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

Newly diagnosed, confused and worried

V

vaulterrise

Active Member
Messages
25
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi all,

I was diagnosed with T2 the day before yesterday after a blood test that showed I had 96mmol. I’m a 38 year old male and while I’m overweight I have no family history (except an uncle) of diabetes. I’m worried, confused and I’ve spent the last couple of days going back and forth between crying and feeling confident I can change things. At the same time I’ve seen studies that show the younger you are when diagnosed the greater risk of death from seemingly everything. I can’t believe I’ve done this to myself and I’m going to have to try really hard not to resent what I’ve done. I look at my two young kids and just feel gutted, like I’ve betrayed them because I’m so at risk now.

My doctor is pleased it was caught ‘early’ though I’m more scared of the risks of having it so young. She thinks I can put it into remission too, which is my goal now.

I’ve been eating healthily with my wife doing Slimming World and me joining her, and have lost just over half a stone in a month. I’m now 18st 5lbs, so a long way to go. I have an appointment with the doc in a couple of weeks where they’ll presumably talk about diet etc. Theres so much conflicting stuff online about carbs so I’ve no clue what to do until then, other than generally eat healthily. I’m vegetarian, so I don’t know if that makes things harder.

The other thing I’m getting my head around is alcohol and how I’ll need to reduce it. I’m not a big drinker (few beers or whisky on a weekend) but I’ve got a festival and multiple weddings this year and will need to stick to just a few drinks vs a lot. As a (relatively) young millennial lad, enjoying a few drinks with mates is the crux of my social life. I’ve seen the metformin warning btw and my doc says a few drinks every now and then is something that’s fine so I’ll go with her approach.

I did ask about monitoring because I’d consider getting a Libre or something else since I’m anxious about finger pricking but my doc doesn’t think I need to monitor anything at the moment. Not sure if that will change.

Anyway, hello. I’m lost, upset, scared and ready for change.
 
Hi, it's going to be ok. Take a deep breath. You're in the right place there people here with knowledge and we can support you.
First your dr is right you can put this into remission, it is going to take work and a change of eating habits but that's ok you can do this and it sounds like this can be a positive for your children you will be settling such a great example for their future. That sound like a great dad to me. It's early days and I am by no means an expert, I got diagnosed in Feb 23 but I have spent sometime learning I've read a few books about diabetes and what's going on that's made me feel more in control. Ask your diabetes nurse or Dr about doing a diabetes course I did one at my local hospital and it was very helpful and I got to meet others, including a man who had put his into remission!. Ask to speak to a dietician they can help. Get appointments for all the other things eyes kidney and get cholesterol done too. Get an appointment to get your hba1c redone but not until after at least 3 months after your first (very important to have that gap its more accurate that way). There's a low carb forum here that's what I've been doing and it's great. I've also bought a load of low carb cook books and have been cooking, much better than the freezer box meals I had before. I'd share the news with your friends if they are mates they will want to be there for your and help. There are other drinks beside beer and larger ( I am a whiskey drinker myself, lucky as that is low in carbs). This is all down to you it's yours to take control. It will take effort and you will have days where you think uggh!, but that's ok we all do but don't give up. Don't give in, and soon you will be a feel better happier and in control of your health. This forum is here with support and loads of knowledge from some great people.
X
 
Welcome to the club nobody wanted to join. When first diagnosed it is a big shock to the system.
Firstly you did not do it to yourself. you may have contributed, ironically by following what is deemed "healthy eating".
If you want to control it, and live a healthy long life, it is imperative that you TEST your blood levels. You are told not to, because then the NHS does not have to provide the means to do it.
Your problem in a nutshell, is that your system no longer uses Insulin properly, Due to Insulin resistance it cannot move enough of the Glucose from your blood stream, into muscles and cells. So it over produces Insulin to try to force it in. Because it can't it has to convert it to fat and store it.
There are many ways to treat it, the now traditional way, is to throw various drugs at it, getting stronger and stronger, until nothing works, hence the medical professions thinking that it's a progressive disease with an ultimately bad prognosis.
Many of us on here, follow the approach of eating low carbohydrate. IT WORKS.
There are 3 macro nutrients, Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat. The human body needs absolutely nothing that Carbohydrates offer. Carbs are broken down into Glucose, our approach is if you don't put too many carbs in, your blood GLUCOSE level, doesn't rise as much, any sugar needed, a very small amount, is produced by our Livers via a process called Gluconeogenesis.
If you eat low carb, at a low enough level, your system uses Ketones as fuel, yes we're dual fuel entities. Evolution saw to it that we can happily survive without Carbs, as our distant ancestors did during winter.
Forget the concept of calories, Carbs are all that matter. You have to eat more protein and natural fat to replace the carbs you don't eat. Low carb IS harder, as a vegetarian, but there are lots on here that can help you with advice.

The main message is don't worry, dive into the forum and research away, you will probably end up knowing a lot more about type 2 diabetes than your doctor does. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A STUPID QUESTION. the only way to learn is read and ask. we'll help you along your journey, and very quickly you'll find yourself helping others.
Also if you decide to go low carb, your wife may be disappointed to find your weight loss far outstrips hers, and she's paying for the privilege.
 
Thanks both.

I’ve been a carb fiend most of my life, but I’ll do what I have to. I need a plan I can stick to as well though, so if it’s a case of eating a bit more than I should to stick to it long term that’s what I’ll do. Regardless, I’m not going to be eating a carb heavy diet. At the moment I just don’t know what that looks like as a vegetarian but I’ll have to do some research. I saw one article that said the veggie person enjoys a dinner of yogurt with blueberries - f**k that!

@madistheword - whisky is my second choice after beer, so not too hard to switch to this primarily. I’ll just need to make sure I don’t get drunk and keep things at a reasonable level - even if it’s low carb.

Anyway, I didn’t want to be here but it’s good to be here.
 
To low-carb as a vegetarian, the approach I take is not to have bread, pasta and other grain-based foods. I avoid potatoes and other root vegetables that are carb-rich (not all are, e.g. radishes are quite low). I do eat pulses, e.g. lentils and chickpeas etc., as well as eggs and cheese to provide adequate protein. Other than that, I make sure I have enough fat (full-fat milk and yoghurt, cream, olive oil, butter, and proper mayonnaise etc. ) not to feel hungry. Snacks are normally nuts, eggs, olives, peanut butter, cheese, and so on - i.e. full of fat to satisfy. And lots of leafy vegetables, lots of salad leaves, cabbages of all varieties, cauliflower and broccoli, courgettes, aubergines, mushrooms galore, tomatoes (but in moderation), shallots (instead of onions which caused my blood sugars to spike), garlic and of course lots of herbs and spices for flavour, oh and homemade cream, butter or yoghurt based sauces are great!

Following a low-carb diet over the last year has brought my HbA1c down from 74 mmol/l to 37 mmol/l. I've lost 20kg so far (still some to go, but it's still coming down), and my blood pressure has returned to normal ranges, as have my lipid levels.

I found using a meter to check my blood sugar levels before and 2 hours after was very useful and provided immediate feedback on what I should and shouldn't eat. It's very satisfying seeing your average blood sugar levels dropping week by week and seems far more helpful than waiting 3 months. I used the MySugr app and Carb Manager app, but you could just keep a record in a spreadsheet yourself.
 
Oh, I forgot to mention fruit - the bad news is most fruit is too full of carbs for us, but in particular, tropical fruits like bananas and mango, my favourite flavour in the world :( should be off the menu. You might be okay with the occasional apple (but check using a meter, we are all different), and most find berries are okay in moderation (again, check with a meter to find out if and how much your body is okay with).
 
Thanks @Lobsang Tsultim - really helpful. Also a bit depressing in terms of fruit, grains and other stuff but it’s clear you’ve lost loads of weight and put it in remission. Now you’re back at normal levels can you reintroduce some stuff without going crazy on them?

What are some meals you eat? I know you mention ingredients and sauces, but what does that look like? I feel I need to start building a collection of meals I can eat regularly.

I think I’m also going to get a monitor regardless of what the doc says. It seems crazy to just guess how I’m doing and only find out every few months.
 
Oh, and do you eat any meat substitutes @Lobsang Tsultim ? I don’t know which are the best or worst, but I do like a veggie meatball, burger, sausage etc. I know tofu is supposed to be good.
 
vaulterrise said:
Oh, and do you eat any meat substitutes @Lobsang Tsultim ? I don’t know which are the best or worst, but I do like a veggie meatball, burger, sausage etc. I know tofu is supposed to be good.
Click to expand...
I eat meat, but I also eat meat substitutes. It varies a lot how carby they are, it's worth spending some time in the supermarket to compare the backs of the packages. Look at the carbs per 100 grams to get an idea on which ones are higher and lower carb. :)
vaulterrise said:
I think I’m also going to get a monitor regardless of what the doc says. It seems crazy to just guess how I’m doing and only find out every few months.
Click to expand...
Perfect!

I'll tag @Rachox , who has information on meters to buy, the costs of the teststrips vary a lot between brands so you want to pick one with cheap-ish strips.
 
Thanks @Antje77 - I just want to find the balance between getting my blood levels back in a good range but also not eating a weird combo of food that’s unrecognisable as a meal. I travel for work too and I’m just going to have to wing that and do my best when I’m back home. A few weeks a year isn’t going to make much difference if I’m eating well for the other 49.

With the monitor I’m actually thinking of a Libre 2 or similar rather than finger pricking. I have anxiety with needles and finger pricks and I know it’ll stop me checking.
 
Just to also add, it feels like there are so many dietary directions and advice out there. I know plenty of people say low carb, but it seems others promote scientific studies that say the opposite. I’ve seen this Adventist study of 61,000 people referenced a lot, and this doctor who says studies show a high carb, plant based diet is a good thing - https://www.forksoverknives.com/wellness/recommend-a-high-carb-diet-for-patients-with-diabetes/

“A high-carb, high-fiber diet can lower insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is the root problem in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. In people with insulin resistance, sugar in the blood doesn’t enter our cells as easily it should, and the liver produces too much sugar. Over time, this can result in type 2 diabetes.

The causes of insulin resistance are complex, but the key players are inflammation, excess dietary fats and calories, unhealthy weight gain, and the buildup of fats inside our muscle and liver cells. Here’s where much of the confusion about carbs begins: In people with insulin resistance, carbohydrate-rich foods—such as fruit—can cause spikes in blood sugar because sugar can’t enter the cells properly. This leads people to believe that the fruit is somehow at fault, and that they should limit all carbohydrate-rich foods to keep their blood sugar lower.

Quite the opposite! When we avoid healthy carbs, we are masking the real issue. A whole-foods, plant-based diet actually treats the underlying cause of insulin resistance because it lowers inflammation, promotes a healthy body weight, and reduces the buildup of fats inside our cells. When we become less insulin resistant, our blood sugar doesn’t go up as high when we eat carbohydrate-rich foods. That is a true test of whether a diet reverses insulin resistance instead of simply treating the symptom of high blood sugar.”

I think I’m at risk of overwhelming myself and creating a difficult low carb veggie diet I’ll struggle to stick to. My goal for now is to probably eat smaller portions of carbs without overly worrying about them, and lose the weight. Then I can see where I am.
 
vaulterrise said:
Just to also add, it feels like there are so many dietary directions and advice out there. I know plenty of people say low carb, but it seems others promote scientific studies that say the opposite.
Click to expand...
This is why a meter/sensor is so useful.
It's unbiased and simply tells you what foods do and don't agree with your diabetes.
 
Once you've got a meter, you will be very skeptical about that study, when you see the evidence before your own eyes.
What do you think a study funded by the meat industry might show.
 
Yeah. Fair enough!

My friend has a spare Libre 2 sensor so I’m gonna give that a go next weekend and try not to get myself too overwhelmed by radically overhauling my diet. Once I do start wearing it I’ll see what works and what doesn’t.

The interesting bit in that article for me was that low carb is advocated because carbs cause spikes in blood sugar, whereas actually
 
I hear you. Maybe I’m just in denial.

My wife is veggie too and follows slimming world and I’ve lost 8lbs in a couple of weeks doing the same. I need to lose weight first and foremost as I understand this will lead to a better HbA1c and BG.

If I continue slimming world, and eat fewer carbs while doing so (without getting obsessed about it) - is this sensible?
 
The problem with any diet, Slimming World included, is that there is always the thought that when the weight has been lost, normal service can resume.
However, as a diabetic, you will always have a problem with carbs and its
best to start adopting the attitude of having a way of eating for life" (WOE or WOEFL) rather than just changing things short term.
I found, as do many others, that when I concentrated on eating to my meter (ie low carb foods that kept my bg as low as possible) the weight fell off more as a happy side effect than an intention.
Weight gain hasn't caused your T2, rather your T2 (caused by insulin resistance) has caused the weight gain.
The nice thing about low carb is that you can eat rich satisfying foods that keep you full, whereas with most other diets you always feel restricted or hungry.
But also don't panic or stress, change takes time, habits take tiem to embed and any diabetes complications take years to manifest. You've got time to learn and adapt. Your kids will love you for it.
 
If I wasn’t vegetarian I think I’d have a very easy time with low carbs. I just can’t think what I’ll be eating and some of the stuff I’ve seen makes me think I can’t stick to it. I don’t want to give up being vegetarian.

I think I need to find a way to reduce my carbs and still eat well.

Maybe it’ll just take time. And I’ll see it when I get a meter.
 
vaulterrise said:
If I wasn’t vegetarian I think I’d have a very easy time with low carbs. I just can’t think what I’ll be eating and some of the stuff I’ve seen makes me think I can’t stick to it. I don’t want to give up being vegetarian.
Click to expand...
What kind of foods do you like to eat?
We may be able to help you with some easy adjustments. :)

For instance, a moussaka (tastes just as well with vegetarian mince as with meat mince) is a perfectly good meal if you leave out the potatoes and maybe add some more veggies.

Any pastasauce (bolognese (veg. mince again), or cheese, or whatever else you like) goes well with cabbage or cauliflower, or can even be eaten on it's own, maybe with some extra veggies. Many people use spiralised courgette instead of pasta, or they buy one of the low carb pastas.

The old potatoes-protein-veggies meal is no worse with two kinds of veggies instead of the potato, especially not with a generous knob of butter and some salt on the veggies.

I really like cauliflower purée as a substitute for mashed potatoes: Boil cauliflower, drain, leave for a minute to lose more water from steam, add knob of butter, salt, spices if you like (or just use a herbs stock cube like I do instead, I'm lazy), and either sour cream or cream cheese, whatever you have on hand. Stick in your stick blender and whizz away until smooth, tastes more like mashed potatoes than like cauliflower.

There are lots of low carb variations on bread, both store bought and home made.
They are fine as a vessel for butter and cheese, or marmite, or eggs, or whatever you like to have on your bread, but they are definitely not bread. Still, it works for me (but I do miss bread).
 
Yes, I eat some meat substitutes - tofu and seitan most regularly. Quorn is also not a bad choice.

As for the Forksoverknives diet - that was pretty much what I ate for thirty years, and it gave me diabetes. From your posts, it sounds like you, too, already eat a whole food plant-based diet. If that prevented and reversed diabetes, how have you developed it? To say I'm sceptical would be an understatement. In my opinion, the only reason their diet has some benefit is because it restricts calories which leads to some weight loss. But that restriction is hard to maintain, just like all calorie-restrictive diets. Since switching to low-carb and high-fat, I've lost weight and reduced my blood sugars, blood pressure and lipids to normal levels. According to some fancy scales, my body fat percentage is also going down (but they're also notoriously unreliable). I've had to tighten my belt quite a few times in the past year due to my waist getting smaller.

Example meals:
Yesterday
Breakfast: Bowl of yoghurt with nuts and a spoonful of cocoa powder, coffee with cream.
Lunch: 2 hard-boiled eggs chopped and mixed with peas, some emmental cheese, large helping of chard with freshly grated parmesan, and a big dollop of herb mayonnaise.
Dinner: Green lentils with a homemade hot chilli sauce, fennel and carrots (not many) in a creamy, cheesy sauce, courgette and aubergine ratatouille and a big helping of mixed salad leaves. Dressed with lashings of olive oil and a sprinkling of gomasu (sesame seeds roasted with salt).
No snacks, wasn't hungry.

Today
Breakfast: coffee with cream (wasn't hungry)
Lunch: spinach omelette, olives and cheese on the side
Tea: Don't know yet, but it will definitely include loads of salad leaves. Maybe some stir-fried sprouts, bell peppers and celery in homemade satay sauce :)
 
Last edited:
Thanks both.

My problem is most of my meals are in conjunction with my wife on Slimming World, but it looks like if I adjust that to reduce carbs and add a bit of fat it may help.

With these high fat diets, even though you say they’re good for diabetes, are they not clogging up your heart etc?
 
Back
Top