Type 2 Diagnosed 3 weeks ago

@Piglet67

Hello and welcome to the forum I have moved your post to its own thread so you can get your responses. To help you, here is the basic information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. In particular it contains a lot of advice about carbs and low carb dieting and a link to the Low Carb Program which should be helpful to you. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will be able to 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 well over 210,000 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

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 free 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

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 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.

Piglet67 said:

I was diagnosed three weeks ago, type 2.
Again a few symptoms had crept up on me but nothing major......I had actually lost some weight (5ft and 13 stone but clothes size 12/14) which is what prompted the GP to test me after going for something totally unrelated!
I was prescribed Metformin 3x 500mg a day and advised to change my diet. I was not given a blood glucose monitor. My fasting glucose was 14.2, and after two weeks of drugs and diet it had only reduced to 11. The practice nurse said that people on Metformin don't need to monitor their glucose at home, this seems contrary to advice on the forum........
What am I doing wrong? I eat sensibly already but have cut out chocolate, cake, pastry, pasta, white rice, only have about four slices of bread a week, drink only water and black decaf tea and a couple of glasses of wine at the weekend. I east lots of salads, green vegetables, few potatoes......what else can I do to get the glucose down?

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Hello Piglet.

As you are learning, the management of T2 can be a bit of a puzzle, and it can be tricky to work out what to do. It seems like you have realised that diet is critical to t2, but annoying;y one size doesn't for all, and some of us can cope with more of certain foods, whilst others just have to stop eating them.

This really is where self-testing comes into it's own. It gives you immediate feedback on each of your meals. If you test before eating, then 2 hours later you can see the impact of that particular combination of foods, which helps inform you whether you can eat it freely, or whether it's more problematic.

My suggestion would be that you get yourself a meter and some strips and start testing. If your Doc or Nurse won't prescribe one for you, then, if you possibly can afford it, you should buy one for yourself.

It is possible to make great changes in our health, and many on here have done that, so do lots of reading. Ask a load of questions; that's what we all did when we got here, and I'm sure things can become easier.

Hi @Piglet67 and welcome
My fasting reading at diagnosis was 18 and it took me weeks/months to get it down. I was fortunate as I was given a meter and told to test. By testing before a meal and 2 hours after I found what foods I could eat and what were better avoided. We are all different. As I am now considered well controlled I am no longer being prescribed strips so I bought the sdcodefree meter which has the cheapest strips.
http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/
If you are interested we can give you the discount codes for buying in bulk.

Do go through Daisy's post and come back with questions.

@Piglet67 - Hello and Welcome to the Forum .
A lot of forum members follow the LCHF Diet (Low Carb High Fat) it helps to lower blood sugars, HBA1C and weight. Here is the link:
http://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/60-seconds

Hi @Piglet67
Whether you had noticed symptoms or not it is always a shock to have the diagnosis. First, you are not alone, most of us here have been in your position and then decided to do something about it. Usually that means getting a meter to test 2 hours after eating. This helps to see what foods are affecting your bg levels, you may find that wheat flour is problem for you but that you can treat yourself to a couple of squares of quality chocolate. Keep a note of exercise and mood as well as these may also affect you. Read around the forum and ask questions. Finally, your bg levels are going in the right direction and 3 weeks in that is good, so be gentle with yourself, you are doing all the right things to help yourself and to take responsibility for your health.

Piglet67 said:

Thanks, I think I am starting to get to grips with it, have joined the low carb programme on here and ordered a glucose monitor on line.

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That's a good start @Piglet67
It took me 6 months to get down to the levels I am happy with so do be prepared for blips along the road. Some people on here have achieved good results a lot quicker but you do need to find what works for you and what you can keep going with. Best wishes and do ask questions.