just diagnosed type 2

Hi Dave, and welcome.
You need to get those numbers down as soon as. I'm sure you realise that. High carb low fat can only raise them. Low carb, high fat will see them drop to a much healthier range in a matter of days. Contrary to popular opinion, this isn't at the cost of dodgy cholesterol numbers instead. Your cholesterol will probably improve at the same time.

All the best,

fergus

Hi Dave,
When i was diagnoised my blood sugar levels were between 7 and 18 after eating! I begged the doctor to give me the chance to get it down by diet!
Thanks to everybody on this websites great help!
I went low carb, no bread,pasta,rice,potatoes!
And i don't miss any of it much! Truth be told i miss the odd bit of bread!
But the main thing is my blood sugars are never above 9 now!
I have found a little gentle exercise due to health problems has really helped as well!
Welcome to the forum! We are a friendly bunch!
Ask as many questions as you like!
Sandy

hya dave and a warm welcome to the forum

Hi Dave
The "care" given by some Health Care Professionals, just isn't.
Since you now have a meter, Try keeping a food and BG diary. this will give you something to show the nurse and If you do go low carb, It will add weight to your argument. ( In fact if you have weight to lose, It will help get that down too )
The medics do have reasons for the low fat/high carb approach, but most of them haven't noticed that evidence has discredited them
There's lots of good research, which shows that a reduced carb approach is a good one. Some people have decided it's not for them and tried low GI for instance. Personally, It didn't work for me.
Then there's the high dose medication approach. Preferred by the medical establishment, but it too has its pitfalls. There's plenty of good stuff to read, just don't believe the ones who tell you they can cure Diabetes. they can't!
And don't believe anyone who tells you that this web site has hidden agendas. It doesn't! It's written by diabetics to help their fellows. Not many medics can say the same.

Metformin is best started at a low dose and walked up gradually until it is effective, to avoid potential brown trouser incidents. Exercise is also helpful to reduce insulin resistance and drop your BG BUT don't try it when your BG is up in the 12 - 14 range or it might send you up even higher

Start here

http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/2006/10/d-day.html

then check out the Stickies and Success Stories threads for more ideas and information

As you appear to have correctly deduced, diabetes is a malfunction in carbohydrate metabolism so it hardly makes sense to eat more of them

Dave,

I was diagnosed end of April. Found this forum fairly soon and decided that the "success stories" for lo-carb were compelling, so decided that route was for me. My HBA1C was 10.3 which equates (roughly) to an average BG of 16 mmols/l. I have been lo carb dieting and exercise for approx 6 weeks during which my weight has dropped from 17st 5 to 15 st 10. I have been doing blood testing for 3 weeks. My highest BG in that time was 6.5 and I havent had a reading in the last 9 days over 5.9. I hadn't done any real exercise in yonks and now do 6 miles cycling or an hour in the gym every day, plus 36 sit ups and 60 bench presses, so energy is not an issue, if a 53 year old couch potato can do it any one can!! I am assisted by 2 x 500g Metformin, but my goal is to eventually ditch them, though there is a school which believes you should continue to take them as they take some of the pressure off and have no long term issues.(They have been around since early 50's).

For me personally the lo-carb route is a no brainer!.

Steve

Hi Dave,

I was diagnosed only 3 weeks ago and like you am on 1 x Metformin 500mg a day. On diagnosis I was 12.5 and wondered how the hell I was going to get it down. I found this forum and my numbers are down to an average of 5.8. I decided that I would try low-carbing (I still have a bit of rice occasionally!) and I have lost 15lbs. I doubt whether I would have done this without the help of the people on this forum.

Like Steve I am also a bit of a couch potato and hate exercise but I have started walking more and am planning on going swimming twice a week. Every little helps!

Good luck

Rita