Newbie with type 2 and OCD

Hello just wanted to say hi and welcome...I have no experience to give you any real advice but someone with experience will.....
Hope you get lots of support from this site....I have gained support and contact either others.....that has really helped....hope you get all the help you need...
Best wishes Kat

Hi Sinead and a big unfortunate welcome to the forum ;-)
Firstly, try not to panic. It is a lot to take in at first but the up side is that the more you read and ask and educate yourself with diabetes, the easier it is to control. That's not saying you don't need to change diet/lifestyle a little but it really isn't the end of the world ! Your readings don't sound that high to be honest. To start with, try reducing your carb intake a little. That is, reduce things like bread, rice, pasta etc. this will be a big help. You can eat more meat or eggs or other protein rich foods to compensate. You can still eat carbs, just try to cut down a little. Secondly, try to do some regular exercise. This could be as little as a 20min walk a few times a week. If you have any more questions, please ask. Take care !
Mo


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

Hello Sinead. To a diabetic this is obvious but since no-one has actually said it then I will. Sugary things must be avoided and in particular fizzy drinks. They have added sugar and it may not seem obvious at first.

I will guess that you may have a problem with shop bought bread since many of us do. The only way to find out what effect food has on your sugar levels is to use a meter. Buy your own if necessary and be prepared to pay out for the test strips.

Spend some time learning which foods you must avoid and finding new meals to replace them. Many of us find our new menu is every bit as good as the one we can no longer eat so life is not so grim.

Your Hba1c of 6.7 is in the diabetic range but nothing to panic about.

Good luck.

Hi, Welcome

Sorry if i repeat anything Mo said im just gonna go with the flow.... Panic is normal, its a horrible thing to be diagnosed with, when you start reading you start realising that diabetes isnt just a word its a route to all kind of nasty things all of which are possible, on the other hand its just as possible to avoid all these things happening, so the best we can do to avoid these is our best, many people live long happy lives and some people even find this a blessing in disguise as its a wake up call, personally if i hadnt gotten this i would have been dead an awful lot sooner im sure, the first step is to have a basic understanding of the disease, basically if you are type 2 your body can no longer deal with sugar so it floats around in your blood causing damage to all sorts of organs including your eyes so first thing to do is reduce the sugar you put in, unfortunatly carbohydrates turn into sugar once they have been eaten so we must reduce sugar itself and carbs, there are some foods as mentioned by Mo that are very very carby, bread, rice, potatoes and pasta so reducing these dramatically will be a great start, after this it gets complicated, foods we have eaten all our lives are carby and we didnt know it so some research into food is needed, there are some tools available to help for example i found the iphone app myfitnesspal invaluable in the early days, its lets you record your food intake exercise etc and tells you what is in what you eat and therefore allows you to track your improvements and see your mistakes, just how far you need to make reductions in carbs is personal to you, an essential bit of kit for finding out is a blood glucose monitor, if the doctor or diabetic nurse hasnt offered you one, then you may have to buy one but its worth asking because the testing strips are expensive if you have to buy these yourself, once you have one you can test your blood with a simple finger prick before you eat something and 2 hours afterwards, this gives you an indication as to what makes your blood glucose rise therefore enabling you to not eat the foods that cause unpleasant spikes in bg, some people (me included) find it neccersary to reduce there carb intake quite considerably to maintain good bgs but without testing you just wont know what suits you, losing weight for people that are heavy is a great way of improving things and as said exercise also has dramatic effects on bg, all need some research, but the good news is you know you have a problem and the fact that you want to do something about it means your halfway there, now you just need to learn all about it, any questions you have along the way just ask us, there are lots of nice folks on the forum that will be happy to help if they can, you arent going to go blind! get control and this need never happen, try not to panic, there is time, lifestyle changes are for the best anyway, this will just force you into something you and all of us should all ready be doing anyway, on saying all that, it is a struggle, there are good days and bad days we all have them so keep your chin up and try not to worry too much

best wishes

Andy

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Carbs-Cals-Coun ... s+and+cals


I found this book about carbs really helpful. It's quite eye-opening about portion sizes too

Hi

the big question is, are you happy with your weight?

If you are, eat low carb, reduce your intake, and your bs will be good.

If you want to lose weight, simply eat less. Low carb, low fat, low calorie.

A thinner you is a healthier you!

i have to disagree im afraid, i know many fat people that have tried endlessly to lose weight eating low fat, in my opinion high fat low carb ignore calories is the best way forward, hard to accept but also true, read up on it before dismissing it please LCHF


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

I am on a high protein, and minimal carb diet to control my blood sugars. Not only has it brought my sugars into normal ranges, but I have also lost nearly 4 inches from my waist in about 2 months.

The thing that I never knew was that insulin not only reduces your blood sugars, but also is responsible for storage of fat.

You can eat fats and protein, but it is the addition of carbs that causes it to be stored as fat.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

flash477948 said:

I am on a high protein, and minimal carb diet to control my blood sugars. Not only has it brought my sugars into normal ranges, but I have also lost nearly 4 inches from my waist in about 2 months.

The thing that I never knew was that insulin not only reduces your blood sugars, but also is responsible for storage of fat.

You can eat fats and protein, but it is the addition of carbs that causes it to be stored as fat.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

Click to expand...

I don't have enough insulin to reduce the sugar from my blood, so how does it still manage to store it as fat?

That's the bit I don't understand.

However, when I cut the calories, I lost a lot of weight.
800 - 1200 calories a day, some good carbs (that worked for me with my meter) a healthy diet, no fats, and I've lost 3 stone and my 3 month sugar is back in the normal range.
And I've stopped the beta blockers I needed to stop acid reflux from the fat in a normal diet, let alone high fat.

hi Sinead, all good advice so far , not much to add , an idea for a blood meter would be to try some of the manufacturers , I got a starter kit from glucomen , the diet change can be a step too far for some , but all I can say is my mother had ibs , and the whole household switched to a high fibre diet with no fried food at all and we all felt the eventual benefit , as for cutting down carbs , it can be difficult , especially if like myself you were fond of the crisp bag and candy , try to cut a little every day , do please try to quit the smokes , you will feel better and your blood pressure will see the benefit as will your arteries, I can say that I personally believe you will not go suddenly blind ,regular eye tests will catch it long before any major damage , just do as you are asked by the doc . try to exercise at least 20 minutes every day , it is a great mood lifter , it is a fright , you are definitely not alone , is there a support group nearby ? if you cant face it , the forum is here , chin up , all the best , HBD , :thumbup:

douglas99 said:

I don't have enough insulin to reduce the sugar from my blood, so how does it still manage to store it as fat?

That's the bit I don't understand.

However, when I cut the calories, I lost a lot of weight.
800 - 1200 calories a day, some good carbs (that worked for me with my meter) a healthy diet, no fats, and I've lost 3 stone and my 3 month sugar is back in the normal range.
And I've stopped the beta blockers I needed to stop acid reflux from the fat in a normal diet, let alone high fat.

Click to expand...

A lot of type 2's actually produce more insulin that normal non-diabetics (especially when they are overweight) but they are not as sensitive to the insulin so need much more for the same effect.

flash477948 said:

douglas99 said:

I don't have enough insulin to reduce the sugar from my blood, so how does it still manage to store it as fat?

That's the bit I don't understand.

However, when I cut the calories, I lost a lot of weight.
800 - 1200 calories a day, some good carbs (that worked for me with my meter) a healthy diet, no fats, and I've lost 3 stone and my 3 month sugar is back in the normal range.
And I've stopped the beta blockers I needed to stop acid reflux from the fat in a normal diet, let alone high fat.

Click to expand...

A lot of type 2's actually produce more insulin that normal non-diabetics (especially when they are overweight) but they are not as sensitive to the insulin so need much more for the same effect.

Click to expand...

A lot don't.

"Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to maintain a normal blood glucose level, or your body is unable to use the insulin that is produced (insulin resistance).

The pancreas (a large gland behind the stomach) produces the hormone insulin, which moves glucose from your blood into your cells, where it is converted into energy.

In type 2 diabetes, there are several reasons why the pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin."
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Diabetes-t ... auses.aspx

One size doesn't fit all.

So either I'm not producing enough insulin, so I should be thin, even on carbs, or I am producing and I'm resistant, and even from our own website,
"Diets high in saturated fats, trans-fats, refined carbohydrates and processed foods have been closely linked with chronic inflammation disorders and insulin resistance."
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/insulin-resistance.html

So until it's shown to be different, I'm still healthy diet, cutting out the above, and watching portion sizes, as it works for me.