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Hi Folks

chris9996

chris9996

Well-Known Member
Messages
111
Location
Scotland
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Vegetables
Hi, I thought I would tell you a little (or a lot) about myself. I am new to forums, but have seen so much on this site that I feel as though I belong here.
I have been Type 2 diabetic for nearly 17 years, most of that time I am ashamed to admit uncontrolled. One of the first symptoms I had was rapid weight loss and as I have fought with my weight all my life, this was great news. Eventually I went to my GP when I was drinking an entire teapot of tea before work, he tested my blood and my reading was 28, he immediately put me onto Metformin. I went into denial and actively sought out sugary foods, also my normal working week was in excess of 90 hours and mealtimes were very sporadic. Management would pay for an office “takeaway” when we were beyond our normal working hours (perhaps 4 times weekly) and that would off course be unhealthy foods. I was in such a state that when I sat down at home, I was out like a light. I thought the tiredness; lethargy, mood swings, and headaches etc were all because of the hours I was working; now I know better.
As I had quite a few health issues I was already taking a cocktail of pills throughout the day and when I was immediately put onto Metformin, then Simvistatin and Fenofibrate for cholesterol I started to gag at all the pills. So, in my mind, don’t take the pills and you can continue to lose weight rapidly led me to stopping all my medications altogether. Eventually I saw a Psychologist and to cut a long story short started my meds again. My diet hadn’t changed, so my glucose levels were still in double figures.
I have had arthritis for a long time, and one night at work, suddenly I couldn’t straighten up, couldn’t lift a stapler, couldn’t do anything. I was in so much pain I couldn’t even sit down. I had to get my sister to come and collect me, I couldn’t drive. X-rays were done and I was told my spine was crumbling. Eventually 9 months later, I was told that I wouldn’t work again. At 38, this was devastating; I went into depression and had more than enough self-pity to keep me eating the wrong foods. I could now eat all day if I wanted to.
Eight years ago I was hospitalised for something bowel related, but the doctors insisted it was my diabetes and insisted I go onto Insulin. That still didn’t make me see sense; I still gave in to chocolate and cakes, biscuits and chips. At my worst, I was injecting 105 units twice a day and taking Victoza too. I was now at my heaviest 17st,
Three years ago, I joined Weightwatchers and within 30 days my BG levels were within the accepted limits. Wow!!! I lost 49 lbs in 18 months and all with no exercise (I spend 90% of my day, sitting or lying down) and I was now only injecting 16 units in the morning and 10 at night, the consultant told me I might be able to get off the Insulin all together. Then the weight-loss came to a standstill. Slowly the weight started creeping on and eventually I was off the eating plan all together and have now re-gained 28 lbs and am back to injecting 80 units morning and 85 at night.
I now have diabetic complications Retinopathy, Maculopathy, Peripheral Neuropathy, Autonomic Neuropathy and laterally Gastro paresis

Then I found this site. I have spent many evenings reading and reading from it, I have learned more in the last 4 weeks than I have done in the previous 17 years. You are sending out such positive energy and I would like some of it too. Sounds silly but I did not look at carbs as being a problem till now.

Sorry for waffling on, but I look forward to making friends and finally coming to terms with this disease.

Thanks
Chris :wave:
 
Hi Chris and welcome to the forum :)

Thank you for telling us your story which will be very interesting and instructive to members. If you need to know anything just ask a question and someone will be able to help. I think from your post that you have already read the information for new members but in case you haven't, here it is.


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 well over 70,000 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 ... rains.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

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 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.
 
Thanks Daisy for the welcome and the information, yes I have read it but its good to see it again.
Chris :thumbup:
 
Welcome Chris

Your here that's the main thing :)
 
Hi Chris,

Your experience with the Weight Watchers programme and the benefits of the subsequent weight loss shows that you can improve your health if sufficiently motivated. All too often though, as you found out, people stall, stop losing weight and then put it back on again.

Time is a big problem. Modern working patterns do not help you to eat properly and do some exercise and, if you can manage that problem and search out and prepare your own foods and take some walks, the benefits you have seen will return. It's not easy though. After a long day, people find it easier to take a pizza out of the freezer and simply stick it in the oven.

Packing your own lunches will mean planning what you buy in and getting up early to prepare it, but you can eat better than gloupy fat and sugar filled take away meals with a little knowledge and practice. If you get yourself a slow cooker for about £15, you can bung in lots of nutritious ingredients and come back to a warm ready meal, one in which you have had control of what goes in. Homemade soups and a good thermos flask are very handy too as are some good lunch boxes.

In short, make food a fun and inventive aspect of your life. I have even rediscovered the pleasure of going out on picnics.
 
:joyful: Hi and thanks for the replies and welcomes Mo, Turvell, Andy12345 and Yorksman.

Unfortunatley now due to my health, I am at home most of the time, I am not able to stand or sit for very long but I can pain permitting, walk short distances, this has meant that my sister who is also my carer has to do most of the cooking. She is partially sighted but between the two of us we get there. It means that we live mostly on processed foods - easy to take from the freezer and put into the oven/microwave. She is not safe with knives most of the time and my arthritic hands restricts the prep work we can do, but as you say Yorksman, we can and do make soup (using frozen veg - I am not a lover of vegetables) and freeze it and that makes it easy to heat on days when neither of us are fit. My days of takeaway meals are resticted thankfully and now that I know more about carbs, we are going to try and avoid or at least curtail them as much as we can. My biggest downfall is sweet foods but I found that when I could get off the chocolate for a couple of weeks that the cravings were much reduced, so that's the road to get back onto.

You are also so right, the Weightwatchers years showed me so much, and gave me so many benefits that I now know even without the exercise component I can get my glucose levels and weight back down.
Chris
BTW - like this new layout, and, I hit the wrong key and logged myself off mid sentence, and when I logged back in, this post was waiting for me :woot:
 
Hi cath

Welcome, you'll find this a great place for info!
 
Hi Beachbag,
Thanks and yes I too am coming in most days, as you say there is so much to read, :happy: I keep getting lost or going off on a tangent to find out about another piece of information within the site, and then trying to find my way back to the last post I read :watching: I am so grateful that there are so many people out there with this disease who are willing to share their experiences positive and negative.
Chris:writer:
 
Hello I'm just new dx and still very much learning
 
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