Shocked and worried

[AndyCol]

Good morning everyone. My name is Andy, and I was diagnosed with type 2 on Monday of this week. I'm feeling startled and lost in a big new world of information and i have launched myself into a suddedn and dramatic lifestyle change and weight loss plan. I am pleased to hopefully find a community of people to share my new journey with as i feel isolated and secretive to the world around me right now.

 

[Docb]

AndyCol, you have come to the right place. If you could give a few more details about how you came to be diagnosed then people will be along who have been in the same position as you to tell you how they have got through it.

The first simple thing to get a handle on is that Type2 D can be managed and very successfully controlled by most who get the diagnosis.

 

[Mephistophlillie]

Hi Andy. This is only my third or so post here, and I'm following the same path as you. I was diagnosed in Mid-November, and I was completely lost. Take your time. There is so much to learn and take in. Engage with your GP, Nurse and anything else offered.

Then find your own way 🙂

I've completely changed the way I eat. Reprogram yourself - it's not about traditional "healthy" foods. I've been 'healthy eating' for a year, and have a full nutrition diary on myfitnesspall going back at least twelve months. When I look at the carbs I was eating, it's terrifying.

Soak up all the info you can here.Tweak what you're eating, cut out the carbs. I was eating tons of cereal, cereal bars, rice cakes, 'healthier' crisps in the mistaken belief it was better for me.

Maybe consider buying a blood glucose meter if your doc won't provide one. My nurse steadfastly refuses to give me one, saying it's not necessary. I question how you can manage something you can't measure. Plus, as my weight is coming off, I can see the numbers dropping. 🙂

take your time.

 

[Northerner]

Hi Andy, welcome to the forum 🙂 I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis Try not to worry, it's not as scary as it probably seems to you right now, and you've come to the right place - lots of friendly, experienced people here who were once exactly where you are now, but have succeeded in turning things around - it can be done! 🙂 Try not to become overwhelmed or rush into anything drastic straightaway. This is something that you need to learn about at your own pace, and make the changes that will be sustainable rather than any 'quick fixes', which don't actually do you any good 🙂

Two simple sources of information will set you off on the right path - read Maggie Davey's letter and get yourself a copy of Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker. These are both highly-respected and proven guides to how you can set about learning what changes you may need to make in order to get your blood sugars under control - it does require a bit of work and dedication, but the rewards are well worth it, and at the end of the day all you are being expected to do is follow a diet which is healthy to anyone, whether they have diabetes or not, so don't worry that it is all highly restrictive and the start of a miserable future! 🙂 In fact, many people find that they end up feeling much happier and healthier generally, than they have for some time prior to diagnosis 🙂

As you are probably aware, the food you choose eat - most importantly the carbohydrate content - is what will determine how well you are able to control your blood sugar levels. Unfortunately, it's not simply a case of getting a list of 'allowable' food, as we all can have very different tolerances to the same things (e.g. one person is fine with porridge for breakfast, but another may find it makes their levels soar). In order to determine your own individual tolerances to things, he only way to find this out is to use a blood sugar meter to measure your reactions. Have a read of Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S to understand how this process works. It does take some time, but don't be concerned, nothing awful will happen to you overnight, so take your time to understand and please ask us any questions you may have, we will be happy to help 🙂 If you do decide to get a meter (and I would highly recommend it) the cheapest option we have come across is the SD Gluco Navii, with test strips at £8 for 50 (many High St. brands can charge as much as £30 for 50 test strips, so the cost of the 'disposables' - the strips - is the most important consideration since all meters comply with the same standards for accuracy 🙂

Finally, if you are able to, try and establish a routine of regular exercise - might just be a walk, or something more ambitious, but really whatever you are able to keep up with will be highly beneficial 🙂

As I said, and concerns or questions, please let us know and we will be more than happy to help, glad you found us so quickly 🙂

 

[ColinUK]

Hi Andy,

Welcome to the forum.

I was told rather unceremoniously about two weeks ago that I had T2 and the first thing I did was join this forum. It’s been a safe place to vent as well as a place to learn. It’s helped me calm down about my diagnosis and has guided me to take concrete steps to deal with it.

I’ll leave it to the more established folk to post links to all of the advice as I’m not sure where it is but when they do I’d strongly suggest reading it all and then ask any questions that come to mind.

If you’d like to share more about your diagnosis and whether you‘ve been prescribed medication then please do. I was given metformin right away and have largely switched to a low carb Mediterranean style diet. I monitor blood glucose levels throughout the day as that deepens my understanding of how my body responds to particular foodstuffs.

All that to one side though, this is an incredible, informative and supportive place so pull up a chair, you’re not alone.

 

[AndyCol]

Hi Andy. This is only my third or so post here, and I'm following the same path as you. I was diagnosed in Mid-November, and I was completely lost. Take your time. There is so much to learn and take in. Engage with your GP, Nurse and anything else offered.

Then find your own way 🙂

I've completely changed the way I eat. Reprogram yourself - it's not about traditional "healthy" foods. I've been 'healthy eating' for a year, and have a full nutrition diary on myfitnesspall going back at least twelve months. When I look at the carbs I was eating, it's terrifying.

Soak up all the info you can here.Tweak what you're eating, cut out the carbs. I was eating tons of cereal, cereal bars, rice cakes, 'healthier' crisps in the mistaken belief it was better for me.

Maybe consider buying a blood glucose meter if your doc won't provide one. My nurse steadfastly refuses to give me one, saying it's not necessary. I question how you can manage something you can't measure. Plus, as my weight is coming off, I can see the numbers dropping. 🙂

take your time.

Thats really interesting, thank you. I'd be interested to know what you mainly eat. Nutrition is everything to me right now and I am sure i must be making lots of mistakes. I too 'think' i know how to eat healthily, but i am so lost right now in what i should be eating not only to lose weight proprly bt also what food is best for dropping my blood / glucose levels.
My GP has issued me with a meter. I have'nt used it yet.

 

[ColinUK]

Thats really interesting, thank you. I'd be interested to know what you mainly eat. Nutrition is everything to me right now and I am sure i must be making lots of mistakes. I too 'think' i know how to eat healthily, but i am so lost right now in what i should be eating not only to lose weight proprly bt also what food is best for dropping my blood / glucose levels.
My GP has issued me with a meter. I have'nt used it yet.

What meter have you been issued with? It’s great that your gp has done that as moody of us have to buy our own.
Generally most are avoiding bread, pasta, rice, grains (including couscous) and are opting for good fats like extra virgin olive oil, cream full fat dairy etc, moderate good quality protein, plenty of oily fish, lots of green veg, limited fruit (generally it seems that if it’s got berry in the name it’s OK).

 

[Mephistophlillie]

What meter have you been issued with? It’s great that your gp has done that as moody of us have to buy our own.
Generally most are avoiding bread, pasta, rice, grains (including couscous) and are opting for good fats like extra virgin olive oil, cream full fat dairy etc, moderate good quality protein, plenty of oily fish, lots of green veg, limited fruit (generally it seems that if it’s got berry in the name it’s OK).

yep. pretty much this. I'm also swerving potatoes as they hit me hard.

as an example, I'm eating a ton of salmon, chicken, and loads of green leafy veg. I found a good quote on dietdoctor - "avoid veg that grow underground, ones above ground are ok." Granted its a rule of thumb, but it's working well for me.

 

[AndyCol]

Hi Andy, welcome to the forum 🙂 I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis Try not to worry, it's not as scary as it probably seems to you right now, and you've come to the right place - lots of friendly, experienced people here who were once exactly where you are now, but have succeeded in turning things around - it can be done! 🙂 Try not to become overwhelmed or rush into anything drastic straightaway. This is something that you need to learn about at your own pace, and make the changes that will be sustainable rather than any 'quick fixes', which don't actually do you any good 🙂

Two simple sources of information will set you off on the right path - read Maggie Davey's letter and get yourself a copy of Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker. These are both highly-respected and proven guides to how you can set about learning what changes you may need to make in order to get your blood sugars under control - it does require a bit of work and dedication, but the rewards are well worth it, and at the end of the day all you are being expected to do is follow a diet which is healthy to anyone, whether they have diabetes or not, so don't worry that it is all highly restrictive and the start of a miserable future! 🙂 In fact, many people find that they end up feeling much happier and healthier generally, than they have for some time prior to diagnosis 🙂

As you are probably aware, the food you choose eat - most importantly the carbohydrate content - is what will determine how well you are able to control your blood sugar levels. Unfortunately, it's not simply a case of getting a list of 'allowable' food, as we all can have very different tolerances to the same things (e.g. one person is fine with porridge for breakfast, but another may find it makes their levels soar). In order to determine your own individual tolerances to things, he only way to find this out is to use a blood sugar meter to measure your reactions. Have a read of Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S to understand how this process works. It does take some time, but don't be concerned, nothing awful will happen to you overnight, so take your time to understand and please ask us any questions you may have, we will be happy to help 🙂 If you do decide to get a meter (and I would highly recommend it) the cheapest option we have come across is the SD Gluco Navii, with test strips at £8 for 50 (many High St. brands can charge as much as £30 for 50 test strips, so the cost of the 'disposables' - the strips - is the most important consideration since all meters comply with the same standards for accuracy 🙂

Finally, if you are able to, try and establish a routine of regular exercise - might just be a walk, or something more ambitious, but really whatever you are able to keep up with will be highly beneficial 🙂

As I said, and concerns or questions, please let us know and we will be more than happy to help, glad you found us so quickly 🙂

Thanks so much that is really interesting and helpful.
Thats really interesting, thank you. I'm mostly interested to know what mainly to eat. Nutrition is everything to me right now and I am sure i must be making lots of mistakes. I too 'think' i know how to eat healthily, but i am so lost right now in what i should be eating not only to lose weight proprly bt also what food is best for dropping my blood / glucose levels. My Gp issued me with a blood glucose meter 2 days ago but i have not used it and i am not sure how often i should be checking the levels. I literally dont know if it's twice a day, once a day, once a week, etc...

 

[AndyCol]

What meter have you been issued with? It’s great that your gp has done that as moody of us have to buy our own.
Generally most are avoiding bread, pasta, rice, grains (including couscous) and are opting for good fats like extra virgin olive oil, cream full fat dairy etc, moderate good quality protein, plenty of oily fish, lots of green veg, limited fruit (generally it seems that if it’s got berry in the name it’s OK).

I have been issued with a Gluco RX Nexus machine. As for the food i am simply sticking strictly to a very low calorie diet at the moment as i am aware that i need to try and lose about 15kilos / 2.5 stones initially. I guess i will find a long term suatainable way of eating in due course when i have lowered my weight, but at the same time i am also trying hard to eat the things that will help to b ring down the very high glocose levels in my blood.

 

[ColinUK]

yep. pretty much this. I'm also swerving potatoes as they hit me hard.

as an example, I'm eating a ton of salmon, chicken, and loads of green leafy veg. I found a good quote on dietdoctor - "avoid veg that grow underground, ones above ground are ok." Granted its a rule of thumb, but it's working well for me.

Meant to add spuds to that list!
There’sa Good mnemonic for fish SMASH
Sardines
Mackerel
Anchovies
Salmon
Herring

all of them are ideal to eat.

Handful of nuts is good too as it’sa source of healthy fats - walnut, almond, hazelnut especially

cook with coconut oil and/or EVOO
Avoid legumes

 

[ColinUK]

I have been issued with a Gluco RX Nexus machine. As for the food i am simply sticking strictly to a very low calorie diet at the moment as i am aware that i need to try and lose about 15kilos / 2.5 stones initially. I guess i will find a long term suatainable way of eating in due course when i have lowered my weight, but at the same time i am also trying hard to eat the things that will help to b ring down the very high glocose levels in my blood.

So are you on a medically prescribed low calorie diet?

I need to drop a little over three stone

 

[Toucan]

Hello Andy, and welcome.
As you can already see there is no need to feel isolated, there are many of us here with similar experiences to share.
- And yes as you are already doing you need to find the way of eating and exercise that is right for you and will lead to a changed lifestyle.
It does work!
As to your question on what to eat, it is different for all of us, and your meter will guide you.
For me - As well as cutting out all the sugary things, I cut down on the carbs particularly the ‘white’ ones (white bread and flour,rice,pasta,etc ) and mainly eat fresh fish and poultry, nuts and seeds and yoghurt- and have learned to love vegetables (although that took a while!). I also try to avoid too much processed food, and include plenty of fibre some from the veg, plus seeds and pulses. There are many good recipes to make these things really tasty.
Best wishes for your success

 

[AndyCol]

So are you on a medically prescribed low calorie diet?

I need to drop a little over three stone

No Colin, my diet is not medically prescribed at all. Just being very sensible myself.
I need to drop around 2.5 to 3 stone also ! It seems to be coming off at the rate of about 2lbs a week atthe moment.

 

[ColinUK]

No Colin, my diet is not medically prescribed at all. Just being very sensible myself.
I need to drop around 2.5 to 3 stone also ! It seems to be coming off at the rate of about 2lbs a week atthe moment.

I’ve found it’s coming off quite quickly by following a low carb Mediterranean type diet rather than calorie counting. It’s also not true that one calorie is just like another. The advice is now to increase consumption of good fats as a proportion of calorie intake whereas traditional low calorie diets may emphasise low fat versions over full fat.
There ate plenty of YouTube videos and blogs about low carb Mediterranean foods and diabetes and there are also some great cookbooks on the subject too. You’ll probably end up cooking more from scratch and eating better, I know I am 🙂

 

[SueEK]

Hi @AndyCol and welcome. As you can see there are lots of us who relate to how you are feeling at the moment, we all have our own story and most of us were shocked, overwhelmed and even scared stiff. The not knowing is the hardest as it is such a change of everything we thought we knew. Take things easy to begin with or you will have burn out. Yes lower your carbs as much as you can but remember that some of them you may be alright with but probably not in the portion size that you have had in the past. I can tolerate some potatoes, especially chips and a small amount of rice but absolutely not pasta. This takes testing over a period of time but you will see a pattern and then know what foods are good and not so good for you. There is a recipe section on the site that can give you ideas as well. Have a good look through the site and then let us know if you have any questions; it really doesn’t matter if they are big or small. We all like a little rant as well when we get fed up or frustrated with things as this is a really common thing. Take good care, good luck and take things at a steady pace. Sue x

 

[ianf0ster]

Nutrition is everything to me right now and I am sure i must be making lots of mistakes. I too 'think' i know how to eat healthily, but i am so lost right now in what i should be eating not only to lose weight proprly bt also what food is best for dropping my blood / glucose levels.

Hi AndyCol, The same food (as in a way of eating - not a calorie restricted diet) is likely to reduce your Blood Glucose, reverse your T2D, reduce Blood Pressure, improve Lipid ratios and help you lose weight (and keep it off ) without going hungry.
Naturally all the pharmaceutical companies hate it and try to scare people into not eating it.
Its a Low Carb 'Way Of Eating'. This can be Carnivore, Omnivore, vegetarian or even (with great difficulty) vegan. For some it is higher in Fat, for some higher in Protein, for others a little higher in both.
It can vary as required from a daily consumption of 130gms of carbs down to Keto level (from around 25gms) all the way down to almost zero carbs. Carbohydrates are the only non-essential macro nutrient - our bodies can make as much as we need. But we need both some fat and some protein for our bodies to function.

 

[Ralph-YK]

Welcome to the forum Andy, from a fellow T2.
There are several diabetes support groups around. You can search for then on the Diabetes UK website. (Or at least you could.) I've no idea where the page is now though, as they've kept changing their website.

 

[Northerner]

My GP has issued me with a meter. I have'nt used it yet.

That's great news, and very enlightened of your GP - a lot of them say that you don't need to test, but it really is the best way to learn how your food choices affect you. With this information you will be able to retain maximum flexibility in your diet - no point in ditching things that your body happily deals with (unless you have other reasons for removing them from your diet). I'd suggest that, in addition to the Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S link I mentioned earlier, you also have a look at Painless Pricks, by Alan S, which is a helpful guide to using the blood testing equipment without unnecessary pain 🙂

Finally, get a free book of tips from Diabetes UK 100 things I wish I'd known about diabetes 🙂

 

[AndyCol]

Hi @AndyCol and welcome. As you can see there are lots of us who relate to how you are feeling at the moment, we all have our own story and most of us were shocked, overwhelmed and even scared stiff. The not knowing is the hardest as it is such a change of everything we thought we knew. Take things easy to begin with or you will have burn out. Yes lower your carbs as much as you can but remember that some of them you may be alright with but probably not in the portion size that you have had in the past. I can tolerate some potatoes, especially chips and a small amount of rice but absolutely not pasta. This takes testing over a period of time but you will see a pattern and then know what foods are good and not so good for you. There is a recipe section on the site that can give you ideas as well. Have a good look through the site and then let us know if you have any questions; it really doesn’t matter if they are big or small. We all like a little rant as well when we get fed up or frustrated with things as this is a really common thing. Take good care, good luck and take things at a steady pace. Sue x

Thank you Sue, really appreciate you taking the time to offer advice. I will become a dedicated follower of this forum as the weeks go on i am sure.