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

*~ Newbie T2 Waving Hello ~*

Just Sam

Just Sam

Member
Messages
18
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hiya

Im sam i turned 40 in November and for my birthday celebrations i went to Madness and got told i had diabetes :( Not your usual celebrations but there you go.

No history in my family at all so put down to bad diet and lack of activity. im about 2/3 stone over weight, never used to be but i packed the ciggies up after 22 years and went from a very active job to sitting down 10 hours a day, working may i add lol. So on gained the weight and in came the diabetes.

Im not 100% sure on my levels as never wrote them down but back in August i was borderline, so they left it 3 months did the ole lucozade test again, anyone else hate that stuff lol? and i was diagnosed. Given 500mg once a day but after a couple of weeks i saw an actual Dr and he said it wouldnt be doing anything for me based on my levels so upped it to 2 x 500mg a day.

First couple of days i had stomach cramps, then it calmed down. I now am too regular and cant see how anything is staying in side of me :( ( sorry if tmi)

I have made massive changes to my diet i used to have umpteen cans of pop etc and sweets/crisps and now its all gone. I may have the odd biscuit here and there or a choccie once a week. No fizzy drinks i dont drink t or coffee so no sugar, dont add sugar to any cereal and i dont bake. Hopefully these will all start making a difference.

My main problem though is still my diet, on the basis of i have been SO fussy over the years with food and have problems with it.
The only veg i like is, roasted parsnips potatoes and sweetcorn.
I dont like ANY salad at all
I try and have fruit but thats limited to what i like
I dont like peppers/onions/ and so many other things it makes it SO hard to get all my nutrients and find meals i can have that aren't going to affect me masses.

Anyway think i have rambled on enough haha, if anyone has any tips on anything especially food i would be so so grateful, its all new its all very daunting and im like the rabbit in the headlights xx
 
Just Sam said:
Hiya

Im sam i turned 40 in November and for my birthday celebrations i went to Madness and got told i had diabetes :( Not your usual celebrations but there you go.

No history in my family at all so put down to bad diet and lack of activity. im about 2/3 stone over weight, never used to be but i packed the ciggies up after 22 years and went from a very active job to sitting down 10 hours a day, working may i add lol. So on gained the weight and in came the diabetes.

Im not 100% sure on my levels as never wrote them down but back in August i was borderline, so they left it 3 months did the ole lucozade test again, anyone else hate that stuff lol? and i was diagnosed. Given 500mg once a day but after a couple of weeks i saw an actual Dr and he said it wouldnt be doing anything for me based on my levels so upped it to 2 x 500mg a day.

First couple of days i had stomach cramps, then it calmed down. I now am too regular and cant see how anything is staying in side of me :( ( sorry if tmi)

I have made massive changes to my diet i used to have umpteen cans of pop etc and sweets/crisps and now its all gone. I may have the odd biscuit here and there or a choccie once a week. No fizzy drinks i dont drink t or coffee so no sugar, dont add sugar to any cereal and i dont bake. Hopefully these will all start making a difference.

My main problem though is still my diet, on the basis of i have been SO fussy over the years with food and have problems with it.
The only veg i like is, roasted parsnips potatoes and sweetcorn.
I dont like ANY salad at all
I try and have fruit but thats limited to what i like
I dont like peppers/onions/ and so many other things it makes it SO hard to get all my nutrients and find meals i can have that aren't going to affect me masses.

Anyway think i have rambled on enough haha, if anyone has any tips on anything especially food i would be so so grateful, its all new its all very daunting and im like the rabbit in the headlights xx
Click to expand...
Hello, @Just Sam and welcome
@daisy1 always posts info for new members, so you can expect to have that soon.

I hate Lucozade too. Also the glucose tolerance test using liquid glucose, which always makes me want to throw up.

The changes to your diet look like a good start. The parsnips, potatoes and sweetcorn won't be helping blood glucose levels though. I ind cauliflower is a good alternative to potatoes. If you can try to reduce the carbs in your diet. Have a read of the info in diet section and ask questions. Always good support on here.

Are you able to include a bit of activity in your daily routine? Doesn't have to be rigorous exercise, just a bit of walking or moving about.
 
Welcome to the forum:)

Hate to tell you this, but

1. Below ground veg (potatoes etc) are NOT good. Possibly try DROP them ... please
2. Salads ARE good ... and so are cucumbers, zucchinis, mushrooms, lettuce, spinach, eggs, bacon, fish, lean meats and the list is endless
3. Fruits are NOT good .... most are straight sugar. Bananas, apples, peaches are (for most of us) NO GO zones .... so are biscuits.

Need more info from you but also pasta and wheat are best OFF limits.


.

.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
@Pipp thanks for your reply sweet, appreciate it.. I am doing more activity between 7-1000 steps a day including some just dance and wii fit, so i know that will make a change, Doc did say if i can lose 2 stone i may lose the diabetes so thats my aim, its just so hard with my diet as to what i do and dont like.

@Mike D thank you also for your time, i know whats good and bad, but if i dont like it i dont like it lol which is why im trying to dins alternatives, from your list i like mushrooms eggs bacon all meat etc, its just my veg intake thats a problem. Re fruit im possibly talking a satsuma/handful of grapes a day which i was told at a seminar yesterday was okay to try and get my nutrients from my 5 a day. ?

I may have heard her wrong then i thought they said to try and introduce some starchy carbs into every meal?
 
Just Sam said:
@Pipp thanks for your reply sweet, appreciate it.. I am doing more activity between 7-1000 steps a day including some just dance and wii fit, so i know that will make a change, Doc did say if i can lose 2 stone i may lose the diabetes so thats my aim, its just so hard with my diet as to what i do and dont like.

@Mike D thank you also for your time, i know whats good and bad, but if i dont like it i dont like it lol which is why im trying to dins alternatives, from your list i like mushrooms eggs bacon all meat etc, its just my veg intake thats a problem. Re fruit im possibly talking a satsuma/handful of grapes a day which i was told at a seminar yesterday was okay to try and get my nutrients from my 5 a day. ?

I may have heard her wrong then i thought they said to try and introduce some starchy carbs into every meal?
Click to expand...

You didn't hear wrong.
Most of us T2s have had that standard NHS advice. It only causes increased Blood glucose levels to include starchy carbs. Any carbs consumed will be turned to glucose, so best to try to keep to a minimum. Lots of forum members get good blood glucose control using the Low Carb Higher Fat diet. This replaces some carbohydrate food with full fat foods like cheeses, and yogurt. The info from health care providers to use low fat products only leads to consuming higher sugar content products, as manufacturers add sugar to replace the fat removed from them. Don't be mislead by claims that low fat processed foods will help you lose weight. They are loaded with extra sugar.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi Sam welcome to the forum :)

No you didn't hear wrong that 'they' said to introduce starchy carbs to every meal. It's what 'they' usually say. It's not what most of us here do though. :rolleyes:
 
Hi Sam and welcome,

Perhaps you could try some of these foods you don't like. Try a small quantity. I spent over 60 years hating cheese. It made me heave as soon as it was in my mouth, so I never touched it. Some months ago I needed to find extra calories without extra carbs in order to stabilise my weight. I tried Red Leicester cheese - just a couple of cubes with some mayo. Loved it, and now I overdose on the stuff. Years ago a similar thing happened with mushrooms. Hated them until one day a single mushroom fell on my plate. I thought it was something else when I ate it, only to realise it was a mushroom. Since then I have eaten them in large quantities every day, and more recently I have come to enjoy chicken, which I refused to eat since being a child. So if I can do it, you can too!.

I am also not a veg or salad lover. Peas, carrots and cauli are about all I eat, so I eat mounds of tomatoes and mushrooms to make up for it.

You will have heard her right if she said to eat starchy carbs with every meal. Sadly, this is the advice we all get from the NHS as they push the "Eatwell Plate", which is fine for non-diabetics. Lethal for Type 2's.

As for fruit, most is full of sugar, especially the tropical fruits like oranges, bananas etc. Berries aren't too bad - strawberries, raspberries, blueberries etc. but in small quantities. Try a full fat Greek yogurt with some chopped strawberries thrown in for your breakfast instead of the cereal. (yogurt is something else I had never eaten until now)
 
Just Sam said:
@Pipp thanks for your reply sweet, appreciate it.. I am doing more activity between 7-1000 steps a day including some just dance and wii fit, so i know that will make a change, Doc did say if i can lose 2 stone i may lose the diabetes so thats my aim, its just so hard with my diet as to what i do and dont like.

@Mike D thank you also for your time, i know whats good and bad, but if i dont like it i dont like it lol which is why im trying to dins alternatives, from your list i like mushrooms eggs bacon all meat etc, its just my veg intake thats a problem. Re fruit im possibly talking a satsuma/handful of grapes a day which i was told at a seminar yesterday was okay to try and get my nutrients from my 5 a day. ?

I may have heard her wrong then i thought they said to try and introduce some starchy carbs into every meal?
Click to expand...

No problems JS but the advice you were given is just absolute out and out unadulterated RUBBISH.

Many other members will jump in with their responses in good time. Grapes are straight SUGAR and will bump your levels way too high. The idiot that told you otherwise is sadly misguided as he / she has no idea. Starchy carbs are murder as well.

We have some work to do with you to change your diet and / or your perceptions. Keep with us and read on as i'm about to hit the sack as I'm in OZ. But seriously, IGNORE what you've heard elsewhere and pay attention to the "members" on this forum.

edited to reflect non experts - anna29

Mike
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Just Sam said:
@Pipp

I may have heard her wrong then i thought they said to try and introduce some starchy carbs into every meal?
Click to expand...

Hi Just Sam. I was told exactly the same thing, "have carbs with every meal". So I did and on doing that I just couldn't seem to get my B S levels down. Came on this site and was told to ditch the carbs........................very difficult at first, but I'm glad to say that my B S levels have come down from 27 in November to around the 5 - 7 range now.:D
 
adrian207 said:
Hi Just Sam. I was told exactly the same thing, "have carbs with every meal". So I did and on doing that I just couldn't seem to get my B S levels down. Came on this site and was told to ditch the carbs........................very difficult at first, but I'm glad to say that my B S levels have come down from 27 in November to around the 5 - 7 range now.:D
Click to expand...


Thankyou @adrian207 kind of you to share that. Amazing how i get told to go on a 2 day course at a hospital with a specialist who puts up the big white board and says " more of this less of this" and i came away thinking it wasnt too bad and even with my poor liking to so many good foods, i could actually manage it. Ive been logging a good diary on a phone app just to keep a check, my carbs have been
Mon: 116.6g
Tues: 138.9g
Wed: 161.8g
And thats on a rather limited food diet! Alas it was weetabix for brekkie, sandwich/soup for lunch and some chicken and rice for tea. water only! So whereas some people are heading for under 50g ive been having 3 times that! Somethings gotta give x
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Oh dear! Weetabix, tinned soup, bread, rice?
I think you need your own glucose meter. You can then test yourself before and after these foods and you will have a shock ..... and maybe this will shock you enough to change your diet.
Excellent idea to log all your food though.
 
Just Sam said:
Thankyou @adrian207 kind of you to share that. Amazing how i get told to go on a 2 day course at a hospital with a specialist who puts up the big white board and says " more of this less of this" and i came away thinking it wasnt too bad and even with my poor liking to so many good foods, i could actually manage it. Ive been logging a good diary on a phone app just to keep a check, my carbs have been
Mon: 116.6g
Tues: 138.9g
Wed: 161.8g
And thats on a rather limited food diet! Alas it was weetabix for brekkie, sandwich/soup for lunch and some chicken and rice for tea. water only! So whereas some people are heading for under 50g ive been having 3 times that! Christ somethings gotta give x
Click to expand...

........and the somethings are:- weetabix for brekkie, :facepalm: sandwich/soup for lunch :eek: and some *chicken* and rice :stop: for tea. The *chicken* ;) is about the only thing that's good. :D
 
@adrian207 Lol i know NOW!! this is what im saying and from what im reading im not alone in this " oh if i cut out a mars bar ill be okay" kind of info we have been given.

I've just found a thread about what people have eaten today, so im now going through it page by page finding everything i like and making a shopping list on my phone so when i go out i can make sure i only get the things i CAN have rather than what i THOUGHT i could have , @Bluetit1802 i dont need a shock to change my diet, i got that when i got told i had diabetes and have made big changes already, including the walking/working out etc, i dont not eat veg because its a pain, im actually physically ill when i go near a lot of it, ive kept trying over the years to find ones i like, but i really really struggle. . But ill keep searching and trying... Dr never said anything about me checking my levels, is this something i can do alone or something i need to go back to them about and ask for something to do it?

x
 
thanks @zand ill have a look, i do lke mushrooms so clearly have to bring more of that into it,,

Note to self when shopping then look for low carb and see how i get on... @Bluetit1802 i will now use you as my inspiration and get back into trying different things which ive always said i didnt like. I finish work in an hour so ill grab a plain omelette for lunch and then im off out to do a couple of miles walking!

x
 
Hi. As others have said you didn't hear wrong. You just heard the usual NHS non evidence-based tosh. It makes you wonder whether the advice for other conditions is just as bad.May be you need to focus on the proteins and fats and have the veg you like but keeping the root veg small'ish. A lot depends on what your meter shows you. You don't have to stop all carbs just have the lower-GI ones and not too much. I have eggs and bacon for breakfast and sometimes a little home-made muesli.
 
Just Sam said:
@adrian207 Dr never said anything about me checking my levels, is this something i can do alone or something i need to go back to them about and ask for something to do it?

x
Click to expand...

Meters are an essential tool for us, especially at the beginning. Your doctor is highly unlikely to agree, and will most probably tell you not to test. Please ignore him. With a meter you can test immediately before you eat, and then again at 2 hours after (or more frequently sometimes). The difference in the levels is the amount by which that meal has raised your BS. Using this information, you can reduce the portion sizes of your carbs, try the meal again, and eventually arrive at a sensible portion size that your body can cope with. We are all different. By doing this, I have discovered I can eat a slice of heavily seeded wholemeal bread, but not granary bread. I can manage a couple of new or roast spuds, and even 6 chips, but no more than that. And so on ..... it is fruitless telling you never to eat spuds or bread etc because your body MAY cope with small amounts. It may not. Only your meter will tell you this. If you go ahead and buy one, come back and someone will tell you how and when to test and what your results mean.
 
Thanks @Daibell i have another seminar next week im wondering whether to raise it as there was a room of us all went away thinking " great carbs it is then" lol..

@Bluetit1802 i saw a link on this site i think to get one so i filled it in will definitely be in touch when i get it and see what goes on. I will also pass the doctors in a mo when i go walking and going to pop in and ask for my test results to i can add those in here too for better insight into my levels.

One question, whilst on Metformin like i said, and as ive been clearly way too high in carbs, would this have anything to do with my stools and how regular i am do you know?
 
I don't take any meds as I'm diet only, but apparently Metformin can cause tummy/bowel problems at first. This normally goes after a couple of weeks. If not, you can ask for the slow release version, which is kinder. Or so people on the forum say.
 
@Just Sam

Hello Sam and welcome to the forum :) I'm very pleased to see that you have received so much very good advice. To add to that, here is the information we give to new members which I hope you will find useful as well. Ask as many questions as you like 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 130,000 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.
 
Back
Top