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Newly diagnosed T2 lacking support and info

S

Sued24

Member
Messages
16
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi all.
I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes last week, no symptoms other than tiredness, so a total shock. My medical "team" is a diabetes nurse who wants to put me on insulin etc etc. I have agreed to statins as my cholesterol is so high, but my A1c was 52 at the first blood test, dropped 51 to at the second one a week later.
I want to try to control things with diet, as I have over 30lb to lose anyway, and seem to be losing weight well on a low carb diet of sorts.
When I asked for diet advice all I was told was to avoid dairy. I've read the "8 week blood sugar diet" book, but that seems to talk about low carbs then suggest you follow a very low calorie diet for 8 weeks. It's 800 a day, and I can't stick to it. Plus I am confused by the amount of conflicting information out there.
Any diet advice or suggestions? Xmas is coming up and its proving difficult already
 
Sued24 said:
Hi all.
I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes last week, no symptoms other than tiredness, so a total shock. My medical "team" is a diabetes nurse who wants to put me on insulin etc etc. I have agreed to statins as my cholesterol is so high, but my A1c was 52 at the first blood test, dropped 51 to at the second one a week later.
I want to try to control things with diet, as I have over 30lb to lose anyway, and seem to be losing weight well on a low carb diet of sorts.
When I asked for diet advice all I was told was to avoid dairy. I've read the "8 week blood sugar diet" book, but that seems to talk about low carbs then suggest you follow a very low calorie diet for 8 weeks. It's 800 a day, and I can't stick to it. Plus I am confused by the amount of conflicting information out there.
Any diet advice or suggestions? Xmas is coming up and its proving difficult already
Click to expand...
I'm sorry about your diagnosis, but.... A HbA1c of 52/51 is relatively easily solved. Cut some more carbs, never mind the calories for the moment. https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html might help a little with the basics. Because, yeah... There IS a lot of conflicting advice out there. And the best way to cut through it is to get yourself a meter and see what works for you, specifically. There are millions of diabetics out there, but there's only one @Sued24 , so what works for one, might not work for another, or be total overkill, and who knows what works for you...? Now, the 8 week blood sugar diet is a bit, well, rigorous maybe. Your blood sugars aren't that bad, just barely in the diabetic range, and there's no reason you can't be back into the normal range right quick, without having to follow a crash diet for two months. (If you were very high it might be a different matter).

So, a few things to consider: get yourself a meter, and try out foods. How to test effectively is in the link. That's step one. The second, statins... They can raise blood sugars, so aren't always a good idea, while the newly diagnosed are offered them as a matter of course. If you're indeed very high, have sufferd cardio-vascular problems in the past or experience familial high cholesterol, then i haven't said anything. But once I got my carbs down, my cholesterol went down eventually too, so... You might not need those. But that's entirely your choice, and a meter might help you make it as well. Another thing, Christmas... I know it's not easy, and you wouldn'[t believe how many members here fall off their chosen low carb wagon over the holidays.... But if they do, they/we climb back on after. Failing to stick to a carb limit for a day or two, doesn't mean all is lost and hopeless. Okay? Just know you're fine with brussels sprouts, meats, poultry, fish, eggs, and most above ground veg. For me, I usually make sure I have a hand in the menu, and while others have their desserts, I have a nice coffee with cream or some home-made low carb hot chocolate. They have a lot of potatoes? I'll have extra duck breast. ;) I don't feel like I'm missing out, and I don't go home hungry. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/th...echanisms-swaps-recipes-anything-goes.198916/ is a thread about just this subject, so it might help.

You'll be okay. You're diabetic, yes, but you're nowhere near so far gone that you need to consider insulin (Nonsense!!! There are many other avenues to try before it ever gets that far. And odds are it never will!).

You be good to yourself.
Jo
 
Sued24 said:
Thank you so much for the fast response and encouragement!
What is the best type of meter to get, please?
Or are they all the same?
Click to expand...
I'll tag in @Rachox , she's got the best meter-info. (I'm in the Netherlands, so different brands than yours. ;) ) They're not all the same, and it's not the meter that's the cost, it's the strips... And some are pricier than others. When you have to self-fund as a T2, and one who has to test around a lot of meals starting out, that kind of matters. ;)
 
Hi @Sued24 and welcome to the forum.

Most meters are very similar and have to adhere to the same standards of accuracy. So many people just want one that is decent quality and lower cost (as I did).
There are 2 (or 3) meters in the UK that meet that criteria - note the biggest cost is the test strips, not the initial cost of the meter. The test strips must match the meter.

They are:

SD Gluco Navii or the older model called a Codefree
Spirit TEE2+

Many people - in both major UK diabets forums use one of them.
I have always used a TEE2+, but I know of others happy with the other 2 meters.

All can be bought online. Note - although you will need extra pots of test strips, most of us re-use the lancets for a week or more if only using them on ourselves.
 
Hi @Sued24 and welcome to the forum. Thanks for the tag @JoKalsbeek , here’s some info with links for UK meters, and to be clear I have no commercial connections with any of the companies mentioned.



HOME HEALTH have the Gluco Navii, which is a fairly new model and seems to be getting good reviews.

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-produ...ose-meter-test-strips-choose-mmol-l-or-mg-dl/



Links to the strips for future orders:

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/glucose-navii-blood-glucose-test-strips-50-strip-pack/



Then they sell the older SD Code Free, details to be found here!

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/





SPIRIT HEALTHCARE have a meter called the Tee2 + which is quite popular:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...e2-blood-glucose-meter?variant=19264017268793



The strips are to be found here:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...py-of-tee2-test-strips?variant=19264017367097



If there is a choice of units of measurement then ‘mmol/L’ are the standard units in the UK, ‘mg/dl’ in the US, other countries may vary.

Don’t forget to check the box if you have pre diabetes or diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for all meters and strips)
 
Sued24 said:
Hi all.
I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes last week, no symptoms other than tiredness, so a total shock. My medical "team" is a diabetes nurse who wants to put me on insulin etc etc. I have agreed to statins as my cholesterol is so high, but my A1c was 52 at the first blood test, dropped 51 to at the second one a week later.
I want to try to control things with diet, as I have over 30lb to lose anyway, and seem to be losing weight well on a low carb diet of sorts.
When I asked for diet advice all I was told was to avoid dairy. I've read the "8 week blood sugar diet" book, but that seems to talk about low carbs then suggest you follow a very low calorie diet for 8 weeks. It's 800 a day, and I can't stick to it. Plus I am confused by the amount of conflicting information out there.
Any diet advice or suggestions? Xmas is coming up and its proving difficult already
Click to expand...
‍♀️I went low carb. My diabetes nurse enrolled me on X-PERT HEAKTH course.
 
My HBa1C was 134 at diagnosis, no symptoms except I went ‘vacant’
 
Angela64 said:
‍♀️I went low carb. My diabetes nurse enrolled me on X-PERT HEAKTH course.
Click to expand...

Yes, my nurse gave me the phone number for the local X-PERT health people, they are full and there will be no more places until next March, so I'm steering my own ship for now ...
The low-carb diet is going really well though.
 
Sued24 said:
Yes, my nurse gave me the phone number for the local X-PERT health people, they are full and there will be no more places until next March, so I'm steering my own ship for now ...
The low-carb diet is going really well though.
Click to expand...
Low carb worked for me - by the time I got onto the local education course I was no longer diabetic.
Avoiding dairy would be no use at all, and I did many low calorie diets which left me half dead, grey faced and feeble.
On low carb I get almost normal results and I am slowly regaining the shape I thought was my normal one. I am 7 years from diagnosis now, and plan to stick to low carb as it has lifted around 20 unwanted years off my shoulders and many unwelcome inches from my waistline.
 
I'm glad I popped onto here and found this post, I too am recently diagnosed and the only advice I was given was to lose 3 stone in 3 mths using the shakes.....:confused:. When I started reading up properly for myself my numbers seem to put me in "Pre-Diabetes" zone, I don't actually know what my HBa1C numbers were, but on a given morning before breakfast my numbers are anywhere between 7.6 & 8.6 sometimes lower at 6.8. (I bought a VivaChek Monitor that links to an app on your phone). But I have been left very overwhelmed and found myself a week in crying in the aisles of Tesco not knowing what I could or couldn't eat for my lunch. I've changed some habits, like cutting down a bit eating carbs and when I do I aim for wholemeal or seeded bread, brown pasta, brown rice, sugar free drinks, from 1 normal sugar in my tea to a sweetner (didn't know which to go for so plumped for Truvia). This is as far as I've got. I have a list of questions and not sure where to point them as frankly my gp/diabetic nurse seem be quite unsympathetic and just keep banging on about losing as much weight as possible, quickly....I just can't live like that. I have a list of questions in my head and no-one to really put them to.

sorry for jumping on here but @Sued24 story seems similar to my own.

p.s. I'm in Scotland
 
Last edited:
TigerKit919 said:
I'm glad I popped onto here and found this post, I too am recently diagnosed and the only advice I was given was to lose 3 stone in 3 mths using the shakes.....:confused:. When I started reading up properly for myself my numbers seem to put me in "Pre-Diabetes" zone, I don't actually know what my HBa1C numbers were, but on a given morning before breakfast my numbers are anywhere between 7.6 & 8.6 sometimes lower at 6.8. (I bought a VivaChek Monitor that links to an app on your phone). But I have been left very overwhelmed and found myself a week in crying in the aisles of Tesco not knowing what I could or couldn't eat for my lunch. I've changed some habits, like cutting down a bit eating carbs and when I do I aim for wholemeal or seeded bread, brown pasta, brown rice, sugar free drinks, from 1 normal sugar in my tea to a sweetner (didn't know which to go for so plumped for Truvia). This is as far as I've got. I have a list of questions and not sure where to point them as frankly my gp/diabetic nurse seem be quite unsympathetic and just keep banging on about losing as much weight as possible, quickly....I just can't live like that. I have a list of questions in my head and no-one to really put them to.

sorry for jumping on here but @Sued24 story seems similar to my own.

p.s. I'm in Scotland
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forum @TigerKit919

It can be very daunting at the beginning and feeling overwhelmed is a pretty normal reaction. I too remember crying in the aisles many moons ago, but you’re not on your own, you’ve come to the right place.

How about starting your own thread asking the questions you say you have, we can’t diagnose or direct on medication but what we can do is share our experiences and tips and what we do to help control our Blood Glucose, we’re a friendly bunch who like to help so fire away with those questions :)
 
TigerKit919 said:
I'm glad I popped onto here and found this post, I too am recently diagnosed and the only advice I was given was to lose 3 stone in 3 mths using the shakes.....:confused:. When I started reading up properly for myself my numbers seem to put me in "Pre-Diabetes" zone, I don't actually know what my HBa1C numbers were, but on a given morning before breakfast my numbers are anywhere between 7.6 & 8.6 sometimes lower at 6.8. (I bought a VivaChek Monitor that links to an app on your phone). But I have been left very overwhelmed and found myself a week in crying in the aisles of Tesco not knowing what I could or couldn't eat for my lunch. I've changed some habits, like cutting down a bit eating carbs and when I do I aim for wholemeal or seeded bread, brown pasta, brown rice, sugar free drinks, from 1 normal sugar in my tea to a sweetner (didn't know which to go for so plumped for Truvia). This is as far as I've got. I have a list of questions and not sure where to point them as frankly my gp/diabetic nurse seem be quite unsympathetic and just keep banging on about losing as much weight as possible, quickly....I just can't live like that. I have a list of questions in my head and no-one to really put them to.

sorry for jumping on here but @Sued24 story seems similar to my own.

p.s. I'm in Scotland
Click to expand...
Ooh, questions! We like those. @lovinglife is right, start a thread and go from there.
 
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