Newbie T2

[C-C]

Hi
Newly diagnosed on Wednesday
Started metformin yesterday
Doc said no sugar , no carbs and make an appointment to see diabetes nurse - but first available appointment is two + weeks time so I’m trying to find my own way until then ‍♀️

there is autoimmune disease in my family ( on both parents sides , different conditions, plus type 1 diabetes sister)

growing up food and meal times were always a drama , which probably didn’t help my unhealthy relationship with food
im finding my diagnosis is triggering all sorts of historical emotional stuff too

 

[DiabeticJames]

Hope you get it all sorted, takes some adjustment but sure you'll get there in good time, i was diagnosed late April and still lots of questions, wish you the best

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi
Newly diagnosed on Wednesday
Started metformin yesterday
Doc said no sugar , no carbs and make an appointment to see diabetes nurse - but first available appointment is two + weeks time so I’m trying to find my own way until then ‍♀️

there is autoimmune disease in my family ( on both parents sides , different conditions, plus type 1 diabetes sister)

growing up food and meal times were always a drama , which probably didn’t help my unhealthy relationship with food
im finding my diagnosis is triggering all sorts of historical emotional stuff too

The no sugar is the sensible thing to do but No carbs somewhat extreme. Reduced carbs is a more realistic proposition and gentler on the body to reduce your blood glucose more slowly to avoid vision issues. Basing your meals on meat, fish, eggs, dairy and non starchy veg but just be careful of the amount of carbs you have. Reducing portions of the high carb foods but cutting out cakes, biscuits, sugary drinks. Just watching foods like bread, cereals, rice, pasta, potatoes and some fruits would be a good start.
Keeping a food diary of everything you have to eat and drink will help you see where saving can be made in your food choices.
Have a look at the learning zone and please ask any questions you then have. There a a few links to help the newly diagnosed which I'm sure somebody will chip in to give you as I'm not sure how to do it.
If you say a bit more about your diagnosis, your HbA1C etc people could tailor their replies to your situation.

 

[Felinia]

Hi and welcome. It's a bit overwhelming at first but rest assured, the changes you have to make will soon be second nature. As you have been put straight on Metformin, it would suggest your HbA1c was quite high - do you know the value? A tip is to have it in the middle of a meal as it reduces the unpleasant side effects. I suggest you start by working your way through the Learning Zone for Type 2 at your own pace. I found one module per day enabled me to take in the information.

We will all tell you "no carbs" is impossible, as there are carbs in virtually everything, even in lettuce! Diabetes UK recommends less than 130gm carbs per day, but many of us go much lower. I aim for 90gm, but we are all different, so you will need to see what suits you best. On the back of all UK packaging you will see a measurement of carbs, then "of which sugars". It's the total carbs you need to look at. One of the first things I did was get an app which measures the calories, carbs, etc, and keeps a running total for you by meal, by day and by week. I also plan in advance for the day.

I suspect what your doctor meant was to cut down or out bread, potato, rice, pasta, cakes, sweets, biscuits, pastries, processed foods, and most fruit. An apple can have as many of 18gm carbs, which are all sugar. There are alternatives like cauliflower rice, courgetti, boodles. I have carrot/swede puree instead of potato. For a sweet fix I have 80gm defrosted frozen berries. But there are loads of suggestions on the Forum. The other way you can help yourself is to watch portion sizes and lose weight if necessary. I suggest you use the next 2 weeks to compile questions for your appointment.

Then there is exercise - it doesn't mean pounding away in a gym, but what you can do and enjoy. For instance a 30 minute walk each day, or trips to the swimming pool. I do 3 water workout classes each week, and gentlemen do attend as well as ladies. I'm sure you will have many questions and we are all happy to make suggestions - we've all been where you are now. Best wishes

 

[trophywench]

Bit confused @C-C from your post - Type 2 diabetes is not an auto immune condition - but there again with your family history of a-i conditions (which I presume you've told him all about) has your GP ordered the extra blood tests in order to prove beyond reasonable doubt, that you actually do have Type 2 diabetes and not Type 1 or eg LADA?

Sorry to hear you believe you have an unhealthy relationship with food - for what reason (rather than what you think has caused it) do you think this? - what would be a typical day's menu for you - what do you prefer to eat and what don't you enjoy?

(Beaten to it by quicker typists!)

 

[C-C]

Yes I appreciate that Type 2 and Type 1 are different, but I understand that family auto immune diseases can make one more likely to develop them

I hadn’t heard of LADA until I started researching this site today
I do have some more blood tests next week so maybe that is one of them, but I think it was for cholesterol

my unhealthy relationship with food stems from meal times as a child being an issue, hypo symptoms used to excuse bad behaviour, the whole family was forbidden to have certain foods so that my sister didn’t feel left out etc etc

my diet is also complicated by having IBS , lactose and glucose intolerance and needing to avoid lots of fruit and certain vegetables- so carbs have been a safe / pain free option

 

[C-C]

Hi and welcome. It's a bit overwhelming at first but rest assured, the changes you have to make will soon be second nature. As you have been put straight on Metformin, it would suggest your HbA1c was quite high - do you know the value? A tip is to have it in the middle of a meal as it reduces the unpleasant side effects. I suggest you start by working your way through the Learning Zone for Type 2 at your own pace. I found one module per day enabled me to take in the information.

We will all tell you "no carbs" is impossible, as there are carbs in virtually everything, even in lettuce! Diabetes UK recommends less than 130gm carbs per day, but many of us go much lower. I aim for 90gm, but we are all different, so you will need to see what suits you best. On the back of all UK packaging you will see a measurement of carbs, then "of which sugars". It's the total carbs you need to look at. One of the first things I did was get an app which measures the calories, carbs, etc, and keeps a running total for you by meal, by day and by week. I also plan in advance for the day.

I suspect what your doctor meant was to cut down or out bread, potato, rice, pasta, cakes, sweets, biscuits, pastries, processed foods, and most fruit. An apple can have as many of 18gm carbs, which are all sugar. There are alternatives like cauliflower rice, courgetti, boodles. I have carrot/swede puree instead of potato. For a sweet fix I have 80gm defrosted frozen berries. But there are loads of suggestions on the Forum. The other way you can help yourself is to watch portion sizes and lose weight if necessary. I suggest you use the next 2 weeks to compile questions for your appointment.

Then there is exercise - it doesn't mean pounding away in a gym, but what you can do and enjoy. For instance a 30 minute walk each day, or trips to the swimming pool. I do 3 water workout classes each week, and gentlemen do attend as well as ladies. I'm sure you will have many questions and we are all happy to make suggestions - we've all been where you are now. Best wishes

Thank you
I love sea swimming so am going to try to go more often ‍♀️

 

[C-C]

The no sugar is the sensible thing to do but No carbs somewhat extreme. Reduced carbs is a more realistic proposition and gentler on the body to reduce your blood glucose more slowly to avoid vision issues. Basing your meals on meat, fish, eggs, dairy and non starchy veg but just be careful of the amount of carbs you have. Reducing portions of the high carb foods but cutting out cakes, biscuits, sugary drinks. Just watching foods like bread, cereals, rice, pasta, potatoes and some fruits would be a good start.
Keeping a food diary of everything you have to eat and drink will help you see where saving can be made in your food choices.
Have a look at the learning zone and please ask any questions you then have. There a a few links to help the newly diagnosed which I'm sure somebody will chip in to give you as I'm not sure how to do it.
If you say a bit more about your diagnosis, your HbA1C etc people could tailor their replies to your situation.

HbA1C is 62
Is that really bad ??

 

[C-C]

Hope you get it all sorted, takes some adjustment but sure you'll get there in good time, i was diagnosed late April and still lots of questions, wish you the best

Thank you James
It’s a bit overwhelming isn’t it

I have spent some time working through the recipes and doing a meal plan for the week so I don’t need to stress over every meal - phew !

 

[Leadinglights]

Yes I appreciate that Type 2 and Type 1 are different, but I understand that family auto immune diseases can make one more likely to develop them

I hadn’t heard of LADA until I started researching this site today
I do have some more blood tests next week so maybe that is one of them, but I think it was for cholesterol

my unhealthy relationship with food stems from meal times as a child being an issue, hypo symptoms used to excuse bad behaviour, the whole family was forbidden to have certain foods so that my sister didn’t feel left out etc etc

my diet is also complicated by having IBS , lactose and glucose intolerance and needing to avoid lots of fruit and certain vegetables- so carbs have been a safe / pain free option

I believe there are a few people here who also have IBS so may be able to give you some pointers on things to try diet wise but often changing to a low carb diet improves their IBS symptoms.
An HbA1c of 62 although in the diabetic zone (over 48mmol/mol) it is by no means as high as many people have started off at and managed to get back into normal range with lifestyle changes.
People do find substitutes for normal dairy products which are still low carb.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @C-C

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Feeling overwhelmed and slightly knocked sideways is perfectly natural when diagnosed with a long term condition, especially one as potentially serious as diabetes. But the good news is that diabetes (of all types), while serious is also one that can usually be managed well with a few changes and adaptations - it’s something that you can learn to live well with, and it shouldn’t stop you doing things you enjoy. Try not to be disheartened about your diagnosis, many people on the forum later reflect that their diagnosis with T2 became a catalyst which prompted them to make positive changes towards a healthier and more active life. Perhaps changes that they had been intending to make for years.

Autoimmune conditions do tend to cluster in that once you have one, you are statistically more likely to develop another, and they tend to run in families - so while you may be T2 it would also be worth keeping an open mind if your diabetes doesn’t respond as expected to a standard T2 treatment pathway.

Good luck, and keep us posted 🙂

 

[BlueArmy]

HbA1C is 62
Is that really bad ??

Its not good as it means your diabetic but I wouldn't say it's particularly bad either. It's in the resolvable region i'd say. I'd also back up what other people have said, if there is a history of Type 1 and auto-immune conditions, I'd make sure they were well aware of that and did more than the standard test for you. Push for a C-Peptide test and explain the family history as the reason why.