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Newly diagnosed T2

F

flower67

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Hello , Im new to the boards, had routine MOT bloods and Bam here I am , to be honest I prob knew it was coming as Im caring a bit of excess weight! My Hba1c was 80 ! and im getting BM readings of over 15 mmol. So today I'm starting metformin . and trying a low carb diet . there is so much to take in and read my head is going crazy! but im glad I found this forum ... so apologies if I ask too many questions.

have a great day

:)
 
Too many questions… what is thing you speak of? :)

welcome to the start of the journey to improved health. The good news is going low carb is not that hard (my craving for toast and marmalade will go away any day now), and it works for many people. I went from 74 down to 41 in 3 months, and lost 15kg too without trying to cut calories.

so ask any questions, take a look at Jo’s quick advice - it’s a great summary!
http://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html
 
Welcome @flower67
Don't make the mistake of blaming yourself, diabetes is just one of the many medical conditions that can afflict anyone as they go through life. You did not cause your T2 by eating exactly the same diet as millions of other people who don't have T2.
T2 is basically the inability to use the glucose that we get from carbs in our diet, if we can't use it then it causes our blood sugar levels to rise, and that excess glucose will eventually be stored as fat.
So it is more than likely that the extra weight has been caused by your worsening ability to deal with carbs, rather than any failing on your part.
You will find that low carb is a powerful tool, much more affective than medication and without any side effects.
Take time to devise a diet that works for you, it needs to be enjoyable, satisfying and more importantly something you can stick to long term. Try not to think of it as a diet, something you follow for a period of time until you reach your goal. It needs to be something you can continue indefinitely, T2 will not go away, even when you have lost your weight and got your sugar levels back to normal. It will always be there waiting to make a comeback if you revert to your previous diet.
 
flower67 said:
Hello , Im new to the boards, had routine MOT bloods and Bam here I am , to be honest I prob knew it was coming as Im caring a bit of excess weight! My Hba1c was 80 ! and im getting BM readings of over 15 mmol. So today I'm starting metformin . and trying a low carb diet . there is so much to take in and read my head is going crazy! but im glad I found this forum ... so apologies if I ask too many questions.

have a great day

:)
Click to expand...
Welcome to the club no-one wanted to join.

There is no such thing as too many questions. This place is a huge reservoir of lived experience and wisdom, and has helped me enormously. Unfortunately there is a really patchy approach to T2 in healthcare. Sometimes people are lucky and get relevant and useful info, more often not.

The good news is that T2 is eminently manageable and you can avoid the consequences of not controlling it - some willpower needed, though. Many people on here had higher A1cs than yours at diagnosis, and were back in normal range quickly. Have a look at the "Success Stories" part of the forum for more detail.

Best of luck

K
 
Welcome and yes, your head will be going crazy - mine did for 2-3 months. But well done on taking steps to address your condition.

Lots of good advice above. Mine is: exercise helps. I walk. I enjoy it, it's free (apart from suitable footwear) and there are plenty of places round where I live to do it either out my front door or within a short drive. It also doesn't damage my knees. I got a very cheap tracker (Mi Band), started (I think) with 5,000 steps a day which is now 7,000. If I go for a walk I'm usually well over that, and as far as I can tell the evidence is that over 7,000 - 8,000 steps per day one is into diminishing returns. I try to walk on unmade surfaces - it's more interesting and better for my knees, indeed for all of me. And it's a great time of year to start, as Spring is definitely springing.

I altered my diet in that I've mostly cut out carbs with my evening meal. I still have porridge for breakfast (no sugar, honey or syrup) and a couple of slices of home-made sourdough at lunch, which I can cut very thing. I've discovered cauliflower rice, and Edamame & Mung Bean Fettuccine, and I find a spicy dish with pulses is fine without either. As well as looking at carbohydrates, I also did a lot of Googling for GI. I suspect there are more decent substitutes I've not come across yet. I'd like to try spaghetti squash but I'm not sure they are ever sold in the UK, or at least in my somewhat rural part of it.

I also accidentally gave up drinking about 3 years ago - I make an exception when I am out for a meal or have people round for a meal, I've not taken sugar in my tea since I left home, I don't like soft drinks, with the exception of tonic water with gin and I am mostly quite happy without cakes etc..

My fortune is that I like cooking, I've cooked most of my meals most of my life since leaving home, and I can afford whatever ingredients I want. Also, I live on my own and whilst the cats sometimes want to help me with my food, I don't have to accommodate a partner and/or children.
 
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Hi, similarly diagnosed recently and similar stats for blood sugar. Been on Metaformin a week and BS has come down a bit but not to where it needs to be. Biggest impact seems to be exercise and had some lows post exercise in the 7s!
 
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