Doctor has said I have type 2 diabetes

[mickiete]

Doctor has said I have type 2 diabetes 2 days ago, has told me to I need to take Metformin tablets (collecting Monday). He also said to cut down on carbohydrates, 130g max a day.

But not sure which part of the carbohydrates to read, the one that says how much there is, or the part that says how much sugar it contains.
I'm going by the total reading.

Took a reading this morning and was 10.8 before breakfast, only had 2 weetabix with semi-skimmed milk and a banana. Next reading I took 4 hour later and it was 13.7.

Need to get my head around this, and hope the tablets help.

 

[Lily123]

Welcome to the forum
Did you doctor tell you your HbA1C?

Carbs is the number under nutritional information on packets that says carbohydrates. Of which sugars and the rest of it are not what you need to be looking at

 

[Burylancs]

Doctor has said I have type 2 diabetes 2 days ago, has told me to I need to take Metformin tablets (collecting Monday). He also said to cut down on carbohydrates, 130g max a day.

But not sure which part of the carbohydrates to read, the one that says how much there is, or the part that says how much sugar it contains.
I'm going by the total reading.

Took a reading this morning and was 10.8 before breakfast, only had 2 weetabix with semi-skimmed milk and a banana. Next reading I took 4 hour later and it was 13.7.

Need to get my head around this, and hope the tablets help.

Two weetabix and a banana are three big dollops of carbs. Some diabetics reserve bananas as emergency cover for lows.Not a good breakfast for a T2 . Protein-rich. Brekkies, egg and bacon style better for t2s. Some say full fat milk better for t2s because the fat content slows the absorption of the glucose.
Check out Maggie Davey's Letter in the Newbies advice thread.
On labels it used to be a rule of thumb that of which sugars was best kept under 10 %.

 

[mickiete]

Welcome to the forum
Did you doctor tell you your HbA1C?

Carbs is the number under nutritional information on packets that says carbohydrates. Of which sugars and the rest of it are not what you need to be looking at

Hi,
No he just said I am type 2.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Doctor has said I have type 2 diabetes 2 days ago, has told me to I need to take Metformin tablets (collecting Monday). He also said to cut down on carbohydrates, 130g max a day.

But not sure which part of the carbohydrates to read, the one that says how much there is, or the part that says how much sugar it contains.
I'm going by the total reading.

Need to get my head around this, and hope the tablets help.

Welcome to the forum @mickiete

Yes, you are right, it’s the total carbohydrate, rather than ‘of which sugars’ which is the most important.

T2 is usually diagnosed with an HbA1c above 47mmol/mol. but some forum member stary much higher than that - even into 3 figures!

Good that you’ve been told to try to keep your carbohydrate intake down to moderately low levels. This can help enormously in the beginning.

Which tablets have you been offered?

 

[mickiete]

Two weetabix and a banana are three big dollops of carbs. Some diabetics reserve bananas as emergency cover for lows.Not a good breakfast for a T2 . Protein-rich. Brekkies, egg and bacon style better for t2s. Some say full fat milk better for t2s because the fat content slows the absorption of the glucose.
Check out Maggie Davey's Letter in the Newbies advice thread.
On labels it used to be a rule of thumb that of which sugars was best kept under 10 %.

Thanks for that, looks like that's my bananas out the window then, weetabix is only on a sunday, toast on saturdays, and porridge oats rest of the week.

 

[mickiete]

Welcome to the forum @mickiete

Yes, you are right, it’s the total carbohydrate, rather than ‘of which sugars’ which is the most important.

T2 is usually diagnosed with an HbA1c above 47mmol/mol. but some forum member stary much higher than that - even into 3 figures!

Good that you’ve been told to try to keep your carbohydrate intake down to moderately low levels. This can help enormously in the beginning.

Which tablets have you been offered?

Metformin, I am on other tablets from heart attack 4 yrs ago.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Took a reading this morning and was 10.8 before breakfast, only had 2 weetabix with semi-skimmed milk and a banana. Next reading I took 4 hour later and it was 13.7.

Some of our members find their insulin resistance is highest in the mornings, so find it helpful to eat fewer carbohydrates then.

Greek yoghurt with berries and a sprinkling of Granola for crunch is a popular and satisfying breakfast.

Berries are one of the lowest carbohydrate of the fruits. Yoghurt can be thick, creamy and keep you feeling full. And having the granola as a garnish rather than the main body of the breakfast is kinder on the BG levels.

Individual responses to foods can be very different though, so one of the frequently recommended options is to go through your existing menu and ‘ask your meter’ whether those foods agree with you.

Typically this involves taking a reading immediately before eating and again 2hrs after the first bite. Ideally you’d want to see a ‘meal rise’ of 2-3mmol/L or less from when you started.

2hrs gives time for your second phase insulin response to get going so may not be the peak reading that the meal reached, but it can show how things are being processed and whether or not your levels have ‘spiked’. 🙂

 

[mickiete]

Some of our members find their insulin resistance is highest in the mornings, so find it helpful to eat fewer carbohydrates then.

Greek yoghurt with berries and a sprinkling of Granola for crunch is a popular and satisfying breakfast.

Berries are one of the lowest carbohydrate of the fruits. Yoghurt can be thick, creamy and keep you feeling full. And having the granola as a garnish rather than the main body of the breakfast is kinder on the BG levels.

Individual responses to foods can be very different though, so one of the frequently recommended options is to go through your existing menu and ‘ask your meter’ whether those foods agree with you.

Typically this involves taking a reading immediately before eating and again 2hrs after the first bite. Ideally you’d want to see a ‘meal rise’ of 2-3mmol/L or less from when you started.

2hrs gives time for your second phase insulin response to get going so may not be the peak reading that the meal reached, but it can show how things are being processed and whether or not your levels have ‘spiked’. 🙂

Thanks for that, like the sound of the breakfast.

 

[bulkbiker]

Thanks for that, looks like that's my bananas out the window then, weetabix is only on a sunday, toast on saturdays, and porridge oats rest of the week.

I'm afraid that all of those are pretty high carb and not very good for someone trying to use diet to control T2 or put it into remission.

Eggs and bacon are far tastier, will keep you fuller for longer and will have a negligible impact on your blood sugar levels.

Personally though I skip breakfast completely and have coffees with double cream through the morning and don't eat anything solid until lunch time at the earliest. That way I can extend my overnight fast and keep my insulin production lower than previously. It also helps to burn off some of the excess sugars that you currently have circulating in your body.

You might find this interesting

Dr David Unwin: Low carb is not just about diabetes - Diabetes

Dr David Unwin explores how low carb can be applicable to more conditions than just diabetes, including NAFLD, cardiovascular disease and even Alzheimer's.

www.diabetes.co.uk

And this one too

Low-Carbohydrate Diets in the Management of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes: A Review from Clinicians Using the Approach in Practice - PMC

Low-carbohydrate diets are increasingly used to help patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes. We sought to provide an overview of the evidence for this treatment approach, considering the epidemiology and pathophysiology of obesity and diabetes in ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Doctor has said I have type 2 diabetes 2 days ago, has told me to I need to take Metformin tablets (collecting Monday). He also said to cut down on carbohydrates, 130g max a day.

But not sure which part of the carbohydrates to read, the one that says how much there is, or the part that says how much sugar it contains.
I'm going by the total reading.

Took a reading this morning and was 10.8 before breakfast, only had 2 weetabix with semi-skimmed milk and a banana. Next reading I took 4 hour later and it was 13.7.

Need to get my head around this, and hope the tablets help.

Have at look at

I have type 2 diabetes – what can I eat?

If you've just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, one of the first things you might be worried about is food. You’re likely to be faced with what seems like an endless list of new tasks. Medical appointments, taking medication, stopping smoking, being more active and eating a healthy, balanced...

www.diabetes.org.uk

for a balanced view

 

[Leadinglights]

Or even this link. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/

 

[Drummer]

Thanks for that, looks like that's my bananas out the window then, weetabix is only on a sunday, toast on saturdays, and porridge oats rest of the week.

I'm afraid that is carbs, carbs and carbs.
I stick to foods which are under 11 percent carbohydrate but do not bother to count calories - or anything other than the cab content, as that seems to be the problem.
It means that I am never hungry and I can keep my weight drifting downwards and regaining a waistline.
I tried to take Metformin, but was really ill so I stopped. As it turned out I don't really need it as my numbers are normal and have been for years.
I am really sensitive to carbs and my meter showed that I need to stick to low numbers. These days I eat under 40 gm a day, but that means stir fries, or mushrooms, salads and stews so it is no problem at all.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Bear in mind the average western diet has around 300g or carbs a day in normally.
Sticking to 11% is extreme, keto, and will take you down to just 33g of carbs a day.
Many just try to limit their carbs per meal, to get to the 130g daily limit.
It all depends on how you cope with carbs, many of us have better tolerances.
I for instance am back up to normal tolerances now, but I do try to balance all my eating with other things, like heart health, weigh, and things, not just focused on BG

 

[bulkbiker]

Bear in mind the average western diet has around 300g or carbs a day in normally.

And also bear in mind that 88% of adult Americans who follow that diet have issues with their metabolism..

 

[Deleted member 21371]

And also bear in mind that 88% of adult Americans who follow that diet have issues with their metabolism..

An interesting study indeed.
It's good to see how diabetes is quite low down the percentages, compared to those striking out with high cholesterol and high blood pressure?
The op's doctor seems well on the ball here fortunately.