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New, confused, and partly in denial

Prem51

Prem51

Expert
Messages
7,393
Location
London
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
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Hi everyone!
Well despite being in all the high risk groups (and my mother had T2), I never thought I would be diagnosed as diabetic.
I am only slightly overweight, and have had generally been in good physical health though I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism about 6 years ago, and I'm on levothyroxene.
When I was working I had a fairly physically active job, and I used to walk a lot which kept my weight down. I retired two years ago and since then I haven't exercised much. Also I have been eating more sweet stuff during the day, partly for something to do - didn't have the opportunity when I was working. This summer I have also been going to the pub more in the evening for a pub meal, burgers, steak or fish and chips usually with 2-3 pints of beer, three or four times a week.
I knew I had put on a few pounds mainly round my middle, but thought I would lose it again in the winter when I don't go out much.

Anyway a couple of weeks ago I went to see my GP for results of annual blood tests. The letter I got said it wasn't urgent, so I wasn't expecting this diagnosis, but when I got there I was told that my HbA1c level had gone from 47 last year to 49 now, and that I was now diabetic.
My GP said she wouldn't be prescribing medication, but would refer me to the DESMOND programme for advice about managing the condition, which I attended a few days later.

I am a bit annoyed that I wasn't referred when my level was 47 as I was presumably borderline diabetic then. If I had known that then I would have been more careful with my diet, and exercised more. I think she did tell me at the time that I was in danger of becoming diabetic, but I thought it was just one of those doctors' warnings to scare me into being more careful so I didn't take much notice. I wish I had.

Anyway I am where I am. It is a bit of a shock, and I'm still partly in denial. I keep telling myself that I am only just over the 48 mmol level and I can easily lower my level to below that before my next blood test in 3 months time. I have reduced my sugar intake, cutting down the chocolate, sweets, icecream, biscuits and cake that I had been eating every day. I have stopped going to the pub for meals and beer, and have only had a couple of glasses of red wine on a Saturday night. And I have been walking for about I hour most days.
I don't know how accurate my new scales are, but they show I have lost about 3lbs in 3 weeks.

I am still a bit confused about what I should be eating. I thought porridge for breakfast was healthy, but I read on here that it is not good, and I should be eating egg and bacon? I thought bacon as a processed meat was unhealthy. I am glad if I can eat it as I like a fried breakfast, but thought that was part of the reason I put on weight over the summer.

So I am going to read through the threads on here. It is useful to get the advice from people who are experiencing this condition.
I do not have a meter, I might get one if my mmol is still above 48 at my next blood test in November, but the DESMOND nurse didn't recommend it.
The main advice seemed to be to cut down on sugar intake and alcohol, control portion size, eat more vegetables, and exercise more. Which I am doing.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi and welcome to the forum @Prem51:)

I'm going to tag @daisy1 as she has some excellent information that you should find useful, best wishes.
 
@Prem51

Hello Prem51 and welcome to the forum :) I would recommend that you get yourself a meter and strips as that way you can see what results each food gives you by testing before and 2 hours after the meal. The meter which uses the cheapest strips is SD Codefree, and a member from the UK will give you the codes for multiple orders. Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

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

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.
 
@noblehead and @daisy1 Thanks for the welcome!

There is a lot to read and take in @daisy1, but I will try to get to grips with it all. I hear what you say about getting a meter and will look into it.
 
Hi and welcome,

It is essential to buy a meter. It is the only tool we type 2's have to help us control this disease, and with an HbA1c of only 49 you have every chance of getting your levels right back down to under 42 (the cut off point between non-diabetic and pre-diabetic).
It is a good idea to use a meter to test out your food. You do this by testing before you eat and again 2 hours after your first bite. It is the rise from before to after that is important because the higher the rise the worse that food in that portion size is for your body.

It is also necessary to learn about the role of carbohydrates (not just the sugary ones but also the starchy ones like potatoes, rice, pasta, bread and cereals, plus fruit and milk) All carbohydrate, whether white or brown, turns to glucose once inside the system, and as it is glucose we do not want in our blood streams it makes sense to be very careful with them.

Fats are fine for diabetics, and a good old fry up is an excellent meal (eggs, bacon, high meat content sausage, tomato and mushrooms)

Read round, and ask as many questions as you like. This thread may help you http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/a-new-low-carb-guide-for-beginners.68695/
 
Hi Prem51 and welcome to the forum. Have a look at this SD Codefree meter as it used by many people on this site because of the very reasonable price of the strips, compared with the extortionate price of other brands. There is also a discount code for bulk buys knocking about somewhere. Hopefully someone else will be able to assist with this.

http://www.homehealth-uk.com/medical/blood_glucose_monitor_testing.htm
 
Hi and welcome.
You will soon get those BS levels down with changing the way you eat and you dont have to be deprived of food,its just eating the right food.The meter is important,and you can get used to what you can and cant eat.
All the best .
 
Hi and welcome to the forum. You are in the right place to get yourself on track, I'm sure you will be able to reduce your next Hb to under 48. You have already made some great changes which should already be making an impact on your BS levels. Keep us imformed of your progress.
 
@Patricia21 and @4ratbags
Thanks for the welcomes. I have found it quite easy so far anyway to keep off the alcohol and sweet stuff. It is more difficult to work out what is better to have for meals. The DESMOND nurse's advice was not to give up things like potatoes, pasta, bread and rice, but to cook it in healthier ways and have smaller portions.
I expect there is useful information on this forum about food that is better for diabetes, I'll have to go through the threads and re-educate myself on healthy eating.
 
I think everyone on the forum will tell you not to eat potatoes ,bread and rice if you are trying to get your blood sugar down,they are carbs which turn to sugar in your system.I have butter ,cheese,eggs,cream,meat,fish veg .
Red wine is fine,and I enjoy a gin and slimline tonic
 
@Prem51 a lot of members here dont eat potatoes, rice, bread and pasta at all, myself included, I just cant tolerate them at all but thats not to say you cant eat them at all. We are all different and we all have different tolerances for different foods so if you want to reduce instead of eliminate any particular food from your diet that is also fine. It is all about finding the right balance of what you can and cant eat so the best thing you can do is to keep a food diary and to test your BS before meals and 2 hours after meals and you will soon see what works best for yourself. :D
 
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