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So daunted by it all

M

mealingcg

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
I've just been diagnosed as Type 2 - still waiting for first HBA1C to come back so don't know all the facts yet. My fasting levels at the moment are around 11.5. I'm really greatful (sorry to say) as jve been feeling so rundown and exhausted for such a long time. Now that I have a diagnosis though I'm really scarred, I really don't know where to start or what I should be doing. I've asked my GP for help and have been told to look at diabetes uk for answers. Where do I start? I have no idea and no idea of the implications etc of this all :(
 
hello and welcome
have a look around the forum, and ask questions, we are here to help you
 
Hi welcome to the forum :)

I'll tag @daisy1 so she can give you the info we give to new members. It's great that have you found this forum, just ask away!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
mealingcg said:
I've just been diagnosed as Type 2 - still waiting for first HBA1C to come back so don't know all the facts yet. My fasting levels at the moment are around 11.5. I'm really greatful (sorry to say) as jve been feeling so rundown and exhausted for such a long time. Now that I have a diagnosis though I'm really scarred, I really don't know where to start or what I should be doing. I've asked my GP for help and have been told to look at diabetes uk for answers. Where do I start? I have no idea and no idea of the implications etc of this all :(
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forums, @daisy1 will be along with lots of info for you. How lucky we are that you found the Diabetes co uk site .. sadly the other site is still using out of date info regards diet. There is no need to be scared ..T2 is manageable for most people. When you have had a look around the forums do come back and ask questions ..
 
@mealingcg

Hello and welcome to the forum :)

Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful to you. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will come along and help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

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 over 150,000 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

Reduce your 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

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

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
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

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 bloodglucose 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.
 
Hi @mealingcg , welcome :)

It sounds like your run-up to diagnosis was very similar to mine. Don't panic, this is something that can be managed and with the right diet you can get your BGs right back down, hopefully without need for drugs (although they might put you on metformin).

Have a read of my links below - no need to be unduly scared about this, I've actually found it to be a positive change and I feel better than I have for years.
 
mealingcg said:
I've just been diagnosed as Type 2 - still waiting for first HBA1C to come back so don't know all the facts yet. ...........
Where do I start? I have no idea and no idea of the implications etc of this all :(
Click to expand...

Hi Mealingcg. Welcome. It's a scary moment, and people tell you of all sorts of dreadful consequences and you think you'll never eat anything nice again. At least, that's what I thought.

So your liver's not responding to your insulin. This means that you're not metabolising your carbs as quickly as you need to, and maybe that the energy from the carbs isn't getting to your muscles. This may be down to fatty liver, it may be down to other things.
Your doctor and diabetic nurse will advise some reduction in carbs, but going to town to cut the saturated fat from your diet to ease the problems round your liver. That's what I'd been trying to do (not always with enthusiasm) for 30 odd years, and it had led to me being 25kg overweight, needing capacious trousers and T2 diabetic into the bargain.
I read lots of stuf here, and in some books.
David Cavan's Reverse your diabetes was a good read.

I decided to aim not to eat more carbs than my body could tolerate. I drew I line in the sand in my brain - no more cake or sweets. Cut back big time on sources of carb like potato, rice, bread, pasta. I seem to be OK with slow release carbs like beans, lentils, quinoa and the like.
Go easy on fruit and root veg (carrot) but not exclude them as they are nutrient rich.
Plenty of meat, cheese, leafy veg.
On this diet the capacious trousers became excessive - I had to get smaller ones twice. The weight fell off with scarily little effort.
3 months in - my HbA1C was 45, my BMI was down to 25. People keep telling me how well I look. My tolerance of carbs has improved a bit - I'm not cured, but I have slightly more flexibility if I want it.

The most frustrating thing was trying to control my diet, but with no meter (or tests at the GP), I had not idea how things were doing. A friend kept promising me one, but it never appeared, so eventually, I responded to one of the e-mails from diabetes UK and now have the means to stick needles in my fingers. What more can a chap want?

You need to make a brain shift in your diet. The food industry is geared up to sell us tasty carbs. When I go in my supermarket, they have a "bargains" display that is largely crapulous carbs of limited nutritional value. Many posters seem to find one of the biggest shifts is at breakfast time. Breakfast does not have to come in a big cuboidal cardboard box with a picture of a cockerel. Bacon and eggs is not a naughty treat any more, it's a low carb start. I relish kippers and other fish. My work patterns change in September, I'm going to be on a bus at 7.20am mornings a week. I'm not sure what I'll have on the days I run behind.
Good luck
Adam
 
Hi and welcome. It will take a while to monitor this forum and take every thing in. Take Daisy's advice and keep the carbs low. Proteins, fats and of course veg are fine. Yes, get hold of a meter. Do you have excess weight; this is often the case with T2.AS this reduces witha low-carb diet so will your blood sugar. You may also need some tablets on prescription. Ignore any NHS advice to have starchy carbs with every meal and beware NHS dieticians. If you can keep you blood sugar within a good range you will probably never have any of the 'bad news' problems. Within 3 months you should have an HBa1C blood test. This is a good guide to whether your blood sugar is OK or not based on a 3 month average. Do ask any questions.
 
Thank you so much for the replies. I look forward to reading through and gaining knowledge. It most definately going to be a life change but hopefully a positive one - probably the kick I've needed to sort my diet out! What really frightens me though is that I've always been a comfort eater (probably resulting in me being here now!) But my coping mechanism to stress is now being removed. Will just have to take one day at a time!
 
Welcome to the forum! You have definitely come to the right place to learn more about diabetes and how to best manage it. Being diagnosed with diabetes is a scary thing, however once you learn how to take control, you feel empowered to make positive changes. You can do it!
 
Hi and welcome to the forum
It's only confusing and scary to start with. It gets easier promise.
To start with cut down ( down not out ) on the carbs smaller portions on the plate make up with veg meat ,eggs and cheese so the meal looks the same size . There is a lot of food you probably think you can't have but there is a lot you can as long as you cut down on the portion size
Bacon eggs and sausage is a great way to start the day you will sone get into it , and also keep clear of foods aimed at diabetics most of it is a waste of money.
Keep well stay safe JJ
 
mealingcg said:
I've just been diagnosed as Type 2 - still waiting for first HBA1C to come back so don't know all the facts yet. My fasting levels at the moment are around 11.5. I'm really greatful (sorry to say) as jve been feeling so rundown and exhausted for such a long time. Now that I have a diagnosis though I'm really scarred, I really don't know where to start or what I should be doing. I've asked my GP for help and have been told to look at diabetes uk for answers. Where do I start? I have no idea and no idea of the implications etc of this all :(
Click to expand...
i feel the same way although i have had t2 for over 10 years.all i can say is avoid eatin **** and take your meds..
 
Hi and welcome to this awesome forum

I was diagnosed 16 days ago with a fasting bs of 12.7.

I came here and read all I could on low carb. That very same day I cut out bread, rice, pasta, potatoes and all sugary stuff.

My levels dropped day by day and yesterday were in the 6's all day.

I'm not saying this will work for you, or that it is something you should try, but it definitely worked for me.
 
Welcome to the forum. Diabetes is definately life changing but its not all bad news. Cut your carbs and sugar and get a meter and that will set you off in the right direction. It can all seem very daunting but you are definately in the right place so dont be afraid to ask questions there are lots of helpful people here .
 
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