Was diagnosed almost a year ago and was in denial for the first 6 months. Had little help from diabetic nurse. Eventually got a testing kit from gp who said test each morning. Every morning it's over 10. Didn't matter if I ate well or had a bar of choc it was always over 10. Took advice from this forum and tested before and after meals 6 x per day for a week. I found that my blood sugars are ok through the day (Not perfect but ok) but spike by morning. Spoke to my gp. He said lose 2 stone and do more exercise. I'm doing 6 classes a week, I'm totally exhausted. For the last 2 mornings my blood sugar have been 14. I was sent home from work yest as I was so dizzy, jittery and with blurred vision. I just can't seem to get it right and the more I panic about it the worse it gets. I'm 50 and on metformin. Has anyone any helpful tips please?
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Struggling to get to grips with type 2
- Thread starter HayleyC
- Start Date
NewTD2
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lessci
Well-Known Member
1stly Breathe, getting stressed will raise your bg's. Type 2 is a marathon not a sprint. Your morning readings are always the last to come down check out "the dawn phenomenon". Talk to people here we are each others greatest resource. The best advise I was given was eat to your meter, and consider a low/reduced carb diet, many of us find this helps. I'd wish you good luck, but you don't need it
kokhongw
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the forum.
Bring our glucose/insulin levels under control can be quite a daunting tasks. But it sounds like you have the tools you need. Measuring your pre/post meal levels will give you a fair idea of how food is affecting you.
Perhaps you can share what your daily meals are like and how your glucose level respond to those meals?
Many of us here find that a carbs lite fats friendly lifestyle makes things a lot simpler.
Hi Hayley and welcome!
First in case you haven’t seen the intro information let me tag in @daisy1.
Can you tell us a typical days menu that you eat? I wonder if you’re inadvertently eating too many carbs?
As for the morning figure being highest that’ll be due to dawn phenomenon or liver dump. Here’s an item about it:
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/blood-glucose/dawn-phenomenon.html
The fasting figure is always the last to improve.
First in case you haven’t seen the intro information let me tag in @daisy1.
Can you tell us a typical days menu that you eat? I wonder if you’re inadvertently eating too many carbs?
As for the morning figure being highest that’ll be due to dawn phenomenon or liver dump. Here’s an item about it:
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/blood-glucose/dawn-phenomenon.html
The fasting figure is always the last to improve.
Thank you for the info on dawn phenomenon- really interesting! I've always been a fussy eater and was brought up on starchy foods. Ive changed my eating habits for the better over the years but there's a lot of things I still don't eat. A typical day would be 2 slices of wholemeal toast with a glass of milk or hot water and me. Lunch is salad - tuna or chicken. Yes is something like chilli (No rice) or chicken and veg or salad. Sometimes I'll have a small jacket potato or sweet potato. I drink loads of water through the day and a can of diet coke at lunchtime. I used to have garlic bread with chilli so I've cut that out. I also try to have at least one piece of fruit a day. Probably not a brilliant diet but far better than it was. My gp said I don't need to cut out carbs - everything in moderation. He's obsessed with me losing 2 stone and doing more exercise which is his answer to everything. The exercise I'm doing and the half stone I've lost haven't made the slightest bit of difference.
Mike d
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Good advice already .... but that weight loss will help. Slow but steady and don't let up
Your doctor hasn't a clue with regard to carbs ... fewer the better.
Keep going
Your doctor hasn't a clue with regard to carbs ... fewer the better.
Keep going
Last edited:
Of the foods you’ve cited the following won’t be helping your blood sugar levels, the whole meal toast and milk is very carb heavy, yes even milk is. Then I wouldn’t eat a baked potato these days and I’m careful about what fruits I eat as they contain carbs too. Here’s a guide to the carb values of fruit. I stick to raspberries, strawberries and blueberries.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/fruits
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/fruits
Pinkorchid
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What we can eat is different with everyone and some can eat more carby foods that others can that's why we can't say what foods you should not eat. Your diet seems to be pretty good with lower carb. You can test with your meter after meals to see if something raises you to much then decide to cut it out or reduce the portion but remember a finger prick is not accurate it is only a guide so do not take them to literally as the same foods can have different levels at different times. >Loosing weight will help you a lot
Bluetit1802
Legend
None of us can answer that question. It all depends on your metabolism and how your body copes with carbs. We all have different tolerance levels to the same foods. Your meter will be your guide. If you test before you eat and 2 hours after first bite, the rise from before to after should be no more than 2mmol/l and preferably a lot less. If it is above 2mmol/l there are too many carbs in that meal for your body to process. This gives you the chance to either reduce the portion sizes of any carbs, or eliminate them completely.
There are other sources of calcium than just milk. Are you allergic to these?
Sources of calcium
Sources of calcium include:
- milk, cheese and other dairy foods
- green leafy vegetables – such as broccoli, cabbage and okra, but not spinach
- soya beans
- tofu
- soya drinks with added calcium
- nuts
- fish where you eat the bones – such as sardines and pilchards
Thanks @Bluetit1802 - Not allergic just very fussy! Didn't realise about broccoli and cabbage so that's good. My doctor said I was obsessed when I showed him the meter readings which isn't supportive but I'll continue with it so I know what foods suit me. So...if my blood is 5.0 before a meal then 7.0 after that's ok? What does the mmol/l mean? Sorry!
Resurgam
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My advice would be to stop going to the gym and instead do some low impact exercise such as regular walks, using a trampoline or skipping or maybe going swimming one a week. I go dancing.
Let your doctor do the obsessing, don't let it bother you, as he is on entirely the wrong track - first get your blood glucose under control - by the time you think about your weight again you could easily have lost weight as your metabolism should normalize, with any luck, but hammering away at the gym will not help at all if you can't cope with it.
I'd also advise not eating high starch and sugar foods - so no sweet potato, ordinary potato bread - and things such as peas and beans can be too high for many. Avoid blueberries, as they are twice the carbs of other berries.
Loads of salad stuff and low carb veges should be OK for you - so your BG readings will go from probably alright to lower and that should eventually cause your overall levels to drop too.
Let your doctor do the obsessing, don't let it bother you, as he is on entirely the wrong track - first get your blood glucose under control - by the time you think about your weight again you could easily have lost weight as your metabolism should normalize, with any luck, but hammering away at the gym will not help at all if you can't cope with it.
I'd also advise not eating high starch and sugar foods - so no sweet potato, ordinary potato bread - and things such as peas and beans can be too high for many. Avoid blueberries, as they are twice the carbs of other berries.
Loads of salad stuff and low carb veges should be OK for you - so your BG readings will go from probably alright to lower and that should eventually cause your overall levels to drop too.
Bluetit1802
Legend
The mmol/l is just the unit of measurement we use. (some countries use different ones)
A rise from 5 to 7 is just about OK but it would be preferable if it were 5 to 6!
daisy1
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@HayleyC
Hello Hayley 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 like and someone will 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 Hayley 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 like and someone will 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.
Hotpepper20000
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 2,065
Im my experience once my BG was under control the weight loss followed.
I don’t exercise to lose weight. I exercise now because I enjoy it. Swimming, cycling, and walking. It didn’t help me lose any weight.
I don’t exercise to lose weight. I exercise now because I enjoy it. Swimming, cycling, and walking. It didn’t help me lose any weight.
