Type 2 Newbie…..too much good living + risk factors!

MazzyStarGirl said:

Hello there
I’ve just been diagnosed with type 2
I am of south Asian heritage (mixed race), age 42, many women in my family have diabetes and, although I don’t drink booze - I have thoroughly enjoyed my food over the years - so this isn’t a huge surprise tbh. But - still….defo a wake up call…….!
My main symptoms were having lost a lot of weight without trying…this was gradual over ten months…..(40LBs in total….I was chubby anyway, so…….mixed feelings! :-D ), always drinking (some nights, mass litres) and peeing and repeated/unpleasant lady type symptoms.
Anyway, everything’s moving so fast and I’m feeling rather overwhelmed…for eg, I’ve been advised to take metformin, attend an eye screening test, attend a foot check, attend a healthy eating course, possibly try the soup/shake diet and read a load of material. I’ve been very strict with my diet for the last month, since the investigations started and have increased my exercise and I am feeling better….but I’m still 2 stone overweight….the diabetes weight loss has stabilised now and I need to get my **** in gear, shifting that couple of stone. I’ve no idea what I am supposed to eat, but hopefully that course will sort me out!
My main concern is possible side effects of metformin I’ve been told to take one in the morning after breakfast and one in the evening after meal….then increase this to two the following week.
Anyway…..just saying ‘hi’ and hope everyone’s doing well. Take care x

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Hi @MazzyStarGirl , and welcome!

It is a kick in the chins, eh? A healthy diet is very much a point of discussion, as what is healthy for one, may not be healthy for another (who has a metabolic impairment, like T2's have). So... Get thee a meter! It'll help you sort out what foods agree with you, and which don't. @EllieM 's already shared the Nutritional Thingy, so I won't link it again, but it does include a bit on how to use a meter effectively, and what foods would/should agree with you. As for the course, well... It wholly depends on how enlightened and with the times the person giving the course is. Some will still try to hammer the EatWell plate down one's throat, which is usually not conducive to getting blood sugars down. Others have kept up with the research done in the diabetic field and will advocate for a low carb diet, but they're rare and far in between, sadly. So.... You're going to encounter a whole lot of advice all over the place, and it, too, will be all over the place. That's why you need a meter: it may sound good, but if the meter says no, it's a no. It won't try to sell you anything, it'll just tell you whether something was good for you or not. Others -us forumites included!- can advise what they want, but they're not you, and they don't live inside your body. Your insulin sensitivity, your insulin resistance, your insulin output, it is all unique to you... So while there's maybe a thousand people online with a thousand opinions and dogma's.... Test. Let a meter tell you what works specifically for you. Maybe your diet needs a drastic overhaul. maybe it only needs a few tweaks. Maybe you need a little tablet, maybe not. Figure out what works for you, your body, your health and your life. This is going to be with you from here on in, even if you do achieve remission, so... Find what makes whatever adjustments that need to be made, sustainable for the long run.

As for all those tests, they need a baseline. Where are you on the diabetic complication scale, so to speak. Your feet get checked for neuropathy, your eyes for retinopathy, the kind of things you might have trouble with if you've lived with high blood sugars for a very long time (and I do mean years, practically). Then they know where you're at and how you're doing, and they will keep checking those things as time goes by, to see whether you're getting worse, better, need some medical assistance in getting blood sugars down etc. It's a good thing to be getting an MOT, so don't stress about it. It's not a test you can fail, as such. They just want to know how and where you need help, if any.

Anyway, again, welcome, and if you have questions, throw 'em out there!
Jo