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New to type 2

Rosie1953

Rosie1953

Well-Known Member
Messages
106
Location
Norwich
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I was told 4 weeks ago that I was going to be started to be treated for type 2 diabetic. In June I was sent for my yearly fasting blood test as I had been borderline for the last couple of years. This came back and the Dr rang me to say I was know gone over the borderline, but she wanted me to have a second fasting test which was 2 weeks after the last one, on this one they then said I was borderline. I made an appointment to see the Dr as over the last 2 months I was feeling very dry and drinking up to 41/2 litres of water/coffee a day, I had also had 3 water infections, feeling light headed and tired all the time. I suffer from Lichen Sclerosus down below and I was unable to keep it under control using the strong steroid cream for the last 3 months. Dr sent me for another fasting blood test and a HbA1c both came back slightly over the borderline level. Dr decided to wait a month and send me for another HbA1c which came back as 50. Dr was still undecided what to do but as I was showing signs symptoms of diabetes, she would class me as a diabetic and put me on Metformin 500grs daily. On the 24/09/14 my weight was 13-3 stone over the last 4 weeks I have gone down to 12-6 stones. For the last two weeks I have lost all the symptoms have gone. I have a date to go to a type 2 group education 2 hour session and also got an appointment for my eye scan.
I have been keeping a food diary, but as I've not had any guide lines it think I'm cutting out a lot of the things I could possible have. As I'm only just over the borderline, would it be worth me buying a machine to check my glucose daily. If so what one do you need for the uk readings. I'm having another HbA1c sometime again in November.
 
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Hi and welcome. It sounds like you may be a borderline diabetic T2, but with a bit of luck if you can continue to lose weight your possible diabetes should go into remission. Yes, do get a meter. Any purchased in the UK will be suitable for UK measurements and some can be changed in software anyway. For diet the key thing is to reduce all carbs. Don't worry about protein and to some extent fats. If you want to come back with more questions about which foods to avoid or you can have do ask or look around the forums
 
by the look of it, you are going to be one of the lucky ones, lose the weight and get normal levels, but you still have to remember that your pancreas isn't normal output

to lose weight you cut the carbs, easier said than done. if you ever tried to diet..what I found was LCHF where the lost carb energy is made up with healthy fats
this is a lot of reading but take your time to get through it

http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf it’s a long page and a video
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbliving/a/Food-Cravings.htm For me, the more carbs we eat the more carbs we want. they don’t give up easy.
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarb101/a/firstweek.htm

http://www.lowcarbdietitian.com/blog/carbohydrate-restriction-an-option-for-diabetes-management

blood testing
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php
http://www.homehealth-uk.com/medical/blood_glucose_monitor_testing.htm

food counting
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

Newcastle diet aims in 8+ weeks to mimic or better the rate of ~80% remission, for surgery T2
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/magres/research/diabetes/
http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2010/mar/weight-loss-surgery-and-type-2-diabetes.html

American diabetic association ( http://www.professional.diabetes.org/)
http://www.professional.diabetes.or...=DP&s_src=vanity&s_subsrc=nutritionguidelines
Evidence is inconclusive for an ideal amount of total fat intake for people with diabetes;
therefore, goals should be individualized; fat quality appears to be far more important than quantity.

In people with type 2 diabetes, a Mediterranean-style, MUFA-rich eating pattern may benefit
glycemic control and CVD risk factors and can therefore be recommended as an effective alternative to a lower-fat, higher-carbohydrate eating pattern.
 
Even though it is not fully understood why some people develop type 2 diabetes, It is clear that certain factors do increase the risk.

* Weight.
Being overweight or worse obese, is a major risk factor for diabetes type 2.
The more fatty tissue you have, the less the insulin receptors will function correctly.

* Inactivity.
Physical activity, especially exercise, uses up glucose as energy and makes your cells more receptive to insulin.
Physical activity helps you to control your weight.
Physical activity greatly contributes to a healthy lifestyle.
The less active you are, the more you run the risk of contracting type 2 diabetes.

* Family history.
If a parent or a sibling has type 2 diabetes, the risk of you getting diabetes type 2 increases.

* Age.
As you get older, the risk of type 2 diabetes increases, most noticeably after age 45.
People are more prone to a sedentary lifestyle and tend to exercise less, thus losing muscle mass and gaining weight as they age. This could be the reason why the risk escalates with age.
However, type 2 diabetes is also increasing dramatically among children, adolescents and younger adults.

* Prediabetes.
Pre-diabetes is a condition in which your blood sugar level is higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes.
Left untreated, prediabetes often progresses to type 2 diabetes.

* Gestational diabetes.
If you develop diabetes when you are pregnant (gestational diabetes), your risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases.
If you gave birth to a baby weighing more than 4.1kg.(9 lb), then you are also at risk of type 2 diabetes.

* Low birth weight.
People who weighed less than 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) at birth are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life.
Source(s):
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MS30IWW
 
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These are the meals I have had for the last two days, I am losing weight steadily but I'm suffering with constipation. I don't know what would be the best things to add to my diet to help with the constipation and not make me gain weight or up my sugar level. I don't have a glucose testing machine at the moment, but thinking of buying one. My last HbA1c was 50 so I'm only just over the borderline.

Saturday

Breakfast. 2 weetabixs, 3oz skimmed milk and handful Blueberries.

Lunch. broccoli , croquettes and mushroom 2 egg omelette. Pear.

Dinner. Smoked mackerel, lettuce, cucumber, gherkins, tomato, pickled beetroot. Apple.

Today Sunday

Breakfast. 2 weetabixs, 3oz skimmed milk and handful Blueberries.

Lunch. Small granary roll, ham on the bone, 2 small gherkins and a apple

Dinner roast chicken, 3oz sweet potato, cauliflower, sprouts, chickpeas, carrots, gravy and a 0/0 fat yogurt.
 
That looks like a pretty good diet. If you are losing weight and your levels are under control like this maintain it. You could drop to one weetabix or swap to porridge. That would help more and even allow you to lose more weight
 
Thanks Andrew. I will know better when I have purchased a blood glucose monitor, as the Drs are not doing another test until sometime in November. It's the problem with the constipation that's been going on since I was diagnosed about a month ago. At the moment I'm taking Lactulose which I think could up my blood sugar. I'm trying to find something that is natural and that will not affect the blood sugar levels. I drink quite a bit of water throughout the day.
 
Yes I noticed on the activa one I had this evening it said 10.8% sugar which I thought was quite high! the ones I had last week was a muller light and they had 7.8%. I'm still new to reading and understanding labels. Not sure on what % is classed as high or low.
 
Rosie1953 said:
Yes I noticed on the activa one I had this evening it said 10.8% sugar which I thought was quite high! the ones I had last week was a muller light and they had 7.8%. I'm still new to reading and understanding labels. Not sure on what % is classed as high or low.
Click to expand...
The fat is not the issue for me. I try to eat low carbohydrate. Low fat yoghurt is usually in my opinion higher carb.
 
Yes I've been reading up on low carbs, I still need to get my head around the things you can and can't eat on that. I have my 2 hours diabetic type 2 education course on the 12/11/14. But I think from what I've ready they will be saying completely different, I will just list to what they say but make up my own mind what line of diet I will follow.
 
Is the low carb alright to follow if you have a above normal cholesterol level my last one was 6.1
 
good evidence that it actually lowers cholesterol
 
Thanks Andrew. I have refused to take Satins as they started me on them about 11/2 years ago and after I few days on them I ended up in hospital with pain in chest and left arm, I was convinced it was the Satins so I stopped them and have not had the symptoms since.
 
Hi Rosie. Just a quick reply in between rushing off to another job.
I'm also on the lchf diet and have suffered constipation for many years due to ibs. Lactulose is the only thing that helps me and I take it daily, but when I was diagnosed as type 2 my gp changed it to sugar free lactulose. It's sachets so much better than the bottle. I don't think you can buy it from chemists but I might be wrong. Have a word with your gp. I've found on this diet that I do need to drink plenty of water now also. It also doesn't raise my bg readings.
I hope this helps.
 
Pip16 said:
Hi Rosie. Just a quick reply in between rushing off to another job.
I'm also on the lchf diet and have suffered constipation for many years due to ibs. Lactulose is the only thing that helps me and I take it daily, but when I was diagnosed as type 2 my gp changed it to sugar free lactulose. It's sachets so much better than the bottle. I don't think you can buy it from chemists but I might be wrong. Have a word with your gp. I've found on this diet that I do need to drink plenty of water now also. It also doesn't raise my bg readings.
I hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Thanks Pip. The Dr gave me some sachets of Laxido sugar free, but I don't get on with them as they give me very bad pains in my stomach. I will ask in the chemist if there is something better that the Dr can prescribe for me.
I ordered a blood glucose monitor Sunday evening, so I will be able to adjust the things I eat and keep a check on my levels.
 
Rosie1953 said:
Thanks Pip. The Dr gave me some sachets of Laxido sugar free, but I don't get on with them as they give me very bad pains in my stomach. I will ask in the chemist if there is something better that the Dr can prescribe for me.
I ordered a blood glucose monitor Sunday evening, so I will be able to adjust the things I eat and keep a check on my levels.
Click to expand...
Hi Rosie. Like you I had many blood tests over the past 18 months.(after a water infection showed high glucose) After each one I never got a straight answer about my bg levels. It was always let's do a repeat in 3 months/6 months Each time I asked if I had diabetes, they dodged the answer. Type 2 is in the genes in my family so many members have it, so I wouldn't have been shocked. I had another in august which I asked for as I had a frozen shoulder and the physio said it was very common with diabetes. Got called back for another repeat and was told after that I had type 2. Hba1c was 51. I wasn't given much advice apart from lose weight and more exercise by a locum dr in a phone consultation. On my first visit with the DN 3 weeks ago, I had already lost 1/2 stone which she was pleased about and told me to continue as I was. She Also said something about our bodies not needing a jam doughnut.??? My cholesterol was 6.5 and she wanted me to start on statins which I refused. I started the lchf diet about 2 weeks ago and with my meter I'm learning what I can and can't eat and portions etc. I've lost another 1/2 stone so am really pleased. I do eat the odd slice of bread. It's tiny and full of seeds but it doesn't seem to affect my bg very much. My bg are now in the 5's on waking, 5's before lunch and dinner and mainly 5 or low 6's after. After Evening dinner am either 6's or low 7's (Still experimenting) They were all in the 7/8/10's when I first started testing so I've learnt a lot with using the meter. I'm not due for another hba1c test til mid December and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a better result on both the bg and cholesterol.
I still want to lose another 1/2 stone and I will get there.
You seem to be doing really well and once you get your meter you will learn lots more. There's so much help and advice on this forum if you need help with anything just ask. By the way laxido didn't agree with me either.
 
Hi Pip Thanks for you help. It sounds like your have had as much problems as me with the Drs. The DN was on holiday when I went so I saw one of the other nurses, she was not much help either, she said we don't have time to go through things, I will book you in for the 2 hour type 2 diabetic education course and they will explain what you can and can't eat. I have been lucky with the Metformin as I have not had any problems with it.
On the low carb diet is there any guide lines of the carbs you should have a day or is it just trial and error to find out.
I have brought a carb manager app to have on my iPad. To help me to decide what is ok and what's not.
 
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