• Guest, the forum is undergoing some upgrades and so the usual themes will be unavailable for a few days. In the meantime, you can use the forum like normal. We'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Type 2 Just been diagnosed type2 what are the first things I should do?

Shem S

Shem S

Well-Known Member
Four days ago I was diagnosed T2 and have been given a blood glucose meter and prescribed Metformin. I started to take this yesterday, starting off with 1 tablet with breakfast, building up to 3/day (which I expect to do over the next three weeks). I was diagnosed with PCOS and underactive Thyroid 16 years ago. I take Levothyroxine for my thyroid but have never been prescribed anything for the PCOS. Diet wise, I’m a pescatarian and don’t have a sweet tooth. I am significantly over weight and tried every diet under the sun to no avail. I’ve always put this down to my thyroid. I’m doing lots of reading up on any/every resource I can find online, but tbh I’m struggling to assimilate it all, to work out what it all means for me and what to expect in the future. Any top tips/pitfalls to avoid. Right now I feel like my body is my enemy.
 
Hello and welcome.
First - do not despair. I am two years from diagnosis and I have normal readings.
Secondly, make a list of the foods you'd usually eat - old supermarket till receipts can help as some of them are itemized down to the size of the pack, so they hint at the amounts too. Use the packaging to find out the percentage of carbs and work out the carbs per portion. I used a notebook to record my calculations and used it until it fell apart.
Thirdly, eat some of these typical meals and test before starting to eat and again two hours later. That will show you your usual rise in blood glucose levels and alert you to foods which you are particularly responsive to - for me it was legumes, which some seem to be able to eat and not spike.
I'll tag @daisy1 for useful advice.
 
Hello and welcome,

Wow! You were given a blood glucose meter! That is unusual for a Type 2 only on Metformin. Nice to hear this.

You can now use it to guide you with your food choices, and it is very useful to keep a food diary. You can test immediately before you eat and again 2 hours after first bite. The rise from before to after should be no more than 2mmol/, preferably a lot less. More than 2mmol/ and there were too many carbs in that meal for your body to cope with. You can then reduce the portion size of the carbs and see what happens, or eliminate some of them.

It is carbs that cause all the problems. Proteins and fats are fine. You will discover this as you go along. All carbs turn to glucose once inside the body, and I mean all carbs including the wholemeal varieties. The worst culprits are bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, pastry, flour, fruit, and most legumes.

Tagging @daisy1 for her very informative post for newcomers.

Have a good read round and ask as many questions as you like.
 
Thanks for coming back to me so quickly. 2 best bits:
1 - I didn’t know the 2 hour rule for post meal testing so will start doing that now
2 - as a non-meat eater, I basically try to eat a low fat diet and survive on many of the things listed.
Worst bit: no more peas
This is going to be tough
 
Why low fat?
Shem S said:
Thanks for coming back to me so quickly. 2 best bits:
1 - I didn’t know the 2 hour rule for post meal testing so will start doing that now
2 - as a non-meat eater, I basically try to eat a low fat diet and survive on many of the things listed.
Worst bit: no more peas
This is going to be tough
Click to expand...
 
Shem S said:
Thanks for coming back to me so quickly. 2 best bits:
1 - I didn’t know the 2 hour rule for post meal testing so will start doing that now
2 - as a non-meat eater, I basically try to eat a low fat diet and survive on many of the things listed.
Worst bit: no more peas
This is going to be tough
Click to expand...

If you cut the carbs you will have to increase the fats to compensate for any energy loss. Low fat products are highly processed and many contain extra sugar to improve the taste. You can eat real fats. I'm not sure if you eat animal products such as eggs and butter, but if you do, they are back on the menu. Avocado, olive oil and nuts are also fine. Plus oily fish - salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel etc. as many portions as you like. A small tin of salmon with a few cherry toms, cheese if you eat it, and a salad makes a great lunch.

Have a look at this website and also the lists of foods
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/60-seconds
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/foods#foodlist
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/foods#foodtoavoid

By the way, I eat peas - because I like them and because my meter says I can. We all have various reactions to the same foods.
 
Hi Shem and welcome! I have prescribed meter envy too!
I eat small portions of peas, try some with a meal and see what happens to your blood sugar. If the rise is too much try the same meal without the peas to check they are the culprit.
 
Shem S said:
Four days ago I was diagnosed T2 and have been given a blood glucose meter and prescribed Metformin. I started to take this yesterday, starting off with 1 tablet with breakfast, building up to 3/day (which I expect to do over the next three weeks). I was diagnosed with PCOS and underactive Thyroid 16 years ago. I take Levothyroxine for my thyroid but have never been prescribed anything for the PCOS. Diet wise, I’m a pescatarian and don’t have a sweet tooth. I am significantly over weight and tried every diet under the sun to no avail. I’ve always put this down to my thyroid. I’m doing lots of reading up on any/every resource I can find online, but tbh I’m struggling to assimilate it all, to work out what it all means for me and what to expect in the future. Any top tips/pitfalls to avoid. Right now I feel like my body is my enemy.
Click to expand...
Hey Shem,

Another one here with Hashimoto's and PCOS. I was told with the thyroid being what it is and my meds, I wouldn't be able to lose weight. I believed that nitwit and ended up a blimp of a T2 on her dietary advice, so... I can tell you, it CAN be done! (I'm +/-50 pounds lighter!). And get your bloodsugars uinder control in the same go. The pescatarian bit is a bit of a hurdle, but dietdoctor.com has loads of meal-ideas that would fit the bill. I do have to say though, low fat is NOT good for a T2. It's not dietary fat that makes us big, it's the glucose that gets stored in fatcells. Dietary fat is your friend, actually, as it slows down sugar peaks and helpt to make you feel satiated. It's not the baddy we've been told for over 50 years it is. (It explains the sudden T2 pandemic.) Quite a shift of gears eh. I know, it sounds completely counter-intuitive, but living proof right here. Are eggs okay? I know I can't push bacon on you, but cheese and musrooms with your scrambled eggs maybe? Full fat greek yoghurt? Double cream? Fatty fish is really good for you (I have a can of tuna almost daily, and some salmon when I can afford it ;) ). Lots of veggies are fine for us, above-ground, leafy greens... Get yourself some books by Dr. Jason Fung and get a bit of a grasp of the dynamics of this disease, and how it works on our body. You don't have to take in everything overnight, you have time to make adjustments and *gasp* a couple of mistakes. And if you have questions, pose 'em here, we'll help. All in all though, this is do-able. And yay for your doc for giving you a meter! I have to buy my own, and strips too. You already know when to test, but keep in mind after a while, once you know what which foods do to your glucose levels, you can do it a lot less and give your fingers a break.

You'll be okay. Give yourself some time to process all the info you're getting. The low carb/high fat method works for a lot of people here. I took it a step further, opting for a ketogenic diet (it's a little more extreme), because it was, oddly enough, easier for me and helps me tackle my fatty liver to boot. But those two are your best bet. There's a muntitude of names for them (Mediterranian, Keto, Newcastle, Scandinavian, Atkins, whatever), but the basic thing is, reduce the carbs, up the fats, moderate proteine... And your T2 can actually go into remission.(Which wouldn't happen on pills alone.). You're not doomed or anything. It'll be okay.
 
I was very fat as well. The only thing that helped me to lose 60 Lbs was cutting out carbs and getting my BG under control.
I ate avocados, butter, full fat yogurt, cream and meat.
All above ground vegetables as well.
@bulkbiker and @Rachox have also lost a lot of weight eating this way.
I know others on the forum have as well.
 
@Bluetit1802 Thank you. That’s really helpful. I avoid low fat stuff for the reason you mention: too over processed. I basically cut out fat & replace with fruit/veg/wholemeal carbs; which is a complete 180 from what you advise.

I am definitely going to have to retrain my brain
 
Shem S said:
Because I am very fat, have always been fat and have been trying to lose weight since I hit puberty. I am currently 5 and a half stone overweight
Click to expand...

It is carbs that make us fat. If we knock those on the head, dietary fats will not make us fat. There are hundreds of people on this forum that have lost vast amounts of weight by reducing carbs to a minimum and increasing the fats. I am one of them. I lost 33% of my body weight on low carb with high fat, and lost it easily. You may not lose it as easily because of your PCOS and thyroid issues. I didn't have any other medical issues to contend with. Also the low carb way of eating is an enjoyable diet and easily sustainable. I have maintained my low weight for 4 years. It is surely worth a try.

Do be careful with fruit. Berries are the best - raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, but eaten with cream or yogurt as part of a meal rather than a stand alone snack. Avocado and tomatoes are also fruits that we can eat, although toms may have to be limited to small portions. Your meter will tell you. Fresh toms and cherry toms rather than tinned, eaten raw or cooked.
 
Hotpepper20000 said:
I was very fat as well. The only thing that helped me to lose 60 Lbs was cutting out carbs and getting my BG under control.
I ate avocados, butter, full fat yogurt, cream and meat.
All above ground vegetables as well.
@bulkbiker and @Rachox have also lost a lot of weight eating this way.
I know others on the forum have as well.
Click to expand...

It’s got to be worth a try and basically sounds like everything I’ve been doing for years to try to stay healthy is having the opposite effect

*throws the wholemeal pitta in the bin*
 
Bluetit1802 said:
It is carbs that make us fat. If we knock those on the head, dietary fats will not make us fat. There are hundreds of people on this forum that have lost vast amounts of weight by reducing carbs to a minimum and increasing the fats. I am one of them. I lost 33% of my body weight on low carb with high fat, and lost it easily. You may not lose it as easily because of your PCOS and thyroid issues. I didn't have any other medical issues to contend with. Also the low carb way of eating is an enjoyable diet and easily sustainable. I have maintained my low weight for 4 years. It is surely worth a try.

Do be careful with fruit. Berries are the best - raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, but eaten with cream or yogurt as part of a meal rather than a stand alone snack. Avocado and tomatoes are also fruits that we can eat, although toms may have to be limited to small portions. Your meter will tell you. Fresh toms and cherry toms rather than tinned, eaten raw or cooked.
Click to expand...

I eat *a lot* of fruit

Ooft
 
Shem S said:
It’s got to be worth a try and basically sounds like everything I’ve been doing for years to try to stay healthy is having the opposite effect

*throws the wholemeal pitta in the bin*
Click to expand...

Defo worth a try, and please start tomorrow with a new shopping list. Search your cupboards and fridge/freezer for unsuitable stuff and get it in the bin or to a food bank. When you start testing your meals, do let us know what levels you are seeing and what you have eaten (and drunk). We want to see you through this.
 
It seems that fats actually make you more slender - I can't say thin - but on the low fat high carb diet I was on to 'lower cholesterol' I reached 264lb - before I stopped weighing myself.
Once diagnosed I went back to low carb and ate the fats which were naturally present in the low carb foods I chose. My cholesterol dropped, my weight dropped, my waist measurement is still reducing even though my weight isn't - but I have muscles appearing again.
 
Bluetit1802 said:
Defo worth a try, and please start tomorrow with a new shopping list. Search your cupboards and fridge/freezer for unsuitable stuff and get it in the bin or to a food bank. When you start testing your meals, do let us know what levels you are seeing and what you have eaten (and drunk). We want to see you through this.
Click to expand...

Thank you. My next job is a clear out. If it’s not here it can’t kill me.

Did low carb/high fat adversely affect your cholesterol? I’ve got raised cholesterol too so been following the healthy eating advice for that; which is the exact opposite
 
Shem S said:
I eat *a lot* of fruit

Ooft
Click to expand...

No .... you ATE a lot of fruit. :)
Just so you know, fruit is full of sugar (fructose) which can't be digested in the stomach. The liver deals with it and treats it as toxic in the same way it treats alcohol. It ends up as stored fat round the liver - which leads to insulin resistance and high blood glucose levels, not to mention other nasties such as NAFLD (Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease). The very worst fruits are tropical ones, especially grapes and bananas.
 
Ps, do people use/recommend any apps? I’m a sucker for data. The best one I’ve found so far for tracking my BG is DAFNE but I think that’s supposed to be for people with T1
 
Back
Top