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It all seems very complicated.

L

large-robert

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Hi - yet another newbie (and a Forum virgin in general).
I am a fat bloke who was told that I was diabetic two years ago but I ignored it. My past includes asthma (still got it) cancer (cured) and a heart attack (it would appear that I am hard to kill) and I just didn't want 'something else'.
Last Easter I found I was peeing and drinking loads, my eyes were all over the shop and I had lost 20lbs in three months without trying. I quite liked the last bit.
My GP tested me and the reading was 28. She gave me insulin on the spot and a bag full of stuff to take home. My wife went up the wall. Quite rightly seeing as it basically self inflicted as I am more than a little overweight.
These days I am taking Insultard in the morning and Novomix 30 in the evening as well as the full dose of Metformin as they are not sure if I am type 1 or 2.
Sorry to go on a bit but my problem is this ; I still can't get being diabetic, I don't want all the fuss. I do want to get my weight down but I have wanted to do that for twenty years so that is not going to be easy. Reading on this Forum suggests low carb intake whereas all other dietry advice I have previously had advocates half your food being complex carbs (to keep you fuller for longer). Does anyone have some simple advice for a chap who has finally decided that he has to do something positive?
 
Welcome to the Forum, Robert.

The thing that is different between us and the usual NHS produced advice is we are all experienced Diabetics who know what works for us and try and pass it on to others.

As Diabetes is a problem with metabolising carbs then it seems ludicrous to tell Diabetics to eat a large proportion of carbs with every meal. it just does not work for many diabetics !

Anyway here is the basic advice that Ken and I give out to new Diabetics, I hope it helps.


Here is the advice we usually give to newly diagnosed diabetics. We hope that these few ideas gained through experience help you to gain control and give you some understanding of Diabetes. This forum doesn't always follow the recommended dietary advice, you have to work out what works for you as we are all different.

It's not just 'sugars' you need to avoid, diabetes is an inability to process glucose properly. Carbohydrate converts, in the body, to glucose. So it makes sense to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat which includes sugars.

This is NOT a low carb diet suggestion, just a reduction in your intake of carbohydrate. You have to decide yourself how much of a reduction will keep your blood glucose levels in control.

The main carbs to avoid OR reduce are the complex or starchy carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, starchy root veg and also any flour based products. The starchy carbs all convert 100% to glucose in the body and raise the blood sugar levels significantly.

If you are on Insulin you may find that reducing the carb intake also means that you can reduce your dose of insulin. This can help you to keep weight gain down as Insulin tends to make you put on weight and eventually cause insulin resistance. This should be done slowly so as not to cause hypos.

The way to find out how different foods affect you is to do regular daily testing and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks. If you test just before eating, then two hours after eating, you will see the effect of certain foods on your blood glucose levels. Some foods, which are slow acting carbohydrates, are absorbed more slowly so you may need to test three or even four hours later to see the effect that these have on your blood glucose levels.

Buy yourself a carb counter book (you can get these on-line) and you will be able to work out how much carbs you are eating, when you test, the reading two hours after should be roughly the same as the before eating reading, if it is then that meal was fine, if it isn’t then you need to check what you have eaten and think about reducing the portion size of carbs.

When you are buying products check the total carbohydrate content, this includes the sugar content. Do not just go by the amount of sugar on the packaging as this is misleading to a diabetic.


As for a tester, try asking the nurse/doctor and explain that you want to be proactive in managing your own diabetes and therefore need to test so that you can see just how foods affect your blood sugar levels. Hopefully this will work ! Sometimes they are not keen to give Type 2’s the strips on prescription, (in the UK) but you can but try!!

If you are an Insulin user in theory you should have no problem getting test strips.

The latest 2010 NICE guidelines for Bg levels are as follows:
Fasting (waking).......between 4 - 7 mmol/l........(Type 1 & 2)
2 hrs after meals......no more than 8.5 mmol/l.....( Type 2)

2hrs after meals....... no more than 9 mmol/l ......(Type 1)

If you are able to keep the post meal numbers lower, so much the better.

It also helps if you can do 30 minutes moderate exercise a day. It doesn't have to be strenuous.

The above is just general advice and it is recommended that you discuss with your HCP before making any changes. You can also ask questions on the forum on anything that is not clear.

Sue/Ken.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks Sue that is very helpful. No-one has suggested testing after meals before, they seemed more concerned about the early morning test. I don't do a lot of testing but will have a go next week. My name is Kev by the way. You must spend a lot of your time doing this - thanks.
 
Testing once a day seems to be the general advice from HCP's ! This is probably due to the cost of the test strips to the NHS ! :shock:

The morning fasting test gives you a base line that is all, it tells you nothing about how the food you eat affects you. Testing just before a meal and two hours after tells you this and teaches you which foods you can eat and which to reduce or avoid. It gives you far better control over your Diabetes.

Reducing carbs in your diet may also help you lose some weight as well.
 
Hi Robert

Welcome to the group

I was in the same boat as you im over weight at mo asthma as well smoked nearly 30 day for last 10yrs when i was diagnosed type 2 2 weeks before christmas i thought god its going to nightmare for me it was hard for a little while but dn explained things to me like healthy eating as i was normaly was just a junk food eater and to be honest i cant say i miss it i eat at proper times i have a little naughty food now and again im not bloated and hungary 5 minutes later like i was on my junk food and ive given up the fags nearly two weeks now im not saying its easy road but im tryring my hardest.
 
Please just try carb counting and cutting them down a little each week.

I carb count as I have been type 1 for 25 years. I do not for go any food or drink at all, but I do things in moderation.

My husband doesn't.....he is not diabetic. I bought him a diet plate so that he could realise the portion size of pasta and rice (mainly) that counts as a portion. He used this, and nows gives himself what I wouold count as a normal portion....... he also now has cut down on carbs, and he has basically been losing 4lb a week (except over Christmas and New Year!).

By cuttin down on his carbs to what I would call 'normal' eating he has already lost 2 stone 7lb with a stone still to go to be a 'good weight'.

We still have good food and treats and alcohol. Just that we both have everything in moderation.

Just cutting down on carbs will give your diabetes and your body time to adjust and cope properly. It is so hard I know that well enough myself being the type 1 in the family, but it was horrible to see my husband overweight, and him saying that he would die before me because of it.

Diabetes is a warning, please try to honestly appreciate what your body is telling you......it is telling you that it cannot cope with pumping round the insulin to all the cells necessary to keep you well. If you could manage your weight and food intake, then your body would find it a lot easier to cope with pushing around the insulin to all the sells that it needs to go to!!!!!

Best wishes
Sharon
 
Hi Folks,
I'm a 62 year man diagnosed nearly 3 years ago as possibly type 1..C-peptide test refused twice. Have been on novorapid and levemir and now on novorapid and lantus officially. However, been having ALL the problems with levemir and lantus tiredness/drugged up feelings/exhaustion. Having problems getting GOOD HELP so I have decided to TRY and treat myself. Thought GP was going to refer me to a diabetic specialist in Cambridge but when I saw GP on Friday he's done nothing!!!!!Daughter is type 1 for 11 years using novomix 30, novorapid and insultard, so I've got some insultard from her and now the GP which has started to improve my night control of my BS. I have now decided to stop novorapid and use novomix 30.

How is it best to use novomix 30 and insultard. I thought the novomix is twice daily with breakfast and evening meal and insultard in the evenings.. I now read that some people are using insultard at meals and novomix 30 at night..What is correct Please. So far I've been (only 2 days into trial) having 30 units at breakfast and evening meal and 22/20 units insultard at night..However, been hypo for the last 2 nights 3.3 on the 22 insultard and 3.8 on 20units insultard. I will go down to 15 units insultard tonight and see what happens. If I use the novomix 30 twice daily do I still need the insultard.

I have wanted to try the porcine insulins but I seem to need to get referred to someone who will let me have it.

What's the best way to use novomix 30 and insultard or just novomix 30 and what to use at meal times and at night.

I know you shouldn't try and treat yourself but it seems that I've no choice as my DSN has told me that she don't know how to treat my tiredness etc and the consultant has said that it NOTHING to do with my diabetes. I've had all the normal test for tiredness and results are fine...then I read on the tiredness and lantus forum that lots of diabetics suffer from lantus problems.
 
Welcome aboard i am Martina from British Columbia Canada, i am a type 2 diabetic since July 2005, and i am on Lantus insulin. need anything please feel free to pm me on here
 
Hi folks
I have finally gone on to porcine neutral and porcine isophane insulins and AT THE MOMENT I am feeling MUCH BETTER now that I've come off all analogue and human insulins..It seems that my system couldn't take the GM insulins but the PURE amimal..porcine..insulins have stopped my tiredness/fatigue, drugged up feelings that I had when I was on novorapid and levemir and later novorapid and LANTUS. My BS control is much better than when I tried human insulins. Here's hoping that things keep improving and I get my 'strength' back. I also found out that my blood pressure is high and I'm deficient in Vit D. GET yours tested.
 
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