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

Newly diagnosed Type 2

S

samsmeat

Member
Messages
10
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi All

I have recently been diagnosed type 2 and feeling pretty confused.

Blood test was 67, cholesterol 7.1 and liver function is being rechecked next week. Since blood test results came back I have seen the GP, Dietician and Diabetic nurse.
I purchased a blood glucose monitor prior to seeing dietician as thought it might be helpful but have found it really confusing as reading have been between 9.7 and 15.5. When I get up in the morning the reading is consistently between 10.5 and 12, I thought it would be lower in the mornings so am finding it confusing.
Dietician said she does not want me to monitor blood which is confusing as I thought it would be helpful for me to see what spikes numbers. She is referring me to DESMOND course and has said part of that would involve finding out how to test urine, so she has added testing strips to my prescriptions. The dietician has suggested lifestyle changes and reviewing bloods in 3 months. Diabetic nurse felt I should have been put on medication but has said its best to follow dieticians plan. Not really sure if I should use the monitor now and don't know why its ok to test urine but not blood.
I have started trying to make changes to my diet but am a really fussy eater so finding it difficult....everything I like is a no no and everything I hate is a YES. Simple things like what to eat feel like such a dilemma
- scrambled egg and toast, sandwich ???? cant have that as am not allowed butter and I don't like other spreads
- dinner plate guide say 1/2 plate veg, 1/4 carbs and 1/4 protein...you would think it would be easy but potatoes (mashed, new or baked) always involved butter....to make myself eat salad (mayonnaise was useful to disguise taste).
I am not sure what I should be following as some things say cut carbs, cut fats, cut sugar....one thing says eat brown rice, pasta and another says white. How do you work out what you can and cannot eat.
Any advise on how to adjust would be really appreciated.
Thanks for your support
Sam
 
Testing: I profoundly disagree with the advice not to test your blood glucose. It is the only way you will find out how different foods affect you. The suggestion to test urine is very puzzling, because by the time glucose spills into urine, your BG is over 10. Unless she was referring to ketone testing?

It is not surprising that your BG is high in the morning, it's called dawn phenomenon and affects most of us. Keep track of morning readings, but don't worry about them for now.

Pay more attention to the difference between your level before you eat compared to 1 and 2 hours after. Ultimate goal is to be between 4-6 before eating, No more than 8 after 1 hour and no more than 6 after 2 hours. You will probably be a long way from that to start, but if you make the right choices with what you eat, it will get a lot better very quickly.

Diet: my suggestion is to throw that plate model in the bin and instead adopt a lower carb diet. The more carbs you eat, the higher your BG will rise. The more you limit carbs, the quicker your BG will fall.

Your blood test that was 67 is called an HbA1C. Mine in August was 62. 3 months later it was 40, which is normal. The difference? Three months of low carb high fat eating.

Good luck! Ask questions. I'm tagging @daisy for the newbies information.
 
Thanks for your reply Barbara G.
Maybe it was ketone testing, I just recall her saying something about testing urine....brain is at information overload stage. One blood test obviously identified all the issues but first I was told about the diabetes, then after seeing the GP a couple of days later informed liver function needs rechecked and then when I visited dietician a week or so later informed about the cholesterol. Since then the diabetic nurse is now saying I need to see GP about my high resting pulse (been same for a couple of months as had pre-op feb and surgery march) - I just thought it was linked to being in continual pain or medication. I will look into the low carbs diet.
 
It is very confusing at first, for all of us, but the penny soon drops so don't panic.

You have been given the usual NHS guidance rubbish, which is churned out to most newly diagnosed. The food guidance you were given is known as the Eatwell Plate. It may be wonderful for healthy people, but is a disaster for T2 diabetics.

It seems ridiculous to me, and many others including world renowned experts, that carbs are pushed down our throats when it is carbs that cause our blood sugar levels to rise. Fat doesn't, in fact it helps keep levels down. Protein can do in certain circumstances. ALL carbs (including wholemeal) convert to glucose once inside the system. This is fact. So why put all that glucose in our bodies when we already have too much? The sensible thing to do is put less glucose in and the only way to do this is to cut carbs.

The worst culprits for raising blood sugars are bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, breakfast cereals and flour. We also need to be careful with fruit and milk.

I note you say you can't eat butter? Have you some allergy or medical issue preventing this? If not, you can eat as much as you like. When we cut carbs we lose energy, so to replenish our energy we need fats. Real fats. Not highly processed spreads and substitutes. If you have any low fat products, or anything marked "light", in your cupboards then I suggest you throw them away and buy the real thing. Low fat is something else the NHS pushes but current science tells us this is wrong.

I must be confusing you even more.

Have a look at this website https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/60-seconds

There is also a low carb programme on our own website that is free and has won awards.
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/lowcarb/?utm_source=hp&utm_medium=dd&utm_campaign=lcp

Oh ..... and a meter is essential. It is impossible to find a way of eating that suits you and that lowers your levels without one. Just ignore your nurse/doctor/dietician and buy one. It is your health, not theirs and they are wrong. It will become your best friend. I promise you.
 
Thanks everyone has been helpful. LCHF diet allows butter so what more could I ask for. I will have a read up on all the information provided.

Thanks
 
First of all....brilliantly and clearly said....calming and reassuring. ....Secondly. ..I profoundly disagree with the advice ro get a meter. I didn't, following the advice of my doctor, the nurse will test you once a month....and after 3 months I am a 'non' diabetic allowing for the fact that once a T2 always a T2. It was following the T2 diet rebels diet and advice which got me here and I'm profoundly grateful. I wish we all had more clear advice and support but we each of us have to find our way. But in essence, thanks for posting the first part and disagree with the second part. Love and Peace.
 
Welcome to the forum @samsmeat ,

It good news you have a blood meter.!
There are plenty of tips from diabetics that can help you understand & get the best from what it's telling you.
(Or to be more consise. Your blood sugar levels.)

It's pretty much all you have to clue you up (which helps you help the professionals.) until the next DSN appointment...
 

Whereabouts do you live? It is unheard of to be tested once a month unless this is just some random or fasting finger prick test. (a completely useless exercise) and an HbA1c is a waste of time and money more frequently than 2 to 3 monthly.

Initially the norm is for us to be seen at 3 months after diagnosis for HbA1c, full blood count, liver, kidneys and cholesterol plus a face to face review with the nurse, a medication review and other markers such as weight, urine check and blood pressure. Providing we are stable or improving and any medication is deemed satisfactory, we are moved to 6 monthly checks, and then to annual ones. These are the guidelines laid down by NICE for the NHS to follow.

Working for control without a meter is working blind. It may have worked for you, and I'm very happy for you, but it doesn't work for the majority of us. I am over 3 years since diagnosis, have non-diabetic levels and no medication but I still test frequently every day. I also use a Freestyle Libre periodically (as do many of us on here) This helps keep me on track and I learn new things all the time.
 
Control can be too good - I have got NFA on my notes at the clinic - after getting my second blood test, No Further Action.
If I did not have my own meter I would have no idea of my situation being one of improvement or sliding back into high readings.
 
Wow! where are you based? I only get tested once a year now. I'd be lost without my own testing equipment
 
How much fat we eat is down to how much suits us personally as not everyone wants or is able to eat high fat. Some of us go more for good oils like in nuts, avocados, olives, olive oil, coconut oil and not so much of the saturated animal fats.
 
I don't think anyone has ever said you MUST eat more fat, just that there's no need to cut out butter and other animal fats as they aren't the bad guys they were once thought to be. Of course what we eat is down to our individual choice, how could it be anything else? That's what's so wrong with the current NHS advice, it takes away choices.
 
Last edited:
Eating more fat is kind of inevitable when you're eating low carb and moderate protein. 20g carbs and 70g protein, for example, only adds up to 360 calories a day. Unless you want to starve, you need to eat fat to get the energy in.
 
Congratulations for getting where you are now and that you are happy with the advice of your doctor so many here are not happy with their doctors. You don't really say what your diet is now....after the rebel diets... that has got your diabetes under control it would be interesting to know as we do say here everyone is different so no one diet suits all
 
Yes I agree, the more we know about the various diets which have helped T2s the better. It would be good to know what sort of things you ate @TallLeeds
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…