Hi

[Roxxy]

Hi everyone. I'm a type 2 diabetic and I was diagnosed about 2 years ago. I have been trying to lose weight and control my blood sugars and I did the blood sugar diet by Dr mosley. I lost some weight and my sugars came down . But now I'm struggling again. I want to low carb but I just can't stick to it.
I have put on a lot of weight again. And I'm too scared to check my blood sugars coz I know it's gonna be bad. I havnt even ordered new strips. I've been reading a lot of the disscssions on here and it seems you guys are so well organised with your diabetes. And I've seen how you guys are so helpful with with each Other and I'm so glad I've joined too.
I've read something about the Newcastle diet too. What is that all about?
And what about low carb? And calories?
My bmi is 40 I need to lose a lot of weight.

 

[woodenone46]

It sounds to me as if you need to get on the low carb high fat diet & stick to it. Also exercise. A brisk 20 minute waqlk each day is nnear enough the suggested amount of minutes required if you can do more than do it, if it is a struggle start slowly trying to increase the number of minutes you exercise daily. As for the diet cut out sugar & foods that contain a lot of sugar. cut out potatoes rice & similar products.
I started a low carb diet at the beginning of this month & have already lost 3 - 4 Kgms in weight.

You will need to be strong in your diet & persevere else you could end up being very poorly.

 

[pavlosn]

Hi Roxy
Most of us go through periods when it is all a struggle, for sure I know I have.

And human nature being what it is the first thing we wish to avoid then is having to face the consequences of our actions/inaction.

Hence the first thing we stop is the testing. If it's not staring us back in the face from the screen if a glucose counter then we can pretend we can ignore it.

Only we can not really ignore it, at the back of our minds the worry about what our diabetes is doing to us is always eating away at us.

So reverse this.

Start testing again. Don't look at the glucose counts as a measure of your success or failure but as the feedback you need to make the right decisions in order to control your diabetes.

I know that you wish to lose weight and doing so will certainly help but in my opinion that is not what your priority should be at the moment.

Your priority should be controlling your glucose levels.

I am not qualified to advise on any changes in medication that might help only your doctor is.

Assuming no such changes then the main thing you can do to lower your levels is to reduce your level of carbohydrate consumption.

In your shoes I would concentrate on one thing and one thing only. Testing before and 2 hours after each meal and letting my counts guide me on how much to reduce carbs so that the after count is no higher than 2 mmol/l of the before count.

Once you start achieving this consistently you should see your glucose levels reduce overall and in all probability your weight as well.

 

[Roxxy]

It sounds to me as if you need to get on the low carb high fat diet & stick to it. Also exercise. A brisk 20 minute waqlk each day is nnear enough the suggested amount of minutes required if you can do more than do it, if it is a struggle start slowly trying to increase the number of minutes you exercise daily. As for the diet cut out sugar & foods that contain a lot of sugar. cut out potatoes rice & similar products.
I started a low carb diet at the beginning of this month & have already lost 3 - 4 Kgms in weight.

You will need to be strong in your diet & persevere else you could end up being very poorly.

Thanks for replying woodenone46 I have started to walk a lot more as I recently got a job. I walk around 15000steos a day I am so tired after that. I also have 5 kids and u can guess how busy they keep me lol

 

[Roxxy]

Hi Roxy
Most of us go through periods when it is all a struggle, for sure I know I have.

And human nature being what it is the first thing we wish to avoid then is having to face the consequences of our actions/inaction.

Hence the first thing we stop is the testing. If it's not staring us back in the face from the screen if a glucose counter then we can pretend we can ignore it.

Only we can not really ignore it, at the back of our minds the worry about what our diabetes is doing to us is always eating away at us.

So reverse this.

Start testing again. Don't look at the glucose counts as a measure of your success or failure but as the feedback you need to make the right decisions in order to control your diabetes.

I know that you wish to lose weight and doing so will certainly help but in my opinion that is not what your priority should be at the moment.

Your priority should be controlling your glucose levels.

I am not qualified to advise on any changes in medication that might help only your doctor is.

Assuming no such changes then the main thing you can do to lower your levels is to reduce your level of carbohydrate consumption.

In your shoes I would concentrate on one thing and one thing only. Testing before and 2 hours after each meal and letting my counts guide me on how much to reduce carbs so that the after count is no higher than 2 mmol/l of the before count.

Once you start achieving this consistently you should see your glucose levels reduce overall and in all probability your weight as well.

That sounds like a good idea. I will do that. Thanks. I'll have to order my test strips and I will let u know how my sugars are going. Thanks again pavlosn

 

[Resurgam]

The most important thing to sort out is your blood glucose - the weight can wait until you are feeling a lot more energetic - which is what many people on low carb report.
My blood test at 80 days baffled the diabetes education team as it had changed so much but my weight had reduced only a few kg - absolutely not what they had been taught to expect.
If you can get your BG down then exercise becomes just something you do without thinking - by 80 days I had joined a morris side and was walking to the folk club I had discovered, but just going out to do things like posting a letter was normal again.
I had already sorted out the low carb foods I could eat - my meter just confirmed that what stopped weightloss were also the foods which increased my BG levels - but there are copies of Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution - I use the 2002 edition - and that has lists of allowable foods, menus and recipes, plus a lot of information about carbohydrates and how they act on your metabolism.

 

[Kentoldlady1]

Hello roxxy.

Some questions, if that ok?

Are you on any medication? For diabetes or anything else?
Any other health concerns?

What is your biggest worry? Is it your weight, blood sugar, any aspect of health?
What do you want to happen?
Why do you think it hasn't happened yet?
Has something happened to make.you want to try again?

I would agree with resurgam and its really important to get your sugar sorted, but it all depends on how you see it.
Take some time and have good read around the site. Please give some thought to the questions. Of course you dont have to answer, but it might help you decide why its been difficult over the past 2 years.
We are a friendly bunch. I was diagnosed in june this year and this site quite literally has changed my life. Please let us know how you are. No need to answer any of my questions, but the ones about health and meds are helpful to.make sure advice is in the right area!
X

 

[Roxxy]

Hello roxxy.

Some questions, if that ok?

Are you on any medication? For diabetes or anything else?
Any other health concerns?

What is your biggest worry? Is it your weight, blood sugar, any aspect of health?
What do you want to happen?
Why do you think it hasn't happened yet?
Has something happened to make.you want to try again?

I would agree with resurgam and its really important to get your sugar sorted, but it all depends on how you see it.
Take some time and have good read around the site. Please give some thought to the questions. Of course you dont have to answer, but it might help you decide why its been difficult over the past 2 years.
We are a friendly bunch. I was diagnosed in june this year and this site quite literally has changed my life. Please let us know how you are. No need to answer any of my questions, but the ones about health and meds are helpful to.make sure advice is in the right area!
X

Hi kentoldlady1
When I was first diagnosed I was taking metformin and another med I can't quite remember what it was called. I was also taking ramipril for hypertension. I was given a few other meds too. To help with weight loss and cholesterol etc. I had a whole host of meds it was crazy. But after starting blood sugar diet I stopped taking them as everything went back to normal.
The thing is that now I'm struggling to stick to eating low carb. And I fear that my health is going back to the old way. I've started getting headaches etc.
I am obese so I defo need to lose weight. It is the second most important thing for me right now. First being my blood sugars. I hope that this answers your questions.
One more thing. I'm not great with stress. That's what triggered the carb eating again. Everything is fine now nut I just can't get back into rhythm again if u what I mean

 

[Rachox]

Welcome! I'm now five and a half months from diagnosis. Once I was over the initial shock, I saw it as the proverbial kick up the bum to get healthier. I was started on Metformin and tolerate it well now after a bit of stomach upset in the early days. I wasn't advised to eat low carb by my GP or Diabetes education course, but stumbled on this forum by chance and took up a low carb life style with self monitoring (self funded). I started by eating less than 100g carbs/day and after 6 weeks reduced it to 50-70g/day. Metformin has helped suppress my appetite, maybe it’d be worth discussing whether restarting it might benefit you too?
My blood sugars came under control and the weight dropped off me without any increase in my virtually non existent exercise. As my blood sugars came down I felt more energetic and now walk more than I did. To date I've lost nearly 4 stone and got my HbA1c down to a non diabetic level, all due to the fantastic support and advise I got here. I'm sure you'll find a way to do it too

 

[Grateful]

Welcome to the forum @Roxxy. This is a great place. Like you, I didn't join this forum until some time after diagnosis -- wish I had known about it earlier.

I am tagging @daisy1 who will post here the usual very useful blurb for newcomers.

My experience with Type 2 diabetes has been similar to that of some of the earlier posters in this thread. See signature below for details.

 

[Mark_1]

Hi everyone. I'm a type 2 diabetic and I was diagnosed about 2 years ago. I have been trying to lose weight and control my blood sugars and I did the blood sugar diet by Dr mosley. I lost some weight and my sugars came down . But now I'm struggling again. I want to low carb but I just can't stick to it.
I have put on a lot of weight again. And I'm too scared to check my blood sugars coz I know it's gonna be bad. I havnt even ordered new strips. I've been reading a lot of the disscssions on here and it seems you guys are so well organised with your diabetes. And I've seen how you guys are so helpful with with each Other and I'm so glad I've joined too.
I've read something about the Newcastle diet too. What is that all about?
And what about low carb? And calories?
My bmi is 40 I need to lose a lot of weight.

Hi,
To answer your question, the Newcastle diet was what Dr Mosley based his book on. If you found that worked, maybe it was the lack of thought required to follow the diet. You could have a go at planning a weeks food in advance. You may find if you know what your eating ahead of time the "diet" will be easier to stick to. Once you get used to it it may just turn into a way of eating.

 

[Dadio]

Hi Rox,
Your not alone no one is perfect and everyone struggles. My weakness is the smell of chocolate.
Having bacon and eggs without bread.
Not eating chips with everything.
I found myfitness pal app very useful in helping keeping carbs low and calories in check.
It also helps you see what worked well and what doesn’t.
Keep up with low carbs and try exercise minimum of 20mins over your normal daily activities.
Good luck in the future.

Dadio

 

[daisy1]

@Roxxy

Hello Roxxy and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will help.


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 250,000 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.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.

 

[Kentoldlady1]

Hello again.
Thanks for all that. So, no meds and you seem ok apart from the t2d? Have you been checked for hypertension again?

The new castle diet is very useful. It tells you exactly what to eat and drink for 8 weeks. There are 3 shakes a day plus 200 cals from green veg. Thats it. There are lots of threads on here by people that have used it very successfully. If you have the discipline to stick to it then it works really well. I know that some people have used asda shakes etc instead of the ones prof Taylor used with no problems. It gives a big weight loss in a short time and decreases liver fat. If you decide to use it read the threads about it to know what to look for in the shakes and common problems.

As already said, the blood sugar diet si based on this, and I did it that way.

My advice is to keep a diary. I dont know if you do this already but it is the most useful thing I did. I keep track of every single thing I eat. Not only meals, but portion size, times etc. Every scrap that I ate from my grandsons plate (half a fish finger) every crisp from the end of a packet.

Next to meals I put my bls. Before eating, an hour after first bite and then 30 mins after that. If it still too high I would do it until it had started to drop. I needed to know what certain foods and combinations of foods would do to my sugars.

I would also track how I felt. How stress would affect my bgls, how lack of sleep would make it sky rocket. How a long walk would make it dip.

Lots of people keep diaries. Some do spread sheets, some do blogs. I keep a little pink book in green pen!

If yo do.decide to do a diary then just be honest. Its only for you, but you need to know if you high sugar is because you are feeling stressed or because you ate 2 portions of nuts instead of 1.

I would also.order those strips as soon as possible.

Good luck with it all. You have done this before and can get there again. Keep posting. Read all the stuff on here and ask questions. Its nice on here! It quite literally has changed my life. Keep in touch.