Need some advice as I've lost my way

[Orlando00]

i was diagnosed type 2 diabetes about 3 years ago and in that first year I did so good, dropped 4 stone and got off the medication.

Then this year started and I learnt I had sciatica and I'm on 3 x 10mg of antripaline every night. In the morning I take 225 mg venlafaxine Effexor for my OCD and anxiety. I haven't been outside in a month nearly and don't look after myself no more. I'm back to 17 stone and feeling a complete failure. My blood is fine though as had it tested not long ago but I have very high blood pressure and always have pains on my left side of my body. Easter time was an excuse to eat so much chocolate it was unreal, I know this was wrong but when my depression gets bad, it gets really bad. I'm now struggling to get the weight off and was wondering if anyone knows anything I could do to get my weight off as I can barely walk due to the sciatica . I haven't eaten chocolate or crisps in 2 days now and I'm keeping it that way, changed it for apples and grapes or water Mellon. I really need some guidance and support, not nasty comments please as I know I did wrong with the chocolate.

 

[chri5]

Hi, unfortunately it`s not just the crisps and chocolate ( although well done on stopping them ) it`s a complete diet thing. I found that a lchf diet really helped me to lose weight. I know you say your blood is ok but please be aware of the sugar contained in fruit. I`m sorry, I don`t have any experience of the meds you mention but there are many people who post on here who manage to lose weight with mobility problems so don`t lose heart as a lot of us believe that diet plays a bigger part in weight loss than exercise does. Have a look on the low carb forum and remember, it`s never too late to start a healthy lifestyle.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Quite a few drugs raise blood sugar and I've read (but not sure) that amitriptyline does. Chocolate is OK if it's 85% Dark and not too much. Avoid water melons or any fruit that has high sugar. Most tropical fruit has too much sugar. Grapes need to be controlled. Snack on nuts, cheese or berries. Overall keep all carbs down.

 

[Mike d]

I really need some guidance and support, not nasty comments please as I know I did wrong with the chocolate.

They won't come from me nor anyone else. No grapes, no melons and one quiet step or three at a time. You know you have an issue so the solution rests with you and that was your first step and maybe the hardest to take.

The "problem" (IMHO) you need to tackle is the isolation, so gradual involvement with the world will improve your mood a LOT, even for a short 5 minute stroll. The rest of it will follow. Gradual, pat a pup, take in the wind, wave to someone, smile at what you just achieved and do it again. As a Canadian astronaut I know once said to me, "atrophy is the last path" and though that applied to his time in orbit with mandatory exercise, the same applies to our time on earth with both mind and body.

 

[mariamclaren26]

It is so hard to get out of the cycle when you have lost your way. I am type 2 for 10 years now and lost my way a few times. This time is the worst but we you and me have to make a decision to do something about it. I have made enquires about Tai Chi and there are a lot of people with health issues that go there you can do it sitting down. So thats the first step what I find is when you start looking after yourself just a bit you wont want to eat rubbish you will want to be healthy. I look back before I had diabetes and wouldnt dream of eating unhealthy and rubbish food. Why now when I need to look after myself. Lets realise we dont want to miss anymore of this life. There is so much to do so much happiness to live through. I have just booked a holiday to the Caribbean so come on we can do this.

 

[Robbity]

Defintely look at and try the LCHF diet! It is possible eating this way to lose some weight without doing very much in the way of exercise. But losing weight will help your body better able to manage more activity - I know because it's helped me greatly in that respect though I don't do too much in the way of exercise other than stairs and normal household routines.

Robbity

 

[Orlando00]

Thank you so much for all the information, where could I find details of the lchf?

My hsbc1 is always brilliant according to my diabetic nurse but she is concerned because of my weight now. I can't believe I let myself slip when I was doing very good.

Was looking for dark chocolate today but couldn't find any, I also use brown rice now if I have chicken korma or curry, I make it fresh with proper chicken and ingredients that aren't too bad.

 

[chri5]

Thank you so much for all the information, where could I find details of the lchf?

My hsbc1 is always brilliant according to my diabetic nurse but she is concerned because of my weight now. I can't believe I let myself slip when I was doing very good.

Was looking for dark chocolate today but couldn't find any, I also use brown rice now if I have chicken korma or curry, I make it fresh with proper chicken and ingredients that aren't too bad.

I`ll tag @daisy1 and she will give you loads of useful info.

 

[daisy1]

@Orlando00

Hello and welcome to the forum Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. It also gives a link to the Low Carb Program which you will find helps you to control your levels better. Ask more questions and someone will be able to 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 over 150,000 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

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

LOW CARB PROGRAM:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/low carb program


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 bloodglucose 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.