New to forum

Good morning Evans,

I'm not sure whether you need a sympathetic or a firm reply to your post, as all the answers you need are in your question.
By all means ask your clinical team about insulin - it doesn't have any particular 'side effects' as such and it would be a 'traditional' way of treating your condition at the stage you've reached.

But I need to start by pointing out you're 43 - hardly old - and if you decide to deal with your diabetes now then you'll have many healthy years ahead of you. But if you don't deal with it, then you can expect an increasing list of complications, difficulties and problems.

So what to do? You're weight is 97kg, which means that you're overweight and obese if you're less than 6' tall. Your levels are way too high and you say you don't have time to exercise the will power to change your diet. All your words chap. Taking insulin might deal with your levels but it absolutely wont fix the other things and probably wont prevent complications.

I am prepared to bet that if you changed your diet for 6 weeks you'd see a massive improvement - massive. Stop eating bread, rice, pasta, potatoes and anything baked with flour in it. Call it an experiment - after 6 weeks you can start again but you probably wont want to - write about it, weigh yourself daily and take notes. If you start today then by the Olympic closing ceremony you'll be fitter, leaner and your levels will be great.

There's lots of encouragement on here and it's all free. But you have to want to change things and you have to try.

Hello Evans

Swimmer is absolutely right. You are still young and can change things.

You can build exercise into your daily life without going to the gym. Start off gently. When you go to the supermarket, park at the other end of the car park so you have further to walk to the shop. Any exercise is good for you and you'll be amazed at how much better you feel.

This time last year at the age of 53, I was 5.5 stone overweight and had had a stroke due to undiagnosed diabetes. I didn't want diabetic medication and decided to try diet and exercise. I started off walking a little bit each day and built it up. Yesterday I walked 40,000 steps which works out at 16.18 miles for me. If I can do that after a stroke, then I think that most people can do it. You just need to start walking. I used to think that I had no willpower, but when it comes down to literally a matter of life or death, you'll be amazed at what you can do. I'd hate anyone to be in the same scary situation I was in.

Hi Evans,
The others have said it all. No amount of medication will put you right, & diabetes will progress with life-threatening consequences. Only a drastic change of lifestyle with give you renewed health, starting with diet - avoid ALL the obvious carbs, including sugars, together with increasing walking, stair climbing, etc.

I was diagnosed at 61, & had an active lifestyle, though somewhat overweight. Dr told me as a diabetic I was in line for heart disease, stroke, blindness, amputation, kidney failure ... I was in a state of shock for months, & immediately determined to do what I could to control diabetes. Now I am 73, & fit & well.

We wish you well - stay around; ask your questions; & find here the support you need.

+1 to Swimmer.
Not good enough to say "I'm not going to kid myself aout diet". Try instead not kidding youirself about losing feet and dying early, going blind, renal failure etc. Sorry to sound unkind, but you have to face the situation.

The discussion about insulin is this:

It may bring your levels down. It will bring your weight up. You will need more insulin then. Which will bring your weight up.

Why?

Because if you eat so many starchy things (bread, pasta, rice) which make your blood sugar spike, you will have to inject enough to cover it. Any excess calories will make you bigger. It's a fact. However, once you've stored all these cals as well, fat, which is where it goes when you don't need it, you might still have insulin in your blood stream in excess of what you now need - then you will want a wee snack to not get low.... That means extra cals. The bigger you get, the more insulin you would need as your body gets number to insulin as weight goes up.

So, in essence, you would have to keep your carb intake in tight control anyways.

I am type2 (possible 1.5) on insulin myself. This has been my own choice for various reasons, but I can tell ya right here and now, that for us big 'uns, unless you know what your body needs, get some wee walks or weights or footie in there, and decide to take control, you may end up with lower blood sugar, a bigger body and increased risks of all the other things. And unless you really want to devote the time to finding out exactly when in reference to a meal your blood glucose is likely to spike, you will end up going low-high-low-high-oops-darned-well eff it then.

If you're up for that, then cool. It is not easier. It may be slightly different. But the idea is the same at the end of the day.

Btw - all said to help even if I sound a bit stern. It's your life we're talking about.

What has already has been said is the truth, it really is a matter of life with your feet/eyes etc failing/ missing or you give yourself a kick up the but and TRY to change things. Do you want to die with bits chopped off or do you want to die of old age with a good life behind you?

Carbs are what we cant process,so we need to either cut them down/out or use medication. If you chose the medication route then you still need to restrict the carbs to keep the medication amount down and to reduce the weight gain.

Do yourself a favor and try to cut the carbs, we'll support and help you along the way and I doubt that you'll want to go back to your old ways. Go through the cupboards(when your not hungry so that its easier)and throw away the things that you shouldn't eat. If they're not there then you can't eat them, that will make things easier at first. If you don't live on your own then sit everyone down and explain to them that you need their support and what you are faced with if you don't take control of this.

Ann

Please listen to the advice on here. These people are wonderful. Have only been diagnosed for a few months myself.

Followed the NHS advice and did at least 130g carbs a day and it didnt help one little bit so recently followed the advice on here and started a low carb high fat diet. My bg's are coming down in the day but still struggling with the morning readings but know that I will get there in the end. Have lost 13lb so far (still have quite a lot to lose) but am in this for the long haul.

I am not on medication and want to avoid at all costs if possible

I have a family and not much time. I work full time and come home to cook a meal for everyone. If they all want fish and chips then I just make something low carb for myself but if I cook roast chicken or pork chops for example, I have the same dinner minus the potatoes. You soon learn to live without them.

Unfortunately you have to learn to be more selfish. Your family should totally understand if they want you to be around for alot of years to come and live a healthy life. They certainly wouldnt want your life shortened or for you to live in pain or with complications.

Get a grip and take control. YOU control the diabetes and dont let diabetes control YOU.

Good luck. Everyone here will help - all you have to do is ask. Thats what I do and always get answers that help.

Sue