishing to cause undue alarm, that equates approximately to an average blood glucose concentration somewhere in the region of ~15mmol/L. Ideally you’d want to be at around half of that in order to be considered to have your diabetes under control. It would seem that your level of insulin resistance is quite significant.

But - and here’s the awesome part - you have landed in the right place to learn how to get it down. I won’t recommend any course of action, but were I in your shoes, and knowing what I now know about the disease and its progression, I’d be considering quite an intensive reduction in consumption of all carbohydrate, and perhaps, initially, even moderating protein intake. In this instance you’d have to use dietary fat as your primary fuel source.

Lots of reading to do here on the forums, so relax and kickback. You will find varying opinions here of course, but on the whole you’ll see that everyone is incredibly helpful and eager to answer any questions. Good luck! A new and improved way of life lies ahead
 
So 95 is a High start point. But remember this - the average life of a blood cell is about 12 weeks. The key therefore is to look after the new ones. The old ones will die off. You can get from 95 to healthy in 3-4 months. Not easy (as you are finding already) but achievable.
On the subject of fat, you clearly like eggs so why not hard boil a few each week and have them on standby as fillers. Works for me. Greek yogurt (full fat) is great, and yes cheese. Doesn't get boring and loads of varieties to choose from.
Nuts are also good in moderation, and if you like walnuts then they are good for Omega 3.
I would defo get a meter if you can afford to test regularly.
Here is a blog I wrote about my first 50 days - you may find it helpful:

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/type-2-my-first-50-days.2190/
 
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