Newly diagosed and feeling alone and confused

[viv]

Hi all,
Please help, I'm newly diagnosed, not seeing a nurse for two weeks and feeling upset and don't know what I should be doing, ie: some posts say eat carbs other's say keep away from rice and pasta, what's a girl to do with this conflicting advice I would be grateful for some sound advice. PS I also need to lose weight. Thanks Viv

 

[sugarless sue]

Welcome to the forum Viv,

Here is the advice we usually give to newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics.This forum doesn't always follow the recommended dietary advice, you have to work out what works for you as we are all different .

It's not just 'sugars' you need to avoid, diabetes is an inability to process glucose properly. Carbohydrate converts, in the body, to glucose. So it makes sense to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat which includes sugars.

The main carbs to avoid or reduce are the complex or starchy carbohydrates such a bread, potatoes, pasta and rice also any flour based products. The starchy carbs all convert 100% to glucose in the body and raise the blood sugar levels significantly.

The way to find out how different foods affect you is to do regular daily testing and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks. If you test just before eating then two hours after eating you will see the effect of certain foods on your blood glucose levels.

Buy yourself a carb counter book (you can get these on-line) and you will be able to work out how much carbs you are eating, when you test, the reading two hours after should be roughly the same as the before eating reading, if it is then that meal was fine, if it isn’t then you need to check what you have eaten and think about reducing the portion size of carbs.

When you are buying products check the total carbohydrate content, this includes the sugar content. Do not just go by the amount of sugar on the packaging as this is misleading to a diabetic.

As for a tester, try asking the nurse/doctor and explain that you want to be proactive in managing your own diabetes and therefore need to test so that you can see just how foods affect your blood sugar levels. Hopefully this will work ! Sometimes they are not keen to give Type 2’s the strips on prescription, (in the UK) but you can but try !!

As a Type 2 the latest 2010 NICE guidelines for Bg levels are as follows:
Fasting (waking).......between 4 - 7 mmol/l.
2 hrs after meals......no more than 8.5 mmol/l.
If you are able to keep the post meal numbers lower, so much the better.

It also helps if you can do 30 minutes moderate exercise a day. It doesn't have to be strenuous.

Reducing the amount of carbs that you eat and the portion sizes will also help you lose weight.

 

[Ardbeg]

Hi Viv,

Welcome to the forum.

I was only diagnosed myself on January 1st this year, so I know exactly how you feel.

There is a wealth of knowledge and experience to be found within this forum and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

My own experience to date is that low carb diets work. I weighed myself for the first time in about 2 months last night and was pleasantly surprised to find I'm about 2 stone lighter than last year. I knew I had been losing weight as all my clothes were becoming loose. I've listened to advice on this forum and now avoid white bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. I now mainly eat red and white meat, fish, some fruit (apples, grapefruit, avacados and sprinkle lemon juice on my food) salad and vegetables.

Being a bloke, I'm not too anal about avoiding all carbs and never go to the hassle of weighing or measuring my foods and still the weight is coming off slowly but surely.

If I can do it then I'm sure just about anyone can. :wink:

 

[kateincornwall]

Hello Viv , take heart , you are not alone !! I too was very confused when DX three months ago but have discovered that for me , lowering the carbs is working, my BG have gone down , i have lost weight and a consequence of that is that my BP has also lowered . I`ve got used to the regime now, dont crave carbs like I did at first and like Ardberg , I`ve cut out the rice, potatoes , pasta and white bread . Good luck to you x

 

[Synonym]

Hello Viv and welcome to the forum.

Sue has given you great advice and if you look elsewhere on the forum you will find it echoed many times. Eat and test! 8)

 

[cocacola]

Hi Vi, I was diagnosed about 2 years ago. It was a bit of shock at first. I was sent on a diabetes seminar, my OH came too. It helped me understand the condition a little more.
You will probably be sent an appointment to go for an eye test, which basically looks at the back of your eyes for any changes. If you have only just been diagnosed this shouldn't be anything to worry about.
Are you on any meds?
As regards the low carb diet. Why not invest in Collins Gem Carb Counter. You have nothing to lose (except weight :mrgreen: ) by just cutting down on carbs in your diet. I already feel better for cutting down on carbs and feel much better for it after only 10 days.