• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Type 2 New and very confused with jargon!

L

lesleyk1

Newbie
Messages
2
Hello
I am hoping for some help here from all you people that have got a grip on Diabetes Type 2 ! I was diagnosed a little over a year ago whilst in hospital and was given insulin during my hospital stay of 2 weeks. I take GALVUS 50g (vildagliptin) morning and night and try my best (albeit confused) with my diet. I have mobility issues and am disabled which restricts me from exercising (which always seems to be the given solution for my being obese) trust me - I have tried every diet known to women and mankind and I am still obese! but that is secondary to my worries as diabetes has taken over my life! at 69 I had no idea I would feel like a beginner at anything. my main confusion is my Blood Glucose readings. they have varied from 88 -226 ! now this is where I get completely lost. WHAT ARE mmols ?? there is no reading for them on my BG machine reader? I have Gluco sure HT test strips with loads of numbers on the tube of levels but the meter reads only mg. I don't know if this sounds stupid but I really cannot get the glucose thing at all. This morning I had 28g of Kellogs Cornflakes and 80ml of semi-skimmed milk and a large pear weighing 230g - took my meds and one hour later my BG was 226 which is the highest it has been since I came out of the hospital last year? when should I be concerned and go to the GP? I have read lots of things on the internet which frightened me to death - all about hyperglycemic comas and hypos ?? Any advice would be a help. Sorry this is so long and thanks for your time, if you made it this far in the post .
 
Welcome to the forums @lesleyk1 .

There are two measuring systems for blood glucose, mmol/L and mg/dL (Think of it like you can measure weight in pounds or kg).

You sound to be somewhere that uses mg/dL , whereas the UK (and Australia and New Zealand, not sure about other locations) use mmol/L

1mmol/L is 18 mg/dL so you just multiply or divide by 18 to convert between the two systems. (or use the calculator below)
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/blood-sugar-converter.html

Generally manufacturers calibrate blood testing meters so that they use the units used in the country they are sold in, so your meter uses mg/dL.

I'm going to give you a link to my favourite introduction to treating T2 with diet
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blogs/

A blood glucose of 226mg/dL is 12.6mmol/L, which is higher than a non diabetic's would be but not in my opinion massively so.

I'll let some T2s comment on your breakfast choices. It may be that cutting out some of the carbohydrate in that breakfast will have a very significant effect on your after breakfast bg.

Good luck, and once more welcome.
 
lesleyk1 said:
WHAT ARE mmols ?? there is no reading for them on my BG machine reader?
Click to expand...
Firstly, mmol/L is the measurement range used in the UK (where many on the forums are) and various other countries, mg/dL is the measurement used in the US (and some other places)

Your readings suggest you are using the mg/dL range - which country are you in? The mg/DL range may be what your country uses - if it is the right scale for your country then you do want to keep using that range (to compare mg/dL with mmol/L, times the mmol/L number by 18)

Many diabetics find that having a lots of carbs in the morning especially if it includes fruit like pears will raise their sugar levels quite significantly I'm afraid. I 'm sure some Type2's can help with diet suggestions to help you though
 
Hi, what dietary advice were you given by your health care professionals? Many people here find that adjusting their diet has a much greater impact on their blood glucose levels than exercise.
 
If you think of carbs as sugar. 1 teaspoon = roughly 5 grams of carbohydrates
Cornflakes 28gm = 25gm of carbs or the equivalent of 5 teaspoons of sugar
Pear 230gm @ 15gm per 100 = 34gm of carbs = almost 7 teaspoons
So what looks like a fairly healthy breakfast of cereal and fruit contains around 12 teaspoons of sugar.
Normally that sugar would be used for energy, but because your insulin is not working effectively (T2) for you it results in higher insulin and blood sugar levels, fat storage and probably hunger.
Compare that to a breakfasts of say bacon and eggs.
No carbs, no sugar, your pancreas can take a rest because no large amounts of insulin are required. No spike in blood sugar levels or hunger because your body does not have a problem processing protein and fats.
 
I agree with @catinahat. You've eaten a breakfast very high in carbohydrates. I would have had the same biological response as you if I'd eaten that. As T2s, we have a problem processing carbohydrates because, although we often have plenty of insulin, it doesn't work. Carbohydrate/sugar therefore is stored by the body as fat, but it also stays in the blood stream, which results in high blood glucose levels. Your body tries to get the sugar levels down which is why there is often sugar in urine. Having high levels of sugar in your body over time can lead to serious damage to all sorts of things - kidneys, eyes, skin etc. And we're all different, Some of us can tolerate higher levels of blood glucose than others - I'm one who can't.


So - for me one of the key realizations early on was that what people often think of as a "healthy diet" - I mean the low-fat, base your meals around starchy carbohydrates - that we're instructed to eat is positively harmful for diabetics and anyone at risk of becoming diabetic. I eat a high protein and high (natural) fat diet. This means meat, cream and dairy, etc. To the amazement of some of my friends and my diabetic nurse, my blood glucose plummeted, my weight fell. I've never been hungry, the way you are on low-calorie diets. I don't eat bread, pasta, cereal, rice, pastry, potatoes - that sort of thing. Very little fruit, as it's very high in sugar. I don't eat highly processed foods. I aim for around a maximum of 20g carbohydrate a day. There's probably more than that in one apple.


The result was that I had my blood glucose back to normal levels within four months, and my overall health has improved. I've lost around 25kg, about 55lbs. Almost all my diabetic symptoms have gone, although it looks like I will have some permanent damage from the years of eating carbs. That was what worked, and still works, for me.


I can't say what exactly will work for you, and I'm not suggesting that my example is one you should follow. My advice would be to use your meter to find out what various foods do to your blood glucose levels, and if they're raised unacceptably ( as with your breakfast) you have to cut them out. Keep a record of what you eat, and what your readings were before and after. You need to be honest with yourself - it's your health.


Best of luck, it's do-able.
 
Thank you so much for the reply. I really does make sense with my problems. I have tried for years to lose weight using low-calorie diets filled with carbs, which is what brought me to where I am today. Overweight and T2 and struggling! I will try the high-fat no-carb approach and see what happens. I just had a hard boiled egg for breakfast before my meds and a cup of white tea no sugar of course! I have never taken sugar in tea, but occasionally in a cappuccino treat when out shopping! I think I need the sugar for the energy at that time,. it is very odd that I don't normally need the sugar - only then? Thanks once again. ! watch this space.
 
Hi Lesley and welcome. You don’t need to just have one egg have two or three to fill you up. Personally I think eggs are brilliant, so versatile, but you don’t have to stick to one. The big carb hitters are potatoes, bread, pasta and rice. Have a look at some of the “what have you eaten today” threads for ideas. You can keep it as simple as you like based around meat, fish, eggs, cheese for protein and green veg or salad on the side. There are some LC breads around but I would limit the bread habit. I have one slice of HiLo toast every morning but no more. Natural Greek yogurt ok and berries in small amounts, avoid bananas and tropical fruit. Cauli rice brilliant with h/m curry and mashed celeriac a great topping for meat pies. Everyone is different and what you can tolerate may be very different to me but your meter will tell you. Best wishes to you.
 
I managed to et into remission on 80-85g of carbs a day, but I know others need to cut down more.
I have raspberries with greek yogurt and a square or two of dark 85% chocolate as my sweet treats (unlike many others I've never lost my sweet tooth but prefer less sweet choc these days).
Without counting calories, without feeling hungry and on almost no exercise I also lost loads of weight.
 
When I went LCHF diet some 5 years ago, I lost nearly 8 stone in weight and my waistband dropped from 36" to 30" and I had to invest in a pair of braces (suspenders). I cooked for my nondiabetic wife too, and she lost a similar amount of weight. we both became 10-stone shadows of our former selves. As others have said, I do not feel hungry or need snacks. My HbA1c result (picked up today) is 46 mmol/mol (6.4%) which is prediabetic, but a lot better than the 106 mmol/mol that I recorded 5 years ago.
 


Hi Lesley nice to meet you..Im new on the forum but have been diabetic for many years.

Like you I have mobility issues..I use a wheelchair and am often bedbound so I know what its like to struggle with weight issues.
I did go low carb after having problems with metformin medication and the low carb did shift a fair bit of weight
I do find also if Im not eating well or enough the weight stays on because we are already immobile and unwell maybe the body refuses to let go of it as it feels we need to keep it.sorry if that doesnt make sense.What i mean is the body holds onto the weight so not to stress us out even more when we already unwell

One of my favourite breakfast was cornflakes but I have had to give that up years ago as it really does spike sugar..Even the newer lower sugar ones as they still have carbohydrates that are not slow acting

If you are somewhere that uses mmol usually then you may have accidentally been given the wrong meter.I have heard of people in the uk being issued with usa meter before today and they had to swop it for a uk one or amazon or the local pharmacy mayeb able to supply one if reading is mmol is more helpful for you
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…