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Newbie and keeping on Track

prepareathome

prepareathome

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi I am a total newbie who was diagnosed on Tuesday.

Have had high readings during pregnancies long ago but always cleared afterwards.

Over past 10 years I have had high readings but not together and the long term one was always just above normal so doctor classed me as prediabetic and I tried to cut carbs down and did bring levels down,not again perfectly but doctor felt was ok.

This past year though they have risen and risen, thirst been terrible, weight piled on, fatigue hit rock bottom and bladder does its own thing and so doctor has now put me on Metaformin, starting me off low she said as am on other meds for pain and do tend to get side effects a lot. Kidney and cholesterol tests came back normal thankfully.

Now I know to follow a low carb diet but when in a flare due to Fibro/MS pain levels go up, fatigue is bad and I feel as if I have dementia as everything seems so hard and impossible. So I feed family but I tend to snag on bread, its my downfall I am hooked on bread, can keep cakes, biscuits, sweets, chocolate but bread, any type I just love - for me its all or nothing, no half measures.

At moment I am in a flare so my will power is weak and cravings so strong but I know I must stop.

I want to ask would I be sensible if I used a meter to test my blood - forgot to ask doctor and I don't see the diabetic nurse till next week as there was nothing sooner.

My take is with diabetes there is no obviously sign straight away except blood sugar levels and I need to see them to keep me eating correctly .

Does this seem sensible...........if I eat wrong , check my blood and sugar level is up I will see it and hopefully make myself stick to no bread. Yes I can cheat myself but I know me if I see it going up I will start to pay attention even when in pain, fatigued and hungry and force myself to eat properly.Might not do it overnight but will.

So can I ask, how often should I test and what numbers should I be looking for.

Still learning about numbers - and forgot to ask doctor to write down what they were........see her a week on Monday to get results of new fasting test I will have tomorrow along with another calcium check as numbers for that are getting lower each time I have the test.

I have ordered a meter from Amazon, I found the cheaper the meter the dearer the strips so just gone for a Wavesence Jazz as the strips seemed the best price and from reading on here it doesn't look as if I will get them from doctor ( don't get free prescriptions I buy a prepaid certificate). Didn't need anything fancy as I only want to check numbers stay down and find out what does cause them to rise etc.

Should be here tomorrow along with the other bits, so would I best best to at first test before and after each meal to see what affects levels. How long after meal should I test, then once I know what is happening when I eat should I go to morning and night or is that to far away to worry about.

I just know me to well, I prefer not to follow my grandma and lose a leg or an uncle that lost a hand( both died indirectly from diabetes) nor have Glaucoma as another uncle has had ( still alive), These are on dads side but neither dad nor as yet any of my siblings(but all younger than me and I am 59) have as far as I know even pre-diabetes ( not a close family :)).

Apart from the testing the important thing is sort out an eating plan for me and try and do some exercise ( used to swim daily and go walking in hills and countryside but not for a long time now).

Am sure I sound like putting the cart before the horse, putting checking levels before diet but I need to get it into my thick head that I am damaging myself when I eat bread, bread and more bread - can be dry or just with butter, not even bothered about adding anything else.

Thanks
 
A meter is essential and with it you can find out what raises your blood sugar to an unacceptable level. Test two hours after eating

If you can, start walking again.
 
I tried Bergan (Burgen?) bread some time ago and didn't like it. I am now addicted to it. It is not carb free but it has far less than conventional bread.
 
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Yes, there are low carb breads on the market. Bergen is one. Or you could make your own low carb bread (plenty of recipes elsewhere on the forums). I was another bread addict but soon learnt from my meter how bad it is for my blood sugar levels and that was enough to put me off. I now have around 2 or 3 slices a week of Hovis Seed Sensations. 17g of carb per slice, so I eat it one slice only with 2 poached eggs or a lot of cheese, or both! The fat and the seeds slow down the digestion and keep the spikes lower. It is all trial and error, and your meter will help.
 
Thanks been reading more posts elsewhere and can see meter is the best option and lo carb - been digging out my lo carb books and sorting out my shopping list as soon as workman goes today ( had them all week so been hard getting out) will go and buy food for me, plenty in for family. Basically will follow Atkins type of diet but will be equal fish and meat and hopefully the meter readings will keep me on the straight and narrow xxx
 
Lidl protein rolls are lovely see attached picture baked fresh on site.
I emailed customer services as I wanted to know. This is their response:
Lidl High Protein Rolls
Ingredients:
Water, Linseeds, Wheat Protein, Soya Flour, Whole Wheat Flour, Sesame, Soybean Meal, Sunflower Seeds, Wheat Bran, Oat Fiber, Yeast, Salt, Colouring Spice Extracts (Curcuma).

Nutritional Information:

Typical Values per 100g:

Energy 1194kJ/268kcal

Fat 13.4g (Of which saturates 0.4g)

Carbohydrate 8.5g (Of which sugars 0.5g)

Fibre 12.4g

Protein 26.7g

Salt 0.99g

Allergens:

For allergens see ingredients in bold.

May contain traces of milk and egg
 

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Hi and welcome to the forum
I'll tag @daisy1 who will give you the advice we give to all new members . It's hard to give up something you really love so try to cut back to start with and no to people are the same so you need to test to see what your body will allow you to have and what portion size to have once you know this you can test when you try anything new . Now I only test when I get up before breakfast .
Good luck on this new way of life it will get easier as you got on if you stick to the rules .
 
rosserk said:
Lidl protein rolls are lovely see attached picture baked fresh on site.
I emailed customer services as I wanted to know. This is their response:
Lidl High Protein Rolls
Ingredients:
Water, Linseeds, Wheat Protein, Soya Flour, Whole Wheat Flour, Sesame, Soybean Meal, Sunflower Seeds, Wheat Bran, Oat Fiber, Yeast, Salt, Colouring Spice Extracts (Curcuma).

Nutritional Information:

Typical Values per 100g:

Energy 1194kJ/268kcal

Fat 13.4g (Of which saturates 0.4g)

Carbohydrate 8.5g (Of which sugars 0.5g)

Fibre 12.4g

Protein 26.7g

Salt 0.99g

Allergens:

For allergens see ingredients in bold.

May contain traces of milk and egg
Click to expand...
I wish I could find these in LIDL CAN NEVER SEE THEM !
 
JAY1JAY1 said:
I wish I could find these in LIDL CAN NEVER SEE THEM !
Click to expand...


Ask in store if you can have a word with the baker. I buy a dozen when I see them and freeze them in individual freezer bags. I bought them for me but the entire family are stealing them now!

If you have no luck in store contact customer services and see what they can do to help. They are constantly looking at ways to attract new customers try persuading them this will get people in store!

https://ssl.lidl.co.uk/en/customer-service-contact-form-uk.htm
 
rosserk said:
Ask in store if you can have a word with the baker. I buy a dozen when I see them and freeze them in individual freezer bags. I bought them for me but the entire family are stealing them now!

If you have no luck in store contact customer services and see what they can do to help. They are constantly looking at ways to attract new customers try persuading them this will get people in store!

https://ssl.lidl.co.uk/en/customer-service-contact-form-uk.htm
Click to expand...
Thank you I will try
 
Hi and welcome to the forum. Dont be too hard on yourself, you already realise what steps you need to be taking and you've found the forum where there are a lot of helpful members to give you advice. It takes time when you are making changes do you are bound to have a few hiccups along the way. It took me over a year to wean myself off bread and to not be tempted. I have recently been doing some low carb baking, muffins,brownies and a choc chip cheesecake slice so if I feel like a treat I can just grab something out of the freezer and I have found that I havnt been tempted. The next step for myself is to find a good low carb bread recipe. Keep us posted on your progress please.
 
Thanks everyone. I yesterday got carbs below 30 ( 26.6g) but reading still all over the place, no pattern really as yet that shows what causes spikes , guess won't be unless I eat every food separately and test but doubt could afford all those strips as would use hundreds a week, so keeping a record of every little thing in meal and will look at each meal and compare what things are in similar meals and hopefully work out what causes readings to shoot up xxx
 
A sorry for myself post

Well readings at moment are all over the place, still unsure of what I am meant to be. Have my first appointment with diabetic nurse at doctors today so trying to sort out what to ask there. Been told am now entitled to free prescriptions so must remember while at doctors to ask for the form to fill out to claim these. Missing my bread and my decent cups of tea - took it with a bit of skimmed and one half sugar, changed it to full fat and stevia but has an after taste so miserable at moment. I know am eating to much fat and protein as well as because craving both bread and tea I want to eat, always seem hungry,never satisfied so eating low carb but never full ( but in reality am sure I am but being a pig) so weight is going to sky rocket even more.

Trying to avoid taking the Metaformin due to the side effects as already have tummy problems and am sick enough without taking something that could make things worse and even though BG levels are all over the place they have already gone down since started taking the readings on Friday, can see the difference with diet even though still far to high. I I could calories as well as carbs I will feel even more miserable but cannot add weight am far to obese as it is............

So not quite sure what to do am just feeling overwhelmed and tiredness if anything is worse which is making things harder, legs refuse to keep me up at times and been warned am high risk for broken bones so spending even more time lying in bed - I spend a lot of time in bed due to other health issues but usually manage to push myself but not now tiredness just to great - I guess its worse due to cutting down the carbs so drastically .

At this moment doesn't ever feel as if life will be anywhere near normal and enjoyable again...........
 
I don't enough yet to offer much advice but I did want to offer a big hug, I know what you mean about feeling life never being normal again!

On the Metformin, ask, if the DN didn't offer it, for the Slow Release version. I had the ordinary version first, and it gave me awful runs. Then it was changed to the SR but, at the same time, upped to 2 x 500mg. After a couple of days of being absolutely transfixed by TMI dreadful diarrhoea, 4 times in 4 hours, I refused to take more. DN told me to have a total break for a week, then start again on 1x500. I re-started after the week (which had been filled with antibiotics for a toe infection) and after two days felt just plain rough, and stopped again. Saw DN on Tuesday, and she said I had to try again. This time I'm on Day #2, and so far so good - no runs, no extra tiredness. So ask about the SR, it might make all the difference.
[Diagnosed 15/06; 7.7%. Started diet 01/06 (how's that for sod's law?); lost 26.1lbs; trying my best.]
 
Thanks Ailidh x

My Dr had prescribed the SR Metformin and after talking to the Diabetic nurse I accepted I must take it and so went to do so just now and realise it is not going to be part of my life - I have a big problem I cannot take most tablets unless they are very small. I choke, usually have to have antibiotics made for children as they are liquid or cut tablets in half or quarters but with these being SR I cannot do this. Luckily I see my GP again Monday, supposed to be to see how I was with these.

Is there other medication mind you if its big sized unless can cut them they will be unusable for me.

Hugs xxx
 
Sorry, I'm too new to know any more about medication yet, except that there are lots of other medications other than Metformin available, my DN told me that if I can't tolerate the Metformin, there are plenty more options. None in the same category as Metformin though, they all have their various side effects.
It might be worth asking if one of the GPs in the practice have diabetes as their specialism. I accidentally discovered on Tuesday which of my practice's doctors it was, and if I need more info, I've no hesitation in asking for an appointment with him. Our practice also has a visiting diabetes consultant, and I'm down to see him next week. Perhaps your practice can offer something similar? Try and not be disheartened....{{hug}}
 
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