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Newly diagnosed

Mark Rawlinson said:
ask away and remember we have ALL been there too
tell us about yourself
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Thank you for your reply
I’m 69 I live in Peterborough I’m still working and loving life I had a bowel operation 5 years ago and have had many health issues since then many disabilities and then hit with this one which I must admit is the hardest knowing what to drink to what to eat one site says one thing then you ask another question and get a different answer so confused
 
Tootsiefootsie said:
Thank you for your reply
I’m 69 I live in Peterborough I’m still working and loving life I had a bowel operation 5 years ago and have had many health issues since then many disabilities and then hit with this one which I must admit is the hardest knowing what to drink to what to eat one site says one thing then you ask another question and get a different answer so confused
Click to expand...
Have you spoke with your Diabetic Nurse/Doctor ?
they will know best what to avoid or eat however be prepared for some surprises what you think is healthy and good for you is sometimes not for diabetes
 
Mark Rawlinson said:
Have you spoke with your Diabetic Nurse/Doctor ?
they will know best what to avoid or eat however be prepared for some surprises what you think is healthy and good for you is sometimes not for diabetes
Click to expand...
No I see her next week I’ve just been looking on Google and then found this forum I need to lose 4 stone so hopefully I will get smarter as the days go on
 
Most Type 2 diabetics are overweight, but not all. Around 10% are normal weight and so the idea that losing weight will always improve diabetic control isn't always correct - it depends upon the person.
Many people on this forum have improved their Type 2 diabetes or made noticeable improvements by chang8ng what they eat without reducing calories, in fact I certainly seem to eat more calories now (in T2 remission for over 5yrs) than I did while I was pre-diabetic and eating a so-called healthy low fat diet.

It is carbohydrates digesting into glucose which are the main contributor to Type 2 diabetes and so reducing our intake of them (starches as well as sugars) usually makes a much bigger difference than medicines such as Metformin. In fact after I was diagnosed and found this forum I bought a Blood Glucose monitor (finger prick type) and was able to see the difference in my Blood Glucose for myself comparing after eating my usual low fat meals and eating a low carbohydrate (higher Protein and higher fat meal.

However, we are not all the same and so some people require medication and there is no shame in that. I was lucky that cutting my carbs down to under 40gms per day (between 20gms and 40gms) put me into remission with no need for any medication. I did lose some weight, but only enough to get back to the weight I was in my late 30's (having been slim all my life until I was persuaded to eat that low fat diet.
It may seem too good to be true to be able to eat as much fatty fish, fatty meat, cheese and eggs as I like yet not gain weight, but that's the way it is for me and around 50% of the others in this forum. It's eating too many carbohydrates that make us fatter, just like farmers fattening up livestock by feeding them carbs.
 
Tootsiefootsie said:
No I see her next week I’ve just been looking on Google and then found this forum I need to lose 4 stone so hopefully I will get smarter as the days go on
Click to expand...
It can be very confusing at first nut listen to what you you Health care professional tells you and ask away on here
as before we have all been there
 
Tootsiefootsie said:
Thank you for your reply
I’m 69 I live in Peterborough I’m still working and loving life I had a bowel operation 5 years ago and have had many health issues since then many disabilities and then hit with this one which I must admit is the hardest knowing what to drink to what to eat one site says one thing then you ask another question and get a different answer so confused
Click to expand...
I endorse what @ianf0ster says above. I have had normal blood glucose now for over five years and have lost around six stone, thanks to a very low (~20g/day) carb diet. In that time I've eaten as much as I've wanted to and have never been hungry. It's worth giving it a try. People do get different results from doing exactly the same thing, so there's no guarantee.

I'd also recommend learning to use a blood glucose meter to work out which foods do what to your levels. While carbs are the biggest contributors to blood glucose, you may find (for example) that your system can handle some carbs at least some of the time - maybe in reduced quantities. That information gives you the ability to control what's going on.

The official NHS dietary advice for everyone, including T2s, is to base meals around starchy carbohydrates. This - to put it mildly - makes controlling blood glucose a nightmare, and I took a decision in 2019 to simply disregard what the official advice tells me to do. However, that's very likely to be the sort of advice you get from your diabetic nurse. I have to say things have improved a lot since 2019, and many health professionals are a lot more clued up on low carb now, but don't be surprised if you're told to eat carbs. It's still the official position.

Best of luck. Asking questions is encouraged.
 
ianf0ster said:
Most Type 2 diabetics are overweight, but not all. Around 10% are normal weight and so the idea that losing weight will always improve diabetic control isn't always correct - it depends upon the person.
Many people on this forum have improved their Type 2 diabetes or made noticeable improvements by chang8ng what they eat without reducing calories, in fact I certainly seem to eat more calories now (in T2 remission for over 5yrs) than I did while I was pre-diabetic and eating a so-called healthy low fat diet.

It is carbohydrates digesting into glucose which are the main contributor to Type 2 diabetes and so reducing our intake of them (starches as well as sugars) usually makes a much bigger difference than medicines such as Metformin. In fact after I was diagnosed and found this forum I bought a Blood Glucose monitor (finger prick type) and was able to see the difference in my Blood Glucose for myself comparing after eating my usual low fat meals and eating a low carbohydrate (higher Protein and higher fat meal.

However, we are not all the same and so some people require medication and there is no shame in that. I was lucky that cutting my carbs down to under 40gms per day (between 20gms and 40gms) put me into remission with no need for any medication. I did lose some weight, but only enough to get back to the weight I was in my late 30's (having been slim all my life until I was persuaded to eat that low fat diet.
It may seem too good to be true to be able to eat as much fatty fish, fatty meat, cheese and eggs as I like yet not gain weight, but that's the way it is for me and around 50% of the others in this forum. It's eating too many carbohydrates that make us fatter, just like farmers fattening up livestock by feeding them carbs.
Click to expand...
Thank you I will do that either my carbs are new potatoes or just boiled potatoes best?
 
Tootsiefootsie said:
Thank you I will do that either my carbs are new potatoes or just boiled potatoes best?
Click to expand...
All carbs turn to glucose in the body. Many of us choose to skip the potatoes and simply have more of the meats and veggies. Or you could have a smaller portion of the potatoes.
Tootsiefootsie said:
I must admit is the hardest knowing what to drink to what to eat one site says one thing then you ask another question and get a different answer so confused
Click to expand...
The problem with many websites and even doctors is that they follow their own beliefs as to what is healthy.
A glucose meter is completely unbiased.
If you choose to use a meter to test before and after meals, you'll get some insight into how different meals affect you personally.
 
KennyA said:
I endorse what @ianf0ster says above. I have had normal blood glucose now for over five years and have lost around six stone, thanks to a very low (~20g/day) carb diet. In that time I've eaten as much as I've wanted to and have never been hungry. It's worth giving it a try. People do get different results from doing exactly the same thing, so there's no guarantee.

I'd also recommend learning to use a blood glucose meter to work out which foods do what to your levels. While carbs are the biggest contributors to blood glucose, you may find (for example) that your system can handle some carbs at least some of the time - maybe in reduced quantities. That information gives you the ability to control what's going on.

The official NHS dietary advice for everyone, including T2s, is to base meals around starchy carbohydrates. This - to put it mildly - makes controlling blood glucose a nightmare, and I took a decision in 2019 to simply disregard what the official advice tells me to do. However, that's very likely to be the sort of advice you get from your diabetic nurse. I have to say things have improved a lot since 2019, and many health professionals are a lot more clued up on low carb now, but don't be surprised if you're told to eat carbs. It's still the official position.

Best of luck. Asking questions is encouraged.
Click to expand...
Thank you
 
I found the Freshwell Low Carb Project web site very helpful. Lots of information and downloadable recipe PDF files.
I'm not allowed to post links yet as I have not posted here often enough but a google search for "freshwell low carb" will probably get you there.
 
Floppy1 said:
I found the Freshwell Low Carb Project web site very helpful. Lots of information and downloadable recipe PDF files.
I'm not allowed to post links yet as I have not posted here often enough but a google search for "freshwell low carb" will probably get you there.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much I’ll have a look
 
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