I am finding it hard to except I have type 2 diabetes.

[Davey J]

Hi All

Up at 6 am went swimming at 7 am in cafe at 8 am, Smoked haddock, poached eggs, and few grilled toms, black coffee. Then off to work so far so good. But I must remember to it drink water, oh yes I weighed my self at the pool the first time in years, 18st 8lb. I will try to go everyday next week,

What does everyone else have for breakfast, what fruit is ok on the Low carb diet ?

I have a good feeling about all this now................

Dave.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Well done Dave for getting motivated, but what is that coating on your smoked haddock? Is it breadcrumbs or batter of some sort, or am I seeing things that aren't there?

As for fruit it is better to stick to fruits that grow here in the UK and avoid the tropical fruits. Berries are usually fine, an odd apple or pear maybe. Steer away from bananas, oranges, kiwi fruit, pineapple etc. The only way to tell is by testing yourself before and after as we are all different.

A fry up for breakfast is fine - bacon, eggs, toms, mushrooms. Personally I can't eat a lot first thing so I stick to a Greek yogurt and a few berries.

Carry on feeling good and keep it up! It's better than you imagine.

 

[RosieLKH]

Dave and Erika, oh and Louise - yeah, sound just like me a month ago, but boy, can a month make a difference once you start to change. I've learnt so much from folks on here and hopefully the changes I've made will be for life. I started eating low carb and within a week my blood sugar level were coming down. They've continued to do so and I've already reduced my medication a little bit. I am losing weight very slowly. I wish I could see the sort of weight loss Cath has - that's seriously impressive, but I seem to still go backwards on weekends in particular. still, downwards is downwards.

So welcome and know you're in good company, with folks in the same boat. Somehow that helps. Do take it seriously though. I spent years in denial and it was stupid. It took being refused an operation to bring me to my senses about how bad it had got. Don't let that happen to you.

Edit - Dave - I've just seen your breakfast post. I usually have egg and something - mushroom omelette, scrambled egg, egg and bacon. Recently I've found Polish sausages called Kabanos, which are really thin and I dip half of one of those in a boiled egg instead of toast. I work largely from home so I have the time to cook this at the moment. Not sure what I'd be doing otherwise. Getting up earlier I guess.

I'm guess the smoked haddock just a yellow dye coating.

 

[Davey J]

No coating on the Haddock, and the slice of bread in the corner of the photo was not mine. I am lucky that I run my own business so I can do what I want I am not restricted by what time I need to get anywhere or if want to go to the café for breakfast ( where they going to stock up on Haddock and Kippers for me).

Dave...........

 

[Beshlie]

I'm not a big breakfast eater but am lucky to be able to tolerate 1 Weetabix with a dash of milk and a few blueberries and my BS after 2 hrs is lower than my fasting one. We are all different in what food we can tolerate and only find out through testing. So long as I remain, for most time, in the non diabetic range I'm happy with that.

 

[Kat100]

I totally felt the same regards food, in fact for me that has been the worst thing. I too was given the eat well book which is rubbish, really not helpful at all it only gives you examples of a few foods some of which aren't very relevant nor helpful to blood sugar levels. The first few weeks I got myself into a terrible tizz over all the conflicting advice I ended up in tears of frustration there seems to be so many approaches - low carb, lchf, low calorie, exchange diets, gl diets, low gietc. Then on top of that you feel you should be losing weight as well as getting blood sugars down, it's enough to make anyone want to reach for a doughnut lol j/king

I wish diabetes uk would pull their finger out and give us learner drivers some good solid starting advice.

Reading what approaches other people here have taken however has been very helpful, tho I think to a certain extent we all have to experiment and find which foods suit us that we actually like and a way of eating that is sustainable for life.

Don't let yourself get swamped and overwhelmed with diabetes and how complicated it seems at first, I'd personally recommend you get a good book and read it at a pace that suits you. I was recommended 'diabetes, the first year' I actually prefer 'diabetes for dummies' as I felt it didn't overcomplicate things, then I have gone on to read others that cover things in more depth.

Were you given the diabetes type 2 handbook from diabetes uk? If not that offers a nice very basic overview of what care you should expect to receive, although I'd skip the food part it will confuse u more!

Yes it is about the individual person, and what suits one person does not suit another...
All of this is such a complex disease....but we do all try and do something to help our health everything little change can help ....

 

[cath99]

Hi Cath
I hope I can do as well as you.

Dave..

you will trust me ive only been type 2 for 6 months .. good luck keep positive xx

 

[peacetrain]

Thank you all for the advice,

I am really glad I put the post on here, I am going to give the Vivs Modified Atkins Diet ago. I can stick to a low carb diet no problem I did it once before just to lose weight. But it went out the window after a trip to the USA, but if it can help me with type 2 then I can stick with it.
I am not sure what the doctor& nurse will say, but after all I have read it seems to be the only consistent advice.

First swim in the morning..........

I will keep you all informed of my progress..............

Dave

P.S I will be on Metformin when they get some in................

It's your health and when they see your new results they'll be happy. Anyway they don't have to know do they? My HbA1c was 115 in November, straight to metformin. Then it was 52 in February. Reduced metformin. May it was 35: reduced metformin again. Last weekend I stopped the metformin all together. Didn't feel well for a couple of days but I've been ok since. I reduced carbs further, to under 50g and added a short daily Zumba exercise in addition to my usual walk. So far so good.
You can do it!!



Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[Davey J]

Hi All

I have been on my low carb diet a week, everything is going well even had low carb Yorkshire pudding, which was better than expected. I have been eating plenty of fish, chicken eggs. Even went out for a meal on Thursday wasn't to hard to find stuff I could eat, the only problem I had was when I went to the Excel centre in London the people I was with wanted something quick for lunch which was fine for them but nothing there for me, just bagels, noodles, baked potato's, etc .
I have been swimming every week day, and I have lost 6lbs but I thought I would have lost more.

So not to bad for week one.

Dave.......................

 

[RosieLKH]

Good going there, Dave. Wow, I'd be more than chuffed if I lost 6lb in a week. That's what I've lost in 6 weeks!

 

[kimbo1962]

Just diagnosed on Thursday, had seen my GPS about possibly having signs of starting the menopause and he ran blood tests, saying he would check for diabetes and thyroid too.............I NEVER expected results in 24 hours and certainly NEVER thought I would be type 2 !! Real shock, struggling to get my head round it too, seem to have got very little info from nurse practitioner who gave me the news, he did say to look on here- so far I have found more info so I think I will be here often!!

 

[sanguine]

Yes, welcome Kimbo, there's lots to read and absorb! You've got a good DN if he sent you here, most official NHS advice is very poor for T2 diabetics.

 

[kimbo1962]

Thank you rod!! I'm here reading about LCHF.........pre diagnosis I would have learnt toward low cal and low fat though so that's ironic!! Breakfast is going to be my problem, on a work day I can never manage more than cereal, couldn't do with cooking while getting ready etc, thinking at moment weetabix that good or bad??!!

 

[sanguine]

No not Weetabix, anything grainy or carby is likely to spike you. If you're in a hurry then the best breakfast is probably some full fat Greek yoghurt with some berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries) and/or some nuts (brazils, hazels, avoid too many cashews). Otherwise egg/bacon/mushrooms/tomato is perfect. Have you got a meter to test yourself? That's really the only way to see what impacts you and what doesn't.

There's a good book called "Carbs and Cals" which has nothing but photos of food with carb, calorie, fat values and is useful for setting yourself an initial eating regime. Some go hardcore LCHF straight off, others bring the carbs down more gradually.

What was your diagnosis blood glucose level? Have you got an HbA1c?

 

[kimbo1962]

And here I was thinking weetabix was ok- am sure nurse practitioner said so! I was 7.6, nothing said about a meter to test myself, nurse appt in a month. Feel I will get myself a meter from what I read here as it must help to control and know what's going on? Picked up some almonds and brazil nuts to keep handy to snack with, also saw oat biscuits, asked in health shop if they are lower carb and seems they are?? So confusing!

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi Kimbo and welcome.

Oat biscuits not a good idea either to be honest, if they are normal oat biscuits that is. One 16g biscuit has 10g carbs. (Taken from book Carbs & Cals)

This is a very long learning curve, and the only way to learn is to get a meter and test your blood immediately before eating then 2 hours later, then compare your readings to the general guidelines. We are all different, and different foods spike people in different ways so you have to learn what your own body can and can't cope with. All carbs turn to sugar once in the system. For diabetics CARBS = SUGAR. Your nurse will no doubt tell you different, but unless she is a diet controlled type 2 she will have little idea and will churn out the normal NHS guidance for eating a Healthy Plate including carbs.

 

[sanguine]

Kimbo I assume that 7.6 is an HbA1c expressed as %, which is equivalent to 60 in new money. If it's 7.6 mmol/l then that's more in the prediabetic area. Either way, get your surgery to print out a proper copy of your results. 7.6%/60 is not that bad (better than mine on diagnosis) so you're in a good position to start reversing those numbers and eventually perhaps come off the metformin and continue with control by diet and exercise alone.

 

[kimbo1962]

Hi Kimbo and welcome.

Oat biscuits not a good idea either to be honest, if they are normal oat biscuits that is. One 16g biscuit has 10g carbs. (Taken from book Carbs & Cals)

This is a very long learning curve, and the only way to learn is to get a meter and test your blood immediately before eating then 2 hours later, then compare your readings to the general guidelines. We are all different, and different foods spike people in different ways so you have to learn what your own body can and can't cope with. All carbs turn to sugar once in the system. For diabetics CARBS = SUGAR. Your nurse will no doubt tell you different, but unless she is a diet controlled type 2 she will have little idea and will churn out the normal NHS guidance for eating a Healthy Plate including carbs.

Hi Bluetit! Yes, I can see this being a long learning curve! Feeling very confused of course! The biscuits are "nairns" brand, mixed berries with just 46 cals and 6.5 carbs per biscuit 1.6 of which is sugars? Certainly going to get a meter to try and feel in control as don't see nurse for a month and feel I won't know if I'm doing right or wrong etc! Can't face metformin today after 4 nights of upset tummy!

 

[kimbo1962]

Kimbo I assume that 7.6 is an HbA1c expressed as %, which is equivalent to 60 in new money. If it's 7.6 mmol/l then that's more in the prediabetic area. Either way, get your surgery to print out a proper copy of your results. 7.6%/60 is not that bad (better than mine on diagnosis) so you're in a good position to start reversing those numbers and eventually perhaps come off the metformin and continue with control by diet and exercise alone.

I'm sure it was in a % way rod, though my mind was racing! He did say it was not as high as the "10" he had seen earlier that day but would like it to be 6 or less?? Is it even possible to go lower?

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi Bluetit! Yes, I can see this being a long learning curve! Feeling very confused of course! The biscuits are "nairns" brand, mixed berries with just 46 cals and 6.5 carbs per biscuit 1.6 of which is sugars? Certainly going to get a meter to try and feel in control as don't see nurse for a month and feel I won't know if I'm doing right or wrong etc! Can't face metformin today after 4 nights of upset tummy!

Those biscuits sound OK but only one as a treat!! You will know better when you get your meter. You can ignore the "of which sugars" bit. It is the total carbs you look at. There is a slow release version of Metformin that is more gentle on the tummy. You could ask for a change of prescription. I'm not on any meds so have no actual experience, but from what I read on the forum the tummy upsets are usually temporary.