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Hi newly diagnosed T2 help please

Riddall

Member
Messages
16
Location
North Ayrshire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi Fabulous People

So lucky to have a forum full of support like this. It has been lovely reading everyone’s threads. I hope to be able to help in the future too.

My name is Claire and I am 36.

I found out this week I’m diabetic; they think T2. Thanks to my genes and lockdown sugar habit we think.

I am trying to get my head round the diet recommendations. I think I read you should aim for a total of 140g carbs? Is this right? If so what % should be protein and fat be?

Trying to get ahead of the game before seeing the dietitian as I don’t know how long that will take.

Downloaded the carbs and cal app as recommended by my nurse today it really is great. Just not clear on what ratios I should be aiming for.

fyi - I am 9lbs over weight, tummy fat is my issue, will start metaformin this week as we are trying for a family so need to sort the sugars out ASAP.

diet wise I have the added challenge of intolerances to all dairy, eggs, yeast, certain nuts and struggle to digest beans!

any hints or tips on how best to approach this all very welcomed.
 

Hi Claire, Welcome to the forum.

The Carb and Calc app is amazing when you start.

You will note a lot of people that are T1 and T2 follow a low carb lifestyle on this forum, not always recommended by NHS but that is slowly changing and some of us are lucky enough to have diabetes nurse / doctors who do understand the low carb method

With a diary/egg and some nut in tolerance it can get tricky.

Go to items
seeds / nuts you not intolerant to
meat / fish / Chicken
Green Vegetables
Salads pretty much all are pretty low check on Carb and Calc app
Berries are amazing
Dark Chocolate +85%

I personally try stay at around 120 Grams a day and I have enough energy to train for half ironman distance triathlons and I am 6ft4 at circa 90Kg. I have taught my body to be fat adapted for endurance events.

Hope that helps and all the best
 
Hi @Riddall , welcome to the forum!
Riddall said:
I am trying to get my head round the diet recommendations. I think I read you should aim for a total of 140g carbs? Is this right?
Click to expand...
How many carbs people can handle without getting high blood glucose varies a lot between people. The easiest way to find out is to use a glucose meter. If you test before first bite and around two hours later, this should give you a good idea on how many carbs your body can handle.
Riddall said:
I think I read you should aim for a total of 140g carbs? Is this right? If so what % should be protein and fat be?
Click to expand...
For starters, I'd just look at the carbs, and see what happens when you adjust them. As for the other nutrients, have enough to fill you up, any diet/lifestyle change which leaves you hungry is more likely to fail long term.

You might like to have a read of JoKalsbeeks blog: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog/jokalsbeek.401801/
 
As there is no one size fits all way of eating, many people buy a blood glucose meter and lower their consumption of high carb foods until they see normal numbers.
For me, a maximum of 40 gm of carbs a day is required, but that is without any medication.
 
Hi. I’m Su. T2 and been on metformin around 3 weeks now and have just stopped feeling sick. The metformin apparently does not agree with everyone and boy it took me awhile to tolerate it; but I have now. Try to not eat any potatoes, bread or pasta. Try to eat loads of meat with lots of veg. Watch the fruits - raspberries and strawberries are best and obviously avoid all sugar and pastries. It’s **** (lol) but you will get used to it; if you want to live a long healthy life - and if you exercise too; you will. Lots of love. Xxxx.
 
I started on 100g a day, then down to 85g when my morning (fasting) BS wasn't dropping. Now I'm in remission I still aim to stay under 120g most days. I didn't count calories or worry too much about fats and protein apart from upping my fat intake a bit.
I was diagnosed fairly quickly so got into remission faster than some people manage - there is evidence that the less damage you've done from more years with high blood sugar the easier it might be. In my case I was seeing normal range blood sugar most days apart from first thing within 3 weeks.
I bought a meter and test strips, at first I tested before and after every meal, then one full routine a week plus testing before and after any added food/food combination I'd not tested before.
A lot of the keto/low carb recipe sites use a lot of eggs but there are alternatives (eg vegan recipes or non-dairy) if you like baking. Just be careful as many vegan alternatives are higher carb
 
 

thank you so much it is great to know you can exercise and stretch yourself and manage your diabetes with a low carb approach.
 

thanks really appreciate you share your experience. I am keen to test regularly to begin with so I can get a sense of how my body is responding. My consultant was happy with my recent ratings in comparison with my long term average so hopefully already on the right path. Thank you.
 


Thank you for sharing. I absolutely agree it has to be sustainable.
 

Hi

I'm new to this too and around the same age as you and was also just about to start trying TTC before I was diagnosed as T2. My hba1c was 13.8 at the time of diagnosis. Six weeks later, I'd brought it down to 7.3 and I'm now waiting to have my next hba1c in a month to see if It's safe for us to start TTC. I was deciding between keto and low carb and I've been doing low carb at less than 90 grams a day. I'm eating 1200 calories a day and my macros are to basically breakdown my daily calories as

30% carbs
45% fat
25% protein

Ive been tracking using my fitness pal and this seems to be working for me but from what I gather, it's not a one size fits all situation for diabetic management. Im eating carbs but when I do eat them they are from sources that are low GI options and in smaller quantities. They have some great alternatives to pasta, breads etc that are low carb available in the supermarkets in Australia at least these days. Keto and low carb desserts and recipes are abundant and readily available on the internet and are your best friend when trying to figure stuff out. I'm trying to shift weight so I'm on restricted calories so I've modified and ruled out some of those recipes as either being to high calorie to fit in my diet for now and some, I've cut the oil/fats/cream/cheese quantities to make them lower calorie. Some of the keto desserts are great, i just have less than the stated quantities to keep them in my calorie count.

I felt very confused too at the beginning as so much contradictory information exists out there about diabetes management and I was feeling very paralyzed as to which way to go as I felt I didn't have time to muck around because Iof my age and wanting to TTC ASAP. I didn't get a meter until three weeks ago but it has helped infinitely in confirming I was on the right track with my eating plan. Definitely get a meter ASAP. It's definitely a game of trial and error but in a few months you will have the hang of it and it will feel a lot less overwhelming.
 
Hi I’m the same as you what do u use your carbs on I’m still been having 30g a day but now my bloods are 36m I’d like to up it. I went from 54 to 36 in 3 months no meds just low carb and exercise x
 
I was diagnosed in September last year I'm 33 and like you was wanting to try for a baby. I managed to lose 3 stone and stuck to around 100g carbs a day. I didn't cut out anything in particular ( apart from coca cola and sweets) but I did reduce my portion sizes and my readings have mostly been in range. I always test before and two hours after a meal ( testing at an hour now due to pregnancy).

I'm pregnant now and due in a months time. Despite the doctors telling me I would eventually need insulin, blood sugars so far have been perfect despite eating more carbs than pre-pregnancy. I take one 500mg tablet of metformin a day which hasn't needed to be increased yet. My last hb1ac a few weeks ago was 31. Was 76 last September.
 


Thank you so much for sharing your journey@Deediabetic it really helps to know you can make a difference. Wishing you all the luck for your TTC treatment
 

Wow @OB87 congratulations that’s amazing news and clearly what you’ve been doing is working for you. Yeh the thought of potentially going on to insulin scares me - at the same time recognise I would adapt as many members on here have. Wishing you a happy healthy safe arrival of your mini me
 
You don't need beans anyway- too carby. Just have some nice green veg or broccoli. There are actually a lot of good things you can still eat- meat, eggs, fish, cheese, vegetables- that sort of thing. There's actually a good chance you will feel better on your new diet and end up enjoying it. Good luck!
 
Hi All

thank you again for all the advice. I’m wondering if you have any words of wisdom for me. I’m finding my night time reading whilst asleep are high and as I stir awake from about 6am. I’m eating low carb, exercising and on two metformin a day. I’m wondering if I need more medicine or adjust further my eating and exercise. My consultant said he is happy with progress reduced my long term average significantly in 3 weeks. Feeling tired so he said to mix up the exercise and have rest days.

I’m also wondering if the couple of nights out I’ve had the past two weekends has had an impact. Small amount of alcohol but still healthy eats mainly. Does this kind of thing stay in your sugars for a couple of days for instance?
Sorry for all the questions. I’m just keen to get into remission ASAP and safely so I can have a baby!
 
Hi @Riddall Yes it is possible for extra alcohol and carbs to have an effect that lasts a couple of days.
However there are lots of other non-food related things that can raise Blood Glucose.
So can you help us help you by giving us a bit more information?
 
Thanks for the reply. Useful to know. Not sure what information would be helpful can you be more specific please
 
What time are you having your evening meal? I've found having a low carb bed time snack has helped keep blood sugars stable over night and I usually wake up with a good reading. I see you have some food intolerances but my usual bed time snack is cheese with M&s seeded crackers or some peanuts. If I wasn't pregnant I probably wouldn't be as concerned with my fasting blood sugar as it can be dawn phenomenon but I've got quite strict targets at the moment.
 
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