Newly diagnosed 19 year old type 2 diabetic with PCOS

Lucyhunt

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi.
My name is Lucy and I’m 19 years old, soon to be 20. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and PCOS in November of last year (2017). I am very new to the whole shabbang and if I’m honest... I’m very scared.
I aspired to join the RAF and have been informed due to my newly developed condition I shall no longer be able to apply, even if I were to get it under control or reverse it.
In short... my hopes and dreams and all I have worked for have been shattered.
I have always suffered with weight and was in the process of gaining control of it when I was diagnosed (after to numerous efforts and attempts to lose weight, with no luck and further investigation on my mine and my doctors part).
I was informed that this was mainly attributed to my excess weight combined with the contraceptive I was on, being the implant, which hindered my periods for 2 years. This in turn caused me to develop PCOS, furthering the difficulty with weight loss, thus the increase in weight and insulin resistance, finalising my diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. I have since had my implant removed and begun taking 500mg of metformin 4 times a day.
I guess I’m just looking for some guidance really on any methods to lose weight effectively, any diet plans people suggest. Just some comfort and reassurance really that I can turn this around even though this as all new to me.
I’m an anxious individual as it is, and all of these new health developments (plus the recent passing of my grandmother and various other personal issues), are all stressing me out a lot.
Just looking for some help and guidance really and this seemed the most suitable place to seek it.

Thank you
 

Mike d

Expert
Messages
7,997
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
idiots who will not learn
Hi @Lucyhunt .... what were those RAF ambitions? Mainline pilot or ground? There are stringent guidelines in your air force as there are in ours (Australia RAAF)

What is your weight if I may ask? In any event, diabetes is your first port of call in terms of importance as is controlled weight loss. It can be done

Your dreams might not elude you :) Welcome :)
 
Last edited:

Guzzler

Master
Messages
10,577
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Poor grammar, bullying and drunks.
Hello and welcome to the forum. There are a number of diets that are great for Diabetes management and weight loss that members utilise. My personal choice is LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) which brought my numbers down and resulted in weight loss quite quickly. The Newcastle Diet has been a boon to some members, the ND is a very low calorie diet that is being trialled by a team in Newcastle who are hoping to refine a diet that is simple and effective enough to roll out within the NHS.
Then there are the Mediterranean and Pioppi methods that some members use. As you can see we use what we feel gets the results that we as individuals like and what suits us.

I am sorry to hear that your future plans have been scuppered, you must be devastated. You have the advantage of being quite young, though, and while you may think that life will never pan out the way you envisaged there is loads of time to decide on a different carreer pathway. I know that that is easy for me to say but I am sure that you can bring your conditions to a place of better management and few careers will be impacted by them. Good luck, lass.
 

Brunneria

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
21,889
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi and welcome!

There is quite a lot of evidence nowadays (google is you friend) to show that pcos responds well to a lower carb, slightly higher protein way of eating. So I would investigate that route.

Personally, I found my body felt better eating like that long before I had a diagnosis of pcos, simply because I felt so bad when I ate all the carbs stuff.

Sorry about your career choice. Have you found out whether it is a weight thing, or a medication thing, or something else?

If I were you I would put a bit of thought into what it was that appealed the most about the RAF (write down a list of the aspects that made you want it). Then look for those things in other careers. For instance, if your list includes camaraderie, professionalism, travel, and structure, then you know exactly what you are looking for in other options. I think you may be surprised at the number of jobs which offer similar features.

Hope this helps.
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi and welcome,

Can you tell us what your blood test results were? The normal diagnostic test for diabetes in the HbA1c.

It is perfectly possible to lower your blood glucose levels, but Metformin won't do this on its own. A suitable way of eating is the key. What will help you is your own blood glucose meter because if you use it correctly it will show you, at a glance, which foods are causing your levels to rise, enabling you to reduce these foods either in portion size or eliminate completely. Without a meter you are working blind and making life more difficult.

I will tag @daisy1 who has some very useful basic information for newcomers.
 

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@Lucyhunt

Hello Lucy and welcome to the Forum :) Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will 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 well over 235,000 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

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.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

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 blood glucose 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.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

  • Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why

  • Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.