hi :) from a Type 2

[loulou5590]

hi i got diagnosed type 2 a day before new years eve, not going to lie kind of down about it all, have many questions but yeah, hello

 

[Liam1955]

@loulou5590 - Hello and Welcome. Tagging @daisy1 who will provide you with some basic information that all new members receive. Have a good read and ask any questions you may have.

 

[Prem51]

Hi @loulou5590 and welcome to the forum. It's great that you are going to take this on. You will get a lot of good advice and support on here.
Have a read round the threads and ask any questions you want.

 

[daisy1]

@loulou5590

Hello and welcome to the forum Here is the basic information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. It contains advice on carbs and levels and includes a link to the Low Carb Program which you could join. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able 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 220,000 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

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 free 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

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.

 

[himtoo]

Hi @loulou5590
just a warm welcome from me !!
lots of great people here for support !!

 

[KezG]

Hello @loulou5590 sorry you feel down at the moment but be assured you will feel more confident in a few weeks. This forum is a great source for the answers to any of the questions you may have. Welcome!

 

[loulou5590]

Hello @loulou5590 sorry you feel down at the moment but be assured you will feel more confident in a few weeks. This forum is a great source for the answers to any of the questions you may have. Welcome!

thankyou i guess part of it is i dont do well with change to anything so to be told (in my head) i CANT have orange juice (which i love) and i CANT have lots of pasta ( which i also love) along with having to carry a bg meter thingy and poke my finger 4 times a day, and take tablets, its alot to adjust to

 

[lowedb]

Yes its a lot of adjustment required. I'm kind of in the same boat as I'm only three weeks into it. I've always had pasta, rice, potatoes and bread and loved them. Sandwiches for lunch, and enjoyed the bread as well as the fillings, for thirty five years.

But I'm trying to treat it a different way, as an adventure. I'm trying LCHF and although there's things I've eaten for years I can't have, there are also things that I've avoided for years that I actually can. I used to avoid having cheese or nuts in the house, but am now eating them though in moderation. I've never been a fan of veg, either, but tried veggetti (spiralised courgette) the other day with bolognese and it was really good. I have to say I'm sceptical about making lasagne with cabbage leaves (did I say I'm not a fan of vegetables?) but will give it a go.

Regarding the meter: if you change the way you eat, the evidence seems to say you will be able to get rid of it. I'm perhaps overusing mine (7 times a day) to try to understand what foods affect me and what don't, so while it's not pleasant, and awkward to carry, maybe treat it like a useful gadget that you are working to do without.

 

[CherryAA]

On the positive side, the LCHF diet is MUCH more tasty than anything I've eaten in years.

I have had a few dinner parties so far, served up three full courses of utterly low carb food and not only had compliments but been asked for the recipes from people who don't know the slightest thing about diabetes and the food restrictions that come with it.
It takes some getting used to to realise you can eat all the stuff you have been avoiding, but for me certainly once I had grasped that - I didn't miss the pasta at all ! you might find you like your new diet!

 

[Resurgam]

I was watching TV today and saw leeks being used instead of pasta to make lasagne. There is usually some way to make the same sort of dish but in a low carb version.
When I was diagnosed I went onto low carb at once, and I have seen my blood glucose levels drop and drop week by week. I was started off on Metformin and statins, but I can't live with them. If my present diet isn't enough to control it then I will try other things, on top of even stricter low carbing. The only problem so far is that I have nothing that fits me as my waist has shrunk so much.

 

[pleinster]

thankyou i guess part of it is i dont do well with change to anything so to be told (in my head) i CANT have orange juice (which i love) and i CANT have lots of pasta ( which i also love) along with having to carry a bg meter thingy and poke my finger 4 times a day, and take tablets, its alot to adjust to

Hi. You appear to have exactly the right attitude to develop an approach which will keep your blood sugar levels down in the normal or near normal range. As for the 4 times a day thing - I was testing up to 8 times a day for a while until I managed to establish what foods were doing the most damage. I would recommend recording what you eat as well as when you eat it, and test before and 2.5 hours later. If you levels are not too far apart before and after food - that's acceptable...particularly if its under 8 mmols. Ideally, once you have started making an impact, your levels might stay under 7ish and only jump up if you have eaten too many carbs. Once you have sussed out from your readings and your own records what works, you will test a lot less. I am now only testing if I eat something new or because I haven't tested in a few days (just to keep an eye on things)...that's about twice a week. After discussing my results from the first couple of months with my doctor, I came off my meds completely and haven't been back on any since (that's over 18 months) and my levels are manageable and my diet is now is less strict. Don't listen to anyone telling you it goes away or that you can cure it - but it can be reversed in as much as your levels will be in the normal range so long as you avoid high carbs. So - cut the carbs, keep the fluid intake up (I drink very diluted Robinsons orange) and use your meter to get in control so you can test less and less and feel quite confident. Good luck.

 

[CherryAA]

I was watching TV today and saw leeks being used instead of pasta to make lasagne. There is usually some way to make the same sort of dish but in a low carb version.
When I was diagnosed I went onto low carb at once, and I have seen my blood glucose levels drop and drop week by week. I was started off on Metformin and statins, but I can't live with them. If my present diet isn't enough to control it then I will try other things, on top of even stricter low carbing. The only problem so far is that I have nothing that fits me as my waist has shrunk so much.

That's not the worst problem to have

 

[loulou5590]

Well I have another appointment today, and it's been what, 2 weeks since I was diagnosed, so far my blood sugar levels have decreased from 30+ to 7 or 8, I'm still tired but coping. Not going to lie I've fallen out of love with food now. As much as I try I can't help but think 'oh I can't have that now' so I'm ending up eating the same things, wheetabix for breakfast with milk, sandwich for lunch with small clementine, and usually small amount of egg pasta with chicken... that's it. Even now I'm thinking that's too much carbs

 

[KezG]

You are doing great so far.. @loulou5590 I had same feeling of being unsure of what to eat I thought everything was bad for me and was scared to eat. You seem to have sorted your sugars out really well whatever you have been eating works. There are loads of ideas on this website for low carb meals if you want to try them.

 

[pleinster]

Well I have another appointment today, and it's been what, 2 weeks since I was diagnosed, so far my blood sugar levels have decreased from 30+ to 7 or 8, I'm still tired but coping. Not going to lie I've fallen out of love with food now. As much as I try I can't help but think 'oh I can't have that now' so I'm ending up eating the same things, wheetabix for breakfast with milk, sandwich for lunch with small clementine, and usually small amount of egg pasta with chicken... that's it. Even now I'm thinking that's too much carbs

Hi. I get the falling out of love with food bit, but well..in life when you fall out of love you can either sit indoors and get depressed or you can go out and try new things...maybe even find new love and the fact that your first idea of what was good for you was flawed. You are obviously coping, but don't settle for coping. Get informed about what else you can eat - there are loads of things that won't cause any problems and taste great. What you are going to abandon is the stuff that was no use for you in the first place. Find replacements for weetabix (pretty bad in spiking the levels usually, as are cereal products generally) and limit the sandwiches coz the bread is, as you probably know, not our best buddy. I would suggest you explore and vary thing until you find stuff you like. I'm not saying I never eat a bowl of cereal or a croissant for breakfast (but that's mainly as my levels have come down due to control through my low carb choices. By all means treat yourself - there's no point making yourself utterly miserable with a diet that's too hard to sustain. There are however lots of alternatives to try and may foods you were probably already eating. When not sneaking Rice Krispies into a bowl, I will have smoked cheese slices (M&S do 0% carb stuff) and dried bacon slices (again 0%) or an omelette. Foods you can still eat with no worries are steak, pork, lamb, chicken, oily fish, mushrooms, any veg growing above ground, fruit such as avocado and strawberries, lots of different nuts, full cream...some manage pasta or a little rice (we all vary)...try stuff... and test to see the effect...it will empower you. Any food you are unsure of...Google it and you'll see the nutritional values on the right of the page...generally anything that's 10g carbohydrate or less per 100g of product is low carb...but some of us can eat different things with different results. Having been very strict at first to establish what did and didn't work for me, I am now way less strict and my numbers are okay. Don't just eat what someone else says you can - find out for yourself and see what is out there. Good luck.

 

[Resurgam]

You can obviously eat far more carb than I can - so your dropping the carbs even further will have even more effect.
I have managed to get an average BG reading of 7.5 testing before a meal and two hours after, but on a salad and a few vegetables plus a little fruit. I even have to watch the amount of milk I put into coffee - in fact I just bought some cream so as to drop some more carbs.

 

[pleinster]

You can obviously eat far more carb than I can - so your dropping the carbs even further will have even more effect.
I have managed to get an average BG reading of 7.5 testing before a meal and two hours after, but on a salad and a few vegetables plus a little fruit. I even have to watch the amount of milk I put into coffee - in fact I just bought some cream so as to drop some more carbs.

Hi. I just wondered how long you have been low carbing and self testing, and what else you eat. Unless, I am mistaken, you are no longer on any meds for your diabetes (or have I go that wrong?), and I wondered how long that's been.

 

[Resurgam]

Hi. I just wondered how long you have been low carbing and self testing, and what else you eat. Unless, I am mistaken, you are no longer on any meds for your diabetes (or have I go that wrong?), and I wondered how long that's been.

I have been low carbing for a very long time - over 35 years, otherwise I suspect I'd have been diabetic long ago - though I might have been, just controlled by diet all that time. I was trying to reduce cholesterol for over a year, eating complex carbs, all to no effect other than a large increase in weight and eventually being diagnosed diabetic mid November. I went straight back to low carb, got a meter and found that all the things I had avoided to maintain my weight, starchy veges, grain, high carb fruits, all increased my BG and kept it up for hours, even in small amounts. Now my BG levels are dropping each week - I've seen pre meal levels of 6.7 a few times recently, so the average is going to fall.
I realise that it is only weeks since I was diagnosed, but I had few symptoms - if any - of diabetes, but my lifelong struggle with my weight makes me suspect that only low carbing prevented me showing signs of it long ago.

 

[Freema]

welcome loulou5590
I understand the Falling out of love with foods, but My strategy has been to name a few occations all around the year where I can treat myself with "normal" foods
like my birthday is my day off of diabetes at least in one meal that day and the same about Christmas Eve and my daugthers birthday and a few hollidays in the summer when on vacation...

and then I am collecting kinds of foods that I can eat on lower carb diet, so I allways have some in my home when getting tempted, and I even have bought a lot of lower carb treats like nuts and very low sugar proteinbars ; I have brazil-nuts, peanuts, almonds and cashew nuts , 2 kinds of protein bars , and some Nellie dellie liquerice and winegums like these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bags-Nellie-Dellies-Salty-Liquorice/dp/B00IHIFQ92
they have about 58% of fibre in them and only 1 gram of real sugar.. some grams of polyols like 7 grams of the 90 grams of the kind of candy, and they actually taste all right if one miss the ordinary kind of sweets..

when it come to real foods I am still learning what I can eat, and trying to learn to cook new kinds of foods to substitute the old ordinary kinds that I can not eat anymore.. but there really is so much we CAN eat too..

now I buy the lidl protein rolls instead of the usual bread and so on just ask the forum for some ideas and there are so many delicious suggestions from people here