Hi, I am new here

Hello Debbie and wecome. Thisis a brilliant website with lots of friendly and knowledgeable people.

Hi Debbie , great to,chat with you ...
This is a great place to start ...reading this forum you will discover people with many different journeys with their lifestyles and diet choices , and of course some people here are at different times in their lives where they all cope and eat in different ways ...
This was something I discovered when first joined, nearly two,years ago ...
All good reading because you learn in the here and now ...and slowly start to,plan your own goals for a pathway which suits you .
Have a read lots of reading and thinking , ask lots of questions , you don't have to go with the answers though, but you might find some support from some who you feel,comfortable with ....a bit like a buddy system...

Don't just read here though , this forum is about the people on it ,,all good but expand to make your own choices, google , buy or borrow books.
But start by making a plan to reduce your blood sugar levels ...
We never feel,we get enough information to start with,,but it is surprising how much information is available ....but we have to remember to take time to breath as well ....there is a lot to take in ...
Do you have a care plan from your clinic , you could ask to be involved in planning one for yourself ...goal setting ...
Yes it is very scary , understand that ...but you are really starting to take control ..which is a great thing ...it may not feel like it ,,but it will get better..
Can't promise you that things are going to be easy though ...but taking control,and getting support is a great start ...welcome ....Kat...

Hi and welcome I agree with Dibble's advice; diet is the key

Hello Debbie and welcome to the forum

Here is some information which should be of some help to you. Let us know if you need to know anything 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 over 100,000 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-and-whole-grains.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 bloodglucose 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.

Hi Debbie ,
I dont test so I can't answer that question ...
But I do know a diet plan is required , one of your choice which brings down your sugar levels ....
You may need as assistance with this ....
Hope you have an appointment for your next hba1c test to check,your levels are improving ....
Often people keep,a food diary something to start with in the early days , and a menu plan , which can help ...
Also a nice idea to look at are recipes you can adapt so you can do,a bit of low or no sugar baking ...that is a great help , stops you feeling left out if you have a sweet tooth ...
I focus on portion control and taking medication ....
Let us know your plan ....lots of ways for you to get you started ...
I do low carb and medium carb , but I don't do high fat ...
Some people do some don't , think about what you would like to do ...always support which ever you choose ....Kat

From the sounds of your last post, you are testing, which is good. Hopefully they explained how to test? But if not, then test just prior to a meal, then at +2hrs after the meal. In the early stages of finding your way, I would strongly suggest testing at +1hr as well, as this will give you a good insight as to what is really happening when you eat a chosen meal. No-one can tell you exactly how many carbs to eat, everyone has a different tolerance level. Some people find that after reducing carbs for a period of time, that they regain better sensitivity to insulin and can tolerate a few more carbs. But initially, just test, if your levels are higher than you would like, or are not reducing according to plan, then you will need to cut your carb intake a bit further. As the carbs begin to disappear off your plate, do make sure that you add in lots of stuff that is very low in carbs, lots of green vegs, etc. etc. its just learning to eat a bit differently. I'm currently aiming for less than 50 carbs a day, others can manage around 150g carbs a day, so you see its very much a question of test, test, test.

debsy62 said:

my sugar levels were too high still so I am on the verge of giving up. but I don't want to end up with complications more then I have. so here I a to reeducate myself and get moving. I use to eat because I loved food and sweets now I am afraid to eat incase the sugar gets higher. nasty spot I put myself in...

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Hi Debbie
Try not to let it all overwhelm you
Tell us what foods you are eating now and I'm sure someone will be able to offer some sound advice.
Are you currently self testing loads of us on here buy our own meters and strips personally I think we have to to get a grip on what's happening to us.
My meter is my best friend and I'm absolutely positive my results are down because I test.

debsy62 said:

Hi Kat, cute picture of the black cat is it yours? I am a self proclaimed cat girl, I have 2 now a black one and a tabby love them dearly and sometimes they agree to the odd hug lol.
I was given metformin from GP and he sent me to a dietician to discuss BS levels and foods. I was taken aback by her odd diets she presented the Ducan diet purchase the book option or a weird diet of eat so many cals one day and only have 1000 cals the next. both options felt like a gimmick to me so I opted to pass on her advice.
I asked for basic Type 2 info so I could get myself back on the road to life. long story short was I left the office in shock thinking what am I going to do. I have checked out books from the library sought help from a diabetic group suggested I use 1700 cal 60 gram carb for meals and 30 grams for snacks felt it was too high carbs once I tried it out. I cut myself back to 45grams meals and 15 for snacks. my sugar levels were too high still so I am on the verge of giving up. but I don't want to end up with complications more then I have. so here I a to reeducate myself and get moving. I use to eat because I loved food and sweets now I am afraid to eat incase the sugar gets higher. nasty spot I put myself in
. I am trying to eat 3 basic good meals and 2 snacks a day and live on it forever. so this is my fresh start. I have tossed all the nonsense advice I had rolling around in my noggin and now will carry on from this point as the newly diagnosed T2. fresh start new friends here I go....

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Hi Debbie , love cats , the picture is in memory of a cat I used to have ...
Hope you find a way forward with your diet soon , some people try out a few , no,easy answer it had to be your decision ...
It is all a blurr in the early days ...but it will get better ....I dont count cals at all ....I would be useless at the maths !!!!
I have found the metformin really reduces my need to eat ....but in a strange way I eat more now than I did before I was diagnosed ....I have to now ..
It is an odd illness this one with lots of fine tuning .....you will read so many different experiences here ...think that maybe an on going challenge ...
Keeps us all motivated I guess...
Nice to have the support group ...like that idea ...best wishes ...Kat

Hello Debsy. I am using myfitnesspal to keep a food diary and to monitor my carb and calorie intake. 6ou can also input your exercise which is brilliant. This afternoon I had put in my meals and what I was going to have later and I was over both in calories and carbs so I went swimming for an hour which solved the problem. You may find it useful.

@debsy62 welcome to the mad house. I was diagnosed Mid May found this forum early July and have never looked back.
The advice, comment and support available here is second to none.

If it helps this is what I eat on a daily basis, that is keeping my levels at the normal average.

Breakfast: diet whey shake with a dozen berries (raspberries or blackberries)
Lunch: Cheese on Bergen bread toasted
Dinner: meat or fish with salad
Snacks during day handful of Almonds or Brazil nuts, tomatoes, cheese.

I am loosing weight, 15st beginning or June now circa 13st, target for me 12-12.5 stone.

Don't feel hungry and BG under control at the moment.

Always remember it's a marathon not a sprint, take it slow and easy and see what works for you.

Last thing what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another, doubtless you will need
To try different things, but good luck in your journey.

Keep posting and keep asking questions.

debsy62 said:

My name is Debbie I have Type 2 diabetes newly diagnosed and not sure how to proceed with diet and blood sugar testing. My GP sent me to a diabetic clinic my appointment was 30 minutes and didn't get much info. I am scared and want to get on the right path to improve my health and blood sugar. I would appreciate all the tips and guidance you can give me. Nice to be here and I look forward to our chats. Thanks everyone. Deb

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Hi Debbie, have you not seen a dietician? Or an appointment to see one? If not ask to see one. I found it very helpful and informative, I was amazed at the different forms sugar comes in and the foods you don't suspect to contain sugar. I found my care from my diabetic clinic to be first class and way better than that of my GP who I have now changed. I don't know if care differs from place to place but it shouldn't. You'll find lots of useful information on sites like this but you need to ask your LHA for better outpatient care. It's a dangerous disease when not controlled properly.