This time last year I was confused and concerned with my type 11 diagnosis. I was ashamed as the media says only fat people get it and it is their fault... I was overweight bmi of 29.6 so there it was self induced failure. I struggled with tolerating the meds and keeping off carbs but in 6 months my levels had gone from 96 to 44. And bmi was 26. But now I find my self constantly hungry and my weight has crept up a stone. Has anyone else experienced this? And more importantly how do I get out of it.
One year on...
- Thread starter Grasue
- Start Date
bulkbiker
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- 19,575
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
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What has changed? Carbs creeping back into your eating patterns?
In your shoes I'd start a detailed food diary and look at exactly what I am eating to try to reduce carb consumption and maybe check if I was having enough fat for satiety. Hunger isn't something you should be experiencing. What meds are you taking and having trouble with?
In your shoes I'd start a detailed food diary and look at exactly what I am eating to try to reduce carb consumption and maybe check if I was having enough fat for satiety. Hunger isn't something you should be experiencing. What meds are you taking and having trouble with?
Sue192
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- 594
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Welcome to the Forum, @Grasue. Firstly, stop any feelings you have of being ashamed. It is not self-induced failure at all and the only people who should be ashamed are those in the media that continue to spout such rubbish. Look how well you've done by reducing your levels! You're now pre-diabetic which is fantastic. It would help if you could let us know what you are eating - perhaps there are tweaks you could do and there are other Forum members who have got over/through weight stall and hunger who may have suggestions. I am sure you've had a good look around but if not, grab a cuppa and browse away! Tagging @daisy1 for The Info which has lots of good stuff to read. Don't get disheartened - you've come a long way in six months and you've probably just hit the infamous plateau. There'll be others along who are far more knowledgeable than I about all things diabetic. 
Thank you for replying.I take sitaglyptin 100mg one a day and metformin 500mg 3 times a day.
I feel more hungry after work before dinner and graze, my usual breakfast is porridge lunch soup or sandwich and fruit unsalted mixed nuts snack at about 4pm. I think it might be a bit of why me why can' I just eat what I want, feeling a bit down. Just wondered if you all get these feelings.
I feel more hungry after work before dinner and graze, my usual breakfast is porridge lunch soup or sandwich and fruit unsalted mixed nuts snack at about 4pm. I think it might be a bit of why me why can' I just eat what I want, feeling a bit down. Just wondered if you all get these feelings.
I see great hope from your current diet, as, we have all found that by cutting carbs we get great results, and you have many carbs you can stop eating.
Let's begin at the beginning with breakfast, the porridge is mostly carbs, and these carbs are converted into blood sugar when you eat them. I find that having eggs for breakfast, maybe with some cheese works well.
Let's begin at the beginning with breakfast, the porridge is mostly carbs, and these carbs are converted into blood sugar when you eat them. I find that having eggs for breakfast, maybe with some cheese works well.
Bluetit1802
Legend
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- 25,216
- Type of diabetes
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- Diet only
Hi and welcome,
Have you made any attempts to reduce your carbohydrate consumption? That is the only thing that will help with your blood glucose (unless you attempt one of the very low calorie diets for 8 weeks).
If I may ask, are you testing your blood sugars at home? If not, I really do urge you to buy a meter and start. You may have a big shock when you test before and after eating porridge, shop-bought soup, sandwiches (bread), and fruit. They are all very heavy in sugars (carbs). Perhaps you don't realise that all carbohydrate turns to sugar once inside the system, and as we already have too much sugar in our blood streams, it makes sense not to add to it. A meter will guide you on your food choices, and enable you to make better choices.
Have you made any attempts to reduce your carbohydrate consumption? That is the only thing that will help with your blood glucose (unless you attempt one of the very low calorie diets for 8 weeks).
If I may ask, are you testing your blood sugars at home? If not, I really do urge you to buy a meter and start. You may have a big shock when you test before and after eating porridge, shop-bought soup, sandwiches (bread), and fruit. They are all very heavy in sugars (carbs). Perhaps you don't realise that all carbohydrate turns to sugar once inside the system, and as we already have too much sugar in our blood streams, it makes sense not to add to it. A meter will guide you on your food choices, and enable you to make better choices.
Thank you I will alternate the breakfast then with an egg, my lunch is home made soups all different flavours and sandwich is normally English muffin protein and salad. I think by what you say is that I should mix it up a bit to re-energise the diet create interest. I check my blood sugar weekly so I will step that up too.
eggs11
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- 638
- Type of diabetes
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- Treatment type
- Diet only
Hi @Grasue - first of all congratulations on reducing your hbA1c down from 96 to a prediabetic 44 - that's no mean feat in itself. Second - one thing that has helped me so far has been to not dwell on the things I can't eat, but focus on the things I can - there are lots of things I can now enjoy which I'd have avoided for being 'fattening' before - eg. avocados, full-fat houmous, full-fat anything... (ironically I got fatter and fatter avoiding these things!). Maybe plan out your meals for next week - with the 'rule' that they must be both low carb and extremely delicious!
daisy1
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- Tablets (oral)
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- Cruelty towards animals.
@Grasue
Hello Grasue and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to help.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.
Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.
Hello Grasue and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to help.BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
- Reduce your carbohydrate intake
- Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.
Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
- structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
- self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.
- Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
- Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
shelley262
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 4,946
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Hi and welcome you sound similar to me! I reduced my bmi to about 25 and also did ‘healthy eating’ for six months and got my hbaca1 down to 41 from 97. After this despite healthy eating and feeling hungry I got a bit fatter again putting a stone back on over next eighteen months and my hbaca1 drifted up to 45! Then last summer I discovered the low carb programme and later intermittent fasting which turned my life around. No longer hungry but losing weight so lost three stone in last 6 months and within four months hbaca1 had gone down to 33. Difference is I now eat full fat fat am usually not hungry and restrict my carbs to less than 30g a day. Ideally you need to learn about what food carbs are in I thought eating healthy carbs would be okay and for me it wasn’t and just left me hungry.
Why not Use this forum for ideas and support and also go to
Dietdoctor.com
You’ll get so much info there on carbs and help with ideas and recipes to get those carbs down and also how to stop that dreadful hunger good luck you will get there if you change your diet. If you’ve managed the ‘healthy’ diet this way of eating may be a welcome relief I find it enjoyable. If you test regularly you’ll find out which food works for you.
Welcome @Grasue I would echo what others have said about reducing the number of carbs in your diet, and then finding all the things that you have been avoiding because they are full fat. I now enjoy cheese, eggs, cream and the highest % chocolate I can find. Testing once a week is really a sop and not much use. Test at least 2 hours after a meal and if it has raised your bg 2 then something in the meal does not agree with you, we are all different but commonly people find that grain flours are the culprit. Keep a food diary with the test results and you will soon see a pattern emerging. Keep a weekly record of body measurements and that will inspire you to keep going even when your weight loss stalls. You lost the weight once, you can do it again and this time with the change in diet to a wide variety of enjoyable meals you will keep it off.
This is really good of you. I need to get a grip and re focus on my diet and attitude. Getting organised is good advice thank you
Thank you. I will do as you say and increase the blood sugar checks so I can get a better idea of what affects me.
Food diary will identify the culprits...
Wow I am bowled away by all the support and really good advice I have received from you all today. Shelley we seem to have been on the same course but you have come through it, well done amazing stats. I will take your advice and use the forum to support me, thank you for answering.
Thank you good advice I will keep the food diary now.
Daisy1 thank you for this great explanation. I have read up on low carb and it is clearly the way forward for me now.I will hook up with the low carb programme.@Grasue
Hello Grasue and welcome to the Forum
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
Reduce your carbohydrates
- Reduce your carbohydrate intake
- Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.
Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
- structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
- self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.
- Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
- Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
Freema
Expert
- Messages
- 7,346
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
it is important I find to have lots of foods of the kinds we can eat a lot of in ones home and bringing some with oneself to work or where one goes.... I have nuts, olives, and childrens cheese sticks in my fridge , and lidl´s protein rolls in my fridge , I try to eat in between meals that are as low in carbs as possible like avocadoes , peanuts cucumbers , sometimes I just buy some roasted cold chicken and only eat that...
Well there are times where I eat some of the foods I feel deprived from , that is especially when I have been doing a lot of excercise like around 4 hours then I think the carb rich foods are well deserved...and then my body is already on it´s way to get my blood glucose down...
Last edited:
Resurgam
Expert
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I'd advise that you are more consistent - for breakfast you would be switching between low and high carb on alternate days so you might well see large differences in your BG levels.
Do you check the carb content of the soups you make, and sandwiches are usually high carb if made with ordinary bread.
Eating about the same amount of carbs at each meal plus testing to check how meals affect you should be most helpful.
