Hi everyone

PeteWolf said:

I'm 64 years old and newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes which is currently being treated with diet only.
I know I need to lose weight but I also have high cholesterol.
It's a bit of a nightmare trying to juggle low carb and low fat diet and keep costs down.
I'm used to big filling (carby) meals and find it difficult to stick to less.

Click to expand...

Try low carb and *high* fat instead perhaps? I doubt it will raise the cholesterol and it may reduce hunger too. The big filling carby meals will need to become a memory only, I think, being probably the cause of the problem in the first place. I can sympathise, would love to have a pizza with a pile of fries, but would not have an equal love for future insulin injections and then the complications. It’s the bind we’re in, I’m afraid. Be positive, you can control this thing if you play your carbs right.

PeteWolf said:

I'm 64 years old and newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes which is currently being treated with diet only.
I know I need to lose weight but I also have high cholesterol.
It's a bit of a nightmare trying to juggle low carb and low fat diet and keep costs down.
I'm used to big filling (carby) meals and find it difficult to stick to less.

Click to expand...

Hi and welcome

I really appreciate your concerns over your cholesterol level. I had the same when i was diagnosed T2.

I will share some information which I hope will help you.

Before my diagnosis I ate a lot of carbs and low fat products as I thought fat was bad for me and didnt realise how eating excessive amounts of carbs was negatively impacting on my health.

After my diagnosis I discovered the low carb way of eating and to my amazement I also discovered that there are in fact lots of healthy fats. When I included more of these in my meals the carb cravings miraculously disappeared.

Yes a low carb diet does tend to go hand in hand with a slightly higher amount of fat in your diet but there are so many good fats to choose from. More info here:


Fats keep you full for longer, I rarely feel hungry, don't get cravings and don't feel the need for snacks. Of the 3 macro nutrients, carbs, proteins and fats, the fats hardly put blood sugars up (see attached). So these are the reasons why a low carb diet is great for both weight loss and for blood sugar control.

Almost 5 years ago when I started on my low carb way of eating I was worried about how it might effect my cholesterol - I read up as much as I could and what I found out put my mind at rest.

Great thread on Diabetes.co.uk forum packed full of info on cholesterol:


If you enjoy reading I found this book very informative:


The author has done videos and podcasts which you can find online.

When I go to the Dr for my regular checks I ask for a FULL LIPID PROFILE re cholesterol as the overall figure (which most GPs focus on ) doesn't tell me much. I'm not sure whether you had a full lipid profile cholesterol blood test (the blood test that measures the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood which includes a breakdown of HDL, LDL and Triglycerides).

Here is the link to the calculator I use to check my results:


My results over all the years are in the 'optimal' range so I'm absolutely delighted.

More info on cholesterol and triglycerides here:


Low fat/fat free/reduced fat/no sugar products are not as healthy as you might think. Low fat products have the fat taken out (the tasty bit!) and usually have sugar / sweeteners and undesirable ingredients added. So low fat can = higher carb

I'm only sharing my experience and info i feel might interest you, it's certainly not advice. Obviously you have to do what feels right for you.

PeteWolf said:

I'm 64 years old and newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes which is currently being treated with diet only.
I know I need to lose weight but I also have high cholesterol.
It's a bit of a nightmare trying to juggle low carb and low fat diet and keep costs down.
I'm used to big filling (carby) meals and find it difficult to stick to less.

Click to expand...

Hi @PeteWolf

Welcome to the forum.
One of the friendliest I've been on,
And in terms of type 2 diabetes, by far the most knowledgeable, imho

No 1 tip...buy a glucose meter.

After that, I'd second what others have said, and certainly suggest a good read of @Debandez links.. a very worthwhile use of your time.

Deffo ask docs for a full lipid panel ... AND ask to given the results of any blood work .

The numbers are important .
They are yours, so do ask for them.

I too, once I was aware, used the calculator @Debandez links to

Backtracking my bloods from 8 years BEFORE being diagnosed, my report on that calculator put me at very high risk on every level for 8 years of 'healthy low fat low cal' eating .

I was very cautious attempting the LCHF diet, i just dipped a toe in at first, but once I saw it working for me, I was fully immersed after a month or two.

Great thing was not only did I lose weight AND get my HBA1c down from 58 to 40..I also got every single lipid market from high risk to optimal or good, all while eating possibly the best I ever have, on food I used to avoid because it "wasn't healthy".

If it helps, not sure how others see it, but personally the LCHF for me is simply Better fats.

More olive oil, butter NOT margarines & meat with the fat left on.

Food we have eaten for generations, and not some chemicals knocked up in a lab over the last 50 or so years.

And I'll admit pre LCHF I ate a lot. ...
Breakfast, elevens's, lunch, mid afternoon snack , evening meal, and a sneaky late night supper .

Now ?...i just don't feel that hunger, anymore.

Many times I just have an evening meal.

The joy of the forum is, it IS other people's journeys from where you are now, ...what they did, what worked best, what didn't work so well. People who have been exactly where you are now.

My advice to that earlier ME , if I could go back to that week of diagnosis (DX)

Read up, try things out...you might be pleasantly surprised.
AND
When deciding how & what to incorporate into a LCHF way of eating.(WOE)....

Make it things you CAN do, AND things YOU enjoy.

I Tried most things, some were just 'yuk' and some too much trouble to make ..so I settled for real food I could buy and cook.

'Meat that looks like meat
And Veg that looks like veg'

We all get to choose our own path.

Because this isn't a diet as many know them, this is a lifestyle choice.


Good luck finding the things that work for you .

PeteWolf said:

I'm 64 years old and newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes which is currently being treated with diet only.
I know I need to lose weight but I also have high cholesterol.
It's a bit of a nightmare trying to juggle low carb and low fat diet and keep costs down.
I'm used to big filling (carby) meals and find it difficult to stick to less.

Click to expand...

Hi PeteWolf,

Welcome to the forums.

I think a lot of us felt just like you when not only do we get diagnosed but when we finally find these forums.
I only joined about 3 months ago although diagnosed about 12/13 years ago and really had no idea what to eat or how to keep the costs down, but now I find I'm not really spending more to be on a Low Carb diet and it is working for me. Not only is it lowering my blood sugar levels but it has lowered my cholesterol too in a good way.

I agree with the others, buy a BG test meter and some strips then test just before eating and 2 hours after eating, that will show you what keeps your levels low and what doesn't. The meter will become your best friend I promise and will guide you in the right direction.
Remember you can eat as much meat, fish eggs, cheese, above ground veg, use butter, try Full Fat Greek Yoghurt and eat enough to fill yourself then it's doubtful you will feel hungry between meals as jjraak said above.
I personally eat more above ground veg as well as meat now and if I feel I need a snack I simply have a small Greek Yoghurt, it is very rare I get hungry between meals now. Bacon and eggs make a great breakfast.

Please do keep coming back and let us know how you are getting on