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Struggling with food!!

L

lynnedeloo

Well-Known Member
Messages
74
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hello,

I have been following Slimming World diet as advised by my diabetic nurse. I was told I could eat fruit in moderation! All my recent blood tests have been 51 HbA1c. However, today my GP said my levels were 57! She wanted to increase my dosage of Metformin from 1500g to 2000g. I refused saying that I would cut out fruit instead. She agreed this for 3 months.

Obviously slimming world was not for a diabetic.
What do I do instead...cut out carbs and sugar? What do I eat now? So confused!!
 
Hi @lynnedeloo ,

Your profile says you are "insulin dependant type 2." Is this correct?

This may effect the type of replies you receive...
 
Hi @lynnedeloo ..
Yes .. you need to cut out (or at least down on) carbs and sugar. The key point to take on board is that managing and controlling your diabetes through exercise, diet and testing your blood glucose seems to be the best way forward for many people. For me, committing to an LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) lifestyle and testing 3-5 times a day seems to be working and you'll find that there is a wealth of info, relevant advice and positive support about LCHF on the forum. I suggest that you read up on the discussion on the Low Carb Diet forum .. together with the following Diet Doctor websites, which will give you all the info that you need on what and what not to eat ...
Low Carb Intro and Information and Low Carbs in 60 Seconds. I'm sure you'll find that adopting an LCHF lifestyle will soon bring your levels down.

Unless you are given a test meter and strips by your doc or practice nurse (unlikely) .. it is a top priority that you get yourself one and, for this, the following websites might help:
https://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/
for the SD Codefree meter, which costs £12.98 or:
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/
who distribute the TEE 2 meter, which is free.
I have both which I alternate for comparative purposes and I have never found any significant difference between them.

I recommend that you test before meals and then again two hours after you started to eat. Some folk also take a fasting blood sugar reading immediately on waking. You will soon develop your own testing pattern which will enable you to monitor trends over time and to spot any foods that cause your blood sugar to "spike" or fall ouside the normal ranges.

The costs of testing comes down to the ongoing charges for test strips and lancets. Make sure that you tick the appropriate box on the on-line order form and you won't pay VAT on your meter or strips.
For the SD Codefree, the strips are £7.69 for a pack of 50 and there are discount codes available for bulk purchases:
5 packs x 50 use code: 264086 .. cost is £29.49
10 packs x 50 use code: 975833 .. cost is £58.98
For the TEE 2, the strips are £7.75 for a pack of 50 .. but there are no discount codes currently available

I'm testing 3-5 times a day which works out at around £10 to £12 per month for either of the two packages above but, more importantly, I now know what my BG levels are .. and I can now manage them

Hope this helps
 
I am not insulin dependent. On Metformin and I don't have a testing meter.

I have updated my details and medication!
 
lynnedeloo said:
I am not insulin dependent. On Metformin and I don't have a testing meter.

I have updated my details and medication!
Click to expand...

Then @AM1874 's advice could be the right starting point for you!
I certainly advise any diabetic to get a meter.. You wouldn't drive a car without a speedo & hope the fines & endorments don't come dropping through your door.. ;)
 
lynnedeloo said:
I am not insulin dependent. On Metformin and I don't have a testing meter.

I have updated my details and medication!
Click to expand...

Lynnedeloo - You should be able to adjust your profile to reflect that you don't take insulin, or alternatively, I can do it for you, if you let me know. As @Jaylee says, it can cause a bit of confusion and impact on how others might guide you.
 
Hi. Don't worry about 2000mg of Metformin as it's good safe drug although doesn't have a big effect but GPs place a lot of faith in it. SW is a commercial organisation and offers diets to suit everyone; need I say more? As diabetics we need to keep the carbs down (sugar is just a carb) and have enough fat and protein to keep you feeling full
 
Hi,

I agree with the others. You need a meter. Without one you are working blind - if you had one you would see at a glance what the Slimming World food is doing to your levels. Please buy one, and then we can advise you the best way to use it to test out your meals and lower your carbs. All carbs turn to glucose once inside the system - including the wholemeal versions, and fruit is high in sugar. The best and safest fruits are strawberries and raspberries, maybe a very small apple, but these need to be eaten as part of a meal and not as a stand alone snack, and best with double cream or a full fat plain yogurt.
 
You can eat any meat or fish, dairy products and eggs, plus anything low carb enough in the way of salad, veges, even berries which doesn't spike your BG levels. There are lots of recipes for low carb baking around on lots of sites and this forum,though it might take some willpower to eat them in moderation. There is always something to eat.
 
lynnedeloo said:
What do I do instead...cut out carbs and sugar?
Click to expand...

Cutting down on carbs is what a lot of us do, it's a personal choice that some GPs and Diabetes Nurses don't go along with although more and more do because they can see the good results.

lynnedeloo said:
She wanted to increase my dosage of Metformin from 1500g to 2000g.
Click to expand...

It seems to be something that affects people in different ways, some might say that an extra 500mg would do very little and some say that Metformin doesn't work until you take 2gms a day. So different experiences from different people, and that's how it is with all drugs really.

lynnedeloo said:
I don't have a testing meter.
Click to expand...

Essential to have one, whatever your DN has said, then you don't get such a surprise when you go for the HbA1c blood test. The meter will also allow you to see the effect of different foods affect you. Fruit is definitely something to be careful, for example I was amazed at the effect of 8 strawberries was.

Essentially I'm re-iterating what everyone has said so far and look forward to hearing the results of your next HbA1c in 3 months time.

BTW, just an example of how beneficial just removing bread, potato, rice and pasta from one's diet can be, I was taking 2gms Metformin, Gliclazide, Januvia for diabetes and Atorvastatin for cholesterol and had been talking to my GP about taking insulin. After the the change of diet to reduce carbs I was only taking Metformin. Even my cholesterol was down to 4, although that's a number that can change very easily.

All the best.
 
Bluetit1802 said:
Hi,

I agree with the others. You need a meter. Without one you are working blind - if you had one you would see at a glance what the Slimming World food is doing to your levels. Please buy one, and then we can advise you the best way to use it to test out your meals and lower your carbs. All carbs turn to glucose once inside the system - including the wholemeal versions, and fruit is high in sugar. The best and safest fruits are strawberries and raspberries, maybe a very small apple, but these need to be eaten as part of a meal and not as a stand alone snack, and best with double cream or a full fat plain yogurt.
Click to expand...


Love the fact that you suggest double cream (could eat this till the cows come home!!) . Thank you for your advice!
 
DavidGrahamJones said:
Cutting down on carbs is what a lot of us do, it's a personal choice that some GPs and Diabetes Nurses don't go along with although more and more do because they can see the good results.



It seems to be something that affects people in different ways, some might say that an extra 500mg would do very little and some say that Metformin doesn't work until you take 2gms a day. So different experiences from different people, and that's how it is with all drugs really.



Essential to have one, whatever your DN has said, then you don't get such a surprise when you go for the HbA1c blood test. The meter will also allow you to see the effect of different foods affect you. Fruit is definitely something to be careful, for example I was amazed at the effect of 8 strawberries was.

Essentially I'm re-iterating what everyone has said so far and look forward to hearing the results of your next HbA1c in 3 months time.

BTW, just an example of how beneficial just removing bread, potato, rice and pasta from one's diet can be, I was taking 2gms Metformin, Gliclazide, Januvia for diabetes and Atorvastatin for cholesterol and had been talking to my GP about taking insulin. After the the change of diet to reduce carbs I was only taking Metformin. Even my cholesterol was down to 4, although that's a number that can change very easily.

All the best.
Click to expand...


Thank you for your advice. Will keep everyone posted about the next HbA1c.
 
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