Newly diagnosed

[BarbsC]

Hi. I'm Barbara. Newly diagnosed. Just diet controlled at the moment. Trying to get my sugar levels down whilst trying not to lose too much weight. My weight loss has been rapid ..too rapid actually. I'm now underweight. Any suggestions welcome

 

[Antje77]

Hi. I'm Barbara. Newly diagnosed. Just diet controlled at the moment. Trying to get my sugar levels down whilst trying not to lose too much weight. My weight loss has been rapid ..too rapid actually. I'm now underweight. Any suggestions welcome

Hi @BarbsC , welcome to the forum.
Obvious first question: are you sure you're eating enough? What diet changes did you make and what is your current diet like?

Are you testing your blood glucose at home, and if so, what numbers are you seeing in general?

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi. I'm Barbara. Newly diagnosed. Just diet controlled at the moment. Trying to get my sugar levels down whilst trying not to lose too much weight. My weight loss has been rapid ..too rapid actually. I'm now underweight. Any suggestions welcome

Hi Barbara, and welcome,

Too much weight loss? Yeah, not quite the goal here, this has to be sustainable. So if you can answer Antje's questions, maybe we can help turn this into something you can keep up without having to stay inside on a blustery day, for fear of being blown off your feet.

I know, we tend to sound nosy and maybe even a bit intrusive, but it does help to know the specifics, so we know where things might be tweaked.
Again, welcome, hope we can help!
Jo

 

[MrsA2]

Hi. I'm Barbara. Newly diagnosed. Just diet controlled at the moment. Trying to get my sugar levels down whilst trying not to lose too much weight. My weight loss has been rapid ..too rapid actually. I'm now underweight. Any suggestions welcome

Weight loss, unexpected, is more often a symptom of T1 than t2. It might be worth bearing in mind and if your bg continues up and weight down, asking gp for more tests.
Note, not diagnosing just suggesting tests
Also do finger pricks and test ketones

 

[BarbsC]

Hi @BarbsC , welcome to the forum.
Obvious first question: are you sure you're eating enough? What diet changes did you make and what is your current diet like?

Are you testing your blood glucose at home, and if so, what numbers are you seeing in general?

Ok. Initially I cut out everything sugar and all carbs. I was in shock at my diagnosis. But was alarmed at my weight loss so I started re introducing potatoes & wholewheat pasta & wholewheat bread. Then I did the Desmond course and asked there about carbs.
They just said I was doing well and to make sure thati ate the skins on my potatoes and avoid mash.
Not to eat below ground veg..carrots and swede type goods which were my staple veg. Now I eat salad type veg. Peas & beans. Avocado. Peppers. All this is fine in the summer but what do I eat in the winter. I live in the North of England where its cold & damp in the winter.
I've lost 1st 4lb since March. I needed to lose about 7lb but it's continued to drop.
I've not tested my blood sugars myself as I've not got a kit. My HbA1c was 51 in March & 52 in June. What I need to know is what carbs are ok which will stabilise my weight but won't raise my glucose.

 

[lovinglife]

Ok. Initially I cut out everything sugar and all carbs. I was in shock at my diagnosis. But was alarmed at my weight loss so I started re introducing potatoes & wholewheat pasta & wholewheat bread. Then I did the Desmond course and asked there about carbs.
They just said I was doing well and to make sure thati ate the skins on my potatoes and avoid mash.
Not to eat below ground veg..carrots and swede type goods which were my staple veg. Now I eat salad type veg. Peas & beans. Avocado. Peppers. All this is fine in the summer but what do I eat in the winter. I live in the North of England where its cold & damp in the winter.
I've lost 1st 4lb since March. I needed to lose about 7lb but it's continued to drop.
I've not tested my blood sugars myself as I've not got a kit. My HbA1c was 51 in March & 52 in June. What I need to know is what carbs are ok which will stabilise my weight but won't raise my glucose.

Above ground veg is fine, I’m in the very very north of England and even while everyone else has been having a heatwave this week we’ve had rain and temperatures no higher than 20! Anyway oop very very north in winter I use celeriac for mashing & roasting, anything you would do with a potato you can do with celeriac, roasted radishes, cauliflower mash. Other veg I use, green beans, courgettes, marrow, Brussel sprouts, any kind of cabbage, swede, broccoli, anything grown above the ground basically

If you are eating low carb and you are still losing weight it may be best to up your fats & protein rather than add back in carbs. I struggle with my weight and I find that dairy stalls or causes me to gain weight - so things like cheese,cream, butter in moderation- perhaps upping these in you diet could help you to stop the weight loss

 

[Antje77]

I've not tested my blood sugars myself as I've not got a kit. My HbA1c was 51 in March & 52 in June. What I need to know is what carbs are ok which will stabilise my weight but won't raise my glucose.

You may want to consider getting a glucose meter if you can afford it to test before and after meals to see how your diabetes handles different foods. It's unbiased and just tells you what is.
What about upping the fats and proteins instead of the carbs? Full fat Greek yoghurt, bacon and eggs, cheese, cream, etc.?

Have you already have a read of this informative blog written by @JoKalsbeek ?

The Nutritional Thingy

There’s a few things you should know. 1. Practically all carbs turn to glucose once ingested , so not just straight sugars, but starches...

josekalsbeek.blogspot.com

All this is fine in the summer but what do I eat in the winter. I live in the North of England where its cold & damp in the winter.

There's a thread where we share what we've eaten in the low carb section of the forum, it's been going for 9 years, so simply scroll back to see what type of foods people had in winter for inspiration. Some people on the thread eat low carb to keto levels, others eat more moderately low carb. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today-low-carb-forum.75781/page-3166
Oh, and celeriac is great in winter, very low carb!
I use cauliflower instead of potato for mash, doesn't taste like cauliflower, and with a generous knob of butter and some cream cheese or cream mixed in before blitzing it's both low carb and filling.

 

[Antje77]

@lovinglife , snap! We basically posted the same post at the same time.

 

[Alexandra100]

There are only 3 macro-nutrients: carbs, protein and fat. If you drastically cut the carbs and don't replace them with more protein and/or fat (preferably both) you are adopting a drastic low calorie, almost starvation diet. It is hard to eat more fat, as this is going against decades of health advice, but fat can get you through the Winter far better than carbs. Think of the eskimos!

Blood glucose monitors are inexpensive. I suggest you have a look at the GlucoNavii: https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/
which I chose because it requires a tiny drop of blood and has strips that are cheaper than most. (Strips are the biggest expense, as we have to keep buying more. A meter will last for many years.) I have been using the GlucoNavii from Home Health UK for years. I find HH are really efficient. When I re-order strips they always arrive sooner than I expect. You can buy a starter kit for £12.79. (Don't forget to tick the box to say you are diabetic, as this saves you from having to pay VAT. If you are in the UK, you want to tick the box for readings in mmol/L.) The kit includes everything you need including travel case, lancets, lancing device, instructions and 10 strips etc.

You will need to order a tub of 50 strips @£11.49 as 10 will soon be used up. Home Health's site can be a bit of a nightmare, so here is a link to the strips you need:

Glucose Navii Blood Glucose Test Strips

Shop replacement Glucose Navii blood glucose test strips available at Home Health UK for use with the Gluco Navii blood glucose monitor also online now.

homehealth-uk.com

If you take to testing and want more strips, Home Health gives a 10% discount on a pack of 10 tubs and a 5% discount on 5 tubs. This makes quite a difference. The discount still works - I used it a few days ago.

For encouragement to reverse your diabetes, cut the carbs and test, you might like to have a look at the Youtube Channel called "Beat Diabetes" with Dennis Pollock:

Good luck!

 

[BarbsC]

Thank you so much. Some great advise here x

 

[BarbsC]

You may want to consider getting a glucose meter if you can afford it to test before and after meals to see how your diabetes handles different foods. It's unbiased and just tells you what is.
What about upping the fats and proteins instead of the carbs? Full fat Greek yoghurt, bacon and eggs, cheese, cream, etc.?

Have you already have a read of this informative blog written by @JoKalsbeek ?

The Nutritional Thingy

There’s a few things you should know. 1. Practically all carbs turn to glucose once ingested , so not just straight sugars, but starches...

josekalsbeek.blogspot.com

There's a thread where we share what we've eaten in the low carb section of the forum, it's been going for 9 years, so simply scroll back to see what type of foods people had in winter for inspiration. Some people on the thread eat low carb to keto levels, others eat more moderately low carb. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today-low-carb-forum.75781/page-3166
Oh, and celeriac is great in winter, very low carb!
I use cauliflower instead of potato for mash, doesn't taste like cauliflower, and with a generous knob of butter and some cream cheese or cream mixed in before blitzing it's both low carb and filling.

Thanks for this. Is this fat OK? I notice many of you talk about eating cream & butter. my cholesterol was raised but I've just got it down. Can't you tell I'm new to this

Above ground veg is fine, I’m in the very very north of England and even while everyone else has been having a heatwave this week we’ve had rain and temperatures no higher than 20! Anyway oop very very north in winter I use celeriac for mashing & roasting, anything you would do with a potato you can do with celeriac, roasted radishes, cauliflower mash. Other veg I use, green beans, courgettes, marrow, Brussel sprouts, any kind of cabbage, swede, broccoli, anything grown above the ground basically

If you are eating low carb and you are still losing weight it may be best to up your fats & protein rather than add back in carbs. I struggle with my weight and I find that dairy stalls or causes me to gain weight - so things like cheese,cream, butter in moderation- perhaps upping these in you diet could help you to stop the weight loss

Great advise on winter veggies. Alot to think about. Thanks

 

[Antje77]

Thanks for this. Is this fat OK? I notice many of you talk about eating cream & butter. my cholesterol was raised but I've just got it down.

For me, having a higher fat diet (to compensate for the carbs I don't eat) has only improved my lipids.
No way to tell what it will do for you though.
Here's a post where you can see what happened to my choleterol levels on initial diagnosis until now. I've been happily eating pork scratchings, mayo, fatty cuts of meat, and frying my food in butter, and I've reduced he carbs... https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/th...tion-book-recommendations.201616/post-2674018
If you've cut down carbs but haven't upped any of the other macronutrients (fats and protein), where did you get enough calories to sustain you?

 

[BarbsC]

For me, having a higher fat diet (to compensate for the carbs I don't eat) has only improved my lipids.
No way to tell what it will do for you though.
Here's a post where you can see what happened to my choleterol levels on initial diagnosis until now. I've been happily eating pork scratchings, mayo, fatty cuts of meat, and frying my food in butter, and I've reduced he carbs... https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/th...tion-book-recommendations.201616/post-2674018
If you've cut down carbs but haven't upped any of the other macronutrients (fats and protein), where did you get enough calories to sustain you?

I reintroduced my carbs when I started losing weight too fast. Until I get my glucose monitor there's no way to tell if my glucose levels have risen. Thanks for the tips on fats. I'll check out your link.

 

[Resurgam]

Ok. Initially I cut out everything sugar and all carbs. I was in shock at my diagnosis. But was alarmed at my weight loss so I started re introducing potatoes & wholewheat pasta & wholewheat bread. Then I did the Desmond course and asked there about carbs.
They just said I was doing well and to make sure thati ate the skins on my potatoes and avoid mash.
Not to eat below ground veg..carrots and swede type goods which were my staple veg. Now I eat salad type veg. Peas & beans. Avocado. Peppers. All this is fine in the summer but what do I eat in the winter. I live in the North of England where its cold & damp in the winter.
I've lost 1st 4lb since March. I needed to lose about 7lb but it's continued to drop.
I've not tested my blood sugars myself as I've not got a kit. My HbA1c was 51 in March & 52 in June. What I need to know is what carbs are ok which will stabilise my weight but won't raise my glucose.

Not eat swede or carrots but to eat potatoes? What planet are they on?
I am an absolute dead cert type 2, type most ordinary, and losing weight was always something which did not happen - if you are losing weight that really should be sounding airhorns and waving red flags to the medics.
My veges are swede, cabbage, sprouts, courgette, packs of frozen mixed veges without sweetcorn, frozen stirfry, plus salad stuff if I fancy it. I almost always have coleslaw, a few carrots and parsnips and celery, cucumber and sweet peppers in the fridges.
I do eat meat or fish at almost ever meal - bodies are made of protein and fat, so they are the building blocks and raw materials for the physical form and the substances controlling the various activities required to keep it upright, warm and moving. I eat only small amounts of peas and beans as I can extract almost double the listed amounts of carbs, so they are a mid range rather than low carb food for me.
Try bubble and squeak made with swede, with eggs and veges, or eggs and cheese with mashed swede heated in the oven then put under the grill to get a tan, or cauliflower cheese - steamed cauliflower, almost cooked, add cream cheese, then any herb or spice you like, then grated hard cheese, stack up inlayers in a warm dish and put into a warm oven to just start the cheese melting.