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Prescribed Metformin but wondering I can do this on diet alone

Yeah... Mine has said it's progressive, I will end up on insulin and it will get worse
I reckon I shall prove them wrong
 
Bheki81 said:
i love this story, hope is possible

I was diagnosed this year and am learning about the low carb diet
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It is definitely possible - especially as you were diagnosed recently. It probably took me so long because apparently it is highly likely that I had undiagnosed diabetes for many many years before diagnosis in 2012 and I think my body was quite damaged.

I used to absolutely love carbs but my meter showed that even a small amount caused sky high blood sugars.

In the beginning, whenever I was tempted to eat carbs, I would ask myself the following question 'what would I rather have - this piece of cake (or whatever food I was craving) or keep my feet and my eyesight. Feet and eyes always won. I think I ended up brainwashing myself because the carbs quite quickly become very unappetising.
 
Andydragon said:
Yeah... Mine has said it's progressive, I will end up on insulin and it will get worse
I reckon I shall prove them wrong
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Yes, you will prove them wrong.
That is exactly what a doctor told me. He said that I was deluding myself that I could come off the insulin as diabetes was progressive and I would only get worse and worse and I would need more and more insulin. That did make me angry and more determined to prove him wrong.

Every visit back to the hospital I would try to spot that doctor because I was going to go up to him and tell him just how wrong he had been and tell him that diabetes not a progressive disease.
 
Avoid root veg, they're full of carbs, carrots to an extent, try leafy greens or above ground veg. Bread will cause you a spike there isn't a slow release etc, it will convert into sugar no matter the colour or grain. If you start now, within 24hours you will see the difference of a low carb diet. Yes the metformin may have you worried but if it helps you for now to get down within range, take it.

After a cycle ride one would expect the muscles to burn glucose so you can't rely on this alone. I'm normally 4-6 these days without needing to exercise, and when I do exercise i'm nearing hypo range.

Listen to the advice on here, Dieticians and Doctors alike haven't updated their advice and it's very misleading at the beginning of diagnosis.

Definitely try a low carb diet. No potatoes, rice, pasta, bread or anything made from flour, includes pizza, pita bread, tortillas etc. Look up low carb. How much you do depends on how quickly you want to get rid of your diabetes. Replace your carbs with healthy fats like cheese, avocados etc. I do less than 20g carbs a day.

Do listen to the advice on here, it will save you a lot of trouble and headache.
 
Also, avoid stress if you can, i know in this day in age it's difficult but you need to remove any stresses in life, good luck and take you new life easy, listen to the survivors will help you avoid a lot of mistakes.
 
Also don't worry about what to drink to enjoy yourself. Beer is out as it is carby but just 2 small glasses of wine will have you falling over (it does me anyway) as your body will start to process it quicker. It's like a shot to the arm. I am now a very cheap date.
 
Yesterday was my first carb free day (or as near as I could get it.) Eating out is going to be a pain. I'm at a hotel in Scotland right now, most of the restaurants are still closed, and everything on the hotel menu is accompanied by bread, pasta, potatoes or rice. The one exception was chicken wings as a starter, so I ordered a double helping as a main. They turned up covered in breadcrumbs (not mentioned on the menu) but I managed to scrape most of them off without losing too much of the chicken. Finding something at motorway services was equally difficult. I ended up with a small pack of cocktail sausages.

I had a pint of cider (the draft beers were all off) then a couple of double gin and slimlines. I've just woken up to a 6.1. To say I'm chuffed to bits is an understatement. Early days, but right now I honestly think you've all changed my future, so much for the better. Thank you, all. Crazy how this has turned my idea of healthy eating on its head. I always thought I was being good by bulking up on rice or pasta and avoiding red meat. I am going to miss my paellas, which I'd only just got back into making again (maybe they're okay as an occasional treat.)

And yes, those 3 drinks had me feeling like I'd had about 5, so maybe it will take fewer drinks to make me feel relaxed and suitably in tune with others on a night out in future. I think, ordinarily, I'd start eating carbs or sugar at some point to 'soak up' the effects of the drink, and then have even more to drink when that proved too effective. I just need to avoid getting into rounds and learn to go at my own pace.

I've only got enough test strips left to do 2 a day, while I'm away. I've ordered more, but they're being delivered to my home address. I'll probably do one 2 hours after my evening meal and then another in the morning.
 


Drinking is not good for you. Alcohol makes your liver go into stress and could make you seriously go high. It should be avoided at all cost.

Like you like pallea, I would have one day a month where I would do one but before hand would go for some exercise before i take a bite, but portions are on the small side. It doesn't cause a spike for me, as my body can still process carbs, I just choose to not eat carbs at all.

Just stay off the drink. Replace it with water or any other substitute because drinking is not caring for yourself.
 

It is actually really easy to have a low carb meal from Maccies.
Just place your order as usual, but go for a couple of burgers rather than the meal deals.
Then specify 'no bun'.
The food arrives in one of their card paper plates, with a lid, and plastic knives and forks.
Very easy, no one turns a hair, and you don't even have to get your hands dirty.

KFC would also be easy - just peel off the breadcrumb coating and eat the chicken 'naked'.

My experience is that there is nearly always a way, with a bit of creative thinking.
The only exception to that rule is the Great British Tearoom experience, where EVERYTHING is just carbs carbs carbs, but other than that, pubs, restaurants, takeaways and even fast food joints are almost always workable.
 
Lots of meals out can be adapted. Ask them to ditch the rice/pasta/potato and add more of the veg or salad. Ask for sauces on the side or without. Look for a combination of sides and starters. Look at the accompanying bits on other dishes and ask them to swap them around. I’ve never had any place say no. It’s all stuff on their menu just plated up differently.

From shops : cold meats, packets of tuna, salad pots, cheeses, sandwich filler pots (Egg or tuna mayo etc) without the sandwich. I carry a teaspoon in my bag and it’s been useful more than once.

Cider and beer are high carb choices. Spirits with sugar free mixers or dry and red wines are much lower carb. And yes you’ll be a cheaper date than previously so definitely go at your pace not the carboholics you may be with. Alcohol can actually give you lower readings in the short term as whilst the liver is busy processing the alcohol it doesn't dump glucose. That said it can add to fatty liver and obviously in excess isn’t good for us and is not the right way to lower readings
 
I have found that hotels (and restaurants) are really helpful and will happily serve you your meal without the potatoes, rice or pasta - unless of course the rice or pasta is cooked with the other ingredients.

I do exactly what @HSSS does and ask for more veg or salad and.any dressings, gravy or sauces in a jug - or more often than not I now ask for some olive oil for a salad or butter for the veggies.

I feel that it is now much easier to ditch the carbs when you go out than it was when I first went low carb.

I always have a couple of teaspoons of cream in my coffee and if I forget to say that's all I want - a jug of cream that looks at least 200ml will accompany my coffee.
 
type2_2020 said:
Drinking is not good for you. Alcohol makes your liver go into stress and could make you seriously go high. It should be avoided at all cost.
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Alcohol doesn't make you go high, unless you choose sugary drinks.
Of course alcohol isn't healthy, but that's the same with or without diabetes.

Sounds like you'll get the hang of it pretty quick
People are often happy to substitute the bread/pasta/etc. with vegetables or salad. After all, they'll like you to come back
Hope the chicken wings tasted nice, and now you've learnt to ask if they are breaded when ordering! It took me a while but I found kitchens are willing to provide information on ingredients to help you out.
 
Nicole T said:
I am going to miss my paellas,
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You could try this zero carb imitation rice from Holland & Barratt:



One pack gives 2 reasonable portions. No cooking needed. Can be stored for years. Just rinse thoroughly to get rid of the strong smell from the fluid it is stored in. I use about a pack a day, alternating savoury and sweet. It can be difficult to get enough fibre on a very low carb diet, but this rice gives a precious 4g fibre per portion. Various pasta versions are also available.
 
Back in the same hotel again tonight. I suspect most of what's on the menu here is freezer to deep fat fryer or microwave, so they're probably all prepackaged with no options for substitution. I've found a Nandos locally that's doing takeout and delivery. Butterfly chicken has 0.2g of carbs, and has always been one of my favourite meals. I just won't have the rice and corn with it. Maybe I'll add a few extra wings in substitution.

I'm not actually losing out on any real favourite foods, here. Mostly accompaniments to favourite foods, like putting tuna mayo on a sandwich or in a baked potato, or serving a Dutch Doorman's Breakfast (fried egg over chopped ham or bacon, so the meat sets into the whites) on toast.

I've no plans to give up alcohol unless I absolutely have to. Yes, I know it's bad for me. I also know that several of my friends admit to drinking a bottle of wine most days, and I already drink way less than that on average. I don't trust the NHS when it comes to their alcohol scaremongering. I've seen them describe medication as 'safe with alcohol, in moderation' when other sources indicate that it has no interaction with alcohol whatsoever (and so their advice only encourages people to stop taking it if they're going binge drinking.) I'm not saying the UK doesn't have an alcohol problem, I just don't believe in the arbitrary 14 unit limit. What I think the UK has is lots of people who consume 50+ units a week, but put a fraction of that on the form when their GP asks them about their drinking habits.

I'd be very surprised if drinking turned out to be the death of me. If I don't get my blood glucose in check, then diabetes complications probably will be.
 
Back home again. Stopped for a McDonalds on the way and got two bacon double cheeseburgers from the saver menu, without the buns. I didn't think one would be enough, but it probably would have been.

2 hours later, I've just tested 4.4.

I've been weighing up what the worst offenders are for carbs. Somewhat ironically, the alcohol free beer that I drink during the week (I still like a beer with my evening meal, even if I'm not drinking alcohol) has about twice the carbs of Carling. I don't think I'll be ordering any more of those. I'll have to get used to tonic water without the gin, instead.
 

In my case, the breakthru was stopping alcohol completely. I lost 10 kg, reversed my type 2 and also got rid of my High Blood pressure.

Getting drunk is fine when you are young. At the age 60, it's a question of living better and longer, or living a short miserable life ...

I cannot insist more about the negative effect of alcohol, it's just plainly not worht the damage it does to your body in later life.
 
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